7 cost-efficient ways I made my TV sound a lot better (no soundbar required)


Sony Bravia 9 II TV

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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Many of the biggest upgrades to TV audio come from treating your room, not buying expensive speakers or soundbars. The good news is you don’t need professional acoustic treatments or a big budget to make a noticeable difference.

Simple changes using items you already own — or can pick up inexpensively — can help your TV sound better. Your TV may also have a few overlooked settings that can further improve audio quality.

Also: Why TVs look bright and vibrant in stores, but dull in your living room

To help you curate the best space for creating clean, rich sound, I’ve put together a list of simple hacks that don’t necessarily require you to open your wallet. 

Soft materials and surfaces

Sound waves love to bounce off hard surfaces like walls, floors, and ceilings. This can cause annoying echoes, tinny-sounding music and dialogue, and generally muddled audio as sound waves move around the room and collide. Thankfully, you can easily combat this simply by filling the room with your favorite furniture and decorations — preferably made of soft materials.

Cloth, leather, and other fabrics absorb sound, rather than reflect it, helping reduce the number of sound waves bouncing around the room. Couches, rugs, throw pillows, and blankets can all play a vital role in the acoustics of your home theater or living room. Even canvas art on the walls can help absorb sound.

With just a little rearranging in your house or apartment, you can massively improve your TV audio for free.

Sound-deadening curtains and studio foam

If your living room or home theater isn’t the problem, noise from outside your home can seriously affect how your TV sounds. If it has to compete with traffic or loud neighbors, even the most expensive OLED could sound terrible. Sound-deadening curtains are an affordable way to help block at least some of the noise coming from the outside. 

Made from layers of heavy materials, they won’t completely eliminate outside noise, but they’ll at least reduce it to a more manageable level. 

Also: This hidden TV feature tracks your viewing – here’s how to turn it off (no matter what brand)

Sound treatment options like acoustic foam have become much more affordable. You can pick up packs of foam tiles or a pair of corner bass traps for fairly cheap on sites like Amazon to help create strategic reflection and absorption points in your home theater, for perfectly tailored sound while streaming, watching live sports, or console gaming. 

You often don’t need any special tools for foam installation, just a can of spray adhesive, so you can sound-treat your room in a few minutes.

Built-in calibration settings

Many new smart TVs let you set up specific sound configurations for wall mounting and for use with a TV stand. Since many TVs are built with rear- and downward-firing speakers, it’s important to tell the screen which ones to prioritize while producing sound. 

With the wall-mount sound mode, the rear speakers get a volume boost for more powerful sound reflection off the wall behind the TV. In stand mode, the downward-firing speakers are boosted to reflect sound from the table or shelf surface.

For Fire TV

  • Settings > Display & Sounds > AV Sync Tuning

This test calibrates the visual and audio syncing of wall-mounted Amazon Fire TVs, helping reduce latency issues caused by reflecting sound.

For Hisense

  • Settings > Sound > Sound Mode Settings > Wall Mount setup

For LG

  • Settings > Sounds > Additional Settings > Installation Type: WALL MOUNT

For Samsung

  • Settings > Sound Settings > SpaceFit ON

OR

  • Settings > Sound > Expert settings > Auto Volume ON > Optimized Mode ON

If your Samsung TV features adaptive audio, SpaceFit activates the built-in sensor that automatically monitors ambient sound and adjusts settings and volume for the best listening experience.

Also: The 4 streaming services I swear by – and my bill is just $40 a month

For Sony

  • Settings > Display & Sound > Sound > Acoustic Auto Calibration ON

If your Sony TV uses the Acoustic Surface Audio+ system, toggling on the auto calibration system will activate the built-in sensors to monitor ambient noise levels and how well sound reflects from surfaces behind or beneath the TV.

For TCL

  • Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio > Mount Configuration: Wall

For Roku TV

  • Settings > Audio > Optimize for wall-mounted TV





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2026 has shaped up to be a big year for Milwaukee, and the company shows no signs of slowing down as it expands its product line. For example, it has announced that some solid new Milwaukee hand tools and organizers will be arriving throughout the summer, but that’s not all. At the end of the day, you need somewhere to put all of this stuff, and while the Milwaukee Packout storage system is deep and varied as is, the company will expand the line in the summer months.

More methods for organizing your tools are on the way, too, with the Milwaukee Packout line set to introduce some new entries this summer. They vary in size, purpose, and price point, but they’re all compatible with the wider Packout line. That means they can connect to each other, making transportation easier. In some cases, they’ll be able to help keep tools and other items secure and organized while on the move. Additionally, all of these new Packout products are covered by Milwaukee’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

So, what new products does Milwaukee have to offer from its Packout line this summer? Here are the drops you can look forward to throughout June and July 2026.

