Google is plotting to launch a home entertainment system, which will stream music throughout a number of rooms in the house, according to reports.

In a surprising article, the Wall Street Journal says the multi-room hardware solution would be sold and marketed under the Google brand.

The report suggests that the speakers would be controlled using an Android smartphone or tablet and would make use of the company's Google Music cloud storage solution.

The project is apparently a brainchild of the Android team at Google andm according to those familiar with the plans, could include the streaming of other digital media as well as music.

The journal reports that Google began testing the product six months ago and could launch the hardware sometime during 2012.

AirPlay rival

The launch of a Google-branded wireless streaming solution would put the company in competition with Apple's AirPlay.

Apple's tech currently owns that portion of the market by allowing iOS device owners to send content to AirPlay-enabled docks and speakers or send video to its own Apple TV set-top boxes.

After years of relying on other manufacturers to push software like Android and Chrome, Google will soon have more power in the hardware market thanks to its pending acquisition of Motorola.

The home entertainment system would be the company's first real foray into hardware sales.

It has partnered-up with OEMs before now on gadgets like the Google Nexus One, but that was built by HTC and failed miserably mainly due to the lack of a support structure or a sales partner.

Set up your PC for great surround sound

Two, four, six, eight how many speakers do we appreciate? The days when people would be awestruck to hear a PC make tiny cheeping sounds from its internal speaker are long gone.

Today we're used to better-than-CD quality sound from every application we use, not in just one or two channels but in up to eight channels.

In many ways it was the advent of the CD drive that started the big push for PC audio quality. It also introduced some of the issues we still find today, particularly in how PCs have to juggle the many different sources, codecs, DRM issues and new digital destinations for audio.

When new technology promises multichannel, mega-bit audio streams, people rightly want to exploit and experience this. But when that very same technology becomes a barrier to enjoying these supposed delights, due to incompatibilities and complexities of how it works, it can feel more trouble than it's worth. You don't see people having issues using the latest car, they just put the petrol in and go.

So why does the technology industry feel it's in the right to put artificial barrier between you and your entertainment? It is an ongoing struggle, ever since the first PC sound card there have been issues trying to entice beautiful music from the contraptions.

Today hardware in many ways is far better behaved, largely as it's integrated on an industrial scale to the despair of poor Creative.

This is backed up with far less complexity within Windows itself. The issues that many people face are ensuring they get the best experience from their existing set up, while making the PC or laptop play nice with external entertainment devices.

This can be tracked back to when the first CD drive was connected to the PC. Someone had the bright idea to use a cable even though it was perfectly possible to redirect the sound digitally, and would lead to people without CD audio.

The same went for DVD and Blu-ray now brings its own issues of digital audio with DRM. So PC Format is here to cut through all the connectors, cables, standards and settings so you can get the best sound – surround or not – from your PC for ear-pleasing games, music and films.

Sound and vision

We all take sound for granted. Hearing's the neglected sense, constantly running second place to vision. But without sound Michael Bay films would be an unintelligible kaleidoscope of fire and posing pseudo-teen actors. Next time you're playing a game or watching a film, switch off the sound and see how long you last.

With games, audio adds vital subtle clues as to your enemy's whereabouts and actions that visuals just can't do. While for films a mixture of atmospheric soundtrack and a range of effects builds tension and emotions. So if sound is the carrot stick in a salad buffet – unappreciated and ignored – it's time to scoop that carrot into some delicious taramasalata and let the deliciousness slop over your taste buds/metaphorical ears.

Before we start unravelling the yards of wires involved with surround speakers, let's quickly cover the sound systems Windows uses in Vista and 7. Either right-click on the Notification Speaker icon and select Playback devices, or select Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Manage audio devices.

This lists what Windows considers to be all of your audio output devices, it's useful as it enables separate configurations for your main speakers, headphones and digital output for films to an amp or HDTV.

If you select 'Speakers' this will highlight the 'Configure' and 'Properties' buttons. You should click and run through 'Configure' at least once, it tells Windows how many and how the speakers are set up. It's unlikely you have full-range speakers, these are capable of producing reasonable base response and are not satellite speakers.

If you're running a 2.1, 3.1 or another odd configuration, selecting '5.1 Surround' will provide a further option to remove unused speakers from the configuration.

Once Windows knows how many speakers you're running click 'Properties'. This enables you to adjust just how Windows treats the audio, what connections it thinks are available and how they are configured.

Click the 'Enhancements' tab and this provides a number of genuinely useful real-time effects. Bass Management, Virtual Surround and Loudness Equalization all provide adjustments to the audio to suite your tastes. Bass Management is useful for satellites as you can specify the 'cross-over' point for bass effects handled by the sub-woofer. The standard is 80Hz; raising this to 100Hz or even 120Hz provides a smoother transition from the satellites to the sub.

Room Correction is especially useful; it's an auto-configuration for your surround system. Using a microphone it will tweak the delay for each surround speaker to enhance the surround effect for the room and speaker positions. This means that you won't have to worry about precise placement of the satellite speakers.

The most common integrated sound manager is from Realtek and it's the orange speaker Notification area icon that you have probably seen. Double-click this and, while the interface is somewhat more complex, it offers the same base settings as Windows does, from Room Correction to speaker selection. It does provide jack selection, so you can switch the function of jacks around, which saves a level of demeaning crawling around the back of your PC.

Sounds great

A major inspiration for writing this feature has been the amount of emails we get from readers regarding problems they have encountered with HDMI audio.

It sounds like such a simple idea: a single cable that carries both the audio and video signal. But the depth of the complexity is only matched by the despair of trying to get audio and video to where you want it.

Please consider, our fair audience, the reasonable task of wanting to take video from a PC to an HDMI display, and audio from the same said PC to an AV Receiver. To begin, HDMI is a digital connection and it's designed to carry audio, video and control signals over the same data channels and wires. Technically, the audio and any control data is transmitted in the horizontal and vertical blank periods of the video signal.

For us PC users we know that graphics cards can generate the video but how does the audio get into the video signal? We're glad you asked. Ever since the GeForce 3xx and Radeon HD 2xxx series sported integrated sound cards the audio has to be 'injected' into the signal by the graphics card. Prior to this an internal S/PDIF or HDA pass-through cable was required to move the digital audio from the PC's integrated audio to the graphics card and then to your display.

