Soundbars have come on leaps and bounds over the past few years, with many choosing the convenience of a compact audio system over larger separates systems.
It’s the ultimate update for your TV, and with the advent of formats like Dolby Atmos now being much more effectively delivered through soundbars, it’s a category to be excited about.
The EE Pocket-lint Awards 2022 deliberated six different models, but ultimately, there’s one soundbar that’s still making an impact.
Soundbar of the year: Sony HT-A7000
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Sometimes a product makes such an impact that you simply can’t overlook it – and the Sony HT-A7000 falls into that category. It was our winner in 2021 and its continued success demonstrates how this Atmos soundbar is the bar of choice for many.
The Sony HT-A7000 is one big, bold all-in-one soundbar solution that delivers a wide and tall soundstage that will elevate any TV’s audio output to the next level, making it a truly worthy winner of this category for the second year running.
Read the full Sony HT-A7000 review
Highly Commended: Samsung HW-Q990B
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The Samsung HW-Q990B may have just missed out on the top spot for best soundbar, but it recieves Highly Commended for being an impressive soundbar system that will delight home cinema fans by offering object-based audio without needing to resort to an AV receiver and speaker package. It also manages to deliver maximum immersion with the minimum amount of inconvenience.
The overall sound quality is excellent, the engineering impressive, and the SpaceFit Sound feature allows you to correct for the more egregious aspects of any room. It’s not cheap, and extra HDMI inputs would be nice, but you won’t find a more sonically accomplished soundbar.
Read the Samsung HW-Q990B review
The best of the rest
Soundbars now offer great diversity and for those who can afford to spend a little more, that really rings true. The Devialet Dione offers a unique rotating central orb that gives it distinction, while offering full-bore sound. The Sonos Ray is a great option for a more compact and connected soundbar, while the Harman Kardon Citation Multibeam 1100 is a good-looking, great-sounding all rounder. Last but by no means least, the Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 is a fantastic single-unit solution that won’t disappoint – it sounds awesome with TV, movies and music.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.