Poor-quality TV audio can very quickly ruin a movie night.
Was the main character meant to sound that muffled in the climax? Or did they just explain something crucial to the plot?
That's just one of the reasons we at What Hi-Fi? usually recommend investing in a good soundbar or sound system. It doesn't have to be a super flashy or premium model either, which is why the Hisense HS215 has caught my eye for £59 at AO.com.
It's an inexpensive but effective way to improve your TV speakers, especially for clearer dialogue and a wider tonal range. And frankly, out of all the soundbars we've tested, there's nothing else we recommend at this price.
With darker nights on the horizon and cosy evenings on the sofa becoming more common, your TV speakers are going to get quite the workout over the next few months.
Which is why a quick soundbar upgrade might just save your autumn, especially if you have a nice TV that gives movies the picture they deserve.
The Hisense HS214 can do just that, adding a broader soundstage and a welcome touch of bass thanks to a 3-inch down-firing woofer on the underside.
Dialogue clarity is one of the key benefits of the HS214, sounding even better than the five-star OLED TV we were testing with.
"The HS214 anchors the vocal, meaning you can sit back and enjoy the unfolding drama without focusing on the subtitles," our Hisense HS214 review reads. "The enhanced depth that the bass unit brings to the table isn’t superfluous either; there’s a solid sound to the lows and kick that gives the sound a touch more musicality than you would otherwise experience."
The HS214 is also a surprisingly competent music player, an area where even expensive soundbars struggle. Despite its size, the soundbar produces a pleasant, uncluttered midrange and a decent stereo image, delivering Follow Me Around by Radiohead without the tinniness we often experience with small speakers.
It’s simple to set up, too: an HDMI ARC port means you can just plug your TV in via HDMI and be done with it, but there are also optical and coaxial sockets, a 3.5mm mini-jack auxiliary input, Bluetooth 4.2 and a USB port.
At only 9.2 x 5.8 x 65 cm, it's also compact enough to fit in small spaces, and a decent build quality means it will sit happily beneath both a new high-spec TV, or an older model. It can also be wall-mounted thanks to rigging points on the rear and fixings included in the box.
If you're looking for a decent upgrade to your TV speakers at the lowest possible price, the Hisense HS214 is for you.
MORE:
Read our Hisense HS214 2.1 review
Check out the best budget soundbars: cheap ’bars, tested by our experts
And the best TVs under £1000: affordable OLED, Mini LED and LCD models hand-picked by our experts
