Sonos Playbar

TURNS YOUR MULTI-ROOM AUDIO SYSTEM INTO WIRELESS SURROUND SOUND. $999 | www.sonos.com

THE SONOS PLAYBAR is a non-HDMI device that uses optical to hook up to a TV. Used simply on its own it delivers a massive sonic boost to your TV listening, but operating it does require using a smartphone or tablet app. The benefit is that it can seamlessly segue in to a Sonos wireless system, and can even act as the front three speakers in a 5.1 setup with two Play:1s acting as rears.

Unfortunately although it’s optical-only setup will be great for most, it does exclude owners of TVs that lack this connector, which has pushed it a little further down this list.

The Sonos Playbar may not be cheap, but feels worth every penny. There’s enough rumble in the bass to give action movies an appropriate sense of drama, but the mid-range and high-frequency audio is also sweet and clean.

CRITICAL SPECS

Power: Not quoted | Speakers: 9 | Dimensions: 900 x 85 x 140mm | Weight: 5.4kg | Inputs: 1 x digital optical, 2 x Ethernet LAN | Outputs: N/A | Wireless: WiFi | Special features: Sonos Play:1 speakers can be connected as wireless rear speakers