A veteran technology reviewer explains why modern flat-screen televisions produce poor sound and recommends soundbars as an affordable fix. Slimline TVs have shrunk speaker components down to sizes barely bigger than those found in novelty greeting cards, meaning that even as picture quality and streaming features have improved over the past two decades, audio quality has actually declined, leaving dialogue hard to follow without subtitles.

The reviewer notes that a full home cinema system costing several thousand dollars is unnecessary, as a standalone soundbar priced from just over £100 can dramatically improve clarity and immersion. The piece goes on to recommend specific models at different price points, beginning with the Vizio AIO, a compact, remote-free budget option priced from $128, before moving on to pricier alternatives such as the Sony Theater Bar 5.

– Modern flat-screen TVs have tiny speakers that struggle to reproduce sound properly.
– Standalone soundbars from around $128 can vastly improve TV audio.
– No need for expensive multi-thousand-dollar home theatre setups.