The best soundbars can turn a fun TV viewing session into a cinematic immersive experience. Crucially, it can do that without the need to setup lots of speakers and while keeping the decor to a minimal finish.
Soundbars strike the balance between a room filling home cinema setup – which takes time, effort, money, space and cabling – and the too-tinny sound of built-in TV speakers. In fact some soundbars are now so advanced they can actually create a better and more immersive audio experience even than a full surround sound speaker setup.
Soundbars, by design, generally look excellent with a minimal finish that can actually enhance the look of your room when placed under the TV. Many come with subwoofers which add extra booming bass, but feature a long enough cable to be easily hidden away in a cabinet.
Look out for features like Dolby Atmos support as this can mean up-firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling – so when it's raining in the movie it really feels like it's coming from above you.
The range of features, quality and end audio results do vary thanks to a wide selection of options. Here we lay out only the very best soundbar options with each feature stated up front so you can quickly and easily find what you're looking for.
If you've already checked out our best games consoles and invested in one, then a soundbar is a perfect addition to make that even better.
The best soundbars in 2022
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1. Samsung HW-Q90R: Best overall
The Samsung HW-Q90R tops our list of the best soundbars because it’s audio quality is simply unmatched – yes, it’s pricey, but if you’re looking to bring brilliant audio fidelity to your home cinema setup, this is the soundbar to go for.
With Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, this soundbar comes with rear and upward-firing speakers, to produce a truly immersive sound, that works just as well for music streaming as it does for movies.
In terms of connectivity you get two HDMI inputs, one HDMI output with eARC, and optical digital audio input, and USB, as well the options for WiFi and Bluetooth, so you can easily play music from your smartphone or tablet through the soundbar.
Got an Amazon Echo speaker at home? The Q90R works with Alexa, so you can use your voice to control it via your smart speaker – note that this isn’t built-in integration, so you can’t control your smart home devices with the soundbar alone.
The Samsung HW-Q90R is expensive, and it’s worth bearing in mind that cheaper soundbars are out there; however, as it has been out for a few months now, you might find that some retailers are selling it at a reduced price.
2. Sonos Ray: Best affordable quality pick
The Sonos Ray is one of the smaller and more affordable soundbars out there but since it comes from such a premium brand you can expect an audio performance that punches well above its weight. This 22-inch long speaker manages to offer superb vocal clarity – something many people buy a soundbar for specifically – which makes listening to dialogue that much easier.
This speaker also offers a very clear high end and manages to project in a punchy way, that can offer enough impact and power to enhance even the louder end of the movie spectrum. Pair this with other Sonos speakers and you can create a full 5.1 surround sound system.
This also fits into the Sonos multiroom setup meaning it can be used as a music speaker to stream using Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify, Tidal and plenty more. Physical connectivity is kept minimal with a single optical port – something nearly all TVs will have but not all consoles or monitors. Worth keeping in mind.
This was designed to fit into a compact space, even being placed in a cabinet, without the sonic affect being changed. As such this can be kept out of the way and still offer an audio result which outperforms most televisions, especially when it comes to the reproduction of those speaking on-screen.
So while this might not deliver some of the audio prowess of the more premium soundbars out there, this punches far above its literal weight and price, earning it a well-deserved place high in this list.
3. Polk Audio Command Bar: Best value
Don’t want to spend upwards of $1,000? The Polk Audio Command Bar is a great choice, with lots of connectivity options and an easy setup process – all for less than $250.
This super-smart soundbar comes with Alexa built into it directly, which means you can ask it questions, get it to read you the news, control your smart home gadgets, and much, much more – pretty much anything an Amazon Echo can do.
Furthering its integration into the Amazon ecosystem, the Polk Audio Command Bar is designed to work with the Amazon Fire TV devices, with a dedicated HDMI input for your TV streaming device to slot into. Other inputs include one SPDIDF, one TOSLINK optical input, and a micro-USB port.
As well as voice control, the Command Bar has one of the best physical remotes we’ve tested, with separate volume, subwoofer, and dialogue controls, so you can fine-tune the sound depending on what you’re listening to.
