If you plan on playing music through your soundbar, wireless streaming through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is a must-have. Wireless streaming lets you play music from a multitude of sources -- like Spotify on your phone, or iTunes on your computer -- via your soundbar. Higher-end soundbars usually have both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, but most budget and mid-range options have one or the other.Bluetooth is the easiest way to wirelessly stream audio to your soundbar. It works with the music stored on your device and any music app, plus it's platform-agnostic -- virtually all iOS, Android and Windows

If you're looking for the simplest possible solution to improving TV sound, a stand-alone soundbar is the perfect place to start. If you're serious about sound quality though, adding separate speakers to your soundbar is the best way to go. You can mix and match according to your needs, and it's easier to upgrade once new formats come in -- you won't need to replace everything if you want to add 8K video capability, for example. Many retailers offer a soundbar-subwoofer bundle to jumpstart your speaker setup. If you're not ready to upgrade to a full speaker system just yet, look for a soundba