Q. What would you recommend for a high-end, cost-no-object soundbar system? I am considering a Loewe TV and want sound quality and looks to match the television. I really don't want other speakers and wires cluttering up the room, but would consider something with a wireless subwoofer.

—K.L., San Jose, California

A. The best single-piece system I have ever heard is the Focal Mu-so Hekla, a 7.1.2 channel immersive home theater/music sound system from France's Focal, one of the world's finest audio engineering and speaker manufacturing companies. The Mu-so Hekla is a substantial, 36-pound component made of premium materials that are a pleasure to behold and touch. It is much deeper than a typical soundbar and given the weight and size, it cannot be wall mounted and must be placed on a surface below the television. There are no wireless surround speakers or subwoofers designed to accompany the system and it does not need them, though there is a connection to add a powered wired subwoofer to add even more bass output. I heard the Mu-so Hekla in a hotel suite at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show and it wowed everyone in attendance. The rich, transparent, powerful and dynamic sound is so good that some attendees thought they were listening to the $69,000/pair Focal Diva Mezza Utopia speakers placed to the left and right of the television/Mu-so Hekla system. I have also never experienced a single-piece system that could produce surround effects and a sense of space this well. Attendees turned around to see if there were surround speakers behind them, and I was especially impressed by the bursts of rich, crystal-clear sound appearing directly overhead.

This comes at a price, which is $3,600 in this case. Despite the cost, preorders have been substantial as demonstrations at consumer audio/video shows have generated tremendous interest. As an exclusive product from a luxury manufacturer, the Focal Mu-so Hekla is only sold in Focal Powered by Naim stores, with no online sales. It can be preordered now and will be shipping soon. focal.com

High-end British speaker manufacturer KEF recently entered the soundbar market with their XIO soundbar. Unlike the Mu-so Hekla the $2,499.99 KEF XIO can be wall-mounted and a separate $899.99 wireless subwoofer is available for those who want even more bass. Like the Mu-so Hekla, I heard the XIO under show conditions. This is not ideal for a critical review, but good enough to form solid impressions. The sound quality was excellent, especially with music, but the surround effects were not as impressive as the much more expensive Mu-so Hekla. The KEF XIO is a top-quality luxury soundbar option that has especially great appeal to music lovers and fans of vintage KEF speakers looking to stay with the brand. us.kef.com

Another candidate to consider is the Devialet Dione, another beautiful luxury audio product from France. Devialet has a stellar reputation and exclusively serves the very high end, and I recently met someone who has the $7,600/pair Devialet wireless speakers. He raved about them. Given the market they serve, I expected the Devialet Dione soundbar to sell for almost $10,000 as well, and was delighted to learn it is "only" $2,199. That's in the same ballpark as fully kitted-out soundbar/subwoofer/surround speaker systems from mainstream manufacturers, which is quite remarkable and an opportunity for the general public to experience what the really high end of audio is like. I have not heard the Dione yet, but hope to review it soon. Check it out if you are looking for a premium quality, single piece soundbar/sound system. devialet.com

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