Expert reviews and analysis of the best soundbars products
A premium 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar with room-filling film sound, effective AI speech enhancement and broad wireless streaming — but no remote and a heavy reliance on the Bose app.
The Samsung HW-Q995F is the brand's flagship soundbar: an 11.1.4, 23-speaker set that pairs superb balance with diabolical power and one of the most enveloping Surround and Atmos performances around, now with a subwoofer some 60% smaller.
The Samsung HW-Q800C is a compact 5.1.2 soundbar with a controlled, powerful and precise sound, deep bass and excellent bar-and-subwoofer harmony. Its vertical Atmos effects stay light without rear speakers, but Q-Symphony shines with a Samsung TV.
The Sony HT-A3000 is the smallest, most affordable HT-A soundbar: a well-balanced, cleanly built 3.1 bar with excellent mid-range and central-channel clarity and a modular ecosystem, though its virtual surround and Atmos really need the optional modules.
The Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is a compact, beautifully built Dolby Atmos soundbar with class-leading dialogue clarity and a clean app — but modest bass and only a hint of Atmos or surround immersion.
The Sony HT-A7000 is a massive 7.1.2 all-in-one flagship soundbar with superior sound quality, faithful timbres and deep, controlled bass, superb ergonomics and real expandability — though its immersive projection stays mostly front-and-overhead and it is expensive.
Bang & Olufsen's first soundbar is a luxurious, superbly built Dolby Atmos monolith with a complete, pleasant app experience and rich, deep sound — undermined by imprecise bass, barely-there Atmos elevation and no bundled remote.
The Sony HT-A5000 is a successful premium 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundbar with a particularly immersive soundstage, very effective auto-calibration and wide streaming compatibility — let down slightly by imprecise bass and a busy remote.
