I’ve tested more than 20 soundbars during my years of reviewing tech and audio products at TechRadar, many of which have performed brilliantly, while some… it’s best we don’t talk about them.

Although I’ve tested some premium surround-sound options such as the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and JBL Bar 1300MK2, I’ve also tested a lot of budget-friendly, affordable options. And today, I’m here to share some of the very best affordable models I’ve tested, so you can upgrade from basic TV audio or enter into the world of cinematic Dolby Atmos home entertainment without breaking the bank.

I’ve picked out a range of options, from an ultra-cheap 2.0 channel bar, all the way up to a multi-box combo with Dolby Atmos and Wi-Fi streaming. There really is something for everyone in this list, so without further ado, let’s get into my top picks.

1. Sony HT-S100F / HT-SF150

Whenever a big sale comes around, I always plug the Sony HT-S100F — also known as the Sony HT-SF150 in some markets, including the UK. Why? Well, it’s because Sony created the ideal affordable audio upgrade for anyone frustrated by unpleasant TV sound.

This one-box 2.0 channel soundbar produces solid clarity and width, with well-defined dialogue, and a built-in bass reflex speaker for enhanced low-end performance. It also makes use of Sony’s proprietary S-Force Front Surround virtual processing, which creates the impression of three-dimensional audio to impressive effect.

With HDMI, digital optical, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity, there are so many ways to enjoy sound on the HT-S100F, and it’s incredibly quick and easy to set up too.

Of course, you’re not going to get the thumping, cinematic bass that larger models can offer, and there’s no Dolby Atmos here either. But if you want clearer sound at an ultra-low price, then the Sony HT-S100F is still one of the very best options on the market.

2. Klipsch Flexus Core 100

Moving onto a Dolby Atmos soundbar now with the Klipsch Flexus Core 100. This 2.1 channel model is a great performer, with impactful, striking bass output, accurate dialogue reproduction, and impressive power.

Like the aforementioned Sony option, the Flexus Core 100 is also very simple to set up, and its LED display makes it incredibly easy to flick between various modes and options. There’s also a remote included in the box, as well as an awesome companion app which is free to download and super-responsive.

Although there are some limitations in terms of height, the Flexus Core 100 delivers admirable width when watching movies in Dolby Atmos, and when I watched a 4K UHD Blu-ray of The Mask, the titular character’s cartoonish spin sounded as if it was coming from the corners of our testing space.

While an alternative like the Marshall Heston 60 may offer sharper Atmos effects and stronger all-round quality, the Flexus Core 100 is often on-sale for far less than this model, which is a very capable alternative. This Klipsch bar’s talents in the bass department alone make it well-worth considering — especially if you just need a step-up from thin-sounding TV audio.

3. Sonos Beam Gen 2

OK, shifting up a gear once more, and I’ve simply got to shout out the Sonos Beam Gen 2. This small soundbar may not be the newest, but it’s still sensational. Sure, Sonos owners will get the beauty of multi-room capabilities, and there’s Wi-Fi streaming here too, which makes streaming music from your phone incredibly seamless. But that’s not even the best part.

See, the thing that really stands out about the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is its ability to conjure up almost thunderous bass, in spite of its limited confines. Even when testing it against the newer Marshall Heston 60, I found the Beam Gen 2 to offer more dynamic, and more immersive low-end sound, with high-octane action scenes and sudden jump-scares in horror movies hitting with striking impact.

On top of this, the Beam Gen 2 serves up crystal-clear dialogue, commendable musicality, and Dolby Atmos capabilities. If you want, you can also customize the model’s sound via the Sonos companion app.

What’s more, the Beam 2 looks absolutely gorgeous, with a modern, minimalist aesthetic that I can’t get enough of. If you’re short on space, have a smaller TV, or don’t want to spend all too much, then the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a ridiculously easy recommendation to make.

4. Samsung HW-Q800F

Finally, we have the best overall choice in our guide to the best soundbars: the Samsung HW-Q800F. And this soundbar isn’t only one of the best affordable options out there, it’s simply one of the best soundbars I’ve ever tested here at TechRadar.

The Q800F is a soundbar-subwoofer combo that delivers incredible value for money. You get seriously convincing, multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos and DTS:X effects, and even height effects come through well — something a lot of Atmos soundbars struggle with. You also get seismic bass from the compact sub, crystal clear dialogue from the main bar, and precise, controlled treble.

In addition, the Q800F is crammed with connectivity options, with HDMI eARC, digital optical, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even an HDMI input for your games consoles, streaming devices, and more. The sub and soundbar are also paired right out of the box, making your set up phenomenally straightforward.

Yes, the Q800F is a little pricier than the other entries in this list, but you can often find it on sale for far less than its initial list price of $1,099 / £799, which was already strong value considering the quality of this model’s audio, build, and feature-set.

When the Canvas L was announced, and declared itself the "world's first audiophile soundbar", the TechRadar Slack lit up. The likes of KEF and Bang & Olufsen would surely dispute that claim — and is this upstart company really going to beat them at their own game?

Well, I got to listen to the new Canvas L in action at the High End Vienna 2026 hi-fi show, and my skepticism is gone. Other companies have produced absolutely glorious-sounding soundbar-shaped speakers, but the Canvas L is pretty astounding even in that context.

It's not trying to be like soundbars that apply 50 drivers to create a really big sound that works with Dolby Atmos spatial audio in all directions. It's pretty clear when you see the speaker arrangement that this is following a more traditional stereo speaker setup, just transplanted into a shape that's more like soundbar, and that sits below a TV.

Each side of the soundbar has an arrangement with a 29mm SB Acoustics ring radiator tweeter, a four-inch mid-range driver custom-built by Scan-Speak, and an eight-inch Scan-Speak woofer, the latter of which is paired with a matching eight-inch passive radiator.

So that's a pretty classic three-way system (plus a radiator), just in a cunning disguise. It requires a pretty robust amount of bracing, and the cabinet here certainly looks more like what you'd expect from hi-fi than from a soundbar. And the hefty size means it's designed to mount to the back of your TV, rather than sit on a surface.

Of course, even though this is basically a pair of floorstanding speakers in a cunning horizontal disguise, all the amplification is on board, and there's a hefty 1,500W of peak power. Specifially, there's 300W per woofer, 200W per mid-range driver, and 50W per tweeter, all class D.

Canvas Hifi says the frequency response is a huge 25Hz to 40,000kHz — and that brings me the juicy part: how it sounds.

Let's start with the fact that I can easily believe those big frequency range claims, because there's just wildly deep bass that resonates convincingly right through your abdomen, in a great way.

The low end is just gloriously meaty, giving you something to really grip onto and flow with in the music, and that can wake you up with guttural punch if it needs to.

I felt that were was just a slightly boomy edge to it when digging to the deepest depths, which wouldn't necessarily be surprising for something with two huge radiators, but it may have just been an artefact of the cobbled-together listening rooms we have to use at trade shows.

Even if it it's part of the bar's sound, I'd still have no real complaints if I wanted a powerful system without a sub — you just wouldn't need one, and it had no problem dispersing bass thoughout the room, as you'd want.

The sense of power goes beyond just the bass — it has no problem filling the whole room in front of me with a wall of sound that's packed with texture, and brings convincing realism to every delicate element in vocals.

It's so dynamic and impactful, with excellent musical timing, in a way that just gives it engrossing rhythmic energy. I could have happily sat floating in its sound the rest of my day at the show.

I've talked about the power a lot, because it's what stands out most. It can be really light-touch when it needs to be, meaning that it really does feel like an elite hi-fi experience in soundbar form, because it has the versatility that I associate with truly excellent large speakers — and then the ability kick you like a horse when the song demands it.

My overarching takeaway from the experiences was just for firm and 3D the instruments feel in music, even without the full separating you'd normally have for a stereo soundstage.

Here's the thing, though: I only got to hear it with music. Ultimately, this is is still a soundbar, and how well it works with movies is a big deal. I have no doubt it's going to handle the dynamic scale of a great soundtrack easily, but I'd definitely want to hear it with dialogue before arriving at any definitive conclusion.

Oh, and the other thing is the price. The Canvas L will reportedly start from $5,999 for the base model, which includes fixings to attach it to your TV, and it'll work as a stand for your TV as well. That will have a front panel for the speaker as well, of course.

That's about $6,880 / £5,150 / AU$9,760 — and it's for the smallest size. (The size of the speakers won't change at larger sizes, but you'll get a different front panel and fixtures.)

But bass as low as 25Hz is really hard for anything that isn't a dedicated subwoofer to hit. I had a look for stereo speakers that can match it, and you're looking at something like the Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G — which cost the same as this without amplification — or the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4, which cost about $20k.

So relatively speaking, the Canvas L is a bargain? Sure, why not.

• Major changes to navigation and volume control
• Available in a new beta this week
• Opt-in rather than enabled by default

Sonos has announced a suite of new changes to the Sonos app, and you'll be able to try the new version this week as a beta — if you want to.

Posting on Reddit, Sonos CEO Tom Conrad says that after "hundreds of hours watching real customers use the Sonos app" his team has identified lots of irritants and sticking points. "We've learned a lot about what hangs people up, what's confusing when you're new to the system, and what slows you down when you're just trying to change the darn volume."

In response, Sonos is making lots of changes to the app, including how you turn the volume up and down.

The post has so far generated a lot of positive responses, including the current top comment by Daveintausend: "Never thought I'd say this but I'm hyped for a better volume control."

What changes are coming to the Sonos app?

A new beta will be released this week, with significant changes to the interface. As Conrad put it: "What kept showing up was this: a lot of friction came from proprietary patterns we built that made the app harder to learn and use than it needed to be. Stacks on stacks on stacks of content cards. Swipe-up gestures to switch speaker orientation. Close boxes where any other app on your phone would have a back button. Custom interface elements that never quite felt like part of iOS or Android."

The plan is to change all of that, and Conrad has highlighted three key areas: better tabbed navigation, a "totally new" volume interface, and more control over how your players are listed and displayed.

He also promises "dozens of smaller quality-of-life fixes everywhere" including swipe to delete in playlists, new views on iPad, and a refresh to the Now Playing screen.

The main interface will be divided into three tabs: Home, System and Search, which will be styled in a way that's native to your phone's operating system, and that replace "the hidden gestures and content cards".

And the volume control will have "a core mechanism that is easier to grab and fine tune, buttons to tap up and down if that’s your thing and a new way to synchronize a across group of rooms."

The changes aren't rolling out to the main app just yet, and they're actually not even mandatory in this week's beta either — but if you install the new beta you'll be able to see the changes by enabling "Enable Improved Navigation" in Settings. It will remain an opt-in toggle post-beta, with Sonos soliciting feedback "until it's fully polished up."

The beta program is here, if you want sign up and try the changes out, but bear in mind that using beta software always comes with the risk of bugs or other problems.

I think it's fair to say that Sonos is doing things very differently since Tom Conrad took the helm in early 2025, and he was up-front about the app debacle when my colleague Matt Bolton interviewed him earlier this year.

In that conversation he told us that "In the aftermath of [the problems], you just have to show up in people's life with some humility and do the hard work of earning their trust back through great execution, great product, great software, great experiences, and never forget what you put people through". It's great to see him delivering on that promise.

I recently visited the High End Show in Vienna, where the world's top audio companies show off their latest and greatest creations. The show mostly focuses on ready-to-sell products — of the kind that we chose in our Best in Show at High End Vienna 2026 Awards — but it's also where interesting new audio components makers show off what they're making to other companies, to use in their creations.

One of these companies at the 2026 show was GSS, showing off a new bass driver called the Model S1. It's a very slim transducer, just 62.5mm tall and 299mm wide, and is capable of operating in a box with a volume of just 1.75 liters.

This means that you can put two of them, in a force-cancelling configuration, in a sealed box that's around 65mm tall, 310mm wide and 200mm deep — and that's exactly what I got to hear at the show.

I'll go into the experience in a moment, but the short version is that this small box sounds like a subwoofer that's much larger — GSS Audio says that specifically its system is capable of delivering the bass of something six times the size.

There's no exact way to say what this should be the equivalent of, because of variations in driver design, but the easy way to think of it is this: it's an 8-inch or 10-inch subwoofer squeezed into a box the size of a chunky hardback book.

The magic trick here is the level of excursion (i.e, how how far forwards and backwards the diaphragm can move). In this transducer, it's capable of moving 17mm in each direction, for a total movement of 34mm — that's how it can displace so much air to match larger drivers.

The diaphragm is very elaborate in order to make this possible — it's full of ridges and spirals. We've seen this on a lot of smarter woofer drivers; it's basically a way of managing the amount of surface area of the transducer, so that it can extend as far as it does, but delivers consistent performance across the full movement range.

GSS Audio also says it's put some special sauce into the configuration of the magnets, as well as the spider (the suspension system that holds the magnet in place, even as it moves).

Enough preamble — let's talk about the experience of listening to it. GSS had two of its little boxes (each with dual drivers) set up, each of which was connected to a two-way Neumann studio monitor speaker, so a stereo configuration with a double dose of bass.

The boxes deliver absolutely thumping bass that's capable of punching you in the torso as great low-end should (if you want it to), but it's also super-controlled — powerful but tight as a drum (or a drum machine, as the case may be if you making the most of this for music).

What really jumped out to me (as much as something you feel inside your bones can jump out at you) was the deep sub-bass. It's not pushing down to deeper frequency artificially and setting your teeth on edge as a result; I threw on Sugar Kingdom by Nikki Nair, which is a song that bad woofer can really screw up, but I could've just lived in the sub-bass here, bobbing and bouncing along.

Something to note is that this was borderline a near-field listening environment — I wasn't quite at desktop distance from the Neumann speakers, but I was closer than a standard listening or home theater room, and the bass boxed performed great for this kind of setup, which is now how I'd think of using a larger sub.

Of course, while GSS demo'd it with music and stereo speakers, the company really seems to expect its biggest use to come in speakers where bass is wanted by space is at a premium.

At its booth, it had prototypes of a soundbar with two of the Model 1 drivers in, and a wall-mounted speaker with four(!) of them in — the latter is a fascinating idea for a home theater setup, where your surround speakers would also act as a diffused subwoofer system, saving you a load of space and wiring.

I didn't get to hear these in action, and I don't know when we can expect actual products to appear, but GSS did say it had some partners planning to use its products (but obviously it wouldn't may about who that might be).

I can't wait to see a real product with this tech built-in though — I think it could be a total gamechanger for big bass in a small space.

The GSS Model is the latest in a line of impressive compact subwoofer tech we've seen over the last few years — it's an impressive area of innovation. A little while back, we were blown away by the bass of the Brane X wireless speaker, and its compact true subwoofer that uses a smart magnet system to overcome the air compression problem most small sub designs have.

And there's the Sonos Sound Motion tech, which is used in the Sonos Arc Ultra. Sound Motion mean Sonos could replace an array of dedicated woofers with a single driver that operates in two directions at once, so it actually functions as its own force-opposed system. You can read my interview with Sonos about the development of Sound Motion here.

• Multiple Sony devices will lose access to streaming services and Google Cast
• AV receivers, Blu-ray players, soundbars, wireless speakers and more
• Effective November 17, 2026

Something we've learnt the hard way over the years is that pretty much any product with an online component will lose it eventually. Server shutdowns have affected everything from multiplayer games to the ill-fated PlaysForSure music platform, and now it's coming to Sony products.

Like Bose earlier this year, Sony is shutting down servers for some of its audiovisual products. But unlike Bose, which went to great pains to enable people to maintain as much functionality as possible, Sony's devices will lose many core features as a result.

The changes aren't immediate — they won't come into place until November 7th, 2026 — but they apply to a lot of models including AV receivers, Blu-ray disc players, speakers and soundbars. The full list of affected devices is available on Sony's website, but we've included it at the end of this article too.

What Bose did, and what Sony isn't doing

Earlier this year Bose discontinued online support for its SoundTouch speakers first introduced in 2013. However, the speakers themselves remained fully functional and while Bose's own SoundTouch streaming was switched off, AirPlay and Spotify Connect would continue to work.

Sony's changes are more severe. From November, the following services will be unavailable on affected devices:

• Amazon Prime Video
• Google Cast
• Netflix
• Pandora
• Slacker Radio
• Spotify
• Vudu

As Sony explains, from November "access to supported network services will no longer be available on affected models [and] any downloaded network services may no longer be accessible on affected models… we apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding."

While most of the affected models are elderly, there's a lot of them: nine soundbars, 16 AVRs, 17 Blu-Ray players, multiple Blu-Ray home theater systems and five sets of wireless speakers. That means the service shutdown is likely to affect quite a lot of people.

Which Sony products are affected by the 2026 shutdown?

Audio and Micro Component Systems

• CMT-MX700NI
• HAP-S1
• HAP-Z1ES
• MAP-S1
• NAC-SV10

AV Receivers

• STR-DA1800
• STR-DA2800ES
• STR-DA3700ES
• STR-DA5700ES
• STR-DA5800ES
• STR-DN1020
• STR-DN1030
• STR-DN1040
• STR-DN1050
• STR-DN1060
• STR-DN1070
• STR-DN1080
• STR-DN840
• STR-DN850
• STR-DN860
• STR-ZA810ES

Blu-ray Disc Players

• BDP-BX18
• BDP-BX37
• BDP-BX38
• BDP-BX57
• BDP-N460
• BDP-S185
• BDP-S270
• BDP-S280
• BDP-S370
• BDP-S380
• BDP-S390
• BDP-S470
• BDP-S480
• BDP-S570
• BDP-S580
• BDP-S770
• BDP-S780

Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Systems

• BDV-E280
• BDV-E370
• BDV-E470
• BDV-E570
• BDV-E580
• BDV-E770W
• BDV-E780W
• BDV-E870
• BDV-E880
• BDV-F7
• BDV-HZ970
• BDV-IZ1000W
• BDV-L600
• BDV-T28
• BDV-T57
• BDV-T58

Media Players

• FMP-X10
• SMP-N100
• SMP-N200

Soundbars

• HT-CT790
• HT-CT800
• HT-NT3
• HT-NT5
• HT-RT5
• HT-ST5000
• HT-ST9
• HT-XT2
• HT-XT3

Wireless speakers

• SA-NS310
• SA-NS410
• SA-NS500
• SA-NS510
• SRS-X7

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• YouTuber PlasmatronX creates a testing rig to visually map how spatial audio waves travel
• It requires a lot of custom design, including building his own multi-channel amp
• You can download the 3D printing files and code to make your own testing rig

Have you ever wished you could see the sound waves in your room? It turns out all you need is a guinea pig and a CAT: Computer Acoustic Tomography.

In a fascinating and fun video that enraptured the whole TechRadar AV team and is well worth 11 minutes of your time, YouTuber PlasmatronX creates a testing rig that enables him to visualize how the sound waves move around the room.

That visualization can then be used to compare how different sonic setups perform, such as the difference between a soundbar and a full surround speaker setup.

Put a guinea pig in a testing rig

PlasmatronX clearly doesn't take things too seriously. His experiment makes use of multiple soft toys, including a toy guinea pig to sit within the sound saves because its close enough to being a 4:1 scale of his own head, and at one point he suggests that his experiments with beam steering – using imperceptible delays to make sound appear as if it's coming from somewhere else – would have been more successful if he'd been firing beams out of his own rear end.

The guinea pig is centered in a multi-speaker setup that can replicate a perfectly positioned pair of stereo speakers, a soundbar, and a full 7.1 surround sound setup. You can easily see where the "sweet spot" appears in each setup, and how soundbars can make sound appear to be coming from speakers that aren't there.

The key takeaway here is that your room is one of the most important factors in the sound you hear: the combination of audio reflections from walls and ceilings, and sound wave absorption by soft furnishings such as your couch or curtains, will have a significant effect on what you hear.

That's particularly important if you've got a soundbar that uses acoustic trickery to create virtual speakers, beaming audio that's intended to bounce off the walls and ceiling of your room. The cosier your front room the more audio, it's likely to absorb.

This isn't revealing a big secret by any means — it's why many of the best soundbars have room calibration — but it's still fascinating, and the video's often very funny, especially when PlasmatronX is experimenting with building his own amp, and building soundbar waveguides with varying degrees of success.

If you fancy repeating the experiment with a guinea pig of your own, PlasmatronX has provided all the necessary code, 3D printing files and schematics for you to download right here.

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The 2026 High End audio show is in full swing in Vienna. The show is a key fixture of the hi-fi enthusiast's calendar, and was previously held in Munich — this year, it made the big move over to the Austria Center on the banks of the Danube, and TechRadar followed it.

We've had our audio team on the ground, rapidly learning how not to get lost in the new layout and exploring the mix of returning companies and new players who've jumped on board as part of the change.

We explored as many listening rooms and headphones booths as we could, to identify our favorite products in the audio areas we cover here on TechRadar, so naturally we've got a mix of speakers, streamers, a soundbar-that's-not-a-soundbar, and headphones, rather than hi-fi cables and pre-amps.

So here, in alphabetical order, are the products our team picked as the products that really stood out to us at the end of the show days, all chosen based on listening to their performance.

Astell & Kern SP4000T and Clarus

Let's start with a double winner — we got to test these together, and while each seems phenomenal, the combination was the most impressive part. The SP4000T DAP is an upgraded version of the already fantastic A&K SP4000 player, now packing four vacuum tubes for a taste of the analog.

The Clarus are wired earbuds with nine drivers per bud, using a bunch of different technologies, each targeting different frequencies.

The combination of the two really leans into the 'clarity' suggestion in the Clarus' name — we were instantly taken by the pin-sharp attack in their dynamic range, and the fine detail that they were able to bring out of the music, all while giving every listener a huge sense of scale that feels well beyond something handheld or that fits right in your ear conch.

Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5

Bowers & Wilkins is celebrating its 60th anniversary, so what better time to release its new flagship 801 D5 loudspeaker? This model features B&W's famous Diamond Dome tweeter and an upgrade to its internal Matrix bracing, including a new Space Frame Bracing extension.

The aim is to deliver even more incredibly natural, generous, and immersive sound. During our demo with the 801 D5, we were blown away by life-like vocals, brilliantly regimented deep bass, and super-defined treble, as well as its sophisticated soundstage and spacious presentation.

Cabasse Pearl Pelegrina Édition Atelier

The High End show is always full of bonkers speaker designs, and Cabasse's spherical Pearl design is old news to hi-fi fans — but we can't help but be taken by the Pelegrina version's 'alien eyeball squid has come to Earth to negotiate a new intergalactic peace' design — and what's new this year is the Atelier system, meaning that you can have any finish you want on them, to make them fit your spaceship listening room perfectly.

But what's most important is the astoundingly powerful sound from a speaker cabinet that's actually amazingly compact. The front driver is a tri-coaxial system, meaning it's actually three drivers nested inside each other, and there's a hefty custom-design woofer on the rear capable of especially high excursion.

The end result is a set of speakers that look like an art installation, but can party like a warehouse rave. They can thump the low-end with the best of them, while delivering super-rich and detailed sound that wraps across the room despite their compact 'pupils'. And they're active speakers, so you can put them wherever you want in your home and just start playing.

Cambridge Evo 300

This is the artist formerly known as Cambridge Audio's new, more powerful compact streaming amp — if you've got a really beefy speaker. Still, if you don't want to dedicate too much space to components, then the 300W per channel you can get from the Evo 300 might be exactly what you want.

That's paired with Cambridge's excellent, super-comprehensive streaming platform and digital skills, so you've got easy access to Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Roon, and Deezer, with various casting options from your phone and aptX Bluetooth if you prefer. There are two sets of speaker outputs, plus a sub out; for input, you've got XLR, HDMI eARC, and analog options including an MM phono input.

It's just the ultimate all-in-one modern amp if you've got big speaker ambitions — and here in 2026, why shouldn't you?

Canvas Hi-Fi Canvas L

This is basically a pair of floor-standing speakers disguised as a soundbar for Halloween. You've got a stereo setup where each side has a tweeter, a midrange driver, and an 8-inch bass woofer with a matching 8-inch passive radiator. There's 1500W of amplification behind that, as well a necessarily well-braced cabinet — all of which are designed to attached to the rear of your TV using a mounting bracket, with the speakers sitting underneath the screen.

And it's in this list because it sounds like two excellent floorstanding speakers. It delivers unbelievably deep and resonant bass for a floating speaker bar, with the low end dispersed well throughout the room. There's phenomenal texture and realism to vocals, and it's all brilliantly musical and full of excellent rhythmic energy. It's delicate when it needs to be, but our overarching takeaway from listening to music is just how firm and 3D every instrument feels.

We didn't get to try it with music, but this is the first time we've heard something claim to be an audiophile soundbar and responded, "Yep, that's fair". It was electric, musical, and kind of addictive.

iFi iDSD GR 2

The iFi iDSD GR2 portable DAC is a considerable upgrade on its beloved predecessor, the venerable xDSD Gryphon, in a number of ways. It delivers far more amplification power, longer battery life, and even a touchscreen for a more user-friendly experience.

After trying it out at the show, we loved how it more seamlessly helps you to bring the very best out of a pair of premium headphones, and with K2HD tech for enhanced harmonics alongside a whole load of connectivity options, the GR2 has just about everything an audiophile needs, whether listening at home or on the go.

Meze Audio Arta

These new planar magnetic headphones come from a brand known for bringing high-end sound to a very reasonable price — but this time, Meze Audio just went all out, price be damned.

The result is one of the biggest and most cohesive soundstages we've ever heard from a pair of headphones. From the tinkliest treble with heavy sub-bass, these headphones deliver it all with total control and clarity, all at the same time if they have to. It's that cohesion that stands out, partly because it means individual parts don't stand out — everything sounds simply 'correct' in a way that deeply satisfies the brain. They deliver total audio order — a perfect, seamless whole.

Noble FoKus Artemis

These are wireless active noise-canceling headphones, from a company that most people will probably know best for putting improbably powerful driver arrays into earbuds. Well, it's now put an improbably powerful driver array into over-ears, including a dynamic driver, a planar driver, and a balanced armature — and somehow, the end result is pretty lightweight and comfortable, with a 50-hour battery life.

The end result is probably the most revealing noise-canceling headphones we've ever tried. They're utterly impeccable at picking out every nuance of instruments, even in the most dense mix, and even with the ANC mode activated (which is pretty good too).

There's a huge dynamic range, and really steep level of attack to them: every drum is hard, and every plosive is picked up with precision in a voice. The sound is maybe a little cooler than most people will be used to from ANC headphones, but that will be exactly their strength — they create the silence, and then fill it with tiny details you'd never heard before.

Ruark R710

The Ruark R710 streaming amplifier blends a beautiful retro-style look with an expansive suite of modern features — as well as some not-so-modern ones that we very much welcome. It builds on Ruark's previous R610 in a number of ways, packing in more power for the speakers, along with an integrated CD player, which has apparently been included by popular demand (and is hidden in the handsome wooden front grille, making it a fun secret touch).

When listening to the streamer alongside Ruark's new Talisman R speakers, we were impressed by the warmth and tonality of vocals, the high caliber of instrument separation in the mix, and the striking power of the overall presentation from a compact box.

Yamaha NX-70A

Yamaha's new active speakers have a very sleek and stylish look, but generally seem quite unflashy and demure — though in our demo at the show, they seemed like something of a wireless wonder.

They offer a lively, precise sound with really well-honed handling of transients, which helps them to build an excellent stereo spatial presentation. The diffusion of ambient sounds into the room while holding the tension on the sharper central sounds makes them a really exciting listen. There's so much detail, creating a really physical sense of texture to something like the hum of a saxophone reed. Add the pleasingly weighted bass response, and you get a set of active speakers that really grab your attention, in the best way.

• Peacock will stream Telemundo's World Cup coverage with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos in AC-4
• Dolby AC-4 codec promises higher sound quality than current streaming codecs
• All 104 matches will be covered

Last month we reported on a blind test that says Dolby's new-generation AC-4 audio codec sounds as good as 4K Blu-ray even at a low streaming bitrate. And now you can hear it as the soundtrack to the World Cup — if you have the right tech and subscriptions.

Dolby and NBCUniversal have teamed up to deliver a world first. Telemundo's live Spanish-language FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage will be streamed on Peacock in Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos using the AC-4 codec — according to Dolby, this is "the first commercial deployment of Dolby AC-4 by a video streamer."

All 104 matches will be broadcast using the technology, the first time it's been used for a major sporting event. It's also the first time the technology has been used by a major streaming service.

(If Spanish-language commentary isn't your thing, you might be interested in Samsung's latest TVs and their AI Soccer Mode, which enables you to remove the commentary entirely while keeping the crowd noise — we tested two affordable Samsung 2026 mini-LEDs here.)

Why this World Cup will sound like the future

Sound quality is one area where streaming can be disappointing. The audio codecs used by the major streaming services can't rival the quality of a 4K Blu-yay disc's soundtrack because their audio is too compressed.

AC-4 is more modern, and delivers much higher quality at the same bitrates, and in the double-blind listening test I referenced above, multiple audio pros couldn't tell the difference between AC-4 audio and uncompressed audio. It's up to 50% more efficient than current codecs, apparently.

The use of Atmos with AC-4 means the sound of these World Cup matches should be even more atmospheric, so if you've got a decent speaker setup or one of the best soundbars, it'll be even more fun to hear.

I'm not sure it'll be 100% as "vivid and electrifying as if you are sitting front row for each match without stadium prices" as the marketing blurb claims, but better dyanamic range with Dolby's spatial audio tech should mean it feels genuinely more immersive.

Dolby and NBCUniversal's engineers have spent a year working together to bring Dolby Vision to live sports, and according to NBCUniversal's senior vice president of global video engineering, David Bohunek, “Fútbol fans will love watching Telemundo’s FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage on Peacock in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos with Dolby AC-4 — it’ll be a truly stunning viewing experience they can’t get anywhere else.”

Of course, you'll need to be both a Peacock subscriber and using a TV with support for AC-4 in order to get the full effect. Dolby says that support in TVs is pretty widespread these days, and lists the following partners: "LG, Panasonic, Sony, TCL, Samsung, Sharp, Vantiva, Bang & Olufsen, Hisense, Huawei, Humax, Sagemcom, Skyworth/Strong, SEI Robotics, Innopia, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Liberty Global, Sunrise, SES HD+, Sky, Swisscom, Zattoo, Waipu.tv, PŸUR, Ocilion, Austrostream, TPVision, Vizio, Philips, Kaon, Winston Neweb".

Naturally, you'll to check if your particular devices supports it, using the manufacturer's website (or, more likely, Google).

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WiiM is one of the most interesting companies in the audio world right now, breaking out in the last couple of years in no small part thanks to capitalizing on Sonos' disastrous app update, and the company's quieter period since.

In that time, WiiM went from offering add-on boxes for traditional hi-fi, to launching sleek integrated streaming amps, to launching its own wireless speakers and subwoofer, starting with the WiiM Sound, to unveiling its first soundbar.

Ahead of the soundbar's launch, I spoke to WiiM's CEO, Dr. Lifeng Zhao, about the decisions the company made in developing the soundbar, whether WiiM has a signature sound profile, and what it means to offer "simplicity" in the context of these products, among other topics.

TechRadar: Tell me why you guys have chosen to do a soundbar now.

Lifeng Zhao: WiiM is four years old; in terms of brands right now we are a new player. So we did a streamer and amplifier, which convert or upgrade your existing audio gear. Those get really popular among our users, who start to expand [where they use them] to more environments: their living room; their media rooms. So, we always get this kind of feedback — they ask "when will you guys launch home theater, because we already have your gear, but we don't want to have separate components".

To use our streamer or amplifier, you have to have passive or powered speakers, right? But many people want to have one powerful all-in-one device in their living room. So they don't really want separate components because you know there's messing [with wires, and aesthetics], so we are always getting this request.

I'm also a big fan of entertainment, so for myself I want something simple to use with Dolby Atmos that can fulfill my music and TV experience. So, it came both from our own use, as well as a request from our community.

TechRadar: So, did you consider making an AV receiver or something like that before you decided to go the soundbar route? You already made the amps, so an AV receiver seems like it might have been the obvious way to go.

Lifeng Zhao: We already have the AV receiver if you think about it, right? We have the amps.

TechRadar: Only two channels.

Lifeng Zhao: Yeah, 2.1. But you can expand it with your surrounding channels [using wireless WiiM speakers]. That's the beauty of our systems. We don't want to make a traditional AVR, but we have a solution for those AVR users. People want a multi-channel system, but they don't want messy wired solutions. It's not flexible, and there are many limits on the placement, so we already have 2.1, but you can expand it with the surround speakers.

We are looking at more possibilities, but we don't want to make a legacy AVR; we want to make compact powerful and wireless versions of AVR.

TechRadar: The soundbar you guys are releasing is very good value considering the amount of physical channels that you've built in, and the amount of technology. A lot of soundbars at a similar price to yours are quite small, whereas yours is reasonably big. Can you talk through the design process around deciding how big you wanted the soundbar to be, and how that paired with the price you wanted to charge?

Lifeng Zhao: First of all, let's go back to our target users. We want this soundbar for both needs: watching TV plus listening to music. We don't want you to have to have two separate devices just because you watch TV and listen to music in your daily lives. So then we were thinking about how if we make [a product] only for the TV, just to improve the voice clarity, then we don't really need to go big — but we see a lot of people really want to listen to music with good bass, so the physics of that means we cannot make it too small.

So then we are thinking we can make [a soundbar with a subwoofer] but many people prefer the simplicity of an all-in-one — so that also gives us a size limit. So for our first one we wanted [to make one] people can just buy for most use cases. So with the size, our main target market is the US and Europe, and in most of Europe people have a single family [room]. So they have 55 inches or up TVs. So we did some surveys, and we think this is the kind of right size which can capture the majority of our audience.

TechRadar: You mentioned trying to balance the bass with the size and the compactness. So, you've got the four passive radiators in there. Were you designing the size of the soundbar around the size of the speakers and radiators you wanted to use, or were you choosing the speakers based on the size you wanted the soundbar to be?

Lifeng Zhao: We start with acoustic criteria. We say how deep a bass we want, based on our [previously launched devices]. We launched the amps, and we see how people set up their systems. We want to go to 50Hz, so users could get good bass — so that kind of gives us an acoustic volume. We calculate size based on this volume, but we do want it to be a sleek soundbar, so we have some height limits. But we can calculate the length, depth, and the height while leaving space for the speakers.

