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Best sound bars

Your TV's built-in speakers aren't good enough. Do yourself a favor and upgrade to a sound bar this holiday season.

Matthew Moskovciak
Covering home audio and video, Matthew Moskovciak helps CNET readers find the best sights and sounds for their home theaters. E-mail Matthew or follow him on Twitter @cnetmoskovciak.
Matthew Moskovciak
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1 of 4 Sarah Tew/CNET

Pioneer SP-SB23W

It's not the prettiest-looking sound bar, but for $400 there's nothing that sounds as good as the Pioneer SP-SB23W. The included subwoofer is tiny and wireless, plus there's built-in Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming.

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2 of 4 Sarah Tew/CNET

Vizio S4251w-B4

Just because you're going for a sound bar doesn't mean you can't have real surround sound. The Vizio S4251W adds two surround speakers to the standard sound bar design, letting you get true surround sound without the hassle of a more elaborate system.

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3 of 4 Sarah Tew/CNET

SpeakerCraft CS3

The SpeakerCraft CS3 is on the pricier side, but it offers up excellent sound quality in a very sleek design. There's built-in Bluetooth, plus it makes a decent amount of bass without requiring a subwoofer.

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4 of 4 Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony HT-CT260

For a budget sound bar, it's hard to beat the Sony HT-CT260. It has a striking design that fits well with modern TVS, plus there's a built-in IR repeater on the back in case the sound bar blocks your TV remote.

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