Should you get a soundbar for your TV?

TVs are thinner than ever. And sure, they may look sleek atop a cabinet or mounted against the wall. But the thinner the TV, the smaller its speakers — which could mean your movies and TV shows sound much worse than they should. In fact, most TV speakers are either down-facing or rear-facing, given the constraints of engineering ever thinner television panels — further diminishing the quality. Coupled with the small size of typical speakers, you might find your TV emitting unintelligible dialogue, unimpressive bass, and unfortunately low volume.

In this article

  1. Best affordable sound bars to shop

  2. Best sound bars with surround sound

Soundbars aim to solve this problem by giving you better sound without a complex speaker-and-receiver setup. Instead, you get a single bar you can place on your entertainment center or table, or you can mount it under your TV. The soundbar equips all of its speakers within a single unit — as well as a wireless subwoofer, if you want one. In other words, you get better sound without sacrificing a lot of space. Soundbars come in all shapes, sizes and prices, so shopping for one can be a bit overwhelming. After years of testing home theater equipment, I’ve learned which soundbar features make sense for which home setups (and for how the soundbar is used) — so let’s narrow it down to a few of the best.

Best affordable sound bars to shop

If you’re just looking to get a bit of extra volume out of your TV — without breaking the bank — a simple two-speaker soundbar will probably suffice.

1. Vizio 29-inch 2.0 Channel Sound Bar

Vizio is one of the top dogs in the lower price brackets, and their 29-inch 2.0 sound bar is a bestselling choice for under $100. It won’t blow your mind but it’s almost certainly a step up from the speakers built into your TV. There’s also a version with a subwoofer for $130, if you want to fill out the low-end.

VIZIO 29-Inch 2.0 Channel Sound Bar

VIZIO SB2920-C6 29-Inch 2.0 Channel Sound Bar (Amazon / Amazon)
VIZIO SB2920-C6 29-Inch 2.0 Channel Sound Bar (Amazon / Amazon)

VIZIO 29-Inch 2.0 Channel Sound Bar, $84.46, Shop now

2. Polk Command Bar

Polk has long been a trusted name in audio, but their Command soundbar brings more than just better sound quality to your living room: You get a 43-inch soundbar (size matters, and we’ll get into it below), a stylish-looking subwoofer, and an Amazon Echo Dot built right in. The microphones on top of this soundbar let you invoke Alexa to control the soundbar’s volume, stream music, or control any of your other Alexa-compatible devices.

Polk Audio Command Sound Bar

Polk Audio Command Sound Bar with Hands-free Amazon Alexa Voice Control (New Update with Multi-Room Music Built-In), 4K HDMI, and Fire TV Compatible for Your Home Theater (Amazon / Amazon)
Polk Audio Command Sound Bar with Hands-free Amazon Alexa Voice Control (New Update with Multi-Room Music Built-In), 4K HDMI, and Fire TV Compatible for Your Home Theater (Amazon / Amazon)

Polk Audio Command Sound Bar, $299.00, Shop now

3. Yamaha YAS-209

Yamaha’s YAS-209 has a similar feature set to the Polk model, albeit in a slightly more nondescript package. Not only does it have solid sound for the price — the dialogue is especially clear on this 36-inch model — it also includes Alexa microphones, so you can control it with your voice. And, unlike the Polk soundbar, Yamaha includes a virtual 3D surround engine, which means it uses fancy digital processing in an attempt to mimic surround sound. It’s not going to make the audio sound like it’s coming from all around you (despite what the marketing might imply), but it does add a bit of spaciousness to the sound along the front of your TV setup. I also found it made the high-end a bit shrill, but some folks may appreciate the overall effect during action-heavy movies, especially if you don’t have room for actual surround sound speakers and want that extra cool factor.

Yamaha Audio 2.1-Channel Sound Bar

Yamaha Audio YAS-209BL Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer, Bluetooth, and Alexa Voice Control Built-In (Amazon / Amazon)
Yamaha Audio YAS-209BL Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer, Bluetooth, and Alexa Voice Control Built-In (Amazon / Amazon)

Yamaha Audio 2.1-Channel Sound Bar, $349.95, Shop now

Note the difference in size between each of those models — that affects the sound quality. The longer the soundbar, the more it’s going to be able to produce a separation between left and right — which we otherwise call stereo sound — which you’d get with two separate speakers on either side of your TV. In addition, the larger the speaker drivers — and thus, the thicker the soundbar — the better it’s going to reproduce the full spectrum of sound.

Each of these soundbars also has a number of input options. Ideally, you’d hook your Blu-ray player, game console or streaming box up to the soundbar using HDMI In, then use the HDMI Out port to carry video to the TV. You can plug your devices into your TV and send audio down to the soundbar, but this can be clunky — this path (known as HDMI ARC) can sometimes have lip sync issues that may require fiddling with your TV’s settings — and even then, you may not be able to get it just right.

If HDMI isn’t an option, that trapezoidal TOSLINK port on your soundbar is a great alternative, if your TV has a matching digital audio out jack. It’s not quite as high quality as HDMI, but on most soundbars, you’ll never notice. (If neither of those work with your TV, RCA will do in a pinch.)

