The best TV speakers of 2024

This Everest 5.1 surround sound system is another piece of kit at the pinnacle of Majority's mountain of home entertainment tech. So, given some of the high-end and highly-priced options on our list, why have we chosen the Majority Everest as our best overall TV speaker? Well, that's due to the fact that this is a supreme example of a product that gets the balance right between affordability, performance and build quality. Remember, this is a full 5.1 surround sound system with Dolby Audio - and all for under £300 right now. It's a shame that it's not Dolby Atmos, but that's reflected in the price.

The soundbar has HDMI ARC so you can connect this directly to the TV and whatever else the TV has plugged into it in terms of audio. The subwoofer connects to the bar wirelessly, so you'll have plenty of choice over placement. But, for us, the real plus here is the flexibility of being able to detach the two satellite surround speakers from the main soundbar and place them wherever you like. They charge up for up to 8 hours of wireless playback while docked, so effectively you're getting the ability to turn a 3.1 setup into a 5.1 setup at will - with no extra wires to worry about.

Sony is just one of the premium electronics brands to embrace the move towards compact high-quality soundbars, like the HT-A5000. If this Sony isn't the best fit for your TV, our experts have also picked some of the best TV soundbars to choose from. Meanwhile, this surround powerhouse uses Sony's considerable technical wizardry to create a full 5.1 soundscape that also has Dolby Atmos and DTS . That's quite an achievement for any soundbar. You can even add an optional compatible wireless subwoofer and rear wireless speakers. Our only nit-pick is the lack of physical bass or treble controls, but - as with many premium systems these days - they're so well tuned to the Dolby standard it would be a minor travesty to tweak bass and treble using something as blunt as a knob on the back.

Sony amps up the tech specs with its Vertical Surround Engine technology and Sound Field Optimisation which measures your room and tunes the sound accordingly. Two integral subwoofers carry an astonishing amount of bass through them too. If you want to hook this up to a Blu-ray player and the like, the addition of 4K and 8K 120FPS passthrough technology (including Dolby Vision support) will make for fewer cables and an altogether neater solution. Bluetooth, a remote control and voice control compatibility makes this a must-have and truly elevate it to one of the best TV speakers we've seen.

Majority has a knack for making audio kits that is well-attuned to what UK consumers want. The K2 Sound Bar with Subwoofer is another great example of an ideal price matched with solid essential functionality.

This one comes with a capable separate subwoofer to shore up the 150 watts from the bar itself. The sub connects wirelessly via Bluetooth, limiting cable clutter. We do wish it had a little more power, but the only other soundbar that comes close to this one in terms of bang for your budget is the Denon DHT-S216 soundbar that we reviewed recently - it's a little more expensive and doesn't come with a subwoofer, but you do get the Denon brand if you're a fan. That said, the Majority K2 does have more than just the additional subwoofer to lean on. There are plenty of extra inputs in the back panel: HDMI ARC, optical, Auxillary and USB. The handy remote lets you switch between inputs and all of the usual controls you'd expect. This is one of the best TV speakers you can buy for such a low price, and it performs admirably - outshining the budget label by quite a stretch.

There's nothing quite like that musical Bose soundstage, not to mention the reassuringly solid Bose build quality. This soundbar is quite like no other. Not only is it paired up with those small but super-powerful surround speakers that the brand is so famous for, but it's also an uncluttered wireless system that doesn't need a separate subwoofer and associated cables to strut its considerably powerful stuff.

The Bose Soundbar 500 is front and centre, designed to sit unassumingly below your TV. There's a custom eight-microphone array for picking up your Alexa vocal commands and integrated music services like Spotify and Amazon Music and Audible. Integration with the Bose Music App is a welcome feature that many fans of the brand will be familiar with for tweaking settings. We would have liked to have seen a little more bass from this, but it's more than adequate - and an optional Bose bass unit is available for those who want to rattle the roof. Bluetooth and Apple Airplay 2 compatibility means streaming your music will be just as effortless as turning on the TV itself. Add to that the included remote, and a pair of Bose Surround Speakers that use Bluetooth to connect with the soundbar, and you have an epitome of understated class-leading power in your living room.

If you're all about getting that all-immersive surround sound experience but don't want to go down the separate amplifier route, this Sony HT-S40R system is for you. This expertly strikes a balance between trademark Sony sound quality and discreet design that won't distract the eye away from your screen. The real beauty of this system is the power. Not only is the soundbar one of the best here for clarity and quality of sound, but the standalone subwoofer is also capable of some room-trembling levels of bass.

And the power considerations don't stop there. Unlike the Majority model at the top of the page, the two rear surround speakers are literally amped up for more volume and range. Yes, there's a separate amplifier just for the surround speakers; And this means dedicated power and wireless connection to the soundbar. So, you can have true 5.1 sound without cables trailing from the back to the front of your room. That said, we wish the connection between that amp and the rear speakers was also wireless for a neater setup. But, Sony does know a thing or two about what makes great TV sound, so you can expect this to be one of the very best systems from this top TV and speaker brand.

KEF has made the leap into wireless stereo excellence with this versatile twin-speaker set. With a simple yet sophisticated design and build, the LS50s scream high-end quality. Yes, there are no subwoofer or satellite speakers to be found, but the scale and quality of sound are what counts here - particularly with music in mind.

