Improve your TV’s sound without breaking the bank, with our pick of the best soundbars for less than half a grand
While TV picturequality improves each and every year, TV sound quality remains fairly poor in comparison. There are exceptions of course, and some TVs do sound pretty good – but even the best-sounding TV can be beaten for sound quality by a decent external sound system such as a soundbar. Crucially, that soundbar doesn’t even need to be a very expensive one.
With so many people now appreciating that sound is just as important as picture to the enjoyment of movies, TV shows, sports and games, it’s little wonder that the soundbar sector is a constant bustle of new and interesting models. That’s great in terms of giving you choice, but it can also make it tough to find precisely the right model for your needs.
That’s where we come in. Our expert team of reviewers has been testing soundbars since the first models launched in the early 2000s. Hundreds of soundbars have been through our dedicated test rooms over the past two decades, and each has been put through a rigorous, comparative testing process. In short, we are able to comprehensively guide you to the best models available at any given price point.
Here we round up models below the £500 mark, with soundbars from Sony, Sonos and JBL. At this level you tend to find a more no-frills approach to improving your TV’s sound, where featur
