If you've been patiently waiting for Black Friday to roll around and present a great opportunity to upgrade your TV sound, you are now being rewarded. Plenty of Black Friday soundbar deals have surfaced this week, including one on our favourite budget Dolby Atmos soundbar...
If you're looking to buy the best soundbar you can for under $300 / £300, look no further than the Sony HT-S2000, which is up to 40 per cent off at Amazon.
In the US, the five-star Sony is just $298 for Black Friday thanks to a 40 per cent discount.
In the UK, you get a 36 per cent discount, taking the price down to just £298.
Our expert soundbar reviews team called this HT-S2000 "exceptional value for money" when we tested it earlier this year, and it currently stands as one of only eight models selected in our best soundbar buying guide. Needless to say, now that it's discounted by so much for Black Friday, it's a veritable bargain.
The HT-S2000 is a no-frills, fuss-free soundbar that sacrifices features like built-in network streaming for an impressive sound and easy functionality at a temptingly low price. We don't mind that it forgoes wi-fi or a calibration system, as the performance speaks for itself, although if such features are must-haves you should look to the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which is on sale for $369 in the US and £335 in the UK. It delivers a slightly better performance for its extra outlay, too.
You do get Bluetooth with the Sony soundbar, though, offering a quick and simple way to stream music wirelessly to the bar from, say, your phone.
Simplicity is also apparent in the styling of the HT-S2000, which is plain but functional. The included remote is also about as simple as it comes while including all of the buttons you ideally need.
Indeed, Sony has diverted most of its resources here into the driver arrangement to ensure it sounds as good as it can at this level – and we can't argue with that. This is a 3.1-channel bar that outputs 250W of total power, with three X Balance speaker units and a dedicated built-in subwoofer. There are no upward-firing drivers, which is to be expected at this price, but Sony still manages to deliver the Dolby Atmos height channel effect through its Vertical Sound Engine processing technology.
It's effective. Being at Atmos soundbar, it's important that the soundbar nails spatial sound, and it does. The S2000 steps up to the task when handed an Atmos soundbar, delivering a good sense of directionality, despite the fact it's working with fewer physical drivers than many of its rivals.
We are also big fans of the HT-S2000's clarity and detail, as everything from direct dialogue to subtle sound effects is delivered with impressive definition. Even in scenes with dialogue competing with imposing effects and dramatic soundtracks, this bar remains composed and conveys each aspect clearly. Furthermore, it impresses where dynamics are concerned. In action-heavy scenes, we think the S2000 displays an excellent dynamic range that delivers explosive action with the necessary oomph and impact.
First and foremost, the Sony HT-S2000 does what it needs to do – improve the sound of your TV. It was easy to recommend at its original price, but now that it's heavily discounted in the Amazon Black Friday sales, we think it's a no-brainer buy if it meets your budget.
MORE:
How to choose and set up a soundbar
Here are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy right now
Looking for a bargain? Here are best soundbar deals