I always say we start from the acoustic criteria, then we calculate the size, then we design the best speaker driver according to this size limit.

TechRadar: Do you have more than one HDMI port, for passthrough?

Lifeng Zhao: We have one HDMI eARC, we don't have passthrough. We are thinking that people will connect most of their devices through the TV, because you have multiple HDMI inputs in the TV.

TechRadar: A lot of your competitors also only have one HDMI port, but there's a large number of people who have had their TV for a long time and they've collected a lot of boxes to connect to it, and so it can be really difficult to lose one of your HDMI ports to your soundbar. So, is there a reason behind this decision: was it either to do with cost or technical design or simplicity that you chose to only have one port?

Lifeng Zhao: Design is always about trade-offs, right? So, here I would say we value the simplicity, so people aren’t confusing HDMI and HDMI ARC. Before this journey [at Linkplay/WiiM] I also worked on media devices a lot in my past career, so we know that simplicity is very important. This is a choice to value that simplicity more in this device.

TechRadar: One of the interesting things about your soundbar is that you have a screen on the front, like the Wiim Sound speaker. Screens on soundbars is always quite a controversial topic, because people feel very strongly about having a light in front of their TV. Tell us about how the screen will work when you're watching content, and why you decided to include it.

Lifeng Zhao: We actually debated a lot internally. Our first screen-enabled devices [were the streamer and the amplifier], then the Sound speaker. So we actually accumulated a lot of experience in how people use a screen. To go back to your question regarding why we put a screen on the soundbar: first of all, the soundbar is made both for people using it for music and also watching TV, and in both cases we see a need for a screen. To give you some examples, when you listen to music, people always look somewhere to see what's playing, and they like looking at their favorite album art. We see people will even build a separate display just for artwork while listening, so we see this, and we want to provide integrated solutions for that.

Then we go back to the soundbar. So actually we are saying two things. One is that if you don't really need the screen, you can turn it off. Another thing is that we really want instant feedback. Think about it: if you only have an LED light right there with so many inputs, output and functions, how do you know what the status of the device is? It's really confusing even for me when I look at the LEDs, you know? I always forget, like, [what would flash] when the network doesn't work, right? How do I know it?

So, we want to give people a simple and intuitive control plus the instant feedback, because the device is so powerful. There are many statuses that may be important to your use cases. In a simple device we can just use a very simple app, but when it becomes very powerful, like your smartphone, you have to have a screen for people to interact.

TechRadar: There are obviously two ways to think about simplicity. And one is to have less information shown to keep it simple, and to have users trust that they're in the mode they like and things won’t change. Whereas I think you're saying that the way to introduce simplicity is to make sure people have all the information in front of them, so they're not questioning what the options are. That more information makes it simpler. Is it fair to say that's how you feel about it?

Lifeng Zhao: What I'm trying to say is that there are certain use cases where you need more information, but we don't want to give people too many options. So if you don't want that screen while you’re watching TV, our system will automatically turn off for you because you can separately configure the mode for each of your watching needs. But you can do even more, or we can do it automatically for you by default. You just need to set up once.

We want people using the screen intuitively. We don’t want to cause confusion; we don't want to become complicated. But [instead of] only having a red or a yellow indicator, we will tell you, oh, your network is disconnected, or your format is not supported, right? Let's say you don't support DTS, right? If you just have a yellow indicator, people will not really understand, they'll get really frustrated because they don't have any audio. So that's the kind of simplicity we want to have.

TechRadar: When it comes to expanding the system, you've got the ability to easily go to 5.1.2 channels by adding on the other WiiM products. Did you consider going beyond that? Because presumably with your technology, you could offer 7.1 2 or 5.2.2. Did you think about offering these?

Lifeng Zhao: Yeah, that's the beauty of our system, right? We started from separate components, so we accumulated a lot of experience. Another thing is that if you look at our wireless technology, we invest a lot in terms of wireless infrastructure — we have Wi-Fi 6E, so if you have the best routers we can leverage your routers, so we don't really have a limit. If your wireless environment can support it, we can expand it more.

Yes, when we launch the soundbar it supports 3.0.2, but as you mentioned we can expand it beyond 5.1.2, so that's exactly what we are doing, with the latest Wi-Fi standard you know we can expand more and with low latency.

[Editor's Note: Since this interview, WiiM has changed its stance and is aiming to support adding front left and right separate speakers for use with the WiiM Bar at launch, which can be either WiiM's wireless speakers or can be any speakers attached to a WiiM amp. Dr. Zhao gave us this additional comment: "We can confirm the bar supports wireless front, left, and right speakers. This wasn't originally intended as a launch feature, but based on community feedback and the team's testing, we decided to share it. There seems to be a lot of interest from our community, so if feedback and internal testing continue to go well, we'll look to keep it in."]

TechRadar: So are you saying that actually someone can go beyond 5.1.2 channels?

Lifeng Zhao: Right now we are saying 5.1.2, but potentially, with the software update we can expand more.

TechRadar: Speaking of wireless technology, have you guys explored Dolby Atmos FlexConnect as an option for your products?

Lifeng Zhao: We always look at different types of connectivity and the multi-channel options. FlexConnect definitely is on our radar.

TechRadar: Is there any reason why you're not supporting it now?

Lifeng Zhao: This is our first one, right? As I mentioned, we can support it with a software update, so the hardware is there. It's just about whether we feel it's mature enough, or the user experience [is ready]. We don't really want to give people half-baked technology; we want to make sure it’s really good and people can easily use it. So there's a possibility that we can do it even in current hardware with the software update, but I cannot commit on this one yet.

TechRadar: Speaking of the ecosystem, it looks like this is another piece of hardware that doesn't support Apple AirPlay 2, which is true of a lot of the new releases WiiM has launched. Are you able to say why this hasn't been included in the last few products?

Lifeng Zhao: We have many options on our devices, we support like more than 25 music services, then we have other ‘casting’ options there — and we value the people's content. If you're using Spotify, we want you using Spotify Lossless instead of a compressed [stream], and we see a lot of confusion, actually, of people using Spotify Connect with the other option you just mentioned [AirPlay 2]. So, it’s really a choice, like a design choice — we make it easy to use with high-res.

We really want people to leverage the best quality of their music on our system, and we also offer other options, which you can do very easily. We have multi-room no matter which source, via input to the Wiim. And with most of the music sources you can do lossless audio — so that’s the two options we offer right now.

TechRadar: You’re offering your RoomFit room correction here. I guess this is a very similar technology to what you've offered on the amps previously, but did you have to make any changes for working with Dolby Atmos and other formats you're supporting here?

Lifeng Zhao: It has to be different, right? Because in the soundbar we handle Dolby Atmos as a type of spatial audio, we also handle DTS, so we have multi-channel [sound to deal with]. Previously with RoomFit we started with like one device, then we expanded to 2.1 with a subwoofer — but now we’ve expanded RoomFit for the entire system. It's adding your surrounding speakers, adding your subwoofer, it’s not only doing stuff like balancing your SPL, or frequency spectrum, we also balance timing.

So we really expanded RoomFit for the spatial audio. We invested quite some time to get it right, and hopefully when we launch this soundbar people will be amazed by just how good it is. You just do one-tap calibration, it does everything for you: it calibrates the latency, the level matching, both for your front and surrounds and your subwoofer.

TechRadar: You mentioned earlier about designing the acoustic signature to deliver the right kind of sound that you wanted. And would you say that the new soundbar and the WiiM Sound speakers and your amps share a particular sound signature? Is there a sound signature that you believe is the WiiM style?

Lifeng Zhao: We are not really traditional hi-fi, if you look at our history. We really value the source. So that's why we always emphasize that, if you have a very good source, we want to replicate that in the original format. That means the resolution and in the bit depth, so we try to minimize the distortion when we do the [digital-to-analogue].

We do a lot of things mathematically to try to perfect the sound based on your existing system. In our amp we want to value your speaker signature you already have, so in our RoomFit we actually we want to just tackle the room mood most. So your high end, high frequency — we want to keep that signature [of your speakers] because that's what you paid for, right? So I would say we want to value people's preference more, and in the parts we can do well, we control that part — then we give people options. Simplicity, plus the powerful control.

If you go to advanced settings, you still can change your signature because if people whole, like, a warm sound they [can have it].

TechRadar: That makes sense, especially for the amps and things. But when you're making the soundbars and and WiiM Sound speakers, you're the ones choosing what the speaker output is going to sound like. So did you guys settle on a particular sound profile you wanted to make the default, or is it different for the soundbar than for the music speakers?

Lifeng Zhao: Exactly. Out of the box we want a really good sound, and if you talk about a sound signature, we do have different profile settings for the HDMI input or the music inputs. For the music inputs, we want to really have good clarity and a rich sound [with] respect to the original. Then for the HDMI, we tuned for more bass, for immersive audio. So we have a different profile, and I think it's a very good default for each of the sources.

TechRadar: It's interesting to talk to you about this element, because there are some companies I speak to where the speaker drivers are the things they really focus on, whereas your focus seems to be more on the processing and the signal pathway. Do you think that comes from the kind of company you are, as a digital platform company that has extended into speakers, instead of the other way around? Do you think that makes big difference as to how you approach your products compared to older hi-fi companies who did the analog part first and then are adding the digital in?

Lifeng Zhao: To make a better product, we need to marry the two sides. I would say we start from the digital world, but when we did the amplifier we actually [developed] a lot of analog, so we have a really good understanding of that digital-to-analog [process]. So we definitely are also analog people, and then when we do the speakers, our teams have people who worked in traditional [hi-fi] companies such as Harman Kardon, so we do have expertise on this area as well. Our talents will be in wireless, and in the DSP, and we also have a lot of acoustic engineers.

• WiiM launches its first soundbar for $479 / £449 (about AU$840)
• 8-driver array with dedicated upfiring drivers
• 3.0.2 channels, expandable to 5.1.2 with WiiM wireless speakers

WiiM has been building out its rival ecosystem to Sonos for a while now. The impressive WiiM Sound wireless speaker launched last year, and now the firm has unveiled its first soundbar. Based on its pricing, the new WiiM Bar is being positioned as a direct rival to the Sonos Beam (2nd Gen)... but on paper seems to beat it in a few key areas.

The WiiM Bar is a 3.0.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar with an eight-driver array, including upfiring height speakers, which the Sonos Beam lacks. It features automatic room correction, multi-room grouping and support for over 20 streaming services, and you can expand it to a full surround system with WiiM's other speakers and its subwoofer.

Unusually, there's a glass-covered 2.1-inch touch display on the front. That's an interesting choice when many people don't want any extra illumination near their TV screen.

We spoke to WiiM's CEO, Dr Lifeng Zhao, about the soundbar, and he told us that the screen is primarily there for people playing music through the soundbar — it'll display album art, like other WiiM devices do — and you can turn it off for watching movies or shows. He's confident some people will find it valuable anyway.

"We actually debated a lot internally," Dr Zhao says. "So actually we are saying two things. One is that if you don't really need the screen; you can turn it off. Another thing is that we really want instant feedback. If you only have a LED light right there, with so many input/outputs and functionality, how do you know the status of the device? It's really confusing, even for me. We want to give people a simple and intuitive control, plus the instant feedback."

WiiM Bar: key features and pricing

The eight-driver array features four passive radiators and a mix of front mid-woofers, front tweeters and the aforementioned full-range up-firing height drivers.

It's 3.0.2 channels, expandable to 5.1.2 channels with surround speakers and a subwoofer — and possibly more channels in the future. When we asked about supporting more satellite speakers or subwoofers, Dr Zhao told us that "potentially with a software update we can expand more," and that Dolby Atmos FlexConnect support is "on our radar". He was clear that we shouldn't expect either upgrade in the short term, though.

The WiiM Bar supports Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X audio (DTS being another benefit over the Sonos Beam, on top of the upfiring drivers), and it features RoomFit room correction. There are two extra audio modes: AI-powered dialog enhancement, and a night mode to help you stay friendly with your neighbors.

Streaming support includes nearly all the big names: Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Google Cast and Roon, and streaming via the WiiM app takes the number of supported streaming services past 20.

However, as with other recent WiiM releases, this doesn't include Apple Music or AirPlay 2. We'll cover this more later, but we asked Dr Zhao why WiiM hasn't included AirPlay, and his answer — which we're not entirely convinced by — implies that it's about AirPlay's compression of audio.

"If you're using Spotify, we want you to use Spotify Lossless instead of a compressed [stream], right? So we are seeing a lot of confusion in people using Spotify Connect versus other options you just mentioned [AirPlay 2]," he said, referencing the fact that AirPlay 2 is still limited to compressed streaming through official support.

Spotify Lossless has existed for less time than WiiM been avoiding AirPlay support, so the timeline doesn't really work for this specific explanation, and WiiM offers Bluetooth and its compressed audio happily enough — but this is all the answer we're going to get officially.

The WiiM Bar has HDMI eARC, but no passthrough port, so you'll have give up the use of one of your HDMI ports for it. "We think that people will connect most of their devices through the TV because you have multiple HDMI ports in the TV," says Dr Zhao. Passthrough was considered, but the decision was made to keep things focused on "simplicity" — which is Sonos' claimed reason for not offering passthrough too, but has never really convinced our team (having to swap HDMI cables in the back of your TV because you've run out of ports does not aid simplicity).

This may be the firm's first soundbar, but Dr Zhao he doesn't consider it to be WiiM's first home theater product: the firm's amplifiers can be used as an HDMI-ready sound system, albeit in 2.1 channels. The soundbar is intended as a standalone device for people who, like Zhao, want big sound without lots of separates taking up space.

"We don't want to make a legacy AVR. People want one powerful all-in-one device in their living room." Those people include Dr Zhao: "I want something simple to use, I really like Dolby Atmos and I want it to fulfill both my music and my TV experience," he says. "So it's both for our own use as well as a request from our community."

It's an impressive specification, and the price is decent too: the official price is $479 / £449 (about AU$840). The WiiM Bar will be released in July, with pre-orders starting from 3 June 2026. It'll be really interesting to see how it compares with the equivalent Sonos when we get it in for testing.

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• Dolby exec says movie mixers independently made the same changes in Dolby Atmos mixes
• They moved the music "into the room", away from the screen and the dialogue
• The change was "immediately, obviously better"

Home theater fans often have very strong opinions about soundbars versus separates-based surround sound systems (as a comment on our recent article on the choices in the Fight Club 4K Blu-ray evidences), arguing that even the best soundbars simply can't deliver the same width, depth and immersion of a separates-based surround system.

And recent comments from Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories, John Couling, arguably backs them up: he describes a change in the way movie audio was mixed due to the transition to Dolby Atmos, and it struck us that it ties strongly into one part of why separates-based systems are likely to deliver a better experience with movie soundtracks.

What moviemakers are doing with their audio mixes

Posting on LinkedIn, Coulis described the early days of Dolby Atmos. "We would continuously ask questions and take notes as teams of film mixers started to explore the technology," he says, "and we noticed that almost every mixer, without being told to, instinctively did the same thing."

He continued: "They took the film's music from the left and right speakers and pulled it just slightly into the room — down the side walls, away from the screen. The screen became more about action and dialogue, while the music became part of the atmosphere surrounding the audience."

The change was "immediately, obviously better," Coulis says. "The front stage had more clarity, and the music found its proper place."

That's great on a full set of surround-sound speakers where the music's moving out to left and right speakers that are fully past the left and right sides of your TV or projector screen. They're capable of delivering the kind of width necessary to get the full effect of what Coulis is talking about.

But, of course, standalone soundbars don't have speakers out to the sides, so with budget soundbars you're going to miss out on this intentional separation of the dialogue and music in the 3D Atmos space.

Bery expensive standalone soundbars with angled drivers, virtualization and clever digital processing will do a far better job of this, but they're ultimately compensating for what isn't physically there: there's no real substitute for having strong speakers out side.

That's not to say soundbars are bad; of course they're not. Some of the best ones are truly exceptional and even the budget ones are a big audio upgrade compared to your TV. They're a lot more convenient and often a lot less expensive too.

But Coulis' comments are a fresh reminder and a new perspective on the idea that if you're serious about soundtracks, separate speakers are likely to deliver the most realistic results.

• Canvas announces new Canvas L "audiophile soundbar"
• Danish design with custom sizes to fit TVs from 65 to 115 inches
• Four 8-inch woofers, spatial audio and 1,500W amplification

What's the difference between a soundbar and an "audiophile soundbar"? According to home theater firm Canvas HiFi, the latter delivers "the emotional engagement, scale and precision of high-end hi-fi" – and the firm claims that its new Canvas L soundbar is the "world's first audiophile soundbar".

That'll no doubt come as news to the likes of KEF, Bang & Olufsen and Focal, all of which make soundbars designed for the most discerning and affluent listeners. But the Canvas L does things a little differently, to be fair.

The reason it's an interesting new options for home theater fans with good ears and deep pockets is that it's kind of a hybrid between the regular loudspeakers (which audiophiles will usually recommend over soundbars anyway) and the soundbar form. How? Well, by cramming loudspeaker-sized drivers into soundbar-like unit, how else?

Canvas L soundbar: key features and pricing

The Canvas L is a striking-looking thing in a range of sizes that attach via the VESA mount to TVs from 65 to 115 inches. Behind its tasteful front panel (available in wood or cloth) there's an ultra-rigid braced cabinet, again more like what you'd expect to see in a regular speaker.

Most importantly, that frame houses two large custom-made eight-inch woofers from Scan-Speak (each with an eight-inch passive radiator), two four-inch mid-range drivers also custom-built by Scan-Speak, and two 29 mm SB Acoustics ring radiator tweeters.

There's 1,500W of integrated Class D amplification to power all of this — that's 300W per woofer, 200W per mid-range driver, and 50W per tweeter. Frequency response is a claimed 25Hz to 40,000kHz.

The sound has been tuned by high-end speaker designer Benno Baun Meldgaard, and the built-in digital signal processing features the BACCH+ 3D Spatial Audio algorithm.

Licensed from Princeton University, the BACCH 3D+ processing promises an ultra-realistic spatial presentation "with width, depth and height normally only experienced from large standalone loudspeaker systems." There's no mention of traditional spatial audio support via Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, though. The Canvas L also features room correction via its iOS app.

The inputs are HDMI eARC; stereo RCA; coaxial for up to 24-bit/192kHz audio; 24-bit/96kHz TOSLink; and both wired and wireless networking. The Canvas L supports Roon, DLNA, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect.

Pricing for the new Canvas L hasn't been revealed as yet – expect more details when it's shown at High End Vienna on 4 June 2026 ahead of a release towards the end of the year — but the existing model is $4,999 / £3,299 / AU$5999 in its 65-inch incarnation, so I'd expect pricing to be comfortably above that given the beefier speaker tech. Audiophile indeed.

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• Sonos' new app update enables you to turn SonosNet mesh networking off
• The feature may cause clashes with "more complex" home networks
• Available on iOS and Android, but not every will get it at the same time

Sonos has release an update to its app for both iOS and Android that may solve a weird networking issue for some users. The update, which is rolling out from today, adds a toggle for SonosNet that enables you to turn the feature off.

According to Liz from Sonos, who posted details of the update to the r/sonos subreddit, turning off SonosNet may "help resolve connectivity issues on more complex home network setups."

This is a relatively small update – the last one in mid-May delivered multiple changes including additional Music Library grouping options, layout improvements in iOS and for US users, changes to advertising personalization. But if you've been getting weird Wi-Fi issues it may be just what you've been waiting for.

What is SonosNet and why should you fear it?

SonosNet is designed to connect your Sonos speakers to each other, and it was created when home Wi-Fi wasn't always up to the task of smoothly streaming to your Sonos gear.

Sonos's solution was to create a Sonos-specific private Wi-Fi mesh network (before mesh routers were common) that your speakers would share, with an Ethernet-cabled Sonos device acting as the hub for everything else.

That's good, but as Liz from Sonos explains: "For most modern, high-speed routers, disabling SonosNet can actually help things run smoother. Newer routers use Wi-Fi technology that can sometimes conflict with SonosNet's mesh, so turning it off lets your system lean fully on your home network instead."

Sonos has also added the ability to see what's connected via SonosNet, which again might help with diagnosing speaker-specific weirdness.

However, it's worth noting that this tech is on by default for a reason — this option might be exactly what many people need, but I wouldn't try it until you've looked into other possible causes if you're having Sonos connection issues.

The update is a rolling update, meaning not all devices will receive it at once — so even though the new software is live today, your app might not show the option yet.

Once it's available to you, you can turn off SonosNet in System Settings > Networks > Disable SonosNet. Of course if you aren't experiencing network problems then there's no need to do this – and if you haven't done so already, it's worth trying a different SonosNet channel first to see if that solves your problem without having to take SonosNet offline.

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Two minute review

The Samsung HW-Q990H continues the high standard set by its predecessors, which are reliably among the best soundbars on the market, delivering a full, multi-box Dolby Atmos experience for one of the most competitive prices around. While it doesn’t offer that many changes from its predecessor, it’s still a fantastic system.

An 11.1.4 channel soundbar system, the Q990H is packed with superb sound-enhancing features such as SpaceFit Sound Pro and Q-Symphony, which add more layers to its already excellent sound. Sound Elevation (where sound is raised to the height of the TV itself) is one of two new features introduced, and while I didn’t use it for much of my testing, it could be useful depending on your circumstances.

It supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X enhanced audio formats, and there’s even support for 4K 120Hz and VRR passthrough in the soundbar’s two HDMI 2.1 In ports — perfect for those who don’t own one of the best gaming TVs.

The Q990H’s performance is phenomenal. It delivers an immersive, powerful sound with bass that’s both meaty and controlled, aided by the returning small-sized, dual-driver subwoofer introduced in last year's Q990F. Sound mapping is accurate, with details placed precisely to the correct channels and connected with the action on screen. Speech is consistently clear, and Dolby Atmos effects are re-created faithfully with real clarity. While it doesn’t innovate much on last year’s Samsung HW-Q990F, it’s still a superb soundbar.

Design-wise, the Q990H benefits from the compact subwoofer, which is easy to position while still delivering excellent sound. While the soundbar itself feels sturdy and has a nice color to it, the actual grated design doesn’t feel as premium as 2024’s Samsung Q990D, and the alphanumeric display isn’t always the easiest to read, but is a welcome feature. It would be nice to see Samsung mix up the design of the flagship model in future.

The Q990H is incredibly easy to set up and use. Actual installation took a few minutes, and I used the SmartThings app to control EQ and other features, never running into any issues. There is a supplied remote for those who don’t want to use the app, but I suggest you give the app a try.

The Q990H is a premium soundbar system, and while it delivers the performance to back up its asking price of $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$1,999, there aren’t a great many changes over its predecessor the Q990F. The latter is available for $1,599 / £999 / AU$1,599 at the time of writing, so it's the better option in my view. Once it disappears though, the Q990H is a more than worthy successor.

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Price and release date

• Release date: May 2026
• Price: $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$1,999

The Samsung HW-Q990H is the flagship model in Samsung’s 2026 soundbar lineup. It sits above the Samsung HW-900H, HW-Q800H and the HW-QS90H, the latter of which is a follow-up to the Samsung QS700F from 2025.

The HW-Q990H’s launch prices are pretty consistent with its predecessor, the HW-Q990F, from last year. The Q990H is launching for £100 cheaper in the UK and AU$100 cheaper in Australia, however.

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Specs

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Features

• 11.1.4 channel soundbar system
• Dolby Atmos and DTS-X support
• HDMI 2.1 input ports rated for 4K 120Hz gaming

The Q990H doesn’t bring many new features to the table compared to last year’s Q990F, but that’s not a bad thing, as that soundbar's features were pretty impressive. The Q990H is an 11.1.4 channel soundbar system comprising four units: a main soundbar, a subwoofer (the same compact unit introduced with the Q990F), and two rear speakers. It has the same 23-speaker layout as the Q990F.

In terms of audio support, the Q990H supports Dolby Atmos and DTS: X sound formats, and there’s support for Eclipsa Audio, Samsung and Google’s joint foray into the 3D sound world. Wireless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are also supported.

Connections are the same as last year, with an HDMI eARC port for connection to your chosen display, as well as two HDMI In ports. Both are HDMI 2.1 and rated for 4K 120Hz gaming, and both support HDR10+ HDR. There's also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming.

The Q990H introduces two new sound features. Sound Elevation is designed to direct the sound towards the screen itself in order to create a more natural listening experience, while Auto Volume aims to reduce sudden spikes in volume when changing channels or content.

Returning sound-enhancing features include SpaceFit Sound Pro, which optimizes the sound profile to suit the environment you’re in; Adaptive Sound, which analyzes the content being played and adjusts it in real time; and Active Voice Amplifier Pro, which analyzes voices within a scene and optimizes them. The Q990H also supports Q-Symphony, which enables a compatible connected Samsung TV’s speakers to be employed to enhance the audio further.

There are a number of night-mode listening features as well, such as Private Audio, which directs the sound to the rear speakers, and Moderate Bass, which mutes the subwoofer and directs the bass to come from the soundbar itself.

The Q900H can be controlled by the SmartThings app, where adjustments to the EQ and sound levels for each channel can be made. You can also choose from the soundbar’s four listening modes here: Standard, Surround, AI and Game. The aforementioned sound enhancements can also be controlled via the app.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Performance

• Detailed expansive sound
• Powerful, controlled bass
• Great Atmos reproduction

Of the Q990H’s four sound presets (Standard, Surround, Game and AI) I chose Surround, as I felt it gave the most consistently immersive sound. I also used the SpaceFit Sound Pro setting to calibrate the soundbar to our testing lab, and this created a more immersive sound profile.

The Q990H’s sound placement and mapping are superb. Watching the Death Star attack run from Star Wars: A New Hope, the whir of the X-Wing’s engines came from the rear speakers, laser fire came from all around, and the flight paths of the various TIE fighters and X-Wings was accurately placed, making me feel like I was in the cockpit.

Watching The Batman, as Penguin fired a spray of bullets towards Catwoman, the sound travelled from the front to the rear channels, following the direction of the action on screen. In the chase sequence itself, the swerving of tires and blaring car horns travelled across the soundbar, again mapped perfectly.

The compact subwoofer first introduced in last year’s Q990F returns here, and I was reminded of how good it was. Despite its smaller stature, the Q990H’s subwoofer packs a mighty punch. As the Batmobile’s engine fires up in The Batman, the subwoofer delivered an almighty rumble that filled the room, accurately delivering the roar and the crunching gear changes during the driving sequences. Crucially however, the bass never got ahead of itself, as the subwoofer demonstrated excellent control, with the same gear changes delivered with great detail.

Speaking of detail, the Q990H delivers it in spades. During the Darkstar test flight in Top Gun: Maverick, subtle sound effects, such as the wind passing through the jet’s outer panels and the tightening of Maverick’s gloves are all well balanced with the bass of the jet engine and the loud beeps of the various displays.

The Q990H benefits from four height channels, meaning Atmos effects are reproduced accurately. As Maverick flies over Admiral Kane in Top Gun: Maverick, the sound of the Darkstar’s flight path went over my head, delivering an expansive sound. The same was true as TIE Fighters flew overhead in Star Wars, with height channels precisely following their iconic howling sound.

Throughout my testing, the Q990H’s front channels delivered crystal-clear speech, even in complicated scenes such as the Batmobile chase, accurately delivering the Penguin’s frantic shouts over the loud explosions and impacts.

As I tested the Q990H with the Samsung S95F, one of 2025’s best OLED TVs, I tried out the Q-Symphony setting. This added extra volume and more power to the front channels by using the S95F’s speakers, giving everything extra punch. If you don’t own a Samsung TV, fear not — this Q990H still sounds fantastic without Q-Symphony.

I tried out the new Sound Elevation feature, and while it did move the height of the sound effectively, it wasn’t necessary for my viewing. This could be a useful feature for those who wall-mount the soundbar, but I’d recommend giving it a try to see if it fits your environment.

The Q990H is also a solid soundbar for music. Listening to a Dolby Atmos version of Bad Bunny’s BAILE INoLVIDABLE, the Q990H delivered tightly controlled low-end from the track’s heavy bass synths and drums later in the song. The piano sounded detailed, and Bunny’s varied vocals were delivered accurately. High notes had plenty of brightness without sounding overbearing, and the horn section sounded punchy and detailed.

Switching to a heavier track, Dir En Grey’s Un Deux, the Q990H did a great job delivering the pounding guitars, crunching drums and Kyo’s soaring vocals, capturing the wide production of the track with its big soundstage. While other soundbars, such as the Sonos Arc Ultra, are better for music overall, the Q990H is still great.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Design

• Return of the brilliant compact subwoofer
• Sturdy build quality
• Design becoming familiar

The Q990H is almost identical in appearance to last year’s Q990F, which in turn felt like a cheapened design of the 2024 Samsung HW-Q990D. While the Q990H does have a sturdy, weighty build that feels premium, my criticisms of last year’s design remain.

The highlight is once again the compact subwoofer design. The dual-driver unit is weighty, but has a much more visually appealing cubed design. Due to its more compact size, it’s much easier to conceal than most subwoofers. The main soundbar measures 1232 x 70.8 x 138mm (48.5 x 2.8 x 5.4 inches), which was the exact width of the 55-inch Samsung S95F OLED TV I tested the soundbar with. It’s quite a deep soundbar however, so you may need to consider this when placing it.

The actual look and materials of the Q990H are the main issue. While the metallic grille that’s been used for years remains, the cheaper-looking grated design introduced in the Q990F is still here, and it doesn’t look as appealing as older models. The same is true of the rear speakers, which don’t feel or look as premium.

The alphanumeric display included can still be a challenge to a read, but it’s still welcome. While the Q990H’s overall design is fine, Samsung could stand to learn from other multi-box units, such as the JBL 1300Mk2.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Setup and usability

• Easy, hassle-free setup
• SmartThings app for control as well as remote
• Wireless connection between soundbar and other units

As I’ve found with the last few iterations of Samsung’s flagship soundbar, the Q990H was a breeze to set up. I simply connected the main soundbar to the TV via HDMI eARC, and then paired the subwoofer and rear speakers by holding down a button. At one point during my testing I had to disconnect and re-connect the same units due to a brief Wi-Fi issue, and this again took a matter of minutes.

The Q990H can be controlled by the supplied remote or the SmartThings app. I opted for the latter, and it allowed me to easily make adjustments to the EQ and sound levels as I saw fit, with said changes happening almost instantaneously. It’s worth trying out the app, but the Q990H also sounds great out of the box.

One quick note: Samsung advertises its new Samsung Sound app as the new control, though at the time of writing it doesn’t offer the full compatibility or support all the features of SmartThings, so you’re best sticking with the latter for now.

• Setup & usability score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Value

• Great flagship performance and features
• Still a premium price
• Only minor upgrades over predecessor

The Q990H is undoubtedly at the premium end of the soundbar market. Priced at $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$1,999, it’s pricier than a lot of all-in-one options such as the Sonos Arc Ultra and Marshall Heston 120, as well as more budget surround sound models from the likes of JBL, Hisense and Ultimea.

Major rivals such as the JBL 1300MK2 are also available for less, with the 1300MK2 priced at $1,699 / £999 in the US and UK (it’s pricier in Australia at $AU2,299). That said, the 1300MK2 did launch several months ago, so its prices have had time to drop.

Still, the Q990H is a flagship soundbar that delivers phenomenal audio quality and comes with a ton of useful features, most prominently its HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming. Compared to said multi-box rivals, it’s also pretty fairly priced.

There is the small matter, however, of the Q990H’s predecessor, the Q990F, still being available. While the Q990H offers a couple of upgrades, the Q990F is still a fantastic soundbar in its own right, and at $1,599 / £999 / AU$1,599 it’s the better option right now. Once it disappears, though, the Q990H will make a worthy successor — and we’ll have hopefully seen some discounts by then.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Samsung HW-Q990H?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Samsung HW-Q990H review: Also consider

How I tested the Samsung HW-Q990H

• Tested with the Samsung S95F OLED TV
• Tested using different sources
• Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround and stereo sound tested

I tested the Samsung HW-Q990H with the Samsung S95F OLED TV, which allowed me to test out the Q-Symphony feature, which employs the Samsung S95F's speakers in conjunction with the soundbar.

To test the Q990H soundbar, I used reference Dolby Atmos scenes that I also use to test TV speakers, namely The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick on 4K Blu-ray, and Star Wars: A New Hope for 4K streaming.

I used the Samsung SmartThings app to test out its sound features, including SpaceFit Sound Pro and Sound Elevation, as well as testing out its different sound presets.

I also tested the Samsung HW-Q990H's music capabilities using Dolby Atmos tracks such as Bad Bunny's BAILLE INoLVIDABLE, as well as stereo tracks such as Dir En Grey's Un Deux.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read more about how we test

Sony has just announced the Bravia Theatre Trio, which is a new Dolby Atmos wireless system that splits the difference between a proper surround system and a soundbar, and is particularly designed with huge TVs in mind, to make sure the soundscape is wider than the TV itself — but will be tempting to anyone who wants a physically more separated sound than the best soundbars alone can deliver.

It can also be expanded into a fuller wireless surround setup, and I got to hear this full-force system in action. But first, let's go over the basics.

The Sony Bravia Theatre Trio is, as the name implies, three wireless speakers in a package. It's what home theater fans call an 'LCR' system — meaning left, center, and right channels.

There's a center speaker that's like a mini soundbar, which connects to your TV over HDMI eARC. And there are left and right speakers that look like little pillars with a flat section added to the back, so they can be wall-mounted.

The center speaker has two woofers and a tweeter, while each of the the side speakers each has a woofer and tweeter facing forward, and then an 8cm upfiring driver for Dolby Atmos height channels.

In the simplest terms, this is a 3.0.2-channel system, though Sony says that the system is built heavily around virtualization of more in-depth speaker setups. This initial three-speaker system can apparently mimic 24 phantom channels.

Sony says that it's done some smart stuff with its virtualization tech in the Bravia Theatre Trio, including rethinking how those phantom channels work: they're now designed not just to mimic the placement of a more elaborate speaker setup, but also to mimic the "indirect sound sources" of a cinema room's acoustic signature, including reflections.

So yes, for those keeping track of how psychoacoustic virtualization works, it may be the case that this system is using the reflections of your room to create the sense of an entirely different set of reflections…

To help the system do this as well as possible, it comes with a USB-C microphone that you can use for room calibration. Just plug it into your phone or tablet, fire up Sony's app, and follow the instructions so it can do its best work.

