A Custom Sound Bar Will Make Everything You Stream a Whole Lot Better

Whether the screen of your TV is 4K or 8K, odds are its audio quality is no better than OK. And while a sound bar can help matters, most are middling in aesthetics and, frankly, aural performance. Leon Speakers, a maker of high-end residential and commercial sound bars in Ann Arbor, Mich., solves both problems with its highly customizable HzUltima ($6,600 as shown). Most sound bars are “active”—that is, filled with electronics and amplifiers where resonating air should be, which diminishes their output. Leon’s is passive: It requires an external amplifier—one you’ll need to hide elsewhere—that can be far superior to the compact unit typically crammed inside.

THE COMPETITION