Sony HT-CT150

While the Sony HT-CT150 can't compete on an equal footing with high-end sound bars such as the Yamaha YSP-4100 (*Est. $1,700) , it still delivers good sound and a more convincing surround-sound field than anything else in its price class. The feature line up is good, and includes three HDMI inputs. Connectivity is otherwise excellent as well, with the ability to accommodate up to six pieces of home-theater gear at once -- enough to handle even complex home-theater setups. It can also pass along 3D video without a problem and accept audio at its output from an upstream TV that's compatible with the latest HDMI standards (audio return channel). Sound will still fall short of what you would get with a full surround-sound system, but it outdistances that of similarly priced sound bars in terms of quality and sound effects.

One negative is that the subwoofer, which mates well sonically with the sound bar, is hard wired; most sound bars in this price class use a wireless link. Another is that the infrared sensor for the remote is located on the subwoofer. Together, those add up to the biggest negative of all -- the subwoofer must be placed within 10 feet of the sound bar yet in sight of your viewing location, and that might not work in all home-theater setups. While the Sony HT-CT150 sounds pretty good, especially compared to a TV's speakers, the Zvox IncrediBase 575 (*Est. $450) sounds even better. However, it is less feature-rich and can't be mounted on a wall. If you have a bigger TV (40 inches and up), the step-up Sony HT-CT350 (*Est. $350) is beefier and slightly more powerful, but should perform similarly.

The most helpful review of the Sony HT-CT150 is at CNET. User reviews can be found at Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. The sound bar is also the topic of a long discussion thread at AVSForum.com.