As I mentioned above, this three-speaker core setup can be expanded with add-on rear speakers or a subwoofer as well.

You have two choices of subwoofer: the new Sub 8 is a mid-range option, while the Sub 9 is an absolute massive beast of a sub by lifestyle tech standards. It looks like two Sub 8 units glued together with a vent in the middle, and while Sony didn't confirm the specs, I wouldn't be surprised if that's not far from the truth.

You also have two choices of rear speaker: there's the existing Bravia Rear 8 or the new Bravia Rear 9, which are more or less the same speakers as the front left and right (woofer, tweeter and upfirer combo — in the same design).

Of course, these add-ons will cost you — and the core Bravia Theatre Trio package isn't cheap either. Here's the breakdown of all those options (Sony was only able to provide UK pricing pre-launch and Australian info for the Theatre Trio only, but we'll update with other pricing as we get it):

Sony eats Sonos' lunch

Before I get to my experience of the performance of these speakers, something that immediately struck me is that this kind of setup is what Sonos' users have been begging to company to do for years.

Given that Sonos' whole thing is wireless satellite speakers, its users have asked many, many times (directly and on the r/sonos subreddit) for the ability to use separate front left and right speakers in an LCR setup with its soundbars.

There's even a third-party app that enables this called SonoSequencr, which is quite popular among Sonos home theater enthusiasts.

It seems wild that Sony has offered this before Sonos, and with a better spec list than Sonos can offer, because the Bravia Theatre Trio offers both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support (Sonos lacks DTS), and has an HDMI passthrough port (supporting 4K 120Hz) so you don't lose an HDMI port by using it.

Of course, if Sonos did end up offering a setup to compete with this, it could have a major price advantage. You can get a Sonos Beam Gen 2 (as the center channel) and two Sonos Era 300 speakers (as spatial audio side speakers) for £1,077 at the time of writing, compared to £2,000 for the Sony system.

And there's also the small issue that in my demo of the Sony system I found it to be quite hit and miss…

Mixing it up

I didn't get to hear just the Bravia Theatre Trio core setup on its own at Sony's event; instead I heard the fullest setup, with the original trio, two Rear 9 speakers, and two Sub 9 subwoofers (though, somewhat oddly, these were placed next to each other rather than spaced for even bass distribution).

In terms of pure physical channels, this is a 7.2.4 setup, but Sony was unable to confirm exactly what the virtualized channel setup it creates using the phantom channels would be — though Sony confirmed that you get 24 phantom channels regardless of how many physical speakers are involved.

First up we watched the big music performance in Sinners at the juke joint. What jumped out straight away is that the system provides a really powerful and warm sound, which is really well suited to the pounding of drums and making the tonality of guitars feel solid and electric.

However, I wasn't that impressed with separation of different elements in the mix, despite all the Dolby Atmos power going on — and in particular I felt that the vocals were more subdued than I'd expect, especially for a system with an actual separate center speaker.

Moving onto the car shoot-out in No Time to Die, the surround and positioning effects got a particular chance to shine. The rear effects were solid, but the side effects were especially impressive considering there are no real speakers there.

Building on that, I thought the way sound moved from the front, around the sides, and to the back was especially impressive — it felt like the sound moved smoothly the whole way, and didn't jump from the front to the back, which is how it can feel in some simple five-channel systems.

But this demo also showed the same apparent weakness with vocals, with dialogue feeling soft and a little muddy even in the quieter moments — and even some of the mid-frequency effects seemed to not pop quite as strongly as they should (I have seen this scene a lot in demos).

The final demo was the first racing scene in Ready Player One, and the system produced a lot of sound and fury all around me here… but I thought there was a slight softness to the fine details that held it back — the very sudden sounds didn't seem quite as dramatically sudden as they should, which robbed them a little of impact, scale and spectacle.

That last point wasn't helped by the fact that in all three demos I noticed that the sound and visuals weren't quite in sync. This isn't uncommon in HDMI ARC-based systems at all, but I don't normally notice it as strongly as I did here — and I think it made a difference when experiencing the crunching crashes of Ready Player One if you see the impacts before you hear them.

Of course, this is far from a review — and I'm really interested to see how just the core Bravia Theatre Trio set performs on its own. But at this early stage, I'm kind of torn: I love the overall concept and the design, but I'm concerned about the high price based on the performance I heard so far.

• The Sonos app is not currently available in the Apple App Store
• No change to Google Play: it's still there
• Sonos has acknowledged the issue and is "working on a solution"

Update 2: The Sonos app is back on the App Store now. Normal service resumes. The original article and update will remain as published below.

If you're looking for the Sonos app for iOS, iPadOS or Mac, you'll need to wait: it's not there. The app is temporarily unavailable in Apple's App Store for all three platforms.

Sonos is aware of the problem: in a status update it says that "We have identified a problem with the Sonos App availability in the iOS / Mac App Stores and are working on a solution."

So far the app has been unavailable for a few hours and we don't yet know when it'll return.

Update 1: Sonos provided the following comment to TechRadar: "The Sonos app is temporarily unavailable for new downloads and updates from the Apple App Store while we complete a routine administrative update with Apple. Existing installations on customers' devices are unaffected and the Sonos app and service are operating normally. We expect the issue to be resolved soon. For the latest status, please visit https://status.sonos.com/."

What's wrong with the Sonos app?

The Sonos status page shows a clear sheet for almost everything bar the Sonos Account, which is currently labelled with a red X to indicate a major outage.

Sonos says that in addition to the app not being available to download, you might not be able to update it if it's already installed on your system.

It strongly seems like this is some kind of administrative problem, as hinted by Sonos in its statement to us — some online have speculated that it could be as basic as Sonos' developer accounts expiring, or a similar paperwork requirement not being met. If that's the case, we'd expect it to reappear and for Sonos to never speak of it again…

Having said that, at some point Sonos' Mac app will disappear permanently anyway — it's not built for Apple Silicon, and Sonos says it has no plans to adapt it, and instead is moving all desktop users to its web interface anyway.

The 2026 World Cup is only a few weeks away, so if you're thinking of upgrading your home setup, now is the time. With new 2026 TVs appearing in stores now, 2025's models are at some of their cheapest prices, meaning you can grab a real bargain.

But, while you may be looking at a new TV or a new soundbar, I've come up with a few TV/soundbar combos in case you're looking to overhaul your whole home setup.

To be clear, any of these TVs will go great with any of these soundbars if you're looking to mix and match, but I've picked pairs to hit particular budgets that are ideal matches.

I've chosen some of the best TVs from the likes of Samsung, Hisense and TCL and the best soundbars from Sonos, Samsung and more.

Setup 1: Budget bang-for-buck

TV: TCL QM6K/C6K

The TCL QM6K, known as the TCL C6K in the UK, is a budget gem. It uses a mini-LED panel that delivers punchy colors, strong contrast with deep black levels and solid brightness all for an affordable price.

With a measured HDR fullscreen brightness of 594 nits in Standard mode for the QM6K and 706 nits in the same mode on the C6K, these TVs are more than bright enough to handle daytime viewing without distracting reflections. With games played at various times throughout the day in the World Cup, this is crucial.

The QM6K/C6K also make for great gaming TVs when you're not watching the World Cup. They support 4K 144Hz, FreeSync Premium, Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM: an excellent suite of features for a TV this price.

The QM6K/C6K's best feature is its price. A 65-inch model will cost $699 / £649 respectively, which is a bargain for what you're getting. This is easily the best option for the budget conscious.

Soundbar: Sony HT-S150F

The Sony HT-SF150, know as the Sony HT-S100F in the US and Australia, is our current pick for the best super-cheap soundbar on our best soundbars list. Why? Because it delivers impressive depth, clear speech and decent power and bass for a very low price: $99 / £99 / AU$199.

It also has a decent feature set including Bluetooth support for music streaming, an elegant design and easy setup and use: all big positives for a budget soundbar.

While it isn't the most sonically diverse soundbar, it's superb value and will really help add another level to your World Cup experience by boosting commentary and crowd noise more than your TV's speakers would.

Setup 2: The step-up option

TV: Hisense U8Q

The Hisense U8QG is an excellent-value mini-LED TV. It produces rich colors and powerful contras,t and has a strong feature set including both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, plus 4K 165Hz and VRR for gaming.

The U8Q also produces super-high brightness for a TV at this price point. A measured 3,337 nits and 2,888 nits peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker Mode and Standard respectively really help highlights pop on screen as well as producing strong perceived contrast.

With 744 nits HDR fullscreen brightness and even 600 nits of SDR fullscreen brightness, the U8Q is more than capable of handling bright rooms — perfect for daytime World Cup games.

At $999 / £1,299 / AU$1,599 for a 65-inch model, the U8Q is fantastic value for the performance it delivers and the features it comes with. If you're looking for a substantial upgrade at a fair price, this is top-notch value.

Soundbar: Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) may be a few years old now, but it's still one of the best all-in-one, mid-range soundbars you can get. It delivers spacious, punchy sound quality with plenty of detail. This compact soundbar is mightier than it looks.

Not only does it tick the boxes for movies, but it's fantastic for music too. It delivers the same detail it does for movies, offering a layered sound with strong, well-controlled bass, clear highs and natural sounding mid-tones.

The Beam also supports hi-res audio and Dolby Atmos, as well as Wi-Fi streaming support for better sound quality. At its usual $499 / £449 / AU$799 price tag it's a great value soundbar that will give any World Cup game an extra dimension — and occasionally it gets nice deals, too. It's great in its own right, but can be expanded with a subwoofer and rear speakers too for a fuller experience.

Setup 3: The premium option

TV: Samsung QN90F

The Samsung QN90F really is the perfect for TV for sport. Not only does it deliver high brightness thanks to its mini-LED panel, but it comes equipped with a Glare Free matte screen that makes it the ideal TV for those in a bright room because it totally squashes reflections even in darker scenes. Daytime sports viewing will be no issue for the QN90F.

Aside from the brightness, the QN90F has excellent motion handling. With the right settings (judder and blur adjustments set to 3), it delivers a smooth picture that will help deliver the games from the World Cup accurately and more clearly than basically anything else on the market.

The QN90F also delivers excellent contrast and color for movies and is a gaming powerhouse with 4K 144Hz, VRR and ALLM all supported across four HDMI 2.1 ports.

Since its release in 2025, its prices have dropped significantly. A 65-inch set costs $1,599 / £1,399 / AU$2,899 so while it's at the pricier end of the mini-LED market, it is excellent value, made even better by the big drop in price from its original $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,499 price tag.

Soundbar: Samsung HW-Q800F

The Samsung HW-Q800F sits at the top of our best soundbars list. It delivers a powerful, immersive sound with solid Dolby Atmos reproduction. Its subwoofer, which is a new compact, dual-driver unit, produces some serious bass that's precise and well controlled.

Speaking of precise, this is one of the Q800F's greatest strengths. Not only is its sound immersive, it's accurate too. Its mapping of different effects is pinpoint and is has excellent directionality. It will do a great job with the fast-paced action of a World Cup game and the feeling of crowd's ambiance exploding out of the soundbar and into the space all around the TV.

The Q800F also supports Wi-Fi music streaming and supports 4K 120Hz gaming in its HDMI in ports. And, it does all this for a fairly reasonable price too, costing $799 / £599 / AU$799. While that is getting to the pricier side of the soundbar market, it's worth every penny.

Setup 4: The elite OLED & surround experience

TV: Samsung S95F

The Samsung S95F was one of 2025's best OLED TVs. It delivers excellent picture quality, with vibrant, bold colors and strong contrast, as well as crisp textures and refined detail. It's also fully stocked for gaming with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 165Hz, full VRR including G-Sync, ALLM and HDR10+ gaming.

What sets the S95F apart from other OLEDs is its anti-reflection screen. A matte coating means mirror-like reflections are reduced to haze, making it a fantastic OLED for bright room viewing. With this TV, you'll get to watch daytime sports with OLED's color, detail and perfect viewing angles without worrying about reflections. While mini-LED is our typical recommendation for sports, this OLED changes the game.

However, as a flagship OLED, the S95F is in the premium price bracket. A 65-inch model costs $2,499 / £2,299 / AU$3,799 which is pricey, but if you're after an elite World Cup experience, then this OLED TV should definitely be on your list.

Soundbar: Samsung HW-Q990F

The Samsung HW-Q990F is a multi-box soundbar system that delivers serious power across 11.1.4 channels. It's sound is expansive and precise, creating a real Dolby Atmos experience at home thanks to its two rear speakers and subwoofer.

The subwoofer is a new, compact size but thankfully, none of the hefty, detailed bass has disappeared. The dual-driver sub delivers raw power which works wonders for movies. The rear speakers are excellent at delivering surround effects and the soundbar itself delivers clear speech, punchy audio and excellent separation.

If you're looking for a soundbar to capture the stadium atmosphere of the World Cup, this is it. This level of performance comes at a price though. At $1,599 / £999 / AU$1,399, this is a premium soundbar.

But for the performance and features it brings, including hi-res audio and Wi-Fi streaming support as well as 4K 120Hz passthrough for gaming, the Q990F is worth the investment if you have the budget.

The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11, and while a lot of people will be thinking about a new TV, there's still one crucial component that can make or break the whole experience: audio.

A new soundbar can really add another dimension to the World Cup viewing experience, delivering clearer commentary and a more immersive atmosphere by capturing the roar of the crowds. Let's face it, even the best TVs have average built-in audio, and it'd be a shame to miss out on the full World Cup feeling.

Below, I've picked four of the best soundbars you can buy right now that will be more than up to the task of delivering the atmosphere of the World Cup, whatever your budget.

Best overall: Samsung HW-Q800F

Currently sitting at the top of our best soundbars list is the five-star-rated Samsung HW-Q800F. One of the brand's mid-range 2025 soundbars, the Q800F really does cover all the bases.

The Q800F is a soundbar-and-sub combo that delivers everything you could need. We found in our testing that the bass delivered by the new, compact subwoofer was still suitably powerful and sizeable, accurately delivering the ignition of the Darkstar jet in Top Gun: Maverick.

It also demonstrated excellent precision with surprisingly effective Dolby Atmos height effects in movies such as The Mask, accurately capturing the chaotic nature of the titular character as he tears around Edge City. Expect it to accurately deliver the ball's movements around the field during the World Cup.

Dialogue was crystal clear throughout our testing as well, which is a good sign that a commentary track during the World Cup should be delivered with real clarity.

The Q800F is brilliant value too. You can expect to pay around $799 / £599 / AU$849, which is a great price for this soundbar. Expect prices to drop in the lead-up to the World Cup, too.

Best premium: Samsung HW-Q990F

For those looking for a complete soundbar system, it doesn't get much better than the Samsung HW-Q990F, the brand's 2025 flagship model. This 11.1.4 channel soundbar is a beast, composed of four separate units and really delivers the full surround sound experience.

I personally tested the Q990F and was blown away by its performance. The new compact subwoofer delivers room-filling bass that is mighty, but also well controlled. The rumble of the Batmobile's engine in The Batman was room-shaking but dynamic and precise, with the subwoofer accurately delivering the chunky gear changes.

The Q990F boasts a wide soundstage that's not only great for big musical numbers from movies like Wicked, but also action-packed scenes such as the Death Star attack in Star Wars: A New Hope. The sound is expansive with pinpoint placement, such as the TIE Fighter's screeching flight path in Star Wars. The stadium atmosphere in the World Cup will sound sensational through this system.

Speech was perfectly clear throughout my testing, whether it was hushed conversation in The Batman or the loud, soaring vocals of 'Defying Gravity' from Wicked. Expect the same with commentary in the World Cup.

The Q990F is at the more premium end of the market, costing $1,599 / £999 / AU$1,599, but this mammoth soundbar system will cover you for sports, movies, and gaming, and do a superb job with all of them.

Best budget US: Sonos Beam

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) may be compact, but don't let that fool you. It delivers a beefy sound that you wouldn't expect from a soundbar this size and is easily one of the best models for music on the market.

The Beam (Gen 2) has been around for a while now, but it still consistently delivers a satisfying sound that works for a diverse range of genres. I tested it alongside the Sony HT-S2000 and Denon Home 550, two compact rivals, and I was always pleased with the Beam's performance.

The bass it delivers for a small unit is tightly controlled and punchy, as it accurately delivered the roar of jet engines in Top Gun: Maverick. Its soundstage was also spacious, giving effects room to breathe with a great balance overall. As The Mask tornadoes around his bedroom in The Mask, the Beam did an excellent job mapping the direction of the whirlwind, connecting the sound accurately to the picture.

Dialogue is nice and clear despite its smaller stature, so commentary should be nice and clear for the World Cup. It also has a diverse sound profile that makes it great for music.

Sonos' soundbars often get some nice discounts throughout the year, but even at the full $499 / £449 / AU$799 price, it's a superb soundbar that's real value for money.

Best budget UK: Hisense AX5125H

The Hisense AX5125H is one of the most impressive budget soundbars I've ever used. Not only are you getting a great 5.1.2 channel Dolby Atmos system, but you're getting it for a ridiculously low price.

Using the Death Star attack from Star Wars: A New Hope, I was seriously impressed with the AX5125H's clarity and control. It accurately delivered the whirring engines of the X-Wings and did a solid job with height channels, recreating the screech of the TIE Fighters as they flew overhead.

The AX5125H also has a wide soundstage, which helped pick up subtleties in The Batman's opening crime scene, with camera clicks, mumbled conversations, and the sparse, scratchy strings of the score all presented clearly. This should do a great job picking out the dynamics during the World Cup, from a travelling ball to the crowd noise.

Speech was also clear throughout testing, coming through loud and clear during both quieter conversations and action-packed scenes. This will have no problem delivering clear commentary in a packed stadium atmosphere.

The AX5125H's real highlight is its low price. A 5.1.2 channel system for £249 is ridiculous. This would have been my pick for the US budget option, but sadly, it's out of stock. For UK readers, this one is a no-brainer if you're on a budget.

• Bose launches premium soundbar, smart speaker and wireless sub
• The Ultra Lifestyle Soundbar is the new Bose flagship at $1,099 / £999 / AU$1,800
• The Lifestyle Ultra Speaker has Dolby Atmos for $299 / £299 / AU$549

Bose's new Lifestyle Collection is likely to cause some frowny faces at Sonos HQ: it's a set of three premium pieces of audio gear designed for every room in your home, offering excellent flexibility including multi-room audio, and promising a typically luxurious Bose audio experience.

The three speakers are the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker, the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer. And in addition to working with each other, they also promise to work in groups with speakers from other manufacturers too.

Bose says that its app delivers "one of the simplest setup experiences in home audio", and if the collection sounds as good as it looks then Bose may well have a home audio hit on their hands.

Bose Lifestyle Collection: key features, pricing and availability

The Bose Ultra Lifestyle Speaker is a cylindrical speaker with three drivers, two of which fire outwards and one of which fires upwards. Bose says that's enough to create room-filling spatial audio from a single speaker, and it has Bose's CleanBass system and QuietPort acoustic opening to deliver low-end that's clean and punchy.

It also has Bose's TrueSpatial spatial audio processing, which is platform-agnostic, meaning it'll create spatial sound from any source. You can run it solo, in a stereo pair, in a multi-room setup, or as part of a surround-sound system with the Ultra Lifestyle Soundbar and Subwoofer.

The Soundbar is Bose's new flagship and comes with a fresh new design and an entirely new acoustic architecture; it's the first major soundbar redesign that Bose has developed in more than a decade.

There are six full-range drivers — four facing forwards and two pointing up for height channels — plus a center tweeter and two of Bose's PhaseGuide drivers that are design to provide extra virtual width for an immersive Atmos experience.

PhaseGuide is a system that widens the soundstage by using strategically placed transducers and waveguides to make audio appear to be coming from places where there aren't any speakers.

There's also TrueSpatial processing for anything that isn't in Dolby Atmos, SpeechClarity to enhance dialog, CleanBass and QuietPort for deep, controlled bass and the newly renamed CustomTune room calibration system (previously known as ADAPTiQ), which uses your phone as the room calibration mic — what do you know, that's just like Sonos!

Bose says that the system delivers the lowest frequencies of any Bose soundbar to date just from the soundbar alone, while also improving the highs and delivering better audio element separation.

However, for those who want even deeper bass, the third speaker is the powerful Lifestyle Subwoofer, which once again comes with CleanBass and QuietPort. It's built around a 10.5-inch driver, and connects wirelessly to the soundbar.

The three speakers all have Wi-Fi connectivity and support Google Cast, Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, and they can be grouped via Apple AirPlay or Google Home. There's also Bluetooth to stream directly from devices such as your phone and other audio sources.

The Bose app promises to walk you through the whole setup process whether that's a single speaker or a full surround system, and it then enables you to control the volume, source, equalization, surround and height levels. There's also built-in Alexa+ for voice control.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker has an official price of $299 / £299 / AU$549; the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar is $1,099 / £999 / AU$1,800; and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer is $899 / £899 / AU$1,300. All three are available to pre-order now, and will be fully released on May 15th 2026.

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LG Sound Suite H7 review

The LG Sound Suite H7 is the first soundbar in the market to feature Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities — instantly providing a unique option in what is a highly competitive category.

FlexConnect enables the LG Sound Suite H7 to act as something of a hub — you can pair a compatible sub and various surround speakers to the soundbar, and no matter where you place them in the room, you can expect well-optimized sound and Atmos effects.

As I discovered when reviewing the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and testing out the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 — two systems that place the H7 soundbar front and center — FlexConnect works brilliantly. When using a wide variety of configurations, these systems provided impactful and clear sound. It’s a very handy feature, and one that could be useful for those with awkwardly shaped or laid-out living spaces.

Here, though, I wanted to look at the LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar on its own, and assess its quality without the assistance of any W7 subs or M7 surround speakers. Sure, this is a model that’s at its best when paired with other components — as is the case with rivals like the Sonos Arc Ultra. But can it hold its own as a standalone device? Can it compete with the very best Dolby Atmos soundbars?

Let’s begin by taking a look at features on the H7 soundbar. Of course, FlexConnect is great, but there’s a lot more to discover — especially if you download the LG ThinQ app.

One interesting addition is Sound Follow. This optimizes sound not only for your living space, but for your position within it. It works surprisingly well, and although it's not essential, it’s certainly a unique option in LG’s arsenal. On top of this, you can alter the EQ, adjust channel levels, and even cycle between different sound modes.

There’s a decent array of these sound modes, with a bass-boosted option, a vocal-oriented alternative, and an AI Sound configuration. Personally, I found the AI-enabled mode to sound worse than the standard tuning — movie soundtracks lacked balance, and often sounded too bass-heavy. Other than this, you’ll also find an AI upmixing setting, which enables you to convert a stereo signal into a more expansive 9.1.4-channel format.

As well as its various sound modes, the H7 offers a decent amount of connectivity options. Of course, you’ve got the standard HDMI eARC, but you can also make use of a USB connection, or play music and podcasts via a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.

On the topic of connectivity, though, I do have one key complaint: the LG H7 doesn’t have HDMI passthrough. In 2026, this feels like a huge miss. A lot of even high-end TVs owned by people today are restricted to just two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which will be the HDMI eARC port. Given that the H7 will take one of those up, you may well be left with just one. That could prove to be a point of contention for owners of multiple modern video game consoles, for instance.

Another feature that some may miss is DTS support. DTS has been missing from a lot of LG’s tech as of late, with the company opting to drop the format from its TVs in 2025. If your TV or video player decodes DTS, it's not really a problem — but it's annoying if you buy all LG. Still the best 4K Blu-ray players, where DTS is most important, can generally decode it.

But you may be wondering by now, just how good does the LG Sound Suite H7 sound? Well, in my view, it’s a very strong performer indeed.

Unsurprisingly, the real highlight here is Dolby Atmos performance. In Top Gun: Maverick, when Tom Cruise flies up and over the head of Ed Harris, the verticality of this move was replicated brilliantly. This is something that a lot of rivals struggle with — especially without overhead speakers for ‘true’ Atmos, but the height channels consistently conjured up excellent effects in my testing.

The H7 also outputs expansive sound with tremendous width, something I found when watching a 4K Blu-ray of The Mask. As the titular character spun around an outdoor area, his movement was tracked well, and it sounded as if he was tornadoing into the corners of our TV testing space. Sure, a full setup with the M7 speakers added more depth and pin-point precision, but the soundbar certainly offered a broad sense of sound on its own.

It was a similar story with music — with Hans Zimmer’s Dream of Arrakis, vocals oozed into the sides of the room, while ambient sound effects felt as if they were crawling along the walls. The bottom line, then, is if you’re looking for excellent Atmos performance, the H7 is a top choice.

Outside of Atmos performance, the H7 is pretty strong too. It gets a lot of the fundamentals right — clear dialogue, impactful bass, and expressive treble all feature. When watching The Boy and the Heron, I was impressed with the snappy and sharp sound of a wooden sword snapping, and even when harsh wind noises entered the fray, the Heron’s monologue was articulated clearly in the mix.

In one scene, a horde of frogs exclaim “JOIN US,” and powerful deep bass seeps in. The room-swallowing low-end was replicated quite well, even at higher volumes, but it wasn’t quite as full-sounding and thunderous as I’ve experienced — largely due to the lack of a sub. Adding the W7 subwoofer will fix this, of course, but that comes at quite the price.

Movies do generally sound great, however. Whether it was The Mask smashing through a glass door with giga impact or dialogue coming through with a true-to-life echo in Maverick, I was satisfied with the H7’s quality.

Is the H7 the most musically adept soundbar I’ve heard? Not quite. With stereo music, you do get distinct channel separation, and commendable attention to detail. However, I sometimes felt as if low-end sounds were a little overstated, leaving vocals or instruments in the mid-range sounding less prominent than I’d like.

With Atmos music, it was similar. Sure, the spatial effects are translated fantastically, and the dynamism of sudden drum hits or pounding bass was striking. But I sometimes felt that vocals in the center could be a touch understated. Some EQ tweaking can help with this, but I prefer models like the Marshall Heston 120 for music.

So, overall, the LG Sound Suite H7 is a very admirable performer, but I want to take a moment to talk about design.

Look, I don’t think this is the prettiest soundbar ever. It’s built to a high standard, but the H7 doesn’t have the flashy modern look of the Sonos Arc Ultra or the striking retro style of the Marshall Heston 60.

It ends up looking a bit generic, which isn’t a major problem — however, the more style-focused might wish for something with more flair. On the positive side, I did really like the soundbar’s display, which is handy for checking volume, source, sound mode, and more.

Another design positive relates to button and port placement. Everything is simple and well-sized, making for a relatively straightforward setup. Speaking of setting up, you can simply plug the HDMI cable and power source in, and you’re ready to go.

I did experience a few difficulties pairing the soundbar using the app, which was a little frustrating, but I had things working after a couple of resets. From there on out, the simple app made my user experience fairly trouble-free.

Let’s finish up by talking about value for money. The LG Sound Suite H7 has a list price of $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400), which, let’s face it, is pretty pricey. You can easily grab a great option that comes with a sub for less than this — the Samsung HW-Q800F, for instance, is regularly cheaper than the H7, and boasts DTS support alongside HDMI passthrough. However, the Sonos Arc Ultra — arguably the H7’s main competition — is in the same ballpark, retailing for $999 / £999 / AU$1,799.

Is the H7 worth it, though? Well, if you want Dolby Atmos FlexConnect and you’re planning to build out a full system, then it could be. Individual components, like the M7 speakers and W7 sub are expensive, and there’s no discount on a full system as of yet. But if you’re looking for a massively expansive overall package, then it remains a great option.

All in all, though, the LG Sound Suite H7 is an astute soundbar that packs in highly convenient FlexConnect technology, awesome Dolby Atmos effects, and impressive overall audio. It’s disappointing to see HDMI passthrough and DTS support off the menu, alongside a more enticing look.

And yes, it’s pricey, although it's competitively priced against Sonos, and can act as a highly capable hub if you’re looking to build out a full FlexConnect system.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: price & release date

• List price of $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400)
• Released in early 2026

The LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar released early into 2026, with the W7 subwoofer and M7 wireless speakers joining it. At $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400), the H7 is by no means cheap, though it is priced pretty competitively against options like the Sonos Arc Ultra and Klipsch Flexus Core 300.

LG Sound Suite H7 review: specs

Should I buy the LG Sound Suite H7?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

LG Sound Suite H7 review: Also consider

How I tested the LG Sound Suite H7

• Tested across multiple weeks
• Used at our TV testing space at Future Labs
• Played 4K Blu-Ray, streamed movies and streamed music over Wi-Fi

I tested the LG Sound Suite H7 across the course of multiple weeks. For this review, I used the soundbar on its own, although I made use of its Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities in my review of the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro and the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7.

During my time with the LG Sound Suite H7, I watched a variety of movies — using the Panasonic DP-UB820 with 4K Blu-rays, and Netflix with Dolby Atmos content. I also connected my phone up to the soundbar for listening to music, and played a wide variety of tracks using Tidal Connect.

More generally, I’ve tested a whole lot of soundbars here at TechRadar, including everything from budget-friendly options — like the Sony HT-SF150 — through to premium alternatives such as the JBL Bar 1300MK2.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: April 2026

• Dolby Atmos audio can now be broadcast freely over the air more broadly
• It will use ATSC 1.0 rather than 3.0 / NextGen TV
• A Mexican broadcaster will be the first to offer the tech

Something exciting is happening in Mexico for home theater fans. Dolby Laboratories and broadcaster TV Azteca have joined forces to bring Dolby Atmos to free-to-view broadcast TV — not streaming — and they're doing it over the widely available ATSC 1.0 standard.

That's significant because while the current US and Mexico standard for broadcasting 4K TV is NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0, support for version 3.0 is still pretty patchy.

ATSC 1.0 tops out at 1080p HD for visual resolution, but it's been around since 1996 so it's much more widely supported than the newer version — and ATSC 3.0 devices are backwards compatible. That means Dolby Atmos over ATSC 1.0 should be available to a lot of people in the future, assuming it takes off.

For now this project is only happening in Mexico, but it raises some interesting possibilities elsewhere — and it suggests that there's still plenty of life in the free broadcasting model even in an age of streaming subscriptions.

What is Dolby Atmos doing over ATSC?

According to Pankaj Kedia, vice president of Americas, commercial partnerships at Dolby Laboratories, Atmos will be especially tempting for sporting events. "Imagine watching a game from your living room and hearing where every cheer in the stands comes from, the sound of the ball, and the voice of the commentator moving around you. That is what Dolby Atmos makes possible today in Mexico.”

That's obviously nothing new for sports if you want over a more premium cable or streaming service, but a lot of people haven't had access to these. Although I'm not 100% sure I want the commentary "moving around" me…

TV Azteca's chief technical officer Pedro Manuel Carmona Ortiz says the collaboration is a "technological milestone... We are collaborating with Dolby to demonstrate that innovation in audio can transform free-to-air television."

That innovation could be used by broadcasters in other territories too. ATSC 1.0 is widely used in the US, Canada and Mexico, and its intended replacement by ATSC 3.0 has been moved back several times.

Current proposals in the US suggest sunsetting ATSC 1.0 from 2028 to 2030 but those are based on broadcasters doing so voluntarily. Earlier this year, America's Public Television Stations (APTS) and PBS wrote to the FCC asking the regulator not to set a firm date for ending ATSC 1.0 broadcasting; other broadcasters are urging the FCC to do exactly that to boost adoption of ATSC 3.0.

On top of that, ATSC 3.0 is still hit and miss in even the best TVs. LG actually stopped including ATSC 3.0, while Samsung has also stopped (having only included them in limited models in the past).

Improving a 30-year-old broadcast standard may seem strange when most of the free-to-view hype has focused on streaming rather than broadcast TV thanks to the fast-growing free-TV services from the likes of Roku, Google TV and, in the UK, Freely.

But internet speeds and service have never reached the reliability of over-the-air broadcasts in many areas, so having an immersive audio upgrade delivered no matter your connection options is a win for everyone.

I’ve tested more than 40 Bluetooth speakers during my time here at TechRadar, and I always get most excited to test the party speakers. They’re large, powerful and — for someone who loves house music like I do — ideal for pumping out tunes with impactful and immersive bass.

This is an area where JBL has been pretty dominant. In 2025, JBL launched more of its high-performing PartyBox speakers, and its owner, Harman, claimed that the brand had “solidified its position as the number one portable and party speaker brand”. It’s hard to dispute that. Not only is JBL shipping a whole lot of units, but its party speakers come with impressive power, AI-optimized audio, modern features such as Auracast, and generally moderate pricing.

However, JBL has competition on its hands from another brand that’s used to putting on a show. Marshall recently took launched to two models to knock JBL off its perch: the Bromley 750 and Bromley 450 models.

Why has Marshall decided to scale this mountain, and how is it differentiating itself from rivals like JBL? I put these questions — among others — to Marshall, so here's what it has to say about the world of party speakers.

Standing out in a homogenous market

Marshall’s amp-making heritage certainly makes it seem at home in the realm of party speakers.

That was a clear focus for Hanna Wallner, Product Manager at Marshall Group, who told me: “We have a long history of bringing sound to the stage, and in more recent years, to homes through our Bluetooth speaker range, headphones, and TV sound. It was a natural next step to move into the party speaker category, and we saw an opportunity to bring something different to a uniform market."

But how exactly do the Bromley speakers stand out in a segment full of generic boxes with colorful lighting? For Wallner, this had a lot to do with “staying true to our identity and what we are great at — prioritizing iconic design and superior acoustics”.

That involves considering every element of design through this lens. “Everything is thought through in such great detail, from the PU-leather cabinet wrapping and tactile control panel, right through to the light sequencing patterns that are inspired by stage lighting,” said Wallner. As someone who’s tested both the Bromley 750 and 450, I have to say that the white, stage-inspired lights are a stand-out aspect of their design, offering an alternative to the swathe of RGB-light-adorned rivals.

And nailing that lighting was crucial for Marshall. Wallner explained: “When we first introduced the idea of lights, we were hesitant as the different colored LEDs that we see on competitor products didn’t feel quite right. But we managed to find our own unique way of integrating lights whilst staying true to our heritage. This is a speaker with ‘party’ at its core and in parallel puts the Marshall stamp on the party speaker category.”

The ‘Marshall stamp’ is clear in just about every part of the Bromley speakers, not only through their lighting, but also through their sound signature. A lot of party speakers — at least in my experience — put a lot of their eggs in one basket, with very heavy bass and limited attention placed elsewhere. Sure, that can open up loud, attention-grabbing audio, but it’s less satisfying for those of us who want a more refined, well-rounded listening experience.

