2023

The Sonos One has been my favorite Wi-Fi speaker ever since it was released in 2017. It’s compact and capable of filling large rooms with sound, and it’s reasonably affordable. Yet, with the successive arrival of competitors, the Sonos One has lagged behind in terms of features, especially its lack of Bluetooth.

The $250 Sonos Era 100 tweaks the One formula — it’s still a smart speaker with a choice of two voice assistants (though not Google Assistant) — but it finally adds Bluetooth and stereo sound to the mix. While I’m sad to see the One go, particularly the smart-free One SL, the Era 100 is a worthy successor.

8.4

Sonos Era 100

$249 at Crutchfield

$249 at Best Buy

$249 at Sonos, Inc.

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Like

• Excellent sound quality
• Bluetooth adds flexibility
• Robust ecosystem

Don’t Like

• A little more expensive
• Competition offers better features
• Some compression on bass heavy music
• No Google Assistant

Sonos’ “problem” is that its entry-level smart speaker isn’t the only option out there anymore. Other single voice assistant speakers like the $300 Apple HomePod and $200 Amazon Echo Studio offer Dolby Atmos as well as tighter integration with their respective Apple and Echo ecosystems.

The Era 100 offers excellent performance and is noticeably better than the One. It may be a little more expensive, but the extra $30 is easily justified, making the Era 100 the best smart speaker for the money. If you want Google Assistant, though, get yourself a Sonos One while you still can.

What is the Era 100?

The Sonos Era 100 is a compact smart speaker with a number of key features, two of which were unavailable on its predecessor, the Sonos One. The first of these, and the biggest turnaround for the company’s home speakers, is Bluetooth. Sonos has always maintained that Wi-Fi is better than Bluetooth — and it is for a bunch of reasons — but its inclusion adds flexibility, especially for apps that don’t have AirPlay or Sonos support.

The second addition is stereo playback (most competitors are mono), done by incorporating two side-firing tweeters. Despite this newfound capability, the Era is more or less the same size as the One at 7.2 by 4.7 by 5.1 inches. Unlike its square-ish predecessor, the Era 100 is shaped like a coffee tin with a wraparound grille. It’s at the top of the speaker where the most obvious changes have occurred, though. The Sonos One featured capacitive touch controls, including the ability to swipe side to side for volume. The Era 100 makes this swipe mechanic more obvious by making a volume “trough,” and swiping left or right adjusts the volume incrementally.

Like the One before it, the Era 100 lets you choose a voice assistant — but not as many as before. While previous speakers enabled either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, Sonos said that due to a change on Google’s end, the Era 100 can no longer offer Assistant. This is a real shame for people who were hoping to add the speaker to their existing Nest systems, though Sonos says it’s hoping for a solution. Meanwhile, there is the option to add the music-focused Sonos Voice to the Era 100 as well.

Previously, if you owned an iOS device, you could fine-tune your Sonos device for the room it’s in using Trueplay. Android users were left in the cold. Taking a cue from competitors, the Era 100 is now able to self-calibrate using its built-in microphones. It takes only a couple of seconds, but if you want something more complete, you can still use the iOS routine.

Connectivity has been Sonos’ story from day one: Being able to play your music in any room in the house. The Era 100 builds on this with Bluetooth and a USB-C port, which replaces the Ethernet port on the One. You can connect a generic USB-C Ethernet adapter for a wired connection. But the real boon is in Sonos’ optional dongle. The $19 Line-In Adapter allows you to add external devices in a way previously only available on more expensive products like the $449 Port and the Sonos Five. You can then share that source — a turntable or FM tuner, for example — among all of the other speakers in your system. If you want Ethernet, too, you can step up to the $39 Combo Adapter, which adds wired networking to the 3.5mm input.

Meanwhile, the Sonos ecosystem is one of the biggest and most storied multiroom systems out there. It offers the flexibility of an all-in-one control app — for controlling music services and speakers — or you can use streaming protocols like Apple AirPlay 2. The system no longer offers Google Assistant, and there is no Chromecast built-in capability, which limits streaming options for Android users. 

Better sound than the One

If there was ever an old faithful in the world of streaming speakers, it’s the Sonos One. It offers punchy, if slightly veiled, sound that’s good in any environment — from houses and offices to restaurants and shops. Sonos consultant and recording engineer Giles Martin once told CNET you can tell you’re listening to a One because “it’s not annoying.”

When I compared the Sonos Era 100 to the Sonos One, the sound quality improvements revealed themselves over time. The most noticeable thing I found in my testing was that the One was boxier sounding than the Era 100. The Era’s dual tweeters helped the speaker sound more open and engaging. It’s worth noting that for my testing, I turned off the Loudness boost that’s on by default when you set up any Sonos speaker. The result is smoother bass with all materials, and I’ve found it’s always better turned off.

I began my testing with Andrew G’s track Runner, from his God Save the Animals album. The Era rendered this ’90s callback with more dynamism than the One. For instance, the low-end piano plunks that punctuate the beginning of the song actually had some punch that was lacking on the One. The new speaker was a tiny bit louder too, and the decibel meter confirmed about a 3db difference. Not massive, but a decent boost given the meatier low end.

Switching to Life by The Beta Band again amplified the Era 100’s more open sound, though it also revealed the speaker’s only potential Achilles’ heel. The speaker may have big-sounding bass, but it’s still using processing tricks to make this happen. For instance, I could really hear the 100’s volume drop once the deep bassline kicked in at the end of the song. The One made the bass appear softer overall, but the sound didn’t collapse at the end as it did with Era.

Using Yulunga (Spirit Dance) by Dead Can Dance brought out the improvements that the stereo tweeters make. I could hear distinct stereo separation in the left/right shakers that appear after the two-minute mark, and while this was most obvious when I was sitting about a foot away, I could still tell they were separate instruments at six feet away. There is a bass “thrum” at two minutes in that came through deeper on the Era.

Swapping out the One for the Apple HomePod, I instantly found the Era 100 can get louder than the HomePod. Using the same Dead Can Dance track, I found the HomePod had no real stereo effect at any distance. The aforementioned thrum was more confident on the HomePod, though, which is to be expected from a larger, more expensive speaker. 

Next up was the Echo Studio, which brought a huge, loud sound from the same Dead Can Dance track. Its sound quality was not as refined as the other two, particularly with the singer’s voice using the speaker’s Stereo Spatial enhancement, and I had to back off the treble and mid a bit as it sounded a little harsh. But if you want a stereo system replacement, this is the closest of all three. 

Use your speakers for audiobooks or podcasts? The Era 100 coped well with Andrew Hickey’s deep-voiced narration during his podcast A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. Intelligibility is excellent, and there was no throatiness or “bad cold” problems.

In the past, I found the Sonos One was able to outperform the Play:3 in a stereo pair. So what about two Era 100s versus a single Era 300? I wasn’t able to hear the Era 100 in a stereo pair, but I hope to test this soon. 

Last, I tested the speaker’s Bluetooth. On its own, when playing Alpha Zulu by Phoenix, it’s clear and punchy — there’s very little to complain about sound-quality wise. It was easy to hear the quality difference between Bluetooth and Tidal’s lossless audio, though, even on such a small speaker, which speaks well to the performance of the Era 100. Over Wi-Fi, the bass had more punch and there was much more “air.” 

Should you buy it?

When the Sonos One debuted in 2017, there was nothing else like it apart from some tentative smart speakers which quickly disappeared. Certainly nothing as well-formed and enduring as the One. (Yes, technically, Apple’s HomePod was announced before the Sonos, but the Apple speaker went on sale later.) Now, though, the Sonos One has plenty of competition. 

If you already own a One, it’s not an essential upgrade. Yet I can see people relegating their existing One speaker to a bedroom in the same way they do with an older TV. If you want a smart speaker that’s compact and sounds great, the Sonos Era 100 is an excellent choice and an easy recommendation. If you want a speaker for background music — while you’re entertaining or just hanging out — the Sonos Era 100 is every bit as capable as its predecessor: It’s just a great smart speaker.

Correction, March 28: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated the speaker was able to offer Google Assistant, as it is with the Sonos One. This has been corrected and the score adjusted from 8.5 to 8.4.

The post Sonos Era 100 Review: The Best Smart Speaker Gets Even Better first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.

Oct 2022

In the years since YouTube TV first launched, Google’s live TV streaming service has consistently proven to be one of the best, with an excellent channel selection and an unbeatable user experience. While the service has since almost doubled in price, it’s also added a bunch of features and continues to be a better choice than any of its premium competitors, including Hulu Plus Live TV, FuboTV and DirecTV Stream.

YouTube TV’s main strength for cord-cutters is its sheer number of channels. It now offers 79 of the top 100 networks, the most of any streaming service, a count that includes numerous cable staples plus all four local networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — and local PBS stations nationwide. 

