We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. A wireless soundbar can change the entire feel of your home theater. No matter what kind of content you consume, sound quality makes a world of difference, and these wireless systems allow for impeccable quality without pro installation. Most systems include a soundbar as well as satellite speakers and a subwoofer, all of which communicate wirelessly with no delay. We've tested some of the most popular and powerful wireless soundbars and systems on the market and came up with these recommendations for any type of viewer. Still, the Samsung HW-990F reigns as the best overall wireless soundbar, but the competition gets closer all the time. I [Markkus Rovito] have previewed and reviewed products--both in the pro audio and home audio realms--on and off throughout most of the 21st century for outlets including Mix, Maximum Tech, DJ Tech Tools, Bob Vila, and some defunct publications printed on paper called magazines. Between the PopSci staff [Stan Horaczek, Tony Ware, Brandt Ranj], we've tested variations of these wireless surround sound systems firsthand. Beyond our own favorable experiences, these wireless surround sound systems have all proved popular with expert reviewers. Each of these systems offers something a little different from the others, but they all include rear satellite speakers because we wanted to limit this list to systems that actually surround you with speakers.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. It's more affordable than ever before to take your home media viewing experience to new heights thanks to streaming services, smart TVs, and soundbars. With this increased content availability enriched by new surround sound audio formats, a whole new world of entertainment possibilities comes to light. One of the easiest, most space-efficient ways to drastically improve the quality of your TV (or 4K projector) audio is by upgrading to a soundbar to give you sound as vivid as the 4K video you're probably enjoying. The top soundbars are compact, quick to install, and an unbeatable way to present your movies, music, and video games with elevated volume, clarity, and immersion. And many of them--like our best overall, the Sennheiser AMBEO Plus--sound great on their own but can be expanded with matching subs and satellites if you decide you want a bigger home theater experience down the road. If you're looking for a quick and cost-effective way to upgrade your home theater system, we'll help you find the best soundbars to do the job.

It's nearly time for Super Bowl Weekend, and that means it's a good time to consider an upgrade to your home theater set up. TVs and soundbars go on sale throughout the year, but the period right now and Black Friday are when you can expect to see some of the steepest discounts. So if you missed out a few months ago, now's your best chance until later this year. Check out our Best TVs and Best Soundbars guides for more of our recommendations. Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off).

When I was a kid there were two devices attached to the television in my family's living room: a VCR and a cable box. And we had a universal remote to tie it all together. These days, the amount of gear in my home theater is far greater and it's all more complicated, including a Roku, Chromecast, Nintendo Switch and a PlayStation 4 Pro, plus a Motorola-made cable box. And that's before you even get into my LG TV's apps, or the smart speakers. And yet, universal remotes haven't really kept up with the pace. Search any retailer and you're bound to be deluged with generic or no-name options, most of which can only handle three devices at best.

With movie theaters largely off the table and new game systems on the way it's the perfect time to upgrade to your home theater. Whether you're looking for a $50 stocking stuffer, a big-ticket new TV or something in between there are plenty of ways to improve the room where you spend a lot of your time. Faster apps, bigger screens and more control are right at your fingertips, so let's take a look at some of the best devices available right now. If you're looking for the simplest upgrade for your TV, the Streaming Stick fits the bill. It's USB-powered so you may not even need to find a nearby outlet and it's small enough to fit in a pocket when you're taking a trip (or staying with relatives) so you can bring your own apps and queues along for the ride.

We're all spending a lot more time at home these days, and for many of us, that means a lot more time in front of the TV. Whether for gaming, family movie night, or simply vegging out in front of our favorite streaming service, if you're staring into an antiquated TV or listening to weak and tinny sound, you probably already know what we're going to say: It's time for an upgrade. Movie theaters are not an option for most of us at the moment, so the only way to get some cinematic wow factor in your life is to bring the theater to you. Luckily, you don't have to dip into that college fund to upgrade to features like 4K, HDR, or spine-tingling sound. Our guide will show you how to spend light--or go large--on a new home theater without ever leaving the house.

The Sonos Beam is a new $399 soundbar, but to Sonos, it's a heck of a lot more than just a speaker that sits under your television. It's a fabric-wrapped representation of how Sonos sees the future--one in which all the voice assistants from Apple and Google and Amazon can live next to one another. In this future, hip urban millennials parents will use Beam not just for Netflixing and HBOing, but queuing up the soundtracks to their hip, urban lives and for controlling their hip, urban smart home. And they'll do it all with spoken commands instead of an app or a remote. Development on the Beam has been going on for more than two years (during which time the speaker was referred to internally as "El Rey," Spanish for "The King"). And it's being released at a critical time for Sonos: It's been reported that the 16-year-old audio company will soon file to go public.

Android TV didn't get any stage time at Tuesday's Google I/O keynote, but anyone who wandered into the Android TV tent on the grounds of the Shoreline Amphitheater saw something equally important: The JBL Link Bar. Like every other Android TV device, the Link Bar is not a Made by Google product (by the same token, neither are any of the Smart Displays coming later this year that visualize the Google Assistant experience). Like those smart speakers, however, this soundbar is powered by Google's smarts and savvy, and it could turn a forgotten project into a household name. When I walked into the demo room, I already knew that JBL's Link Bar is several products wrapped up into one: a smart speaker, a soundbar, and a 4K Android TV streaming box. But as the Google rep showed me how it works, it became clear that the Link Bar wasn't just another forgettable device powered by Android TV.

Apple planted its HomePod smart speaker deep inside a walled garden: You must have an Apple-branded mobile device just to set it up, and you can pretty much use it only with Apple's own services if you want voice control for music. The company then adds insult to injury by leaving its older iPhones, iPads, and iPods outside that garden wall. Unless you're an ardent Apple fan who upgrades to new iOS devices with relative frequency, you won't even be able to set up a HomePod. If you own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod model that Apple essentially rendered obsolete last fall when it established the hardware requirements for iOS 11, you're out of luck. You can stream music from various devices to a HomePod using AirPlay, but not until you've set up the speaker using an iOS device running iOS 11 or higher.

When one product is better in one aspect, but it's competitor is stronger in another, the easy answer is to recommend both. You might want a Sony TV in your home theater, for instance, but Anthem's A/V receiver, Bowers & Wilkins' speakers, and a subwoofer from SVS. Well that dog won't hunt when it comes to smart speakers, especially if you're looking to control your smart home. No one wants to remember one wake word to turn on a light, a second to stream music, and a third to lock the front door. With this in mind, I evaluated the two most popular smart speakers--Amazon Echo and Google Home--using seven important criteria, but giving smart home control the heaviest weight. If you can't stand the suspense, my current opinion is that the Amazon Echo series is superior to the Google Home series.