Samsung’s flagship soundbars have for generations now delivered the most immersive audio performances in the soundbar world with their huge amounts of power, four components (including real rear speakers) and massive channel counts. So, can Samsung’s new HW-Q990D - which sticks again at 16 channels - keep the improvements coming?
The AX3120G soundbar/subwoofer combo doesn't sport any impressive nicknames like Hisense's HS2100 'The Beast' soundbar yet it comes across well on paper and price wise. So, does the 3.1.2 channel AX3120G prove to have its own set of audio teeth... we shall see.
Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024: All you need to know about this year's event
by Ian Collen
The UK’s longest-running Hi-Fi event returns for another packed three days from 23-25 February, featuring some of the hottest products and plenty of big names to tempt audio enthusiasts along for a look and listen.
So, the Theory LCR speaker apparatus does indeed look like a soundbar, but that’s about where similarity ends. Can this novel approach to multi-channel audio really rewrite the rulebook? Let’s find out.
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Home AV
Philips reveals new soundbars and headphones for 2024
by Ian Collen
The Dolby Atmos-friendly B6309 heads three new bars promising big things in small packages, while a trio of headphone options aim for precision audio both at home and on the GO.
The new soundbar system created in collaboration with Onkyo will come in Core 100 and Core 200 variants, with additional surround speakers and a subwoofer solution.
Home AV
Canvas HiFi launches its TV-friendly speaker system
by Ian Collen
The Canvas set-up offers a high-end stereo solution that can be perfectly aligned with your TV, or used as a standalone Hi-Fi device.
TCL unveils new miniLED TVs plus Dolby Atmos soundbars at CES 2024
by Andy Bassett
UPDATED 12-Jan-2024: TCL takes its miniLED TVs very seriously indeed and used CES 2024 as a launch pad for a number of expanded and enhanced models alongside new Dolby Atmos soundbars.
Sharp adds new audio products to home cinema line-up at CES 2024
by Andy Bassett
Sharp expands its home cinema audio options with three new devices that support Dolby Atmos including a compact soundbar which launches alongside surround speakers and a subwoofer that debut the company’s AQUOS Wireless Surround technology.
Samsung unveils new OLEDs plus 8K and 4K Neo QLED TVs for 2024
by Ian Collen
The S95D, S90D and S85D will build on last year’s OLEDs, with 4K and 8K Neo QLED TVs and the brand new Premiere 8K wireless projector also announced, along with some fresh soundbar solutions and a glimpse into its Micro LED potential.
If you’re going to call one of your products ‘The Beast’ and emblazon its name across the box, that product surely has to be spectacular in some way, right? Maybe it’s going to be huge, perhaps it’s going to be ultra powerful, or maybe it features some sort of ultra-aggressive design that deliberately wants to draw attention to itself. We find out if Hisense's 2.1 channel HS2100 soundbar is a 'behemoth' or a 'wee timorous beastie'.
Loewe has been in the game long enough for consumers to instantly associate the name with a luxury end product. So, 100 years after the company's inception how does the klang bar3 mr soundbar fare as one of the firm's most mainstream products of recent times? We find out.
After winning hearts and minds in 2021 with its ultra-small Eclair QP5 soundbar plus subwoofer combi, LG has set out to try and repeat that success with a second-generation Eclair model in a single soundbar format. Does the follow up get things right a second time too?
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Home AV
LG unveils its 2024 soundbar lineup
by Ian Collen
The new trio will be made up of the S95TR, SG10TY, and S70TY models, with the former offering up to 810W output through 15 channels, including the company's industry-first up-firing centre.
Majority Teton Plus 2.1 Soundbar With Wireless Subwoofer Review
by Martin Dew
Once again, we revisit the super-budget category with one of Majority’s latest crop of soundbars, the Teton Plus. Some of the Cambridge company’s TV speakers are priced so low, you wonder if they’ll end up giving stuff away for free. But is £99 still worth shelling out for this 2.1 soundbar package?
Home AV Products of 2023/24 - Editor's Choice Awards
by AVForums
We’ve looked back and picked our favourite Home AV products which we’ve reviewed and recommended for the 2023-24 period, so check out our Editor’s Choice Award winners for your next AV or home cinema project.
The JBL Bar 1300 soundbar has a clever approach to the quality vs. convenience balance, though there's a significant outlay involved. Does this financial commitment get you the best of both worlds? We take a look.
LG's 2023 USC9S soundbar targets the company's own LG OLED TVs as the perfect partner for a TV/home audio combi match made in heaven. So, is there any point in buying a USC9S if you don’t have an LG C3 or C2 TV?
Samsung's second from top soundbar for 2023 looks like it will give the flagship a run for its money in terms of value and sound quality, is that the case?