9.0

YouTube TV

$65 at YouTube TV

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Like

• More channels than any competitor, and includes PBS
• Superb cloud DVR
• Excellent on-screen interface and handy search bar

Don’t Like

• Costly
• $20 upgrade doesn’t include much 4K content

Beyond channels, YouTube TV is easy to use: it’s slick and speedy on a variety of TVs and mobile devices. Its cloud DVR is the best in the business, with unlimited storage and pretty much all the capabilities of a hardware DVR. The service also offers a 4K streaming upgrade — for an additional $20 monthly — which includes unlimited simultaneous streams and downloadable DVR recordings.

The big snag is the price, and if you’re a cord-cutter, the cut-down Sling TV Blue at $35 a month is the best way to save money. At the other end of the spectrum, Hulu Plus Live TV is an excellent alternative and while it’s going up to $70 soon, it also throws in the a modified Disney Bundle. That said, if you’re used to the myriad channels and easy DVR of cable, then YouTube TV’s base $65 package is worth the money. It’s slick, it’s easy to use and represents an excellent value.

What do you get?

YouTube TV is different from YouTube, the free video service with more than 2 billion users a month. YouTube TV offers an experience similar to cable TV, with live channels and on-demand content available on a variety of devices. It works with Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV along with numerous smart TVs, phones, tablets, game consoles and web browsers. 

The service operates in much the same way as its competitors — there’s a program guide, a DVR and dozens of channels. But what really separates YouTube TV from other premium ($60-plus a month) services such as DirecTV Stream, Hulu Plus Live TV and FuboTV? Let’s take a look.

YouTube TV’s channel selection is excellent, with more from CNET’s list of 100 top channels than any other competitor, though Hulu is catching up. That said, more channels doesn’t necessarily mean more of what you want — some services such as FuboTV lean heavily on sports, while others are increasingly wide-ranging. It’s best to check the list at the end of this article, which compares individual channels across services, to make sure you’re getting the channels you want. While competitors include a number of channel upgrade packages, YouTube includes everything for the one price, though there is one exception which we’ll explore in the next section.

Last year, Google introduced two new features, namely 5.1 surround where available for all subscribers (most competitors are only in stereo) and an expansion of the DVR search which can now pick out specific sports (most useful for events such as the Olympics).

What’s it like to use?

YouTube TV’s user interface is fairly simple. There are three top-level tabs broken into Library, Home and Live. Library is where your DVR content lives while Home is where both featured and live thumbnails appear. The third, Live tab is a familiar-looking program grid which displays both currently playing and upcoming shows. You can search for content from the top of any page, making it relatively easy to jump straight to the programming you want. You can also perform searches with a compatible voice remote or Google Assistant. While this is easier if you have an Android TV streamer, you could also perform searches on your Google Nest Mini and play it on a Roku, for example.

The DVR works as expected and breaks up recorded content into manageable chunks such as recently recorded and most viewed. The DVR also includes the ability to rewind and fast-forward freely through recordings, even ones that aren’t yet completed. The Roku interface offers a 15-second skip by default, while the Apple TV’s control system via the Siri Remote is even better. You can use the touchpad to scroll through videos — and it’s glorious! It’s so much fun, and thumbnails make it relatively easy to get to the part you want.

In the past, when a show appeared in a network’s on-demand library, it would automatically replace the version in your cloud DVR, means you’d lose the ability to fast-forward through commercials. YouTube TV says it got rid of that restriction in October 2018, but some CNET readers have complained that it still occurs at times. Additionally, YouTube TV’s DVR is not truly unlimited — the shows will expire after nine months, but this is still a lot longer than the 30 days you get with most rivals.

While Google used to integrate YouTube into YouTube TV — with trailers and related content on a show’s About page — this appears to no longer be the case. However, the company is continually tweaking the interface, and we may see YouTube content appear again at some point.

Is it worth the $20 for 4K?

In a word, no. There’s simply not enough content right now to justify the upgrade, but there’s one new feature which may prove the most useful, especially for travelers. In pure content terms, though, the top tier of Netflix is $18 per month and offers thousands of hours of 4K content alone, plus offline viewing.

Introduced to coincide with the Olympics, YouTube TV’s $20 4K Plus add-on offers benefits including 4K sports and on-demand, an unlimited number of simultaneous streams, and a newfound ability to save DVR recordings for offline mobile viewing. If you’re a frequent flyer or subway rider, the ability to watch prerecorded shows without an active connection could be a real boon.

As per YouTube TV’s 4K page, the additional content includes shows from Discovery, ESPN, Fox Sports, FX, Nat Geo, NBC Sports and Tastemade. The interface includes a 4K button to help find content, but at present this doesn’t constitute enough to stick around for. In addition to a handful of shows, there’s also Thursday Night Football, “live” Premier League soccer, and college football on ESPN. The NCAA adds a bunch of 4K content, but if you want football, 4K or a combination of the two then FuboTV offers even more sports for the same $80 price tag.

The content that is available, such as the cooking show Make This Tonight and the travel competition show Basic Versus Baller, do look good, with better contrast and color than regular broadcast TV. 

Think of it as a cable replacement

When it originally appeared YouTube TV was a very attractive way to save money over cable. Yet as the service has piled on more channels, it has also added further costs. So, when you take that $65 monthly fee and apply it to the $50 you’re already paying for internet, it means you’re paying over $110 a month. Many cable TV providers will give you a TV-and-internet bundle for around the same money.

Prices vary a lot, of course, and with cable, you probably have to pay rental equipment fees, taxes and other extras. And cable providers usually reserve the best bundle pricing for people who sign a contract. The same goes for “streaming” offerings, such as Comcast’s Xfinity Flex.

The reason you want to cut cable in the first place remains. Like Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and others, YouTube TV is contract-free, so you can cancel at any time. Streaming services also have other advantages over cable. They’re easier to watch on phones and tablets, for example. At $65 per month, however, you’ll have to be coming from a relatively expensive cable bill to realize substantial savings with YouTube TV. 

Should you get YouTube TV?

If price is no object, YouTube TV is my favorite live streaming service, with a huge array of entertainment options and one of the best DVR/search combos on the market. It offers more channels than anyone else and the inclusion of 5.1 surround is great for sports and movie fans alike. If you don’t want to be beholden to a traditional cable company it’s a great alternative. 

That said, $65 a month could be a tough expenditure for some people, and yet without a contract to worry about, you are free to jump ship to a better deal at any time. That extra $20 on top is simply a bridge too far for so little 4K content, even if unlimited streams and DVR downloads are useful for extended families or travelers. 

If you’re a hardcore cord-cutter and determined to save money, Sling TV Blue offers a compelling alternative, especially when paired with an antenna or an AirTV 2. 

Below you’ll find a comparison of the top 100 channels offered by a few of YouTube TV’s competitors. For more information and comparisons with additional services, check out the full article.

• Yes = The channel is available on the cheapest pricing tier.
• No = The channel isn’t available at all on that service. 
• $ = The channel is available for an extra fee, either a la carte or as part of a more expensive package or add-on. 
• Not every channel a service carries is listed, just the “top 100” as determined by CNET’s editors. Minor channels such as AXS TV, CNBC World, Discovery Life, GSN, POP and Universal Kids didn’t make the cut.
• Regional sports networks — channels devoted to showing regular-season games of particular pro baseball, basketball and hockey teams — are not listed. 

Channel lineups compared

Channel	Sling Blue ($35)	YouTube TV ($65)	FuboTV ($70)	Hulu with Live TV ($70)	DirecTV Stream ($70)
Total channels:	35	79	61	73	62
ABC	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CBS	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fox	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
NBC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
PBS	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
CW	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MyNetworkTV	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
A&E	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
ACC Network	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Accuweather	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
AMC	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Animal Planet	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
BBC America	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
BBC World News	$	Yes	$	No	$
BET	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Big Ten Network	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Bloomberg TV	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Boomerang	$	No	No	Yes	Yes
Bravo	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cartoon Network	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
CBS Sports Network	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Cheddar	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Cinemax	No	$	No	$	$
CMT	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CNBC	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CNN	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Comedy Central	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cooking Channel	$	No	$	$	$
Destination America	$	No	$	$	$
Discovery Channel	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Disney Channel	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Disney Junior	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Disney XD	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
E!	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
EPIX	$	$	No	No	$
ESPN	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ESPN 2	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ESPNEWS	No	Yes	$	Yes	$
ESPNU	No	Yes	$	Yes	$
Food Network	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fox Business	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fox News	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FS1	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FS2	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Freeform	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FX	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FX Movies	$	Yes	$	Yes	$
FXX	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FYI	$	No	No	Yes	$
Golf Channel	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Hallmark	$	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
HBO/HBO Max	No	$	No	$	$
HGTV	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
History	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
HLN	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
IFC	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Investigation Discovery	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lifetime	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Lifetime Movie Network	$	No	No	Yes	$
Magnolia Network (formerly DIY)	$	No	$	$	$
MLB Network	$	Yes	$	No	$
Motor Trend	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MSNBC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MTV	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MTV2	$	Yes	$	$	Yes
National Geographic	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nat Geo Wild	$	Yes	$	Yes	$
NBA TV	$	Yes	$	No	$
NFL Network	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
NFL Red Zone	$	$	$	$	No
NHL Network	$	No	$	No	$
Nickelodeon	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nick Jr.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Nicktoons	$	Yes	$	$	$
Olympic Channel	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
OWN	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Oxygen	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Paramount Network	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Science	$	No	$	$	$
SEC Network	No	Yes	$	Yes	$
Showtime	$	$	$	$	$
Smithsonian	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Starz	$	$	$	$	$
Sundance TV	$	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Syfy	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tastemade	$	Yes	Yes	No	$
TBS	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
TCM	$	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
TeenNick	$	Yes	$	$	Yes
Telemundo	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
Tennis Channel	$	No	$	No	$
TLC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
TNT	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Travel Channel	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	$
TruTV	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
TV Land	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
USA Network	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
VH1	$	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vice	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
WE tv	$	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

