Best surround sound systems: wireless speakers for immersive sound

Whilst we all love a trip to the cinema or attending a concert, nothing quite beats the feeling of watching your favourite film or listening to a great song from the comfort of your own home. Surround sound systems help recreate immersive audio experiences at home. With a wide range of high-quality products, you can bring the multi-dimensional sound of action movies and live music into your own sitting room.

Surround sound, at its most basic, implies a sound system with more than just one set of speakers. The traditional home theatre setup has six channels: three speakers up front (left, right, and center), two surround speakers (left and right), placed just behind the listening area, and a subwoofer, used for low-frequency sounds, such as rumbling. True audiophiles can fine tune their sound even further, adding additional pairs of speakers around the room.

Soundbars can serve as an all-in-one option for surround sound or can be connected to an existing system. The best soundbars on the market pack the audio power of multiple speakers and a subwoofer into one sleek bar with surround sound capabilities.

The main goal with any surround system is to find an audio setup that creates dimension by placing sound around your room, which more closely reflects real-life acoustics rather than a simple TV speaker. If you want to stream a live Paul McCartney concert, and feel like you’re in the room, or stream Gladiator, and hear the sounds of the Colosseum around you, find the best options below.

SONY HT-A7000 7.1.2 All-in-One Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos

- DTS:X and Dolby Atmos supported

- Bluetooth connectivity

- Compatible with Google Home, Spotify, and AirPlay

- Multi-room listening

This speaker from Sony truly does it all. For those looking to upgrade their home theatre system to the next level, a stellar soundbar is indispensable. The HT-A700 is conveniently flexible—it works with your current sound system (whether that’s one speaker or six) to produce a surround sound experience.

The flexible speaker solution adapts to the setup of your room, adjusting to find the best sound angle and position. The audio delivered is crisp and powerful, meeting the spec threshold for high-resolution audio. Wireless listening capabilities via Bluetooth also enables you to play music from Spotify, Google Home, or AirPlay.

And, with the multi-room feature, you can also listen in multiple rooms around the house. The soundbar is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and has built-in Chromecast.

Buy now £1299.00, Currys

Sonos Sub (Gen 3)

- Two force-cancelling drivers

- Two digital amplifiers

- Connectivity with other Sonos speakers and controlled via app

The Sub is a wireless subwoofer from Sonos, connected via WiFi. The bass can be paired with two Sonos sets: the Entertainment Set pairs it with the Arc soundbar and the Surround Set pairs it with a set of One SL speakers, in addition to the Arc. Both of these sets are solid options for immersive sound. The Sonos design is sleek, and very low on wires, though at times prone to connection issues. This subwoofer does a great job of reaching low frequencies and has impressive mobility—place it anywhere around the room, or even turn it on its side. The biggest draw is that the subwoofer can only be paired with other Sonos products. It does this over WiFi, but it does need AC power connection.

Buy now £665.00, Amazon

Sonos Move

- Completely wireless WiFi and Bluetooth connection

- Automatic Trueplay

- Built-in Voice Command

Sonos Move is the brand’s completely wireless speaker option. It can connect to the rest of your system via WiFi, and it has Bluetooth and a built-in battery. The speaker can also be controlled via voice command, which gives it a leg up over other hi-fi speakers. It’s weatherproof and water-resistant, so you’re also able to bring it outside. Like other Sonos speakers, this model has Trueplay, which tunes sound to the room where the speaker is being used. Unlike other Sonos models, this function on Move is automatic, and doesn’t require hands-on toggling. That being said, the sound on these speakers is not as impressive as other high-quality options. The automatic Tuneplay is convenient, but it does not always work flawlessly. These speakers are better for parties and playing music than building a surround sound home theatre.

