Samsung HW-D550 AudioBar

The first thing you'll notice about the 41.5-inch-wide soundbar is how incredibly thin it is. It's 3.2 inches tall and just 1.8 inches thick, a far cry from the 4.3-inch-thick Vizio VHT510 soundbar or the 4.6-inch Insignia Home Theater Soundbar.

The included wireless subwoofer is a glossy black monolith measuring 13.8 by 11.6 by 7 inches (HWD) and weighing 11.3 pounds. The front is nothing but smooth, shiny black; an open port sits on the right side of the subwoofer and a cloth grill sits on the back, but if you face the subwoofer all you'll see is a mysterious black box with a glowing indicator light on top.

The 5.3-inch remote is surprisingly full-featured for a soundbar, since the W550 can double as an A/V receiver.

No single soundbar can replace dedicated rear channel satellites, so you can't expect a real surround sound experience from the Samsung HW-D550. Still, its surprisingly powerful sound profile, punchy subwoofer, and great design make it an excellent way to expand your home theater's sound without running tons of wires or setting aside multiple spaces for speakers.