However, the Bromley 750 and 450 are able to paint a fuller picture. Yes, they plate up hard-hitting low-frequency audio, with a serious dosage of output power. But they also manage surprisingly detailed, well-separated mids, and snappy and responsive treble. They also offer a great soundstage — Marshall’s ‘true’ 360-degree stereophonic sound really saps the blind spots out, meaning you don’t get the overly directional sound that some rivals supply.

Learning from the past

Interestingly, though, Marshall’s entry into the world of party speakers doesn’t mark its only adventure into a new segment of late. For instance, the audio specialist decided to try its hand at the TV audio market in 2025, and released three new products: the Marshall Heston 120 and Heston 60 soundbars, as well as the Heston Sub 200 subwoofer. With those releases, Marshall undertook a considerable amount of market research when producing its entrant models.

And that appears to have been the case with the Bromley 750 and 450 too, with Wallner sharing: “When we started this project, we wanted to really deep dive into the different behaviors in the category. Together with consumer insights and our design research team, we did a qualitative user study globally, where we focused on people that owned and bought a party speaker in a similar size and price. From this, we learned that this category is all about setting the right environment for a party."

But how do you translate an abstract concept like a party ‘environment’ into something tangible? “Acoustics are naturally very important,” said Wallner, “but more than that, this product needs to trigger your senses and add that extra layer to the party. It needs to work as a social lubricator, and also a showoff piece."

This seems to be a sensible approach. While Marshall may not be able to offer its products as cheaply as the dominant player, JBL, the brand has an instantly recognizable aesthetic that turns its audio gear into statement pieces.

That’s evident in the Bromley speakers’ gorgeous faux-leather casing, golden details, and metal grilles — but also in the design of its other models, such as the Marshall Kilburn III, Middleton II, and Emberton III. Buying one of these speakers will provide impressive audio, yes, but there's an undeniable sense of cool to these designs built on the the guitar amp and live music heritage that other speakers just don't match.

Marshall beyond the stage

So, Marshall has delivered a couple of party speakers that set themselves apart, not only in terms of sound and features, but in terms of design, but they still have to be good, right?

In my review of the Marshall Bromley 750, I described it as “a great-sounding party speaker debut, packed with plenty of power, connectivity options, and an extensive battery life”. I also raved about its premium build quality, iconic look, and repairable parts.

OK, the Marshall app is a little under-equipped and the high price — compared to JBL's PartyBox line — could be a dealbreaker for some. But I still felt that the Bromley 750 was a strong party speaker debut for Marshall.

The Marshall Bromley 450 was revealed a little later, and just released in March 2026. Wallner revealed a little about its inception: “Early into that project [the Bromley 750], we saw a great opportunity to bring all the great pieces from 750 into something smaller and more accessible. We actually started the 450 project before 750 hit the market."

And in my four-and-a-half star Marshall Bromley 450 review, I praised how Marshall compressed so much of the 750’s talents into a more portable, affordable model, talking up its immersive sound and tasteful lighting, among other things.

But that’s only one side of the coin. I was curious to hear about consumer uptake and feedback, and gauge whether Marshall is starting to make a splash in the party speaker world.

While the company refused to delve into specifics on sales figures and the like, Wallner stated: “The response so far has been fantastic. Our launch into TV sound and the party speaker category in 2025 proved there is a real and growing appetite for Marshall beyond the stage."

When I asked if more party speakers were on the way, Marshall declined to say, but did add that the company is looking forward to “bringing the unique Marshall experience to returning fans and new audiences alike”.

• Sony unveils Bravia Theater Bar 7 soundbar, with 9 speakers, 5.0.2-channels, for $869 / £699
• Also the 3.1-channel Bravia Theater Bar 5 with wireless sub for $349 / £399
• Two wireless subs and wireless rear Atmos speakers unveiled too

Sony has launched two new soundbars along with new companion subwoofers and rear speakers.

The Bravia Theater 7 is a nine-speaker, 5.0.2-channel all-in-one soundbar with dedicated up-firing and side-firing drivers, and automatic room calibration. It's very much in line to be a competitor to the Sonos Arc Ultra, but it has a bunch of key features that the Sonos lacks.

It supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced — the latter two aren't supported by Sonos. It also has HDMI passthrough with 4K/120Hz and Dolby Vision support, and again the Sonos Arc Ultra lacks any HDMI passthrough.

There's also Bluetooth is 6.0 with LDAC, Wi-Fi 6, and the Bar 7 has Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2.

You can also expand the new Sony with the new Bravia Theater Sub 8 smaller subwoofer, the bigger dual-driver Theater Sub 9, and the Bravia Theater Rear 9 speakers, which have large up-firing 80mm speakers for more immersive spatial sound.

Sony Bravia Theater Bar 5

The second soundbar, the Bravia Theater Bar 5, is a 3.1-channel model with an included wireless subwoofer. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X as well, and also comes with Sony's virtual surround technologies: Virtual Surround Engine for virtual spatial audio and S-Force Pro, which emulates side-firing speakers for a wider sound field.

The new soundbars are designed to work with Bravia TVs and the Bravia Connect app, which enables you control your home theater setup from your phone.

Both new soundbars are priced keenly. The Bravia Theater Bar 5 is $349.99 / £399, and the Bravia Theater Bar 7 is $869 / £699. Australian pricing hasn't been confirmed just yet, but all models will available from July 2026. We'll update this update once pricing details come through.

The Bravia Theater Sub 9 has an official price of $899 / £899; the Theater Sub 8 is $499 / £649, and the Theater Rear 9 speakers are $749 / £699. All of the new products are available for pre-order now, and we have a review on the way of the Theater Bar 7, so watch this space.

• Philips launches new soundbars: one full size and two compact
• A choice of 3.1.2, 2.1 or 2.0 models
• The top model has 4K 120Hz passthrough

Philips has unveiled three new soundbars, and one of them could be a particularly tempting upgrade if you've got an older gaming TV with a limited number of HDMI 2.1 ports.

The Philips B8301 could be the perfect cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar for gamers, because it's a full-sized soundbar featuring HDMI eARC with 4K 120Hz passthrough. That means you can get full-quality audio and video from a single HDMI connection on your TV.

Tons of people out there have a TV with two HDMI 2.1 ports, and one of these ports is the HDMI eARC port — so if you have one of the best soundbars connected to one of them, that leaves only one port with 4K 120Hz support, and you might have more than one 4K 120Hz device you want to connect.

There are soundbars out there with 4K 120Hz, such as the Samsung HW-Q990F and the Marshall Heston 120, but they tend to be expensive. The Philips B8301 is shockingly cheap at €329 (about $379 / £284 / AU$535).

There are three new soundbars in the range in total: the full-sized, 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos B8301; the more compact 2.1-channel B5601; and the simple, 2.0-channel B5201. Pricing for the even more affordable models hasn't been confirmed just yet. All three models will go on sale in June 2026.

Philips 2026 soundbars: key features and pricing

The B8310 is 82.6cm wide and offers a 3.1.2-channel setup with dedicated left, centre and right channels, plus two up-firing drivers, and a separate twin-driver subwoofer. The total system power is 190W RMS.

In addition to the aforementioned eARC with 4K 120Hz passthrough, it supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X + Virtual X. It also has Bluetooth 6.0 with LE Audio compatibility.

The B8310 also features an "AI powered Intellisound Engine" which Philips says automatically optimises the sound profile for movies, music and games. It also offers voice boost and vocal expansion adjustments as well as custom Spatial Audio settings.

The B5601 is smaller at 76.6cm wide, and Philips suggests pairing it with 48- to 55-inch TVs. It's a 2.1 setup with 145RMS of power, split between 80W for the main soundbar and 65W for the subwoofer. Once again there's AI sound adjustment, Dolby Atmos and DTS: Virtual X. Bluetooth is 5.4 with LE Audio compatibility.

The baby of the range is the B5201, which again is 76.6cm wide but delivers 80W of power and doesn't include a subwoofer. It has AI optimisation and DTS: Virtual X compatibility but the Dolby here is Dolby Digital rather than Atmos. Bluetooth is 5.3 and once again it supports LE Audio.

In the build up to the launch of the new Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL speakers, I had the chance to speak to Sonos CEO Tom Conrad not just about these speakers, but about the many changes he's made to the company since taking over in January 2025, and other changes happening in the industry at the moment.

Below is our full conversation, covering every topic — but you can read just our conversation about the app disaster and how the company is changing as a result (and what Conrad still doesn't like about it) here, or just our discussion of wireless soundbars and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect here, or just our talk about what the music streaming services can do better here.

Conrad has been a part of Sonos as a board member for eight years, and became the boss when former CEO Patrick Spence left following a disastrous app update in 2024 that changed the company's perception drastically. It seems like an appropriate position for a man who had a tattoo of the Sonos Ace headphones on his arm even before he got this job.

After our initial introductions, Conrad wasted no time in jumping into his pitch for the direction of the company, and how that informed the launch of these new products.

Tom Conrad: One of the first things that I said to the team when I took the job as CEO was that I think we really make just one product, which is a sound system for the home. Any individual device is just a way into the system or to deepen your attachment to it. The system of Sonos really is the product.

Now, of course, we sell speakers and soundbars and headphones and components. But what has always made Sonos special is that the experience gets better every time you add another room, a stereo pair, surround sound in the living room, music moving with you from the kitchen to a road trip — really a system where the whole is genuinely greater than the sum of the parts.

And I think that really sets Sonos apart from every other audio company on the planet. And so I think that's the context to understand [Sonos Play]. We're not launching a new speaker, but we're really opening a new front door to the system.

13 years ago, Play:1 introduced millions of people to this idea. Actually we sold more than 10 million of them, and remarkably, nine out of 10 are still in use today.

And Play:1 didn't just introduce an audience to whole-home audio, it really invented the category and defined what internet-connected home audio could be.

When we started this project [the Sonos Play], we asked a simple question: If we were designing the perfect fundamental building block for the Sonos system today, knowing everything we've learned over the last two decades, what would it look like?

And as an intentional callback to the speaker that started it all, we're calling this new product Sonos Play.

And when you put Sonos Play next to the Play:1, you can see how much has changed. Play:1 was a mono single tweeter speaker with a midwoofer. Sonos Play is true stereo with dual tweeters, a dedicated midwoofer and, frankly, a soundstage that just absolutely fills the room.

The bass is deeper, the amplification architecture is three generations ahead of where we were with Play:1. It has automatic TruePlay that continuously adapts the sound to wherever the speaker happens to be sitting, and then there's just all of the technological stuff that didn't exist in 2013 — Wi Fi 6, microphone arrays for AI conversation.

Matt Bolton: I also feel like there's a couple of design elements in the Play that look more like the Play:1 and the Sonos One than the Era 300. It's got this bigger like white lip at the top and some elements of the slightly more old-school Sonos design aesthetic.

TC: That's right, it is a callback in a bunch of ways. I mean, it looks really nice next to a 300, certainly from the same family.

As beautiful as the, as the Play:1 was in its day, and you still see them all over the world, we have moved dramatically beyond the design language of that product, from that era. So [the Play is] just aesthetically, it's a great step forward.

The last exciting thing about Play is that while Play:1 was designed to sit kind of permanently on a shelf in your home, Sonos Play comes with a charging cradle and has a full-day battery in it.

So in addition to being the perfect speaker for your kitchen or for a stereo pair for your office, it's also the best speaker for you to take with you, whether it's into the backyard for a dinner party or to throw in your bag to take on vacation.

It's beautifully between the audio characteristics of Sonos Roam and Sonos Move. it's a pretty remarkable Goldilocks speaker, if I do say so myself. We're really, really excited about it.

MB: I feel like the fact that you're talking about fresh front door products is an indication in itself that, after 15 months of being quiet, you've had to go through some kind of reset. So can you you talk through what you guys have been changing internally?

TC: If you think about the history of the company, we had a decade under the stewardship of John McFarlane, the company's founder. His vision was really all driven by the idea of filling every home with music on the backs of this emergent streaming moment, that he predicted so accurately.

But if you were to critique his decade, it might only be that we didn't ship that much hardware — a couple of amplifiers, a controller, you know, the initial Play:5.

It wasn't until Patrick became CEO, in our second decade, that the company really found its footing with respect to reliably shipping a couple of new products every single year. In fact, his stated goal for the company was to turn it into kind of a new product introduction machine. And, I mean, I'm the incredible beneficiary of that work!

But if you were to critique his chapter, I think the unintended consequence of that laser-like focus on new products was the company lost some of its connection to the idea that the product is actually Sonos. That the individual product launches are meant to extend the idea of what the system can be in a home and in the world.

The shift in my chapter, in some ways, is to marry the best of both of those worlds, to return to the idea that Sonos is a comprehensive system for audio in the home that you need in the same way that you need lighting and plumbing and Wi Fi; you need a sound system for your home. But to also build on our capability around new product introduction.

For my first year at the company, we had to pour so much of our energy into righting the ship with respect to the software platform that underpins all of the system experiences, that we purposefully paused our new hardware introductions to get back to par on that front.

And so it is an exciting moment to be able to say, OK, we're back, and we're launching new products again, and we'll have more in the back half of the year, because, you know, I like to say that Sonos is a company that's 100% software and 100% hardware, and so it's nice to get the 100% back that's hardware.

MB: It's interesting you mentioned that moment, because with something like the Era 100 SL, it's not like it requires a huge amount of new R&D to develop it, so it's clearly a decision you've made to wait for this time to release it. So what is it about the stage you've reached with the platform or the other work you've been doing that made now the right time?

TC: Then you look at where we were when I came in the door, we were in the middle of trying to recover from our missteps in the spring of 2024 with the launch of the new app and software platform.

Candidly, the real story there is that we just changed too much too fast, and made a bunch of tactical errors along the way of rolling it out to our customers, and then paid a very dear price. As did our customers.

I've been a customer for nearly 20 years. I've been a partner to the company for 15 or something, going back to the integrations we did between Pandora and Sonos in my days building Pandora. I've been on the board for eight years. I love this company

And Sonos in my own home is a huge part of, you know, the daily delight and satisfaction and ambiance I enjoy when I'm at home. As much as anything, I took the job to fix the product and, and get the company back to a place where we're just reliably delighting tens of millions of customers around the world again.

A lot of that was on the back of getting the software right. And so I wanted the company to be just laser focused on that return.

And with respect to the timing on Era 100 SL, our goal with Era 100 SL, frankly, was really to anchor the product line in an attainable price point for our customers. There's a lot of work that went into Era 100 SL to get us to a point where we could offer it at this entry-level price point while not compromising on audio quality at all.

So while it might look like this is as simple as removing some microphones, there's a comprehensive look at the cost of the product from top to bottom to get it to this new entry-level price.

MB: So there's an amount of re-engineering inside to to help you get it there?

TC: That's right.

MB: The other outcome of everything you guys have been through with the app is that it now means that any further updates you make to the app are automatically a huge deal, whether they deserve to be or not. Does that affect how you're approaching it or how you communicate about it?

TC: I think that when you make software that people use every day, and it's a big part of their life, it's always a big deal when you make changes. It's certainly true that there's additional scrutiny on Sonos, but as a software creator, I've always felt a keen responsibility to move my audience along with the changes and updates that we're making, in a really thoughtful and methodical way.

And so, as an example of that playing out at Sonos, you know, I'd say there were kind of three things that we had to improve upon after the disastrous launch in 2024. We had to fix performance and reliability — we had to restore baseline functionality that had been dropped from the product in its initial release. And we had to improve the user experience of the offering as well.

And it's really the third thing that we're only just now able to tackle [now]. If I'm candid about my assessment of the app, I think it's peculiar. I think the company made a range of decisions about the user interface that are just not consistent with what you see in any other music streaming app, for example.

I mean: all kinds of strange swipe behaviors and a search affordance that floats above the screen in a kind of weirdly invisible way — cards upon cards upon cards as you navigate through the app, none of which is conventional.

So when we sit with our customers in their homes and observe them using the app, they get lost, they don't know where they are. It's not clear to them how to get to just basic functionality. There's a funny kind of search blindness — the interface that we chose for search actually takes up more pixels on the screen than a typical search interface, but people don't even see it. They're like, 'I can't find search' because it's presented in such an unconventional way.

And so, we're now at the place where we can update the app to return it to more conventional choices. But it is, as you point out, another set of changes for our customers.

We're handling this opportunity in a really different way. I've been on Reddit, for example, describing the changes and asking our customers there to give us feedback back about their own experience learning to use Sonos and living with it every day. We will roll changes out to our beta channel and even there, our users will be able to opt into the experience.

And then when we take it to production, we'll similarly have opt-in experiences and a gradual roll out and iteration. We've already learned a lot from the perspective of our customers on Reddit after my invitation to them [recently] to share their thoughts.

None of this is a surprising way to operate a scale consumer software product, but it's certainly the set of best practices and, frankly, one of the missteps of the company in 2024 is that we didn't more closely adhere to these norms.

MB: There was a real sense that your competitors could smell blood in the water in 2024, and they really went hard on their own products going for, going for the switchers. Do you think you can win back people who did switch to WiiM or other platforms? Or do you think it's more about using these new "front door" products to go after an expanded market?

TC: Certainly, anyone that was frustrated with Sonos in the last couple of years, I hope will consider us again. When I wear my business hat, there was a cost of goodwill with our customers from this chapter, I think it really most impacted advocacy and repurchases. I don't think it was a huge driver of people fully leaving Sonos and going to other platforms.

So my my hope is that all of the people who had a bad experience in 2024 are having good experiences today, and are starting to feel better about Sonos, and can be excited about a product like Sonos Play or Era 100 SL to extend their experience in their own home, or to evangelize it to their friends and family as something that they have to have in their homes.

I think that was the real cost, it was sort of a cost of advocacy and evangelism more than it was people switching to one of the the smaller players who purports to do the same kinds of things we do.

MB: You guys certainly were one of the most recognizable brands in tech — I mean, still are, no doubt — but that must have been a real eye-opening moment that momentum and past performance only takes you so far, right?

TC: Yeah, for sure. I mean, it certainly was a moment that changed my life.

In the aftermath of that, you just have to show up in people's life with some humility and do the hard work of earning their trust back through great execution, great product, great software, great experiences, and never forget what you put people through.

MB: I believe you restructured the company. How is that changing how you're working and helping to make improvements?

TC: When I came in in January of 2025, I quickly made a bunch of changes. I moved us from a business-unit orientation, where we had a home theater team, and a portables team, and a professional team, a headphones team — to a functional [organization], where we have a hardware organization and a software organization, and a product design organization.

And the benefit there is that it really allows you to get the company thinking about what we do as a system and not a collection of categories.

In the process of doing that, we also eliminated a bunch of management layers, which were standing in the way of execution. So yeah, we're definitely functioning differently today than we were a year ago.

MB: How would you say that change in function manifested in designing and launching these two products?

TC: It allowed us to really think holistically about how the product fits into the lineup. I think under the old guard, a product like Play might have been principally conceptualized alongside the various other kinds of mid-tier portable speakers, and would have been scrutinized internally and marketed on [technical specs] around battery life and portability and so forth.

We've really focused on how we make this a really great part of the Sonos system — the 'Goldilocks' perfect speaker, if you like.

MB: It's interesting you say that because I remember when the Move 2 came out, one of the things that occurred very quickly to me is that it has, if not the exact same speaker configuration, an extremely similar speaker configuration to the Era 100. Are you saying that with the Play, you're just working on the Play, you're not looking at what technology you have elsewhere that you can borrow?

TC: Well, no, in some ways the opposite, particularly as it relates to software. We're thinking more fundamentally about: How does this fit into the overall offering? How does it make the the system of Sonos more comprehensive?

With Play, I really do think it's kind of the ideal building block. I mean, when my friends and family ask me about Sonos, I'm going to start telling them they should put a Sonos Play in every room, or a stereo pair in their family room.

It's a phenomenal-sounding speaker and just has so much utility relative to anything that we've ever done before

MB: We've talked a lot about the Sonos system in particular as it pertains to the music side. I wanted to ask about home theater as well, because we're on the cusp of a major change in that sector with wireless connectivity, particularly from the TV to the soundbar. LG and Samsung are exploring proprietary options that lock out companies like Sonos, and push people to buy the same soundbar brand as their TV. Is this a trend you are concerned about?

TC: As you know, we're by far the most successful player in home theater, and consistently taking more and more market share from the companies that you're talking about

It's a huge part of our business, and we're the pioneer in wirelessly distributing audio around the family room, and we'll have our own things to say about how that evolves in the coming quarters.

MB: What do you think of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect? Is that something you would support?

So FlexConnect is interesting. There are really three things that have to happen in a FlexConnect-style implementation. You've got to get the bits from the media to the speaker, whether that's through the television or through the set-top box or through the soundbar, something has to get the bits into the air.

And then you have to position the speakers in the room, understand where they are and what their orientation is.

And then the last piece is that, understanding the speakers' position and the bits from the device, you have to render the bits appropriately for that position and orientation.

Dolby has done a great job of telling the story of FlexConnect as encompassing all three dimensions, but the technology of FlexConnect is actually just that last bit. It's taking the positional information [of the speakers] and the bits [from the media] once they're on the speaker, and rendering it.

And, the other two dimensions — positioning, and the transmittal of the bits actually from the source to the speakers — is sort of left as an exercise for the student, which is why the LG solution is proprietary to LG and the TCL solution is proprietary to TCL.

And you can imagine that — even as much as Dolby wants to talk about the universal character of FlexConnect in the same way they talk about Atmos — the LGs and TCLs of the world might not be that motivated to create a system whereby you can mix and match speakers [from other brands] with their televisions.

I guess I could just say that we're interested in that entire space, the entire domain of: How do you get the bits from the source to the speakers? How do you position the speakers in three-dimensional space? And how do you render? We'll continue to work on our roadmap.

MB: The old Sonos was a really leaky ship when it came to product launches before your time. Is that something you want to change? I've got to say, I yearn for us to go back to the days when companies showed us tech six months, eight months, before it launched — to get a feel for how people responded to it. Could you imagine the company operating in that way?

TC: You know, the funny thing about the period where Sonos was sort of a leaky ship is that it was a period where the company, I think, was trying to be at its most secretive. In some ways, I think that Sonos culturally, internally, fashioned itself like a mini Apple, and really tried to hold its cards close to its vest.

As much as I've been a little evasive about some of the things you've asked about our roadmap, I'm conscious that we're not Apple, and that I think we can talk a little bit more about where we're going and the future that we see without being so concerned about the secrecy of it all.

I sort of love that since I've gotten here, the leaks have dried up from that standpoint, and I think it suggests that the people inside the company are feeling excited and proud of their work, and not wanting to see it out in the world in advance of when the company decides to reveal it.

Where my head is, is somewhere between where Apple sits and what you would like for us to do. So stay tuned, we should keep talking!

MB: I want to ask about the largely rumored but semi-confirmed set-top box and smart software that seemed to be developed in partnership with another company. Are you willing to talk about how far it got, or what your relationship to it was?

Without getting into specifics of that project, if it exists, I will say that part of what I had to do when I came in the door was to make some hard decisions about where we were going to focus. The company was, demonstrably, spread too thin, was trying to do too many things, and was struggling to execute with excellence across all of them.

So I tried to focus our energies on the programs that I thought that were most aligned with our differentiating power in the market. I remain really confident that the things that we chose to focus on are the things that are going to have the most impact on Sonos, in the near term.

MB: Given your background at Pandora, what do you think of music-streaming services today and how they integrate into the Sonos app? Do you, from the Sonos side, have any frustrations with them, and then personally what do you think?

TC: One of the things I'm really excited about in terms of our software roadmap is working more closely with our music service partners. All I really care about with with respect to listening to music on Sonos is getting the customer as quickly and seamlessly as possible to their outcome.

If that means AirPlay or Bluetooth or Spotify Connect or experiences inside of Spotify versus experiences inside of our app… I don't care. I just want it to work every time, and have it be completely seamless. I feel like we have a better relationship with Apple, Amazon, Spotify than we have in years, and I'm really excited about the work we're driving together.

I think the only thing I will say about the state of streaming music is that, you know, the iPod invented the core conventions of modern digital music, and then in 2004, Pandora and Last FM, I suppose, kind of invented the modern conventions around personalized streaming audio. And it's been 20 years, and it's surprising to me how little has changed in that experience.

We've gone from a world where you had access to just the CDs you bought to a world where you have access to hundreds of millions of songs in your pocket, and yet the user interface of it all is kind of just some hierarchical browsing, and then a fullscreen audio player with skip buttons and things.

I guess quietly, at night, I sort of imagine a future where there's more innovation and [questioning] what does it mean to navigate the whole entire world of music with something that wasn't designed for 1,000 songs in your pocket.

MB: Do you think that the physically small size of phone screens is holding us back in that regard?

TC: You know what I think is mostly holding us back in that regard? Apple is motivated by selling hardware, and Spotify is motivated by reducing licensing costs, and no one is motivated by: let's make a great and innovative music discovery experience for the consumer.

Sonos is synonymous with wireless multi-room audio and home theatre, and has long been known for making some of the best wireless speakers and best soundbars. The company has also recently introduced the Sonos Play and Era 100 SL speakers, which both have their sights set firmly on music playback.

While those two new models are now available to pre-order ahead of their launches at the end of this month, Sonos is hoping to ignite a multi-room, home theatre passion in all Australians and New Zealanders with a ‘March Madness’ sale that is seeing up to 25% off a range of speakers and soundbars.

As a Sonos aficionado myself, who has a complete Sonos home theatre setup and music speakers dotted further around my apartment, I can’t recommend the company’s devices enough for anyone wanting effective Dolby Atmos surround sound experiences or easy room-filling sound.

The Sonos March Madness sale covers a wide gamut of speakers, from the Arc Ultra soundbar through to the portable Roam 2 Bluetooth speaker.

What’s more, Sonos offers what it calls ‘Sets’ that combine various speakers and soundbars to help make your buying decisions easier. The prices of these Sets have also been discounted in line with the individual discounts, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to buy items individually.

How come? Well, if you buy a set, you commit to just one colour choice for all speakers and components. When buying individually, you’re free to choose whether you want white or black. In my case, I have a black Arc Ultra to help blend in with my dark TV unit and white Era 300s and Sub to blend in with my white sofa and lighter room decor.

The final decision is yours of course, I just wanted to add my two cents.

The full list of discounts available at Sonos AU is as follows:

• Sonos Arc Ultra: was AU$1,799 now AU$1,499
• Sonos Beam (Gen 2): was AU$799 now AU$599
• Sonos Sub 4: was AU$1,299 now AU$1,049
• Sonos Era 300: was AU$749 now AU$599
• Sonos Era 100: was AU$319 now AU$289
• Sonos Sub Mini: was AU$699 now AU$559
• Sonos Roam 2: was AU$299 now AU$239
• Sonos Move 2: was AU$799 now AU$639
• Sonos Ace (Black only): was AU$599 now AU$449

You’ll want to be quick though, as this rare sale is only running until March 31.

I’ve highlighted my favourite deals below, but be sure to head to the Sonos AU or Sonos NZ website for the full selection of deals and discounts. I’ve seen The Good Guys beating the price on these by a small margin in some instances, so if you're after the absolute cheapest deal then check out the full Sonos range and the Good Guys site.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is available in a variety of ‘Sets’, which pair it with anything from just a Sub 4 subwoofer, to a complete surround sound package with two Era 300 Atmos-enabled rear speakers. You can view the full range of sets in the table below.

Speaker sets that include the Beam (Gen 2) are also available, and are as follows.

Ahead of Sonos' recent launch of its new Sonos Play and Era 100 SL speakers, I got to speak to CEO Tom Conrad about what the company has been up to since its last big launch, the Sonos Arc Ultra in 2024.

We talked about the new speakers, and then we spent a long time talking about what went wrong with the company's big app disaster that same year, what's still wrong with it, and how the company has changed to fix it — and Conrad was very candid in that talk, so I'd definitely recommend reading it if you've taken an interest in Sonos at all.

But one of the other big things that's happened in the time Sonos has been working on itself is the launch of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect. This is technology that lets you get a great home theater experience without needing speakers that sit in traditional front left, front right, rear left, rear right positions — you put the speakers wherever you like, even if they're unbalanced or the speakers don't match, and the system figures out how to provide the best surround sound automatically.

TCL was the first to launch Dolby Atmos FlexConnect support in its TVs and in a speaker called the Z100. And this year, LG followed with support in its newer TVs, and a speaker, subwoofer, and soundbar range called LG Sound Suite. You can read our full LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review for more on that.

One of the big features of these systems is that you can have wireless speakers connected directly to a TV, with no HDMI cable — wireless sound, configured simply using an app, and you don't lose an HDMI port.

This strikes me as a huge change, because it's very desirable and convenient, but it means TV companies are pushing people to buy their own products — TCL and LG's FlexConnect systems only work with their own speakers. And even non-Dolby versions of this tech — Samsung has an extremely similar technology — also require you to buy the same speakers as your TV.

I asked Conrad if Sonos is concerned about this major trend that effectively locks Sonos' products out of the future of wireless home theater, and he certainly puts on the air of a man who is not concerned.

"As you know, we're by far the most successful player in home theater, and consistently taking more and more market share from the companies that you're talking about," says Conrad.

"It's a huge part of our business, and we're the pioneer in wirelessly distributing audio around the family room, and we'll have our own things to say about how that evolves in the coming quarters."

I asked Conrad what he thinks of the FlexConnect technology. "So FlexConnect is interesting," he begins. "There are really three things that have to happen in a FlexConnect-style implementation. You've got to get the bits from the media to the speaker, whether that's through the television or through the set-top box or through the soundbar, something has to get the bits into the air.

"And then you have to position the speakers in the room, understand where they are and what their orientation is.

"And then the last piece is that, understanding the speakers' position and the bits from the device, you have to render the bits appropriately for that position and orientation.

"Dolby has done a great job of telling the story of FlexConnect as encompassing all three dimensions, but the technology of FlexConnect is actually just that last bit. It's taking the positional information [of the speakers] and the bits [from the media] once they're on the speaker, and rendering it.

"And, the other two dimensions — positioning, and the transmittal of the bits actually from the source to the speakers — is sort of left as an exercise for the student, which is why the LG solution is proprietary to LG and the TCL solution is proprietary to TCL.

And you can imagine that — even as much as Dolby wants to talk about the universal character of FlexConnect in the same way they talk about Atmos — the LGs and TCLs of the world might not be that motivated to create a system whereby you can mix and match speakers [from other brands] with their televisions."

So, is it something Sonos would support in the future? (Standard Dolby Atmos has been available on Sonos products for years, and support is included in the current Sonos Beam 2nd Gen, Sonos Arc Ultra, and Sonos Era 300.)

"I guess I could just say that we're interested in that entire space, the entire domain of: How do you get the bits from the source to the speakers? How do you position the speakers in three-dimensional space? And how do you render? We'll continue to work on our roadmap."

As much as the insight into Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is interesting, Conrad is obviously very vague about future plans — but we can do some reading between the lines here.

Of the three questions Conrad asked at the end, we know a bit about Sonos' technology in that area already.

"How do you position the speakers in three-dimensional space?" Sonos' TruePlay tech has never been pitched as mapping your speakers' positions, but rather compensates for your position in the room, and the reflections of your walls relative to the speakers.

But reading that statement, you're probably thinking 'Hang on, that sounds a lot like mapping the position of the speakers' — and we'll come back to that shortly.

But more directly, the Dolby Atmos FlexConnect systems from TCL and LG both use audio alone to detect the positions of the speakers, playing sounds and listening to them with microphones on the devices, with remarkable accuracy in 2D. This is how Sonos' own TruePlay Quick Tuning works, so even if the current TruePlay algorithm isn't exactly suitable, the knowledge seems to exist within the company.

When it comes to rendering the 3D sound, Conrad himself said that the FlexConnect system handles that — though again, Sonos has knowledge in this area of its own. Psychoacoustics tricks such as using reflections and time-of-flight manipulation are common in virtual Dolby Atmos devices, and the Sonos Beam is one of those. TruePlay again involves adjusting reflections for width and height channels.

But more than that, Sonos introduced the idea of a new kind of 3D sound processing for the Sonos Ace headphones and the TV Swap feature, tracking your head inside its own recreation of an Atmos-like 3D soundscape.

The 3D soundscape of the Sonos Ace can even be made to mimic the sound profile you get from your main Sonos speaker system, based on where the speakers are positioned compared to your usual seating position. It uses TruePlay data to do this — and so now we know Sonos has a product capable of creating a unique 3D sound environment based on the position of your speakers compared to your seating position.

So it seems evident that Sonos finds the same kind of tech as FlexConnect interesting, even if it hasn't added the freedom of speaker positioning to its home theater setups yet.

But none of this tackles the first question: "How do you get the bits from the source to the speakers?"

This is where Sonos is truly at risk, in my opinion. HDMI is an open standard that has enabled any kind of soundbar to work with any kind of TV. A similar attempt at a wireless standard, WiSA, has never taken off.

That's left TV companies free to use this part as a method of lock-in. Samsung, TCL, Sony, and LG all offer some kind of wireless speaker option that works directly with your TV, enabled by the TV software itself.

Sonos has no power over TV software, which leaves it with two options: partner with smart TV software makers to build in support, or offer some kind of HDMI dongle attachment.

The latter is relatively easy, but still uses up an HDMI port, and part of the attractiveness of these wireless systems is not having to deal with a port for your sound at all.

When it comes to partnering with smart TV makers, it's tough. LG and Samsung make their own software. Google TV is huge, but Sonos and Google famously have not had a good relationship.

That's a lot of TVs sold covered just in that group, especially high-end options. But there are still interesting options. Amazon Fire TV and Roku might be open to a partnership, and Fire TV support could also mean support from Fire TV Sticks, which can be attached to other TVs, of course.

And then there's the Apple TV 4K, which is rare among streaming boxes because it can take audio from anything connected to the TV, as well as generate its own audio from streaming apps. Apple and Sonos have long had a cosy relationship, including the Sonos Amp being the only streaming amp with native Apple Music support, even today.

The Apple TV 4K is popular with home theater enthusiasts, so perhaps Sonos could arrange with Apple to provide a flexible, 3D wireless sound option support at the OS level.