The post YouTube TV Review: The Best Premium Live TV Streaming Service first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.

If you’re looking to improve your TV’s sound quality, a soundbar is the best option. The best TVs may have large screens, but they sound generally bad, which is why it’s worth upgrading to a separate TV speaker. Soundbars are relatively inexpensive and can instantly turn your system into a veritable home theater. If you’re looking for the best soundbar 2022 has to offer, we’ve rounded up some great options. And the best part? It won’t even need to cost that much to make your TV sound so much better.

These days, soundbars are considerably more popular than larger home theater speakers and AV receivers for their affordability and ease of use. Soundbars offer clear sound without the high price tag, and some have EQ modes specially designed to improve speech. From solid, bare-bones ‘bars to smart Alexa-powered and Dolby Atmos speakers, this is CNET’s lineup of the best soundbars available, starting around $100 and up. This list is updated periodically as we test new models.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Creative Stage

Best soundbar under $100

For less than a C-note, the Creative Stage soundbar offers a bunch of previously unheard-of features, including HDMI connectivity with an HDMI ARC port and a subwoofer. But what’s even more remarkable is that this affordable soundbar sounds better than most of its ultrabudget competition; its wired subwoofer fills the room with great bass. It has a variety of audio modes, making this soundbar speaker especially suited to music, concerts and gaming. Excellent sound quality for gamers and movie fans alike.

Read our Creative Stage review.

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Sarah Tew/CNET

Roku Streambar

Best budget soundbar with streaming video

While we really like the Roku Streambar Pro, the Roku Streambar does essentially the same job for $50 less. With a full-fledged 4K HDR Roku streamer built in and a single voice remote controlling everything, this bar gives you audio and video in one simple bar. The Roku soundbar setup is a breeze; just add to a TV with a simple HDMI port connection. This affordable soundbar has sound quality that’s acceptable for the size and price, and you can add a $129 wireless subwoofer for more punch.

Read our Roku Streambar review.

$130 at Target$114 at AmazonGet Price Alerts$130 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for Roku Streambar

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Vizio V21

Best soundbar under $200

If you’re looking to ditch your TV speaker, this is where we suggest you start. The subwoofer may be smaller than usual for the brand, but this audio bar still sounds great, as well as offering HDMI connectivity with ARC and a much easier-to-understand input display. The Vizio V-Series 2.1 is the best soundbar value we have tested in the last few years.

Read our Vizio V21 review.

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Sonos

Sonos Ray

Best music streaming for the money

Sonos’ new entry-level soundbar offers a lot for the money including the company’s excellent multiroom music system onboard. A two-channel soundbar with Dolby Digital decoding, the Ray is roughly two-thirds the size of the Sonos Beam yet it delivers a surprisingly wide soundstage.

While it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos surround sound or have an HDMI port to connect to your TV (you connect it to your TV with an included optical cable), we were impressed with the sound quality for music and movies. You can pair it with a couple of other Sonos speakers like the Ikea Symfonisk, or even the new Sonos Sub Mini, to create a surround sound system.

$279 at Sonos

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Klipsch Cinema 400

Best soundbar under $300

Easily supplanting our previous favorite, the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass, the Klipsch Cinema 400 adds great design and an even bigger wireless subwoofer. Sound quality is still king, though, with a real sense of dynamics and excellent music replay. If you want to make your TV the next best thing to a movie theater, this is one of the most affordable ways to do it.

Read our Klipsch Cinema 400 review.

$228 at Amazon$330 at Best BuyGet Price Alerts$249 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Klipsch Cinema 400

Sarah Tew/CNET

Yamaha YAS-209

Best soundbar with Alexa for the money

Dec 2020

The Yamaha YAS-209 offers excellent sound quality in a compact soundbar. Built-in Amazon Alexa voice control is useful, allowing this smart soundbar to stream music, and the mics work well in loud environments. The soundbar’s implementation of DTS Virtual:X virtual surround sound offers a rich effect reminiscent of surround speaker sound. Two HDMI connections are included, one with HDMI ARC. This smart soundbar’s wireless subwoofer is more articulate and offers more headroom than the competing, and also excellent, Polk Command Bar. However, the Yamaha soundbar YAS-209 doesn’t use the company’s MusicCast system, so it won’t sync up with other Yamaha speakers.

Read our Yamaha YAS-209 review.

$350 at Amazon$350 at Best BuyGet Price Alerts$350 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Yamaha YAS-209

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Vizio M512a-H6

Best Dolby Atmos soundbar under $500

A true step-up from the preceding soundbars, the Vizio M512a-H6 is the most cost-effective way to get true Dolby Atmos playback. This surround system includes the main soundbar with upfiring height speakers built in, a 6-inch subwoofer and two wired rear speakers. That’s a lot of parts, but they were easy to set up and we were impressed with the overall build quality. Most importantly, it offers excellent performance with movies, including real Atmos effects we could hear, as well as music. The M512a-H6s lacks Chromecast and AirPlay streaming, but still earns our hearty recommendation both for home cinema fans and for people looking to listen to their favorite album (whether in Atmos or not).

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Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Vizio Elevate

Best soundbar under $1,000

The Vizio Elevate’s main draw may be its motorized-height speakers, but once you get over their novelty you’ll find that the speaker system also sounds great. The separate sub and height-enabled rear speakers really help pull this Vizio soundbar ahead of the Sonos Arc sonically. With Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Chromecast built in, multiple HDMI inputs and Bluetooth, the only thing the Vizio doesn’t provide is Apple AirPlay support.

Read our Vizio Elevate P514A-H6 review.

$862 at Amazon$1,000 at Best BuyGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Vizio Elevate P514A-H6

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Sonos Arc

Best all-in-one soundbar under $1,000

If you’re interested in setting up a multiroom sound system, a Sonos soundbar system is still the best option. The Sonos Arc is the company’s best soundbar and includes Dolby Atmos playback, a class-leading music ecosystem and Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built into the bar itself. The soundbar system sounds good with music and movies, and adding a pair of Ikea Symphonisk bookshelves should really boost your home theater sound experience. The Arc sounds a lot bigger than the cheaper Beam TV sound, which needs the $700 subwoofer on top to make it comparable in terms of sound.

Read our Sonos Arc review.

$899 at Crutchfield$899 at Sonos, Inc.Get Price Alerts$899 at TargetYou’re receiving price alerts for Sonos Arc (Black)

Sarah Tew/CNET

Sennheiser Ambeo Max Soundbar

Best soundbar if money’s no object

If you simply must have the fewest number of boxes and remotes in your living space and yet demand the best Atmos quality sound performance you can get, this Sennheiser speaker is your baby. It’s a single unit, without a subwoofer, but it’s able to conjure up the most realistic overhead and true surround-sound effects we’ve ever heard. It’s also controlled entirely via remote control. It’s not a cheap piece of sound equipment but it’s comparable in price to a full set of surround speakers without the bulk and with 85% of the great sound and performance. It’s now been joined by the cheaper Ambeo Soundbar Plus.

Read our Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar review.

$2,500 at Crutchfield$2,500 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Polk Signa S3

Great for music listening

If you’re looking for a speaker that can do music as well as play the latest episode of Ted Lasso, then the Polk Audio Signa S3 has a lot to offer. It’s great for streaming, as it has Chromecast built in in addition to Bluetooth and an HDMI input.

Read our Polk Signa S3 review.

