Best surround sound systems for immersive audio, tested by a tech expert

Feature-packed and muscular, the Q990F is Samsung’s premium soundbar – and it’s a beast. It ships with a wireless compact subwoofer, for deep resonant bass, and wireless rears that surround you with sound.

The official channel designation is 11.1.4. Just what you need for proper, room-filling Dolby Atmos audio. When it comes to design, it’s probably not the belle of the ball, though – being very angular and industrial – but connectivity is strong. You get three HDMI ports (one eARC), wifi and Bluetooth. Setup is straightforward. The rear speakers and subwoofer pair to the soundbar automatically. Of course, despite being labelled ‘wireless’, each needs its own mains socket, so plan your power extensions accordingly.

What makes the Q990F really stand out is the sonic scale of its output. With up-firing, side-firing and wide stereo drivers, it places effects above and around you, bringing huge drama to movie nights and cinematic TV shows. Dialogue is crisp, and can be enhanced further if required, using Samsung’s Active Voice Amplifier Pro processing.

The Q990F is a powerful, well-appointed and genuinely cinematic soundbar system capable of superb clarity, deep bass and a strong sense of height. It’s an ideal way to watch big movies on a giant telly in a large room.

When it comes to bang for your buck, this Amazon Fire TV soundbar is difficult to beat. A 3.1-channel Dolby Atmos design, it lacks up-firing or angled speaker drivers but instead concentrates on a forward-facing speaker array that handles stereo and dialogue duties.

Best partnered with 50-65in TVs, it sports a neat charcoal fabric grille, and it’s a doddle to install. There’s a single HDMI eARC connection, and Bluetooth for easy streaming. There are no smart features or built-in microphones, despite the Fire TV branding, but owners of Fire TVs can control it directly with their existing remotes.

What I really like about this soundbar is its mid-range presentation, which is round and fulsome. The dedicated centre channel makes dialogue crisp, and everyday TV and streaming dramas sound rich and well balanced. With no up-firing drivers, height effects are flattened into the front channels, and bass has only modest depth. But that’s to be expected at this price point.

For small and mid-sized rooms, the Amazon Fire TV soundbar plus is a brilliant step up from ordinary TV audio. It won’t deliver dramatic height effects, and its bass performance is modest, but it does offer a genuinely enjoyable sonic uplift for everyday streaming.

When space is tight around your telly, turn to the Ruark MR1 Mk3. These ultra-compact Bluetooth speakers boast a premium finish and refined amplification. Pair them with a TV of 50in or less and they’ll look the business.

The fabric-fronted cabinets come in charcoal or walnut, while the trademark RotoDial controller adds a premium flourish. Connectivity includes an optical digital input for TVs, plus a built-in phono stage for turntables and Bluetooth.

The MR1 Mk3 delivers tasty treble, warm midrange and tighter, deeper bass than you might expect. They can’t match larger speakers for outright scale, but the soundstage is wide and impressive.

When you don’t have room for a soundbar, but still want to elevate your audio, the Ruark MR1 Mk3 could be the answer. The speakers are incredibly impressive for their size, and if you feel the need to add more bass, there’s a subwoofer output.

You can tell a Marshall speaker a mile off. That textured leather finish and distinctive rock-scene swagger are unmistakable. Here, Marshall has delivered a system that leans on the brand’s rock ’n’ roll heritage without compromising its home cinema performance. Oozing attitude – knurled dials for volume, treble and bass glow red when touched – it delivers a ferocious soundstage that’s perfect for action movies and your music playlists.

Connectivity is strong, with two HDMI ports (one eARC), wifi streaming and Bluetooth LE audio with Auracast (meaning it can pair with any other Auracast speaker). The only catch is the lack of a dedicated remote control.

Speaker drivers fire upwards, to the side and forwards, in a classic 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos layout. There’s no separate wireless subwoofer, though. Instead, Marshall relies on internal woofers rather than a separate sub. It does a great job.

Films benefit from a broad, confident soundstage, although height effects aren’t as pinpoint as multi-speaker systems. When it comes to music, stereo playback is wide and energetic. Vocals stay centred, guitars have texture and rhythm sections rock.

This is a great-sounding Dolby Atmos soundbar with outstanding musicality. If you like your speakers to have personality, you’ll really dig this.

This is a two-piece system comprising a soundbar with up-firing height drivers, and a wireless subwoofer. It pairs naturally with 50-65in screens, and presents a minimalistic face: the matte black finish is functional rather than fancy. Connectivity includes a single HDMI eARC, plus Bluetooth.

There’s some clever processing at work here. Sony’s vertical surround engine and S-force pro front surround expand stereo and 5.1 mixes, while proprietary X-balanced drivers keep dialogue crisp.

It’s punchy, too – a 350W power output across bar and sub enables the system to be lively and cinematic with blockbusters. Dolby Atmos effects have convincing height, and the soundstage is wonderfully wide. That wireless sub also hits hard, making this an exciting choice for fans of action movies.

However, music is this setup’s weak spot, as the sub tries to handle some of the midrange, making it easy to pinpoint and a bit lumpy. An over zealous subwoofer might not make the most of music, but that doesn’t detract from the fun to be had on movie nights. If you want scale and drama without surrounding your sofa with speakers, this is a great-value option.

For a truly immersive sonic experience, with high-end stereo music playback, you’re best served by a home-cinema amplifier, rather than a regular soundbar. Enter: the Marantz Cinema 60DAB – a superb home-cinema receiver with audiophile DNA.

Designed for 7.2-channel speaker setups, and powered by Marantz’s latest HDAM amplification, it delivers a warm, detailed sound that shines with both movies and music.

Importantly, the cinema 60 won’t just appeal to film fans. Three of its six HDMI inputs are able to handle 4K/120Hz video, making it a winner for PS5 and Xbox owners too. Be wary, it’s a bit more complicated to set up than a soundbar, though.

Rated at 100W per channel, the Marantz cinema 60 sounds magnificent. Unlike a soundbar, you’ll need to add speakers – either building up the system with loudspeakers you have already, or buying a bespoke multichannel package to suit your room. It’s worth the effort. The result is smooth, cinematic sound with impressive spatial steering. Switch to stereo and it becomes a refined musical performer, too.

If you hanker for more musicality than a soundbar typically offers, but don’t want to fill your living room with a full-fat home-cinema system, a pair of stylish TV-ready active speakers will be the sweet spot. Beautifully designed, this stereo pair is wrapped in a suede-like fabric, while a circular magnetic grille hides a coaxial driver array, and front-firing bass reflex port.

Connections include HDMI ARC, analogue stereo and digital audio. There’s also a phono stage for vinyl turntables. Wireless support covers Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Chromecast. Fast and precise, these Technics speakers present music with easy confidence. There’s sparkle, definition and pace aplenty.

With 200W of amplification, they’re more than capable of filling the average living room, making them brilliant with movies. They may not be Dolby Atmos compatible, but they still do a great job engulfing you with sound, and Eastenders has never sounded so smooth.

If there is a niggle, I would have liked a tad more deep bass, but then there is a subwoofer output should you want to connect a wired subwoofer. Untll Technics makes a soundbar, these are the next best thing.