Sonos' last product launch - the Sonos Sub raised the eyebrows of many; a huge wireless subwoofer to accompany its streaming Play speakers and Connect amps. Where was the portable battery-powered unit? What about the waterproof stick-on speaker for the bathroom?

Simplicity; TV integration; Design

Surround sound could be better; Audiophiles will need a sub

Improvements in sound technology have come along at a pace in the last few years. There have always been Hi-Fi models that will give excellent quality sound, although these have usually come at a high price, but up until recently the sound from televisions has been flat and sometimes tinny.

- Look great; - Sound awesome; - Easy to use

- Quite expensive; - Not fully surround sound

Can be integrated into a Sonos whole-home audio system; very good sound with both movies and music; versatile setup options; just two wires: TOSlink and power

Can be integrated into a Sonos whole-home audio system; very good sound with both movies and music; versatile setup options; just two wires: TOSlink and power

Not a surround-sound system; lacks in-your-face bass response; doesn't support Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio

Having effectively modernised hi-fi, the wireless titan that is Sonos has set its sights on the booming soundbar business, and seemingly almost by default, finds itself a home cinema player, too. But can the brand really replicate its audio success in the world of TV and multichannel audio?

Easy wireless setup; big, bold audio quality; well-built; Sonos Controller app and music services are good fun

Solitary optical input proves limiting; no DTS decoder onboard; multichannel package painfully expensive

This is an awesome piece of kit that links easily to your TV and to other Sonos products in your house. I bought this as the flatscreen tv I have struggles with heavy sound and leaves films and tv programs lacking in depth, with this play bar there is none of that any longer.

It's a universally acknowledged truth that TV speakers suck. It's also universally acknowledged that Sonos makes awesome wireless hi-fi gear. Light bulb! The Sonos Playbar attempts to bring that awesomeness to the home theater in the form of a sound bar - a self-contained substitute for the...

Elegant, décor-friendly design; Sounds heavenly; Plays music, too, from all your favorite sources; Optional wireless surround-sound courtesy of Sonos Play:3 speakers

Lacks a dedicated remote; Like all Sonos gear, it's priced to make you cry; Not much bass, unless you add the company's 0 subwoofer (more tears); Requires an Ethernet connection or Sonos Bridge

The Playbar lives up to the expectations of a Sonos speaker. It excels at audio for both movies and music. For a system with many content options, it's very easy to set up and use. However, Sonos locks you into its app for streaming sources because it can't accept a Bluetooth connection.

Full sound without a subwoofer; Excellent for music; Support for most streaming music services

Expensive; No Bluetooth connectivity

The sound itself is great and the set up to the TV on its own is no problem. The integration with the Samsung Smart TV is a bit tricky but workable. You need to access the forum info of workarounds in set up to get it fully working using the integrated remote with your additional kit such as apple...

In one sense, the Playbar sits in an odd middleground. Its pricetag may be too high for some, while "serious" home theater fans may demand (slightly) better. Nevertheless, the Playbar is a solid option for iPhone and iPad owners who want a single system for all their living room audio -particularly...

this is an excellent product, I just noticed that a high volume the sound is not clear, I have the play bar alone, I want to buy the bass and see if there is an improvement. Another thing that I don't like is having my remote controlling the sound bar, I know that they trying to reduce the amount of...