JBL’s latest soundbar Bar 5.0 MultiBeam is a small thing, which also does not come with a subwoofer. It has the same width as a 32-inch TV, and thus takes on a direct battle against the class-leading Sonos Beam. Which costs the same. But unlike the Sonos bar, an additional subwoofer is not an option …
Although most soundbars lack rear speakers, this does not stop manufacturers from promoting audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, which provide “immersive sound”. Some soundbars have upward-facing speakers at the top, which direct sound to the ceiling, whereupon it is reflected down at the listener. It often works quite well. Sony, on …
When Sonos comes up with a replacement for the aging PlayBar and PlayBase, it’s not a trifle they stick under the hood. The Sonos Arc is large, 114 cm wide, which is equivalent to the width of a 50-inch TV. It is available in both black and white, where our copy was white. It would …
Sony’s soundbar should be on the table with the front facing diagonally upwards. We have seen this principle in other soundbars before, and with mixed results. But on the Sony soundbar, the speaker drivers are inset in such a way that they point pretty much forward, so they don’t play up into the air but …
LG SJ8 is the widest of the test and looks great with big TVs. It is sleek and elegant and is user-friendly with a clear and straightforward display in the front. Besides the HDMI input that supports all video formats, SJ8 has both wireless and wired network functionality. Spotify customers can enjoy direct streaming with …
Yamaha has a long history of creating soundbars that simulate real surround sound and some of their creations have impressed us immensely. With the YAS-207, Yamaha use DTS Virtual:X for the first time as a surround simulator, which attempts to convince us that the soundscape also has a height dimension. The HDMI input fully supports …
This is Sony’s most affordable soundbar that simulates sound in height, to provides extra size of soundscapes from movies with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtrack. The HDMI input supports all video formats, including 4K with Dolby Vision. This means you won’t risk your display going black if you play a 4K Blu-ray movie (something we …
The black and slightly lumpy plank from Klipsch has no display. Instead, a color LED indicates which light source is selected: green is optical, and blue indicates Bluetooth. Here is neither network connection nor HDMI input, the board is connected instead to the TV with optical digital cable. Dolby Digital is supported but not DTS. …