It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that 2020 is the year of at-home entertainment. As such, the devices and accessories you use to consume streaming platforms like Hulu, HBO Max, or Disney+ have taken on much more importance than they might have before. Many people used their stimulus checks earlier this summer to upgrade their home viewing setup; however, if you’re late to the party you can still find some great deals heading into Black Friday.
One must-have accessory that will totally transform the way you experience TV and movies is the soundbar. Some of the soundbars on this list pack a serious punch—and, what’s more, many of them are relatively inexpensive when compared to more traditional surround sound audio systems. From the thundering spaceships in The Mandalorian to the roar of the crowd on game night, here are the ten best soundbars to take your television experience up a few notches.
If you want a great deal on a soundbar that doesn’t take up too much space and offers the rich bass of a subwoofer, it’s hard to go wrong with the Polk Sigma S2. The soundbar is ultra-slim and fits comfortably on an entertainment unit beneath a flatscreen television. The included wireless subwoofer is of reasonable size and fits nicely on the floor and will offer you a booming sound that fills a room impressively.
For buyers interested in a budget option for high-quality sound, Taotronics’ stereo soundbar is an excellent contender. Priced at only $70 at the time of writing, this soundbar has many of the similar features of the Sigma S2, including the ability to connect with other devices via optical cable and Bluetooth. Its various modes aren’t as robust as some of the others on this list; however, with a gaming mode, music mode, and movie mode, it’s still going to be serviceable in most scenarios.
One of the other major contenders when it comes to soundbars between $100 and $200 is Bose’s Solo 5. With crisp, clear audio and the fact that it features special audio modes for enhancing dialogue, you’ll have a major upgrade from your TV’s speakers alone when you plug in the Solo 5. Unlike the Sigma S2, the Solo 5 soundbar doesn’t feature a subwoofer; however, Bose is known for its audio quality so you’ll still get rich bass tones even without one. For some buyers, that’ll even be a benefit, since not everyone necessarily wants to dedicate some of their media center or living room to a subwoofer.
Like most of the other soundbars on this list, the Bose Solo 5 features Bluetooth connectivity so you can listen to music from your phone. It’s also worth noting that the Solo 5 has one of the best dialogue enhancement modes on the market, with many consumers describing the feature as one of the major selling points of this compact soundbar from Bose.
For the most budget-conscious shoppers, just the presence of a soundbar instead of your television’s tinny speakers will be a major upgrade, and the Bowfell small soundbar achieves these goals in spades. Priced at just $35, it’s one of the cheapest soundbars on the market right now. That being said, it still has a host of the technological features you’ll see from some of its pricier competitors.
Featuring Bluetooth, USB, Aux, optical, and RCA inputs, you’ve got a variety of connectivity options even at such a low price point. This soundbar is also a great option for individuals with some older equipment, since you won’t need to buy a separate sound interface in order to make your devices compatible with the soundbar. A built-in subwoofer helps deliver better bass, and you’ll likely be happy with this entry-level soundbar if you aren’t too picky about your audio and know you just want an upgrade.
A definite contender in the under-$200 category, Samsung’s HW-T450 soundbar offers powerful Dolby audio and the optional add-on of rear speakers to help transform your living room into a media room with theater-quality sound. Unlike some of the other speakers on this list, Samsung has packaged the T450 with built-in smart sound technology that automatically detects what sort of media you’re watching and helps adjust the sound mode for that content. This takes all the guesswork out of which custom sound profile to use and keeps you focused on enjoying your show, music, or movie.
Depending on how much you care about the aesthetics of your media center, you’ll also appreciate that the T450 offers Bluetooth TV connectivity as well. Of course, you’ll need a television set with Bluetooth connectivity in order to take advantage of this feature, but the ability to eliminate virtually all cables from your living room setup will definitely excite some buyers.