Dialogue is particularly good, although serious audiophiles may feel the bass is lacking somewhat – still, at this price, you’ll struggle to find any serious issues with this clever soundbar.
- Read our full Polk Audio Command Bar review
4. Sony HT-X8500 Soundbar: Dolby Atmos on a budget
If you’re an audiophile on a budget, you need to check out the Sony HT-X8500 Soundbar; coming with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X virtual surround sound, as well as an integrated subwoofer to boost that bass, it’s also great value at just under $300.
The cost is particularly impressive when you consider that Dolby Atmos soundbars are usually double the price – and with a slick build, it looks more expensive than it really is.
It’s worth bearing in mind that, with no upward drivers, this HT-X8500 only creates an illusion of surround sound, using Sony’s own Vertical Sound Engine technology. If you’re looking for the real deal you might have to spend a little more, but the immersive audio on offer here is very impressive nonetheless.
The inclusion of an integrated subwoofer means that it could easily soundtrack your parties, as well as your movie nights; in terms of connectivity it’s very flexible with one HDMI input, one HDMI output, an analogue audio in/out, Ethernet, an optical audio input, Bluetooth, and WiFi.
5. Q Acoustics M4 Soundbar: Best for music
It’s not the prettiest soundbar we’ve seen, but it may be one of the best-sounding models out there; particularly if you’re going to use your soundbar for music just as often as you will for movies and TV.
The Q Acoustics M4 sounds truly brilliant, with high-level audio fidelity that will allow you to hear details in your music that you haven’t noticed before. Its wide, open soundstage is bolstered by well-balanced bass frequencies that don’t overpower the mid-high notes.
Movies sound just as good, with clear dialogue and bone-shaking bass rumbles that add more excitement to those blockbuster explosions.
There’s no surround sound here though; this is a purely stereo setup, so anyone looking for true immersive audio will want to look for Dolby Atmos-enabled models. There’s no HDMI input either, so you’ll need to rely on the soundbar’s optical input to hook it up to your TV. Otherwise, you have Bluetooth connectivity and 3.5mm audio inputs and analogue RCA inputs in case you want to hook it up directly to a
- Read our full Q Acoustics M4 Soundbar review
6. Sonos Beam: Best for smart homes
The Sonos Beam is one of the cutest soundbars we’ve tested, with a compact design that makes it ideal for smaller homes – and smaller TVs.
Sonos is well known for its audio prowess, and the Beam is no exception; it has a stunningly accurate and detailed soundstage that will fill your living room with ease. In fact, the Sonos app allows you to tune the soundbar to dimensions of your room, so you should find that it sounds great no matter where you place it.
You don’t get a subwoofer included, so bass-heads may want to buy the Sonos Sub to boost those lower frequencies. There’s also no Dolby Atmos for the surround sound experience, but at less than $400, that’s not a huge surprise.
One of the big selling points of the Sonos Beam is the fact that Alexa and Google Assistant come built-in; that means you can control your soundbar hands-free no matter which smart ecosystem you prefer.
- Read our full Sonos Beam review
7. Roku Streambar: Best budget soundbar
The Roku Streambar is a fantastic pick for anyone that wants to make sure their soundbar purchase doesn't damage their budget too badly. If you want to save that cash to get the best TV for picture quality – where the audio may be lacking – this is a superb pairing to help bring the sound quality up to that level too. Plus it's fantastic for streaming support.
Roku, famous as a streaming brand, has created a soundbar that also integrates its various smart streaming features. That means this will not only enhance your audio experience but can also let you make any TV smart by using this system to take advantage of all the latest streaming apps in one place. It's also built to work at 4K, making it future-proof for a long time to come.
As long as your TV has a high-res HDMI input, then you can stream 4K at 60 frames per second from this soundbar. But it's the audio that's worth mentioning at this price. Despite that low price, and cramming in all the streaming smarts for your money, this does a good job of audio reproduction.
