Top Picks

Soundbars

Focal Dimension
(February/March 2015) Focal is best known for high-end loudspeakers, so it’s no surprise that the company’s first foray into the soundbar category is a winner, with great audiophile sound quality and surprisingly good virtual surround effects. $1,399, or $1,599 with matching soundbase subwoofer, focal.com

Sony HT-ST5
(soundandvision.com, December) Sony’s step-down for the highly regarded HT-ST7 retains most of that model’s pristine, musical sonics at a below-$1,000 price point. $900, sony.com

Definitive Technology Solo Cinema Studio
(June) Def Tech’s second-gen soundbar offers extraordinary industrial design, superlative performance with movies and music, and ergonomic niceties that include NFC Bluetooth pairing and convenient center-channel and bass level tweaking from the remote. $1,199, definitivetech.com

Paradigm Soundscape
(September) The Soundscape is pricey for a subwoofer-less soundbar, but that’s part of what makes it extraordinary: As a standalone bar, it measured usable bass output as low as 40 hertz and delivered balanced audiophile sonics. $1500, paradigm.com

ZVOX Platinum Soundbase.670
(January 2015) The originator of the soundbase category continues to push the envelope sonically and delivered great value in the new and improved Platinum series. $500, zvoxaudio.com