Soundbars/Soundbases

A few years ago the idea of a speakerbase was just a twinkle in the eye of a Bose engineer. But since the American audio brand, with its Bose Solo TV, popularised the notion of a soundbar that sits under your TV, rather than in front of it, and therefore provides greater cabinet space for larger drivers, plenty of other companies have had a pop, including high-end marques like Speakercraft and Canton and mass-market corps such as Panasonic, Sony and LG. 

As noted at this year's IFA GPC [see p22], the soundbar market is surging. There's plenty of choice too, from budget models to Dolby Atmos power pushers. LG's SL8YG is one of the latter – a £700 soundbar/sub combi with cinematic immersion on its mind.

Up close it looks a bit like an MDF project your dad knocked together in the 1980s but, given the price tag, Maxell's MXSP-SB3000 has an awful lot going for it in terms of its spec. Its size and strength mean it will accommodate huge TVs up to 80kg in weight and its rear panel boasts three HDMI inputs, an HDMI ARC, digital optical audio, coaxial audio and various analogue variants. The icing on the input cake is aptX-compatible Bluetooth audio streaming. Power output comprises 100W for the built-in sub and 30W each for its two full-range drivers. 

In terms of size the 70cm-wide Onkyo LS-T10 is one of the bigger soundbase speakers around, making it more likely to accommodate screens in excess of 40in than any of its rivals if shoehorning in between tabletop and TV is a prerequisite. Its large capacity provides space for a six-channel class D amp with six full-range drivers complementing the separately powered, downward-firing 21W sub. Inputs are recessed on the rear and comprise both variants of digital audio and a 3.5mm line-in. 

Orbitsound is a relatively new company with only one thing on its mind – making speakers. Its product range runs to soundbars and iPod speakers. And that’s it. With that in mind, you’d expect its T12v3 soundbar and sub combo to be more than a match for rival products from brands with other things on their minds.