Of course this isn't always that simple, some cards use two-pin while others use three-pin connectors, though both are compatible you'd have to jerry-rig the cable yourself; identify the ground (GND, usually black) and 5v signal line (S/PDIF, usually red or white); and plug them in. You may need to dig out your motherboard manual for a complete pin-out. It's similar to the situation with CD and DVD drives that used to require a similar device-to-motherboard audio cable.

Another cause for confusion is when it comes to DVI, technically DVI isn't designed to carry audio, however it is pin-compatible with HDMI and if those wires transmit the correct digital audio and video data, no-one and no-device would be the wiser with it all working seamlessly. Simply put your HDTV will produce sound and vision even if an HDMI to DVI adaptor is used, and the graphics card internally redirects the digital audio over the DVI port.

Outside help

As long as Windows has correctly selected the right audio source – double-check this via the Playback devices dialogue we covered earlier under the Speaker Notification icon – any external HDMI device should be able to pick up the PC audio.

There's a small chance either a laptop or even an older HDTV may not be correctly wired for audio. Similarly some older units don't correctly support the DRM HDCP protocol, and that will also disable the audio and video when it kicks in with protected content.

The question is if you don't have a suitable HDMI device or you want to use an HDMI display but use an external AV Receiver for the audio, how do you split this combined digital signal?

There are obvious and easy analogue solutions but we're going to leave those for a moment and stick with true digital options. To begin your HDTV may provide a S/PDIF out, unfortunately it's likely this only carries its internal TV tuner audio, which is rubbish. This is potentially useful as Freeview/DVB-T2 is capable of broadcasting Dolby audio.

Ideally and if you're serious about home entertainment, an AV receiver with HDMI in/out would be the ideal solution. Using this it's possible to take the HDMI signal from the PC, to the amp then direct it to the HDTV while you enjoy the vastly enhanced surround sound.

The big issue is what if you don't own an HDMI-equipped amplifier? Well, it depends on what you want and where you want the audio. Even on an HDMI-equipped laptop there will be the option to use the 3.5mm mini-jack to siphon off the audio with a suitably long-enough cable, if you have access to an AV amp Dolby Pro Logic virtual surround will do a fine job of up-mixing even stereo audio.

With a desktop PC then many amps provide a 'matrix' input mode via a bank of three or four stereo RCAs. Using one-pair per set of front, side and rear satellite speakers, plus one more for the centre and the sub channels, it can connect the standard back-panel 3.5mm mini-jacks to the 'matrix' with all the surround decoding done on the PC side.

For a true digital solution the next best option is that either the PC or laptop has a built-in optical or coaxial digital S/PDIF output. It's uncommon, and not unheard of to find these on laptops, but many desktops offer at least one, or two, on the backpanel. If you're starting to panic as none of these apply, most motherboards also provide an S/PDIF header and it's easy enough to buy and add a dual coaxial/S/PDIF bracket for around £10 on eBay.

If all of these have so far failed you then, as a final solution, plump for a new sound card that's either internal or USB. We've seen basic models of both types offering eight-channel output with S/PDIF for around £10.

A final and crazy option is to pick a HDMI splitter that provides a separate digital audio output, they are not the most common of things but a couple of models do exist such as the CASP100 for around £65. At this point that's just about every viable option of getting audio off your PC onto another device either digitally or analogue that we can think of covered.

No standards

A final area to be aware of is how the audio is decoded and piped off the PC, with music, gaming and films being handled in subtly different ways.

Music is the most simple as it's typically a decoded and encoded stereo audio stream to a selected sound device. Windows at that point takes over and will up-mix if you've enabled virtual surround, otherwise that can be left to your external amp.

Gaming is equally as simple; the game will be using either the DirectX Audio API or a third-party option, such as OpenAL to generate its multi-directional audio. Windows will then assign the audio to the most suitable audio channel. The original Nvidia nForce boards provided encoded Dolby Digital gaming sound, but the feature was dropped from later boards much to the dismay of many people.

Films is where it gets a little more complex largely due to the various and evolving container formats, such as MKV and additional digital audio standards such as Dolby TrueHD. Add in the number of media players, decoders and codec packs with the fact you typically want external amplifiers to do the decoding and it can get very confusing.

Blu-ray and HDMI are designed to carry a number of standard multi-channel sound formats, we'll list them in order of increasing bit-rate: Dolby Digital + Plus (AC3), DTS, Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS HD Master and LPCM (Wave/AIFF).

Sounding good

If you're enjoying a film that uses one of these soundtracks and are using an external amplifier then you'll want it to pass through the audio, so it can be decoded externally. We usually recommend using the CCCP codec pack that uses the FFDShow stream switcher.

Open the Audio Decoder, select 'Output' and make sure you tick all the Dolby and DTS formats under 'Pass-through'. Be aware that S/PDIF can only handle compressed audio, i.e. standard Dolby Digital and DTS, there are options to down-sample Blu-ray HD audio formats as otherwise you'll only get stereo PCM going over the S/PDIF.

Throughout this feature we've stuck with integrated sound and for a good reason; PC Format a good while back did a blind test of integrated vs add-in sound cards. Frankly, your man-in-the-street couldn't really tell the difference.

But with integrated sound offering eight-channel audio, digital optical and coaxial on top of HDMI audio and HD input at 24-bits at up to 192KHz – what more do you need?

Bang & Olufsen has taken to CES 2012 to reveal its latest 3D TV in the form of the B&O BeoVision 12-65.

The company describes the 65-inch plasma screen as "ultra flat" which left us wondering how flat its predecessors were until we realised it means "very thin indeed" combined with "an optical illusion" involving the aluminium speaker housing.

It's intended to sit on the wall rather than a stand, so the wall bracket comes partly integrated into the set itself, adding to the ultra flatness of the thing.

Other features are available

As well as being dead thin, like, the centre speaker holds five speaker units within it and helps pump out 7.1 surround sound when set up in the correct formation.

The NeoPDP panel promises improved 3D and 2D performance thanks to phosphors with a very short retention time.