Whatever Sonos' plans are, I hope it's able to roll them out soon — the wireless soundbar revolution is arriving at speed, and Sonos doesn't want to be left behind.

It’s well-known that most TVs nowadays don’t generally have the built-in sound to match the picture quality — especially the more mid-range or cheaper models. This is where one of the best soundbars comes to the rescue, but not everyone has the space or budget for one of the really big and immersive systems.

The humble, all-in-one, compact soundbar is what you need, then — and we had three of the best available in our testing lab: the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), the Denon Home 550 and the Sony HT-S2000, the latter of which has been our best budget recommendation for a while now.

So, I decided to pick a few of my go-to audio testing scenes from our back catalogue of 4K Blu-rays to see which soundbar reigns supreme. A quick note: the Sony HT-S2000 is difficult to get hold of (with some stock left in the UK), but I thought it would be a good benchmark soundbar since we've recommended it for so long.

We have a system in our testing rooms to pipe sound and visuals to multiple TVs at once, so I was able to line all the soundbars alongside each other – all attached to LG TVs, for a bit of consistency – and switch between their sound instantly to compare.

The Batman

My go-to testing scene for soundbars and TV audio, the Batmobile chase scene from The Batman is a perfect test for all audio elements: sound mapping, bass, speech, Dolby Atmos and surround effects. It’s easily one of my favorite Atmos scenes.

The first thing I noticed was how effective all three soundbars delivered the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine. The Denon had a lot of up-front bass that was well controlled, but the Sonos’ felt that little bit more refined with good space between the low-end of the engine and other elements. While the Sony’s bass was thinner than the other two, it was still decent.

The Denon delivered a surprisingly wide soundstage with plenty of room-filling power. Its virtual Dolby Atmos processing created a dome-like effect despite its compact size. The Sonos also had a wide soundstage with plenty of depth, but it wasn’t quite as convincing as the Denon. The Sony delivered decent Atmos but again felt a bit thinner in the sound overall.

All three soundbars had great accuracy, mapping effects — such as the bullet spray from Penguin’s weapon, swerving tyres and blaring car horns — accurately between the soundbar and the action on screen. Again the Denon was more precise, but the Sonos was a close second. The Sony also sounded accurate, particularly with the flame of the Batmobile’s engine on ignition.

While the Denon mostly shone in this scene, I did find that various sound effects could get cluttered at times, with the score being lost in the explosions whereas the Sonos was able to give each sound element more room to breathe. The Sony had good detail, but felt narrower than the other two, meaning some elements weren’t as clear.

The Mask

A semi-recent addition to the testing lineup, The Mask has excellent sound design with one area in particular standing out: placement and direction of sound. All of The Mask’s zany cartoonish sound effects, especially his tornado, are a brilliant audio test.

Again, all three soundbars demonstrated impressive sound placement, accurately delivering the movement of The Mask’s tornado around his bedroom with real precision. The Denon and Sonos had the edge when it comes to the power of the sound, which made the tornado effect more engaging, but the Sony did a good job in its own right.

While the Denon was bolder and more direct in the scene, the Sonos had a nice width that was perfect for giving more of a sense of space as the Mask careens around the room. This was also evident later as ricocheting gunfire again had more space on the Sonos, but had more impact through the Denon. The Sony again didn't have the impact of the other two soundbars, but its accuracy can’t be denied — it just wasn't as exciting.

Wicked

Not just a regular disc for me when testing TV picture quality, Wicked is, of course, great for testing audio, as it’s a musical with plenty of elements to put a sound system through its paces. No song does this better than Defying Gravity, not only with its big score and grand vocals, but also in Elphaba’s movement on the broom.

Elphaba’s vocals are big, bold and powerful, and all three soundbars do her justice. The Sonos had the most clarity in the vocals while the Denon had the out-and-out power, and the Sony actually struck a nice balance between the two.

One thing I was surprised by was how the Sonos handled the rest of the soundtrack — the score itself, the sound of the wind as Elphaba flies on the broom — because these were pushed to the back of the Sonos’ soundstage, with the vocals receiving most of the power. This took away from the soaring, impactful nature of the scene.

The Denon, on the other hand, managed to strike a fine balance between every element, as did the Sony (it just sounded thinner than the Denon).

In terms of the expansiveness of the sound, the Sonos proved to have the most width. The Denon went for a direct approach which meant it didn’t sound as wide in places. The Sony again delivered a broad sound with good space, but not as much as the others.

Oppenheimer

While there are a ton of scenes you could use from Oppenheimer to show off your home theater, both video and audio, it’s actually the scene where Strauss gives Oppenheimer a tour of the University that I used, to test dialogue.

All three soundbars delivered crystal clear speech throughout the scene, even without any speech enhancement features activated. I did find that the Sonos and Sony had the most authentic sound, and by this I mean they accurately delivered the echo-y voices of Strauss and Oppenheimer as they’re in the office. The Denon sounded much cleaner and fuller, but this isn’t really the most film-accurate.

Again, all three soundbars showed excellent tracking as they were able to replicate the voices accurately, whether from behind, off to the side or when both characters were at a distance. I tested all three soundbar’s voice enhancements too, and while they were effective, they limited other aspects of the sound. Frankly, none of them needed these enhancements.

Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick is another reference testing disc with a load of scenes to really let your home theater flex its muscles. A common one I use (and is often used in tech demos by companies) is the Darkstar test flight at the start of the movie, because it’s a perfect Dolby Atmos height scene.

What I really wanted to test on these three soundbars was their virtual Dolby Atmos processing, as none of them have up-firing speakers. I had glimpses in The Batman and Wicked, but really it’s the moment in this scene where Maverick flies over Admiral Cain that will make or break height channels.

Honestly, all three did well considering their compact size and lack of up-firing speakers. They all demonstrated pretty convincing Atmos, providing some sense of the flight path of the Darkstar traveling overhead. While it didn’t fill the room or completely go over my head like I’d had on the Samsung HW-Q990F or the Sonos Arc Ultra, it was a valiant effort.

The Sonos had the greatest sense of space, giving the Atmos room to breathe, while the Denon again had that hit of power which felt the most authentic to the jet. The Sony was arguably the most impressive however, as its virtual Atmos positioning was more effective and convincing than I thought it would be.

Which to buy?

For their size and price, all three of these soundbars impressed me. While the Sony had a bit of an uphill battle, it’s still a seriously good soundbar for the money. When it comes to price, these soundbars have all been somewhere in the region of $399-$499 / £399-£499 / AU$799-AU$899 before. However, the Denon is generally the priciest in the US, sometimes hitting $699 and as much as I liked it, that’s a big jump over the other two models.

With the Sony tough to get hold of and the Denon that much pricier, the Sonos still reigns supreme in the US. Elsewhere, where prices are closer, it comes down to preference.

The Denon and Sonos apps perform similarly and both have ecosystems and extra speakers you can add, while the Sony is an impressive budget option. For me, if the price was right, I’d pick the Denon and its particular blend of power and positioning skills, but I wouldn’t be upset with any of these soundbars.

Recently, LG released its Sound Suite range, which it has described as the “world's first soundbar audio system powered by Dolby Atmos Flex Connect".

This tech enables you to experience optimized audio and Atmos effects, even if your speakers are positioned outside of the optimal 'forward left and right, rear left and right' placement. In order to do this, FlexConnect speakers use built-in microphones to map their position in a room, adjust their output accordingly to recreate a normal surround sound from wherever they are, and deliver the best home theater immersion possible in your particular space.

It’s a technology that could be game-changing for people with rooms that are ill-suited to the best Dolby Atmos soundbars requiring a traditional surround sound setup. And I’m intrigued to see whether LG’s rivals begin implementing it into their home theater tech too.

As I discovered when writing my LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review, FlexConnect is more than a good idea in theory — it works well in practice too. However, that specific system combines a soundbar and sub with only two surround speakers. And I wanted to really push this system’s FlexConnect capabilities to the limit.

So, I tried the ultimate configuration: a soundbar, sub, and four surround speakers — and those are the most powerful LG M7 speakers. This set-up is known as the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7. It’s a 13.1.7-channel system packed with 29 speaker units and a whole lot of power. But is it actually good? And is it worth buying? Here are my thoughts after hours of testing.

Flexible Atmos that’s seriously striking

You may have already suspected this, the Quad Suite 7’s stand-out feature is its impeccable Dolby Atmos performance.

As I mentioned earlier, FlexConnect works very well, and helps to make Atmos effects feel supremely immersive. All I had to do was set the speakers up around our TV testing space, add them on the LG ThinQ app, and calibrate the system. I had to try this a couple of times to get the most accurate reading, but once the system was set up, I got access to some seriously impressive sound.

With a 4K Blu-ray of The Mask, I was blown away by the quality of Atmos — even compared to the still-powerful Immersive Suite 7 Pro. In a scene where The Mask himself hurtles through a glass door, he continues to spin around the screen in a tornado-like motion.

With the Quad suite, every part of his movement was mapped amazingly. I could hear the small discrepancies as he spun from the center into the left corner, and the sense of space of each movement was huge. It really sounded as if I could hear him spinning into the corners of our testing room, creating an almost tangible viewing experience.

Other details impressed me too. Tina’s dialogue was placed expertly when chatting to Stanley, for instance, and the sound of mobsters playing air hockey in the backdrop of another scene was replicated in a natural-sounding, authentic manner. This movie really was a great example of the phenomenal width that the Quad Suite could whip up.

But the Quad Suite is very adept when it comes to height effects too. I threw on my go-to for testing verticality, Top Gun: Maverick, and the system performed very astutely. In a scene where Tom Cruise flies his jet directly up and overhead, the system tracked the lift of his aircraft with total precision. Most soundbars or soundbar systems I’ve tested don’t completely nail that verticality — after all, Atmos in its truest form makes use of actual overhead speakers.

The Quad Suite served up a really strong showing, though, and mapped upward movements to great effect throughout the movie’s runtime. With flexibility, expansiveness, and impressive height, the Quad Suite 7 really is elite when it comes to Dolby Atmos sound.

Sound check

Atmos is great on the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7, but how does it sound more generally? Well, as you may imagine, it’s an extremely powerful system – the H7 soundbar has a maximum power output of 500W, with 220W for the W7 sub and 100W per M7 speaker. Combined, that means you’re getting a power output well in excess of 1,000W, which in turn provides listeners with seismic bass, direct-sounding dialogue, and energetic highs.

When tuning into a scene 2024’s Nosferatu, the deep, imposing voice of Count Orlok tore through me, and as tensions heightened, deep bass rumbled throughout the scene with gigantic impact, but still didn’t veil sounds elsewhere in the frequency range. Alongside that, eerie sound effects oozed from the four surround speakers, creating a real sense that I was right in the middle of a horror spectacle.

In another scene, I could hear chanting from each corner of the room, while the higher-pitched noise of scurrying rats sounded tonally convincing rather than shrill or tinny. This was followed by a gut-wrenching screech, which came through forcefully and sharply, highlighting the impressive dynamics of the system.

More generally, I found dialogue to be clear and easily discernible across various movies, and I never felt the need to dip out of the standard sound mode. See, there’s a couple of AI sound settings, but to me, these actually sounded less nuanced and balanced, so I’d advise against them.

Even if we stray from movies and tread towards the music domain, the Quad Suite 7 performs pretty well overall. When listening to a Dolby Atmos mix of Brick House by the Commodores, I could hear drums playing in the left corner of the room, guitars strumming on my right, and vocals flowing from the center. The system provided a nuanced presentation with well-placed instruments, but the overall sound was still cohesive.

Unsurprisingly, I felt that the Quad Suite setup provided a significantly more expansive and enveloping music listening experience than the Immersive Suite 7 Pro, although one small nitpick I had carried over to the larger build, which was my feeling that some sounds in the mid-range — typically vocals — sometimes lack the separation I’d expect from a more premium hi-fi setup.

Wait, how much?!

Anyway, it’s clear that the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 is a very strong performer overall, and it really is awesome for movie-watching, in the truest sense of that word. That full-bodied, spatial sound basically demands your attention. But you may be wondering just how much this all costs, and spoiler alert: it’s a lot.

OK, so LG isn’t selling the Quad Suite 7 as a whole package — at least not yet. Instead, you’ll have to buy its constituent parts separately, and… it’s about to get pricey in here. The system’s core, the LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar, comes in at $999 / £899, but you’ll also have to splash out $599 / £599 on the LG W7 sub, and $399 / £399 per LG M7 speaker. You could go for the cheaper LG M5 speaker instead, which are $249 / £249 a pop, but I can’t speak to their quality.

So, let’s say we’re going for four M7 speakers here — in that case, you’d be looking at a spend approaching $3,200 / £3,100.

But look, as expensive as that is, the real question should be about value for money. Even if the LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 costs more than $3,000 / £3,000, is it still worth it? Well, for most people, I’d probably say no.

Sure, the FlexConnect technology is amazing, and the audio you’ll experience — especially for movies — is seriously gripping. But you can regularly scoop up a traditional surround sound system — such as the phenomenal Samsung HW-Q990F or almighty JBL Bar 1300MK2 — for essentially half the price.

OK, these systems lack FlexConnect, and they have two smaller rear speakers as opposed to four larger alternatives. But as someone who’s tested both, I can say with confidence that they still sound spectacular, and for half of the money? I think I’d have to skip on the Quad Suite 7, assuming you can place the speakers in the correct positions.

Having said that, if you’ve got the cash, you’re willing to go all out, and the ability to place speakers wherever you want is useful to you, it’s hard to look past the Quad Suite 7.

Its integration of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect tech makes it genuinely unrivaled in terms of versatility, and the power you get from four M7 speakers — alongside the sleek-looking W7 sub and expansive H7 soundbar — is palpable.

So yes, if you’re looking for an incredibly immersive home theater experience, the Quad Suite 7 is almost certain to impress – but for most people, I’ll continue to recommend more cost-efficient alternatives.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is well and truly here. And the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is among the first systems to make use of this technology. This sound system – composed of an LG H7 9.1.6-channel soundbar, two 2.1.1-channel LG M7 wireless speakers, and the LG W7 sub, all available separately too – is a powerful, dynamic, and expansive-sounding system. But is it capable of outdoing the home theater big boys — particularly Samsung?

Well, let’s start by tackling the Immersive Suite 7 Pro’s unique feature: its Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capabilities. This enables you to enjoy optimized sound and Atmos effects even with your speakers in non-optimal positions for traditional surround setups – the speakers map their position in the room, and adjust their output so you'll still get as close to 3D sound as they can provide. So, if your living room isn’t suited to having rear speakers to the left and right behind you, this could be a real solution.

And FlexConnect works really well in practice on the Sound Suite, helping it to stand out among the very best soundbars. I tried placing the two M7 speakers – which can work wired or wirelessly – across various spots in our TV testing space, and I was treated to clear, impactful, and balanced sound with each configuration. All you have to do is recalibrate the speakers each time you change their position, which is quick and easy to do in the LG ThinQ app.

More generally, the calibration tool provides accurate, streamlined sound, no matter where you’re seated. I had to retry this a couple of times during testing for the most accurate reading, but this wasn’t too troublesome. I did experience a couple of errors later on in my testing, but was almost certainly due to a network issue in our weird corporate network in our test rooms, so setup is likely to be straightforward if you’ve got stable home connectivity.

I want to talk about the Suite 7 Pro’s sound more generally now, because it really impressed me. Surround sound is phenomenal, and I often felt like I was truly enveloped in the movies or music I was playing. When viewing a 4K Blu-ray of 2024’s Nosferatu, I truly felt like I was at the center of the action — the movie's eerie score came through with immense power and control, high-pitched screeches pierced through the center channel and never sounded tinny or distorted, while bass was rippling yet regimented.

In addition, I was struck by the accuracy and expansiveness of the Suite 7 Pro’s Dolby Atmos performance when switching over to The Mask on 4K Blu-ray. At one point, the titular character flung through a glass door like a tornado with a truly palpable smash, and the system mapped his wild movements across the screen with tremendous precision.

Something that a lot of Dolby Atmos soundbars struggle to nail is height effects, but that’s not the case for the Suite 7 Pro. I threw on Top Gun Maverick, and during the scene where Tom Cruise flies his jet over Ed Harris, the verticality of the move was captured with commendable fidelity. The continued upward movement was traced well too, making for a highly immersive viewing experience.

One audio feature that some people may miss is support for DTS audio, meaning there’s no decoding of DTS HD or DTS:X onboard here – but that was to be expected after LG dropped DTS from its TVs in 2025. If your TV or video player supports decoding DTS, that should be fine.

But let's take it back to the fundamentals, where the Suite 7 Pro performs admirably. Dialogue is clear and direct, bass is intent-filled but doesn’t overwhelm other sounds in the frequency range, and treble is both clear and expressive.

I didn’t think music sounded perfect on this system, though, with vocals in the mid-range sometimes getting slightly obscured in the mix. Still, tunes generally sounded strong with clean bass and the Suite 7 Pro made great use of its various channels, especially with Atmos tracks. There’s AI-powered upmix mode if you want to convert a stereo audio signal into an expansive multi-channel format.

In fact, there are quite a few sound modes available, including an AI Sound setup, bass, and voice settings. Personally, I enjoyed the standard sound mode the best— it felt like the most balanced and revealing of the available options to me. But the options don’t stop there. You can adjust channel levels to suit your preferences, adjust the lighting on the rear speakers, and even activate Sound Follow mode, which centers audio on you, rather than a position in the room.

Combine all of that with Wi-Fi connectivity — which opens up hi-res 24-bit/96kHz audio and supports for the likes of Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect — and you’re looking at a feature-rich system. You’ve also got Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity at your disposal.

One thing that didn’t quite bowl me over was the Suite 7 Pro’s look. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a nice-looking system overall and I appreciated its display, but the H7 bar itself does look a bit basic, lacking the sleek, modern look of a Sonos model or the eye-catching luxury of a bar like the Marshall Heston 120.

I did quite like the curved W7 sub, though, which can stand upright or lay flat. It's not the smallest, but that’s to be expected for a model that reaches down to 25.9Hz and packs a maximum power output of 220W. The mighty M7 wireless speakers are pretty appealing too, and their customizable downward lighting really won me over. On top of that, the included remote feels as if it's built to a very high standard, and it's highly responsive.

What I was a little disappointed by, however, was the lack of HDMI passthrough. See, when you use a soundbar system like this, you already have to sacrifice your TV's eARC port for enhanced sound. And given that many modern TVs only have two HDMI 2.1 ports, this means you can be pretty limited there – if you’ve got a couple modern consoles, say, then that may prove to be inconvenient. That’s something where the Samsung HW-Q990F outdoes the Suite 7 Pro, given that the former supports 4K 120Hz passthrough.

It would be remiss of me not to mention price, too. The H7 soundbar is priced at $999 / £899, with the W7 sub costing $599 / £599, and the M7 speakers coming in at $399 / £399 a piece. That means you’ll be fronting almost $2,400 / £2,300 for the Suite 7 Pro.

Sure, this is an almighty system, rammed with 21 speaker units, a swathe of height channels, game-changing FlexConnect technology, and excellent all-round audio. And given that we’ve tested models like the Yamaha True X Surround 90A, which comes in at $3,499 / £2,199 — a model with fewer channels and no FlexConnect — I don’t think the price is totally unwarranted.

But when you can grab a sensational system like the aforementioned Samsung Q990F for almost $1,000 / £1,000 cheaper, the Suite 7 Pro’s price could prove to be a difficult pill for some to swallow.

With that said, the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is certainly something special. It uses Dolby Atmos FlexConnect tech to great effect, its audio performance is very admirable indeed, and the speaker configuration opens up exceptionally immersive movie watching.

Yes, the lack of HDMI passthrough is a shame, and it comes at a very premium price, but if you’re looking for a system that’s designed to suit your specific needs, then this is about as good as it gets.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: price and release date

• Sound Suite H7 soundbar priced at $999 / £899 (about AU$1,400)
• Sound Suite W7 sub costs $599 / £599 (about AU$840)
• Sound Suite M7 speakers are $399 / £399 (about AU$560) each
• Whole system will set you back approximately $2,400 / £2,300 (about AU$3,400)

The LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro is pretty pricey, coming in at about $2,400 / £2,300 (around AU$3,400) in total. The individual components of this system got a price drop ahead of release, making it pretty competitive over the likes of Sonos, which also offers different parts of its system individually.

You can connect up to four of the M7 or the cheaper LG M5 speakers up to the Suite H7 soundbar, or connect speakers directly to your TV if you have a compatible model, like the LG G5 or LG C5.

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: specs

Should I buy the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro review: also consider

How I tested the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro

• Tested across the course of a week
• Used at our TV testing space at Future Labs
• Played 4K Blu-Ray, streamed movies and streamed music over Wi-Fi

I spent a week testing the LG Sound Suite Immersive Suite 7 Pro, using it alongside the LG G5 OLED TV via HDMI eARC. I tested the system using various configurations, and tried the system with the wireless speakers across many parts of our TV testing space at Future Labs.

During my testing time, I viewed and listened to a wide variety of content. I began by throwing on some movies via Netflix Premium, as well as higher-quality 4K UHD Blu-rays, which I played using the Panasonic DP-UB820. I also connected my phone up to the Suite 7 Pro and listened to some tracks via Tidal Connect, using both Dolby Atmos and stereo formats.

Of course, I made sure to exhaust the Suite 7 Pro’s various features as well. I listened using all of the different sound modes, messed around with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, and tried out the Sound Follow feature.

More generally, I've tested a load of soundbars here at TechRadar, and have tried out everything from ultra-cheap models like the Sony HT-SF150 through to luxurious alternatives like the JBL Bar 1300MK2. My experience testing rival models means that I know exactly what it takes for a soundbar system to stand out, in what is a highly competitive market.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed: March 2026

During the six years I’ve been writing and editing home theater reviews, the recurring complaint I’ve seen time and again about even some flagship TVs is how awful their sound is. Thanks to their increasingly razor-thin panels, there’s less and less room to squeeze in drivers, so sound is sacrificed on the altar of style. As a result, the stock warning for buyers is: ‘You better also budget for a soundbar.’

But my faith in this particular sacred cow has begun to waver. Having recently upgraded my mid-range TV with a mid-range soundbar, I’ve experienced firsthand how the sonic gap between the two is narrowing fast. So I’ve started to wonder: is the soundbar still as essential as it once was?

This crisis of faith was first sparked when I upgraded my TV to last year’s stellar TCL QM8K. Aside from its seriously vivid mini-LED screen, perhaps its most headline-grabbing feature is its sound. I’ll admit, when I heard my new TV had sound designed by Bang & Olufsen, I was skeptical. Surely even such a giant of audiophile-grade audio couldn’t eke a high standard of sound out of a TV, given their notoriously tinny sound?

Let me tell you: my cynicism was misplaced. Thanks to its chunky rare-earth neodymium iron boron drivers, the TCL QM8K has really compelling sound that rivals the best TVs, offering both clarity and a pretty credible low-end. On top of this, B&O’s signature tuning allows you to tweak the TV’s audio along two axes of bright/warm and relaxed/energetic to reflect your personal preferences.

As a result, rather than the mewling, timid sound many TVs dribble out, the TCL is capable of rendering dialogue crisply while granting the soundtrack a decent sweep and heft. It’s honestly a little too effective sometimes: every time I pull off a counter-attack on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the impact feels appropriately seismic but also causes my girlfriend to flinch like a pet on July 4th. For native TV audio, it really doesn’t hold back.

And it’s not the only TV that’s trying to buck the trend here. For example, the Panasonic Z95B offers a 160W, 5.1.2 channel, 160W sound system starring a front external speaker array that offers powerful bass and a strong soundstage. Meanwhile, the Sony Bravia II features built-in actuators that turn the screen itself into a speaker, which allows it to accurately position dialogue and effects according to their position on the screen and produce spacious yet well-rounded sound.

Raising the bar?

Despite this, I was excited to get my first soundbar. While I’m not quite as obsessive as some about unlocking cinema-quality sound in my home, getting even more gravitas for movies is a really tempting offer. And as a gamer, I love spatial sound – the idea of being encompassed in a hemisphere of true Dolby Atmos audio sounds like the perfect way to make my visits to Lumiere even more engrossing.

So when a colleague asked if I wanted to rehome their recently discontinued Samsung HW-Q800D, I jumped at the chance. Yet when I first set it up, I was honestly a bit surprised by how little it was able to improve on the TCL’s already impressive sound.

With the soundbar operating in isolation, it was able to achieve a slightly more spacious sound – thanks to its side-firing drivers, the width of its soundstage is far more substantial than the QM8K is capable of. But it also sounded thinner: lacking the larger diameter drivers of the TV, its output didn’t feel like it had quite as much substance as the sound I was used to. Dialogue still maintained a decent level of clarity, but soundtracks felt more neutered, taking me out of the moment as I watched Hijack or The Night Manager.

However, it is important to note that there are some things that a soundbar like the HW-Q800D can do better. While it sounds meeker in isolation, once it’s paired with its packaged sub… oh boy, is it able to achieve some gravitas, with spaceships in Avatar: Way of the Water sounding like they were literally landing in my living room. And while the HW-Q800D’s upfiring drivers can’t achieve quite the ceiling-bouncing spatial effects of more premium soundbars, it does a good job of situating sounds in the right area of the screen.

Still, though, after many years of accepting it as a given how necessary soundbars are, I was a little surprised by how marginal some of the improvements were. Don’t get me wrong: adding a soundbar of a decent enough spec can definitely unlock superior sound, particularly as your budget increases. But my experience here does show that the gap is narrowing here, and rather than getting a soundbar as a default, it is becoming more important to consider where your sound is in most need of improvement and whether a given soundbar will deliver it.

Because, honestly, it may be time that the assumption ‘TV sound is always terrible’ is laid to rest.

Some of the best soundbars on the market are surround sound systems, with the likes of Samsung, Sonos and JBL serving as notable names in the market. These mean you can get truly immersive Dolby Atmos at home, without relying on virtual Atmos from smaller soundbars or having to resort to dedicated height speakers – the soundbar delivers expansive sound across the front, a subwoofer kicks in the bass, and the rear speaker complete the surround experience.

I recently tested one of these soundbar systems: the Yamaha True X Surround 90A. It's a premium piece of gear, priced at $3,499 / £2,116 / AU$4,499, so I expected mind-blowing performance. And while I got it in some areas, one stuck out as lackluster: the rear speakers – and got us talking on the TechRadar team about how it's often the smaller parts of a package that make the whole thing come together perfectly.

Yamaha surround speakers lack the punch

The Yamaha True X Surround 90A demonstrated truly brilliant sound, especially when it came to power and accuracy. The Batmobile scene from The Batman was spectacular, with the Surround 90A accurately delivering the huge rumble of the Batmobile’s engine. I also found when watching The Mask that the Surround 90A mapped the Mask’s whirlwind sound effects as he tornadoes around a room, plus capturing the cartoon-y sound effects of hammers, clocks and punches.

But it was The Mask that also revealed the Surround 90A’s weakness in its rear speakers. While The Mask got up to his antics, I found that portions of the sound field – more subtle effects and music – were notably muted compared to the Samsung HW-Q990C I’d used for testing the 4K disc as part of my Blu-ray Bounty feature.

Another surprising omission was the Yamaha’s rear speakers' lack of a height speaker. Other flagship brands, such as Samsung and Sonos, have included height channels in their rear speakers, which helps deliver more effective height effects for Dolby Atmos.

Rear speakers – the unsung heroes

While rear speakers may be the smallest component of a lot of surround sound systems, they are pivotal – and it's a let-down if they don't match the rest of the system.

While the front channels may handle major sound effects relating to what's on-screen and speech and the subwoofer handles bass, the rear channels will handle more subtle sound effects, some dramatic circular or front-to-back motion, and sometimes the score depending on the soundtrack’s mix: all extremely important for creating the immersive sound.

One major example where I found this was during my testing of Chungking Express as part of the Blu-ray Bounty. The movie’s 5.1 DTS-HD mix sounded fantastic through our reference Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar system in our setup and I noticed just how much one market scene relied on the rear speakers.

The clanking of plates, ringing bells and shouting stall owners all came through the rear speakers, and these sound effects are what made the scene feel so alive.

Another scene I have used for testing soundbars is the Death Star attack run from Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Again, the rear speakers were crucial for delivering a balanced, immersive experience by handling the pursuing TIE Fighter’s infamous groans, laser fire and even John William’s iconic score. If these elements are lost in the mix, the scene doesn’t have the same thrilling impact.

Rear speakers that succeed

Some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars come from some of the big names I’ve mentioned already: Samsung, Sonos and JBL. These are just three examples of brands whose big, flagship soundbar systems deliver on all areas, including the rear channels.

Samsung’s flagship soundbar, most recently of which is the Samsung HW-Q990F, have delivered strong, immersive sound for years and the Q990F is no different. Big power, excellent control and of course, detailed and punchy rear speakers. As these rear speakers also include a height speaker, you really get the full surround sound experience, great for movies like Top Gun: Maverick that have a lot of different sound effects.

Sonos takes its rear speaker setup approach differently. As speakers can be grouped and added and removed as users want to, there are a couple of different options, namely the Sonos Era 300 and the Sonos Era 100. The Era 300 is the beefier, more dynamic sounding of the two, with upfiring speakers. Pairing the Era 300 with the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Sonos Sub Gen 4 will give you a mighty surround sound system where the rear speakers really feel like a crucial part of the impressive sound signature.

The JBL Bar 1300MK2 is a flagship soundbar that adds a twist on the rear speakers: they're battery powered, and can be stored on the front soundbar itself for charging. This means space-saving without having the effort. They performed well during our testing as well, again demonstrating excellent clarity and impact without overshadowing other elements in the mix. The Mask once again served as an excellent tool for showing what the rears could do.

Being pricier doesn't automatically mean better

At $3,499 / £2,116 / AU$4,499, the Yamaha Surround 90A is a premium soundbar. Some of its rivals I mentioned are cheaper: the Samsung HW-Q990F ($1,699 / £1,499 / AU$1,099) and JBL Bar 1300MK2 ($1,699 / £1,299 / AU$2,299.95). Even a full Sonos surround system with its top-tier products is significantly cheaper in the US, priced at $2,399. It’s pricier in the UK at £2,499, but it’s a more powerful system than the Yamaha overall. In Australia, it'll set you back roughly the same money as AU$4,596.

While the Yamaha thrived in so many areas, it’s such a shame that Yamaha overlooked the depth needed for this crucial component. It’s made me appreciate rear speakers more, and is a reminder – whether you're building a soundbar system or a dedicated home theater setup with separates – that you can't take any element for granted.

Don't spend all your money on big front speakers and thing cutting corners on the rears is a good investment if you're buying individual speakers at home; and the exact same advice goes if you work for a soundbar company.

• Majority unveils four affordable soundbar systems
• Includes a surround option with wireless rear speakers and Dolby Atmos
• From £89.95 to £169.95 – US launch will be later in the year

Affordable audio specialist Majority has introduced a quartet of new soundbars including two halo models – and I mean that quite literally, because the new Bowfell range includes two soundbars called Halo. The other systems are called Bowfell Axis.

The four subwoofers come in two distinct flavours: 2.1-channel Dolby Audio, and 5.1-channel Dolby Atmos.

The Halo models are the most expensive ones here but that's relative: the priciest model, the Bowfell Halo Atmos, has an official price of £169.95 (about $230 / AU$330). It's the flagship model, such as it is, and I think that's the pick of the range here: it's a 5.1 channel, 300W Dolby Atmos setup with a wireless subwoofer and dual wireless rear speakers. That's a lot of power for a pretty modest price tag – and it's a super-small size, perfect for more compact spaces.

You'll note that there are no upfiring channels here, so any height will have to be virtualized – but having real surrounds is really the biggest win, and in what looks like a pretty slick design.

Bowfell Axis and Bowfell Halo soundbars: key features and pricing

The next model in the range is the Bowfell Halo Dolby, which is £119.95 (about $160 / AU$230). It too is a 5.1 system, but power output is 180W and it's Dolby Audio, not Dolby Atmos. This time the subwoofer and rear satellite speakers are wired.

In addition to the 5.1-channel Halo models, Majority has also made two 2.1-channel options. The Bowfell Axis Atmos is £129.95 (about $175 / AUD$250) and has 200W output and a wireless subwoofer, while the Bowfell Axis Dolby is £89.95 (about $120 / AU$170) and puts out 120W. It too has a subwoofer, but this one is wired.

All four new Bowfell models have HDMI ARC, Bluetooth 5.3 and both USB and AUX playback, and all four come with a remote control.

All of these soundbar systems launch on 16 February 2026 in the UK, and Majority tells us that a US launch is planned later in the year, with exact prices yet to be confirmed.

• 2025 LG C5, G5 and CS5 models can now work as Dolby Atmos FlexConnect hubs
• Full compatibility with LG Sound Suite wireless speakers and sub
• Supports 22 configurations of speakers and subwoofers

LG has upgraded its 2025 C5, CS5 and G5 TVs to support Dolby Atmos FlexConnect as a hub, working with LG's new Sound Suite speakers, which enables you to put your speakers pretty much anywhere in the room and still get accurate audio positioning as if you had them in the normal surround sound positions at the front and rear.

The update brings Dolby Atmos FlexConnect to the three models, enabling them to connect directly to the Sound Suite M5 and M7 wireless speakers and the W7 subwoofer, combining the TV's speakers with the other speakers. As FlexConnect hubs, the TVs analyze the audio from the speakers and adjusting their output so they sound good no matter where you've placed them – I'll explain more about FlexConnect in a moment.

The one downside is even though Dolby Atmos FlexConnect will be available on speakers from multiple manufacturers, LG's TVs will only work as hubs with LG's compatible speakers.

What is FlexConnect?

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect – you need the full name as there's an unrelated system called FlexConnect in wireless networking is essentially a kind of room calibration for more flexible home theater audio where you don't need to worry about where you've placed the speakers.

Wireless speakers broadcast their location to the hub so it can adjust timings and frequencies to deliver accurate spatial audio positioning. In theory that means you can put your speakers anywhere at all and still get correct positioning of sound objects in Dolby Atmos soundtracks and music.

LG says that there are up to 22 possible configurations with one of the compatible TVs and its M5/M7 speakers and W7 subwoofer – you can have up to four speakers, plus the subwoofer.

