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Best soundbar – boost your TV’s sound for game days and film nights
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the best soundbars can revolutionise your viewing experience, whether that’s afternoons on the sofa watching sports, movie nights or just your next Netflix binge. If you can’t hear the action, then you’re in danger of missing out on key details.
Most modern smart TVs are designed to be as thin as possible, and so it’s pretty impossible to include good speakers within their minimised interiors. A soundbar, then, is a worthy investment that compensates for this with fantastic bass, clarity and more.
And soundbars also come in a variety of shapes and sizes, taking into account the fact that most people don’t have the space for a large, cumbersome speaker system.
Ordinarily, a single speaker bar can sit snugly under the TV, and the subwoofer accompanying some models are usually wireless for easier placement. That makes these ‘2.1 systems’ easy to install and incorporate into your existing setup.
We’ve taken a look at some of the best soundbars available right now, ranking them on their design, sound quality and more to make your choice a little easier. And if you’re in the market for a new TV to match your upgraded sound, check out our ranking of the best TVs.
The best soundbars 2021
1. PANASONIC SC-HTB900EBK 3.1 Wireless Sound Bar
Best soundbar overall
Credit: Panasonic
Type: Soundbar with subwoofer
Channels: 3.1
Output: 505W
Modes: 7
Bluetooth?: Yes
Multi-room?: Yes
Dolby Atmos?: Yes
4K pass through?: Yes
HDR?: Yes
Smart?: No
Dimensions: 7.8 x 105 x 26cm
Weight: 13.4kg
If you want Dolby Atmos with deep powerful bass, but don’t have the space or budget for a Sennheiser Ambeo, Panasonic’s SC-HTB900 is our preferred affordable alternative.
Compact and versatile, this 3.1 system can be expanded into a fully-fledged surround sound system with optional additional rear speakers, if the whim takes you. And its bass performance is profound.
The good news is it looks terrific too, with a smart curved grille and touch controls for power, volume and input selection. Panasonic sometimes forgets to add style to its substance, but that’s certainly not the case here.
Adding extra confidence is a ‘Tuned by Technics’ badge, which hints that this soundbar can satisfy audiophiles.
Connections include two HDMIs and optical digital audio. Naturally, there’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth too.
The SC-HTB900 uses a front-facing left, centre, right driver array, with a pair of woofers and dome tweeter for the left/right stereo channels, plus matching twin woofers to handle the centre channel. The wireless subwoofer sits on a moulded plastic base, so it’ll sound equally good on the carpet as a wooden floor.
Measuring just over a metre wide, the SC-HTB900 bar is best partnered with TVs 55-inches and larger.
Unusually for a Dolby Atmos bar, there are no up-firing speakers built-in. Instead, a 3D Surround effect creates an illusion of height. However, what really impressed us was the width of Panasonic’s soundstage and the musicality of its presentation.
Total power output is rated at 505W, which breaks down to 3 x 85w across the front, and 250W driving the sub.
This Panasonic is exciting when it needs to be, but can hold a tune, too. And that wireless sub adds a huge amount of depth to the mix.
Ideal Home rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
2. Bose Smart Soundbar 300
Best soundbar under £500
Credit: Bose
Type: Soundbar
Channels: 5
Bluetooth?: Yes
Multi-room?: Yes
Dolby Atmos?: No
HDR?: No
Smart?: Google, Alexa
Dimensions: 5.6 x 67.5 x 10.2cm
Weight: 2.4kg
A great example of a smart home soundbar, the Bose Soundbar 300 is the more compact stablemate to the Bose SB700.
This home theatre all-in-one offers voice control courtesy of an eight-microphone array, optimised for both near-field and far-field voice pickup. It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple Airplay 2 and Google Assistant, so there’s plenty of smart home options.
As we’ve come to expect from Bose, design and cosmetic finish are high.
Standing just 5.6cm tall, and 67.5cm wide, this compact soundbar sports a subtle matte finish and has a smart aluminium grille that wraps around the sides.
Connections comprise a single HDMI and optical digital audio. There are touch-sensitive buttons up top for power and microphone control.
