SHOULD YOU SETTLE FOR A SOUNDBAR?

CANTON SMART SOUNDBAR 10 ♦ LG SN9YG ♦ LG SN7CY ♦ SAMSUNG HW-Q800T ♦ SONOS ARC SONY HT-G700 ♦ YAMAHA MUSICCAST 40

Soundbars have changed their stripes in the last few years. They began as a convenience and a compromise, back when 5.1-channel surround sound was messing up lounges everywhere with rear speakers balanced on couches and cables tucked under carpets. The soundbar came along, offering a way to scale up TV sound without installing a large system that would compromise the ever cleaner décors which were sweeping through the world’s living spaces.

To that end, most early soundbars touted pseudo-surround — presenting themselves as a direct replacement for a surround sound system, but requiring just a neat bar at the front.