What does that mean in practice? It means you can have a surround sound setup that's as big, or small, or weird as you like, so for example you might have just one rear speaker instead of two, or have multiple speakers on the left because that's where you have shelving. FlexConnect will identify where they are and configure its output accordingly to create cohesize whole sound.

LG has gone big on Dolby Atmos FlexConnect but other firms are getting involved too: TCL was the first big name to unveil a FlexConnect product, the TCL Z100 speaker system, and since this is a Dolby technology we should see more brands getting on board – but as I mentioned above, LG told TechRadar that it only has plans to support its own speakers.

I haven't heard FlexConnect yet but my colleague Matt Bolton has, and he tells me it sounds fantastic. This is definitely an audio tech to keep your eye (and ears) on: while there are currently only a few products to choose from their numbers should increase considerably in the coming months.

Sonos had a quiet 2025. After the company got a new CEO, having fired the one who oversaw the app update debacle that turned the brand's most ardent fans against it, it's been licking its wounds. It canceled an ill-fated streaming TV device, and didn't announce any new hardware at all last year – its last consumer product was the Sonos Arc Ultra.

But now it appears that Sonos is ready to get back to business, and reportedly "hardware launches will ramp up in the second half of its fiscal 2026" – which in Sonos' case, means between April and September.

Sonos has already started by unveiling the Amp Multi, which is a niche music amp designed for custom-install needs, capable of powering lots of speakers in multiple Sonos zones from a single box.

There haven't been many leaks on what to expect for more mainstream releases (which is maybe a sign things are changing for Sonos on its own; it used to leak like a particularly structurally compromised sieve ), but here's what I'm hoping to see.

1. A 'Sonos Era 500' hi-fi focused speaker

The Sonos Five has been around for a long time, and is surely due for its retirement. The Sonos Era 300 isn't quite the same kind of thing – its focus on spatial audio means that's impressively expansive, but it doesn't have the pure focus on detail and depth that a real hi-fi speaker offers.

Sonos' Sound Motion bass speaker is the cool addition I hope to see as the foundation here. It debuted in the Sonos Arc Ultra, and is basically an ingeniously small dual-diaphragm low-end speaker with a force-opposing design, so it can move a lot of air in a small space, without shaking the unit.

I'd love to see this used with a traditional forward-facing driver system, rather than the angle speakers of the Era 300. Allowing this driver to handle the low end would leave the other drivers to handle mid-range without also needing to wade into the low-end, hopefully allowing for really strong mid detail reproduction, but with a bigger dynamic range overall.

And I'd be happy for this speaker to borrow the compression driver and horn system used in the Era 100. This is the kind of system used in studio monitors, so would be a great fit for a hi-fi focused speaker.

Naturally, I hope that instead of needing a dongle to connect a turntable or other wired input (as the Era 100 and 300 do), this would just have a range of inputs on it, like the Sonos Five does.

2. A Sonos Beam Gen 3 soundbar with Sound Motion and upfiring speaker

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is still a great soundbar that we highly recommend, following its price drops. It produces impressively full sound from its small frame, but it's a shame its Dolby Atmos support is totally virtual, when the Bose Smart Soundbar is able to fit in real upfiring speakers for a better 'dome' of sound effect.

I hope a new Beam could use the Sound Motion bass driver again to add even richer bass, but in a small space that hopefully leaves Sonos free to add upfiring speakers, and to make even better use of its forward speakers.

I'd personally also love if Sonos would finally start adding HDMI passthrough ports to its soundbars, but that seems like a distant dream, alas. I'll settle for the audio upgrades.

3. A wireless home theater HDMI dongle

Speaking of soundbars, for the last few years, they've slowly but surely been going wireless. Samsung and LG both offer wireless connections from their TVs to their soundbars, and LG in particular has gone to the next level by offering Dolby Atmos FlexConnect in its new soundbar and speakers. TCL is also on board with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect's wireless speaker skills. You can get wireless surround speaker system from both Sony and Hisense.

Sonos clearly should have been the leader in fully wireless home theater (sort of its raison d'être, you know?), but lacking the ability to transmit from the TV to its soundbars/speakers means it hasn't made progress. All it needs to start is a little HDMI attachment, so I'm hoping we'll see one soon.

I'd also love for this attachment to offer the ability to have wireless surround sound using satellite speakers only, no soundbar – and this apparently was on the cards with the canceled streaming box, and I said at the time that the company shouldn't abandon this feature.

4. A portable speaker between the Roam and Move

Sonos has two portable speakers: the Sonos Roam 2 and the Sonos Move 2. The former is pretty small and costs $179 / £179 / AU$299, while the latter is large and costs $449 / £449 / AU$799. So there's a big gap in terms of both size and price for something else – something closer to the JBL Charge 6.

Maybe this is a good size to include a mini version of the Sound Motion speaker, which Sonos told me it's exploring: "We're exploring all kinds of applications, whether it's more bass, more compact form factors, more energy efficiency."

One of the nice things about the Roam and Move is that they can work as a home speaker most of the time, and then you just grab them to go out. There's definitely scope for something with a meatier sound than the Roam but a lower price than the Move that could fill the bedroom, office or kitchen of most people.

5. An Era 100 with a screen

The WiiM Sound is a direct competitor to the Sonos Era 100, with a nearly identical speaker setup and multi-room skills – but with the addition of a touchscreen on the front to add some personality and easy control options to the whole package. And we really liked it!

It made it notably more expensive than the Era 100, so we still preferred Sonos' option for value. However, just as WiiM then followed that up with the Sound Lite, which omits the screen and competes with the Era on price, we'd love to see Sonos go the other way and offer an Era 100 with a touchscreen.

The screen doesn't need to function like a full Sonos app, but the Sonos app already has a 'Favorites' bar, so it could replicate that part only on the touchscreen, so you can easily find your favorite streaming stations, playlists or artists – and control which speakers the music is playing on.

6. A big party speaker

The Sonos Move 2 is a very powerful portable speaker, but I've been told by many audio companies that huge party speakers are getting more and more popular – the kind of thing that sometimes comes with wheels, and is for mid-size events (parties in a hall, weddings, and big outdoor parties) more than home listening. The likes of JBL, Anker Soundcore, LG and many more make these.

It'd be great for Sonos to get in on the action too – waterproof, beefy, great sound quality, and perhaps a classier design than most of these have. It could be another good fit for Sound Motion – maybe in a bigger guise, or even multiple of them to provide a ton of bass kick – but it'd also be fun to again see Sonos use the pro-like compression drivers used in the Era 300, to bring a touch more 'studio' accuracy to the sound than these big speakers usually strive for.

Those are the picks from me and the TechRadar AV team – we'd love to hear what products you hope Sonos will launch or update in the comments!

• Sonos' new Amp Multi is a sign that app problems "have been resolved"
• Hardware launches will "ramp up" in the second half of 2026 says report
• Sonos wants customers to love it again

Sonos has just announced its first new products since late 2024: new Amp Multi amplifier for professional installations. It isn't just a new Sonos product: it's a new dawn for the company. That's what Sonos insiders are telling Bloomberg, which reports that Sonos believes that its app-related shenanigans have come to an end.

Sonos "believes the majority of bugs and issues that once plagued its mobile app have been resolved", and the launch of the Amp Multi marks the end of "an intentional lull in product launches… Hardware launches will ramp up in the second half of its fiscal 2026".

It's worth noting here that Sonos' fiscal year ends in September, so it looks like the next eight months could be busy for Sonos believers.

What's the story behind Sonos's new hardware plans?

To the best of our knowledge, only one planned product, Sonos's streaming video player, was outright cancelled – but other products had been rumored and failed to appear. And Sonos execs had talked about launching at least two new products per year, and that definitely wasn't the case in 2025.

Sonos' woes stemmed from the ill-fated upgrade to its app, a PR disaster that was still rumbling on in early 2025: the upgrade turned out to be a downgrade for a lot of users and many of Sonos' most vocal advocates were extremely unhappy about it.

Then-CEO Patrick Spence was replaced by new CEO Tom Conrad in January 2025, who said that "we've let far too many people down" and promised "to get us back on track [by] getting back to the innovation that is at the heart of Sonos' incredible history." The Amp Multi is the first new Sonos product on his watch.

The Amp Multi isn't made for people like me – it's a pro-level product for high-end installations – but it does indicate that Sonos is back in the ring, and that's a reason to be optimistic. Conrad has said that his goal is to get Sonos customers to extend their Sonos investments, and in order to do that you need to make those customers happy.

As we reported last year, Sonos used to have the best word of mouth in tech; it does seem that Conrad intends to make that happen again.

Klipsch Flexus Core 100: review

If you’re short on space, but still want to experience the wonders of Dolby Atmos, then the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 could be the soundbar for you. This 2.1-channel model aims to supply “immersive, spatial sound” in a single, compact bar, using virtualized Atmos.

Let’s start with a bit of a reality check. The Klipsch Flexus Core 100 has some key limitations that hold it back from delivering the expansive, three-dimensional sound that larger models offer. It uses a fairly basic 2.1 channel configuration, with four main drivers – two front-firing 2.25-inch speakers, and two built-in four-inch subwoofers.

Unlike most of the best soundbars for Dolby Atmos, the Flexus Core 100 doesn’t have up-firing drivers, which are required for ‘true’ Atmos. There’s also no center channel on offer, and as a fairly narrow bar, this thing’s not going to plate up the width you’d expect from a full-length model.

With all of that said, the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 is a pretty good-sounding model. When watching a 4K UHD Blu-ray of Top Gun: Maverick, I was impressed by accurate dialogue in the opening scene – which sounded well-defined, and maintained the echoey effect you’d expect in a wide open space.

On top of that, Maverick showcased the low-end talents of the Flexus Core 100. The rumble of jet engines was more impactful than a lot of bars in this size category – and other parts of the frequency range didn’t sound obscured as Tom Cruise’s character prepared for take off.

I will say, though, that when the jet flew up and overhead, the verticality of the move was very limited. And more generally, this soundbar struggles to conjure up a sense of height – it's understandable with its technical limitations, but it’s going to be an issue for those wanting great Dolby Atmos in a small package.

In spite of its unremarkable height effects, the Flexus Core 100 still provides a decent amount of width for such a narrow model. In The Mask, the soundbar commendably replicated the cartoonish spin of the titular character across the screen. As he smashed through a glass window, the combination of a low-end thump with a high-pitched shattering also came through with clarity and impact, capturing the surprising nature of the move brilliantly.

One small issue I picked up on was during a scene where two B-rate mobsters are playing air hockey in the backdrop. Here, the left and right channel separation seemed overzealous and choppy – likely a result of there being no center channel, as this isn't something I experienced on a 5.1 bar like the Marshall Heston 60.

As well as movies, I tried listening to some music over Bluetooth using Tidal. And like a lot of small soundbars, the Flexus Core 100 isn’t particularly talented in this department.

In Black Eye by Allie X, I was satisfied with the depth of the bass, although it wasn’t particularly agile. Meanwhile, vocals were clear enough, but not separated all too much from other sounds in the mid-range. Percussion wasn’t the most precise either, and it lacked a sense of space. Overall, I got a relatively clean listen, but one that lacked nuance or detail.

With Atmos music, it was a similar story. Dream of Arrakis by Hans Zimmer offers solid low-end punch, but the attack of percussion was fairly blunt, and vocal elements weren’t all too clear in the mix. The expansiveness of this master was also pared back quite a bit compared to what I’ve heard on more premium compact bars, like the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

Something else I realized when playing tunes, was that the soundbar didn’t automatically switch to Music mode – something I’ve become relatively accustomed to from most modern soundbars. You have to select the appropriate mode with the included remote or the Klipsch Connect Plus app.

Still, the two modes are decently differentiated, and if you want to make additional changes, you can make use of an equalizer in the companion app. And EQ options aren’t bad at all – you can manually adjust bass, mids, or treble, or switch between presets, including: Flat, Vocal, Bass, Treble, and Rock.

More generally, I was a big fan of the Klipsch Connect Plus app. It’s brilliantly responsive, well laid-out, and pretty feature-rich. On the main screen, you can change source, activate a genuinely great multi-level voice enhancement setting, activate night mode, and more. An additional settings menu also opens up channel level adjustment, surround and subwoofer pairing, and display brightness adaption.

The only thing I was really missing on the app was some kind of room calibration tool to optimize the Flexus Core 100 to my listening space – something you’ll find on soundbars like Sonos Beam 2nd Gen and Marshall Heston 120.

I touched on the Flexus Core 100’s display a moment ago, and I have to give Klipsch some kudos here – it looks absolutely fantastic. Rather than relying on a basic lighting system, there’s a large display with full letters and numbers to let you know which mode you’re using, source you’re connected to, and volume level you’re at. This is incredibly clear, and makes for a much smoother user-experience.

On top of a neat display and seamless in-app experience, setting the Flexus Core 100 up really couldn’t have been easier. You’ve just got to connect it to a power source, and hook it up to your TV over HDMI eARC or digital optical – easy as pie. You can also build your system out at your own pace by connecting a compatible wireless sub, or a wired one via the soundbar’s ‘sub out’ port. You can also purchase Flexus Surround speakers for a more three-dimensional listening experience.

In terms of functionality, the only major miss in my view is the omission of Wi-Fi streaming. Personally, this is an absolute must for me. I love being able to use Spotify or Tidal Connect to enjoy my music in higher quality than Bluetooth streaming allows. Some may also lament the lack of DTS support, which is less common than Dolby Atmos for streaming, but is often used on Blu-rays.

We’ve spoken a lot about the technology involved so far, but how does the Flexus Core 100 fare in the looks department? In my opinion, this soundbar is a little on the average side. The large logo on the right side isn’t the most attractive, and the fabric speaker grille doesn’t quite give off a premium impression. Still, the model is well-made, and I’ve already raved about its excellent display.

One thing I’ve not mentioned yet is the Flexus Core 100’s price-tag. And this is pretty competitive, all things considered. It comes in at $349 / £299 / AU$645, which is less than a 2.0 channel rival like the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 and considerably less than compact Atmos titans like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and Bose Smart Soundbar.

In the end, then, the Klipsch Flexus Core 100 is a solid soundbar overall. It won’t deliver the most amazing Dolby Atmos, it’s not the best-looking model I’ve seen, and I’m also still sad about the omission of Wi-Fi streaming.

But its great bass levels, clear dialogue, impressive companion app support, and ease of use are all highly commendable. If you’ve got the cash, I’d suggest going with either Sonos or Marshall’s compact soundbars, but if you’re on a tighter budget, this model is well-worth considering.

Klipsch Flexus Core 100 review: price and release date

• $349 / £299 / AU$645
• Launched in April 2024

The Klipsch Flexus Core 100 was released in April 2024, and is part of a product line that also features the Flexus Core 200 and the exceptional Klipsch Flexus Core 300.

It has a list price of $349 / £299 / AU$645, making it the cheapest product in that lineup, and very competitively priced against other compact Dolby Atmos models like the Sonos Beam Gen 2, for instance.

Klipsch Flexus Core 100 review: specs

Should I buy the Klipsch Flexus Core 100?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Klipsch Flexus Core 100 review: also consider

How I tested the Klipsch Flexus Core 100

• Tested with movies and music across multiple hours
• Used in our TV testing space at Future Labs
• Mainly played 4K Blu-rays for movies and streamed via Tidal for music

When testing the Klipsch Flexus Core 100, I had the soundbar connected up to the phenomenal LG G5 OLED TV via its HDMI eARC port.

I spent the majority of my time with the soundbar watching 4K UHD Blu-rays – predominantly viewing them via the Panasonic DP-UB820. However, I also watched some shows on Netflix, and streamed music through Tidal using the Dolby Atmos and stereo formats.

On top of this, I made sure to exhaust all of the Flexus Core 100’s features, and cycled through all of the settings in the Klipsch Connect Plus app, including the various sound modes and EQ calibrations.

More generally, I’m an experienced tech reviewer with a particular focus on audio-visual gear, and have tested a wide range of soundbars. During almost two years at TechRadar, I’ve covered everything from budget models like the Sony HT-SF150 through to premium Dolby Atmos soundbar systems, such as the JBL Bar 1300MK2.

• First reviewed: January 2026
• Read more about how we test

Dreame began life as a robot vacuum brand, before going on to add other air-focused appliances like manual vacuums and hair dryers to its roster. It's only been around since 2017/18, but in that time it has established itself as a major player in these markets – it features prominently in both my best cordless vacuum and best robot vacuum rankings.

So I was excited to see what Dreame would be showcasing at CES 2026. I was expecting a new robot vacuum, perhaps some innovative air purifiers. What I was not expecting was for Dreame to announce its entry into literally every corner of the home. I'm not exaggerating – if you can think of a home appliance, Dreame now has one in its lineup.

It has a TV, soundbars, a projector, a surround sound speaker setup. There's a Dreame action camera, smart rings, smart glasses and a smartwatch. It has smart lights in all shapes and sizes. It has security cameras, smart locks and motion sensors.

There are fridges, a dishwasher, a microwave and a selection of ovens. There are air fryers, coffee machines, and a stand mixer. It has a washing machine, tumble dryer, and steamer. There's a chainsaw and a hedge trimmer, electric toothbrushes, razors, IPL machines and an LED face mask.

It's still at prototype stage, but there was even a car sitting incongruously on the Dreame stand.

The vision, according to the press release, is to evolve from "a standalone smart device brand to a comprehensive provider of connected lifestyles with an ecosystem now covering the home, garden, outdoors, and on the move". The tagline it's going with is "All dreams in one Dreame", which makes no sense at all.

Too far, too soon?

I've tested a number of Dreame gadgets, and have almost always been impressed, but I'm wary of this latest expansion. It all just seems too fast and too wide-reaching for it to have been done with the required care and expertise. The difficulty I've had in getting any information about the individual products I was most interested in hasn't reassured me any further.

Previously, Dreame's category expansions have made sense. There's crossover between the mechanics of a vacuum cleaner and a hair dryer, for instance. I can see how a brand that knows its way around a robot vacuum could also make a great lawnbot.

But I'm struggling to see how those skills might translate into coffee machines or TVs – both categories that are highly specific, and which require specialist knowledge and skills to excel in. The same goes for things like smartwatches and action cameras.

Of course, I haven't tested any of the new gadgets yet – I've only seen them displayed and demoed, which isn't a reliable way to judge any product. The proof will be in the testing, and I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

• The AI-driven memory shortage doesn't just affect PCs
• More capacity is coming, but not before 2027
• Low-margin budget products are likely to be hit hardest

What do the best DACs, the best Hi-Res Audio players, the best TVs, and the best soundbars all have in common? They're all facing component shortages and price hikes – not because of tariffs, but because of the AI-driven shortage of memory and storage chips. And the pain's going to be particularly pronounced at the more affordable end of the market, where profit margins are already razor-thin.

As you're no doubt aware, the AI industry is buying a lot of memory for its data centers: as Reuters reported back in October, just one AI firm, OpenAI, intends to order 900,000 semiconductor wafers in 2029. That's around 40% of the world's entire production. And there's plenty more demand in the industry.

As The Wall Street Journal reported this week, "The rapid build-out of infrastructure for artificial intelligence is consuming a large portion of available supply of NAND flash memory, DRAM memory and hard drives. That has resulted in a shortage of memory for other markets such as PCs and smartphones."

Audiovisual devices aren't the same as PCs, and don't typically need as much memory as smartphones. But they still need some memory in order to do what they do. Everything from smart speakers to smart TVs to in-car entertainment systems use RAM alongside their processors, and some of them use NAND storage too, because they're all just small computers at heart; both of these components' prices are rocketing.

We've already seen Samsung warn that its TVs' prices may rise due to comopnents shortages, while there are warnings about smartphone makers scaling back their specs for this year's mobile phones, cutting their memory to cut the cost of manufacturing.

And according to NPR, memory prices are expected to rise even more this year. As Avril Wu of the consultancy Trendforce told NPR, "I keep telling everybody that if you want a device, you buy it now."

How AI could affect AV

AI data centers don't use the same memory chips as a DAC or a Hi-Res Audio player: they use High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), not the DDR RAM you'd find in a PC or PlayStation. But those differing chips are made from the same kind of semiconductor wafers, and those wafers are in ever-increasing demand because HBM uses roughly three times more of those wafers than DDR5 RAM does.

They're also much more profitable to sell, and as a result many firms are shifting focus from consumer memory chips to data center ones – so for example Micron, one of the big three memory makers alongside SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, has shut down its long-standing consumer memory business, Crucial, "to improve supply and support for our larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments". In other words, AI.

As some manufacturers shift focus, new capacity for other kinds of memory isn't coming on board fast enough to cover the demand. So for example in October SK Hynix announced that it "has already secured full customer demand for its entire DRAM and NAND production for next year", and that it'll need to expand its production to cope with the market demands – but even the equipment to make the chips are set to rise in price.

In the shorter term, that means higher memory prices. Much higher prices. CNBC reports that RAM prices are expected to rise "more than 50% this quarter compared to the last quarter of 2025." And the Bloomsbury Intelligence and Security Institute says that "DRAM prices have also surged 171% year-over-year, outpacing gold, while DDR5 spot prices have quadrupled since September 2025. DRAM and NAND prices doubled in a single month".

While capacity is being added to existing production plants and new plants are being built, that capacity isn't expected to come online until 2027.

That's likely to have two key impacts on the AV hardware market. The first is that we'll see price increases down the line, especially at the budget end of the market where manufacturers can't simply swallow the increased cost: there's a lot less margin on a $300 smart TV than a $3,000 one.

The second is that manufacturers may go back to the drawing board as some smartphone firms have done, limiting their next products' specifications to compensate for shortages and price hikes. It may also persuade some firms to postpone their product plans altogether until market conditions are more favorable.

We've been here before, of course: I remember the completely fruitless search for in-stock AV receivers after chip production had shut down during COVID lockdowns. At least this time we know the component crunch is coming, and can make purchasing plans accordingly.

Our picks of the best AV gear across different categories

We know Ultimea well for its super-affordable soundbars, which bring improved audio and even solid surround sound for super-cheap prices. We rate the Ultimea Poseidon D50 among the best soundbars on a budget, for example.

But the company also leans towards the high-end sometimes, and I got very interested by the unusual new soundbar system it teased for CES 2026, so I tracked it down at the show.

The Skywave X100 Dual is a 9.2.6-channel Dolby Atmos system, which is a very unusual system to get in a single home solution – and it's doubly unusual because the setup uses four satellite speakers with a soundbar at the front to deliver all these channels, plus two beefy subwoofers. The main competitor in this way is the Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6.

Ultimea's booth at CES was playing Top Gun: Maverick's bombing and air defense scene on the system, which was perfect for me – we regularly use this exact scene for testing surround sound, and I've highlighted it as being one of the best Dolby Atmos movies to see what your system at home can do.

So I sat on a sofa, with two speakers at the sides behind me, two immediately to my left and right, and the soundbar and subs in front by the TV – and the surround effects are easily the most convincing I've ever heard for a soundbar system.

Elite soundbar setups like the Samsung HW-Q990F do a fantastic job of bouncing sound around the room to simulate side speakers, but there is no substitute for having an actual speaker firing directly to the side.

The connection between the front and rear speakers is immediately clearly better than my elaborate home Sonos surround system – missiles blast from the screen, snake right past my ear, and then whip behind me.

And the impact of the dual subs is obviously massive as well – non-directional bass just fills the space, gripping your ribcage when it wants your attention.

My only area of concern based on this demo is the soundbar at the front. I wasn't getting the same scale of width from it during my time there, but I think that may be partly just due to how the booth was set up. The sofa was quite far from the soundbar, but with the surround speakers right next to the sofa, the soundbar may have been interfered with more by sounds from the rest of the expo.

And at the same time, there was a solid wall to my left that the soundbar could use to bounce audio off, but nothing to my right at all. It's not really the environment it's designed to operate in, so I'll reserve judgment on that aspect.

What I can say for sure is that, as someone who's used to a four-box soundbar system (soundbar, rears, sub), switching to this seven-box system has me absolutely hooked and wanting to try it out more with more movies.

And one of the best parts of this system is that I could have it at home, even in my small living room. No big home theater space is needed – the satellite speakers are all super-slim, and the soundbar is just regular-sized.

It supports DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, has 2,000 watts of total power, and has 4K 120Hz HDMI passthrough for good measure. This could be THE home theater setup for those of us desperate for real surround sound in a small space.

Now, the Skywave X100 Dual doesn't come anywhere near as cheap as the company's other soundbars… and yet, it's still kind of a bargain in the grand scheme of things.

It will cost $2,200 full price when it hits retail, which I think is pretty reasonable for something with this many speaker boxes, and it'll probably get discounts during Black Friday.

However, it's actually going to launch with huge discounts too. It will launch on Kickstarter on March 12th, 2026, and will be available for just $899 at an 'Insider Price', or for $999 as a 'Super Early Bird Price'. We never recommend products when they're in the Kickstarter phase only, and obviously, I'm FAR from giving this a full review, but if you, like me, are a home theater nut with limited space, I think it's worth keeping a close eye on this.

TechRadar is extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI. You can also ask us a question about the show in our CES 2026 live Q&A and we’ll do our best to answer it.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

New TVs could be found in abundance at CES 2026, but soundbars proved to be more elusive as I stalked the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center and the surrounding hotels.

A few specimens were on display, however, and some of these might very well be added to the pantheon of the best soundbars once we get them in for proper testing. From a technically advanced model packing the new Dolby Atmos FlexConnect technology to a basic soundbar-and-sub combination with an appealingly slim and simple design, and Audio by Bang & Olufsen, these were the standout soundbars I encountered at the show.

LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar

• The first soundbar with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect
• Sound Follow feature tunes the sound to your seating location using ultra-wideband (UWB) tech

Launched at CES, LG’s Sound Suite speaker family is led by the H7 soundbar, the world’s first with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect support. The H7 is compatible with any HDMI ARC-compatible TV you choose to connect it to, and can be paired with LG’s Sound Suite M7 or M5 wireless speakers and W7 subwoofer to create a full 13.1.7-channel Dolby Atmos home theater audio system.

Sporting a 9.1.4-channel, 20-driver array, including four built-in woofers, eight passive bass radiators, and three dedicated up-firing speakers, the H7 itself is a formidable all-in-one soundbar. But it’s the H7’s upgrade-readiness, along with its Room Calibration Pro automatic room calibration, a Sound Follow feature that tunes the sound to your specific seating location using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, and AI Sound Pro+ spatial audio upmixing, that really make it a standout Atmos soundbar.

The LG H7 soundbar is now available for pre-order in the US for $999.99.

Focal Mu-so Hekla

• All-in-one system with bass extending to 30Hz
• Extensive streaming support and multiroom playback

I may have included it in this soundbar roundup, but Focal does not categorize the Mu-so Hekla as a soundbar. Instead, it is “an all-in-one immersive system powered by the Focal & Naim ecosystem,” according to Focal’s CES press release.

Soundbar or not, the Mu-so Hekla is a beautiful horizontal slab of black aluminum-encased audio power that connects to your TV and was inspired by Iceland’s Hekla Volcano.

The Mu-so Hekla uses 15 speakers, including two side-firing and two up-firing drivers, powered by 660 watts. It delivers potent Dolby Atmos, multichannel, and stereo sound, with bass extending down to 30Hz. Connections include an optical digital input and an HDMI eARC port, and the Naim Pulse multiroom platform provides Tidal and Quboz streaming, along with Google Cast, AirPlay, UPnP (with up to 32-bit/384 kHz hi-res audio), and Spotify Connect support.

Listening to an Atmos music demo of the Mu-so Hekla, I was knocked out by its expansive sound and deep-reaching bass. Stereo music, too, sounded impressively immersive when the Mu-so Hekla’s Sphere Movie and Music upmixing modes were enabled.

The Mu-so Hekla will be available in North America starting in March/April 2026 for $3,600 and $4,000 CAD.

SVS R|Evolution

• The first-ever soundbar from speaker and subwoofer maker SVS
• Can be paired with wireless surround speakers and dual subwoofers

US-based speaker maker SVS unveiled its first-ever soundbar at CES, a move that should come as no surprise to home theater fans who are no doubt versed in the company’s extensive subwoofer lineup.

The SVS R|Evolution features a three-way speaker array for each of the left, center, and right channels, using a total of nine drivers powered by 180 watts. Dolby Atmos virtualization is used to convey spatial audio soundtracks, and there is onboard Auto EQ room correction.

Unsurprisingly, an SVS R|Evolution subwoofer with a new 12-inch high-excursion driver and 600-watt amplifier is paired with the soundbar in this system for extended bass. Wireless streaming includes Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth, with support for up to 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio.

Listeners can choose from either a standalone soundbar-plus-sub system or a 5.1-channel option that includes the new SVS R|Evolution Wireless Surround Speakers. Dual subwoofer arrays are also supported.

SVS plans to ship the R|Evolution starting in late Q2 2026.

TCL A65K

• Super-slim soundbar and subwoofer combo
• Audio by Bang & Olufsen tuning

The TCL A65K Design Series 3.1.2 Channel Soundbar takes a very different design approach to the maximalist Focal model listed above by packing left, center, right and two upfiring Dolby Atmos speakers into an extremely slim, 2.7-inch deep enclosure. TCL’s included subwoofer is also incredibly slim, measuring a mere 4.7 inches deep.

Similar to TCL’s top TVs, the A65K features Audio by Bang & Olufsen tuning, and it supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Power is specified at 460 watts, which is serious juice for a soundbar system this compact.

Pricing and availability were not announced at CES.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 live news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

You can also ask us a question about the show in our CES 2026 live Q&A and we’ll do our best to answer it.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

CES 2026 is well underway now, and the TechRadar team has been on the show floor – and in the many private briefing rooms dotted all over Las Vegas – to see what the most important, most innovative, and most fun gadgets coming your way in 2026 will be.

We've had our experts all over the big launches as well as the smaller stuff tucked away at the back of the halls, and we've chosen our 25 favorite products of the show. We're covering a wide gamut of consumer tech here, so make yourself a coffee and dig into what we loved, and why it stood out to us.

Want to watch along and see more of the tech we loved at CES? Check out the video below!

Best phone

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold

• A phone that really turns into a tablet
• Impressive camera system, too
• Read more: I finally tried the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold and couldn't believe my eyes

We finally got to try Samsung's first double-folding phone (it may be called the TriFold, but there are two hinges…), and we called it a "remarkable feat of engineering that offers the potential of truly pocketable big-screen tablet productivity". When folded, it isn’t meaningfully thicker than regular phones, and it has a 6.5-inch screen… but then it becomes 10-inch tablet – so truly tablet-sized – in an instant when you fold its two sides out.

It's not just a one-trick pony, though – the TriFold has five cameras in total, to make sure it can deliver all the flexibility you want from a modern phone. There's Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy customized powerful processor, and a generous 5,600mAh battery. It's the clear stand-out among CES's phones this year.

Best earbuds

Shokz OpenFit Pro

• Shokz' first open earbuds with active 'noise reduction'
• Great fit and sound quality
• Read more: I’ve worn the all-new Shokz open earbuds for 4 days and the ‘noise reduction’ is so good, I forget they’re open-ear

The best open earbuds have become incredibly popular, but Shokz has making them for longer than most, and the new OpenFit Pro proves that it's good to be the veteran. Crucially, these are the company's first with active noise cancellation – even though Shokz doesn't want to call it that, because not having an in-ear seal means it's not quite as effective as what people think of for ANC. No, this is 'noise reduction'.

Well, we've tested them, and actually the noise reduction is as good as a lot of ANC earbuds. It's really effective, and paired with impressive sound and high levels of comfort, these are really impressive.

Best stereo speakers

Cambridge L/R Series

• 3 sizes of wireless stereo bookshelf speakers with huge power
• Dedicated bass drivers with passive radiators
• Read more: Cambridge has unveiled three active bookshelf speakers at CES and it’s not hard to see the KEF resemblance

British hi-fi company Cambridge launched its first wireless stereo speakers, and despite being modest in size, they are huge in sound. There are three sizes – the L/R X is the biggest, the L/R M is the medium, and the L/R S is the small – and it's amazing how much oomph they provide.

We heard the L/R X going hard, and the bass is enough to shake the room, despite not being that big. A big down-firing woofer and dual passive bass radiators get it to this point, delivering an amazingly full sound, with tons of detail and finesse to it as well. And they're great-looking, too.

Best Bluetooth speaker

Fender Audio Elie 6

• 3-way speaker system in a small body produces great sound
• Connections for guitars and mics, and great wireless options
• Read more: Fender just released new wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers

Fender Audio launched two speakers and a pair of headphones at CES, and all are interesting in various ways, but during our ears-on time it was the Elie 6 that really impressed us. It's a pretty small unit, but it packs in a tweeter, full-range speaker and down-firing bass driver, meaning the sound is amazingly full and impactful – especially in stereo mode, with two units connected wirelessly.

They have interesting features, too – a combined XLR and 1/4-inch port for connecting a mic or guitar directly, and even two wireless buttons for a specific connectivity feature Fender is planning to work with wireless mics. We like the design too, with a solid carry handle.

Best headphones

TDM Neo

• Headphones that 'twist' to become a portable speaker
• 200-hour battery life in headphones mode

We love seeing something totally new at CES. The TDM Neo work like a regular pair of on-ear wireless headphones. You put them on, you enjoy some nice bassy music. But when you take them off, you can twist the flexible headband and connect the earcups together magnetically, to form a small round device. As soon as you do this, they start playing music out loud, as a Bluetooth speaker.

They have two sets of audio drivers to make this happen: one for headphones mode, and a more powerful set for speaker mode. And they're really thoughtfully designed – the headband hinges attach to each other when you twist, so you know you've done it correctly, but then they become a flat surface you can stand the speaker on.

If you prefer, you can also change the behavior so that when you twist, they pause instead of auto-switching to speaker mode. And because the speaker mode requires more power, they have huge batteries, and can deliver a colossal 200 hours of life in headphones mode.

Best toy

Lego Smart Play

• A classic Lego brick, now with sound and light magic
• All the tech is under the hood – no screens required

At first glance, Lego’s Smart Brick looks like a regular 2x4 Lego brick. Aside from a transparent top, you’d never know it’s any different. But bring a Smart Minifigure close, and that's where the magic starts to happen. If Darth Vader approaches, the Imperial March starts up. Move R2-D2 nearby and you’re greeted with frantic boops and flashes of blue light. Same goes for a Smart Tag to identify what the Lego build is – say, an X-Wing or Tie Fighter.

