Wireless Wonder

Movies, TV and your networked music collection are all fair game for this French fancy. Danny Phillips reports

- Danny Phillips

The soundbar market is heavily skewed towards the budget buyer, but the likes of Arcam, Paradigm, DALI and Yamaha have all shown that high-end models can appeal. It’s possible to find a system that delivers premium sound while keeping clutter to a minimum – if you’re willing to pay for it, that is.

Cabasse's Stream BAR is another step-up soundbar to add to the list. At £850, the French brand’s swanky clutter-buster certainly isn’t cheap, but does strive to be different by offering built-in DLNA network streaming with hi-res audio support, and multiroom functionality with other Stream products.

That money also gets you sumptuous design and build. Stylish and just a little quirky, it’s quintessentially French – you can almost hear the accordion of the ‘Allo ‘Allo theme-tune playing as you look at it.

What makes it alluring is the cylindrical enclosure, which is a bit unusual in this product category. This rounded chassis is covered in smooth black cloth and embellished by glossy zigzag trims, while an illuminated touch control panel and LED display occupies the centre. Side-firing mid/ bass drivers are hidden behind grilles at both ends.

In terms of size the Stream BAR sits fairly low (it's 66mm high) on my TV stand and doesn’t interfere with the display's remote sensor. It measures over a metre wide, which is a good match for a 55in TV but could be a bit imposing for smaller models.

Socket to 'em