Best soundbars

Shortlist and buying guide · the ranked board is on its way

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What to look for

A separate subwoofer adds bass; HDMI eARC lets the TV remote control the volume.

Models worth comparing

From manufacturers' specifications and published UK reviews, read on 6 October 2026. Not tested by us. In no particular order: these are not ranked, and we do not say which is best until the customer ratings are in.

Budget

Creative Stage Pro

Smaller TVs and desks where you want clearer dialogue and real bass for very little outlay.

Comes with a separate wired subwoofer for deeper bass
Plenty of inputs: HDMI ARC, optical, USB audio, aux and Bluetooth 5.3
Near-field and far-field modes for desk or sofa use

Watch out for: No Dolby Atmos, and What Hi-Fi? found the sound stays quite localised around the bar.

Speaker layout: 2.1 (bar plus wired subwoofer)
Dolby Atmos: No (Dolby Audio)
TV connection: HDMI ARC or optical
Wireless: Bluetooth 5.3
Power output: 80 W RMS

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Sources: Creative UK product page · What Hi-Fi? review

Mid-range

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Small and medium living rooms where you want a compact Atmos bar that also works as a capable music streamer.

Dolby Atmos via virtual height processing
Wi-Fi streaming with AirPlay 2 and voice control
Can grow into a surround system with a Sonos sub and rear speakers

Watch out for: Only one HDMI socket with no passthrough, and no DTS:X support.

Speaker layout: Single bar: 1 tweeter, 4 elliptical midwoofers
Dolby Atmos: Yes
TV connection: HDMI eARC
Wireless: Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2
Room tuning: Trueplay

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Sources: Sonos UK product page · What Hi-Fi? review

Premium

Sonos Arc Ultra

Larger rooms where you want big, spacious Atmos sound and deep bass from a single slim bar.

Sonos quotes 9.1.4 spatial audio from 14 drivers in one bar
Sound Motion woofer for deeper bass from a slim cabinet
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 and AirPlay 2 for music

Watch out for: There are no HDMI inputs for passthrough and no DTS:X support.

Speaker layout: 9.1.4 from a single bar (14 drivers)
Dolby Atmos: Yes
TV connection: HDMI eARC
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, AirPlay 2
Room tuning: Trueplay

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Sources: Sonos UK product page · What Hi-Fi? review

Pro

Samsung HW-Q990F

Dedicated film fans with room for a full system who want true surround and rich, controlled bass.

11.1.4-channel system with subwoofer and two wireless rear speakers in the box
Supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Two HDMI 2.1 inputs with 4K/120Hz passthrough plus eARC

Watch out for: It needs space for a subwoofer and rear speakers, and the front dot-matrix display is hard to read.

Speaker layout: 11.1.4 with subwoofer and rear speakers
Dolby Atmos: Yes, plus DTS:X
TV connection: HDMI 2.1 eARC, plus 2 HDMI 2.1 inputs
Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Room tuning: SpaceFit Sound Pro

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Sources: Samsung UK product page · What Hi-Fi? review

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We are gathering the customer ratings this board needs from UK shops. When they are in, the ranked list replaces this guide at the same address, scored the way every board is: star ratings weighed by how many people left them. How we score.

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