Q: My son would like a sound bar for Christmas. He has a 47-inch flat-screen TV. Which one would be a good fit at a good price? I'd like to spend less than $300, if I can. I saw a column in which you had recommended the ZVOX SoundBase. Is that the same thing as a sound bar?

A: A soundbar is a long, tubelike speaker that goes in front of or on top of the TV. The best ones are a single speaker that is used with a separate audio receiver and subwoofer, making up a component system. Most of the soundbars have built-in electronics and are connected directly to the television. Prices and quality vary widely, and spending more doesn't always get you better sound.

The ZVOX SoundBase (www.zvoxaudio.com) is a speaker with built-in electronics and integrated subwoofer. It has a short but deep profile and the television is placed on it, hence the name SoundBase. It is inexpensive, easy to set up and use and, most important, sounds really good.

ZVOX does make a soundbar called the SoundBar 430. I have not heard it, so I can't comment on the sound. However, the SoundBase has pretty much become my default recommendation for anyone looking to improve their television sound on a budget. The company is owned and run by audiophiles, and their product design, quality and life cycles reflect this.

Most mass-market audio companies come out with new speakers and receivers every year, sometimes radically different from the comparable models that came the year before. With receivers, it is understandable, given the changes in technology. But if you are throwing out last year's speaker design and coming out with a new one, in a way you are saying that you did not have it right a year ago and have to start over.

The companies that make the best speakers don't replace their speaker line every year, or even every two years. They devote a lot of resources to make their products the best they can be, then keep them in production for several years at a minimum, or perhaps make extremely modest changes on an ongoing basis. All of my favorite speaker manufacturers follow this philosophy, including Axiom Audio, Definitive Technology, GoldenEar Technology, Magnepan, Ohm Acoustics and Paradigm.

It seems that soundbars from the mass market companies get replaced every year with a new model, which is why it can be hard to land on a good one. Not so with ZVOX, as the manufacturer follows a product life cycle close to that of an audiophile speaker company. The company did introduce new models recently, but only after a successful run of the previous series, which was excellent.

Your timing is terrific, by the way. ZVOX has a holiday special on the SoundBar 420, which is suitable for televisions from 32-inches to 50-inches. Normally $299, it is on sale on their website for $199. It includes all the cables you need, as well as easy setup instructions. Bigger and smaller SoundBases are available for televisions up to 70 inches in size.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at www.soundadviceblog.com.