Top 5 Soundbar Reviews: Compared to more conventional home theater speaker systems, soundbars have several advantages: they tend to take up less space, are simpler to set up, and often more economical. There’s a model for everyone, whether you want a Dolby Atmos capable soundbar or something you can plug your old MP3 player into. But not all soundbars are equal, and some offer a better listening experience than others. If you watch TV or listen to music a lot at home, you’ll need something that sounds great and works with your current gear, whether you want to connect it to a smart TV or want to stream directly from your smartphone. The best TV soundbars accurately and precisely mimic the dialogue from your favorite shows.
Below you can find the best soundbars to buy after testing over 165 of them. See our picks for the best 5.1 soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best affordable soundbars.
Top 5 Soundbar Reviews
1. Samsung HW-Q990B
The Samsung HW-Q990B is the best soundbar we’ve tested. This is Samsung’s hardware-enhanced Q950A, which provides more features and improved bass reproduction right out of the box for great overall performance. This 11.1.4 chip delivers exceptional performance with a wide and immersive sound that brings the action right into your living room, whether you’re listening to music, movies or TV shows. For action-packed scenes, the dedicated subwoofer provides enough bass, while its clear satellites position the sound effects precisely around the room. Bar is a good choice for Blu-ray watching and more conventional video streaming as it supports audio formats like Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital.
Because with a wide range of sound customization options, this system sets itself apart from the competition. There are standard treble and bass controls, and a 7-band equalizer allows you to change the sound of the instrument across the entire spectrum. This is well beyond the capabilities of other exceptional premium setups, such as the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL speakers or the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with speakers and bass module. It’s a solid choice if you’re looking for a bar with an even bigger soundstage, or if you’ve already stocked up on these brands’ ecosystems, but Samsung ultimately delivers the most cinematic experience of the bunch.
PRO:
- 7 band graphic equalizer.
- Extended low bass.
- Impressive Atmos performance.
- Compatible with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay.
CONS
- No built-in Chromecast support.
2. Samsung HW-Q930B
If you’re looking for a high-end bar at a slightly more affordable price, the Samsung HW-Q930B is a fantastic alternative. For Dolby Atmos content in particular, it delivers differentiated performance that rivals the more expensive Samsung HW-Q990B for less money. When watching your favorite movies, you feel like your sofa is at the heart of the action as the sound fills the space around your living room. Even if it doesn’t look as fashionable as its more expensive version, the subwoofer delivers plenty of thumping bass and clear dialogue. In addition, the sound effects are precisely placed in the area around you, providing a clear and authentic sense thanks to the two rear satellites.
Not surprisingly, this bar offers fewer features than the Q990B, considering the price difference of course. For example, there is no Auto EQ function to modify the subwoofer output. SpaceFit Sound, another room correction feature, adjusts the sound reproduction of the bar based on the acoustics of the room. Furthermore, a 7-band graphic equalizer, bass and treble controls are included to accommodate any variations in the audio output caused by particular room acoustics. It’s a good option whether you want a personalized selection or a plug-and-play setup.
PRO:
- 7 band graphic equalizer.
- Extended low bass.
- Impressive Atmos performance.
- Compatible with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay.
CONS:
- No built-in Chromecast support.
3. Vizio Elevate
Vizio Elevate is a more economical choice, so take a look at that. This is another soundbar with Dolby Atmos that offers flexible overall performance, making it ideal for listening to music, movies and TV shows. When watching content with height, such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, the characteristic shape of the bar causes its sides to rotate upwards, which makes the sound bounce off the ceiling and make it appear higher. Combined with the built-in satellites, which also have integrated up-firing drivers to carry sound from the ceiling, you get an overall immersive experience. But for them to work, you need to connect these satellites to the subwoofer, and depending on your living room setup, additional wires may not be optimal.
However, for the price, this bar provides excellent performance. It’s a 5.1.4 arrangement so you can easily follow your favorite artists on screen. This means that there is a separate center for enhancing speech reproduction. What’s more, the subwoofer reproduces bass with deep, booming energy that’s perfect for bass-heavy tracks and situations with lots of movement. Understandably, fewer features are available than on the Samsung HW-Q930B. The bar sounds a little different from room to room as there is no room adjustment tool. You can compensate a bit by changing the bass and treble, but you can’t do it for the mids in the absence of a graphic equalizer. It’s still a good choice for anyone looking to make a small financial cut.
PRO:
- Built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Chromecast compatibility.
- Four EQ presets.
- Wide, focused soundstage.
CONS:
- No graphic equalizer.
- Some distortion at maximum volume.
4. Vizio M Series M512a-H6
Another great choice for a lower mid-range soundbar is the Vizio M M512a-H6 series. Like our top recommendations, this 5.1.2 system includes a subwoofer and satellites, and thanks to its flexible performance, it is suitable for all types of listeners. Keeping track of the action on the screen is simple as conversations are reproduced with perfect clarity using a clear center channel. Plus, its subwoofer adds punchy and punchy bass to the mix, so you’ll feel the excitement in action-heavy scenes. You can even use the same variety of sound enhancement tools that Vizio Elevate offers, allowing you to adjust the bass and treble to your preference.
Despite the lower price, this soundbar still supports all standard audio formats like Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital found on streaming services and Blu-ray discs. The satellite speakers that come with it also provide quite immersive sound, but as with the Vizio Elevate, you’ll need to hook them up to a subwoofer to make them work. However, this beam is of a simpler design than the Elevate, so neither its sides nor its satellites have upward-facing transducers to enhance the sound. As a result, it’s a bit less addictive. With Atmos content in particular, you notice a lower elevation, making the helicopters flying overhead appear to come from the area directly in front of you. Nevertheless, even compared to other models, it still does a great job for its price.
PRO:
Bass and treble controls.
It’s getting loud.
Clear vocal reproduction.
Good spatial performance.
CONS:
No graphic equalizer.
5. Vizio V Series V51-H6
The best affordable soundbar we’ve tested is the Vizio V Series V51-H6. This 5.1 system offers an excellent price-performance ratio and is an even cheaper alternative to the Vizio M Series M512a-H6. To enhance the surround sound in formats such as Dolby Digital, in addition to a dedicated subwoofer, like the M series, it includes two satellite speakers. You get clear, accurate sound right out of the box, so you can hear the dialogue in action movies combined with powerful bass tones to bring those thrilling scenes to life. As with the M Series, the sound enhancement capabilities allow you to adjust the bass and treble to your liking.
Nevertheless, unlike Dolby Atmos, it does not support height content. This is disappointing, especially if you watch a lot of content on streaming services where Atmos movies and TV episodes are likely to be available. But if you rarely stream Atmos video, you may find that this bar offers a better value overall. It’s a fantastic choice for surround sound and one of the few products in its price range that includes rear sound bar speakers. With this soundbar, stereo content including most music and TV shows with vocals, such as sitcoms, is reproduced with high accuracy.
PRO:
- Bass and treble controls.
- It’s getting loud.
- Clear vocal reproduction.
- Good spatial performance.
CONS:
- No graphic equalizer.
Conclusion:
In the suggestions above, we’ve listed the best soundbars we think most people should buy. We consider cost (a cheaper soundbar has an advantage over a more expensive one if the price difference is not significant), guest feedback and availability (no soundbars that are hard to find or almost unavailable).
Here’s a rundown of all our soundbar reviews, including the best TV soundbars and the best Bluetooth soundbars, in case you want to make your own decision. Avoid getting bogged down in details. The soundbar is not flawless. Your preferences, tastes and listening styles will influence your choice more.
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