Behind the grille, you’ll find three forward-facing drivers, supported by side-firing cones to each side. Despite its relatively high price, this isn’t a Dolby Atmos compatible soundbar.
The Soundbar 300 ships with a tidy remote control, but can also be driven with a matching Bose app. Should you want multi-room audio, you can easily link the soundbar with other Bose speakers around the home.
If you find the SB300 light on bass, it’s upgradeable with the Bose Bass Module 500 wireless subwoofer and, if you’re really feeling flush, you can even add dedicated Bose rear speakers, creating a fully cinematic 5.1 experience.
Ideal Home rating: 4 out of 5 stars
3. Sony HTZ9F 3.1-Channel Soundbar
Best soundbar with subwoofer (runner up)
Credit: Sony
Type: Soundbar and subwoofer
Channels: 3.1
Output: 400W
Bluetooth?: Yes
Multi-room?: Yes
Dolby Atmos?: Yes
4K pass through?: Yes
Smart?: Google, Alexa (works with)
Dimensions: 6.3 x 100 x 9.9cm
Weight: 3kg
This ultra-slim bar and partnering wireless subwoofer offer Dolby Atmos sound and High-Resolution audio, making it a fine choice for home cinema and Hi-Fi enthusiasts.
A metre wide, the HT-ZF9 suits 55- to 65-inch screens. Connections include three HDMIs, a 3.5 mm minijack and optical digital audio input.
In addition to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, there’s Google Chromecast built-in so it can connect your Google phone or smart-home device
This is another Dolby Atmos bar that doesn’t employ up-firing speakers, instead, it boasts Sony’s Vertical Sound Engine to fool our ears into thinking sounds are coming from up high. It works a treat, engulfing the listener in various sound effects.
Auditioned with Dolby Atmos soundtracks from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, we were thrilled by its cinematic performance.
Dolby Atmos movies play with exaggerated height and width, while the subwoofer has a welcome kick. If you want to go full surround, you can also upgrade with Sony’s optional rear speakers.
Its high-res drivers are crisp and smooth too, perfectly in tune with the latest generation of HD music streaming services from the likes of Amazon, Tidal and Deezer.
Ideal Home rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4. MAJORITY K2 2.1 Wireless Sound Bar
Best budget soundbar
Credit: Majority
Type: Soundbar and subwoofer
Channels: 2.1
Output: 225W
Bluetooth?: Yes
Dolby Atmos?: No
Smart?: No
Dimensions: 6.9 x 76.2 x 5.3cm
Weight: 4.9kg
A sleek-looking product with great sound output and an eco-conscious message behind it, the Majority K2 Soundbar comes in the form of a slim speaker and wireless subwoofer, significantly boosting your TV’s sound for a budget price.
While the bass from the subwoofer can’t quite measure up to that of some competitors, the convenience of a basic wireless surround sound-esque set-up and the affordable price tag will more than makes up for this lack for many. The soundbar also comes with a pleasing amount of features.
From Bluetooth and USB media playback to expanded bass, treble and EQ options, the offering from Majority lets you get the audio just how you like it.
Connect the soundbar to your television via HDMI ARC, Optical Audio or RCA if your set-up is on the older side, and you’ll immediately notice the enhanced sound quality. You can also mount the speaker to the wall if you don’t have a TV stand, but it looks great either way.
And along with the planet (and expenses) friendly power consumption, Majority plans to plant a tree for every customer, so that’s a nice little bonus!
Ideal Home rating: 4 out of 5 stars
5. SONY HT-SF150 2.0 Sound Bar
Credit: Sony
Type: Soundbar
Channels: 2
Output: 120W
Modes: 6
Bluetooth?: Yes
Multi-room?: No
HDR?: No
Smart?: No
Dimensions: 6.4 x 90 x 8.8cm
Weight: 2.4kg
From the standard, cinema and music modes you might expect to find on a soundbar, the Sony HT-SF150 soundbar also offers a convenient auto mode that differentiates between what you’re watching without manually switching, enhanced dialogue for when you want to concentrate on the words, and a night mode for reduced bass and dynamic range.