No sniff of a UK price for the B&O BeoVision 12-65 but it's likely to be high - now take that price you're thinking is high and double it. About that.

Speakers galore

Also revealed at CES 2012 are the company's new BeoLab 12 loudspeakers that sit mounted on the wall aside a television, providing the auditory illusion of three-dimensional sound.

And finally there's the B&O Play portable music system, the B&O Beolit 12, which brings all the excellence of a Bang & Olufsen sound system to, well, anywhere, given that you can pick it up and carry it around.

Unusually for Bang & Olufsen, the Beolit 12 isn't too far out of a normal person's price range, set to land in the UK with a price of around £575 (€699, $799).

If you want Apple's AirPlay but don't want to spend hundreds replacing the speakers you've already spent hundreds on, Griffin has a treat for you.

On Sunday evening, Griffin announced the Griffin Twenty, an audio amplifier that will turn any good ol' speakers into AirPlay-enabled speakers (with a little help from an AirPort Express).

We got our hands on the sleek device - and it was impressive. The glossy white finishes looks almost Apple-esque, and makes it almost hard to differentiate the AirPort from the base station.

We also found the Twenty was surprisingly light in the hands.

The minimalist style fits well with the Apple aesthetic many enthusiasts have come to expect from their Apple-brand accessories (whether third-party or otherwise), and the Twenty will look right at home in Cupertino connouisseurs' homes.

"The Griffin Twenty is the easiest, best-sounding solution for consumers who have speakers that are not AirPlay-enabled but still want to stream high-fidelity audio wirelessly," said Mark Rowan, President of Griffin Technology.

AirPlay, everywhere

An ever-increasing list of iOS apps are taking advantage of Apple's AirPlay technology, and users will be able to stream those apps directly from their iOS apps, as well as their computers' iTunes libraries.

Of course the the AirPort Express can already turn any amp into an AirPlay-enabled device, but it requires a bit of configuration, an outlet, and an audio cable that needs to run from two devices that aren't necessarily even close to each other.

A better option?

The Griffin Twenty presents streamlines the entire process in a low-profile digital amplifier.

The Twenty allows you to plug the AirPort Express (which is sold separately) directly into the amp and run a small unseen TOSLINK cable between the two.

If looks are any indication, the whole package might just be elegant enough to warrant many our dough.

That aesthetic still might change a bit as the Twenty is still a prototype. That also means it might just caught you a pretty penny - there's still no price or release date, but we'll keep you posted.

Samsung talks up home cinema

"We've got a saturated market where most people have more than one flatscreen TV - and people aren't forking out on a new one just to make it smart," says Chris Moseley, AV product manager at Samsung.

So what to do? Sell 'em a home cinema, of course - and preferably one that includes 3D capabilities and Samsung's Smart Hub.

Away from the Galaxy Tab, the Slate, the Samsung Galaxy Note and a vast array of Smart Hub innovations - including the launch of a YouTube 3D app - a rather quieter corner of the Korean giant's IFA booth in Berlin saw some intriguing home cinema 'solutions'.

We use that term wisely since the two systems that really caught our eye - the HT-D7100 and HT-D7200 - might upset some old hats. But, as Moseley explains to us, these 2.1 systems are just what the buyers of Samsung's ever-slimmer LED TVs need.

"Home theatre isn't necessarily something that only happens in the cinema," he says. "It's going backwards because people aren't always using the full surround set-up."

The HT-D7100 array is nicknamed the 'cube' after the shape the small wireless subwoofer, tiny amp-cum-3D Blu-ray player and twin speakers create if placed together, but it's better thought of as a bookshelf system.

It's designed for a 'second zone', such as a kitchen or living space where speaker clutter is anathema, but we can see it sitting quite happily in a small flat's TV area - ideally below a very flat, wall-hung TV - with the various components hidden between games, books and Blu-rays.

"You can literally lay it out like a bookshelf, or you can put it in with books, or as a cube or as a contention 2.1 layout," says Moseley. The only trouble is, the HT-D7100 is rated at just 110W; don't expect miracles.

Convenience vs quality

That's still a huge improvement on all flatscreen TVs' native sound quality, which Moseley freely admits is pretty woeful. "TVs have less and less usable speakers - the law of physics says that as the TVs get thinner, the speakers get smaller, and the sound gets worse."

Isn't that the fault of Samsung, the undisputed king of thin when it comes to TVs? Of course not - it was you lot that bought them. "Consumers are generally more bothered about convenience than quality," says Moseley.

"Just look at where CD went. It had a choice of going towards Super Audio CD or DVD-Audio, but it actually went to MP3, which doesn't sound as good but you can fit tons of it in your pocket. We're not saying that the TVs aren't good quality, but consumers are saying that they want them to look good when they're switched off as well as on."

Another eye-catching audio product at IFA was the HT-D7200, a £550 system that features bottom-weighted - and rather dangerous-looking - stereo speakers and an upward-facing subwoofer.

At 400W it's a much more powerful product, but it won't be for everyone. "It's a Marmite product," says Moseley, "though those speakers are actually fairly stable."

With all this talk of 2.1, and the encroachment of soundbars, is the traditional 5.1 home cinema a dying art?

"No I don't think so," says Moseley. "If people are after the ultimate quality of surround sound then they go for 5.1 It's understood by me, by you and by the industry, but you ask the layperson on the street what 5.1 is - they'd have no idea." For them, the idea of simple boosting sound quality using stereo speakers is a more understandable proposition.

What about 7.1 - the latest must-have for home cinema aficionados ... or is it? "7.1 is slightly different - it's very niche now. The people that do want 7.1, and want it as separate speakers in a living room, have generally crammed it in. It's pretty hard to create a decent 5.1 in a living environment, let alone 7.1, so it probably won't work as well as a properly set-up 5.1 system."

7.1 in 5.1

With that scenario in mind Samsung has come up with the HT-C6750, a 7.1 system with a 5.1 footprint. "The sixth and seventh channels are in the position that Dolby ProLogic IIz would use," says Moseley.

"If you have a two-channel feed it would post-process into a pseudo 7.1 using those speakers. If you have a DTS-HD feed with speaker re-mapping, it takes a particular extension to the core that will allow those speakers to be positioned at the rear."

