Sony - HT-S40R

I know its late, but this is how it went for, I bought it about 2 months ago I typically check all the specs and reviews but this time i didn't, first of all it does not support dolby digital plus, dolby atmos, dts x, or lpcm surround It only supports Dolby Digital, LPCM Linear(2 Channels) and Dolby Digital 2 Channel (with HDMI ARC). Initially I thought it was bad when compared it with my tv speakers (Samsung QN85D) there were also people were complaining that it downmixed anything other dolby digital to 2.0 but ig my tv maybe made any other 5.1/7.1.... channel audio to dolby digital making it not that big of a hassle for my speaker to handle it. The dialogue clarity is not good, rear channels are good with certain movies dont except the rear speakers to play the whole time watching a 5.1 movie its there for background effects but the rear speakers are very good. The Soundbar is meh it just works, My tv speakers are 2.2 40W and the s40r is apparently 600W yet not that powerful as compared to my tv speakers idk why. Overall I would rate it 3/5 it is good for the price but if your tv speakers are good and you don't care about the rear channels.

For the price i think is quite solid. Sometimes it was to much bass, so i didnt even heard voices in movies anymore. And the rear speakers are not really loud. Sometimes unnoticable. But it were good 2 years with it :)

I use it for a few months in a 15m² room in apt. Well it cannot compete with my fathers expensive system in his house but its a huge step from 2 chanel sound from Tv. It does create great emersive effect while wathing movies. Music also sounds nice, im not audiophile btw but 80s pop, techno, house and jazz everything sounds good to me. Sub set to 7-9/12 (but for hiphop or rnb u maybe need more) and speakers volume never more than 45% to not to bother my neighbors. No need for wire connection to side speakers was a big pro for me while making decision. Totally happy with it.

Ok for streaming, useless for physical media, as it doesn't support DTS or LPCM Surround.

There are 2 ways to go here, depends on your priorities on which you end up choosing. Don't go for an dollby atmos system, if music listening is what you are after, stick to a 2.1 system and or a soundbar, 2.1, 3.1 or 5.1 path 1: Out of everything that you have listed, I have heard the Sony, would be my pick, haven't heard the LG, but if it is anywhere near the combination of LG SC9S with a spk8 and or if you can demo it, I'd say go for it because the combo I mentioned sounded pretty nice, but for the slightly high treble, which can be adjusted through the remote, and might be even better than the sony. The samsung 600B is nice, but it kinda messes up the sound when the volume is maxed, which in my books even though you won't be running it at max most of the time is a minus. The Sony S40R by far is the nicest sounding of them all barring the lg(haven't listened to it) the only slight issue is it needs wireing for the rears? if I remember correctly, and the fact that it has only 1 hdmi port, okay if you plan on attaching it to a smart TV, not so much when you have a firestick and a bunch of other things. in terms of sound and music listening specificly, it's quite good. If you can strech your budget a bit more, and don't mind wires, try getting either the sony 500RF or 700RF 700 is significantly more than your budget, but sounds as much good for that price. path 2: If you are willing to forgo certain newer tech such as blutooth, hdmi etc, the logitech z906 will shake your world and windos in your budget and would give you the sound to jump for in or around 30k. TLDR: listen to the lg, sony is best among all those, no experience with Zebronics, for the odball but best sound? logitech z906. Hope that helps some

whilst it is true that you should go for the soundbars that support at least dolbby digital plus, DTS the lg 65 is quite horrible sounding and I'd suggest staying away from it as far as possible. would suggest going for the sony, only because it sounds a lot better, although a bit bass heavy at times.

If you can extend your budget then go for sony HT S40R

Add £30 and get Sony HT-S40R. Doesn't have Dolby Atmos, though. I own this soundbar. Also, just bought a Q990F.

Eh. I used it just fine with my PS5 Pro. Sounded amazing, too.

The sony will be much superior. Ultimea products are overpriced temu speakers

Honestly it’s not bad. It’s a budget tier bar/woofer. Personally, I would start with the HT 2600 single bar 3.1 channel at same price alone, then add/upgrade a woofer later, over your 2.1 channel single sound bar with woofer.