Crucially this soundbar is able to offer clear and powerful sound that is directed outwards and propelled across the room. This is what most soundbars are bought for, to enhance the otherwise muffled TV reproduction of audio – and in this regard the Roku Soundbar does a very good job indeed. It's not the most cinematic of audio experiences but for its compact size and affordable price, this does a very good job indeed.
8. Yamaha YAS-207: Best for small rooms
If you need to fit your new soundbar into a small space, the Yamaha YAS-207 is a fantastic options. Despite its compact frame, its packing six speakers in the sound bar itself and comes with a 6.25-inch wireless subwoofer.
As well as this, the YAS-207 sports DTS Virtual:X, which provides an immersive sound that's as tall as it is wide.
When we tested this soundbar, we were impressed by the clarity of the Clear Voice settings, which boosts the dialogue in your films and TV shows – when you combine clear dialogue and immersive surround sound with a price of less than $300, it is hard to justify using your TV’s built-in speakers.
While it doesn't come with creature comforts like built-in voice assistants or WiFi connectivity, you get most of the connectivity options you need, including HDMI ports, a 3.5mm auxiliary input and Bluetooth.
The HDMI connections support 4K and HDR video pass-through, so the YAS-207 doesn’t degrade the video quality of content you play through your stream box or UHD Blu-ray player if you connect them directly to it.
There's also Bluetooth for wireless streaming from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, so you can use it for music, radio, and podcasts, as well as TV.
- Read our full Yamaha YAS-207 review
9. Sennheiser Ambeo 3D Soundbar: Best for 3D audio
If money is no object, the Sennheiser Ambeo 3D soundbar is the one to buy. With no less than 13 separate drivers, this powerful soundbar is packed with immersive audio technologies, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sennheiser's proprietary Ambeo 'virtual 3D' sound system.
WiFi and Bluetooth means that it can easily double up as a music player, as well as a speaker to boost your home cinema setup – which it will do easily, thanks to its incredible audio fidelity.
It's worth noting that, despite its $2,500 price tag, the Ambeo 3D Soundbar doesn't support aptX for Bluetooth, and streaming over WiFi is only possible via Google Home.
Still, if you're primarily interested in sheer audio prowess, and that price doesn't make you balk, this Sennheiser soundbar could be a brilliant investment to boost your TVs inbuilt speakers.
10. Sony HT-A5000: Best for mid-range Dolby Atmos
The Sony HT-A5000 is a very powerful and well rounded soundbar from one of the best manufacturers out there – yet this model manages to keep the price in the mid-range. Despite that relative affordability, this soundbar offers powerful audio which remains well-balanced with an artful delivery, even at the higher volume end for sound output.
As a pass-thru this is super future-proofed with support for 4K at 120 frames per second and even 8K. Plus you have Dolby Atmos, Dolby AudioTM, DTS:X, DTS-HD and PCM all as supported audio formats. That's without even mentioning the fact this has WiFi, Bluetooth, and eARC onboard. This is one seriously well connected and super supportive soundbar that can do pretty much anything you could want of it.
While the audio delivery is fantastic, with booming and immersive cinematic bass, crisp and clear vocal dialogue, plus punchy and rhythmic music playback, it does lack some EQ controls. That said, do you need EQ controls when everything works so well automatically anyway? Perhaps not, but worth mentioning for those that are looking out for that feature.
While this is a mid-range product for Sony, there are some similarly priced flagship soundbars out there from other brands making this a tough space to compete in. That said, if you want Sony quality without the top-end price, this is a very good alternative choice to have.
11. LG SJ8: Best for virtual surround sound
This 4.1 channel soundbar comes with Dolby Atmos and 4K passthrough, making it a great option if you want to future-proof your home cinema setup.
Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound means that your films and TV shows should sound super immersive, and if you stream your shows in Ultra HD, those 4K HDMI inputs/outputs will ensure you don't lose any quality.
The LG SJ8 also comes with Google Chromecast built-in, so you can send video and audio from any supported app at a higher quality than you can with a Bluetooth connection.