Moseley also discusses with us the merits of Samsung's 3D sound, an EQ enhancement that looks at the depth of the footage and tweaks the soundstage appropriately to lend depth to audio, too.

Moseley tells us it's on every single home theatre except the two entry-level products - and that some audiophiles will hate it.

They will, however, love what's coming up from Samsung's AV division. "There's a couple of very interesting things I'm working on that I can't talk about, he says. "I'm working to bring something that we'll be the first to do, but it will be adopted very quickly throughout the industry, so I can't say much - but hopefully it will be very groundbreaking."

That particular breakthrough is penciled-in for a pre-Christmas launch, and a CES showing. We'll be all ears.

Orbitsound has unveiled its latest soundbar, the Orbitsound T12v3, which promises better sound clarity and improved bass from its soundbar and subwoofer setup.

It may not look massively different to its T12 predecessors, but the kit is decked out with a metal speaker grill for better sound dispersion and includes an improved subwoofer for better bass reproduction.

The soundbar also comes with Orbitsound's patented 'spatial stereo' technology that uses a mixture of analogue and digital processing to give you true stereo sound from the single unit.

Stereo Mike

This means no more stereo "sweet spot" because the sound is beamed all around the room – and all from a dinky little soundbar and easy to hide subwoofer.

Ted Fletcher, founder of Orbitsound, said: "In essence, Orbitsound is reinventing the wheel. The sense of depth and space experienced with our technology is simply not possible to achieve when listening to a traditional 'left' and 'right' speaker system.

"The result is that the 'spatial sound' is more pure, truer; it is essentially how sound deserves to be heard. If the 'perfect' sound really does exist, then we're coming even closer to replicating it."

Certified for use as an iPod and iPhone dock, the T12v3 also has a 3.5mm stereo jack and will be hitting the shop shelves in September, with a UK price tag of £299.

Pioneer has spilled the beans on its latest high-end AV receivers, showing off four new devices that, it claims, recreate audio as close to studio source as possible.

The SC-LX85, SC-LX75, VSX-LX55 and VSX-2021 don't come with the catchiest of names but they can all handle multiple HD audio and video formats.

What's more, the top-end SC-LX85 and SC-LX75 come with Direct Energy HD amplifiers for super-efficient performance with minimal distortion and clever multi-room capabilities that can offer differing channel set-ups.

First the A

These models also offer Hi-bit 32 and hi-sampling audio processing to revive the original sound and again lessen distortion; they both offer a new DAC filter too.

The SC-LX85, SC-LX75 and VSX-LX55 also come with Apple AiPlay compatibility, while all four come with Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad certification.

Each is also DLNA Certified v1.5 and compatible with an optional Bluetooth adapter for wireless music streaming fun.

And now for the V

In terms of video performance, the receivers all offer 1080p 24-fps playback with upscaler to automatically improve standard definition footage to 1080p.

Other features include advanced video adjust for smart adjustments when connecting to displays via HDMI and Stream Smoother to reduce compression noise for better quality images when streaming media online.

The Pioneer VSX-LX55 and VSX-2021 UK release dates are set for July 2011, while it's a wait 'til September for the SC-LX85 and SC-LX75

When it comes to UK pricing, the VSX-2021 and VSX-LX55 will set you back £799.95 and £999.95 respectively, while the higher-spec SC-LX75 comes in at £1499.95 and the SC-LX85 at £1999.95.

Tannoy is one of the most familiar names in UK tech – with the AV brand's name used as a generic term for PA systems in the same way as Hoover is for vacuum cleaners.

As part of Brit Week, TechRadar caught up with Tim Lount, the vice president of the Tannoy – which is based in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire.

TR: What makes Tannoy such a well-recognised British AV brand?

Lount: 80-years of UK designed loudspeaker technology has seen the very name Tannoy become a household phrase. Everyone hears an announcement 'over the Tannoy'!

The name Tannoy is in the Oxford English dictionary such is its importance as a British manufacturer. In fact, Tannoy is one of the oldest and most prestigious audio brands in the world, having been founded as the Tulsemere Manufacturing Company back in 1926. The name originates from a solid-state rectifier invented by company founder, Guy Fountain, made from a Tantalum alloy – hence the name Tannoy.

Do you think British buyers are more likely to buy a product from a British brand?

It very much depends on the buyer. Some AV and Hi-Fi buyers are serious anglophiles and love the history and heritage of famous British brands.

But generally the British buyer is more sensitive to absolutes like performance and design rather than geographic company ownership. Just look at British roads – no other country in the world has such a diverse range of makes, models and even types of car driving up and down the country.

British brands cannot simply rely on their Britishness to sell in the UK and have to constantly produce products at the cutting edge of technical and aesthetic design.

How does Tannoy compete on a global scale?

Tannoy is a massive brand internationally and overseas sales account for over 90% of Tannoy's turnover! Asian AV and Hi-Fi enthusiasts in countries such as Japan, China and Malaysia are huge Tannoy fans and the company's long history dovetails nicely with the gravitas that Asian culture puts on its own heritage.

Many of the Prestige model loudspeakers, that are made in Glasgow are shipped out to Asia, even feature a Union Jack badge. Tannoy is also very big player in the US, predominantly for its commercial beam-steering, touring and stadium speakers.

The innovative (114db/watt efficient!) VQ-series has become the loudspeaker of choice in the enormous American 'Worship Audio' market, catering for 800-15,000 seat churches and houses of worship.

What problems, if any, come from being British-based?

Being British based you simply cannot build a product in the UK to compete at the entry level of the AV market.

To hit price points of today's affordable speakers you need to design a speaker in the UK and outsource manufacturing to trusted suppliers in Eastern Europe or the Far East. While getting excellent quality from these suppliers is no longer the issue it once was, simple logistics, language and transport issues are always an ongoing challenge.

Are there any qualities that you think are unique to British AV brands?

For loudspeaker brands in particular, the sheer history and heritage of the UK Hi-Fi and AV industry carries massive weight around the world.

British loudspeakers are an object of desire and aspiration for almost every young Asian entrepreneur.

Products like the 50,000 US-dollar per pair Tannoy Kingdom Royal loudspeakers has become status symbols of success in many parts of the world.

