Why should you consider adding a soundbar or soundbase to your TV set up?
Slimline TV’s can have a superb picture but below par sound as space for in built speakers is limited. I should know having recently bought a SONY TV only to endure the listening experience of having a length of string between two old baked beans cans. A soundbar/base boosts TV audio and is compact also a TV can sit on a base. To ease my woes and tinnitus I researched in to the world of affordable alternatives to something Alexander Graham Bell would definitely not recognise.
| Soundbars | |||||
| Model | Price (£) | TV connections | Bluetooth
for music playback |
Subwoofer type | Buy
Don’t Buy |
| Samsung HW N850 | 849 | O, H | Y | WSub | Buy |
| Sonos Playbar | 699 | O | Y | Buy | |
| Samsung HW J250 | 160 | A,O | Y | ||
| LG K5 | 239 | A, H, O | Y | WSub | |
| LG SJ7 | 449 | Y | WSub | Don’t Buy | |
| Soundbases | |||||
| Canton DM55 | 249 | C,O | Y | Buy | |
| Canton DM60 | 299 | C,O | Y | Buy | |
| Canton DM100 | 529 | A, C, O | Y | Buy | |
| Canton DM75 | 400 | C,O | Buy | ||
| Q Acoustics M2 | 225 | A,H,O | Y | ||
- A – Auxiliary 3.5mm
- C – Coaxial digital
- H – HDMI
- O – Optical
- WSub – Wired sub woofer
| Soundbars | |
| Model | Overall review |
| Samsung HW N850 | Outstanding sound quality using Dolby Atmos |
| Sonos Playbar | Dynamic sound |
| Samsung HW J250 | Simple to use and unobtrusive |
| LG K5 | Great for films |
| LG SJ7 | Clever 3 piece sound bar but sound disappoints |
| Soundbases | |
| Canton DM55 | Powerful sound and good dynamic range |
| Canton DM60 | Excellent virtual surround sound and clear speech |
| Canton DM100 | Sounds great and is easy to use |
| Canton DM75 | Big powerful clear sound with a wide frequency range |
| Q Acoustics M2 | Good value compact model with warm sound and clear speech |
Best model versus Best Value
The Sonos playbar soundbar offers great sound but is at the top of the price range whilst the Samsung HW J250 is among the cheapest but still presents a big sound for a great price.
Further reading.
We wrote a handy article at the back end of 2018 reviewing our best TV for home use. Why not compliment your viewing pleasure with brilliant sound too!
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