If you’re a big fan of connectivity and already have a Smart TV, the Bose Soundbar 500 (or its even more expensive cousin, the Bose Soundbar 700) could be the perfect fit for your home theatre or TV room. One of the major selling points of this soundbar is the fact that it offers an unparalleled level of voice control, enabling you to pair the speaker with voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home using WiFi and a built-in, noise cancelling microphone. The connectivity doesn’t end there, either, as you’ll also be able to connect to Apple AirPlay, meaning that casting audio to the speaker is seamless, regardless of the platform you’re using.
Of course, buying a soundbar in the $500+ range isn’t for everyone, but rest assured Bose delivers on their reputation of providing superior sound quality at this price point. One thing to note about purchasing the Bose Soundbar 500 is that the core product is just a soundbar. That being said, Bose offers other packages so that you can get various add-ons like surround sound speakers, a wall mount, a wireless remote, and 3.1 or 5.1 surround sound.
Klipsch is known for their audio quality, and their Cinema series of soundbars clearly capitalize on that reputation. The Cinema series of soundbars (which includes the Klipsch Cinema 400, 600, and 600 5.1) leverages Klipsch’s horn-loaded speaker technology to offer a true home theater experience. In addition to the proprietary Tractrix horn technology, Klipsch’s Cinema 400 speaker also combines the power of cone woofers, a suspension tweeter, and a best-in-class wireless subwoofer to seamlessly transform your viewing experience.
The Cinema 400 soundbar comes with an included HDMI cable and optical cable for quick and easy connection, as well as an all-in-one remote for both the bar and woofer if you’re using an HDMI-ARC connection. Unlike other speakers or soundbars, Klipsch builds their soundbars with real wood, providing an elegant finish to the Cinema series. Klipsh also offers a limited warranty, free shipping, and an extended 90-day return window when you purchase from their website directly.
Another contender in the market of under-$200 soundbars with an included wireless subwoofer is Vizio’s V-Series 2.1 soundbar. Boasting a smaller sized subwoofer than some of the other soundbars on this list, Vizio offers a compact, straightforward device with the ability to handle 4K HDR audio content as well as Dolby audio.
One of the more interesting aspects of Vizio’s soundbar is its ability to handle DTS® Virtual:X sound for an enhanced, 3D sound experience. One aspect of Virtual:X that makes it so immersive is the fact that it factors in height when creating the digital sound atmosphere, such as the sound of leaves rustling on the ground or an airplane flying overhead. All of these features combined make the Vizio V-Series 2.1 a compelling option for anyone looking to improve their home audio setup, especially movie buffs who love to have the latest tech.
If you’re interested in some of the voice control options included with soundbars like the Bose Soundbar 500, but don’t want to pay more than $400 for your home theater setup, Yamaha has the solution you’ve been waiting for. The YAS-209BL soundbar combines a few of the features that other soundbars on this list get high marks for, most notably its Alexa voice assistant integration and wireless subwoofer.
However, Yamaha stays competitive at $350 for more than just the aforementioned features. It allows you to take advantage of DTX® Virtual:X sound and offers WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity for streaming podcasts and services like Spotify. As an option splitting the difference in price and features, you really get to take advantage of the best of both worlds with this soundbar, making it a clear front-runner at its price point.
Marketed as the “premium” soundbar, at $700 that shouldn’t surprise you. However, the question remains, is the Sonos Arc really worth the price? Many people who’ve experienced Dolby Atmos seem to think so, and the Arc has a bevy of other features bound to make even the pickiest audio buff happy. In addition to the Arc’s 3D sound capabilities with Dolby Atmos, it’s possible for you to use Amazon Alexa and Apple AirPlay 2, even when your television isn’t turned on.
Continuing the features that allow it to tout its premium quality, the sound profiles that allow the Arc to enhance dialogue have been developed in conjunction with Oscar-winning sound engineers. Plus, with an elegant design (not that there’s admittedly much room for elegance when you’re selling a rectangle), the Sonos Arc looks great mounted on a wall or beneath your television. Bottom line: if you’re after a true home theater experience with unrivaled sound quality, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option than the Sonos Arc.