Samsung's flagship soundbar for 2023 features 11.1.4 channels, 22 drivers and a wireless subwoofer along with up-firing rear speakers. With wireless Dolby Atmos and Q-Symphony still in place from 2022, has Samsung really managed to eke out even more sound quality than last year’s class-leading Q990B?
The True X soundbar package arrived with quite the fanfare a couple of months ago. This one-below-flagship bar/sub/surround speaker package promises easy setup and great sound. Has Yamaha done it again?
The new compact bar offers a smaller and more affordable solution while still delivering up to 7.1.4 3D virtualisation with Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio.
What’s a good soundbar as an alternative to an AVR set-up
by Ian Collen
With AVForums member Andyfr looking for a simpler cable-free audio solution, the forum pointed towards a few prominent favourites, along with a wider array of issues (and solutions) that might also be considered.
As the most expensive soundbar in Samsung’s 2023 range to not ship with included rear speakers, the HW-Q800C has a potentially tricky job on its hands winning over hearts, minds and ears as successfully as the brand’s full surround sound options. Can it pull a rabbit out of the audio hat?
ZVOX wants you to think of the AV157 speaker as a hearing device, rather than a soundbar per se. With headphones and other gadgets flooding the market to assist the hearing impaired, ZVOX’s timing might be fortuitous. But can the embedded tech really push those voices out into the open?
Yamaha announces new True X soundbar and separates surround system
by Ian Collen
Yamaha is set to introduce two new Dolby Atmos True X soundbars perfectly primed to combine with its WS-X1A speakers and SW-X100A subwoofer for a 4.1.2 set-up.
Philips Fidelio FB1 Soundbar and FW1 Wireless Subwoofer Review
by Martin Dew
Philips was once one of the AV industry’s behemoths and now focuses on other sectors. But the company retains its audio engineering prowess, not least that which is found in its soundbar offerings. The FB1 is big and made even more so by the addition of the FW1 subwoofer to pair with it. But does bigger necessarily mean better?
Sony's A-series of soundbars starts with the HT-A3000 and we put it through its paces both with and without optional wireless rears and subwoofer to see whether the additional uplift in performance offered is worth the hefty additional cost.
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Home AV
Sony announces HT-S2000 3.1-channel soundbar
by Ian Collen
The latest addition to its line-up promises to deliver an immersive 3D surround experience with a combined 250W output, and also introduces Sony's new Home Entertainment Connect app.
Groov-e is yet another market entrant touting super-cheap audio gizmos. The compact Soundbar75 is no exception and promises to lift TV sound to the next level. But does the soundbar’s rock-bottom price mean better than rock-bottom performance?
The 360W bar comes with seven front-firing speakers and two built-in subwoofers, plus an integrated AV receiver and multiroom compatibility to support a larger 5.1 set-up.
Samsung launches its 2023 Q-Series soundbar range in the UK
by Ian Collen
There are six new solutions now widely available, leading with the flagship HW-Q990C offering 11.1.4-channel audio, backed by a wireless sub and rear speakers, along with Q-Symphony and Dolby Atmos support.
The sub-£300 soundbar market is a crowded one. Each manufacturer has its own take on how best to get your TV to sound fab. And there are some respectable solutions out there. Is Yamaha ready to join the fight?
Forget Dolby Atmos, 40 built-in drivers and all the other fuss. Many people just want clean dialogue from their TVs and a bit of audio heft on the occasions they dip into their MCU movie catalogue. Can Creative Labs achieve all this with a soundbar for under £100?
Having been impressed with the flagship HT-A7000's performance and credentials, we take a look at the HT-A5000 which sheds a few channels down to 5.1.2 but still champions the expandable single soundbar solution. Can it carry the A7000's impressive banner into midrange territory?
The massive Sony Corporation knows a thing or two about movies and entertainment technology. After all, they bought a Hollywood studio and were one of the first companies to introduce digital surround sound in cinemas. But can they extend that prowess to the sub-£300 sound bar category?
We take a look at the lower-cost HW-Q800B, which drops the wireless rear speakers but retains many of the same features as its more expensive stablemates. Can the resulting front-heavy system make its mark in what’s arguably become the most fiercely competitive segment of the soundbar market?
Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023: What to expect from this year's showcase event
by Ian Collen
With the doors once again open to the public on Friday 24th Feb, for the first time since 2020, we preview what attendees can look forward to at the UK’s longest-running Hi-Fi event.
Sennheiser downsizes its Ambeo soundbar but does it still gets 'plus' points for its 7.1.4 virtual channels, streaming capabilities and connectivity? We check out the Ambeo Plus here.