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With a lot of folks staying home, many have been spending more time hunkered down watching TV and listening to music.
This year, it makes sense to gift the movie buff or music fan in your life with home theater gifts that take the night up to the next level. Maybe a streaming device or something to crank the audio capabilities of their smart TV up to 11.
If they’ve been listening to their TV through the speakers that came with it, they will be thanking you for this audio upgrade for years to come.
Best soundbar for less than $200: Vizio V21
CNET take: The Vizio V21 is a 2.1-channel soundbar that offers a host of connections including HDMI. Stepping up to $200 gets you better sound than the Creative (following) can muster plus a wireless subwoofer. No more wires trailing across the room. If you want to buy a soundbar on a budget, it’s tough to do better than this.
Best soundbar for less than $100: Creative Stage
CNET take: The Creative Stage offers everything you need for sound on a smaller TV or gaming system: HDMI, a separate subwoofer and a clear display. It also helps that the sound is light years ahead of other systems at the $100 mark. The Creative Stage sound bar and subwoofer combo sets the standard for a desktop gaming system on a budget that’s also compatible with smaller TVs.
Best streaming soundbar: Roku Streambar
CNET take: The Roku Streambar offers a no-brainer upgrade for people who want to improve the sound and streaming capabilities of their TVs on the cheap. It’s an all-in-one entertainment system with a streamer and a speaker in one. It offers 4K video output and excellent dialogue reproduction in an easy-to-use unit. If you want to upgrade a loved one’s older TV, this is the best way to do it.
