Best Stuff of the Year: Soundbars

When soundbars hit the scene, they sucked. But, there are apparently a lot of us looking for big sound in a small package. The result is a whole arsenal of speaker sticks that churn out awesome audio without requiring you to do major reconstruction of your room. Plug any of these bars into your TV and you'll be ready to rock. Literally.

Yamaha YHT-S400

If you want to get the full sonic range out of a soundbar set-up, you're going to need a sub-woofer, but Yamaha used some kind of technological magic to cram their sub directly into the receiver. It also has a compressed music enhancer designed to bring back some of the fidelity you stripped off your music when it went from CD to MP3. Plus, thanks to its Air Surround Xtreme technology, it does a surprisingly convincing job of pretending it's a full-on, eight-speaker 7.1 system. $600.

Vizio Sound Bar

At just $349, Vizio's stick is a hell of a bargain. Included in the package is the bar itself, which hides four mid/bass transducers and two 3/4" aluminum dome tweeters. You also get a wireless sub woofer that can be placed anywhere within 60-feet of main unit. It's not quite as powerful and doesn't support as many of the fancy sound formats as the more expensive models, but if you're just looking to improve your crappy TV speakers without taking out a loan, it's a solid choice.

JVC TH-BS7 Dual Wireless SoundBar

If you have a little more room in your home theater for some rear speakers, JVC has streamlined the process for you. The system comes with a wireless sub, something not all that uncommon with soundbars, but it also comes with two wireless rear channel speakers, which complete the full-on surround sound effect. It supports Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby ProLogic II signals, which means you'll be able to make the most of that awesome audio coming out of your Blu-ray discs. $600

Bowers & Wilkins Panorama

B&W is known for cranking out high-end A/V gear, so it's no surprise that their soundbar is one of the best sounding. Its unique shape wraps speakers around the sides of the soundbar itself, making for a wider soundstage that maximizes the space around your TV. There's no sub-woofer required, even though it produces super-clear and shockingly powerful sound. Of course, all that good stuff doesn't come cheap, so expect to drop $1,800 if you want one cuddled up to your own TV.

Samsung HT-BD8200 Blu-ray Sound Bar

In case you're not already enjoying the benefits of Blu-ray, this system has a player built right in. It was announced back in January, so the price has dropped from its original $800 level to around $500, which is a solid deal for a BD player as well as a classy-looking sub and a surprisingly powerful array of speakers in the bar itself. It's also one of the classiest looking set-ups we have seen. Just make sure to dust the glossy finish every once in a while. No one will blame you if you use an old T-shirt.