You’ll also notice that many soundbars support streaming music services like Spotify, Pandora or others. Some even support Alexa — though be sure to read the fine print. Some have Alexa microphones built-in, while others can merely be used as an Alexa speaker in conjunction with an Amazon Echo — that is, they will play what an existing Echo is transmitting to them, not act as an actual smart assistant.

Best sound bars with surround sound

4. Sonos Beam

Speaking of streaming audio: if you have a lot of Sonos devices in your house, you may want a soundbar that works with your existing setup, like the Sonos Beam. Sonos’ latest soundbar is small — only 26 inches — but it combines the convenience of Sonos with the improved TV audio of a soundbar (not to mention Alexa microphones for voice control). It’s pricier than comparable soundbars but if you can afford it, you can pair it with your other Sonos speakers and a subwoofer for a full 5.1 surround system — that is, 5 speakers and one subwoofer — allowing you to hear gunshots, explosions, and other effects behind you in certain movie scenes. If you want something bigger and more powerful, the older Sonos Playbar is a great step up.

Sonos Beam Smart TV Sound Bar

Sonos Beam - Smart TV Sound Bar with Amazon Alexa Built-in - Black (Amazon / Amazon)
Sonos Beam - Smart TV Sound Bar with Amazon Alexa Built-in - Black (Amazon / Amazon)

Sonos Beam Smart TV Sound Bar, $399.00, Shop now

If you’re already a Sonos owner, you probably know about Sonos dropping support for some of its older speakers, which is a good reminder that any cloud-connected features on these soundbars could stop being supported at any time. They’ll likely work with your TV as long as you want, but multi-room music streaming won’t necessarily work forever.

That said, movies and TV shows are the prime use case here, and if you’re a big fan of action movies, I recommend a soundbar system that can reproduce those surround effects more accurately. A number of manufacturers have added multiple speakers to their soundbar setup, so you get the space-saving benefits of that single bar with a few small satellite speakers for better surround effects.

5. Vizio 40-inch 5.1 Slim Sound Bar System

Vizio has a number of 5.1 setups, but their Slim Soundbar System is the most intriguing, since its subwoofer is a large flat panel rather than the typical cube design. This allows you to set it next to your end table or even slide it under your couch, keeping it from being an eyesore (while still getting those bass frequencies). Two satellite speakers connect to the soundbar with cables, so you get immersive audio from all around you — at a very reasonable price. I haven’t used this one myself, but if it’s on par with any of the other Vizio systems I’ve tried, it’s going to be a good buy.

VIZIO Smartcast 40-Inch 5.1 Slim Sound Bar System

VIZIO SB4051-D5 Smartcast 40
VIZIO SB4051-D5 Smartcast 40

VIZIO Smartcast 40-Inch 5.1 Slim Sound Bar System, $349.99, Shop now

Some soundbars go even further than 5.1, including support for Dolby Atmos, a new surround sound technology that adds sounds from above, as well as from the front and back. Dolby Atmos systems use another number to describe their configuration — like “5.1.2” or “5.1.4” instead of just “5.1” — where the third digit describes how many speakers are creating overhead effects. Traditional Dolby Atmos setups use in-ceiling speakers, but some soundbars mimic this with up-firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling, creating a “bubble” of sorts for more immersive audio all around you.

6. Vizio 46-inch 5.1.4 Home Theater Sound System with Dolby Atmos

If you want the best surround effects that soundbars have to offer, look no further than Vizio’s 5.1.4 setup. It’s a long, 46-inch bar with full, punchy sound, a large wireless subwoofer, and two surround speakers — plus up-firing speakers to both the bar and the satellites for an enveloping Dolby Atmos experience in a relatively compact package.

VIZIO 46-Inch 5.1.4 Premium Home Theater Sound System

VIZIO SB46514-F6 46-Inch 5.1.4 Premium Home Theater Sound System with Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer plus Rear Surround Speakers,Black (Amazon / Amazon)
VIZIO SB46514-F6 46-Inch 5.1.4 Premium Home Theater Sound System with Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer plus Rear Surround Speakers,Black (Amazon / Amazon)

VIZIO 46-Inch 5.1.4 Premium Home Theater Sound System, $999.99, Shop now

7. Sony HT-Z9F Soundbar

Sony’s HT-Z9F doesn’t have up-firing speaker drivers, but it’s still able to add overhead Dolby Atmos effects through its virtual 3D surround engine. It’s not quite as good as the up-firing speakers on the Vizio, but it’s ideal if you have a room with vaulted or textured ceilings (which don’t work with up-firing speakers). Just make sure you pair it with the sold-separately Z9R rear speakers for the full effect.

Sony 3.1-Channel Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer

Sony Z9F 3.1ch Sound bar with Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer (HT-Z9F), Black (Amazon / Amazon)
Sony Z9F 3.1ch Sound bar with Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer (HT-Z9F), Black (Amazon / Amazon)

Sony 3.1-Channel Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos and Wireless Subwoofer, $899.99, Shop now

Note that you won’t get those overhead effects in every movie — only movies with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which you’ll find on some newer Blu-rays, most UHD (or 4K) Blu-rays, and some streaming titles.

None of these soundbars will truly match a full, multi-speaker home theater setup — though some of the high-end ones might come close. But they take up way less space, are easier to set up, and can produce pretty great audio for their size. I rarely recommend watching TV without one.