Moreover, British loudspeaker brands have dedicated many, many years (eight decades in Tannoy's case!) to fine tuning the concept of a piston driver mounted in a cabinet. The British loudspeaker industry can justifiably say that it leads world in music and movie sound reproduction.

Bowers and Wilkins has told TechRadar that it does not need rapid expansion, with the AV specialists quite happy to 'do things at our own pace'.

B&W is a British technology brand which resonates globally, and the company's famed speaker technology remains an enduringly familiar site in the world's audiovisual magazines.

However, the company is keen that its mass market offerings, like the Zeppelin iPod docks, do not compromise the brand's quality tag, and will not change the way it has been operating for decades.

Push at both ends

"We'll continue to push at both the higher-end speciality and mass market segments with more interesting, better sounding products," B&W brand director Daniel Haikin told TechRadar, as part of Brit Week.

"We're not interested in, and don't need, rapid growth so can do things at our own pace and in our own way which, generally speaking, keeps things vital and interesting.

"Which is what got us here in first place."

Fresh produce

The company's next venture is a small but high-end speaker solution, which has got Haikin excited.

"We're launching a new speaker on June 6 which I think is the freshest thing we've made for years," he said.

"It's really small and quite expensive but sounds incredibly good."

If you want to play tunes or movies from your iPhone or run your new iPad internet radio app through your hi-fi, then Pioneer has your back with the UK release of five new iOS-compatible AV Receivers this month.

Pioneer's new range features support for Apple's AirPlay and full support for iPad, including an exclusive 2.1A battery charging facility via the USB port.

Pioneer's new receivers are DLNA Certified (v1.5), and work with vTuner Internet Radio and Pioneer's own custom-developed apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch such as the exclusive iControlAV2 App and the Air Jam App.

A haven for advanced home cinema

With improved features and functions across the board, the 2011 line up of Pioneer receivers includes the VSX-821, VSX-521 and VSX-42, and the Airplay-toting VSX-921 and VSX-1021 7.1 channel home cinema receivers.

Philippe Coppens, Technology and Product Information Manager at Pioneer Europe, adds: "This will for example enable [users] to access their music and video content as well as share them with others in one room or throughout the home."

Pricing is still 'tbc' with Pioneer's new range set to be available in shops from June 2011 onwards.

Today's AV receiver is the ubiquitous hub of any serious home entertainment system. From simply broadcasting the radio to a fully networked beast capable of streaming HD video and 11.3 channels of surround sound to several rooms in your home, the breed is as versatile as it is complex.

Sonos has announced a partnership with Spotify, which will bring the popular music streaming service to all of its devices.

Sonos has acquired a reputation for quality with its streaming solutions, and it is hoping that the arrival of Spotify to its service will provide a major boost when it arrives at the end of September.

SonosZone kit owners will be able to download the free app for iPhone and iPad that will allow them to control their devices and stream Spotify (but only with a Spotify Premium account), or most other music sources, around their house.

Most requested

"Spotify compatibility was the most requested feature we have ever had," UK regional director Mike Edwards told TechRadar.

The move is a first for Spotify – whose mobile and PC offerings have proven hugely popular in the UK market and across Europe.

"It's great that people will be able to listen to Spotify whenever they want, wherever they want in their home," said Daniel Ek, Founder and CEO Spotify.

"We're excited to partner with Sonos to deliver the unique Spotify experience in the home, with the same quality and ease of use that our users already love."

Away from PC

"This is the first time that Spotify has moved away from the PC," added Sonos' PR Manager for Europe Fiede Schillmoeller.

The Sonos app for iPad and iPhone was teased earlier in the summer, but the company chose to delay launch – primarily to make sure that the app was as good as it could possibly be, but also partly due to the Spotify agreement.

The app will be free from iTunes and compatible with all Sonos kit, with Schillmoeller believing that the iPad is a "Great social controller" and the iPhone a great personal remote control.

"Our mission at Sonos is to play all the music on the planet, all over the house, concluded John MacFarlane, Founder and CEO Sonos, Inc.

"By partnering with a leading music streaming service like Spotify, we can now offer more of our customers the ultimate jukebox experience at home."

Sony has unveiled two new high-end receivers, with the STR-DA5600ES and STR-DA3600ES hoping to build on the reputation of the company's ES.

Both the STR-DA5600ES and STR-DA3600ES offer 3D pass-through on HDMI, Digital Cinema Auto Calibration, DLNA with a four-way Ethernet hub, and 1080p upscaling.

"The two new products enable even better home cinema sound, plus state of the art features such as 3D pass-through, DLNA connectivity for networked audio and video and internet radio," states Sony.

STR-DA5600ES

The STR-DA5600ES features six HDMI inputs, Sony's H.A.T.S system to get rid of jitter and DAC-ED auto calibration technology.

"The 120W per channel STR-DA5600ES is built to produce top end audio quality and sound tuning," says Sony.

STR-DA3600ES

The STR-DA3600ES has four HDMI inputs and one output, but also offers power off pass through and Audio Return Channel.

"The STR-DA3600ES delivers 100W per channel. It has full DLNA client capability, along with a built-in four-port Ethernet hub for easy connectivity," adds Sony.

Both receivers have been given a UK release date of October 2010.

Sony has released a new 3D-ready surround sound system for those early adopters out there keen to invest in one of the first 3D TVs out on the market this summer.

The new Sony HT-AS5 is described as an ultra-compact system with 3D HDMI pass-through and high-power S-Master amplification.

3D sound just like the cinema

Which basically means it will make your new 3D Bravia TV sound exactly as its manufacturer intended, when you are enjoying those new 3D Blu-ray movies that should be on the shelves very soon.

"Sony makes 3D plus great surround sound simpler than ever with the arrival of the HT-AS5 - designed to give room-filling audio - without filling the room with audio equipment," reads Sony's release just in.

"The system has 3D pass-through on HDMI, and features 1000W of S-Master digital amplification hidden away in its compact subwoofers, which also acts as the control centre for the system."

Sony's new system has 2 optical inputs and 1 coaxial digital input for games consoles and set-top boxes.

