Not to be confused with rectangular sound bars that sit in front of your TV, squat, boxy sound bases are designed to sit under your TV as a sort of second stand. They’ve been around since the early 2000s and peaked in popularity about two years ago. But now they’re fading fast.

The reason? Many televisions are now designed in a way that makes a “sound base” impractical — the TVs have feet at the ends rather than in the middle. If you have a TV like that, it simply won’t fit on top of a sound base. A sound base only makes sense for use with TVs that have central pedestal stands, especially in areas where space is at a premium — on top of a dresser for example.

The Fluance AB40 sound base is one of the best we’ve seen, especially for $250. It’s built like a tank and offers great sound in addition to Bluetooth playback. Due to the larger cabinet it’s also able to outperform some sound bars in terms of bass response. If you have a TV with a centralized stand and are looking to upgrade your flat-screen’s sound, then the Fluance deserves your attention.
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https://www.cnet.com/reviews/fluance-ab40-review/