The best soundbars are, at their core, a compromise. You want better sound than your TV speakers, but you don't want to take up the same space as traditional HiFi or home theater speakers.
Of course, the higher up the soundbar ladder you get, the closer you get to the sound quality that traditional home theater speakers provide. You'll never quite get there from a soundbar alone — I've haven't yet tested a soundbar that's entirely sonically flawless, thanks to how much manufacturers have to pack into relatively small boxes — but each year we're getting closer and closer.