3D gaming audio

If you are going to buy a 3D TV soon and if you fancy playing some of the new 3D-ready PlayStation games that are already starting to appear on Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) then this new 3D-ready audio set-up could well prove to be a wise investment.

Providing you have understanding neighbours, that is…

The recommended retail price of Sony's new HT-AS5 is £429.99, although if you shop around you should be able to find it cheaper.

History and technology

iPod docks are ten-a-penny at the moment, so something special has to come along if it wants to stand out from the crowd.

One company who is trying its best to be different is UK-based Orbitsound.

Created by sound engineer Ted Fletcher – who has worked with Jethro Tull and the Eagles – Orbitsound's products are based around a simple premise: 'believe your ears'.

In short, the company is looking to redefine the systems music is played on and believes it has done so with the Orbitsound T12 and T4.

Fletcher and his cohorts have taken the idea of the company's first release – the wear-round-your-neck T3 – and utilised its airSOUND technology to be used in a home environment.

While it already released a version of the T12 soundbar back in 2008, the new edition of the T12 is all ready for the digital age, with digital inputs added (something that was sorely missing on the original release).

DIGITAL ORB: The new and improved T12

Orbitsound's technology means that it can create stereo sound from just one speaker. None of this 'left and right' business, airSOUND produces natural spatial stereo from one sound source which means that, unlike stereo, the sweet spot of the speaker follows you around the room.

While this concept sounds new, the roots of the technology have been around for 80 years.

"When I first came up with the idea for the airSOUND, I couldn't believe that the technology wasn't around," said Fletcher.

"So I scoured the web and found out somebody had done something similar before – but way back in 1930. He was called Alan Blumlein and he worked for HMV at the time."

Blumlein was one of the pioneers of creating stereo and Fletcher is hoping that his airSOUND technology can revolutionise the audio industry as much as Blumlein's work did.

"The world of 3D TVs means that imaging technology has come a long way but audio has been left behind," notes Fletcher.

"Orbitsound's airSOUND technology is different and it is this difference that has made the company a talking point."

iPOD RADIO: The new T4 from Orbitsound

Originally launching at CES 2008, it wasn't until 2009 when Orbitsound managed to get itself into the CES Unveiled section of the show that the media really started to pay attention to the company.

Two launches later and a distribution deal with John Lewis, and Orbitsound managed to sell out of its initial stock of the T12.

The company's two new launches this month are the T4 Radiopod – an iPod dock and DAB radio in one – and the T12 Soundbar (mark II).

Game-changing technology

Both these utilise the technology first found in the T3, with Fletcher noting: "Porting the airSOUND technology to new products is easy. It's made in such away that you just need to make the components bigger – so you can use it for MP3 players or large arena loudspeakers."

SPEAK ONCE: One speaker creates stereo sound

Harvinder Hungin, executive chairmen of Orbitsound, is in no doubt that the technology used in the company's products is revolutionary.

"We're creating a really big problem for manufacturers like Samsung and Sony as we have proprietary technology that is game-changing.

"Although stereo has been the dominant audio force for the last 50 years, we really think that our technology is a rival, something that can be bigger. If anything, the ideal would be that stereo is used for the higher-end kits and our technology is used in the mainstream."

When asked why the airSOUND concept hasn't yet found its way into the big manufacturers' products, Hungin explained: "Manufacturers are interested in the technology, but we are also creating our own products. Companies like Sony didn't hit their stride until they created game-changers – it was the Walkman for them and the iPod for Apple.

"We have technology that is a differentiator and we have had a phenomenal response."

GAME-CHANGER: It all started with the T3

Orbitsound is hoping its new products will hit the consumer sweet-spot. But given that it is entering the iPod accessory market, which is one of the busiest around, it's not going to be easy.

Hungin doesn't seem too perturbed, though, explaining: "It's like a distributor once said to me about technology today: 'we have plenty of candy for the eyes, but not the ears'. This is what Orbitsound is bringing."

The Orbitsound T12 and T4 have a UK release date of June and are priced at £299 and £179 respectively. For more details, go to www.orbitsound.com.

Imerge has announced what it is claiming as the 'world's most advanced media server' with the MS1-HD sporting an integral Blu-ray drive to offer a full HD experience.

Building on the well-received MS1, Cambridge-based Imerge has replaced the DVD with Blu-ray and allows users to store and play back their content from their Blu-ray discs in full 1080p.

The system uses iMerge's XiVa safe hard drive components to offer 'infinitely scalable' storage as the user's needs grow, with the flagship XiVaSafe iSCSI offering a whopping12 terabytes of data for your MS1-HD.

And that data can, as you would expect, include non-media files in a 'digital safe' delivering a networked back-up facility.

Imerge experience

"The 'Imerge experience' is all about unparalleled performance, functionality and simplicity, and as our flagship server component, the MS1-HD is the ultimate embodiment of our core values – a 'statement product' in the truest sense of the term," said Cameron Wade, CEO of Imerge .

"We now live in a high-definition world, and the MS1-HD delivers an incomparable multi-room entertainment experience across all types of media. Its range of features, exceptional flexibility, sound quality and HD video performance make it truly unique."

Prices for the start at £8,930 for the 2TB version and move upwards according to the amount of storage.

Sharp has announced the HT-SB400 soundbar system and the DK-AP8P iPod dock describing them as 'chic, affordable sound for the "Twenty-ten" generation'.

Although we're not exactly sure what the Twenty-ten generation is, the kit is more straightforward with the 2.1-channel Sharp DK-AP8P iPod featuring a built in subwoofer, HDSS, video out and SRS WOW.

The dock also has a unique detachable control panel for remote control and can be run off either batteries or the mains.

Sharp HT-SB400

The Sharp HT-SB400 is a 3.1-channel soundbar system, with subwoofer pre-out 32W RMS, SRS WOW, touch and remote controls.

The system features two front speaker, two centre speakers and two subwoofers, and is billed as an ideal accompaniment to Sharp's popular AQUOS television range.

Grace Liang, Product Manager, Audio, Sharp Electronics (UK) Ltd, said: "Both the DK-AP8NS and HT-SB400 offer our customers a great value for money proposition.

"These affordable new models will bring style and powerful sound quality to any living space."

