if you wanted to cut space and stick with a 2.1 system
grab one of these if you can still find them, they're not exactly a soundbar even though they share the same form factor Mirage Uni-Theater its your Centre Left and Right speakers and the reviews were great for it too
In fact I recommend Mirage speakers if you wanted to save space their satellite speakers were quite positively reviewed when first released
I've got mirage speakers myself but their floor standing fatter ones as size wasn't a concern for me
as for receivers ive always been a Yamaha fan but Pioneers are great and Denons and I would recommend NAD receivers too (since you can upgrade them)
most important thing is to get into a store and start listening to speaker/receiver combinations and find what you like after you get an idea of what you want then you start shopping online for alternatives and cheaper prices (even used)