$249 at Amazon$250 at Best BuyGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Polk Signa S3

Sarah Tew/CNET

Zvox SB500

Best bass without a subwoofer

If you’re looking for a single audio bar that’s even cheaper than the Sonos Arc, the Zvox SB500 is a great option for people who still prize sound quality. This speaker offers multiple sound mode options, tighter bass and better sound than most other single-speaker options. While it may lack the Sonos’ Wi-Fi streaming, the Zvox still includes Bluetooth connectivity for streaming audio from your phone or tablet.

Read our Zvox SB500 review.

$450 at Zvox

How does CNET test soundbars?

CNET follows a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process for all of our soundbar testing. We test soundbars ranging from simple stereo speakers all the way through to Dolby Atmos systems. Our audio lab includes a Samsung QLED television (with HDMI eARC), an Apple TV 4K streamer, a Microsoft Xbox Series X and an Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player. Similar soundbars are compared side by side with different content, including movies, music, TV shows and games. We grade the sound quality of each by evaluating speech clarity, dynamics, bass response and musical playback.

Soundbar FAQs

How do I choose a soundbar?

The most important consideration when choosing a soundbar is how much you want to spend. There are great soundbars at every price level, from $100 and up, though if you’re paying over $500 it may be more worthwhile to save for an AV receiver and speakers. Single-bar systems are great for smaller TVs while a soundbar-and-subwoofer combo is great for a living room. Read more in our soundbar buying guide.

How do I connect a soundbar to my TV?

Depending on the age of your TV, there are three main ways to output to a soundbar: analog (3.5mm headphone or RCA), digital optical and HDMI. Before you buy a soundbar make sure it accepts the same connections present on your TV. The most common input on soundbars is now HDMI, and if your TV is less than 5 years old it should be compatible, but it’s worth double-checking.

Where do I place my soundbar?

Soundbars are designed to be placed in front of the TV on a TV stand or other furniture. Most are less than 2 inches tall so that they won’t block either your television’s infrared remote port or the screen itself. Some soundbars can also be wall-mounted and come with brackets in the box. Third-party kits for wall-mounting soundbars are also available.

Can you use any soundbar with any TV?

With only a handful of exceptions you can use any soundbar with any TV, though it does sometimes help to match TV and soundbar brands. Many new soundbars use HDMI ARC to channel the audio from your TV through the soundbar, so if both devices have one of these ports that’s all you need. Some older soundbars use an optical connection and most TVs offer these as well.The exception? Roku TV Wireless Speakers and Samsung SoundConnect. The former uses a proprietary wireless connection, and lacks an HDMI port, so you need a Roku TV (and not a Roku streamer) to use it. The second is also proprietary between Samsung soundbars and TVs, though the soundbar usually offers HDMI for connection to other brands.

Are soundbars really worth it?

Compared with the sound that comes out of your TV, yes, they are worth it. Spending as little as $100 on a soundbar can improve your TV-watching experience tenfold. TV speakers face downward so a lot of detail is lost, and a dedicated soundbar can make speech more understandable.

Can you use a soundbar to play music?

Music played through your TV almost always sounds better when you have a soundbar connected. Many soundbars have Bluetooth, meaning you don’t need the TV on to listen to your tunes. In general a soundbar with a wireless subwoofer is best for music as it will help reproduce dynamics as well as deep bass.

More home theater buying guides

• Best Speakers for 2022
• Best Home Theater Systems for 2022
• Best Gifts to Upgrade a Home Theater
• Best Sonos Speakers Starting at $100
• Best Bluetooth Wireless Speaker for 2022
• Best Budget Soundbar for 2022
• Best Soundbars With Amazon Alexa for 2022
• Best 32-Inch TV for 2022
• Best 65-Inch TV for 2022: Samsung TV, LG, TCL and More
• Best Record Player for 2022
• Best Over-Ear Headphones for 2022
• Best PC Speakers for 2022

The post Best Soundbars for 2022 first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.

Sonos has unveiled its latest subwoofer, the Sub Mini, which is designed to partner with the company’s more affordable soundbars — the Beam and Ray, specifically.

The 12-inch tall Sub Mini features dual 6-inch woofers that oppose each other to stop the unit moving around on the floor. Sonos says it offers similar extension to the larger sub at a claimed 25Hz. The center tunnel is designed to “maximize bass while nodding to the design of the iconic Sonos Sub.” This translates to: “If you have kids, they’re going to put things in there.” Especially as the Sub Mini vaguely resembles a fancy trash can.

The Sub Mini pairs with supported Sonos speakers using 5GHz wireless and you can use it in conjunction with such Sonos ecosystem features as Sonos Voice or the dozens of supported music services. 

The model becomes the second subwoofer in the line after the long-running Sub ($749), which is now in its third iteration. It’s amazing to think now, but when the original Sonos Sub was announced in 2012, the company’s Playbar hadn’t even been released. Instead, the Sub was billed as a great partner for the Play:5.

In the past 10 years, Sonos has released a whole host of new speakers and soundbars, and the existing Sub should partner with them all happily. Yet it was the debut of the most recent Ray ($279) and Beam Gen 2 ($449) speakers that necessitated a cheaper option. The Sub Mini makes the most sense with the similarly priced Beam, and I look forward to testing how the sub boosts bass performance for that particular Dolby Atmos-capable speaker.  

Yet, while the Sub Mini may be cheaper than the Sub at $429, it’s still not “cheap.” For this money, you could buy yourself a home theater subwoofer from the likes of SVS or Klipsch. It is more affordable, however, than the entry-level Bose, the $499 Bass Module 500. The Sub Mini will be available on Oct. 6.

The post Sonos Sub Mini Pairs Well With Smaller Soundbars first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.

Wireless audio is nothing new, especially if you’re even a little tech-savvy. However, speakers that utilize Wi-Fi streaming instead of Bluetooth are a little more rare — though their number has grown over the last few years. Wi-Fi streaming lets you control music in a multiroom environment, and most Wi-Fi speakers also offer voice control (for instance, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple’s Siri). That means you can ask your speaker for a specific song, and it’ll play it back for you. For more on this, don’t miss CNET’s guide to the best smart speakers.

If you don’t want voice control, you don’t have to have it: All the speakers here will work just fine without it, either because they lack mics or you can physically shut them off. Either way, you don’t need to spend very much. A fantastic “dumb” multiroom speaker like the Ikea Symfonisk Bookshelf starts at $120. There are a number of standards though, and if you’re filling a house with them you want to make sure they’ll work together. So, to make sense of it all, keep reading for the best Wi-Fi speakers for your needs. 

Sarah Tew/CNET

Sonos One

Best speaker overall, best AirPlay speaker

Oct 2021

At $220, and with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant as well as excellent sound quality, the Sonos One is the smart speaker to get and will please any music fan. Pair this compact speaker with another Sonos One and Apple AirPlay 2 for a flexible, high-quality some theater speaker system which responds to voice commands for less than the price of the Play:5. Don’t want voice control? Get the Sonos One SL — it’s virtually identical, but lacks the microphones.

Read our Sonos One review.

$219 at Audio AdviceGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Sonos One (Gen 2, Black)

Sarah Tew/CNET

Ikea Wi-Fi Symfonisk Bookshelf

Best budget speaker

For $120 there’s a number of excellent smart speakers to choose from, including the Amazon Echo, Nest Audio and HomePod Mini, but the Symfonisk is bigger than all of them. Bigger cabinets usually mean bigger sound. While this speaker is best as part of a Sonos surround sound system, it also makes a great kids’ room or garage speaker.

Read the Ikea Symfonisk review.

$120 at Ikea

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JBL Playlist 150

Best for Android users

Google may offer a lot of speakers, including the Nest Audio, but the one that was truly great with music — the Home Max — has been discontinued. It’s surprising then that the list of affordable-yet-good-sounding Chromecast built-in speakers can be counted on the fingers on one hand. And of those, the JBL Playlist is the best I’ve heard, with a generously sized speaker and enough volume to fill a typical room. It also has Bluetooth and an auxiliary input to expand its flexibility. It may not be “smart”, but if you want a system that can be controlled via an existing Google Assistant speaker, this is the one to get.

Read our JBL Playlist review.

$180 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for JBL Playlist (Black)

Sarah Tew/CNET

Amazon Echo Studio

The best sounding Amazon Echo

The Echo Studio comes from the house of Amazon – the creator of Alexa. It is easy to set up and is loud enough to fill a room with sound. With thumping bass, clear sound and good highs, this is easily the best Amazon Echo. You can use Alexa to stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal and more. 

Read our Amazon Echo Studio review.

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David Carnoy/CNET

Sonos Roam

Best portable speaker

The Sonos Roam is a portable Bluetooth speaker on steroids — it can be used out-and-about or it can be used as part of a Sonos multiroom system. It’s affordable (for Sonos, that is) and it sounds better than other products of its type. It also comes with a choice of voice assistant to make choosing a song even simpler.

