This is the simplest way to improve your home theater

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VizioYour TV’s speakers are probably bad. It’s understandable — thin is in with most HDTVs, and that naturally gives audio less room to breathe — but that doesn’t make it any less of a bummer when a vibrant picture is saddled with thin, lifeless sound.  

Most of the time, this is just something we get used to. Maybe you’re streaming most of your stuff through a tablet anyways. If you want to get more out of your TV, however, it isn’t hard to upgrade — just buy a soundbar.

These long external speakers won’t get you the depth of a full-on speaker system, but they’re cheaper, they’re easier to set up, and they’re still miles better than whatever came with your TV by default.

You can go way up the ladder with these things, but for those on a budget, Vizio’s SB3821-C6 is a great value at $140. It’s a 2.1 channel speaker, so it’s a relatively basic, non-surround sound setup, but its clarity and richness are superb for the money. The included subwoofer gives it sufficient bass, too. Plus the whole thing just looks slick.

If you can afford a fuller sound, though, the 3.1-channel SB3831-C6M and 5.1-channel SB4051-C0 are similarly nice values that go beyond the left and right channels. Either way, investing in one of these things gives you a straightforward path to improved entertainment.

Vizio SB3821-C6 38-Inch Soundbar w/ Wireless Subwoofer, $138.88, available at Amazon.

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