Top 10 Best TV Soundbars in the UK 2020 (Sony, Samsung and More)

Before you head straight to the John Lewis website, you'll need to read up a bit on TV soundbars. We're here to help of course, so stay tuned to find out how to improve your living room acoustics on an affordable budget. Or you could always just take a look at our number 1 product to see the most immersive sound system on the market! 

The reason you're buying a soundbar is because you want your TV sound to blow you away, so it's crucial to get the best type of speaker you can. To do this, look at the number of channels. We'd recommend at least 2 channels as that's the standard choice for home-speakers and will give you a good sound without breaking the bank! Here's what each channel number denotes:

2-channel soundbar: 2 speakers: left and right.

3-channel soundbar: 3 speakers: center, right and left.

4-channel soundbar: 4 speakers: center, right and left and rear

5-channel soundbar: 5 speakers: center, right, left, and two rear speakers. 

7-channel soundbar: 7 speakers: similar to 5 channels, except the surround and rear speakers are split into 4 channels, giving you a total of 7 different channels. 

If you'd like to make the most of your movie nights, take your pick of one of the soundbars below that come with a subwoofer to give the audio an extra boost. Since some soundbars don't have the capacity to give off a punchy bass, subwoofers are ideal for reproducing a strong, lower-frequency sound.

As we mentioned above, the number of channels that your TV soundbar has is extremely important in determining how good the audio will be. If the amount has an extra number after the first decimal, that means that it has a subwoofer. So, the first number is the number of channels, and the second number refers to whether it comes with a subwoofer. 

Still a bit confused? "2.0" = two channels and no subwoofer. "2.1" = two channels, with a subwoofer. Easy!

Bluetooth, smart voice control, or even just HDMI cables – let's take a look at the main control methods so you can take your pick! In the list of top ten products below, you can see a variety of soundbars that can be controlled in different ways. But which way is best for you? 

"Hey Alexa, turn the volume up." That's right, you can actually ditch your remote and control your TV soundbar with just your voice! This is a great addition if you're trying to build your house into a smart home – with these voice-controlled devices you need only to connect them to your TV soundbar and talk to them if the volume needs adjusting or you want to stop the sound. 

We would highly recommend this feature as it is much easier to use and you'll never have to worry about losing any remote controls. Like most of the latest tech, though, it will come at a price!

Nowadays, you can control just about anything from the palm of your hand, so why not make sure that your TV soundbar is compatible with Bluetooth? That way, you can manage everything you need through your smartphone or tablet, and you won't even need to move from the sofa! 

If you're looking for the ability to stream audio through your TV soundbar via Bluetooth or Wifi, we've got a great selection of products that can help you listen to your favourite music or podcasts with the best sound quality possible – just check the specification tables to see which are compatible.

If the ability to watch a film with great sound quality takes precedence over streaming your favourite tunes on Spotify, you can opt for a TV soundbar with HDMI compatibility. This means that you'll use an HDMI cable to plug straight into your TV and you don't need to worry about pairing it to any other device, or that a connection will drop mid-programme! 

This way is much simpler, but if you do listen to music at all we'd still recommend a soundbar with Bluetooth for extra freedom – it doesn't affect the price as much as you think, as there are many factors that can make a good quality soundbar cost more. 

Now that you know what you're looking for, you can choose your very own soundbar! Take a look at our top ten best-ranked products to find the perfect one for your audio needs. 

Got a penchant for nerding out on all things audio, and find yourself constantly looking for the latest products? As luck would have it, we're rather partial to both of these things too, so let us share the love (and links) below!

Although there are lots of things to consider before you buy a TV soundbar, we hope that with our helpful guide, you've been able to find your pick. It's important that you know what to look for in a product before you spend any money on it, so now you're all armed with the facts, it's time to go shopping!

Author: Annie Speight