Connect the bar with the optical cable provided or bypass the need for a separate remote by hooking it up with an HDMI ARC cable. Despite being on the lower end of the price scale, the HT-SF150 looks quite lovely with a wrap-around grille, and the audio is decent too with added Dolby Digital boosting your audio experience.
Be aware that the Sony soundbar can be wall-mounted, but the fixings that you’ll need aren’t included so plan ahead if you don’t have space on your TV stand.
Why do I need a soundbar?
Image Credit: Sony
Star Wars director George Lucas says ‘sound is 50 per cent of the movie-going experience’. He probably had his movies in mind when he said this, but we reckon the same applies to repeats of Love Actually…
Thanks to new display technologies like OLED and edge-lit LED, the average TV is now wafer-thin. But while they look stylish and their image quality is often breathtakingly good, there’s a high price paid when it comes to audio performance.
With no room to accommodate even modestly-sized speakers, today’s TVs can sound thin and feeble. While some high-end TVs come with quite advanced sound systems, the vast majority of sets are lacking, and these are well worth upgrading with a soundbar.
Even the cheapest soundbar will give you better clarity and greater volume than a standard TV speaker system. And the best will transform your viewing completely.
Furthermore, most soundbars also offer Bluetooth, so you can get the best sound when streaming shows to your TV from your phone or tablet.
What size soundbar do I need?
It makes sense to buy a soundbar that pairs up nicely with the size of your TV. Parking a compact bar in front of a 65-inch giant telly doesn’t just look odd, it won’t generate the kind of sound required.
Ideally, the soundbar should be slightly smaller in width than the screen it’s going to be partnered with.
Can you use a soundbar on any TV?
Essentially, yes. There are two ways to connect a soundbar to a TV, through the HDMI slot and via digital optical audio.
All new TVs have HDMI inputs. This single connection sends the sound from the TV to the soundbar with ease.
If your set is an older model that lacks an HDMI slot, then the digital optical audio cable will do the same job.
The entire set-up process shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes – and that includes brewing a cuppa and making a token attempt to read any instructions in the box.
What are the differences between each soundbar?
Typical soundbars will be either stereo or multichannel. If a bar is stereophonic and comes with a subwoofer then it’s called a 2.1 system – the .1 always refers to the subwoofer.
If it’s a home cinema-style soundbar, with multiple drivers used to emulate various channels of sound, it’ll be described as 3.1 or 5.1.
Of course, the beauty of a soundbar is that it’s more or less an all-in-one solution. So a multichannel capable soundbar will look much like a stereo one.
In practical terms, a stereo soundbar will fire audio towards the listener, while a multichannel bar magically creates the illusion that sounds are coming from all around the room.
How we test the best soundbars
Our featured soundbars have been tried and tested for both technical performance and how they complement the sound and aesthetic of the TVs we watched them with.
We put our ears to the ground (metaphorically, not literally) and listened out for high sound quality, echoes and reverb and for whether the soundbars can handle films, TV and music at loud volumes.
How the soundbar looks with your TV is important, too, so we found out whether certain soundbars blend well with ultra-wide, super-thin TVs and whether they look good besides, above or underneath the telly.
Also, we rate the soundbars on ease of installation, compatibility and little added extras, like Bluetooth and connect to phones and smart-home devices, like the Amazon Alexa.
Additional words by Amy Cutmore; Caroline Preece
The post Best soundbar – boost your TV’s sound for game days and film nights appeared first on Ideal Home.
Reading time: 10 min
Christmas door decor ideas to dress entranceways with festive cheer
Welcome guests in style with a thoughtful Christmas door decor idea. From traditional door wreaths to on-trend balloon arches, there’s a seasonal decorating idea to suit all homes.
Making a festive first impression is a great way to set the tone for the rest of your Christmas decorating scheme. Decorating the exterior of a house also extends festive cheer to neighbours and those who passing-by, an ideal way to offer season’s greetings to the wider community.