$179 at Sonos, Inc.$179 at TargetGet Price Alerts$150 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for Sonos Roam

We also tested

• JBL Link Portable ($180): The Link Portable is a larger-size competitor to the Sonos, being both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatible, and it can play louder and with weightier bass. In his review of the Sonos Roam, reviewer David Carnoy says he preferred the sound and build quality of the Sonos and would buy it over the JBL. 
• Bose Home Speaker 300 ($259): If you’re after a responsive smart speaker, the Bose Home Speaker 300 is both snappy in operation and lovely to look at. In terms of audio quality, however, it doesn’t measure up to its competitor, the cheaper Sonos One. In addition, the onboard Bose Music multiroom system is not compatible with existing SoundTouch products. The 300 appears to be out of production but is still available at many places. Read CNET’s review of the Bose Home Speaker 300.
• Bowers and Wilkins Formation Flex ($500): A smaller brother to the flashy Formation Wedge, the Flex is still quite stylish and boasts an open-hearted sonic signature. There’s plenty of competition at this level though, including the Sonos Five, which is capable of a much bigger, party-ready performance. Read CNET’s first take on the Formation range.

• Sonos Move ($399): If you want a wireless speaker model that’s (kinda) portable and water resistant, the Sonos Move offers great sound in a very large box. If you need to power a tailgate or large party this would be great, but for most people the Sonos Roam is both cheaper and more pocketable. Read CNET”s review of the Sonos Move.
• Sony SRS-RA5000 ($598): Where are people supposed to put large speakers like the Sony SRS-RA5000 and the McIntosh RS150? A dressing table — like, a really big one? The Sony is over a foot tall but adding to its potential awkwardness is its 360-degree playback, making the “best” place to put it at the center of a room. The sound is fine, but if you want to hear 3D audio, the Amazon Echo Studio is a quarter of the price. Read CNET’s first take on the on the Sony SRS-RA5000
• McIntosh RS150 ($1,200): The massive McIntosh RS150 has some great things going for it — namely Chromecast built-in, Roon Ready and Spotify Connect capabilities. Nonetheless, the sound wasn’t as clear as I’d expected and the unit offers no EQ controls to compensate. In addition, while the previous RS100 had the fabled McIntosh blue meter this update misses a trick by replacing it with LEDs. The competitive Naim Mu-so Qb is more compact and offers excellent performance for the same price.

How does CNET test Wi-Fi speakers?

CNET follows a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process for all of our audio testing. We test Wi-Fi speakers ranging from simple bedside speakers all the way through to high-end systems. Our audio lab includes a Roon server running on a Synology NAS, Google Nest and Amazon Echo speakers, plus both iOS and Android devices. Similar speakers are compared side by side in a living room environment with different styles of music and utilizing multiple streaming platforms when required. We grade the sound quality of each by evaluating clarity, dynamics, bass response and stereo imaging (if applicable). If the speaker comes with a proprietary app we will compare that to other competitive controllers. 

Wi-Fi Speaker FAQs

Is Bluetooth better than Wi-Fi?

Both of them can be termed as wireless speaker system. Wi-Fi delivers the same basic convenience as Bluetooth: using your phone’s Wi-Fi connection to play music over an external speaker or sound system. Just like speakers that use Bluetooth connectivity, it can work with a subscription music service app such as Spotify (via Spotify Connect) or Apple Music, a radio service like Pandora or TuneIn, or your own music collection. Here are the best reasons to get a streaming Wi-Fi speaker:

• A Wi-Fi speaker sounds better than a Bluetooth speaker due to its higher bandwidth.
• Wi-Fi has better range.
• Wi-Fi doesn’t take over your phone’s audio channel — so you can take a call without interrupting the song, for example.
• It also works great for multiroom audio, allowing playback from multiple speakers all over the house via your Wi-Fi network, all controlled by a single phone app.

How do multiroom speakers work?

Mutliroom enables users to play from one or multiple speakers anywhere in the house at once, with most systems able to support up to a dozen or more different zones. If you want to play a song in “house party mode,” for example, where it blasts from multiple speakers throughout the house simultaneously, all of those speakers have to share the same ecosystem. For Sonos and other proprietary systems, all of those speakers will have to be Sonos (or connected to a Sonos device). For Chromecast, all of the speakers regardless of brand, will need to be Chromecast-compatible. And so on. 

How do I connect my WiFi to my music?

Most speakers come with a dedicated companion app for iOS and Android which is used for both setting up and controlling your system. It goes without saying that you’ll need a internet connection to use a Wi-Fi speaker and most speakers support at least 2.4GHz connections or even 5Ghz. Check your documentation for the name of the app you need and make sure you also have your Wi-Fi password handy. Most apps use a simple step-by-step process and you should be listening to music in a matter of minutes. 

What are the different Wi-Fi music standards?

When you buy a Wi-Fi speaker, you’re also investing in an ecosystem — a family of products and apps that work together, but don’t always work with other ecosystems. Here’s a look at the major Wi-Fi systems out there today. 

• Sonos: It’s kind of expensive and a little exclusive, but Sonos still offers some of the best home speaker hardware available. The company is moving away from the megalithic single app in favor of supporting third-party music services natively (Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2). Considering the exacting sound quality and the bomb-proof build, Sonos is still the premium Wi-Fi system to get. The release of Ikea’s Symfonisk range also makes the system more affordable.
• Apple AirPlay/AirPlay 2: The reach of Apple’s AirPlay 2 will continue to grow alongside its Music streaming service — with its most intriguing feature being multiroom — but there are plenty of speakers out there that still support the original AirPlay. Great for iPhone users.
• Built-in Chromecast: For the cost of entry and ease of use and setup, Chromecast built-in is our current favorite Wi-Fi music system. There are no new apps to learn — just press Cast in a compatible app and music will play out of your speaker(s) of choice.
• Amazon Multi Room Music: The speaker market has been upended by Amazon’s Echo speaker family, which combines wireless audio with voice control and home automation. MRM has been slow to take off, however, in part because third-party device support is scarce.
• There are a number of other Wi-Fi systems, some open and some specific to the single manufacturer. These include: Yamaha MusicCast, Denon HEOS, Bowers and Wilkins Formation, Bose Music and Bluesound. 

 Most Wi-Fi speaker products support streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify, but double-check first to be sure. Is your music stored in iTunes, Google Play Music or Amazon Music? You’ll still be fine with a Sonos (for instance), but other products may support as many platforms.

More audio recommendations 

• Best Sonos Speakers for 2022 
• Best Soundbars With Amazon Alexa for 2022
• Best Mesh Routers for 2022: Top Systems on Sale Now
• Best PC Speakers for 2022
• Best Wireless Bluetooth Boom Boxes for 2022

The post Best Wi first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.

When you’re looking for new speakers, you have to consider your needs. Do you want speakers for your television, a speaker for a specific room or something a little more portable to take on trips? There are a lot of different kinds out there, including bookshelf speakers, computer speakers, outdoor speakers, small Bluetooth speakers, smart speakers with Amazon Alexa and full home theater systems. We’ve rounded up the best speakers out there right now — you can take your audio setup to the next level without stressing over the options.

We’ve highlighted speakers that cost between $50 and around $1,000, including budget TV upgrades such as the Vizio V21. While most of the included systems are powered, you’ll also find passive loudspeakers, such as the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2, that just need to be paired with a great AV receiver. 

Each product highlighted has great sound and can be considered the best speaker in its particular category. We’ll update this list periodically as we review new products.

Read more: Best Soundbar for 2022

Sonos One

Best sounding smart speaker

Oct 2021

With great sound, a compact size and the option of either Google Assistant or Alexa, the Sonos One reaffirms its place as the best smart speaker for the money and packs a lot of punch for a little speaker.

Read our Sonos One review.

$219 at Audio AdviceGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Sonos One (Gen 2, Black)

Sarah Tew/CNET

Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2

Best bookshelf speakers for the money

Elac has been belting out classic, affordable designs ever since its, er, debut in 2015. The Debut 2.0 exemplifies the brand’s appeal to both the budget-conscious and audiophiles. It offers a lively, insightful sound and attractive looks for around $400.

$304 at Amazon$400 at Best BuyGet Price Alerts$400 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Fluance XL8F

Best tower speakers for the money

Want the biggest sound? You’ll need big speakers. The size of the Fluance XL8 towers, and their fit and finish, is unmatched by other speakers at its price. The sound of the XL8F is open and thrilling, but never shrill, and when fed a movie soundtrack these speakers simply zing. They’re no slouch with music either. If you truly want the maximum speaker for your money, the huge Fluance XL8F has no equal.

Read our Fluance XL8F review.