Sound quality is generally very good, although the wireless subwoofer could be more powerful; still, it should boost the bass of your shows and songs enough to make an impact.
The LG SJ8 is available to buy for less than $350, so it's a good mid-range model for anyone who wants tons of connectivity options and virtual surround sound without paying a huge price.
- Read our full LG SJ8 review
HDMI ARC: the best connection option for soundbars
If your TV was manufactured after 2009, it most likely has an HDMI ARC connection. The ARC portion of that protocol stands for Audio Return Channel, and it allows for two-way communication between the soundbar and TV with a single HDMI cable. Connecting your soundbar to your TV with an HDMI ARC connection lets you control the volume with your TV remote and automatically turns the sound bar on when the TV is on. You can also use the HDMI ARC connection to send sound from your TV to an AV receiver if you have a traditional surround sound setup.
Wireless connectivity
There are two wireless connection options available on soundbars. Some have Bluetooth, others have WiFi and the best have both. We asked Robert Goedken, the general manager of Yamaha’s AV division, what the best way to wirelessly stream high-fidelity content is, and he responded, “WiFi offers greater range, better stability and supports transmission of higher-resolution audio content. Most people already have WiFi in their homes, so it makes sense to use it to stream content to their soundbar.” We prefer sound bars with WiFi connectivity for high-fidelity audio and Bluetooth connectivity for ease of use.
If you want theater-quality audio, a subwoofer is an important component as it will deliver a much deeper bass response. Most of the soundbars we tested come with a wireless subwoofer, with all connecting automatically that makes them easy to set up. In addition, you may want to consider a soundbar that has separate volume controls for the subwoofer if you live in an apartment or house with thin walls. This way, you can turn the bass down to keep your neighbors happy.
Soundbar vs Soundbase
A sub-section of soundbars are soundbases. They have the same easy setup and connectivity options, but there are a few significant design differences between the two.
Instead of sitting below and in front of a TV like a soundbar, soundbases sit directly under the TV. For that reason, soundbases have a weight rating that typically ranges between 50-150 pounds. Because soundbases are designed to hold heavy televisions, the enclosure is also very heavy and isn't suited for flimsy furniture.
A soundbase houses larger speakers and more of them. A higher number of speakers doesn’t necessarily equate to better audio performance though, but larger speakers move more air, which makes bass-heavy sound effects more impactful. As we’ve mentioned, most soundbar packages on test come with wireless, external subwoofers, but our favorite soundbases have subwoofers built in, which saves floor space in a small entertainment room.
Soundbases bridge the gap between soundbars and a more complicated home audio system built around an AV receiver, but there’s not quite the same breadth of choice.
Preset audio modes: What’s the difference?
All the soundbars we tested have at least a couple options for preset audio modes to maximize the EQ and, in some cases, volume settings for a specific type of content. We talked to John Crisco, Director of Engineering for Sound United, about what those settings are and how to best utilize them.
John told us that the music mode preset is “the most natural audio preset.” Music mode doesn’t significantly boost or cut bass or treble frequencies, which makes it a good setting for most dialogue-based television shows too. This setting is optimized for conventional two-channel stereo – the format for most music recordings. If you use your sound bar mostly for listening to music and watching TV, the music mode is the best audio preset option.
The movie mode preset offers the most dynamic range of all the audio modes. This setting boosts bass response and dialogue volume and has the widest soundstage of all the audio modes. Sound effects don’t get compressed, so explosions and other loud effects are startlingly loud and impactful, just as the sound engineers intended. To take full advantage of movie mode, connect the soundbar to your television through the HDMI ARC port instead of using the optical input (if it’s supported).
Night mode is the newest and most helpful audio mode on our favorite sound bars, like the Polk Audio Command Bar and the Sonos Beam. Night mode is the perfect setting for watching movies and TV while you fall asleep. The dialogue frequencies are boosted, but the dynamic range is reduced. Compression is more evident, so the loudest sounds, like sound effects, are less startling and the quietest sounds, like whispering dialogue, get pushed to the forefront.
