Bring the cinema home: the best TVs for sound in 2024

A truly next-generation smart TV that pushes the possibilities of 4K to their heights, the LG G36 TV delivers top-notch visuals and sensational sound. Packed with a robust array of sound-enhancing post-processing technologies such as AI Sound Pro, Dolby Atmos, and AI Acoustic tuning, the sound is as perfect as could be on LG's G36 OLED TV.

Despite its slim profile, the LG OLED65G36LA packs a 60W punch – triple the power of typical budget televisions on the market. The result of this extra power? Richer sound, entrancing bass, and a wide enough soundstage to convince anyone you've got a speaker system hidden somewhere.

If there's any nitpicking to be made, it surrounds OLED technology in general. That is, OLED TVs can't achieve the brightness that a QLED television can at a fraction of the cost. Nevertheless, LG's G36 OLED television is one of the best OLED TVs on the market – there's no denying it.

Easily one of the most affordable yet remarkable televisions of the year, the Sony BRAVIA 43X75WL 43-inch TV offers cinema enthusiasts, gamers and casual binge-watchers a terrific amount of value for their money.

Under the hood, Sony's manufacturing quality shines bright, with clever visual sharpening post-processing, audio refinement and Google-integrated browsing for the most seamless useability imaginable.

The KD-43X75WL's speaker setup is particularly bold, with a dual setup at 20W heightened by plenty of Dolby DTS audio enhancement. For a television under £600, the Sony BRAVIA KD-43X75WL is truly wonderful.

Looking for high-end sound and visuals? You've found them. Samsung's 50-inch QN90C 4K TV is designed for those cravings that require searing QLED brightness and some glorious sound to create a home cinema experience you'll find difficult to tear yourself away from.

First and foremost, this is a high-end QLED television with an ultra-high 144Hz refresh rate, an unfathomably bright 2,000 nits peak brightness screen, and enough Samsung features to keep you satiated and enthralled.

Truly bursting with post-processing features, AI upscaling and more, our only nitpick of the QN90C is its lack of Dolby Vision, which is surprising on a smart TV of this calibre. Nonetheless, visuals appear bright, balanced and eye-drawing thanks to the almost bezel-less design of the QN90C; this is one of the best QLED TVs on the market.

Panasonic's MZ800 TV is a phenomenal OLED TV that offers gorgeous visuals, wonderful build quality and excellent response times for intrepid gamers searching for a next-generation experience.

Equipped with all manner of AI picture sharpening, audio processing and performance-heightening software to shave milliseconds off of gaming response times, the Panasonic MZ800 smart TV is an impressive television that isn't lacking in audio power whatsoever. If we were to criticise the speaker setup, however, we'd note that the dual speaker setup doesn't do much for audio depth, leaving films slightly flat compared with other options.

Still – an undeniably impressive television for its price, the Panasonic MZ800 is quite easily one of the best OLED TVs on the market.

For gaming, great sound will make or break your setup; luckily, the Sony Bravia OLED TV does pretty much everything.

A phenomenal 120Hz refresh rate, paired with OLED visuals, great sound and a seamless user interface, makes the Sony Bravia XR-55A80LU a competitor as one of the best TVs of the year and one of the best TVs for gaming.

In a strange yet remarkable move, Sony's XR-55A80LU emits sound not from the back or bottom of the television but from the screen itself, making sound centralised and acoustics much better. Sony also includes options for simultaneous soundbar and screen speaker use, giving the sound a centralised quality that builds depth in the most innovative way possible.

Of course, as an OLED TV, you're not getting the 2,000+ nits brightness that you'll find on a QLED television, but this is a limitation of the technology, not of the Sony, and what it does with those limitations is extraordinary.

Combining QLED and mini LED technology, TCL's awe-inspiring smart TV looks brilliant, and at less than £1,000, is priced brilliantly too.

Combined screen technologies, an impressive array of user features, and, to top it off - a truly impressive 70W audio output, TCL's 65QM8B is an unexpected but welcome surprise to TCL's budget roster. The booming sound and excellent support from Dolby's post-processing audio create a heart-pumping, mind-racing quality to films and television; you'll never need a soundbar again.

If we had anything to nitpick about the TCL 65QM8B, it would be the interface, which doesn't chalk up to the competition. Certain Freeview apps are inaccessible on this 65-inch smart QLED TV, giving you fewer streaming options than you would often have.

For some, a 32-inch television just doesn't cut it; if this sounds familiar, behold the Samsung S90C, one of the rare OLED TVs developed by Samsung.

Combining Samsung's brilliant user interface with OLED panel technology is a recipe for success, which is made even more successful at 77 inches. This massive television is perfect for those seriously creating a true home cinema, so you'll need plenty of space to enjoy.

For speakers, however, you may not need to bother with surround sound, the S90C's monstrous 40W sound is enough to impress most film fanatics, and with Dolby Audio processing, you won't be short on high-quality audio either.

QLED TV technology is typically pricey, but Samsung's Q60C is so reasonably priced it's hard to ignore. If you're looking for those iconic, bright visuals from QLED technology but don't have the funds, the Q60C is a wonderful choice for your money.

A 50-inch TV screen with plenty to offer in terms of features – of which Samsung TVs are rarely short – this QLED TV has a solid 20W audio output, which is greatly enhanced and deepened by Adaptive Sound technology.

Our only gripe with the Samsung Q60C is the lack of HDR support, which is vital for a QLED television, which occasionally leaves darker tones as a washed-out grey. If, however, the effectiveness of bright tones greatly outshines the need for contrast, the Q60C is most certainly for you.

Hisense is known for its low-budget, high-quality televisions that surpass its price point, but the 55E7KQTUK is an exception. More expensive than its budget TV versions but still altogether a cheap TV thanks to some impressive technology, the Hisense 55E7KQTUK 55-inch smart TV surpasses expectations dramatically, making it one of our favourite televisions of the year so far.

A gorgeous QLED picture, 120Hz refresh rate (which for a television under £700 is unheard of, and, to top it off – a 40W dual speaker output that delivers brilliant sound for the price. Hisense's 55-inch budget QLED is a brilliant choice for all because of its value.

However, remember that Hisense's VIDAA OS is slower than its Samsung counterparts and looks far less polished and intuitive – it's a small price to pay for quality pictures at a great price, however.

The best of both worlds: the stunning Samsung s95C is in a class of its own when it comes to stellar picture quality, and it's all thanks to its mesmerising QD-OLED technology. Combining the brightness and vibrancy of QLED with the depth and speed of OLED, you truly get the best of both world with the S95C OLED TV, and it shows.

The picture on the S95C is outstanding, and its performance is second to none with a 144Hz refresh rate, making it a highly viable gaming smart TV. It's design, unlike most smart TVs on the market is completely flat, with a thickness of 11mm.

When it comes to sound, the S95C knocks it out of the park with a whopping 70W sound system, complete with Dolby Atmos Surround, giving your home a cinematic feel unlike any other. Clear, rich and very loud, your favourite films and television shows will look and sound as they never have before, without the need to purchase pricey speakers whatsoever.

Our only gripe with this television is its price, which is certainly higher than its competition, but with superior visuals, phenomenal performance and earth-shattering sound, you're certainly getting a lot for your money.

The Samsung S95C is one of the best cutting-edge smart TVs on the market right now, and is well worth investing in if you truly love cinema, just make sure you have deep enough pockets.