$600 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Fluance XL8F (Walnut)

David Carnoy/CNET

Tribit Stormbox Micro

Best budget Bluetooth speaker

Dec 2020

Budget Bluetooth speakers are seemingly a dime a dozen, but among the countless options there do lie some gems. The $50 Tribit Stormbox Micro is a compact, portable speaker that offers both waterproofing and excellent bass for its size.

Read our Tribit StormBox Micro review.

$50 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Tribit StormBox Micro

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Vizio V21

Best budget soundbar

Vizio has a reputation for making great budget equipment and the Vizio V21 is an excellent example. It sounds really good and it’s super easy to set up. It offers Bluetooth, HDMI connectivity and a separate sub, making for exceptional value.

Read our Vizio V21 review.

$150 at Target$190 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Vizio V21

Amazon

Edifier R1280DB

Best computer speakers

The Edifier R1280DB offers almost everything you could want in a PC speaker — excellent sound, a range of connections including Bluetooth and a compact footprint — and all for a reasonable $150. It doesn’t offer USB, though, so connect the headphone/line out of your PC to it instead.

$150 at Best Buy$150 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Edifier R1280DB

Sarah Tew/CNET

Yamaha YAS-209

Best smart soundbar

Dec 2020

The Yamaha YAS-209 is one of the most fully featured soundbars the company has ever offered — especially at the price. With Alexa, HDMI connectivity and a wireless subwoofer, this soundbar doesn’t want for anything. The sound quality is great too.

Read our Yamaha YAS-209 review.

$350 at Amazon$350 at Best BuyGet Price Alerts$350 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Yamaha YAS-209

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Vizio Elevate

Best high-end soundbar

The Vizio Elevate may have one big gimmick at the core of it, that revolving height speaker, but it also offers sound quality to back up the gee-whizzery. This is a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos soundbar, with a hefty subwoofer, and its performance is equally thrilling in both movies and music. Add in a bunch of streaming features and you have the best surround system under a grand.

Read our Vizio Elevate P514A-H6 review.

$862 at Amazon$1,000 at Best BuyGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Vizio Elevate P514A-H6

More home entertainment essentials

• Sonos One vs. Amazon Echo Studio: Which Smart Speaker Should You Buy?
• Best Sonos Speakers from $100
• Best 4K Projectors for 2022
• Best Wireless Speakers for 2022
• Best Soundbars under $300
• Best Soundbars with Amazon Alexa in 2022
• Best Bluetooth Speakers for 2022
• Best Headphones of 2022
• Best Turntables Under $300 in 2022
• Best PC Speakers for 2022
• Best AV Receivers for 2022
• Best Universal Remotes for 2022
• Best Dolby Atmos Soundbar for 2022
• Best Wireless Bluetooth Boombox for 2022
• Best Home Theater Systems of 2022

The post Best Speakers of 2022 first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.

Roku is best known for its streaming devices and TVs, but it also makes some impressive affordable speakers. One of my favorites is the Roku Streambar a compact soundbar with built-in streaming. In my review, I lauded its ability to make speech and dialog sound better than your TV but lamented its lack of bass. Now there’s a new Roku solution to that problem.

The Roku Wireless Bass ($130) is designed to pair with Roku speakers, namely the Roku Streambar, Roku Streambar Pro, Roku Wireless Speakers, or the TCL Roku TV Wireless Soundbar. It offers a slim design, an “easy wireless setup” and can placed up to 30 feet from the TV. It’s also $50 less than Roku’s existing Wireless Subwoofer.

The subwoofer offers a 5.25-inch front-firing driver with a 60-watt output, and it is a slim 13.7 inches high by 6.7 inches wide and 12.4 inches deep. The “problem,” however, is that the Roku Wireless Bass is also the same price as Walmart’s compatible Onn Subwoofer… which offers better specs, namely a 10-inch driver and a 150-watt output. 

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Although its compact size likely means it’s best-suited to smaller spaces, the Wireless Bass is a steal compared to other wireless subwoofers, such as the Polk React Sub ($200) or the rumored Sonos Sub Mini (expected to be under $500). Roku is also offering a bundle with the Streambar for $250, though it’s currently cheaper to buy them separately — the Streambar is on sale for $100.

Roku Streambar

$130 at Target

Separately, Roku also announced a new version of its $30 Roku Express streaming device, as well as the latest software update for its streamers and TVs.

The post Roku Wireless Bass Subwoofer Boosts TV, Soundbar Boom for $130 first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.

When you’re looking for new speakers, you have to consider your needs. Do you want speakers for your television, a speaker for a specific room or something a little more portable to take on trips? There are a lot of different kinds out there, including bookshelf speakers, computer speakers, outdoor speakers, small Bluetooth speakers, smart speakers with Amazon Alexa and full home theater systems. We’ve rounded up the best speakers out there right now — you can take your audio setup to the next level without stressing over the options.

We’ve highlighted speakers that cost between $50 and around $1,000, including budget TV upgrades such as the Vizio V21. While most of the included systems are powered, you’ll also find passive loudspeakers, such as the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2, that just need to be paired with a great AV receiver. 

Each product highlighted has great sound and can be considered the best speaker in its particular category. We’ll update this list periodically as we review new products.

Read more: Best Soundbar for 2022

Sonos One

Best sounding smart speaker

Oct 2021

With great sound, a compact size and the option of either Google Assistant or Alexa, the Sonos One reaffirms its place as the best smart speaker for the money and packs a lot of punch for a little speaker.

Read our Sonos One review.

$219 at Audio AdviceGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Sonos One (Gen 2, Black)

Sarah Tew/CNET

Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2

Best bookshelf speakers for the money

Elac has been belting out classic, affordable designs ever since its, er, debut in 2015. The Debut 2.0 exemplifies the brand’s appeal to both the budget-conscious and audiophiles. It offers a lively, insightful sound and attractive looks for around $400.

$304 at Amazon$400 at Best BuyGet Price Alerts$400 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Fluance XL8F

Best tower speakers for the money

Want the biggest sound? You’ll need big speakers. The size of the Fluance XL8 towers, and their fit and finish, is unmatched by other speakers at its price. The sound of the XL8F is open and thrilling, but never shrill, and when fed a movie soundtrack these speakers simply zing. They’re no slouch with music either. If you truly want the maximum speaker for your money, the huge Fluance XL8F has no equal.

Read our Fluance XL8F review.

$600 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Fluance XL8F (Walnut)

David Carnoy/CNET

Tribit Stormbox Micro

Best budget Bluetooth speaker

Dec 2020

Budget Bluetooth speakers are seemingly a dime a dozen, but among the countless options there do lie some gems. The $50 Tribit Stormbox Micro is a compact, portable speaker that offers both waterproofing and excellent bass for its size.

Read our Tribit StormBox Micro review.

$50 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Tribit StormBox Micro

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Vizio V21

Best budget soundbar

Vizio has a reputation for making great budget equipment and the Vizio V21 is an excellent example. It sounds really good and it’s super easy to set up. It offers Bluetooth, HDMI connectivity and a separate sub, making for exceptional value.

Read our Vizio V21 review.

$150 at Target$187 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Vizio V21

Amazon

Edifier R1280DB

Best computer speakers

The Edifier R1280DB offers almost everything you could want in a PC speaker — excellent sound, a range of connections including Bluetooth and a compact footprint — and all for a reasonable $150. It doesn’t offer USB, though, so connect the headphone/line out of your PC to it instead.

$150 at Best Buy$150 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Edifier R1280DB

Sarah Tew/CNET

Yamaha YAS-209

Best smart soundbar

Dec 2020

The Yamaha YAS-209 is one of the most fully featured soundbars the company has ever offered — especially at the price. With Alexa, HDMI connectivity and a wireless subwoofer, this soundbar doesn’t want for anything. The sound quality is great too.

Read our Yamaha YAS-209 review.

$350 at Amazon$350 at Best BuyGet Price Alerts$350 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Yamaha YAS-209

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Vizio Elevate

Best high-end soundbar

The Vizio Elevate may have one big gimmick at the core of it, that revolving height speaker, but it also offers sound quality to back up the gee-whizzery. This is a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos soundbar, with a hefty subwoofer, and its performance is equally thrilling in both movies and music. Add in a bunch of streaming features and you have the best surround system under a grand.

Read our Vizio Elevate P514A-H6 review.

$862 at Amazon$1,000 at Best BuyGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Vizio Elevate P514A-H6

More home entertainment essentials

• Sonos One vs. Amazon Echo Studio: Which Smart Speaker Should You Buy?
• Best Sonos Speakers from $100
• Best 4K Projectors for 2022
• Best Wireless Speakers for 2022
• Best Soundbars under $300
• Best Soundbars with Amazon Alexa in 2022
• Best Bluetooth Speakers for 2022
• Best Headphones of 2022
• Best Turntables Under $300 in 2022
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Cutting the cable cord is a popular way to save money, but users may find they need to augment favorites such as Netflix with live broadcasts as well. Enter live TV streaming services. These cancel-anytime live TV bundles give you the ability to watch local and national news as well as live sports and events like the Emmys. All you need is a streaming device or smart TV. 