Everyone agrees that the TV sound is inadequate for watching quality movie content. Below are some observations for sound system newbies - this is NOT for audiophiles: If you really like managing your audio menu options with your Sony TV remote, you can add a Sony Soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system - these get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you have a cozy space less than 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy life and have a simple elegant looking set, you will have a very solid stereo sound experience and excellent bass from the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system with subwoofer included. If your space is larger than 15ft x 15ft and you want movie sound effects and swooshes across the room to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get the HT-S40R for affordable powerful sound, again with subwoofer included. For Music, 5.1 is NOT good; you are better off investing in an awesome 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output) AND maybe also get a powered subwoofer. eg Klipsch Fives with a Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies. The only downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The whole 5.1 speaker concept was designed for watching movies so the main sound would come from the front three speakers while the ambient sound effects like background street noises, door knocks and laughter would come out of the rear speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in a corner of the room. If you are value-minded Ignore the hype about Atmos, virtual surround, etc. Of course if you have larger than 15 x 15 feet of space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9. You could even get a higher-end systems such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5 to give you true spatial seperation. And of course, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely real cinema sound, then you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. All of the extra effort and spending on the premium sound systems will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10% at every step and is only worth it if you have the ear for it. For most average people there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!

Written from a Sony setup perspective, but will help make a decision for your situation… Everyone agrees that the TV sound is inadequate for watching quality movie content. Below are some observations for sound system newbies - this is NOT for audiophiles: If you really like managing your audio menu options with your Sony TV remote, you can add a Sony Soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system - these get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you have a cozy space less than 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy life and have a simple elegant looking set, you will have a very solid stereo sound experience and excellent bass from the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system with subwoofer included. If your space is larger than 15ft x 15ft and you want movie sound effects and swooshes across the room to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get the HT-S40R for affordable powerful sound, again with subwoofer included. For Music, 5.1 is NOT good; you are better off investing in an awesome 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output) AND maybe also get a powered subwoofer. eg Klipsch Fives with a Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies. The only downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The whole 5.1 speaker concept was designed for watching movies so the main sound would come from the front three speakers while the ambient sound effects like background street noises, door knocks and laughter would come out of the rear speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in a corner of the room. If you are value-minded Ignore the hype about Atmos, virtual surround, etc. Of course if you have larger than 15 x 15 feet of space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9. You could even get a higher-end systems such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5 to give you true spatial seperation. And of course, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely real cinema sound, then you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. All of the extra effort and spending on the premium sound systems will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10% at every step and is only worth it if you have the ear for it. For most average people there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!

I would go higher with S40R so its future proof and you have the option to amp it up when you have a poor audio source that wont get loud enough.

The Sony Home Theater systems sounds really good. Atmos is overrated for causal viewers tbh. Everyone agrees that the TV sound is inadequate for watching quality movie content. Below are some observations for sound system newbies - this is NOT for audiophiles: If you really like managing your audio menu options with your Sony TV remote, you can add a Sony Soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system - these get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you have a cozy space less than 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy life and have a simple elegant looking set, you will have a very solid stereo sound experience and excellent bass from the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system with subwoofer included. If your space is larger than 15ft x 15ft and you want movie sound effects and swooshes across the room to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get the HT-S40R for affordable powerful sound, again with subwoofer included. For Music, 5.1 is NOT good; you are better off investing in an awesome 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output) AND maybe also get a powered subwoofer. eg Klipsch Fives with a Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies. The only downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The whole 5.1 speaker concept was designed for watching movies so the main sound would come from the front three speakers while the ambient sound effects like background street noises, door knocks and laughter would come out of the rear speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in a corner of the room. If you are value-minded Ignore the hype about Atmos, virtual surround, etc. Of course if you have larger than 15 x 15 feet of space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9. You could even get a higher-end systems such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5 to give you true spatial seperation. And of course, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely real cinema sound, then you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. All of the extra effort and spending on the premium sound systems will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10% at every step and is only worth it if you have the ear for it. For most average people there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!

Everyone agrees that the TV sound is inadequate for watching quality movie content. Below are some observations for sound system newbies - this is NOT for audiophiles: If you really like managing your audio menu options with your Sony TV remote, you can add a Sony Soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system - these get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you have a cozy space less than 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy life and have a simple elegant looking set, you will have a very solid stereo sound experience and excellent bass from the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system with subwoofer included. If your space is larger than 15ft x 15ft and you want movie sound effects and swooshes across the room to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get the HT-S40R for affordable powerful sound, again with subwoofer included. For Music, 5.1 is NOT good; you are better off investing in an awesome 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output) AND maybe also get a powered subwoofer. eg Klipsch Fives with a Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies. The only downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The whole 5.1 speaker concept was designed for watching movies so the main sound would come from the front three speakers while the ambient sound effects like background street noises, door knocks and laughter would come out of the rear speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in a corner of the room. If you are value-minded Ignore the hype about Atmos, virtual surround, etc. Of course if you have larger than 15 x 15 feet of space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9. You could even get a higher-end systems such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5 to give you true spatial seperation. And of course, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely real cinema sound, then you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. All of the extra effort and spending on the premium sound systems will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10% at every step and is only worth it if you have the ear for it. For most average people there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!

