The other two sound modes are less impressive, but useful nonetheless. The processing-free Pure setting delivers audio as intended by its creator, while Night mode decreases the dynamic range to improve low-volume listening. There are also three dialogue enhancement options available, all of which successfully accentuate speech. The Creative Stage V2 delivers everything you could want from a budget soundbar. The bar is sleek and compact, making it a great fit for most medium-sized TVs, while the discrete subwoofer adds welcome weight and richness to bass reproduction. Even budget soundbars offer a range of connectivity options and, generally speaking, the more ports present, the better. When testing a soundbar, the first thing we focus on is the process of setting it up. Typically, that will mean placing it in front of a TV (or monitor), connecting it to a power source and the input source via included cabling or HDMI cables if not provided in the box.

Look for a setting called ‘Audio Delay’ or similar on the box that’s causing the problem, and adjust it notch by notch until you’re happy that your audio and video are perfectly in-sync again. My soundbar's remote control isn't working properly

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Using HDMI ARC, you will connect your soundbar’s ‘HDMI OUT’ or ‘HDMI OUT (ARC)’ to the ‘HDMI IN (ARC)’ on your TV. The Denon DHT-S216’s big selling point is its incorporation of DTS Virtual:X, an audio format that creates a sonic experience resembling surround sound without the need for additional speakers. It’s available while using two of the soundbar’s four sound modes – Movies and Music – and works extremely well, adding height and scale to audio to increase your immersion in the onscreen action. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t have the room to accommodate a subwoofer, this is the soundbar for you. It won’t win any awards for sound quality, but at this kind of price you wouldn’t expect it to. However, it does offer a decent range of connection options – Bluetooth, HDMI and optical are all supported (though no connection cables are included) – along with three sound modes designed for different content types.

Sony TVs can be connected to a soundbar through the HDMI ARC connection, an optical digital audio cable only, or with both an HDMI and optical digital audio cable. All of the setups are the same as the instructions listed above. When switching the audio output setting, you’ll select ‘Audio System’ for all setups. Whether you are using an optical or HDMI ARC connection, you should have been provided the correct cable with your soundbar from the soundbar manufacturer. Plug in the cable to your soundbar and your TV. This can also happen when your soundbar is connected to a set-top box such as Freeview, Sky or a Blu-ray or DVD player that has its own volume control. As with the above tips, you should ensure the set-top box has its own volume set as high as it can go. This should also prevent your soundbar from going to sleep. My soundbar sounds no better than my TVAn HDMI ARC connection makes controlling your soundbar from your TV remote simple, and after your connection is made through the cable, you should immediately be able to hear your TV’s sound coming through your soundbar.

If your TV and soundbar have both options, you may be wondering which one you should be using. If so, there’s some more discussion about that in another one of our articles. Once you’ve decided which on to use, keep working through the directions below.When it comes to LG TVs, there are a few different ways of connecting to soundbars, and LG TVs come with the LG Magic Remote. You can connect your soundbar to your LG TV through Sound Sync via Bluetooth, a digital optical connection, or an HDMI ARC connection. Think about what size soundbar suits your television setup best. You’ll want to make sure it fits in your AV cabinet and slots neatly in front of or under your TV without obstructing your view or getting in the way of any infrared sensor your telly may have. The number of channels present in a soundbar is represented by two digits separated by a full stop. The first digit reflects the number of primary channels, while the second indicates the presence of a subwoofer to handle low-end frequencies. So, a 2.0 soundbar possesses two audio channels – left and right – while 2.1 bars add a third via a subwoofer. Whatever the problem, fixing your soundbar will almost certainly be cheaper – and more environmentally friendly – than replacing it. There are a number of things to consider when shopping around for the best budget soundbar. Top of your priority list should be sound quality. If a soundbar doesn’t significantly improve your TV’s audio, there’s no point in spending your hard-earned cash on it.

The Sharp HT-SBW460 is one of a limited number of budget soundbars to support Dolby’s surround-sound technology, Atmos, and it delivers surprisingly effective virtual height effects given its price. The bar uses four front-firing drivers to successfully convince your brain that certain sounds are coming from above you, and also does a great job of positioning effects to the left and right of the soundstage. While the instructions above are a general way to go about connecting and controlling your soundbar with your TV, many TV manufacturers (and computer makers – our guide) have slightly different ways of going about it. Based on your TV manufacturer, find your listed brand and follow the instructions below. SamsungWhen connecting through ARC, your TV may automatically recognize your connection after inserting the cable. Otherwise, use the menu on your VIZIO remote and go to System > CEC, then change the setting to ‘Disabled’, ‘Enabled’, or ‘ARC only’, based on your needs. READ NEXT: Our favourite TVs to pair with your soundbar Other things to consider before buying a budget soundbar VIZIO TVs are connected to soundbars in the same way as the instructions above, through an optical or HDMI connection. For an optical connection on the VIZIO TV, the port may be called ‘S/PDIF’, and for an HDMI ARC connection, use ‘HDMI 1’, which is the ARC port. Most TCL TVs come with HDMI ARC, so this should be your preferred connection for connecting and controlling your soundbar with a TCL TV remote. Make sure to use a high-speed HDMI cable that supports ARC and CEC control.