Unlike on-demand platforms such as Netflix or HBO Max, live TV streaming services offer you a live channel lineup without a contract. The best services start at $35
a month, which can help save you money on a cable subscription, while the more expensive services like YouTube TV end up about the same. Whichever you choose you can stream loads of live channels such as CNN, NBC, ESPN and Fox on a host of different devices, including set-top boxes and mobile devices. It’s easy to get started — you don’t even need a technician to stop by your home.

Read more: Best Streaming Service of 2022

What’s the downside? Pricing and channel availability are two things which are still in a state of flux. For instance, last year Disney briefly pulled all of its channels from YouTube TV, and Hulu Plus Live TV is about to increase its existing bundle by $5 a month. Sometimes less popular services, such as AT&T TV Watch TV, TVision or PlayStation Vue, are simply phased out.

Welcome, then, to the brave new world of live TV streaming over the internet. If you need help deciding on the best streaming service or streaming bundle, then read on. We’ll continue to update this best streaming service list periodically as things change (which they always do).

Sarah Tew/CNET

YouTube TV

Best live TV streaming service overall

Nov 2021

YouTube TV has more top channels than any competitor at this price and it’s one of only two with local PBS stations. The basic $65 YouTube TV service also has the best cloud DVR of the bunch, including both unlimited storage and a generous nine months to watch recordings (most rivals offer 30 days). The interface is no-nonsense, though a little drab, and yet it offers most of the features a cable service can give you. The service is also the only one to offer surround sound on live broadcasts.

The video streaming service has a $20 monthly add-on which, while it doesn’t add any channels, lets you watch 4K livestreams and a small amount of on-demand content. Given a lack of 4K content still, it’s not a great value, though it also adds an unlimited number of simultaneous streams (up from three).

If you want the best service available and don’t mind paying for it, then YouTube TV is the one to get. However, if you just want to save money over a traditional cable subscription, Sling TV is the superior TV streaming bargain.

Note: As of August 2022, YouTube TV is offering the first three months for a $10 discount at $55.

Top channels not available: A&E, History, Lifetime.

Read our YouTube TV review.

$55 at YouTube TVYou’re receiving price alerts for YouTube TV

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Sling TV Blue

Best TV streaming on a budget

Sep 2021

At $35 Sling TV Blue may cost $10 more than Philo, but it has better channels, more options and a comparatively better live TV streaming interface, so it’s worth the extra money in our opinion. And Sling is still dirt-cheap compared to most other streaming services, let alone cable.

Sling is cheaper than premium services like YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV, because it has very few local stations (no local ABC or CBS stations, and availability of local Fox and NBC is very limited). Sling offers not one but two $35-per-month live TV streaming channel packages, Sling Orange and Sling Blue. While some live TV channels are available on both, the two differ significantly with other channel offerings: Orange is basically the ESPN/Disney package, while Blue is the Fox/NBC package and offers more channels overall.

In addition to an affordable price Sling TV has two new feathers in its cap: an upgraded DVR (increased to 50 hours); and a new interface (as seen above) which makes the service a lot more fun to use

Top channels not available on Sling Blue: ABC, CBS, Animal Planet, Disney Channel, ESPN, Nickelodeon. Fox and NBC are only available in select major cities.

Top channels not available on Sling Orange: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Animal Planet, Bravo, CNBC, Discovery Channel, Bravo, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, FX, MSNBC, USA Network.

Read our Sling TV review.

$35 at Sling TVYou’re receiving price alerts for Sling TV

Sarah Tew/CNET

Hulu Plus Live TV

Best on demand

With a series of price hikes has come a number of additional channels, including access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, plus a new unlimited DVR included in the $70 price. But despite all that, Hulu Plus Live TV is still second banana to our top live TV streaming premium pick, YouTube TV. While its channel selection still isn’t as robust as YouTube TV and FuboTV, it’s Hulu’s significant catalog of on-demand content which helps set it apart. Exclusive titles such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building give it a content advantage no other service can match. Despite the addition of a competitive DVR, YouTube TV is still a better TV streaming service choice than Hulu Live TV and costs $5 less to boot. 

In December, Hulu Plus Live TV will include the ad-supported version of Disney Plus, while the existing ad-free bundle will increase to $75.

Top channels not available: AMC, BBC America, MLB Network, NBA TV.

Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review.

$70 at Hulu

Sarah Tew/CNET

DirecTV Stream

Best for channel flippers, sports fans

Now on its fourth name in three years, DirecTV Stream is also one of the most expensive at $70 (equal with Hulu Plus Live TV and FuboTV). The service does have its pluses though — for example, it includes the flipper-friendly ability to swipe left and right to change channels. It’s also offering unlimited DVR capability to new users, while existing subscribers need to pay an extra $10 a month. 

Additionally DirecTV Stream includes some channels the other services can’t, including almost 250 local PBS stations. For cord-cutters who want to follow their local NBA or MLB team, DirecTV Stream’s $85 Choice package is our live TV streaming pick because it has access to more regional sports networks than the competition. Although you’ll want to make sure your channel is included, and not available on one of our preferred picks, before you pony up.

Note: As of August 2022 DirecTV Stream is offering the first two months at the discounted price of $50.

Top channels not available in base package: MLB Network, NFL Network, Travel Channel.

Read our DirecTV Stream review.

$70 at DirecTV

Live TV streaming services we also tested

• Philo  Philo is a cheap live TV streaming service with a variety of channels, but it lacks sports channels, local stations and big-name news networks — although Cheddar and BBC news are available. Philo offers bread-and-butter cable staples like AMC, Comedy Channel, Nickelodeon and Magnolia Network (formerly DIY), and specializes in lifestyle and reality programming. It also includes a cloud DVR and optional add-ons from Epix and Starz. We think most people are better off paying another $10 for Sling TV’s superior service, but if Philo has every channel you want, it’s a decent deal. Read CNET’s Philo review 

• FuboTV  There’s a lot to like about FuboTV — it offers a wide selection of channels and its sports focus makes it especially attractive to soccer fans or NBA, NHL and MLB fans who live in an area served by one of FuboTV’s RSNs. It’s also a great choice for NFL fans since it’s one of three services, alongside YouTube TV and Hulu, with NFL Network and optional RedZone. The biggest hole in Fubo’s lineup is the lack of Turner networks, including CNN, TNT and TBS — especially since the latter two carry a lot of sports content, in particular NBA, NHL and MLB. Those missing channels, and the similar $70 price tag, makes it less attractive than YouTube TV for most viewers. Read CNET’s FuboTV review

How to shop for cord-cutting live TV services

Each of the TV streaming services above offers a different mix of channels, so your first step should be choosing one that carries your “can’t miss” cable channels and shows. And some of the most important channels are locals, namely ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Not every service offers all of them in every area, but the best streaming service for you will include the majority of what you love to watch, so it is worth shopping around. The live TV streaming service lineups are in constant flux as networks scramble to secure access to popular channels (ones with highly watched original shows and regional sports networks are especially in demand). There’s also the chance that a certain cable channel could disappear from a certain service after a network contract expires, which is what happened in 2020 with the regional sports networks.

These negotiations lead to other changes, too. Over the past two years, Sling TV, Hulu (multiple times), Philo and the newly renamed DirecTV Stream have all raised their prices. Google and Roku resolved a contract dispute which prevented users from downloading the YouTube TV app, while users lost the use of Disney channels for two days due to a different dispute.

Broadly, each of these streaming services can be broken down into two main groups: Budget, with prices ranging between $25 and $35 and few or no local channels; and Premium, with prices from $65 and up including local channels and supercharged cloud DVRs. That’s right, all of the services allow you to record and play back shows, just like a traditional cable or satellite DVR, but they often come with restrictions. 

Read more: Top 100 Channels Compared Across Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream and Philo

Next, there’s the multistream question. If you want to watch more than one program at the same time — for example, on your living room TV and on a bedroom TV, or the main TV and a tablet or other devices — you’ll want to make sure the video streaming service you’re watching has enough simultaneous streams. Sling Orange only allows one stream at a time, and if you try to watch a second, it’s blocked. Other services have higher simultaneous stream limits.

Keep in mind that, especially if you do have more than one person watching at once on supported devices, you need to make sure you have fast, reliable broadband internet. A 100Mbps download service will cost around $50 to $60 a month, and sadly that’s where the savings of cutting cable can get swallowed up. 