All of this is powered by a custom chip hidden inside the brick, along with sensors, a gyroscope, non-invasive microphones, and a sound synthesizer. Together, they let the Smart Brick understand what’s around it and respond with the right sounds and lighting effects, without adding a screen or changing the core Lego experience. For now, it’s limited to a handful of Star Wars sets, but it’s a smart, confident foundation – one that enhances play rather than distracting from it.

Best OLED TV

LG W6 Wallpaper TV

• LG's best OLED panel, in a super-thin 9.9mm body
• Uses a wireless connections box to keep it aesthetically pure
• Read more: LG announces new OLED TVs at CES

The LG W6 is a stunner in more ways than one. It uses LG's most advanced OLED panel – the new Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 also used in the LG G6 – but in a design that's just 9.9mm thick. It's also totally uniform, meaning it can be as invisible on the wall as pretty much any TV can be these days. In the image above, you can see how well it blends in using a photo of the wall behind it. To help this minimalism, it uses a wireless connections box that's capable of full-quality 4K HDR pictures, but without the tangle of cables running to the TV.

It looks like it'll be a fantastic TV, thanks to the panel and LG's latest-gen image processing, and should only cost a little more than the G6 does. That means you'll be getting something super-impressive and premium at a still-realistic price.

Best RGB TV

Samsung R95H

• Stunningly rich color and fantastic contrast
• Available in realistic sizes, and shown in an amazing 130-inch model
• Read more: Samsung's enormous micro-RGB TV is coming to smaller screen sizes, and it borrows one great feature from Samsung OLED TVs

CES has been dominated by RGB TVs this year. These are basically mini-LED TVs with a new more colorful backlight behind the pixels, meaning they offer a greater range of colors, and can be even brighter. Having seen them in action, our pick of the bunch is the Samsung R95H. It looks so lush and colorful, with impressively inky black tones, and Samsung's anti-reflective screen ensuring you can see everything, without distractions.

More than that, this is a TV available in realistic sizes – Samsung showed off 75-inch and 85-inch versions, but overall its RGB TVs will come in sizes starting from 55 inches – while still feeling cutting edge. However, for good measure, Samsung also showed an amazing 130-inch version of this TV.

Best Mini-LED TV

TCL X11L SQD MiniLED

• A twist on traditional QLED mini-LED TV tech
• Astoundingly bright, with 20,000 dimming zones
• Read more: TCL launches next-gen SQD mini-LED TV at CES – the ‘best TV in the market’ for 2026

TCL has put a fascinating twist on its flagship TV here. It uses more traditional mini-LED tech rather than RGB mini-LED – but only sort of. TCL is employing a single-color mini-LED backlight, but has applied a layer of 'Super Quantum Dots' (the SQD part) directly over the top, which filter the color before – rather than after – it reaches the LCD layer.

This means it kind of works like an RGB TV, but TCL says this approach means it can pack in way more LEDs. It can produce 10,000 nits of brightness and 20,000 dimming zones for probably the best contrast we've ever seen from a mini-LED TV. Based on early impressions, this is the closest we've seen to mini-LED beating the blooming problem completely.

Best projector

Hisense PX4-Pro

• Ultra short throw laser 4K projector with amazing brightness and color
• Up to 200 inches projected with the device just inches from the wall
• Read more: Hisense unveils two 4K laser projectors — a 300-inch beast with huge brightness, plus the sequel to the best ultra short throw projector

The PX4-Pro is the follow-up to the projector we rate as the best ultra short throw projector overall right now, so we were excited to take a look, and it lived up to our expectations. Its picture looks beautifully bright with a good light-rejecting screen – closer than ever to TV brightness – and eye-grabbingly rich color.

But it can now project up to 200 inches in size still from right near the wall, while maintaining immersive brightness and color depth, and all still in the same size of projector package. CES is full of projectors this year, but this one popped for us.

Best soundbar

LG Sound Suite H7

• The world's first Dolby Atmos FlexConnect soundbar
• A powerful all-in-one, and you can add more speakers in any position
• Read more: LG’s 2026 TVs and soundbars get the Dolby Atmos FlexConnect treatment

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is a really interesting technology that means you can place home theater speakers wherever is convenient for your room, and the system will configure their sound to create immersive spatial audio, even if they're not in the 'ideal' spot.

LG's Sound Suite H7 is the first soundbar to include the tech, delivering 9.1.6 channels of Dolby Atmos sound on its own. However, you can add a sub and satellite speakers that are positioned anywhere in the room, and the soundbar will automatically optimize them and create the ideal immersive system. It sounds amazing, and the freedom of placement is a game-changer.

Best smartwatch

Pebble Round 2

• The original smartwatch returns!
• E-paper screen means a week of battery life
• Read more: Pebble unveils Pebble Round 2 — and fixes all the original's major pitfalls

Pebble holds a strong place in the heart of tech lovers – it was the first smartwatch that really took, and now it's back with its coolest model yet. Pebble Round 2 is a sleeker, rounder watch, and using a color e-paper helps it deliver a week of battery life per charge.

Naturally, it does some fitness and sleep tracking, and there's a big range of apps and watch faces, thanks to the ongoing commitment to having open source software on the Pebble range.

Best fitness tracker

Noise Luna Band

• A screenless health-tracking band
• No subscription needed – a rarity these days

We've enjoyed the Luna Ring models, and now the brand has the Luna Band. It's a Whoop-like fitness tracker, meaning there's no distracting screen. It doesn't really feel like tech, and that's a good thing – you just live your life, and the Luna Band will offer helpful updates on your diet, workouts, sleep, mood and more. You can use your voice to tell it what meal you ate, to log your workouts, or how you're feeling – and then you can review them later on the app. The one downside is that this function uses Apple's Siri, which means it's iPhone-only for now.

Perhaps the best part is that it doesn't require a subscription on top of the device cost to do all this – people are tired of being nickel-and-dimed, and so the Luna Band looks like it'll help you stay zen in more ways than one.

Best exercise tech

Merach W60 Walking Pad

• "Treadmill-grade engineering" for a low price
• Auto-incline or manual incline options

Walking pads are getting more and more popular, especially for people who work from home and want to get some exercise in during the work day. Merach's new model promises to help you do this more easily and reliably than ever. We love the promise of "treadmill-grade engineering" for a super-sturdy feel, and Merach says it will have a 2,000km warranty.

It's available in two options: one with an auto-incline feature, and one where you'll have to manually set an incline. There's also RGB lighting and Bluetooth speakers built in, if you want to set a mood. Starting from just $299 for the manual version and $329 for the auto-incline version, this really looks like it could be the new standout walking pad on the market.

Best wellness innovation

Nuralogix Longevity Mirror

• A smart mirror that can detect blood flow in your face to give health insights
• Everything from physiological age to mental health

This smart mirror has cameras built in that combine with an AI algorithm to work out a surprising amount of health data just from your face. It's not looking at your features – it's detecting blood-flow patterns, which it can make a variety of sophisticated estimations from.

These include your heart-rate, your physiological age (as in, is your body working as well as it should for your 'real' age?) and your mental health. It appears to be pretty accurate based on early testing – it seems like an incredibly clever system.

Best laptop

Dell XPS 14

• Smart new design with usability improvements
• Intel's new Core Ultra 3 chips inside
• Read more: Hands on: Dell XPS 14 2026 and XPS 16 2026

Without question, the most exciting laptop of CES 2026 was the Dell XPS 14. While many a reviewer and tech journalist is praising the return of the XPS brand itself, what matters most – in our opinion – is the redesign of the laptop. The last Dell XPS 14 and 2025's Dell 14 Premium (the short-lived successor to the XPS 14) were both fantastic laptops that were hamstrung by some major design flaws; namely, the virtual function keys and ‘invisible’ trackpad that turned out to be an accessibility nightmare.

Those have now been fixed with a new design that is also thinner and more modern-looking than its predecessors. And with the new Intel Core Ultra series 3 chips, it’s even more powerful and better equipped to take on the Apple MacBook Air for the 'thin and light' laptop crown.

Best gaming laptop

Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable

• A 16-inch display that expands to a 24-inch display
• The flexible OLED screen literally rolls out like a scroll
• Read more: Lenovo officially unveils the rumored Legion Pro Rollable gaming laptop with expanding screen

The Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable, previously rumored but officially unveiled at CES 2026, is easily one of the most intriguing gaming laptops we’ve ever seen. Its screen expands horizontally from a 16-inch display to 21.5 inches, then once more to a 23.8-inch panel at max extension – all from a quick keyboard shortcut.

The Legion Pro Rollable is an exciting prospect for PC gamers who travel often and want desk-like levels of screen space without attempting to cram a massive laptop into their bag. Gaming aside, it also brings benefits to everyday browsing and productivity, giving you more space to organize windows at the click of a button. It’s only a proof of concept at the moment, but we'll be following it closely to see if the Legion Pro Rollable hits mainstream production.

Best computing innovation

Core Ultra series 3

• Excellent performance in thin-and-light laptops
• Particularly impressive GPU means great gaming on ultrabooks
• Read more: The Intel Core Ultra series 3 processors look impressive enough, but the Arc B390 iGPU is the real game-changer here

We’ve been waiting for the Intel Core Ultra series 3 for several months now, having seen pre-launch builds of Intel Panther Lake last year. Now the Core Ultra series 3 has launched, every laptop we’ve tried with the new chips just reinforces how well Intel has stuck the landing on this release.

This is especially true when it comes to the graphics performance of the higher-end 12 Xe core Arc B390 iGPU, which delivers high-quality 1080p PC gaming on an ultrabook – no other chipmaker even comes close in 2026. If you’re looking to upgrade to a premium thin and light Windows laptop, there’s little reason to buy anything other than a laptop with an Intel Core Ultra series 3.

Best action camera

Dreame Leaptic Cube

• Tiny modular 8K action camera
• Clip to a screen module, or just a battery

Dreame is best known for its vacuum and cleaning tech, but it used CES 2026 to announce its entry into a ton of other product categories. And one of the coolest things we saw at the show was this tiny action camera. The core here is a really small action cam with up to 8K recording, or 4K in HDR if you prefer.

But the clever part is its modular design. It has a little docking system, and Dreame showed it running into two modes: one with a clip-on battery, keeping the whole thing at a small size; and one with a touchscreen module that's larger. You can imagine all the possibilities for accessories from here, all enabling smart extra functions, not just attaching dumbly.

Best gaming accessory

Razer Project Madison

• The ultimate immersive gaming chair
• Surround speakers, haptic feedback and RGB lights all react to games

Razer has decided to throw every kind of immersive gaming chair tech into one product here. This chair uses sight, sound and touch to create something totally enveloping, taking features from Razer's products including the Freyja haptic gaming cushion and Clio headrest speakers.

This chair has speakers behind your head, which combine with front speakers to create a true 5.1 or 7.1 surround system. It has lights that react to compatible games, creating the feeling that events are happening around you, not just on the screen. And the built-in haptics deliver sensations and impacts during play. It looks like the best way to get truly lost in a game.

Best gaming innovation

Neurable / HyperX headset concept and priming software

• A brain-reading gaming headset to improve your performance
• Helps you lower reaction times and improve accuracy
• Read more: I tried a prototype brain-scanning headset designed to make you better at Valorant — and it actually works

Brain-scanning company Neurable has worked on headphones that can scan your brain activity using EEGs to help you focus and prevent burnout in the past. Now it's bringing these ideas to gaming headsets, in a collaboration with HyperX – but the focus is on improving your focus and performance in games.

We tried it out, and it really makes a difference. Using a 'priming' exercise before playing, where you have to focus your mind to shrink a cloud of dots down to nothing, we improved accuracy by a few percentage points, and the company's research has shown it can reduce reaction time by around 40 milliseconds. For esports players, this is a big deal, and the software can track your focus and cognitive load levels while playing, to potentially help with coaching and to prevent tilting.

Best robot mower

Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD

• Offers ±1 cm positioning precision via an upgraded LiDAR, RTK and Vision navigation system
• Can make decisions almost instantly with a 10 TOPS AI chip
• Read more: I just watched Mammotion's new flagship lawnbot scale an astroturf mountain, and it was mesmerizing

There were a lot of incredible robot lawn mowers on show at CES this year, but the one that really stood out to us was the Mammotion LUBA 3 AWD. It builds on the success of the excellent LUBA 2 AWD that precedes it, and is one of the most all-round capable lawnbots we've seen.

At the heart of the design is an upgraded 'Tri-Fusion' navigation system, where the bot will switch between LiDAR, RTK GPS and AI Vision depending on what's most appropriate for the situation. That means it's unlikely ever to get itself lost – the brand promises positioning accuracy to ±1 cm. Mammotion has also upgraded the processing system with a powerful AI chip that can handle 10 trillion operations per second, meaning it can make smart mowing decisions almost instantly.

Best robot vacuum

Roborock Saros Rover

• It's a robovac with actual, proper legs
• It can climb stairs, duck and dive, and even hop
• Read more: I saw Roborock's new robot vacuum with legs, and it promises to make no-go zones a thing of the past

This one is still in the middle of development, but is so cool already – and, admittedly, a little weird. This robot vacuum uses two extended legs that make it look like a Star Wars droid to get around your house more easily. Having articulated legs means it can climb stairs – including spiral staircases – cleaning them as it goes.

In fact, stairs are just the start. Roborock says the Rover is designed to be able to tackle any kind of terrain or home layout, no matter how awkward. Think of it like a 4x4 for cleaning.

It has some fancy object avoidance tech that means it can duck and dive, weave and jump, remaining completely stable throughout. We're not sure exactly what this is for, but it sure is impressive to watch. This maybe the most that a robovac has looked like a pet – it's got personality, it's useful, and we love it.

Best haircare tech

L'Oréal Light Straight +

• A straightener that uses infrared light tech to straighten effectively at lower temperatures
• Avoids the high temperatures that damage hair
• Read more: L'Oréal exec on why its new glass, infrared-powered hair straightener is so exciting

This innovative hair straightener promises to be three times faster at straightening hair, and yet will leave hair twice as smooth as regular plate straighteners do. And at the same time, it can do this at a lower temperature – always under 320°F / 160°C, compared to 365°F / 185°C for typical models. High temperatures break down hair, so reduction is a long-term good for your hair's health.

We got to try them out on – and this has been the first time we've ever used this phrase – human demo hair, and they certainly seemed to work incredibly well. This could be a huge change for a long-running industry, and that's what CES is all about.

Best smart light

IKEA Varmblixt LED Lamp

• It's a glowing, color-changing donut
• Works with IKEA's smart hub, or a Matter home system
• Read more: IKEA just revealed a new donut-shaped smart light – and it'll look sweet on your tables or walls

Sometimes, you've just got acknowledge when something is charming as hell, and that's what we're talking about with the new IKEA Varmblixt. It's a revamp of an ultra-popular lamp IKEA launched in 2022, but this new version is all about the color options, using an array of LEDs to create a beautiful soft toroidal glow.

It can be controlled with a remote, or you can connect it to IKEA's Dirigea home hub, but it also works with any Matter-ready smart home control option.

CES 2026 is about to start, and I'm going to be on the ground and in the fortunate position to go and see all the tech coming this year that I'm most excited about. I lead TechRadar's AV coverage, and I have no shame in admitting to being a total nerd about the latest OLED panel construction, speaker design innovations, and home theater upgrades.

A huge part of the fun of CES is finding things you had no idea existed, but obviously, I also see things I either expect to see or know I'll see. As I'm about to head into the show in the next few days, here's what's top of my list of things I'm looking forward to, and that I recommend you keep an eye out for more information about if you're an enthusiast like me.

TV tech

1. LG's next-gen OLED TV panel

LG hasn't announced its next-gen OLED TV yet, but we already have a good idea on what to expect from its flagship TV. For a start, a next-gen Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 WOLED panel has been announced by LG Display (the part of the company that makes OLED panels), which is the successor to the tech in the magnificent LG G5 flagship.

But there's also been a leak about the LG G6, revealing higher brightness and lower reflectivity, meaning it'll have even more punch. I can't wait to see this TV and its new panel in action in person.

2. RGB TVs from everyone

RGB LED TVs are the next big thing – pretty much all the big companies will launch affordable versions of this new kind of screen tech this year, and I've run down what to expect in a full article here.

Compared to existing mini-LED TVs, the new tech promises even brighter TVs (or the same brightness with less energy use), more vivid colors, and potentially better contrast. With Samsung, LG, Hisense, TCL all either confirmed or very likely to show these TVs off during CES, I'm really looking forward to seeing what they can do.

4. Samsung's mysterious new ultra-high-end OLED

Samsung hasn't confirmed any OLED TV plans before CES, but a leak has revealed that we should expect several new Samsung OLED TV models this year – not just replacing last year's options, but actually new model numbers that seem to indicate upgrades we haven't seen before.

Top of my list to see from this leak is the Samsung S99H model. Previously, Samsung's flagship OLEDs have been 'S95', and based on Samsung's usual naming schemes, 'S99' would be even higher-end than that. What kind of tech would make something even more elite than the Samsung S95F, which we crowned as our TV of the Year 2025?

The only thing I would guess with any degree of safety is that it'll use the Zero Connect wireless video box, as seen on The Frame Pro and Samsung Q990F last year. I'm looking forward to seeing what else it might do.

5. Dolby Vision 2's next steps

Last year, Dolby Vision 2 was unveiled, promising to improve HDR further for budget TVs, making pictures even more accurate for high-end bright TVs, and fixing motion smoothing for good measure.

I got to see Dolby Vision 2 in action, and it looks genuinely impressive, but we had very little info about when and where we'd see it in our homes. I'm hoping we'll get more confirmation at CES about streaming platforms and TVs that will support it – we know Hisense will, and TCL very heavily implied that it will, so we may hear more about that. LG was much more cagey, but perhaps that'll be confirmed, too. Samsung is unlikely to change its stance on not supporting Dolby Vision.

Home theater sound

6. Samsung's Sonos Arc Ultra competitor

Ahead of CES, Samsung has announced its next two flagship soundbars. One is an all-in-one bar that's a square shot across the bow of the Sonos Arc Ultra, as an all-in-one that doesn't come with or need a separate subwoofer to deliver impactful sound.

It promises 7.1.2 channels of sound with Dolby Atmos support, meaning seven forward and angle 'surround' channels, two upfiring height channels, and bass provided by four dedicated woofers.

It can lie flat on a TV surface, or can be mounted to the wall in an upright configuration, and adjusts its sound automatically whichever way you have it. It's Samsung's first go at a high-end single-unit soundbar that I can recall, so I'm eager to hear what its audio engineers can do. We consistently rate its other soundbars among the best soundbars on the planet, after all.

7. LG's Dolby Atmos FlexConnect soundbar

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is one of the most interesting bits of home theater tech of the last few years, but it's had a very gentle start to life. The idea is that it enables you to be way more flexible with where you position speakers for your sound system – you pick the location, and the system will detect where they are, and recalibrate how sound is output to match them, creating immersive sound even if you don't have room for speaker position in the usual front left, front right, center, rear left and rear right positions.

LG is launching the first wireless soundbar with FlexConnect at CES this year, with compatibility built into its upcoming TVs, too, and this could be the breakthrough the technology needs.

8. Ultimea's 9.2.6-channel sound system

We know very little about this yet, but as a home theater fan with a small house, I'm very intrigued by it. Ultimea is best known for cheap soundbars, and it makes some impressive ones – but it's launching a new, very powerful and intriguing model at CES.

Ultimea has teased a 9.2.6-channel surround system that looks like a super-immersive beast. A soundbar combines with four satellite speakers – side and rear – and dual subwoofers for a system that's really elaborate, yet appears to be very compact and simple.

I'm really looking forward to trying this – if it's affordable (and history says it will be, compared to anything remotely close to its configuration). It could be the dream option for home theater enthusiasts with very limited space.

Audio tech

9. Samsung's Music Studio speakers

Samsung is launching two wireless speakers at CES 2026 that, much like its soundbar above, seem to take aim straight at Sonos. They're called 'Music Studio', come in two sizes, and have a cool minimalist look I wouldn't normally associate with Samsung.

The Music Studio 5 has basically the same speaker setup as the Sonos Era 100, and is a similar size; the Music Studio 7 has basically the same spatial audio-friendly speaker setup as the Sonos Era 300.

Will they sound as good as these speakers and be priced competitively? I'm really looking forward to finding out.

10. New bargain, repairable buds from JLab

We don't have any leaks about this, but JLab is always high on my list of companies to visit. The company makes some of the best cheap earbuds out there, and regularly surprises me at events with some new set of buds that feature impressive tech for half the price you'd guess, even knowing the company is a budget specialist.

One thing we do know is that JLab is hot on the future of earbuds being repairable – I suspect that CES 2026 will bring models with replaceable batteries at the very least.

11. Soundcore's next wild creations

Anker Soundcore can always be trusted to bring something really interesting to trade shows. At IFA 2025, it was a portable projector with removable and foldable surround sound, and at CES 2025, it had one of the first speakers to use AI to remove vocals from any song for easy karaoke from any streaming source.

I don't know what to expect from CES 2025, but I know there's going to be something I've never seen before.

12. Japanese hi-fi greats Onkyo and Technics

The hi-fi world has a variable relationship with CES – there are plenty of dedicated audio shows for companies to launch at, so these companies don't always go hard at CES.

Onkyo and Technics tend to be consistent exceptions. At CES 2025, Technics introduced the new best earbuds in the world in the form of the EAH-AZ100, while Onkyo unveiled some impressive wireless speakers along with a whole new 'Icon' line of hi-fi amplification separates.

I don't know what the companies have planned this time, and there haven't been any big early leaks, but I always recommend keeping an eye out for their announcements.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

• Ultimea will unveil a 9.2.6-channel soundbar surround system at CES
• Dual subwoofers and four satellite speakers
• Also available in a single-sub version

Ultimea makes some of the best soundbars at the cheaper end, such as the Ultimea Nova S50 and our current pick of the ultra-cheap soundbars, the Ultimea Poseidon D50. So wer're intrigued to see that the brand will be unveiling a new, premium soundbar surround system with up to seven speaker units at CES – the Skywave X100 Dual.

Ultimea describes the Skywave as its "flagship product for 2026" and it's been teasing two versions of the product on Instagram and Facebook: The Skywave X100 and the Skywave X100 Dual. The former is a single-subwoofer surround sound system while the Dual has two.

Ultimea Skywave X100 / X100 Dual: key features

So far Ultimea is keeping the details secret, preferring instead to show videos and images hinting at the design. But based on its CES preview image at the top of this post, the setup appears to be a 9.2.6-channel system with a central soundbar, four satellite speakers, and those two subwoofers, with Ultimea promising "cinema-grade bass" and "effortless simplicity."

If we zoom and enhance the picture above using advanced imaging technology (yes, it's Photoshop) we see the expected layout of the new system: soundbar at the front, two small satellite speaker at the side, two rear speakers, two subs on either of the soundbar, TV showing Edge of Tomorrow for demo-ing it (naturally).

I'm assuming that each of the small satellites packs one surround channel and one upfiring channel, with the soundbar suppling five surround channels and two upfiring channels.

Ultimea's current Skywave flagship is the X70 soundbar, which puts out up to 980W in a 7.1.4 configuration featuring wireless satellites and a 10-inch subwoofer. Although it's discounted now, the original retail price was $799 / £679 (about AU$1,192).

We've been very impressed by Ultimea's cheap soundbars, but if the X100 is coming in at this price point it needs to be very good as it's up against some of the very best soundbars including the Samsung HW-Q800D. That's 5.1.2 rather than 9.2.6 but there's more to a sound system than its channel count, and the Samsung is a superb-sounding system.

However, if Ultimea can pull off a super-immersive Dolby Atmos system (Atmos isn't mentioned in Ultimea's info so far, but it has to be) with multiple real surround speakers for a good price, it'll get a lot of interest from the TechRadar team, for sure.

The brand's livestream from CES should be interesting, not least because Ultimea says it intends to give out over $10,000 in "lucky draw rewards" to live viewers. It'll also feature more product announcements including "a complete home audio ecosystem" including "wireless home theater systems, bookshelf speakers, active subwoofers, music streamers, and karaoke machines."

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

Recently, I managed to get my hands on JBL’s new flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar. That’s right, I spent hours testing the JBL Bar 1300MK2 – a mighty model that comes with a full-sized bar, a powerful sub, and detachable surround speakers. And it really was something special.

Given the widespread success of its predecessor, the JBL Bar 1300MK2 had a lot to live up to. But by adding more than double the power of its forefather, as well as effective new features and a refined look, it easily lived up to my expectations, netting an awesome 4.5-star review.

But what exactly makes this soundbar so impressive? Well, I’m here to tell you and share the three key reasons why I’d recommend the JBL Bar 1300MK2. A lot of the best soundbars look incredibly alike and provide a very similar set of features, but I think this JBL model does plenty to differentiate itself – there’ll be plenty of unique qualities to discover in this list. So, without further ado, let’s get right into things.

1. Versatile surround speakers

Perhaps the most interesting feature that the JBL Bar 1300MK2 has to offer is its detachable surround speakers.

These can be slotted onto the main bar if you'd prefer, but I predominantly used them as rear speakers, helping to create truly immersive surround sound. I also liked how you could use them as individual Bluetooth speakers instead and play your tunes on the go. They’ll connect up to other Auracast-enabled JBL speakers as well – ideal if you really want to crank up the volume.

Of course, the surround speakers are battery-powered and don’t require any wires when in use. Given that they’re also pre-paired to the bar, that allows for the most seamless and hassle-free setup imaginable. You’ll get 10 hours of battery life per speaker – more than enough for a movie marathon – but can plug them into a USB-C charger while in use if they need a little more juice.

You can also charge the speakers by sliding them onto the main soundbar, which makes them convenient in just about every way. And I should mention, they genuinely plate up amazing audio, and never sound overbearing or distant when connected up to your soundbar system.

2. Outrageous power levels

I visited Copenhagen earlier in 2025, where I got an early peek at this model, as well as some other soundbars like the JBL Bar 1000MK2 and Bluetooth speakers such as the JBL Grip. One thing stuck with me above all from that trip: the unbelievable power of the Bar 1300MK2.

That’s right, this thing is an absolute beast, with far more might than just about every rival, and more than double that of its predecessor. To be specific, this soundbar has a maximum power output of almost 2,500W. Yes, you read that correctly. That power is spread across a whopping 29 drivers within the main bar, sub, and surround speakers, and is seriously striking.

When watching Dolby Atmos movies, the room-swallowing deep bass of this bar was something to behold – it really made me feel as if I was sitting right inside a movie theater. If you’re looking for a cost-efficient soundbar system that can get especially loud and handle dark, imposing scores and soundtracks, this one is definitely for you.

I should say too, that the JBL Bar 1300MK2 isn’t just powerful and loud – the quality of audio here is astonishingly good. Those low-frequency sounds extend extremely low, but they’re responsive and don’t overshadow dialogue. Speaking of which, voices come through with excellent clarity, and treble response is as snappy as I’d dreamed of. It’s just a great soundbar system, for movies and music alike.

3. An exceptional feature-set

And to top things off, I want to talk about the extensive feature-set of the JBL Bar 1300MK2, which gives you all kinds of ways to customize your home theater experience.

One inclusion that comes to mind is MultiBeam 3.0 tech. This makes use of beamforming as well as digital processing to deliver a “wide, cinema-like soundstage”, in the words of JBL itself. And having tested this model, I’d say that's very much accurate – I experienced an intoxicatingly expansive listen from the Bar 1300MK2 time after time.

Another neat feature is AI Sound Boost, which has featured on some of the company’s Bluetooth speakers, like the JBL Xtreme 4. This enables the included dual-driver subwoofer – which can reach down as low as 33Hz – to deliver improved dynamics, an important inclusion for more action-packed movies.

There’s even more to uncover, though, like a redesigned Night Mode, which totally deactivates the main bar and sub to provide playback through the surround speakers alone. So, if everyone has gone to bed, you can place the surround speakers in front of you and keep watching your movie or TV show without any noise complaints.

Of course, all the other good stuff is here like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, Wi-Fi streaming and Bluetooth, plus 4K passthrough (but not at 120Hz). And I’ve already discussed those nifty detachable speakers. But the bottom line is, the JBL Bar 1300MK2 serves up just about everything you could want from one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and is well worth considering if you’re in the market for a new one.

For some time, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 has gone relatively unchallenged as the ultimate compact Dolby Atmos soundbar. Its combination of great-sounding audio, solid virtualized Dolby Atmos and a nifty set of features hasn’t faced too much in the way of competition until home theater newcomer Marshall released a rival model of its own fairly recently, and it really does go toe-to-toe with Sonos. The Marshall Heston 60 is a very strong small Dolby Atmos soundbar that wowed me with its expansive audio and luxurious looks.

But can the Heston 60 outdo Sonos’ long-standing compact Atmos king? Or will it just fall short? I tried both models alongside one another in our TV testing space at Future Labs to find out which is the best soundbar. I compared both on their feature set, audio performance, design and ease-of-setup, as well as value for money. Here’s which soundbar came out on top…

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60: price and availability

Perhaps unsurprisingly given its age, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the cheaper of these two models. It had a launch price of $449 / £449 / AU$699 when it hit the shelves in October 2021, but now you’ll regularly find it going for less in seasonal sales. During Black Friday, for example, I saw it on offer for under $350 / £350.

Meanwhile, the Marshall Heston 60 is likely to cost you a fair bit more. It has a list price of $699.99 / £499.99 / AU$999, and there’s been no sign of a discount yet – which is to be expected, given it only released in September 2025. You can grab the Heston 60 either in Black & Brass or Cream, and the Beam Gen 2 in Black or White.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60: specs

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60: features

Both models have a good set of features, with plenty of customization options. The Beam Gen 2 connects up to the Sonos app, and can be added to your home ecosystem. That means you can access multi-room audio, and seamlessly connect up to other Sonos speakers – a huge benefit of this model.

On top of that, the app opens up TruePlay – essentially a room-calibration tool that makes use of a built-in mic. There’s also EQ and channel level adjustment options, voice-assistant compatibility, and an audio swap feature that Sonos Ace users may appreciate.

It’s a similar story with the Heston 60. A new Marshall app includes detailed EQ options, channel level control, a variety of sound modes, and a room correction tool. It also supports Auracast, so if you want to broadcast audio to a bunch of modern Marshall speakers – think the Marshall Kilburn III or Marshall Bromley 750 – you can do so. Built-in AirPlay 2 and Google Cast are also nice to have, and you can link internet radio or streaming services to the soundbar’s physical program buttons.

The Heston 60 has a wider set of connectivity options in general. The Beam Gen 2 omits Bluetooth – and by extension Auracast – as well as the RCA mono, USB-C, and 3.5mm ports that you’ll find on the Heston 60. Crucially, though, both support HDMI eARC and Wi-Fi streaming, which are the main options I use day to day.

Outside of this, both soundbars support Dolby Atmos and higher-res music streaming formats, though only the Heston 60 has DTS:X compatibility – so, if you make use of that codec when watching 4K UHD Blu-rays, for example, then you may prefer Marshall’s bar.

All in all, it’s a fairly close race in the features department. If you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem, the Beam Gen 2 may suit you better. But for most consumers, the Heston 60’s inclusion of more connectivity options and DTS:X support makes it a slightly more enticing pick.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60: performance

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a 5.0 channel soundbar, while the Heston 60 is a 5.1 model, and they do have slightly different configurations. The Heston 60 makes use of seven active drivers capable of a 56W maximum power output. On the other hand, the Beam Gen 2 has just five drivers, but has 80W of power.

These differences were reflected in the sound I heard from each bar – the Beam Gen 2 is a little more powerful, and the rumble of low-frequency sounds hit with a little more intent. In The Boy and the Heron, there’s a scene with a deep rumble that runs throughout, and the Beam Gen 2 replicated it with considerable impact, really immersing me in the action.

On the Marshall Heston 60, bass was certainly admirable given the bar’s compact size, but it didn’t quite have the bite of the Beam.

Both soundbars perform very well overall, with punchy low-end output, clear mids, and controlled treble, and will provide a gigantic improvement over basic TV audio.

For example, dialogue in movies and TV shows is fantastically clear from both models – though speech did get a tad more breathing room on the Beam Gen 2 – ideal for more action-packed scenes. A speech enhancement from Sonos and Voice mode from Marshall are on board if you want to focus in on voices too.

One area that I picked up on a fair amount of difference, though, was Dolby Atmos performance. While watching a 4K Blu-ray of The Mask, the cartoonish spinning effects, background noises, and characters dashing around sounded better placed on the Heston 60. As The Mask spun into the backdrop of an open space, there was more depth and width to his movement from Marshall’s compact bar.

The Beam Gen 2 still plated up solid three-dimensional audio effects – they just weren’t as nuanced or convincing as the Heston 60’s. It was a similar story with Top Gun: Maverick. The Sonos bar mapped the movement of Tom Cruise’s Kawasaki motorcycle well, and jets flying across the screen sounded as if they surpassed the confines of the soundbar’s restrictive form.

However, the Heston 60 delivered a touch more finesse overall, even with height elements. For instance, when Cruise flew his jet up and overhead, the vertical extension on offer was more striking from Marshall – the move was replicated decently on the Beam Gen 2, but its height effects didn’t make a big impression on me. In honesty, though, neither of these compact soundbars are top-drawer in this department – a full-size model like the Samsung HW-Q990F or JBL Bar 1300MK2 with dedicated up-firing drivers will be better if you're after peak performance.

All in all, this is actually quite a tight contest. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 offers a bit more firepower, with mightier bass and even slightly improved dynamics. But the Marshall Heston 60’s handling of Dolby Atmos is superior, in my view. There are great benefits to picking either bar, so we’ll call it a tie in this category.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60: design & setup

I’m a big fan of how both of these soundbars have been designed. Each are highly compact, making them easy to slot into tighter spaces or place in front of smaller TVs. And both can be purchased in a couple of different color options, which is always nice to see.

In terms of looks, the model you prefer will largely come down to the aesthetic you’re going for. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a modern, curved, and sleek soundbar that’s housed in neat plastic casing.

Meanwhile, the Heston 60 really stands out from the crowd, with frets, a faux-leather exterior, and golden details. I personally love the amp-inspired design of Marshall’s compact bar, and think it gives off more of a luxurious feel – but I certainly won’t deny the class of the Beam Gen 2.

