"Yes, soundbars are a sound investment," says Good Housekeeping Institute Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman. "Because TVs have continually gotten thinner and thinner, this has made it more challenging to keep up with quality audio output allowed in thicker form factors," says Rothman. Most soundbars are an easy upgrade over your TV's built-in speakers. If you've ever had a hard time understanding dialogue when watching TV shows or movies, a soundbar can alleviate this problem. In addition to improving overall sound quality, soundbars can help make dialogue clearer to understand and some even feature speech enhancement modes, along with other EQ settings so you can adjust your TV's sound to your liking.

"The most common way to connect your TV to a soundbar is with an HDMI ARC cable. If you don't see an ARC output on your TV, you can always use the optical out as an option," says Lopez. The advantage of an ARC (Audio Return Channel) connection is that it will enable you to use your TV remote to control your soundbar. This means that when you turn your TV on your soundbar will turn on as well, and you won't have to get up off the couch to make any adjustments or use a separate remote to control the volume.

You should aim to place your soundbar as close to your TV as possible, without blocking the TV. "Soundbars are traditionally placed below your TV, either mounted to the wall or placed on a surface beneath it like a console or TV stand, but it's important to check your model and see if that is in fact the best position," says Rothman. "For certain soundbars, placing them above the TV may be preferential."

"The most important factor in mounting a soundbar is that it is as close to ear level as possible, whether that is above or below the television," says Lopez. "Usually, manuals include details on best positioning and consider where the soundbar's drivers are. In general, the closer the soundbar is to your TV, the more integrated the two will feel, however sometimes some trial and error may be required to find the best location for optimal audio output," says Rothman.

The Good Housekeeping Institute's Media & Tech experts, engineers and analysts tested each soundbar in collaboration with Hearst's Audio & Visual Department over the course of a week for ease of use, performance and design. To evaluate the ease of use, we assessed how easy each soundbar was to set up and connect to a TV as well as how intuitive the soundbar was to use. To assess ease of operation, we considered each soundbar's app (if applicable), remote and physical configuration.

Media & Tech Reviews Analyst Olivia Lipski oversees product testing and covers everything from consumer tech to smart home devices and appliances, health, home and fitness. She's covered audio over the years, writing about outdoor speakers, wireless earbuds and noise-canceling headphones. She continues to stay on top of the industry's latest innovations and helps readers make better buying decisions by testing and reviewing the best gadgets to hit the market. She most recently led soundbar testing, testing each soundbar with audio experts and engineers in the Hearst Tower in NYC.

Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist and head engineer, has a B.S.E. in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics with a mathematics minor from the University of Pennsylvania and has been at GH for 14 years. She leads efforts for the constant evolution of GH's technical and testing protocols, responding both to market drivers and growth opportunities. Rachel is the lead expert and key brand ambassador for GH across a number of categories — including electronics, smart home, automotive, toys, parenting, fitness, tech, startups and more — and a sought-after speaker at large-scale events.