But that’s not all. When you want to really immerse yourself in the on-screen action, you can detach two battery-powered wireless surround sound speakers and position them behind you for a realistic 3D listening experience. It’s the ideal compromise for anyone who wants a proper surround sound system but can’t stand the idea of all that clutter. There’s also AirPlay 2 from Apple devices, which we’ve used to play the same album from our iPhone over a Roku Streambar in the living room, Apple HomePod Mini in the hallway and Sonos Roam outside – all fully synchronised. Weight and dimensions A slight criticism is the sheer number of volume steps – you can hammer away at
the remote's key for quite a while before reaching the level you want. The soundbar doesn't mind being driven loud, although it's obviously not suited to a large room. Another gripe is that for UK buyers the bar's USB port is service only, but in the US it doubles as a media player (MP3, WAV). It’s not a soundbar for everyone. This model is too big and cumbersome for many living rooms and TVs, but once in position, you’ll be transported to your own mini multiplex, as 5.1.4 channels of Dolby Atmos flood the senses with a deep and powerful, but controlled performance. The soundbar itself is compact – just 61cm wide and 6cm tall – and neatly styled, with rounded cabinet edges, a full-length grille on its front fascia, and control buttons on top.
An LED status light denotes volume changes. Raise the level and it expands horizontally, vaguely reminiscent of a Cylon's visor (original series, not the remake...).

A soundbar as small as this has no right to sound as big as it does. Measuring just 34cm wide, it features three drivers. The left and right channels get a small 19mm speaker, while the centre, mid-range driver is 51mm, and there’s a separate 37cm tall subwoofer. There are no upfiring speakers here, but clever Dolby Atmos software processing means the speakers do a great job of spreading audio to all corners of the room with “virtual” Atmos, without losing focus.

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Given the stripped-down spec, the Bar 2.0 All-In-One lives or dies on its performance. Thankfully, it proves highly accomplished, and reaps the rewards of an increase in onboard power over its forebear (now a claimed 80W rather than 30W), and, says JBL, improved driver design. Thankfully the set-up was impressively easy, and while it isn’t quite as simple as plug-and-play, it isn't far off. The JBL One app has loads of settings you can adjust and it also features room calibration that helps adapt the sound based on the space you’re in.

Before you hit the buy button, it’s worth understanding a little bit of the jargon used and the features available on the latest soundbars. We’ve outlined the most important factors below to help you make the right decision. Connectivity With the Sonos Ray and Arc also on this list, it’s safe to say we’re huge fans of Sonos and its multi-room brilliance. The latest version of the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is also a superb option that we recommend, but if you want “real” Dolby Atmos via upward-firing speakers, this is one of the most affordable ways to get proper cinematic audio. Good looking with an understated grown-up design, the Bar 800 is a brilliantly conceived do-it-all soundbar with wifi connectivity, multi-room music streaming, Bluetooth, Dolby Atmos upfiring speakers, voice control and a beefy 10-inch wireless subwoofer included.The subwoofer will take some hiding at home, but it’s a payoff you’ll probably accept given how small the soundbar is. In fact, it looks more like a speaker than a traditional soundbar, and with Bluetooth and wifi streaming, Apple Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect built-in, it happily doubles up as a music system. The Sonos Arc has been scooping up industry awards like they’re going out of fashion. It offers a wonderful combination of usability, features and brilliant sound performance, and if it’s within your budget, this soundbar should be very close to the top of your shopping list.

With the Bar 2.0 All-In-One, JBL takes the concept of plug-and-play to extremes. This is a soundbar that's focused on ease-of-use, and one that eschews functionality that might make the owner experience complex. Unlike the Sonos Beam, the Bose has two upfiring speakers, which really helps make the most of Dolby Atmos movies. The sense of extra scale here is really impressive given the soundbar’s dimensions. Using Bose’s “TrueSpace” tech, it also does a great job with non-Atmos content, helping boost it to all parts of the room. Bose has a long history of being able to swamp a room using relatively tiny speakers, and here’s no exception. It’s loud, detailed and extremely impressive, with dialogue especially present.We set it up in under five minutes – plug in the mains power cable, attach the HDMI cable to your TV and follow the steps on the brand’s Smart Control App to pair it to your home’s wifi network. From there, you tailor the sound output to your room using the four built-in microphones and we found the process to be seamless – with the soundbar examining the size and shape of our space and altering the output accordingly. This means you can buy multiple speakers for a surround-sound setup or use the soundbar as a regular speaker and have music playing out into multiple rooms. Sonos speakers are particularly good at this, and if you already have one of their speakers for music, you won’t be disappointed if you add one of their soundbars too. There are no upfiring speakers here, which is a shame for the high price. Still, it recreates a 7.1.4 theatre system and has two subwoofers inside the fabric-coated body that deliver just enough bass for snug areas, even if it’s not as immersive as some rivals. On test, we played a few of the classics – the lobby shootout from The Matrix, the bank robbery scene from Heat and multiple Star Wars movies – and were very impressed with the soundstage, it’s wider than you expect, and any vocals are clearly heard over the action.

This is measured in wattage. The bigger the wattage number, the more powerful the sound (anything above 250W will be loud enough to wake the neighbours). However, not all brands provide sound output information, as it can easily be confused with sound quality. Dolby Atmos Soundbars with this capability will often have upwards-facing (upfiring) speakers to help noise to rebound off the ceiling, as well as ingenious software that splits sounds between different speakers making it feel incredibly real – very clever considering it’s all coming from one box. This 2-in-1 device is a soundbar and TV streaming device combined, making it a good option if you’re looking to upgrade a basic home entertainment set-up, or want an inexpensive way to improve a second TV. It isn’t as powerful as a bigger or more expensive soundbar, but it makes dialogue sound clear and provides a good sense of bass. This Denon soundbar doesn’t have wifi connectivity and you can’t talk to it with a voice assistant, but it does have the latest “virtual” Dolby Atmos compatibility (albeit without upfiring drivers) and creates a big, impressive sound for not very much money. If you’re looking to upgrade your TV audio, this is a great place to start.At 115cm wide and 8.5cm tall, it is big. But, it is also sleek and looks superb under our TV, and all that width makes room for 11 speakers, two directed upwards, to create an immersive experience, especially if you’re playing films with Dolby Atmos, which puts you right in the heart of the action. If you thought Disney’s Coco was a tearjerker before, try watching it with the Sonos Arc, and be prepared to sing and sob in equal measure. There are nine drivers behind the stylish metal grille, and deep bass is taken care of by the separate, powerful, wireless subwoofer. Combined, they create a complete 3.1.2-channel system that slots elegantly into your living room. And if you’ve struggled to find a soundbar to sit beneath your TV, that doesn’t impede your viewing, this could be the one.