Soundbars are one of the hottest categories in 2020 – now that 4K TVs with lush colours and tons of detail are the norm, we're looking for the next way to improve our home cinema experience, and soundbars given anyone an easy way to do that, even if you don't want a full surround system in your living room.
That means the competition has been truly fierce for our Best Soundbar award at the T3 Awards 2020, but the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage emerged as our winner, thanks to its focus on dynamic sound that makes it a hugely capable speaker for music as well as a powerful system for movies and TV.
It supports Dolby Atmos audio, and while it doesn't try to produce a virtual surround sound environment, it does use its eleven(!) drivers to project audio that's sound tall and wide, like it's coming from the whole space in front of you, not projecting out from a single bar.
• Read our full five-star B&O Beosound Stage review
The sound is hugely dynamic, meaning that when movie soundtracks swing from quiet moments to big action, you won't miss out on either then fine detail of slow scenes or big pulse-pounding energy when things kick off. There's no subwoofer, but when you hear the impact the Stage has anyway, you'll realise it doesn't need it. It handles speech really well too, ensuring that it doesn't get lost in the mix.
Angled drivers make the scale of the sound feel huge, despite the low profile of the soundbar itself – which can be wall-mounted or can stand on a surface. And it looks superb in both iterations too – it comes in various finishes, from the simple to the more funky, all with an iconic Danish design look.
B&O aims for this to be a music speaker too, and it works with the company's own multi-room system, as well as Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth for streaming. And it does just as good a job with music of all kinds as it does with movies and TV – it has a sense of musicality and rhythm that few soundbars can match.
It's a premium offering, make no mistake, but when you hear what it can do, it's clear why the B&O Beosound Stage wins this year's T3 Award for the Best Soundbar.
• Check out more of our T3 Awards 2020 winners!
