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A list of CNET's Holiday Gift Guide picks for best affordable sound bars.
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.
Not every room requires a full-blown home audio system and Sony's HT-CT150 is an excellent choice for smaller spaces. It offers standout sound for its size and three HDMI inputs, making it a solid value at $250.
Vizio VHT510 lets you experience the best of both words, with a no-fuss sound bar set up in the front of the room and wireless speakers in the back. That may sound a little gimmicky, but it's actually one of the best-sounding sound bars we've tested.
The Zvox Z-Base 555 has a better design than any other sound bar on the market, letting you put your TV on top of the sound bar. It's the sleekest look you can find short of in-wall speakers, and Zvox gets else right too, with a smartly hidden display and true input switching. The sound quality isn't top tier, but it's a big upgrade from your TV's speakers.
LG's LSB316 won't wow you with its sound quality, but its built-in Bluetooth is a killer feature. You can stream audio directly to the LSB316 from just about every smartphone on the market, and the iPhone basically treats it like an AirPlay device.
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