Compare the best soundbars

If you want the best sound quality when watching TV and movies at home, a home theater system with multiple speakers will produce the best results. But if you don’t want too much clutter, you might prefer a soundbar.

Compare the most popular soundbars

Name	Avg. price (USD)	Speaker configuration/channel	Dimensions (W x H x D)	Weight (Kg)	Supported play formats	Purchase
Sony HT-S100F	$98	2	900 x 64 x 88 mm	2.4	Dolby, LPCM	Buy now
Philips HTL3160B	$250	3.1	950 x 51 x 69 mm	1.62	Dolby, Dolby pro-logic 2	Buy now
Bose SoundTouch 300	$700	5.1	977.9 x 57.15 x 107.95 mm	4.72	Dolby, DTS	Buy now
Samsung HW-MS650 Sound+	$340	3	1060 x 78.0 x 130.5 mm	6.2	LPCM, Dolby, DTS	Buy now
Sonos Playbar	$700	5.1	899.92 x 139.95 x 85.09 mm	5.4	Dolby	Buy now

What is a soundbar?

A soundbar is a compact speaker system designed to provide an alternative to a multi-speaker sound system. These long, narrow boxes sit underneath your TV screen and enhance the TV’s sound quality.

While they can’t produce the same results as a dedicated home theater set-up, they can greatly improve your home viewing experience without the hassle and clutter.

Pros

Why buy a soundbar instead of just relying on the sound from your TV or using a big home theatre system? There are several reasons:

• TV sound quality is poor. Modern TVs may produce crystal-clear pictures and outstanding image quality, but their streamline design doesn’t leave a lot of room for quality speakers.
• Home theater systems are inconvenient. While dedicated surround sound systems produce the best results, they have several drawbacks. Not only can they be complicated to set up and use, they can also clutter up a room and require more wires and cables.
• Soundbars are a simple solution. Soundbars pack several speakers and the electronics that power them into an unobtrusive, streamline box. They’re easy to set up and can mimic the effect of a home theatre system to greatly improve the sound from your TV.
• Soundbars are more affordable. Soundbars are cheaper than surround sound systems, allowing you to vastly improve your home viewing experience without breaking the bank.

Cons

There are two main reasons why a soundbar might be a waste of money for you:

• You’re not all that worried about sound quality. For many, the sound produced by TV speakers is more than enough to watch TV and movies without a problem. If you don’t need the full surround sound experience and you’re happy with the noise quality of your TV’s built-in speakers, save your dough and spend it on something else.
• You’re very worried about sound quality. If you want nothing but the best sound quality for your movies, TV and music, a dedicated home theater system will be the way to go. While these setups cost more than soundbars, they offer superior performance.

What types are available?

One way to distinguish between soundbars is to consider whether or not they have a subwoofer. The subwoofer is designed to boost the bass, providing better quality low-frequency sounds and adding an extra punch to your viewing experience.

• Soundbars without subwoofers

  Some soundbars, often cheaper models, don’t feature a subwoofer at all. While they likely offer a noticeable step up in quality from your TV’s sound, chances are you’ll prefer a model with a subwoofer if you want superior sound quality or watch a lot of action movies.

• Soundbars with built-in subwoofers

  These models provide improved bass performance but incorporate the woofer into the soundbar to save space.

• Soundbars with separate subwoofers

  For best results, you may want to consider a model with an external subwoofer. These are usually wireless and just need to be plugged into a power outlet.

There’s also a fourth option to consider: a soundbase. A soundbase is a large, flat base that your TV sits on top of and that has room for bigger speakers. While they can generally produce better sound than soundbars, they’re not widely available.

How to compare soundbars

When choosing a soundbar, you’ll need to consider your budget, the size of your living room and the sound quality you want. This will allow you to buy a soundbar that’s the perfect fit for your needs.

Make sure you consider the following factors when comparing products:

• Sound quality

  This is obviously the most important feature of any soundbar. If you’re planning on spending a decent amount of money, it’s worth checking out soundbars in-store and asking for a demonstration of their sound quality.

• Number of channels and speakers

  If you simply want to improve the sound from your TV, a soundbar with 2.1 channels might be all you need. However, for even better performance when watching TV and movies and listening to audio a 5.1 or 7.1 model might be a better choice.

  Many newer soundbars also support Dolby Atmos, which is designed to produce a more immersive experience by angling speakers upwards to the roof to simulate sound coming from above. These models may be referred to as 5.1.2 or 7.1.2.

• Ease of set-up and use

  How easy is the soundbar to connect to your TV and other devices and start using straight away? You can get a gauge of this by taking a look at the user manual and checking out some independent user reviews online.

• Connectivity

  Most soundbars only need one cable to connect to your TV — HDMI is the preferred choice. You’ll need to make sure your soundbar has all the necessary ports to connect to things like Blu-ray players, games consoles and USB storage.

  If you have a 4K TV with high dynamic range (HDR), check whether the soundbar has a pass-through feature that allows it to send 4K HDR video signals to your TV.

  Remember to also check whether all the cables you need are included or will need to be purchased separately.

• Wireless speakers

  Many soundbars come with a wireless subwoofer and some also come with wireless satellite speakers to create a more authentic surround sound experience.

• Remote control

  Some soundbars come with their own remote but others can be controlled via your TV remote. If a remote is included, make sure it has an intuitive layout and is easy to use.

App

Many soundbars can also be controlled using a smartphone app. Research what this app allows you to do and how easy it is to use.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Bluetooth functionality is a common soundbar feature and allows you to stream music to your soundbar from a compatible phone, tablet or computer. Wi-Fi connectivity is also important to allow you to listen to your cloud music library or use a streaming service such as Spotify.

Additional features

Additional features you may want to look for in a soundbar include:

• Special sound modes designed for different types of audio, for example watching a movie, gaming or listening to music. Some models allow you to adjust treble, bass and other settings.
• Compatibility with services such as Google Assistant or Alexa that allow you to play voice-controlled music.
• A front-panel display that displays important info like volume level. Check to see whether this display can be turned off when not needed so it doesn’t become too distracting.

Size

Check the dimensions of the unit to make sure it will fit under or in front of your TV without blocking the screen or the remote sensor. Also check whether its design and overall look match your TV — for example, purely from an aesthetic perspective, you may want a model that closely matches the width of your TV.

Warranty

Check the length of the manufacturer’s warranty and exactly what it covers; one year is a common figure.

Price

Soundbar prices vary substantially between models and brands. You could spend a few hundred dollars and achieve a dramatic improvement in sound quality over what your TV offers, but top-spec models run to well over $1,000.

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Which soundbar is best for me?

The best soundbar for you depends on where you’ll be using it, what you’ll be using it for and your personal preferences. We’ve outlined a few of the pros and cons of some of the most popular soundbar options currently available to help you decide.

Bottom line

If you want better sound quality from your TV but you don’t want the hassle of a full surround sound system, a soundbar could be a wise investment.

Frequently asked questions

• Can you use any soundbar with any TV?

  Yes, for the most part. Even if your soundbar doesn’t have an HDMI port, you should be able to connect it directly to your TV’s audio output.

• Can I place my soundbar behind my TV?

  Your soundbar will work best if it’s placed in front of your TV without anything in front of it that may obstruct the sound.

• What size soundbar do I need?

  The size that’s best for you and your space will depend on several different factors, the largest of which is the size of your TV. Generally, the larger your TV screen, the longer the soundbar you’ll want.