Christmas door decor ideas
Christmas ideas to dress the outside of your home will offer festive cheer for all who see it. Door provide a blank canvas to add festive floral wreaths, twinkling fairy lights and characterful Christmas characters to welcome happy Christmas spirits to the everyone who crosses the threshold.
1. Set the scene
Image credit: Future/ Dominic Blackmore
Create a festive showcase at your front to fully embrace seasonal decorating. Add lanterns to window ledges and steps to add ambience after dark. Dress the front door itself with a generous Christmas wreath, in a colour that coordinates with the rest of your chosen decorations. Decorate the windows either side of the front door with stickers or faux snow to add a whimsical touch to the setting.
Hang simple yet captivating paper ball decorations beside the front door to add an element of fun to the festivities.
2. Get creative with a balloon arch
Image credit: Ginger Ray
The mighty balloon arch has become THE must-have detail for any well-dressed party. It may look like a lot of effort, but it’s actually a fairly simple thing to make – all your require is a balloon pump and a whole lot of patience. This quirky kits comes with 240 balloons in total, plus everything you need to make your front door balloon arch.
Top tip: probably best saved for the days when you know you have guests arriving, less chance of deflating balloons ruining the look.
Buy now: Christmas Door Balloon Arch Kit, £24.99, Ginger Ray
3. Add ornaments to a seasonal wreath
Image credit: Future/ Simon Whitmore
Cement the feeling of Christmas decorating by adding quirky ornaments and baubles to your front door wreath. Choose to brighten up a plain foliage wreath with decorations of your choosing – providing a great opportunity to add bold accent colours.
It also allows homeowners to tie a decorating scheme together, from inside to out. Simply coordinate the decorations with those inside on the Christmas tree to create a flow for your decorating scheme.
4. Wrap the door with a bow
Image credit: Future
A growing trend is the vision of the front door wrapped in a giant bow, as if being finished in the style of a perfectly wrapped present. It started as a popular celebrity trend but has now swept the nation as one of the most on-trend decorating practices for festive front doors.
All you need to wrap your own front door is two wide lengths of fabric, which you attach securely on the bottom and top, then both sides of the door – drawing pins should do the trick, or a staple gun. Bring the ends together in the middle on the front of the door and tie a bow.
5. Go oversized to add impact
Image credit: Future/ Rachel Whiting
It tis but once a year, so why keep it tame?! Go for a dramatically oversized wreath to fill the front door to really make a statement with your decorations this year.
The only thing to consider if you’re going bigger with the wreath, especially if it’s real, it will weigh more – so ensure your source of hanging it can take the weight.
6. Wrap and top with a wreath
Image credit: Max Attenborough
Wrap the door but in a more understated way than a giant ribbon and bow, adding a wreath as a ‘present’ topper. Make the bow less of a main attraction and opt for a simple wide ribbon to dress the door from top to bottom, left to right. Place a beautifully made wreath on top, adding streams of ribbon to it to coordinate with the door ribbon.
7. Adorn the door with alternative foliage
Image credit: Future/ David Parmiter
There’s nothing quite like the look of a fresh foliage wreath, starring as the main attraction on a front door. This seasonal wreath filled with hearty hydrangeas and artichoke flowers shows how impactful real foliage can be – even when it’s not your typical spray of seasonal flowers.
Be aware that a fresh foliage wreath will be heavier than a faux design, because the foam will need to be damp in order to keep the flowers looking fresh for the duration it’s. on the door. We recommend spritzing the flower heads with a light water spray throughout the duration of Christmas, to keep it moist.
8. Welcome Christmas characters to the doorstep
image credit: Light4fun.co.uk
You can’t go wrong when you welcome cheerful Christmas characters to dress doorsteps. Although not technically a door decor detail, a light up figure will enhance the front door from by illuminating the doorstep or path leading to it.
‘Add festive figures such as show-stopping light up reindeers or sliding penguins! Perfectly on trend this season and are sure to take centre stage in your display’ says Amy Mason. director of product at Lights4fun.co.uk
‘New for Christmas 2021, our reindeer family features an exclusive functionality, illuminating in 3 different shades of white. Dress your enchanting display for a Christmas to remember.’
