Smaller soundbars crank the volume all the way up

• The French spend 3h47 a day in front of their television to play games, watch films or series, enough to sound the desire to associate quality image and sound.

• If everyone does not necessarily have the space or the budget to afford an imposing

  soundbar

  , compact and affordable soundbars are developing.

• Sony, Polk, LG and Sonos, in particular, offer discreet and accessible solutions.

In the large family of soundbars, there are beefy maousses sold around 1,000 euros, capable of frenzied sessions of games, films and television series.

Problem: unless you have a living room with a generous surface (and a big budget), they are not suited to most needs...

For small living rooms (and smaller purses), tutti

soundbars combine compactness and a tighter price.

Yet with many advantages, as evidenced by the tests carried out by the editorial staff of "20 Minutes".

At the rate of 3h47 daily spent by the French in front of their television (source: Médiamétrie), it is high time to equip themselves!

The low cost: Sony HT-S20R

Equipped with three front speakers, a subwoofer, but also two rear speakers, the Sony HT-S20R soundbar is a true 5.1 system, capable of delivering 400 watts of power.

Medium- sized (76 x 52 x 86 cm for the

, and 19 x 38.7 x 34.2 cm for its box), the set adapts to any type of television.

An HDMI Arc output and an optical output are housed at the back of the box allowing different forms of connections, while a USB port is located on its front, and can accommodate USB keys and other hard drives full of content.

Our opinion:

Very tight price requires, this HR-S20R is a wired set.

It will therefore be necessary to concede some compromises, such as placing the box near its TV cabinet, but also pulling wires, the most restrictive being those supplying the surround speakers.

The display on the front of the box and its USB port have a slightly outdated side.

We nevertheless appreciate the remote control which allows you to choose with a simple touch the most appropriate audio mode for your use: Cinema, Music, Voice and a Night mode so as not to inconvenience your neighbors.

Attention, here, no Dolby Atmos!

The complete one: MagniFi Mini AX, from Polk

Equipped with five speakers (three for midrange, two for treble) and weighted with a subwoofer, the MagniFi Mini AX is ultra-compact (36.6 x 10.4 x 7.9 cm) and s Quickly installs with any TV in HDMI eARC/ARC (cable supplied), in optics, or even in AUX.

Wireless, except that of its power supply, its

(18.2 x 39.6 x 37.1 cm) can be placed anywhere in the room up to 6.7 meters away.

The set is compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, but also AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Spotify Connect.

It is obviously Bluetooth.

Our opinion:

The American loudspeaker brand Polk deserves to be better known in France, quality being part of its DNA.

We may or may not adhere to the design of this MagniFi Mini AX, a more accomplished version of the MagniFi which did not offer the three-dimensional audio formats (Dolby Atmos and DTS: X).

We appreciate direct settings via the remote control for the bass, the level of the dialogues and even the balance, an extra thing that all the others do not have.

And interesting: according to your desire (and your budget), it is possible to combine this sound bar with two wireless surround speakers (ref: SR2, sold for 179 euros) to create a real 5.1 system.

The ultra-compact: LG QP5 Eclair

Very discreet (29.6 x 12.6 x 5.9 cm for 1.5 kg), the LG QP5 is associated with its wireless box (40 x 30 x 20 cm).

The tandem pushes the concept of a compact soundbar quite far!

Its minimalist design is particularly suitable for small televisions (around 40 inches), but the 320 watts of power delivered will also be able to sound video games, films and series on the big screen (50 inches and more).

Compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, this equipment is also suitable for the latest generation game consoles.

(PS5 and X-Box Series).

The QP5 is of course Bluetooth and acts as a speaker for music

.

Our opinion:

Simple to implement, the QP5 surprises with its ability to immerse its users in a real sound bubble, with a comfortable power capable of recreating the atmosphere of a cinema in their living room.

Despite her small size, she knows about spatialization!

However, we regret that its front display based on LEDs of different colors lacks clarity and cannot be deactivated.

However, the proposed application allows piloting offering more readability to the user.

The multiroom: Beam (Gen 2), from Sonos

Available in black or white, the Beam (Gen 2) (6.9 x 6.51 x 100 cm) can integrate a multiroom system specific to the Sonos brand and be associated with different Wifi speakers designed for all spaces.

It can also be associated with a subwoofer of the brand.

Discreet, placed in front of a television, its format corresponds perfectly to that of a 32-inch screen.

With an HDMI Arc socket, it is Alexa and Google Home compatible, and can be controlled by voice, or from the Sonos application.

Its five speakers broadcast rich and powerful sound, compatible with Dolby Atmos and AirPlay 2.

Our opinion:

The American brand Sonos only releases a few products, and this Beam (Gen 2) essentially consists of an

of its excellent Beam to Dolby Atmos.

We still find this previous model perfectly recommendable in its white version at around 380 euros.

We will primarily recommend the newcomer to owners of Sonos speakers who, thanks to them, will be able to add an essential link to their multiroom configuration.

We particularly appreciate the impressive number of sources (music platforms, web radios, etc.), to be aggregated from the Sonos application.

Please note, this

is only compatible with a TV with an HDMI Arc socket!

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