The DK-AP8P has a UK release date of January 2010 with an RRP of £100. The HT-SB400 will be available from John Lewis from February 2010 with an RRP of £180.

This article has been updated. Please read: 11 best sound bar systems for your HDTV

Slim and sexy they may be, but when it comes to sound, flatpanel TVs usually fall flat on their full HD faces.

Those wafer-thin chassis don't leave a lot of room for powerful audio circuitry and, as a result, movies can end up sounding thin and weedy.

The obvious remedy to this problem is to get yourself a home cinema system, but not everyone has the space or the budget – and that's where soundbars come in.

These units provide a happy medium between your TV's speakers and a full-on 5.1 setup, packing all the necessary audio technology into a single 'bar' that can be mounted on the wall or placed on your AV stand. Most come with built-in virtual surround technology too, saving you the hassle and messy cabling involved in rigging up rear speakers.

So if you want to be part of the soundbar revolution, the five one-box wonders on test here are a good place to start. Let's find out which one deserves your hard-earned cash.

B&W Panorama - £1,500

B&W Panorama - £1,500

+ Exceptional sound quality; immaculate build
- Expensive; unconvincing surround effect

So can B&W's Panorama high-end soundbar offering set a new standard for one-box cinemas? There's no denying the convenience of the systems.

Essentially an entire speaker system in one submarine-shaped cabinet, they are designed for wall-mounting underneath your flatscreen TV, with many offering technologies that simulate a 5.1 soundfield.

But while they are certainly practical and increasingly popular, they also usually involve a sonic compromise, and we've found the results are patchy at best.

But despite the paucity of features in this model (no radio tuner, iPod dock or HD audio support) Bowers & Wilkins' Panorama is a formidable soundbar debutante.

Read: Full B&W Panorama soundbar review

Crystal Audio SSB-1 - £250

Crystal Audio SSB-1 - £250

+ iPod dock; connections; solid sound
- No Dolby Digital/DTS decoding; some harsh sound

Renowned speaker brand Crystal Audio joins the soundbar party with the SSB-1, which belts out 200W of home cinema sound from a single unit. Its debut effort sits at the budget end of the market, but steals a march on both with the inclusion of an iPod dock.

The SSB-1's sound quality occasionally betrays its price tag, particularly when high-pitched effects, screeching creatures or clashing metal are played at loud volumes. They have a tendency to sound overly hard.

Midrange frequencies are a lot more assured, as demonstrated by clear, crisp dialogue, while the subwoofer inside offers a surprising amount of depth and punch.

Read: Full Crystal Audio SSB-1 soundbar review

Monitor Audio Radius One HD - £450

Monitor Audio Radius One HD - £450

+ Build and sound quality
- Needs to be heard as part of a system

Monitor Audio's debut soundbar differs from the rest in that it's not designed to replace a 5.1-system, but to form part of one.

Inside this sleek, compact unit are left, right and centre speaker drivers, but no rear ones, sub or pseudo surround sound processing. To complete the setup you can buy other Radius speakers separately, including R45HD rears and the R360HD sub, but that sort of defeats the object.

Inevitably, when listening to Radius One HD on its own, it does feel lacking. It's designed to be teamed up with other speakers in the Radius range, which bumps up the cost and means you'll have to hook everything up with cables – the very thing soundbars are normally designed to avoid.

It's not a criticism as such, it just means that the Radius One HD isn't aimed at your typical soundbar buyer.

Read: Full Monitor Audio Radius One HD soundbar review

Samsung HT-WS1G - £250

Samsung HT-WS1G - £250

+ Design; wireless subwoofer
- Lacks oomph; limited connections

Samsung's HT-WS1G is one of the few soundbars that comes with an external subwoofer. But if you don't like the thought of ugly wires trailing up the wall, fear not – this one is wireless, so you can place it anywhere in a room no matter where the soundbar is installed.

While build quality isn't the best, it's the most visually arresting system around. Samsung's platinum black finish and translucent edges are once again used to stunning effect, plus it's also incredibly slim and unimposing.

The HT-WS1G's main drawback is volume. Despite an impressive-sounding power rating of 260W, the unit doesn't go loud enough for our tastes, even with the volume level turned right up.

The result is a performance that feels restrained; compared with some of its rivals there's not enough punch. Another drawback is the ineptitude of the virtual surround in the 'Cinema' setting.

Read: Full Samsung HT-WS1G soundbar review

Sharp HT-SB200 - £130

Sharp HT-SB200 - £130

+ Modestly priced
- Limited connections; harsh sound

Sharp's debut effort is definitely at the budget end of the spectrum, a fact reflected in its comparatively limited feature list, but if you want a no-frills way of boosting your TV's sound quality then this might fit the bill.

It doesn't offer any built-in audio decoding for Dolby Digital and DTS, but it does provide 32W of built-in 2.1-channel amplification and some sound processing modes.

But despite its lack of refinement the Sharp's sound is generally loud and gutsy, and it certainly offers a more exciting listen than any flatpanel TV we've ever heard.

Plus, the same over-emphasis on treble that causes harshness on loud effects actually helps the Sharp to excavate lots of sonic detail from background ambience and effects during quieter passages.

Read: Full Sharp HT-SB200 soundbar review

Top 5 soundbars: Verdict

There are no real surprises in the final pecking order; the old adage that you get what you pay for is once again applicable.

The Sharp HT-SB200 is the cheapest and sounds like it, too. Its discomfort with high frequencies at loud volumes coupled with its ineffective virtual sound mode are enough to earn it last place, while the low connection count makes it an unsuitable choice if you've got lots of AV kit you want to listen to.

Next up is the Monitor Audio Radius One HD, a passive front and centre array that delivers fantastic sound quality, but is not a self-contained system in itself; to make the most of it, you'll need to add an AV receiver, subwoofer and rears, which isn't what most people look for in a soundbar.

However, the Samsung HT-WS1G does boast all the features you need, chief among which is Dolby Digital and DTS decoding. Also, the superb wireless subwoofer provides extra bass power without a cable in sight and the surprisingly low price makes it a good value proposition.

On a more superficial note, the soundbar itself is gorgeous and covered with the sort of snazzy embellishments that'll make it a real focal point for your living room. But the main reason it's lying in third place is its lack of puff when it comes to large-scale action scenes.