You can get a cheap soundbar that a matches your TV brand. Even the cheaper ones are still quite amazing for watching movies and for enjoying music casually. There is almost universal agreement that TV sound is inadequate for watching immersive movie content like Godzilla or Jurassic Park or Avatar and it is equally bad if you intend to listen to music with any mount of bass. You need a speaker system with a subwoofer to enjoy the thumps aka the bass. Each step of spending on the “next level” up will improve your listening experience by 5 to 10%. The key is that you must match your system to your listening usage and the size of your entertainment space. For Music enthusiasts, the SOURCE of the music is way more important e.g playing audio tracks on highest settings on Apple Music (or Tidal) via an Apple TV device is the best way to enjoy high quality music. WHAT COMES NEXT IS NOT FOR HARDCORE AUDIOPHILES. ABOUT 90% OF CONSUMERS WON’T NOTICE OR APPRECIATE THE DIFFERENCE IN HIGH-END AUDIO. Below are some observations based on 20 years of fiddling with many different sound systems: A 2.1 setup is the best format to enjoy MUSIC and for that purpose you will be better served with a powerful 2.1 configuration with a set of large active bookshelf or floor standing speakers (ideally with 1.5 inch tweeters, 4 to 6 inch mid-range cones and a subwoofer output or perhaps decicated 6 or 7 inch cones for bass) - optionally get a powered subwoofer. As a basic example, you could get a pair of Klipsch Fives (they have an HDMI connection!) with an optinal Klipsch 10 sub. This will produce an amazing musical performance while still letting you enjoy your movies with phenomenal sound. The only operational downside is that you will need to use the speaker systems remote to make adjustments to bass, treble, balance, etc. Thanks to HDMI, you will still be able to adjust the volume level with the TV remote. It’s all plug and play. The 5.1 and 7.1 speaker concept was designed for MOVIES - the primary sounds are delivered from the Front Left and Front Right speakers, speech dialog from the Center speaker, while the faint ambient sound effects like whispers, chatter, applause, street noises, door knocks, laughter, etc come from the Rear Left and Rear Right speakers. Look up an online diagram for ideal placement of speakers. The subwoofer is meant to carry all the weight of thunder and deep bass from the sound tracks - its location is usually in the front corner of the entertainment space. If you really like the simplicity of managing your audio menu options with your TV remote (e.g. Sony or another similar brand), you can add a same brand soundbar or Home Theater In a Box system. These systems get heavily criticized but IMHO they are not bad for most average users. You don’t need to get caught up in gimmicks like virtual surround, virtual Atmos, etc. If you are value-minded ignore the hype about these technologies - they are just designed to extract maximum money from your wallet. Focus on your space: If you have a cozy space up to 15ft x 15ft and you’re just trying to enjoy your downtime with a simple elegant looking setup, you will have a VERY solid 2.1 stereo sound experience and excellent bass from something like the economical Sony HT-S400 2.1 system which comes with the subwoofer included ($200 USD in 2025). If you still want movie sound effects and swooshes to come from the rear of your seating position, you can get something like the HT-S40R for affordable but powerful 5.1 sound, again with subwoofer included ($280 USD in 2025) If your entertainment space is larger than 15 ft x 15 ft, or if you have a large open living space, and you can afford to splurge, you can upgrade to something like the HT-A5000 or HT-A7000, Bravia Bar 7 or 9 and pair them with wireless rear speakers and an efficient subwoofer like the SW3. Truth is that you don’t really need expensive virtual Atmos rear speakers, the height channels don’t actually work as well as advertised in real world usage. If you want even higher quality sound for great Movie and Music all in one, you could get a higher-end system such as a Sony HT-A9 or Sony Quad with a wireless subwoofer like the SW5. This will give you true spatial seperation since each speaker is physically separate. The performance is mind blowing (upwards of $1500 USD as of 2025) Finally, if you have more refined taste with a desire for absolutely realistic cinema sound, you can spend the money to get a full-blown receiver and component speakers with real Atmos speakers mounted in the ceiling. Most consumers find full AV systems overwhelming to setup and manage. It’s a never ending quest and people can get really obsessed with things just to get slightly better sound. IMHO it’s not worth the effort for most casual viewers. BOTTOMLINE: For most people with an average small to medium entertainment space there is no need to go overboard, just stick with basic 2.1 (if Music is priority) or 5.1 (if Movie is priority). All the best!