Buy now £399.00, Sonos

Devialet Phantom II 95DB Bluetooth Wi-Fi Speaker

- Connect with Airplay, Spotify, or Bluetooth

- Connectivity with other multi-channel systems

- Devialet App for one-swipe audio control

The Phantom speaker line is strikingly attractive and compact—but the products come at a steep retail price. The Phantom Reactor Custom is a new speaker with surround sound capabilities, designed to aurally complement the space it inhabits. It connects to a wide range of sound systems, allowing you to add a Phantom to your multi-channel surround sound. It only forms one part of a full home theatre and so, the high price point for these speakers may be more a matter of style than substance. The speaker can play music completely wirelessly, via AirPlay, Spotify, or Bluetooth, but you also have the option to use optical or analog cables, if you’re hooking up to a TV. As with most wireless surround sound options, the option to plug-in comes in handy when the connection inevitably goes on the fritz.

Buy now £1090.00, John Lewis

WIRED OPTIONS

KEF Q50a Dolby Atmos Speaker

- Dolby Atmos Audio Processing

- Damped Tweeter Loading Tube

- Wall mounting option

These add-on speakers, sold in a pair, deliver high-quality immersive sound at a reasonable price. They are wedged-shaped and fit on top of floor-standing or bookshelf speakers, or they can be mounted onto the wall to take it up a notch. Like most KEF speakers, the audio is impressive, and the Q50 particularly produces excellent surround sound. If you mount these on top of other KEF Q series speakers, the audio will bounce off the ceiling for an improved 360-degree experience. Speakers with this quality sound usually go for significantly more money—KEF itself has another line, R Series, which starts at a steep £1300.

Buy now £419.00, Amazon

LG SN7CY 160W RMS 5Ch All-In-One Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos

- Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X audio processing

- AI Sound Pro

- Play music via Bluetooth

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are the two prevailing surround sound technologies, often used in cinemas. Both systems are object-based, placing sound throughout a room in a way that creates truly immersive audio. This brand new SN7CY soundbar from LG uses both technologies, filling your sitting room with cinema-calibre sound. The single bar alone contains five channels, including a subwoofer, and an AI Sound Pro function that optimises the audio settings based on what you’re playing (video games vs. jazz music). The audio quality on this is solid, but it could be better for the mid-level price point. The sound is not as crisp, for example, as a system with separate surround speakers and subwoofer. Just remember that setting up systems with Dolby Atmos can be complicated if you’re unfamiliar with the technology.

Buy now £249.00, Currys

LG SN4 300W RMS 2Ch Bluetooth Sound Bar with Wireless Sub

- Three channels

- Play music via Bluetooth or optical/HDMI cables

- AI Sound Pro

While not completely free from cables, this LG soundbar with a wireless subwoofer comes close. Thus, it’s not hindered by connectivity issues that you may find in other wireless sound systems. You can connect your phone on the soundbar with Bluetooth, or via a cable. Unlike the LG SN7CY 160W, this system has only three channels, but the separate subwoofer here makes a big difference in audio quality. And the lower price tag on this bar makes it an excellent option for those looking to make the first step toward setting up a home cinema.

Buy now £154.00, Amazon

Bose Soundbar 700

- WiFi and Bluetooth Connectivity

- Voice Command

- Compatible with Apple AirPlay 2, Alexa, and Spotify

Bose has two soundbar options, but the Soundbar 70 is a favourite, both in terms of value and function. It has both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and voice assistance built-in, and connects to a wide range of third-party apps, including Apple AirPlay, Amazon’s Alexa, and Spotify. If you own Bose 700 headphones, you can actually connect those to this sound bar, and listen to your system without disturbing others. This model is also Bose’s most compact, fitting discreetly into your living room. The sound quality is great for the price point, with built-in features like Dialogue Mode, which helps pick up the dialogue in a movie or TV show. The bass works well on this too, which is impressive considering the slim size.

Buy now £629.95, Bose

Verdict

For exceptional surround sound quality, the SONY HT-A7000 is the best product out there and will take your current home theatre setup to the next level. For those already well-equipped with a solid audiovisual system, the KEF Q50A Dolby Atmos-Enabled Surround Speakers are a great way to add dimension to your audio setup.