Even at maximum volume we felt it should go louder and we'd have also liked a few more connections.

It's pipped to second place by the Crystal Audio SSB-1, the rich feature list, comparatively generous connections and affordable price tag make it the best-value model of the bunch.

Music lovers will love the built-in iPod dock, while movie fans can enjoy the expansive sound quality provided by the VSS technology, although the latter camp may be aggrieved by the lack of Dolby Digital and DTS decoding.

Coming out on top is the B&W Panorama, a beautifully built and staggeringly talented unit that offers the best sound quality bar none.

The solidity and power of the bass it musters is unbelievable, putting even the Samsung's external sub to shame, while the rest of the sound boasts the smoothness and control that you only get from an experienced audio brand at the top of its game.

The three digital inputs and Dolby Digital/DTS decoding are further reasons to be cheerful.

But despite all this, we have reservations over the price. £1,500 is a lot to fork out for a soundbar – even one as good as this – and for that sort of cash we'd have expected HDMI sockets.

But if you do splash out on one you won't regret your decision for a second.

Endless reams of untidy cabling are a mainstay of most multispeaker sound systems, whether they're 5.1 or the more space-hungry 7.1 specifications.

These setups aren't ideal for anybody without a capacious lounge that features a pretty standard layout.

Unfortunately, the whims of modern architecture mean that stereotypical retail showroom interiors are few and far between, making setting up surround sound systems accurately a difficult issue.

To get round this, manufacturers produced soundbars – devices incorporating five channels into one bar that can be placed above or below a television.

Many consumer electronics makers have spied the emerging market for clutter-free speaker solutions and jumped on the soundbar production bandwagon. There are two main solutions on offer.

The cheaper option simply provides stereo sound, which offers a clearer and more defined alternative to your television's standard built-in speaker.

These models are generally active rather than passive, which means that the amplification unit makes up a portion of the device's interior. As a result, there's no need for a separate receiver or amp, and you'll reap the rewards of improved sound in an eye-catching, streamlined setup.

More expensive soundbars dole out engaging aural effects with the sole intention of placing you in the centre of the on-screen action, whether you're watching a film or playing a game. We'll be focusing on a soundbar with a virtual surround sound feature-set here.

• 5 best soundbars to improve your TV's audio

Surround yourself

The downside of their compact size is that soundbars are only able to offer frequencies at the higher end of the audio spectrum. The cabinets are simply too small to produce full bass. For a more complete full-range of sound, an additional sub-woofer is required.

While most products are sold without a sub, some do include one as part of the package. However, manufacturers don't just bundle an array of tweeters into the device's casing haphazardly. No, they're cleverly engineered so that the loudspeakers combine to give you the impression of an all-encompassing auditory envelopment.

Although the soundbar is more convenient for use within a compact room than a normal surround sound system, it still requires some form of uniformity in the layout. The devices are at their best performance-wise in a square room where the rear wall is closely behind the back of the sofa you're parked on. The system then beams sound around the room and deflects it off walls to create virtual surround sound.

• Read TechRadar's Yamaha YAS-71 review
• Read TechRadar's B and W Panorama review

In addition to this beaming, a more complicated method that harnesses some of the fundamentals in psychoacoustics (the study of how our ears perceive sound) is employed.

Tiny adjustments to volume, time difference and frequency mean soundbars can create effects that equate to noise sounding like it derives from a different direction. For example, when a sound originates on the right, it's louder in the right ear.

Our brains are able to work out where the sound comes from by the delay in it arriving at our left ear. The time it takes to travel the width of our skull is mere thousandths of a second, but it's enough. The psychoacoustics employed by soundbars simulate exactly this.

One of the reasons that we're able to pick out sounds emanating from the rear is that the outer-most part of the ear filters out a selection of frequencies and decreases the volume from sounds that are behind us.

When the integrated sound-processing encased in many soundbars removes those frequencies and also lowers the volume slightly, our brains are fooled into believing the sound is coming from behind.

The British speaker manufacturers Ferguson Hill reveals its new range of home cinema systems and uniquely-styled transparent loudspeaker systems at a London launch event today.

The new range comprises the FH009 Home Theatre System, for movie fans and audiophiles alike and the FH010 speakers, a new mid-sized version of Ferguson Hill's signature horn-shaped speaker.

"Both products represent Ferguson Hill's continuing dedication to unrivalled sound quality and sensational style," the company's press release informs us.

Home movie soundscapes

Ferguson Hill clearly hopes that consumers will agree that its latest £795 Home Theatre System "make[s] the viewing experience sound, and feel fantastic" and that the sound of the movie experience in the lounge is now "as much part of the experience as the picture."

The company claims to have nailed the best quality home cinema sound due to its patented di-polar horn speakers, which "eliminate the interference that can come with standard encased or boxed speaker systems."

The horn loaded drivers in the new FH009 are designed to allow the sound to be more easily magnified at the frequency range the human ear is most sensitive to (340Hz-20KHz).

"Because the system focuses on this range – which corresponds to the human voice – it produces a natural, warm sound that is pin-drop clear," notes Ferguson Hill's release.

The FH009's 'plug and play' integrated amp is also the only class A-B amplifier that consumers will find in its price range.

High-end transparent speaker

Next up, the new £6000 FH010 transparent speaker system is a slightly more compact version of Ferguson Hill's FH001 high end speaker set, comprising of two bass speakers and two mid-high frequency horn speakers to plug into your hi fi or home cinema set-up.

With an impressive-sounding frequency response ranging from 35Hz to 20KHz, the sound is described as "clear, intimate and alive"

"Since we launched the FH007 system back in 2007, the demand for Blu Ray and home cinema has rapidly grown," says Tim Hill, former aeronautical design engineer and founder of Ferguson Hill.

"More and more consumers are keen to enjoy movies and TV in high-definition, and we believe that this should be complimented with high-fidelity sound. This was really the inspiration for the FH009 home theatre system. We also wanted to provide a mid-sized version of our signature horn speaker system for those who want a high-end audio unit that fits beautifully into their home and provides exceptional sound."

For more info and availability head over to fergusonhill.co.uk.