The ideal upgrade to your home cinema system 

Whether space is an issue or you just don’t like the idea of having too many wires running around the place, the best soundbars offer a neat alternative that sits underneath your TV to give TV sound a little more welly.

It’ll give dialogue a boost in clarity, improve bass performance and add back in the Of course there are a wealth of other options out there for different spaces and price points that are well worth exploring. Take a look at our pick for inspiration and check out our jargonbuster for all the terms you’ll need to know. 

When you're buying a new soundbar it's important to consider design carefully. Not all soundbars are created equal. Some are very slim but come with a separate subwoofer; others are bigger and manage without. You’ll need to think about the space you have before choosing one, as unless you’re prepared to give your entire setup an overhaul, it can have a big say in what you can accommodate.

For example, if you’re putting it in front of your TV, you’ll want to check the soundbar’s dimensions to make sure your rack has the width and depth to hold it. You’ll also want to ensure your TV sits high enough so your chosen soundbar doesn’t obscure any of 

If you’re planning on wall-mounting a soundbar, first check that the one you've chosen is suitable, and then check the fixtures and fittings you’ll need.

And if your soundbar comes with a subwoofer, make sure you’ve got space to house an extra box. We would recommend placing it to the side of the TV and as close to the soundbar as possible for the best integration. 

Remember not to put a Dolby Atmos soundbar in an enclosed space. Atmos soundbars generally work by bouncing sound off your walls and ceiling to create a 3D surround sound effect. If you’re spending the cash on the extra processing, you won’t want to hide it away on a shelf in a TV rack, or the built-in height and side channels that fire sound upwards and outwards won’t be effective. Give an Atmos soundbar room to breathe for the best performance.

It's also important to realise that if you’re going for Atmos, you'll have to first make sure your setup supports it. If you’ve just bought a new Atmos soundbar and connected it to an older TV, you might be disappointed to learn that your TV isn’t capable of processing the Atmos codec. Some soundbars will allow you to run your HDMI sources through the bar instead, to bypass old telly tech but not all – and this won’t help built-in TV streaming apps. Just be sure to do your research before buying to ensure you get the most from your setup. 

Understanding your inputs is important. You’ll usually connect a soundbar to your TV via an HDMI or optical digital connection. More affordable soundbars will usually only offer the latter, but if you have the option for HDMI, take it. It will offer you the highest resolution sound decoding that your soundbar is capable of. You’ll usually need to connect it to an ARC or eARC HDMI port on your TV for it to work though, so check yours has one first.

Many soundbars come packed with features that make them just as useful when you’re not watching TV. Look out for Bluetooth connectivity, high-res network streaming and even multi-room playback. You’ll also find a growing number with built-in voice assistants, so be sure to get them set up if you’ll find them of use. 

Offering up a hard-to-beat balance of features, design, ease of use and performance, the Sonos Arc, the company’s first Atmos soundbar, is an easy product to love. There are very few soundbars out there that do so much so well.