Milwaukee compact crate

Sometimes, a massive Packout crate isn’t a necessity, which is why the line has its share of smaller options. Yet another will be coming to the Milwaukee catalog in the form of the Milwaukee Packout compact crate, which is set for a June 2026 release and will cost $39.97. It has a 30-pound weight capacity, comes in at 8.75 inches tall, 9.5 inches wide, 15.5 inches long, and 3.75 pounds, and includes two removable dividers to create up to three sections within the crate. The dividers can also be customized by cutting them to size along the pre-made score lines.

This compact crate features a wide front opening for easy access to its contents while on the job, as well as a metal top handle to carry it around on its own. Should you want to add it to your current Packout stack, you can use the connection points at the top and bottom of the crate. Speaking of durability, Milwaukee notes that it has an impact-resistant body along with weep holes to prevent water collection. At the same time, there is some nuance regarding the waterproof nature of Milwaukee Packout products, so keep that in mind before letting this crate get soaked.

Milwaukee Packout low-profile crate

A shorter but equally mighty Milwaukee Packout container is also on its way to customers this summer. The Milwaukee Packout low-profile crate is the shortest of the new releases at just 6.625 inches tall, though it makes up for what it lacks in height with a 15-inch length and an 18.625-inch width. Even though it’s slightly heavier than the compact crate at 4.85 pounds, it wins out in weight capacity with a 50-pound limit. It will be released in June 2026 and will cost $44.97.

For added modularity, the low-profile crate includes three different divider types: eight short, two long, and one for the middle of the container. When combined, they form up to 12 individual sections for tool and accessory organization. In terms of connecting to other Packout containers, it can do so from the top and bottom. Alternatively, built-in side handles are integrated into the design to make it easier to carry the crate on its own. The crate has weep holes for water drainage and an impact-resistant body.

Milwaukee Packout XL crate

Moving on to one of the larger upcoming Milwaukee Packout releases — even if it ultimately lands somewhere in the middle of the smallest and largest Packout containers for sale — there’s the aptly-named Milwaukee Packout XL crate. This release will hit shelves in June 2026 and comes with a $69.97 price tag. The 8.03-pound crate can take on some serious tools with its 75-pound weight capacity. It measures 15 inches tall, 15.75 inches long, and 18.625 inches wide. Despite its size, it can be hung up on a wall like most other Packout containers.

While some may hang this crate in their workshop, many will use it as part of their mobile Packout stack. You can connect it to your existing setup via the top and bottom connection points. It can also be used with Milwaukee toolbox attachments to hold smaller tools and batteries with connection points on the sides. Alternatively, you can move the crate around using its built-in side handles. It’s advertised as having an impact-resistant body along with anti-water collection weep holes. Suffice to say, there’s more to this seemingly simple crate than initially meets the eye.

Milwaukee Packout Wire Pulling XL Crate

For the most part, the Milwaukee Packout line is so popular because of its versatility. While most entries can be used for just about anything, there are those that come with a specialized function. Case in point, the forthcoming Milwaukee Packout Wire Pulling XL crate, which is designed for dispensing wire. This involves inserting and locking in spools of the user’s needed material, threading the wire through the wire retention slots, and using the fold-down panel to keep the end of the wire from rolling back into the box.

Overall, this crate has the same dimensions and weight capacity as the previously covered Packout XL crate, though it is the heavier of the two at 9.85 pounds. It can accommodate up to six spools, can be stacked onto other Packout containers or hung up, and has an impact-resistant body. This is the most expensive of the new Packout releases at a hefty $119.97, and it’s set to release during July 2026. Alongside the best Milwaukee power tools for electrical work, this crate seems like a vital piece for any Milwaukee-enthusiast electrician’s kit.

New Milwaukee Packout inserts are coming, too

That’s it for the new Milwaukee Packout containers set to debut this summer, but there are more new releases yet to cover. To pair with some of these containers and improve their levels of organization and function, come two new insert sets. First is the divider for the Milwaukee Packout XL crate, which splits the container into two sections. It simply slides down the middle of the crate and fits snugly into place, while retaining its ability to connect with smaller Packout attachments. It will be released in July 2026 for $29.97.

Alongside the Packout XL crate divider is the set of Packout wire pulling inserts for the XL crate. You’ll need these if you end up buying an XL crate and later want to use it as a wire-pulling crate. These inserts allow you to convert it instead of having to buy a new designated wire pulling crate. They attach to two of the inner sides of the crate via T-25 screws and include wire puller guards as well. The Milwaukee product listing says these inserts are meant for 1/2-inch EMT conduit. This insert set also comes out in July and will cost $49.97. 





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