Looking to upgrade your Halloween movie marathon? Here are 3 soundbars sure to give you an extra scare
DA Gadgets Spooky
season
is
well
and
truly
here
and
we’re
mere
days
away
from
Halloween,
which
means
there’s
pumpkins,
trick-or-treaters
and
costumes
galore
already
around.
With
Halloween
also
comes
a
chance
to
break
out
your
favorite
horror
for
their
annual
re-watch.
Now,
you’ve
got
one
of
the
best
horror
movies
lined
up
to
watch
and
one
of
the
best
TVs
to
watch
them
on
,
but
what
about
the
sound?
Horror
movies
are
known
for
their
sound
design,
with
every
eerie
atmosphere,
creaky
floorboard,
blood-curling
scream
and
scratchy
string-led
score
playing
as
important
a
role
to
the
horror
movie
experience
as
the
visuals
themselves.
With
the
evolution
of
surround
sound
in
recent
years,
horror
movies
have
become
an
entirely
new
beast.
Dolby
Atmos,
which
introduces
height
channels
and
uses
a
dome-like
shape
of
sound
to
completely
immerse
you
during
viewing,
has
given
horror
movies
a
bigger
and
more
atmospheric
sound.
Dolby
Atmos
is
now
commonly
supported
on
a
whole
range
of
the
best
soundbars,
from
cheap
to
premium,
so
it’s
easy
to
upgrade
your
TV’s
sound
(because
let’s
be
honest
it’s
not
always
the
best)
to
add
even
more
scare
to
your
Halloween
movie
marathon.
As
part
of
TechRadar’s
Halloween
Week,
I’ve
included
three
soundbars
below,
which
are
among
the
best
Dolby
Atmos
soundbars
around,
to
suit
any
budget
or
situation
that
are
sure
to
give
your
horror
movie
watch
an
even
more
bone-chilling
feel.
1.
Hisense
AX5125H
(Image
credit:
Future)
The
Hisense
AX5125H
is
a
budget
Dolby
Atmos
soundbar
solution
that
proves
you
don’t
need
to
spend
big
to
get
a
big
sound.
Four
units
–
a
soundbar,
subwoofer
and
two
satellite
speakers
–
combine
to
provide
5.1.2
channels
of
sound
and
because
there’s
those
all
important
height
channels,
you’re
getting
an
authentic
Dolby
Atmos
sound.
Despite
its
budget
price,
the
Hisense
AX5125H
delivers
a
powerful,
immersive
and
well-controlled
sound,
with
plenty
of
detail.
It
also
has
very
good
balance
across
all
of
its
speakers,
so
you’ll
still
be
getting
those
all
important
creepy
noises
in
the
rear
speakers
as
well
as
the
clarity
from
the
soundbar
and
thumping
bass
from
the
subwoofer.
The
Hisense
AX5125H
is
admittedly
light
on
features,
limited
to
Bluetooth
for
music
streaming,
but
at
roughly
$299
/
£349,
it
really
does
give
you
awesome
bang
for
your
buck
and
will
still
give
your
horror
movies
that
extra
layer.
(For
our
Australian
readers,
the
Hisense
AX5120G
is
the
closest
alternative
which
has
a
bit
less
power
but
the
same
overall
setup
and
price.)
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2.
Samsung
HW-Q990D
(Image
credit:
Future)
The
Samsung
HW-Q990D
is
an
elite
soundbar,
delivering
arguably
the
best
sound
experience
you
can
get
at
home
from
a
soundbar
system.
It
is
at
the
premium
end
of
the
market,
but
delivers
in
every
way
you
could
possibly
need.
The
Samsung
HW-Q990D’s
sound
is
punchy,
dynamic
and
chocked
full
of
power
for
big,
climactic
moments
but
also
handles
the
subtleties
of
quieter
moments
with
real
finesse.
Delivering
11.1.4
channels
of
real
Dolby
Atmos
sound,
the
HW-Q990D
continues
the
legacy
of
Samsung’s
flagship
soundbars
by
being
the
best
on
the
market
year-in
year-out.
But
it
doesn’t
just
stop
there,
as
the
HW-Q990D
is
capable
of
Wi-Fi
streaming
for
better
quality
music
playback
and
comes
with
4K,
120Hz
support
for
gaming
via
a
HDMI
2.1
input.
It
is
on
the
pricier
side,
costing
roughly
$1,499
/
£1,499
/
AU$1,995
(although
you
can
pick
up
for
cheaper),
but
it’s
worth
the
cost.
The
HW-Q990D
will
take
horror
movies
to
the
next
level,
making
you
feel
like
you’re
in
the
movie
itself,
almost
if
Michael
Myers
was
in
your
living
room.
3.
Sony
Bravia
Theater
Quad
(Image
credit:
Future)
To
quote
Monty
Python
“and
now
for
something
completely
different”.
The
Sony
Bravia
Theater
Quad
provides
an
alternative
surround
sound
solution
to
anyone
who
wants
to
keep
things
neat,
opting
for
four
slim,
wireless
speaker
units
powered
by
a
control
unit
plugged
into
the
TV
(although
power
for
each
speaker
is
also
required)
instead
of
a
soundbar
and
big
subwoofer.
Although
there’s
no
direct
soundbar
in
front
of
you,
the
Sony
Theater
Bravia
Quad
still
manages
to
deliver
a
dynamic,
immersive
and
engaging
sound
using
its
4.0.4
channel
setup.
If
you
own
a
Sony
TV
however,
say
the
new
Sony
Bravia
9
or
Sony
Bravia
8,
there
is
a
feature
called
Acoustic
Center
Sync
which
uses
the
TV
as
a
center
channel.
Even
without
this
though,
the
Bravia
Quad
effectively
reproduces
surround
sound
soundtracks
such
as
Dolby
Amtos
with
real
clarity
and
detail.
At
$2,499
/
£2,499,
the
Sony
Bravia
Theater
Quad
is
not
cheap.
What
it
does
provide
however
is
a
neater
solution
that’s
perfect
for
on-wall
installation
or
those
looking
for
a
more
discrete
sound
system.
It
also
delivers
on
the
sound
front
and
is
sure
to
perfectly
capture
every
‘bump
in
the
night’
in
your
favorite
horror
movie.
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