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What's good to go with a modern TV I've just bought?
I've got an LG one that is quite good. Definitely an improvement over the TV speakers & has a real kick to it, if you stick it on Cinema mode.
I thought it had a 'vocal' mode for listening in the evening to make speech clearer but it doesn't, which is annoying. So many programs today where the speech is almost impossible to hear but the music & action sound effects are too loud. It would have been nice to have a setting for this.
I'd be looking at the Samsung HW-Q90R. Developed with Harmon Kardon, Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, wireless rears with upwards firing speakers.
Sounds amazing in Currys (for what that's worth), but also backed up with reviews. It's big and not cheap though
No mention of budget but in true STW style I will suggest an option that is not a sound bar and say Ruark MR1 mk2 at £260 direct from Ruark in clearance. True stereo sound and can do many other things very very well. If you want cheaper then look at Edifier speakers.
I’ve been pleased with my Sonos bean, pricy, but quality is top notch.
Cambridge Audio have some clearance ones on Amazon at the moment, might be worth a look.
FWIW we've got a Phillips something or other, sounds fine.
Happy with my Sonos Beam too, but probably wouldn't spring for one as a single item (ie. no other Sonos components).
The answer probably depends on how big a room you need to fill with sound and whether you want stuff like Dolby 5.1, separate subwoofer etc.
Whatever brand the TV is, get the same brand soundbar, I have all LG and it works lovely together, the soundbar turns on when the TV is turned on and one remote does the lot inc sound.
I think you can cross brand and maybe ARC HDMI ports could help, but dont quote me, mine is connected via optical cable only and just works!
Recommending what I have, again: I have a Denon soundbase, rather than bar, which the TV can sit on as a kind of stand.
Sound quality is great to my uneducated ears, and has different settings for speech, music etc.
It's kind of weird that when you mute the TV (it's a Sony), the optical output is not muted, so the soundbase is still "on", but that's the TV's fault, not the soundbase.
Sonos Beam here. Having alexa built in is also helpful as things like lights are also smart
I would certainly recommend one with a separate (wireless) sub-woofer if you have space for it. We have an LG one that connects to the TV via optical and it's great. It also automatically switches on and off with the (Samsung) tv too.
For the extra functionality and excellent sound for the price I'd also go with Sonos Beam. Although to be fair I got 30% off mine due to the Sonos discount for legacy kit.