Our First Sound Bar Reviews: Samsung and Bowers & Wilkins

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Sound bars have begun to take up more space in dedicated hi-fi shops, and for many people, they represent a real alternative to bulky, expensive Home Cinema systems.  We decided it was time for us to take a look.

The basic idea is very simple: several speakers pointing in different directions are all fitted in a horizontal bar, with a processor dividing up the input and sending out different signals in different directions.  The aim is to bounce different surround sound channels off the walls so they sound like they're coming from behind you or from one side.  That's the theory, anyway ...

In practice, the results are sometimes pretty disappointing, and that's why we're testing some before you end up spending a lot of money on one of these systems.

Our first two tests should give you a good feel for this relatively new type of product: we start with a basic option from Samsung that you can get for less than £300 but also look at a much more exclusive sound bar from Bowers & Wilkins, which, although not quite perfect, is a great example of what these new speaker systems can achieve.

> Test: Samsung HW-C450
> Test: Bowers & Wilkins Panorama

> Sound Bar Reviews


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