@grinnell The point of the post is that this is not a high performance installation in terms of sound. The wife is NOT going to use a HT system and doesn't want a bunch of speakers in that room. So an AVR and 5.1 or 7.1 system is not going to happen.
The objective is to find a soundbar that can provide an improved level of sound and still be reasonably priced. I won't be buying the Focal or B&W units, but will not be going cheap. So looking for candidates that fit the bang for the buck niche.