Clear benefits

A quality soundbar won't just bring greater clarity to your movies' sound - it will deliver an all-round sonic boost. Here is our pick of affordable models, from £79 to £499

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Don't worry - it's not your ears. At least, it's probably not your ears; movie dialogue really has become harder to hear in recent years, thanks to a combination of factors. These include a shift in acting styles, filmmakers prioritising characters' emotional responses over clarity of vocal delivery and a rise in more prominent sonic special effects. And the sub-standard sound quality offered by today's televisions - including flagship models with impressive visual credentials - does nothing to help the situation.

Thankfully, there's an easy fix - in the shape of a soundbar. Even a budget soundbar is more than likely to raise the quality of the sound you hear significantly, even if your telly is one of the fancier ones. And, whether you are buying a budget 'bar or a top-end device, it is in vocal delivery and other midrange sonics that the improvements are most noticeable.

What's more, the best soundbars do a pretty good job of making your movies sound more cinematic - but without the need for multiple speakers and for far less money. And we reckon they look pretty cool as well.

Of course, the more you spend the better it gets. We are focusing here on affordable soundbars (less than £500), but even in this arena the improvements in terms of additional bass weight and greater depth to the sound are obvious. Above the £300 mark, you will hear a wider soundfield and often even a palpable sense of height. And it's around this price point that you will usually get HDMI eARC connectivity, giving access to more-advanced sound processing modes and hi-res audio.

Dolby Atmos is widely available at this level too, though usually through clever processing rather than dedicated up-firing speakers. And some models can be upgraded via the addition of wireless surround speakers and/or a subwoofer.