As you might expect, these are Active speakers - so no amp is required. Just connect the TV via the HDMI ARC or optical port. After that, a true spacial stereo effect is at your fingertips. These are your perfect multiroom and streaming music partner - whether that's for watching concerts or smart TV music apps or the welcome integration with Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music and many more. Inside, KEF's Uni-Q speaker tech has been paired with its Metamaterial Absorption Technology. This eliminates 99% of unwanted noise from the rear of the driver, resulting in a more natural sound. And last but not least, these pump out 380 watts per speaker. The price tag isn't to be taken lightly but is a reflection of the performance and sound engineering that's gone into them. An HDMI ARC port makes for a neater setup with a TV; ideal for those who watch concerts on the big screen. If that's you, you're in for an exceptional musical experience.

Monitor Audio excel at making speakers that marry refined looks with audiophile levels of function and performance. The company's Bronze range package takes our top spot when it comes to floor-standing TV speaker setups. The Bronze 200 speakers bring some stature and floor resonance to your TV screen. As a package with the centre, surround and sub, these are affordable and viable both for the serious home cinema fan or audiophile on a budget.

So, we hear you ask, what makes these 'TV speakers'? Strictly speaking, the Bronze 200s are not explicitly designed to plug and play with a TV. As floor-standing speakers go, you have two choices: choose a single system from one manufacturer that includes floor-standing speakers, or go for better quality speakers and buy a separate amplifier to drive them. The latter, while more expensive, is best for sound quality. For speakers that would make your TV sound absolutely cinematic, these Monitor Audio Bronze 200s take some beating.

All this quality does come with a premium price tag though, so check out our guide to the best surround sound system for more choice. That said, this bundle is an incredible deal right now - it includes two floor-standing Bronze 200 speakers, two FX 6G surround speakers, a C150 centre speaker, and a W10 6G subwoofer. If you're up to connecting your TV to an AV amplifier, by getting this bundle you're investing in superbly-balanced and focused sound. The 220-watt sub is going to complement the front floor standers perfectly.

The Edifier R1280DBs really do look like bookshelf speakers, ideal for bringing a loungey hi-fi feel to your TV setup. They deliver punchy audio performance for a small-to-medium-sized room. Ample volume and pleasing sonic detail come thanks to the 4-inch bass driver and 0.5-inch tweeter. Unusually for the world of bookshelf speakers, the tone can be manually adjusted using the treble and bass EQ controls - but we do wish this had made it onto the remote control too.

Volume is controlled by the onboard control or the remote. Once again, being active speakers, they don't require an external amplifier. So, with all the required cables included, wiring this up to your TV will be child's play. The Edifier R1280DBs speakers are well worth considering no matter your budget, as the flexibility of plenty of connection ports and their bookshelf size are more than worth it - especially at this price.

Unlike the model from the same brand that we mentioned earlier, this simply-named Bose TV Speaker carries most of the benefits but takes up even less space. For those who just like a less cluttered TV setup or those without the room for a subwoofer or surround sound speakers, this is more than ideal. If you're a Bose fan and like the simple life, you could pair this up with some Bose headphones for discreet light-time listening. But, as speakers go, this is as discreet as you'd want it to be for the best sound.

The key feature here lies in the engineering of the sound, which is balanced to favour vocal clarity. So, if you've been sitting around watching your TV and wondering why the scene sounds like a mash of mumbling, this Bose has been designed for you. Plug it into the TV via the HDMI or optical port and you'll be all set. The added remote just brings that essential functionality to your fingertips, and to top it all you have that stellar signature Bose sound quality to look forward to.

With the Z906 system, Logitech has presented gamers with the sort of surround sound system they'd normally see on a PC rig.
And why not? With the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 doubling as hubs for streaming movies and TV shows, you can apply the benefits of a 5.1 surround system for more than just multiplayer sessions with your friends.

It's also THX, Dolby and DTS certified - which is astonishing for a complete system at this price point. If you're on a tighter budget, we've rounded up some of the best gaming speakers under £100, but for the rest of us, this Logitech is going to be a serious upgrade. 1000 watts of peak power and a 165-watt subwoofer are controlled via a very well-designed control unit with multiple inputs. So, if you have multiple consoles and devices there are up to six ways to hook them up. They've even thrown in a Bluetooth audio adapter, so you have even more connection options. Our team here at What's The Best would have preferred these to have a softer cosmetic look for those who want to game in the living room, but gamers themselves are sure to love them the way they are. Be prepared to wake the neighbours as you lose yourself in the gaming world of your choice, in full surround sound.

It's certainly true that you can spend much more than this on speakers for your television. But then again, that's probably going to mean investing in a more traditional set of components - starting with a rather pricey home cinema amplifier. But even if you're not looking to fit big sound into a small space, this soundbar system from Samsung has a seriously cool card up its sleeve: 11.1.4 channel Surround Sound.

Yes, you read that right - eleven-point-one-point-four sound. It does this feat of audio engineering using, amongst other tricks, up-firing speakers that create overhead immersion. In addition, several angled speakers in the soundbar and the rear surround speakers project sound in precise tunnels to create that 11.1.4 channel surround sound effect. But, as Samsung reminds us, this isn't actually an 'effect' at all. That sound really is coming from that many individual speakers, including the sub. So, as ground-breaking TV audio concepts go, this takes the cake. You have HDMI ARC and other connectivity options, as well as neat extras like Q-Symphony for teaming up with your Samsung TV's speakers; and also Active Voice Amplifier. AVA monitors the ambient noise in your room, even including louder background noise like vacuuming, and intelligently adapts any dialogue for maximum clarity. While we're not huge fans of the very angular exterior design, Samsung has given us a premium TV sound experience with a real wow factor.