A soundbar seriously upgrades your TV viewing experience,
while being more convenient and affordable than a component system.
So your new TV has a gorgeous picture, you dial up your favorite action movie to see it in all its glory, and then reality sets in - most built-in TV speaker systems stink. To complete your home entertainment system, you are now faced with the decision of whether to add a full component audio system, complete with five to seven separate speakers, an AV receiver, and a subwoofer; or instead, hooking up one of the latest generation soundbars.
Fortunately, these new generation soundbars have significantly closed the performance gap with component AV systems, and can now provide a very impressive and satisfying audio experience. Setup is also much easier with a soundbar, and in many cases the cost can be substantially lower. The editors picks to the right, along with the descriptions below, are designed to provide information you can use to find the best quality sound options available, while considering different room sizes and budgets.
Many factors are taken into consideration to determine the best sound bar audio quality, including - stereo frequency response, soundstage, harmonic distortion, and dynamics; center speaker performance; surround performance; sound height; and sound enhancement features. Reviews and ratings also consider ARC/eARC audio format support and HDMI audio format support for interfacing with video and audio sources.
Photo by Sennheiser
If you don't care about cost because you have the best OLED TV on the market, and you just want the best soundbar available, the Sennheiser Ambeo is the choice for you. Amazingly, it packs all the components into a single unit (no separate woofer or surround speakers), and still outperforms all comers.
You'll need to spend a considerable chunk of change on a component system to beat the Ambeo's performance. Your only one HDMI cable away from being instantly immersed in the home cinema experience. Oh, and if you absolutely must shake the room, you can always add the Klipsch SPL-100 external subwoofer.
Subwoofer: internal/optional external | Rear Speakers: virtual
Photo by LG
The LG SN6Y soundbar for tv delivers excellent performance, ranking as our number one choice on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Although not in the same league as the much more expensive soundbars, you still get a significant upgrade over a TV's built-in speakers with this LG soundbar with wireless sub.
And besides hitting the price/performance sweet spot with this best buy sound bar, you can always upgrade this LG soundbar 3.1 channel system with wireless subwoofer to a full 5.1 channel surround system at any time by adding LG's SPK8-S 2.0 rear speaker kit at a very reasonable price.
Subwoofer: wireless | Rear Speakers: virtual/optional wireless
Photo by Samsung
At half the price of the best-in-class Sennheiser Ambeo, Samsung's HW-Q950T produces an impressive sound stage with its 20 total speakers, including 4 up-firing speakers that expands sound height dramatically.
Featuring support for ARC/eARC audio formatting, this Samsung soundbar can receive uncompromised audio signals. With 9 channels in a 9.1.4 configuration, a wireless subwoofer, and support for all the important audio formats, you'll experience the director's true cinematic intent. Simple HDMI connections makes setup a breeze.
Subwoofer: wireless | Rear Speakers: wireless
Photo by Roku
The Roku Smart Soundbar gets our top budget rating with one caveat, you don't already own a media streaming device, or own a 4K UHD TV with Roku already built-in (like the TCL or Hisense TVs). With decent sound and Roku's top-rated media streaming device built-in, this bar is an excellent bargain.
Additionally, you can add Roku's optional wireless subwoofer or wireless rear speakers at a later date if you want a boost in performance. If you already have a streaming device for your TV, our top budget recommendation is the Polk Audio Signa S2, which you can view here.
Subwoofer: internal/optional wireless | Rear Speakers: virtual/optional wireless
Photo by Samsung
The fact of the matter is, size does matter. The big dollar soundbars are overkill in smaller sized rooms, meaning your sound experience can be enhanced equally well with less horsepower at a lower cost. The Samsung HW-Q800T is our top Dolby Atmos soundbar pick to fill your small-to-medium sized room setting with immersive sound.
It comes with a wireless subwoofer, and you can buy the HW-Q800T with or without wireless rear speakers. Either way, you'll get Dolby Atmos® & DTS:X support for the best audio tracks available. For the price of a decent AV receiver, you get the whole package with a little left over for other electronics needs.
Subwoofer: wireless | Rear Speakers: wireless
Photo by Polk Audio
The Polk Audio Signa S2 offers surprisingly good sound at under $200. With support for HDMI ARC, a wireless subwoofer, and all cables included, the Signa S2 provides an incredibly affordable enhancement to your TV's audio.
With Dolby Audio and DTS Digital Sound, you'll get clear dialogue so that you hear every word perfectly. This bar's five full-range drivers and wireless subwoofer combine to make a compelling upgrade to your home theater experience, and at only 2" in height the bar fits easily under any TV.
Subwoofer: wireless | Rear Speakers: virtual
Photo by Sony
The SONY HT-G700 3-channel soundbar with Sony wireless subwoofer creates impressive virtual 7.1.2-channel sound with support for Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X utilizing SONY's proprietary S-Force PRO and Vertical Surround Engine. Translated, that means great sound with fewer speakers, making the HT-G700 a big win for a smaller space.
With selectable sound modes, this Sony sound bar provides a cinematic experience for movies, excellent detail when playing music, and clear, crisp speech from the dedicated center channel. With HDMI in, separate HDMI ARC/eARC output, digital optical, Bluetooth and USB, this Sony tv soundbar possesses both simplicity and sophistication. It also has a soundbar wireless connection to a subwoofer.
Subwoofer: wireless | Rear Speakers: virtual
Photo by Vizio
The Vizio Elevate is a big leap up for the company's traditionally budget line of soundbars, and the results are fantastic. This system has separate tweeters and dual woofers as part of an 18 high-performance speaker arrangement that delivers powerful, distortion-free sound.
An immersive surround sound experience is completed with 2 satellite speakers and an 8-inch wireless subwoofer. A pair of adaptive height speakers auto-rotate upward to project cinematic Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X sound off the ceiling.
All-in-all, the Elevate produces a sound experience rivaled by only the more expensive competition in this category, and is an excellent sound bar for tv audio enhancement.
Subwoofer: wireless | Rear Speakers: wireless
Best picks 
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