Buy now: Harewood Reindeer Family, £359.99, Lights4fun.co.uk
9. Coordinate a colour scheme
Image credit: Annie Sloan
For a sophisticated approach to seasonal decorating stick to one colour palette, matching the colour of your Christmas door decor with that of the front door. This elegant green front door is painted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Amsterdam Green. The green colour is then echoed within a simple yet stunning rustic Christmas wreath.
The subtle decorating approach suits the house, showing that you can still create a stunning Christmas door decor idea without going OTT.
10. Decorate the porch with lights
Image credit: Lights4fun.co.uk
Shine a light above your front door by dressing the porch with a net of fairy lights, to offer full coverage. The smart web-like wire is easy to hang on the underside of a porch to create a blanket of lights, like stars, above to beautifully illuminate the front door.
Buy now: Essential Connect 280 Warm white Connectable Net Lights, £38.99, Lights4fun.co.uk
11. Wrap garlands to frame the front door
Image credit: Future/ Debi Treloar
Create a sense of symmetry to balance your decorating scheme for the front door. Drape or wrap garlands either side of the front door to frame it with seasonal foliage.
Copy this homeowner by attaching bundles of tied cinnamon sticks to add aroma to the garland – this can be done whether real or faux. The use of a seasonal scent will alert the scenes as it gently wafts in the air as you pass by.
12. Dress both sides of the door
Image credit: Future/ Colin Poole
Don’t leave Christmas out in the cold, decorate the inside of the door as well as outside. Whether you choose to hang wreaths on either side to mirror the look, or bring the wreath inside and stick to lights outdoors – ensuring both sides are covered will offer festive cheer to guests as they arrive and leave during the festive period.
13. Stick with tradition for a classic look
Image credit: The Real Flower Company
Fresh foliage is simply stunning for front door wreaths, offering colour and fragrance to greet guests. Choose traditional red roses to celebrate the classic colour of the season and to welcome a beautifully sweet scent.
Fresh wreaths are an investment but a professionally made design will last for weeks if cared for properly – with a gentle water spritz every few days to revive the flowers.
14. Redecorate with a splash of colour
Image credit: Sadolin
It’s commitment, but perhaps you’ve been toying with the idea of repainting the front door for a while – Christmas might just be the perfect time!
‘When picking a shade for your door, consider the existing surrounds. If you a simple porch, why not consider going for a bolder colour,’ suggests Matthew Brown, Sandtex Technical Consultant. ‘Yet it if your door is surrounded by foliage or rustic stone opt for a subtler hue to blend in with the space.’
‘At Christmas Sadolin’s natural wood stains are perfect for creating a timeless backdrop for the greens and reds in your wreath.’
15. Keep it in character
Image credit: Future/ Polly Eltes
The pretty painted rubble and cob cottage has a pretty pink front door dressed with a rustic Christmas wreath to add to the element of country charm. A natural wreath of firs and eucalyptus is a subtle way to welcome a classic touch of Christmas to a front door when you want to keep the scheme understatedly chic.
How do you decorate a Christmas door?
You can decorate a Christmas door in a number of ways. Firstly with a simple festive wreath, the icon of festive door decor. Lights are a brilliant way to add festive sparkle to front doors, to extend a warm welcome to guests.
Balloon arches are the decorating trend of the moment, adding wow factor to front doors in an instant.
How do you hang Christmas decorations on the front door?
The best way to hang Christmas decorations on a front is firstly by doing so without marking or damaging the paint or door itself, because after they come down the door still needs to look good. A wreath door hanger is the best way to hang a wreath without causing damage. The design clips over the top of the door frame and provides a sturdy metal hook.
I personally fix mine with doubled up garden twine, to reinforce the strength to take the weight, then secure a drawing pin into the top of the wooden door frame. Push it in enough to be secure but lease enough pin exposed so you can wrap the twine around the pin head – to hold the wreath in place.
The post Christmas door decor ideas to dress entranceways with festive cheer appeared first on Ideal Home.
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