The soundbase: a bit like a soundbar or a sound projector – but much more compact. These little boxes are designed to fit snugly and discreetly beneath your television screen, which means they don’t take up any more space than the TV would by itself – leaving you with more breathing room than a complete surround sound system – or even a sound bar – would allow.
Much like its soundbar brother, soundbases are designed with the goal of bringing the sound – and atmosphere – of home cinema into any living space. When looking for a suitable alternative to surround sound, there’s much more to consider than space occupied, so choosing a suitable one – for yourself or for a loved one – isn’t exactly straight forward. And considering they are a very new product – not many know very much about them. A pity – they’re very easy to use and really do the job well.
This is why we’ve taken a good hard look at every soundbase we have to bring you five of the very best. There’s something here for every budget, so why not grab a cuppa and see what we have for you?
Remember, all prices stated were correct at the time of publishing and may be subject to change.
1. Onkyo LS-T10 AV – £229
The Onkyo LS-T10 is the most compact little base on this list and has been designed to save space down to the very last detail. Aside from acting as a sound projector for film and television – which it does spectacularly – Onkyo hope that it will also be used as a dedicated hi-fi system! It can happily stream – to a very high standard – via Bluetooth and has an inbuilt USB for all of your MP3s. Onkyo believe that this little soundbase can compete with the sound of its peers in both home cinema and hi-fi, thanks to its use of AuraSphere: a digital signal process which manages output levels and equalization to create an all-enveloping 3D soundfield. All complete with selectable movie, music, and news sound modes. A true all-in-one system.
Why do we like it?
Even without considering the size of this tiny little unit, the sound is massive. It’s very easy to set up and control too – just plug it in and you’re ready to play.
Why do they like it?
If you like your sound big, loud and bassy, you’re going to like this Onkyo LS-T10.’ (What Hi-Fi? Magazine)
2. Tannoy BaseStation One Soundbase – £349
Next up is Tannoy’s BaseStation One Soundbase. This is a much bulkier beastie than you’d expect from a soundbase – designed for saving space – but it will sit beneath any television and withstand a weight of up to 45kg – so a good bet for those with bigger televisions. The BaseStation focuses its attention entirely on the reproduction of sound – particularly that from HDTVs – but thanks to a huge range of digital and analogue inputs, anything is possible and it has lossless Bluetooth aptX technology built-in too, if streaming is your thing.
Why do we like it?
It is distinctly no nonsense. No ifs, no buts, no frills or knots. Easy set up and basic operation means that all it has to worry about is delivering on sound. And it does every inch of that.
Why do they like it?
‘Rich, satisfying sound quality makes the Tannoy BaseStation One a superb purchase, despite its chunky size and basic operation.’ (Trusted Reviews)
3. Roth Neo 6.2 SoundCore Sound Base -£349
For the same price as the BaseStation One Soundbase, we also have the Roth’s Neo 6.2 Soundcore handy. Suitable if you want something perhaps a little… prettier. Stunning in silver and black, the Neo 6.2 can support televisions ranging between 30” and 62” wide. Described as an ‘audio hub’, the Neo fits the bill beautifully for an all-in-one- audio entertainment system. It can do your television and movies perfect justice, and will stream your music – via aptX Bluetooth – to an excellent standard too. Four HDMI inputs and one output allow connection to a huge variety of AV sources, while there are also coaxial, optical, RCA and 3.5mm connections. Phew! If that wasn’t enough, it also boasts Sonic Emotion’S 3D digital sound processing too – so you just know it’s going to sound the part.
Why do we like it?
It truly lives up to its claim of being an audio hub. There isn’t much out there that this soundbase won’t handle with dignity and refinement.
Why do we like it?
‘The handsome new Neo 6.2 […] is armed with six forward and side facing drivers, plus two downward firing bass bins for a wide soundstage […] Rather ingeniously the SoundCore also has a built-in HDMI switch, allowing four source components (next gen games consoles, Blu-ray player and set top box) to be routed through the box.’ (Ask Men)
4. Yamaha SRT-1000 Soundbase – £499
It wouldn’t be a list of the best surround sound alternatives without mention of our good friends Yamaha. The SRT-1000 is their first offering to the soundbase collective, but their overwhelmingly extensive experience of producing award winning soundbars and sound projectors truly shines through. It uses Yamaha’s advanced sound projection technology, which creates beams of sound which reflect sound off the walls of your chosen room (read: cinema). These beams are fully adjustable and can be altered at the touch of a remote controller (or app – did I mention the app?) at a whim, achieving 5:1 sound that is indistinguishable from a bonefide surround sound system. It’s the only ‘base that can do that too. Not bad for a little box!
Why do we like it?
Yamaha is a surefire bet with this sort of thing. They do their soundbars well, and they’ve done their soundbase well.
5. Focal Dimension Soundbar + Subwoofer – £1100
And last but by no means least we have… the Focal Dimension Soundbar (+ Subwoofer)! Yes yes, we know this is a bar and a woofer and not a base, but the two have the ability to – quite cleverly – physically combine to provide a base for your TV to stand on, so it’s a soundbase by proxy – and that’s why it gets a mention. Wonderfully versatile, the two can be wall mounted, used as a stand for the TV, or can sit separately. There’s not a lot you can’t do with them, positioning-wise. Just the bar on its own (worth £800) offers multichannel digital surround sound owed to its surround management system and its wide soundstage of over 4m – perfect for those blessed with larger living spaces. With the addition of the Dimension Sub (worth £329), it benefits from a sixth channel for a true 5.1 experience.
Why do we like it?
The Dimension Duo (which should be its name. Just sayin’.) combined provide a true audiophile grade listening experience. Bluetooth and the like can be added on via an optional upgrade, so it’s not a hub as standard, but it still offers a decent number of input and output options, and it will not disappoint on sound.
What do they like it?
‘The Dimension gets a great deal more right than it does wrong though and if you are after a stylish soundbar that can deliver a hefty punch, the Focal is far too good to ignore.’ (AV Forums)
If a soundbase is a little too untried and far-out for you, we have a Top 5 of soundbars and sound projectors to suit any budget too. Perfect if you have a little extra space in your home cinema set up.
So that’s that. The soundbase market is and emerging, so much so many aren’t quite sure what to do with them, but there’s already a fair amount of variation in the market, and enough to suit anyone’s tastes. It may not be the most obvious option – but we predict that bases will soon be as commonplace as bars, if not more so.