Both have practical physical controls too, which are responsive and work well. Neither come with a physical remote, as you can simply use your standard TV remote to alter volume, and the Sonos or Marshall apps to adjust sound modes, channel level, and more. One small thing I really like about the Heston 60, though, is that its control panel is magnetic, so you can flip it for when the soundbar is wall-mounted – a real sign of the care and thought put into its design.

Set-up wise, it's pretty straightforward from Sonos and Marshall. You can just connect either bar up with an HDMI cable and power source, and you’re good to go. Both apps are well laid-out, and open up additional options, like room calibration for the ultimate viewing experiences too.

However, I should mention that I’ve found the new Marshall app to be pretty buggy – registering the Heston 60 sometimes takes a couple of tries, which isn’t a problem I've encountered with the Beam Gen 2.

In the end, it’s a close one again. Setup is pretty easy across both bars, although I do hope Marshall gets its app working a little better. Build quality is impressive from both too, although I do think the Heston 60 has more of a premium feel to it, which gives it a slight edge for me.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60: value

Perhaps the most important question, then, is which soundbar is better value for money: the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or the Marshall Heston 60?

Let’s start by talking about price. The newer and luxurious-looking Marshall Heston 60 does, unsurprisingly, have a higher asking price. It will set you back $699.99 / £499.99 / AU$999, and there’s not been a sign of a sale just yet.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 – which was released more than four years ago now – isn’t quite as pricey, typically coming in at $449 / £449 / AU$699. I’ve seen it go on sale a few times over the years, and during big sale events like Black Friday, you can expect to see it dip to around $350 / £350.

Does the Heston 60 do enough to warrant the extra price? I think it depends on what you’re looking for. If you want impressive Atmos in a small package, it’s a very strong candidate. Its premium aesthetic is also a huge selling point, and makes it just as much of a statement piece as it is a soundbar.

But the Beam Gen 2 just feels like such a good buy. Sure, it leaves out DTS:X, and it’s missing the wide connectivity options of the Heston 60, but it delivers plenty of bang for your buck. Surprisingly hard-hitting bass, very good dynamics, crystal-clear dialogue, and the ability to customize sound to your liking… those are some serious positives.

I think the Heston 60 handles Dolby Atmos better, and that’s worth keeping in mind, but for pure value for money, Sonos just about gets the nod from me.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 vs Marshall Heston 60: verdict

As you’ll have likely gathered, this is a phenomenally close affair. In fact, I’m not sure if there’s been a tighter battle in any of the tech showdowns I’ve written thus far.

And it’s easy to see why. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is older, and by extension a little cheaper. And it still supplies powerful, high-calibre sound, with Dolby Atmos support and a whole host of smart features.

The Heston 60, though, is an absolute beauty with even better Dolby Atmos performance, bundles of connectivity options, and a stand-out aesthetic. It’s a little pricier, yes, but I think a lot of consumers will consider it worth the spend on looks alone.

I’d happily recommend either soundbar – both are top-class compact picks. But if I had to give the slight edge to one, it would probably be the Sonos Beam Gen 2. I do prefer the design of the Heston 60, but Sonos offers a little more value for money as well as better low-end and dialogue replication, giving it the tiniest of leads.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve made a radical change to the way that I enjoy movies at home. That’s right: despite holding a Netflix Premium subscription, I decided to take a break from the service for a while, and change over to 4K UHD Blu-rays.

Why? Well, above all, I wanted to see if the improvement in audio and picture quality was truly worth switching for. But I also wanted to know if physical media could genuinely suffice as an alternative to streaming services, after I’ve enjoyed years of instant access to all kinds of TV shows and movies.

How did it all go? I’ll get to that in due course! But for those interested in my setup, I made use of the Sony UBP-X700K Blu-ray player for this experiment – a model that supports video standards such as Dolby Vision and HDR10, as well as audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. I had it hooked up via the HDMI passthrough port on the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar, which is connected to a Sky Glass Gen 2 television.

Now that’s out of the way, here’s everything I learned after ditching Netflix Premium for 4K Blu-ray!

An unrivalled audio-visual delight

As I mentioned, the aspect I was most interested to assess was the audio and visual upgrade 4K UHD Blu-rays could provide over streaming services like Netflix. And in honesty, the difference was greater than I’d expected.

One movie I watched on the Sony UBP-X700K was The Boy and the Heron – a visual and sonic masterpiece from Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki. Mere seconds into this movie, I was struck by the incredible increase in quality 4K Blu-ray could deliver. Vibrant forest environments had a far more rich, natural look to them, while beautifully detailed characters appeared sharper, and motion was handled brilliantly with their every movement.

Just generally, 4K HDR content has superior contrast, and colors look richer and less artificial. When I tried tuning into the same movie over on Netflix – where Premium opens up Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos access – I felt that some colors could look oversaturated, and that black levels didn’t have the same degree of depth.

Arguably the biggest difference-maker, though, was the improvement I realized in audio quality. With 4K discs, I picked up on far better Dolby Atmos effects, with improved tracking and height – as well as cleaner all-round dialogue and bass output. Overall, that meant that the audio-visual experience on 4K was leagues above whatever Netflix could produce – even though it uses the same formats.

So, if you get Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and all that good stuff with a Premium Netflix subscription, why is the quality significantly lesser compared to 4K Blu-rays? Well, that’s down to a couple of things.

First of all, 4K discs are run locally – with bitrates typically ranging anywhere from 72Mbps up to 144Mbps, depending on the size of the disc. Netflix Premium, Amazon Prime Video, and a lot of major streaming services, have around 15-25Mbps to work with. And due to streaming services delivering content over the internet, video and audio gets compressed to ensure smooth, consistent playback.

That combination of higher bit-depth and less compression means that 4K UHD Blu-rays can serve up cinematic experiences that are far-easier on the eye, and even sweeter to listen to as well.

Physical media and the importance of ownership

Getting better quality wasn’t the only benefit I’ve enjoyed from switching to 4K Blu-ray. Something that I’ve really appreciated is the beauty of owning a movie… for good.

I’m sure you’ve been there before. You go back to re-watch one of your favorites on Netflix, only to find that it’s been removed. Perhaps you see another one of your go-to flicks is ‘leaving soon’. Or maybe, just maybe, the movie you love is still available, but you can no longer enjoy it in Dolby Vision or with Dolby Atmos audio. Whatever the case, all of this can be frustrating.

Of course, by owning movies yourself, this is no longer an issue. You also don’t have to subscribe to lots of different streaming services to get the movies and TV shows you want – you can purchase them directly, and in better quality!

There’s an emotional side of this conversation that also deserves a mention. The feeling of walking into a store, picking out a new movie or an old classic you want to watch, taking it home, and adding it to your collection… it’s something that can’t be replicated.

I have an extensive video game collection, and to me, it’s more than a pile of discs and cases – it’s a physical manifestation of my love, nostalgia, and reverence for the art form. The same goes for 4K discs, and I’m looking forward to adding more to expanding my collection in coming years.

My verdict: is it really worth it?

So, after all of this, can I see myself hanging onto my Netflix Premium subscription? Will I move entirely over to 4K? Well the answer may be more nuanced.

On one hand, I think that the prices of subscription services are a little hard to swallow. For instance, Netflix Premium costs $24.99 / £18.99 / AU$28.99. That cost has increased significantly in recent years, and I don’t expect it will come down any time soon!

Sure, there are cheaper subscription tiers, but these leave out Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos – surely I want to make the best of my 4K TV and Marshall soundbar combo? Oh, and of course, we’re only talking about one subscription here. If you take into account the additional cost of Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and more, things get expensive very quickly. As someone who also loves Smiling Friends, I’ve been tempted by HBO Max, which is set to come to the UK in March 2026.

However, 4K UHD Blu-rays are expensive. New discs typically cost around $30 / £25 / AU$40, which means that one film usually costs more than a month of Netflix Premium. But when I add the price of the various subscription services I have together, the cost of discs seems less daunting. Pair that with the increased quality and the permanence that physical media provides, and it still feels like you’re getting plenty of value from 4K UHD discs.

Despite all of this, I’m not sure if I’m quite ready to entirely leave Netflix, at least for the moment. Ultimately, the ability to discover new movies, and spontaneously throw on whatever I’m feeling like in a split second, is something I’d struggle to lose entirely.

Still, I’ve had a blast with the Sony UBP-X700K, and I plan to keep purchasing 4K discs when there’s a movie I want to enjoy at its very best – or if I want to keep one of my favorites for good. Since viewing it at the TV testing space in Future Labs, I’ve well and truly got my eyes set on the 4K UHD release of The Mask, which stunned me with its awe-inspiring Atmos effects on the JBL Bar 1300MK2. If you’d like some recommendations for a new disc, though, you can discover some tasty picks in our roundup of the best discs to add to your collection this month.

KEF XIO soundbar: Two minute review

The KEF XIO Dolby Atmos soundbar brings a new level of power, elegance, and versatility to the normally utilitarian soundbar category. And though KEF asks a pretty penny as the price of admission, the XIO delivers a performance that few soundbar systems can match. The fact that it looks just as good hanging on a wall as it does when placed horizontally is the icing on the cake.

As the company’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar, the KEF XIO is not quite as mesmerizing for height and surround effects as the Sonos Arc Ultra or Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus, but it makes up for that small weakness with sublimely clean audio and impressively robust bass. And when it comes to playing music, it’s no contest; the XIO is the best soundbar I’ve ever tested.

There are a few small quibbles. Not enough inputs, a smartphone app that doesn’t do as much as many competitors, and a remote that could do with a few more buttons. But overall, the KEF XIO is a formidable sound machine for all of your entertainment needs.

KEF XIO soundbar review: Price & release date

• • $2,499.95 / £1,999.00 (around AU$3,765)
• • Released July 2025

KEF launched the XIO, the company’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar, in July 2025 in a variety of markets, including the UK and the US.

While KEF is well-known and widely praised for its long heritage of producing passive hi-fi speakers, the British brand is no stranger to powered audio. Its LS series of wireless, amplified bookshelf speakers has been a favorite of audiophiles since the first models debuted, and KEF continues to expand its active lineup, most recently with its reboot of its passive Coda speakers as the Coda W.

KEF brings this amplified speaker experience to the XIO, along with its Uni-Q driver technology, and throws in some new innovations for good measure, like its Velocity Control Technology, a sensor-based system that actively monitors the XIO’s four low-frequency drivers to minimize distortion.

At $2,499.95, the KEF XIO lives in a soundbar category dominated by other high-end audio brands, like Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound Stage ($2,900), Sennheiser’s Ambeo Soundbar Max ($2,999.95), and the Devialet Dione ($2,199).

Price isn’t the only thing these models have in common: All are designed to be single-speaker solutions. Although you can add an external subwoofer to the XIO and the Ambeo Soundbar Max, none of these soundbars offers surround channel expansion.

KEF XIO soundbar review: Specs

KEF XIO soundbar review: Features

• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi with comprehensive streaming support
• Room correction
• Four built-in subwoofers with force cancellation

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Despite its hefty price, the KEF XIO is a little shy on ports. You don’t get any HDMI inputs to make up for the one it will grab from your TV, and there’s only a single optical port as an alternative for physically connected external devices.

This makes the XIO less desirable for those who want to hook up turntables, Blu-ray players, or game consoles. On the other hand, KEF has included a dedicated subwoofer output, a fairly rare feature on soundbars at any price.

Its wireless connection suite, however, is excellent, with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, and UPnP/DLNA support. Depending on your music source and the protocol you choose, you can stream to the XIO at up to 24-bit/384kHz for lossless, hi-res audio playback.

Thanks to all of those wireless protocols, it’s easy to stream from almost any app. You can also access several leading streaming services inside the KEF Connect app, including Amazon Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and Deezer.

Using the KEF Connect app, you can trigger the XIO’s room correction feature. I’d characterize it as semi-automatic: you still need to tell the app how high the speaker is mounted and how big your room is, but after that, it does the rest.

If there’s one area that sets the XIO apart from other soundbars, it’s the driver configuration, especially KEF’s approach to low frequencies. The XIO uses a set of four 2 x 6-inch P185 racetrack subwoofers mounted in horizontally opposed pairs. This force-cancelling arrangement reduces cabinet vibration, while KEF’s newly developed Velocity Control Technology uses sensors and a feedback loop to minimize distortion.

• Features score: 4 / 5

KEF XIO soundbar review: Performance

• Brilliant Dolby Atmos performance
• Astonishing two-channel stereo rendering
• Missing height and surround level adjustment

Can a single soundbar recreate true movie and music magic? While purists may scoff, the KEF XIO is exceptional.

Buried under its low-key exterior is a series of six, 2-inch Uni-Q MX drivers, two 2-inch full-range drivers, and a four-driver subwoofer array, all of which are discretely powered by class D amps, to the tune of 820 watts of total power.

What those specs can’t convey is how great the XIO sounds when it gets going. The performance is smooth, balanced, and immensely powerful. Your neighbors probably won’t agree, but the XIO rewards loud listening better than any other soundbar I’ve tested.

The benefits of KEF’s acoustic design start to reveal themselves at 50% volume. Bass is deeply resonant, yet detailed and at times quite musical. Yes, you can feel it, but it stops just shy of shaking furniture. Could it be further improved with a subwoofer? Sure. But believe me, unless you have a really big room, or aren’t happy unless your vision gets blurred by sub-bass, you don’t need one.

In fact, if you want more of a gut-punch, more immersion, or just more, simply dial up the volume. Doing so had a proportional effect on my smile. The XIO’s sound is so clean, so free from vibration or distortion, you may not even notice as the decibels approach unhealthy levels.

As I ran the XIO through my usual Dolby Atmos test clips from Mad Max: Fury Road, Ford v Ferrari, Unbroken, Dune, and No Time To Die, I was impressed by both the immersiveness and the dialogue clarity. The soundbar also does a decent job with Dolby Atmos Music.

However, I wouldn’t classify the XIO as the best single-speaker Atmos soundbar I’ve heard.

In fact, Sonos’s Arc Ultra ($1,099) can go toe-to-toe with the XIO for thunderous bass, and even edges out the XIO for surround channel effects. Meanwhile, Sennheiser’s Ambeo Soundbar Plus ($1,799.99) runs in the opposite direction, with slightly less low-end punch, but with far more effective surround and height immersion.

It’s not entirely surprising, given that the XIO is KEF’s first kick at the Dolby Atmos can. Moreover, in making the XIO wall-and-surface-mount friendly, it compromised a little on the directionality of its drivers. The side-firing drivers always face out at a 90-degree angle, as do the height drivers. It’s hard to do any kind of beam-forming when that’s the setup.

All of this fades into the background when you stream music. The XIO may not be the king of the Atmos hill, but when it comes to delivering two-channel sound, it’s staggeringly good.

The challenge that all soundbars face with stereo music is achieving sufficient separation of left/right channels. At just over 47 inches, the XIO isn’t any wider than other flagship soundbars, and yet it convinced me I was listening to discrete speakers set much farther apart. When sitting dead center, it gave me a level of stereo imaging I wasn’t expecting, and a nearly perfect phantom center channel. Given that nearly all soundbars have actual center channels, you’d think this would be a no-brainer, but it rarely works out that way.

The KEF Connect app offers only six EQ presets (Default, Movie, Music, Night, Dialogue, and Direct), with no manual equalizer controls. There are no bass/treble or loudness controls either, unless you create a new EQ profile using the app’s Expert mode.

For most content, the Default mode worked best for my tastes, but each preset is enjoyable in its own way. Dialogue mode can improve the intelligibility of TV speech, but it’s also a handy way to improve vocal clarity when listening to Dolby Atmos Music mixes that may push vocals further away.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

KEF XIO soundbar review: Design

• Fully removable grilles, elegant, understated look
• Wall-mountable
• No visible indicators when surface-mounted

From a design perspective, the KEF XIO is a radical departure from the company’s trademark aesthetics, which puts exposed speaker drivers proudly on display. The XIO, by contrast, is demure, hiding all 12 of its drivers behind elegant, splash-proof fabric grilles in Slate Black (seen here) or Silver Grey finishes.

Those grilles cover all but the central top aluminum surface, which houses the bar’s touch controls on one side, a discrete KEF logo on the other, and a covered driver in the middle.

Though it may not scream “KEF,” it’s a smart choice. Soundbars are generally in your line of sight when watching TV, so the fewer visual distractions, the better. Klipsch went loud-and-proud with the drivers on its Cinema series soundbars, and my eyes kept being drawn to their metallic glint. Want to see the XIO’s drivers? Peel away those grilles and, voila.

Though deeper, at 6.5 inches, than many soundbars, the XIO still comes in under three inches tall, which should keep it from blocking the bottom of most TV screens. It also keeps the XIO from sticking too far off your wall when wall-mounted.

Around the back, you’ll find the XIO’s ports, dedicated buttons to reset the speaker and put it in Bluetooth pairing mode, and something we rarely see on soundbars: a physical rocker switch for power. Typically, soundbars are always on, even if they may drop down to a low-power mode when not in use. It’s nice to see the option to completely power a speaker down when you’re going to be away for extended periods.

Many soundbars can be wall-mounted, but in the case of the XIO, it’s a key feature. The speaker automatically detects its orientation, and KEF includes all the hardware you need to get it on a wall. Just be careful — this box is a beast, at 23.1 pounds. Hiding the power and HDMI cable may prove tricky. The HDMI and power ports are very close to the bottom edge of the speaker. And while the included power cable has an L-shaped connector to minimize its protrusion, the included HDMI cable doesn’t. KEF also includes a backlit remote control.

The XIO’s touch controls let you choose your source, set your volume level, mute the sound, and wake the speaker from its low-power state. Beside the controls is a volume meter – a string of little white LEDs. If you wall-mount the XIO, these indicators will be plainly visible, but when sitting on a surface in front of your TV, they’re invisible, and KEF didn’t include a secondary set behind the front grille.

• Design score: 4 / 5

KEF XIO soundbar review: Setup & usability

• Easy setup and calibration
• KEF Connect app is a work in progress
• Remote could use a rethink

If all you want to do is crank your TV sound, the XIO only takes a few seconds to install. Plug the HDMI cable into the TV, plug the XIO into a power outlet, and flip the power switch on the back panel. As long as you stick with TV, Bluetooth, or Optical sources, you’re good to go.

But don’t stop there. Using the KEF Connect app, you can join the XIO to your Wi-Fi network, which opens up all of the high-quality streaming options like AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and others. It also lets the app configure the XIO, including the room correction feature, which can’t be initiated from the soundbar or the remote.

These steps only take a few extra minutes (more if a firmware update is required). My only complaint is that KEF insists that you create an online account before it lets you do any of this. The rationale is that, should you wish to control the speaker from other devices, an account ensures that all settings are shared between them. In fairness, Sonos, Bose, and many other soundbar companies require the same thing.

Pro tip: Ensure you add TV as a second wake-up source in the preferences section; otherwise, the XIO won’t automatically power up when you turn on your TV.

The KEF Connect app takes some getting used to. It’s divided into five tabs: Home, Remote, Music, EQ settings, and Device/app settings. And yet, it could probably get away with just the Home and EQ/Device settings sections, since the features of the Remote and Music tabs are duplicated on the Home tab.

Having integrated music service access in the app makes sense, but only if it increases convenience and/or sound quality (versus using the service’s standalone app). The potential is there, but KEF’s execution is weak. There’s a very limited number of services available, with Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music being the big omissions. Within each supported service, navigation can be slow as the app populates the available menu items.

Visually, it’s a Spartan experience: Menus are text-only, and album art is presented as tiny thumbnails alongside the playlist, album, or track info. I could chalk this up to KEF’s minimalist aesthetic, but there’s also a lack of a universal search, the single biggest benefit of bringing together music sources in one app.

Having a physical remote is handy. And since KEF’s is an infrared (IR) model (as opposed to Bluetooth or other RF standards), you can use any universal IR learning remote instead (including Logitech’s now-defunct Harmony line). I like that it’s backlit (though just barely) and has an easy-to-use button layout. However, the heart (favorite) button is a bizarre tool. It only lets you pick a favorite function, e.g., Next Source or Set Maximum Volume, and not a favorite album, playlist, or radio station, which you’d normally expect from a favorite button.

I’m also a bit disappointed with the EQ shortcut buttons. For some reason, there are only two, and yet the XIO has six EQ modes to choose from. Why are we limited to just two of our favorites? I think KEF should take a page from Yamaha’s remote control playbook and give us access to all EQ modes.

My biggest critique of the XIO’s usability, however, is the lack of front indicator lights I mentioned earlier. I don’t think you should ever be in the dark when it comes to your soundbar’s selected source or volume level, and unless you consult the KEF Connect app, you won’t know either if you’ve got the speaker setup horizontally. Normally, HDMI-connected soundbars can provide feedback to your TV so that you see an on-screen display of volume level, but this didn’t happen during my time with the XIO.

• Setup & usability score: 3.5 / 5

KEF XIO soundbar review: Value

• Expensive
• Good for Dolby Atmos, superb for music
• Limited expansion options

Soundbars are, first and foremost, all about getting better TV sound. The KEF XIO delivers on that mission effortlessly, with big, bold, and perfectly clean audio. But it doesn’t perform this role significantly better than lower-priced options, specifically, the Sonos Arc Ultra ($1,099).

You can add a subwoofer (wired or wireless) to the XIO, but unlike the Arc Ultra and many others, you can’t add surrounds, which would significantly increase the XIO’s ability to immerse you in a soundtrack.

Still, if you believe a soundbar should be just as killer for music as it is for movies, the XIO rocks, and I have yet to hear a competitive single-speaker system that can touch its music chops.

• Value score: 3 / 5

Should I buy the KEF XIO?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

KEF XIO soundbar: Also consider

How I tested the KEF XIO soundbar

• Used KEF XIO as main audio system for one week
• Tested in basement media room
• Sources: Apple TV 4K, Nvidia Shield 2019, and streamed music from various apps

I spent a full week with the KEF XIO as my main audio system for watching movies, shows, and music in my basement media room. During that time, I played a variety of Dolby Atmos test clips from movies like No Time To Die, Ford v Ferrari, Mad Max: Fury Road, Dune, and Unbroken, paying special attention to details like dialogue clarity, surround sound, and height channel impact.

I streamed most content from an Apple TV 4K connected via an LG OLED TV, which fed the MK2 from its ARC output, but I also connected an Nvidia Shield TV to an eARC extractor so I could hear the XIO’s treatment of Dolby Atmos in Dolby TrueHD.

I evaluated the effect of the various EQ modes as well as the XIO’s room correction feature.

For music, I used a variety of apps, including Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz, and Amazon Music, listening to a wide range of genres and formats, like Dolby Atmos Music. Some were played from apps on the Apple TV 4K and Nvidia Shield, while others were streamed wirelessly using AirPlay, Bluetooth, Tidal Connect, and Google Cast. I tested several of these within the KEF Connect app as well.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: December 2025

• Samsung reveals two new elite Dolby Atmos soundbars ahead of CES 2026
• The Samsung HW-Q990H replaces the current Samsung HW-Q990F
• The Samsung HW-QS90H is a 7.1.2-channel all-in-one soundbar

Samsung clearly couldn't wait for CES 2026 to reveal its new soundbars coming out next year: it's just announced two new models, though, sorry if you'd like to see what they look like, because the company didn't bother to release any images of them.

However, we have additional details, and I'll be on the ground at CES, where I'm sure I'll hear them in action and see them, so watch this space.

In the meantime, here's what you need to know: two new high-end soundbars are coming: the Samsung HW-Q990H and the Samsung HW-QS90H.

The first is no surprise; it's the successor to the five-star Samsung HW-Q990F, which we rate as the best soundbar for overall Dolby Atmos immersion.

The new model sounds very similar to the previous one, which isn't surprising, since these models don't tend to change much year-on-year. It's a soundbar system comprising four units: the main soundbar, two wireless rear speakers, and a wireless subwoofer.

The total system is an 11.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos setup, with the front soundbar delivering seven channels across it as well as two upfiring height channels. Each rear speaker has two angled surround speakers and an upfiring speaker.

The subwoofer will be a compact unit again, just like the current one, with dual eight-inch drivers.

Samsung has revealed little in the way of specs, but has said that this model debuts two new audio processing technologies: Sound Elevation and Auto Volume. The first "lifts dialogue toward the center of the screen for more natural sounding audio," says Samsung, which is something soundbars generally try to do anyway (and LG even includes a fifth upfiring channel in soundbars such as the LG S95AR to help with this), but I'm all for Samsung doing it better than ever.

But the feature I really like the sound of is Auto Volume, which "maintains consistent volume across channels and content for a smoother, more balanced listening experience", according to Samsung.

No more super-loud ads suddenly, or weirdly quiet old streaming movies? One consistent level without me riding the volume buttons? Love it.

There's no price or release date listed, but Samsung usually releases these in Spring, and the previous model launched at $1,999 / £1,699 / AU$2,099 – though the price started falling quickly.

The other soundbar is also a flagship, but of a different kind. The Samsung HW-QS90F is specifically an all-in-one soundbar, meaning that it's designed not to be used with rear speakers or a subwoofer (though knowing Samsung, it'll probably be possible to add these on – it hasn't announced this as an option currently, though).

It's a 7.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar with 13 drivers in total, including four bass drivers (Samsung calls it a Quad Bass Woofer system) to deliver convincing low-end without a dedicated subwoofer.

One interesting touch is that it can be used in two configurations: lying flat on a surface like most soundbars, or rotated upright for wall mounting. This isn't new for Samsung – the concept was used on the Samsung HW-QS700F in 2025, and we found it to be very effective in our testing.

This is basically a direct competitor to the Sonos Arc Ultra as an all-in-one soundbar option with deep built-in bass, though the speaker configuration is closer to the original Sonos Arc in some ways, which also used four bass drivers to create its low-end, while the Arc Ultra uses Sonos' new Sound Motion driver to create big bass in a smaller space, devoting more speaker space towards Dolby Atmos positional sound.

It'll be interesting to see how the two compare – especially because Samsung will likely avoid some of the issues I had with the Arc Ultra when I reviewed it, including its lack of HDMI passthrough and DTS support… though, once again, Samsung hasn't actually announced this for the new soundbar yet, because info is still light.

It's unclear whether this model will support the Sound Elevation or Auto Volume features – Samsung only mentioned them for the Q990H model, but they seem equally useful here.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

2025 was an unusual year for soundbars. While perennial favorite flagships from Samsung and LG saw only tiny incremental changes, the race was joined by Marshall, and home audio heavyweights KEF and Bluesound reimagined their soundbar strategies. It was also the year that marked the arrival of Dirac’s audiophile-grade room correction to the category, and a new challenger: Dolby Atmos FlexConnect.

2025 was also the year we got a taste of things to come. Marshall’s new Heston soundbars are Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast-ready, setting up a new kind of expansion in 2026 when the company plans to let customers use its Homeline portables as home theater surrounds. And TCL offered us our first peek at Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, a multi-speaker alternative to the best soundbars.

Here’s a breakdown of everything that happened in 2025.

LG and Samsung: If it ain’t broke …

After years of major innovation, improvement, and critical acclaim, Samsung and LG both decided to take a breather on their 2025 flagship soundbars. The Samsung HW-Q990F received a revamped subwoofer that’s both smaller and, thanks to horizontally opposed drivers, more vibration-free when compared to 2024’s Samsung HW-Q990D.

For its part, LG’s S95AR also gets a new subwoofer, though this one looks nearly identical to its predecessor. Other than the addition of Alexa and Google Assistant support, LG made no other changes from 2024’s LG S95TR.

These two new 2025 systems are considered such minor upgrades that most reviewers found themselves suggesting that buyers look for deals on the remaining 2024 inventory before spending more money on the newer models.

How long will these Korean giants be content to rest on their soundbar laurels? Perhaps 2026 will hold the answer.

JBL doubles down on fully wireless speakers

JBL already had a successful formula on its hands with the JBL Bar 1000 soundbar, a Dolby Atmos and DTS:X system with a unique twist: Its included surround speakers are battery powered and wireless, letting you place them almost anywhere.

For 2025, the company decided to take a good thing and make it even better. The JBL Bar 1000MK2’s wireless speakers can now be used in their traditional roles as surrounds, or they can be used in a different room where they’ll reproduce the TV’s audio in either stereo or mono sound – a handy feature for when someone wants to be in the kitchen without missing out on vital dialogue or a news broadcast.

KEF and Marshall enter the chat

As soundbars continue to be the preferred choice for an easy upgrade to a TV’s built-in sound, more audio companies are seeking to make their mark. In 2025, both KEF and Marshall debuted their first Dolby Atmos systems, each taking a unique approach to the category.

Despite what many publications have claimed, the KEF XIO isn’t the company’s first soundbar. However, it is KEF’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar, and in true KEF fashion, it’s powerful, stunningly clear, and priced at the high end of the market.

The XIO is a behemoth, weighing in at just under 25 pounds, and it’s loaded with KEF’s signature technologies, including a special version of the company’s Uni-Q driver. However, it’s the XIO’s built-in subwoofers that steal the show. There are four of them, arranged in a front/rear-firing layout that helps to cancel out cabinet vibrations. An additional set of sensors provides real-time distortion feedback, which lets those drivers achieve maximum bass output, without any nastiness creeping in.

As we’ve seen with other high-end models from Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins, and Bang & Olufsen, the XIO isn’t geared toward expansion. Its 5.1.2-channel system is designed to stand on its own — KEF doesn’t sell optional surround speaker add-ons. However, if its impressive sub-bass performance doesn’t quite rock your world, a wired sub output lets you add any powered sub you may already own, or intend to buy.

Marshall’s 2025 Heston soundbars, on the other hand, are its first, and the brand that’s best known for its giant, stage-commanding amplifiers/speaker stacks, has gone above and beyond to ensure its iconic design is front and center under your TV.

The Marshall Heston 120 and Marshall Heston 60 are aimed at different room sizes (with different pricing to match), and each speaker evokes Marshall’s unique retro classic looks, with faux-leather cabinets, a salt-and-pepper fabric grille, and distinctive Marshall script brass logos.

Both Heston soundbars deliver very good Dolby Atmos immersion for their size; however, the Heston 120 proved to be especially potent, rivalling the Sonos Arc Ultra in sheer power, and adding to the mix by offering an HDMI input and a wired subwoofer output, making it more versatile than the Arc Ultra from a connection point of view.

Where our curiosity remains unsatisfied is Marshall’s intriguing promise of expandability. Both Heston soundbars are compatible with Bluetooth Auracast, a technology that has a number of uses, including multi-device, wireless sound distribution. The company says you can expand the Heston 60 and 120 with any of its Auracast-ready speakers, which now includes a wide variety of models, but so far, it hasn’t updated the Heston series firmware to enable it. Here’s hoping it happens in 2026, as it could mean a significant change to how we think of home theater sound.

Dolby Atmos FlexConnect and Hisense HT Saturn

Speaking of changes to home theater sound, 2025 saw the debut of the first Dolby Atmos Flex Connect system. Dolby Atmos Flex Connect is designed to give you all the benefits of immersive Dolby Atmos sound with the convenience of being able to place wireless speakers anywhere in your room. A quick calibration step ensures that the sound is optimized, and this can be repeated any time you move the speakers.

TCL’s 2025 QD-Mini LED TVs are FlexConnect-compatible. They act as a FlexConnect hub, letting you pair up to four wireless TCL Z100 FlexConnect speakers, which TCL sells for $400 each. Want a subwoofer? You can swap one of these Z100 speakers with a wireless TCL Z100-SW subwoofer ($500).

I had a chance to hear the system at a press event in the summer of 2025, and while it wasn’t enough time to develop a full opinion, I was impressed by the potential – a three-speaker-one-subwoofer FlexConnect system definitely created a solid Atmos experience. Hopefully, we’ll see an expansion of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect in 2026 (Hisense has already put its hat in the FlexConnect ring).

On that note, in 2025, Hisense unveiled its own proprietary FlexConnect-esque speaker system called Hisense HT Saturn. Consisting of four Devialet-tuned satellite speakers and a wireless subwoofer controlled by a central AV hub, it mirrors the flexibility of Sony’s 2024 Bravia Home Theater Quad.

Unlike TCL’s Z100 system, you don’t need to own a Hisense TV to use an HT Saturn system, but it helps: the HT Saturn is compatible with Hisense’s Hi-Concerto technology, which uses a Hisense TV’s internal speakers to augment the sound – especially the center channel, which is key for dialogue clarity.

Audiophile-grade room correction

Room correction (or calibration, or room tuning) isn’t a new feature for soundbars. Sonos has been using its TruePlay system for years, Bose flagships have traditionally shipped with dedicated microphones for this purpose, and Sony has been making big gains via its 360 Spatial Sound Mapping tech.

But when it comes to audiophile-grade, component-based, AV systems, there’s one brand you hear repeated more than any other: Dirac Live. In 2025, Dirac Live made its soundbar debut on the new Klipsch Flexus Core 300, a mammoth 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos/DTS:X speaker that can be expanded with surrounds and a sub for 7.1.4-channel sound.

Dirac Live calibration isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes up to 10 minutes and requires absolute silence. And yet, the results appear to be worth it. TechRadar’s reviewer gave the Flexus Core 300 a rare perfect 5/5 score, and found it makes a stark difference versus the uncalibrated sound: “Dirac Live makes this soundbar go from good to amazing, with everything sounding clean, especially in the mid-range.”

Bluesound reborn

Near the end of 2025, Bluesound released its new Pulse Cinema and Pulse Cinema Mini Dolby Atmos soundbars. These represent a departure from Bluesound’s previous soundbars, both in terms of design and sound.

With a gently rounded shape, a wrap-around fabric grille, and the ability to be used sitting flat or wall-mounted (with an included bracket), these Dolby Atmos speakers look nothing like the company’s first three Pulse soundbars.

Like their predecessors, the Pulse Cinema and Cinema Mini can be expanded with subwoofers (wired or wireless) and surround speakers, and they can join a house full of other BluOS-compatible devices for multiroom sound. Where the Pulse Cinema, in particular, breaks new ground is its 3.2.2-channel sound system. Previous Pulse soundbars (and the Pulse Cinema Mini) use two channels plus digital signal processing to achieve Dolby Atmos immersion, but the Pulse Cinema has a dedicated center channel and two up-firing height drivers, marking the first time Bluesound has gone beyond the limitations of simple left/right channel reproduction.

These new Bluesound speakers aren’t cheap: the small-room, 280-watt Pulse Cinema Mini goes for $999, while its bigger, 500-watt sibling sells for $1,499.