What outputs does it have? Have you asked the cable company if they have other boxes available?
I bought my girlfriend a ZVOX 2.1 "soundbar" (it has a subwoofer in it in addition to the two speakers) a few years ago and it sounds a lot better than the speakers in a TV. She likes it, and I think it's OK when I visit, but I probably wouldn't have been satisfied with it for long if it was my system. But most people would think my system is over the top.
I bought my girlfriend a ZVOX 2.1 "soundbar" (it has a subwoofer in it in addition to the two speakers) a few years ago and it sounds a lot better than the speakers in a TV. She likes it, and I think it's OK when I visit, but I probably wouldn't have been satisfied with it for long if it was my system. But most people would think my system is over the top.