Loud and powerful, the Focal Mu-So Hekla soundbar is a 34-pound behemoth you want for explosive set pieces in movies, (think anything with Tom Cruise flying airplanes or jumping off of buildings). There are 15 speakers inside, including three woofers that deliver powerful bass that matches the Klipsch Flexus Core 300.
A big plus is the upfiring audio drivers for Dolby Atmos. It was the first time I noticed a loud clank sound up by my ceiling when the main character in Predator: Badlands extends a spear to the sky. Only the LG Sound Suite H7 has better surround sound, but the Mu-So Hekla is louder and boomier (in a good way).
I loved the Focal app as well—it’s easy to use for selecting inputs, adjusting settings and room calibration.
For music, I played Fleetwood Mac at high volume and never heard any distortion or hiss. A test track by Maggie Rogers called “Want Want” sounds like a nightclub has come alive.
This is a large, heavy, premium soundbar with a premium price tag. With such a big upfront investment, it’s disappointing that it isn’t more expandable—you can only add a subwoofer, not side or rear speakers like the Sonos, LG, and Klipsch.
Still, for sheer sonic superiority, the Focal Mu-So Hekla is one of my all-time favorite soundbars.
Honorable Mentions
Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $499: The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is an excellent compact soundbar options, especially if you have other Sonos speakers in your home. It doesn’t quite beat the Bose Smart Soundbar in terms of sound quality—the Bose has upfiring speakers, which gives it a fuller sound than the Beam. But with the recently announced Sonos Beam Ultra, I’m expecting the Beam Gen 2 to go on sale (or at least get discounted soon).
Sony Bravia Theatre Trio for $2,200: The Sony Theatre Trio has several outstanding features, even if it can’t quite keep pace with the Sonos, Focal, or other high-end models. A flagship from Sony, this package comes with a soundbar and two speakers (plus an optional sub), and has excellent center channel audio for clear and rich dialogue. The setup is easy and the room calibration actually makes a difference in terms of room-filling bass. Dolby Atmos was not super convincing, though. The Last House creepy sound effects didn’t emanate from above or the sides enough.
Bluesound Pulse Cinema for $1,499: Bluesound is better known for its small, high-res audio speakers, but this 47-inch-long soundbar sounds stunning for music too. While Dolby Atmos support is good, playing dream-like synth rock tracks like “I Will Wait” by Phoebe Bridgers reveals a truly amazing spatial audio experience. The mix seems to emulate all around the room. On “Walk Walk” by Maggie Rogers, the driving bass and drums sound ultra-realistic. This is a pricey soundbar, though, and others like the Sonos Arc Ultra sound more realistic, especially its upfiring drivers.
Polk Audio Signa S4 for $449: Former WIRED senior editor Parker Hall says that, despite its age, the Polk Signa S4 is an excellent-sounding soundbar, especially for the price. It’s simple to use, easy to setup, has a few modes to choose from (Movie, Music, and Night), and versatile 3.1.2-channel Atmos-enables speakers. It’s a little dated, though, and doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity. You can learn more in his Polk Signa S4 review.