Modern TVs are amazing to look at, but not so great to listen to. Which makes a soundbar a must. Sure, you could spend thousands of pounds on a monster like the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, or you could spend around £60 on this little wonder from Hisense.
It might not give you quite the same level of performance as the Sennheiser. But for £62 at Amazon, it's pretty special.
Hisense HS214 lowest ever price
What sets the HS214 apart from typical budget offerings is its built-in 3-inch down-firing subwoofer positioned on the soundbar's underside.
Most compact soundbars at this price focus purely on dialogue clarity and basic stereo separation. Hisense has managed to add low-end presence to the mix – something usually reserved for larger, more expensive models.
The 65cm chassis houses two front-firing full-range drivers alongside that dedicated bass unit, delivering a total of 108W of Class D amplification.
While that won't shake the foundations, our review found the extra bass gives sound a welcome touch of musicality and impact that's often missing from budget TV speakers.
Connectivity covers all the essentials with HDMI ARC, optical, and coaxial inputs supporting Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus.
There's also Bluetooth 4.2 for wireless streaming, a USB port for direct music playback, and a 3.5mm auxiliary input.
The included remote provides easy access to four sound presets – music, news, cinema, and surround – though we find that the music setting works best for most content.
Performance-wise, the HS214 delivers exactly what budget buyers need most: clearer dialogue and a broader soundstage than your TV can manage alone.
Our testing finds that it anchors vocals effectively, making it much easier to follow dialogue-heavy content without constantly reaching for the remote.
The bass unit adds noticeable weight to action scenes and music, though naturally there are limits to what such a compact woofer can achieve.
This soundbar works particularly well for casual music listening too – something many budget models struggle with.
While it won't replace a proper hi-fi system, it offers a pleasant, uncluttered midrange and decent stereo imaging that makes background music enjoyable rather than intrusive.
Build quality feels solid for the price too, with a classic black design that will sit happily under most TVs up to 55 inches.
Wall-mounting hardware is handily included as well, though this will affect the bass performance due to the downward-firing driver arrangement.
At just £62 at Amazon, the HS214 becomes genuinely hard to ignore for anyone looking to improve their TV's sound without breaking the bank. Happy listening.
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