Here’s a live TV streaming shopping list to consider: 

• Does the service offer your “must-have” channels? See CNET’s comparison of the top 100 channels here.
• Does it offer local channels in your area? 
• How good is the cloud DVR?
• Does the interface make it easy to browse for shows?
• Are there enough simultaneous streams for you and your family?
• Is your internet connection up to snuff? See CNET’s guide to improving streaming quality here.

What streaming TV services won’t give you

Streaming TV services are great, but there are some things they can’t do compared with a traditional cable box. 

First, it’s worth looking at the channels that you can’t get with any of these live TV streaming services. For example, only two of the services are able to offer PBS: YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream.

With sports returning in force from the pandemic-enforced hiatus, fans will want to make sure they can find the sports channels to follow their teams. Most services carry ESPN and local channels for NFL football, but if you follow a professional baseball or basketball team, you might need its specific channel — called a regional sports network or RSN — to watch regular season games. RSN coverage varies widely for each service. Sometimes, even if you live in the right area, you may be mistakenly blacked out due to an IP address error. If this is the case, you can fix this by signing up for a sports-friendly VPN.

Every live TV service’s video streaming is a few seconds to a minute or more behind
the “live” stream you’ll get from your local cable TV or satellite provider. That means you could get a preview of scores or big plays from Twitter, phone alerts or phone calls from friends slightly before you see the action on screen.

If you’re used to 5.1-channel surround offered by cable or even OTA, then you may be disappointed that YouTube is the only service to offer surround sound on live broadcasts. The other services include stereo sound only on live channels, though 5.1 audio is available on some on-demand material.

Don’t care about live TV? More cord-cutter staples

In 2022, streaming fans have more choices than ever, including NBC/Comcast’s Peacock, AT&T’s HBO Max, Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus. While Peacock differs in that it has live news the other services lack traditional live channels — focusing instead on back catalogs and new original programming — but they can still eat into your entertainment budget.

Netflix: One of the first streaming TV services and it’s so popular that it’s become a catch-all term in the same way as “Magic Marker” or “Coke” in the South. And then, of course, there’s the ever-popular “Netflix and chill.” High-definition plans start at $15.50 a month, and the service covers thousands of TV shows and movies, including original TV series like The Queen’s Gambit and Stranger Things. Then there are Netflix original movies like Roma and The Irishman. 

See at Netflix

Amazon Prime Video: The “other” major streaming service, which is included as part of a $139 annual Prime Membership or $15 a month. The interface isn’t as user-friendly as Netflix, but the service also offers shows not on its rival, including original content like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Expanse. Amazon Prime also has the ability to add premium channels (HBO and Showtime and more), making it a potential one-stop shop.

See at Amazon

Disney Plus: One of the biggest streaming services to launch in some time, Disney has gathered a mix of movies, TV shows and exclusive content, including Loki, The Mandalorian and WandaVision, for $8 a month (but will increase in December 2022). Read our Disney Plus review here.

See at Disney

Paramount Plus: Previously CBS All Access, Paramount Plus costs $5 a month or $10 monthly for ad-free streaming. The service offers live TV (in some cities), sports and on-demand content from CBS, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Paramount Network, plus its Paramount Pictures movie studio. Paramount Plus also offers exclusive originals such as Star Trek: Discovery, Picard and the Good Fight.

See at Paramount Plus

Vudu/Movies Anywhere: Digital libraries (or lockers) that incorporate legacy UltraViolet content and streaming movies and TV that are only available for purchase, such as new releases.

See at Vudu

Peacock: Now live nationwide, Peacock is NBC’s answer to Paramount Plus. Its main claim to fame is that its basic tier, with 7,500 hours of content, is free. Peacock Premium unlocks more content for $5 a month while an ad-lite version called Peacock Premium Plus is $10 monthly.

See at Peacock

It’s also worth investigating free, ad-supported services such as Roku Channel, Amazon Freevee, Tubi, Pluto and Crackle, which offer a wealth of content. Read CNET’s roundup of free TV services here.

Is an indoor or outdoor antenna a viable option?

If you have a TV in your house — that is, a screen that incorporates a tuner — you’re part-way to cutting the cord already. An affordable indoor antenna hooked up to your TV will let you watch free TV over the air from any channel you receive in your local broadcast area. Antennas cost as little as $10. See our comparison of indoor antennas here.

You can also add a hardware DVR such as the Amazon Fire TV Recast or TiVo Edge for Antenna if you want. Then you can record those live TV antenna channels, play them back and skip commercials, just like on a standard cable TV DVR. Here’s CNET’s roundup of the best OTA DVRs for cord-cutters.

A solid, lower-cost alternative to live TV streaming services is the combination of an antenna for live local channels and an on-demand service such as Netflix or Hulu. That way you’ll still be able to watch live programming and also have a choice of on-demand content.

Conclusion: Try it yourself

Streaming live TV services are still in flux. Since launch, every service has increased its prices by at least $5 a month, TV channel selections and cities with local channel access are changing all the time, and reports persist about some services losing money, or even closing in the case of T-Mobile’s TVision. While streaming is undoubtedly the future, and cable the past, it will be some time before both prices and the services offered settle in.

That said, if you want a cable-like experience both at home and for on-the-go devices, without the dead weight that a cable subscription brings, a streaming service is worth a look. There’s no contract to sign, and if you don’t like the service you’re on, you can easily switch. So whether you’re looking for a basic package such as Sling TV or want to pay more for a deluxe experience from the likes of YouTube TV, there should be a streaming TV service to suit you.

More streaming advice

• Free Movies: 10 Netflix Alternatives That Will Keep You Entertained 
• Best TV Shows to Watch on Hulu
• Best TV Antennas for Cord-Cutters
• Best TV for 2022
• Best Universal Remotes for 2022
• Best 75-inch TVs for 2022
• Best Streaming Device in 2022: Roku, Apple TV, Fire Stick, Chromecast and More
• Budget Hack: Replace Netflix and Other Pricey Subscriptions With These Free Versions
• Best TV Shows to Watch on Amazon Prime Video

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Sometimes, it feels like the producers of a show or movie have gone out of their way to make voices sound as quiet as possible, while cranking up the volume for music and sound effects. If you’re tired of missing key pieces of dialogue thanks to your TV’s subpar speakers, it may be time for an upgrade. There are plenty of clever tips and tricks out there that can help boost your TVs sound quality, but we’ve rounded up the best soundbars for dialogue below, which are a simple and sure-fire way to get better voice clarity. 

Many brands offer soundbars that come with a dedicated speech mode, though some do it better than others. One company that stands out is Zvox — it specializes in dialogue, and most of its products have at least one voice enhancement mode (and some as many as 12). Competitor Polk is also notable for its excellent VoiceAdjust feature, while Yamaha makes an affordable soundbar with similar options, too.

Read more: Best Home Theater Systems of 2022

A soundbar can cost a lot less than some other home theater systems, but can have just as much impact on improving your TV’s sound. Whether you’re looking for a budget speaker or something a little more premium, these are the best soundbars for dialogue 

Sarah Tew/CNET

Zvox SB500

Best soundbar for TV dialogue

If you’re looking for a soundbar which offers plenty of bass as well as crisp dialogue without using a subwoofer, then the Zvox SB500 is a great buy. Even better, the company has added more levels of sound enhancement since I reviewed the SB500, which should make it even easier to dial in the dialogue the way you want it. 

Read our Zvox SB500 review.

$450 at Zvox

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Zvox AV357

Best runner-up

The Zvox AV357 may not have many features as the larger SB500, but it is an excellent performer nonetheless. The speaker comes in a wood-grain veneer, and the remote control is friendly. If you want to connect more than just a TV though — like a phone via Bluetooth — the other options listed here are better for that.

Read our Zvox AV357 review.

$250 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Zvox AV357

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Polk React

Best for features, including Alexa

The Polk React is a follow-up to the Command Bar — the first soundbar that had Amazon Alexa on board — and it offers an excellent mix of features and performance. Polk’s VoiceAdjust is one of the better dialogue enhancement systems, and it’s put to good use on this speaker. 

Read our Polk React review.

$269 at Amazon$270 at Best BuyGet Price Alerts$269 at CrutchfieldYou’re receiving price alerts for Polk React

Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Yamaha SR-C20A

Best for tight budgets, newer TVs

The Zvox soundbars are great, but they lack HDMI connectivity. The compact Yamaha SR-C20A not only offers the ease of HDMI ARC hookup — which is found on most newer TVs — but also has a dedicated Clear Voice mode to make dialogue a little easier to understand. It’s also the least-expensive option on this list.

Read our Yamaha SR-C20A review.

$180 at Target$180 at AmazonGet Price Alerts$180 at Best BuyYou’re receiving price alerts for Yamaha SR-C20A

The post Best Soundbars to Fix Muffled TV Speech first appeared on Joggingvideo.com.