Honorable Mentions
Photo: Parker Hall
There are many great soundbars out there and we don't have space to feature them all. Here are some others you might want to consider.
Yamaha True X Surround 90a for $3500: After a multi-year hiatus from the premium market, Yamaha returns with a flagship model. True X Surround 90A (7/10, WIRED review)$3,500 Dolby Atmos soundbar. It includes a wireless subwoofer and two completely wireless portable surround speakers that can be used as standalone Bluetooth speakers, which is a great party trick. As you'd expect for the price, it delivers exceptional, detailed sound with excellent surround clarity. It's also the first soundbar to feature Auro-3D processing. However, setup is difficult, it lacks HDMI ports and room correction, and center channel dialogue clarity is immediately disappointing. While its impressive accuracy will excite some, these omissions make it difficult for us to recommend it over flagship models from Samsung and other manufacturers.
Samsung HW-Q990F for $1,500: The latest version of Samsung's fantastic 11.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos device. Q990F (8/10, WIRED recommends) offers modest improvements over previous models, including a new cube subwoofer for cleaner, more musical bass. That, and HDMI 2.1 support for connecting game consoles directly, are the only real reasons to upgrade, meaning we'll keep the equally fantastic Q990C (at about half the price) until prices come down.
LG S95AR for $1700: LG's latest 9.1.5-channel system offers minor upgrades over its ST95R predecessor, leaving little reason to upgrade at full price. It remains among the best in its class, offering impressive clarity, fast and smooth immersion, and quick setup and control with the ever-improving LG ThinQ app. That's a solid price compared to competing full-price Dolby Atmos multi-box systems, and it's only going to become more tempting as prices drop.
Sony Bravia Theater 9 for $1,500.: The follow-up to Sony's powerful flagship soundbar, the HT-A7000, has deteriorated in some key areas. Fewer inputs (no more analog), a more down-to-earth fabric design and minimal audio settings. The Theater 9's more compact body corresponds to a less rich and immersive soundstage, but it's still Sony's flagship soundbar, which means great musicality, superb detail, and expanded spatial imaging for 3D audio. Premium features like an HDMI 2.1 input for connecting modern gaming consoles and enhanced integration with new Sony TVs sweeten the deal, but at $1,400 (sometimes $1,500 globally after tariffs), it's a pricey proposition.
Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $500: Sonos's solid middle child remains one of the most expressive and feature-rich options in its class, offering superb musicality and impressive Dolby Atmos virtualization, as well as all the networking capabilities Sonos is so prized for. It's a little pricey at the moment, but if you can find it on sale, it's worth a look, especially now that Sonos has largely resolved its previous app issues.
Vizio Soundbar 2.1 (SV210M) for $170: Vizio's sleek little combo packs an enticing value: great sound quality and cinematic power in the smallest subwoofer you've ever seen. There's no optical input or remote included, but the Vizio app makes it fairly easy to adjust settings or switch to Bluetooth. The main downside is that dialogue is sometimes (but not always) lost, which takes away from the main appeal of a cheap soundbar. However, good music capabilities and features such as the DTS Virtual X expansion make it worth considering for sale.
Samsung HW-Q800C for $600-700: If the Samsung HW-Q990 panel is too rich for you, then the two-piece HW-Q800C (8/10, WIRED recommends) might be a good compromise. This panel has the same sonic character as Samsung's flagship panels and many of the same features, packed into a smaller panel and subwoofer combination for a significant discount, especially since it's almost always on sale now.
Sennheiser Ambeo Mini for $800: This luxurious pint-sized bar is great for those with money to spend in very small spaces. Sennheiser's built-in Ambeo virtualization technology delivers superb sound around you during immersive TV shows and movies, and also offers advanced features such as support for Google Assistant and Alexa.
Polk React for $134: This soundbar is suitable if you eventually want surround sound but don't have the money right now. The Alexa-enabled soundbar is good on its own, with surround speakers and subwoofers available from Polk if you're looking to upgrade.
How to connect a soundbar
We've included a list of available connection options next to each soundbar in our list. Most soundbars connect to your TV via optical or HDMI cables, although the optical input is starting to disappear with newer models, including even expensive flagship options. In most cases, HMDI is the preferred connection anyway.
If your TV and soundbar have an HDMI ARC/eARC port (the cable port looks like regular HDMI but is labeled ARC or eARC), connect it like this. This will allow you to use the volume buttons on your TV remote to control the volume of the soundbar. Also, make sure CEC is enabled. Only use an optical cable if HDMI is not available, since HDMI is also required for Dolby Atmos and other 3D audio formats.
Lastly, check your TV's audio menu to make sure your TV's internal speakers are turned off (so there's no weird audio judder) and find the best places to place your speakers and subwoofer.
We've yet to test a new TV that doesn't sound better with an audio accessory. This is mainly due to the design of televisions. Great-sounding speakers are bulky, and as TVs have gotten thinner, with shrinking bezels and sleeker designs, it's become harder for manufacturers to fit good speakers into them.
You can spend as little as $100 to $150 on a new soundbar, and It's important to get the most out of your TV viewing experience. Our list of the best soundbars we've tested includes soundbars sold separately as well as models that come bundled with a subwoofer and surround speakers at a variety of price points.
Are soundbars as good as speakers?
Go to any A/V or home theater subreddit or forum and you'll see a horde of people claiming that even the idea of a soundbar that fits a pair of speakers is heresy. In fact, as far as we know, it all depends on your individual desires and needs.
If you're looking for the most musical bang for your buck, especially when it comes to hi-res audio and vinyl record collections, a great pair of bookshelf speakers will likely be your best option. Even if you are not interested in purchasing amplifier and lay the speaker wires, our Guide to the Best Bookshelf Speakers offers a variety of active/active pairs that include all inputs and built-in amplifiers, such as an audiophile soundbar system.
Although this may not be the best option for everyone. If you need something cheap and easy to enhance your TV's sound, or alternatively, a convenient way to explore immersive audio formats like surround sound and Dolby Atmos, a soundbar might be the perfect choice. Soundbars are affordable and simple solutions, many of which offer sound and features that may better suit your needs than a pair of speakers or a traditional home theater. We don't take any position on anyone, we just love good sound and great features. For many, the best way to achieve this is with a soundbar.
This is a question only you can answer, but there are a few things to consider before you call, starting with your living space. If you live in a small apartment or apartment building, a subwoofer may not be the best choice, both due to its size and the likelihood of noise complaints. Today's larger soundbars have gotten better at producing compelling bass from a single panel, often using multiple speakers at once to give more power to the low frequencies without causing much noise or bombast.
If you're less bothered by close proximity and are looking for a more cinematic experience, you should consider using a soundbar with a subwoofer. The physics can only be advanced so far, and no multi-speaker system we've heard can match the power and punch of a dedicated large speaker and speaker cabinet. Even many affordable soundbar models come with a subwoofer. If you want full-bodied sound, we suggest considering purchasing a subwoofer, or at least a panel that allows you to add one later.
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