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If you’re wondering which soundbars are worth your money, stick around! After we run through each product, I’ll give you my personal take—Would I buy it, or would I skip it? No fluff, just my honest opinion. Let’s get into it!
Watch the video version: I Put 20 Best Soundbars to the Test - Some Surprised Me, Some Didn't
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar
The DTS:Virtual X processing creates an impressive soundscape that extends well beyond the TV screen, making movies feel more immersive and engaging. While dialogue clarity gets a nice boost, the bass response is quite limited, which might disappoint those looking for deep rumble in action scenes. At just 65cm in length with 2x20W output, this compact soundbar delivers surprisingly decent audio quality for its size and includes Movie, Music, and dialogue-boosting EQ modes. The setup is incredibly straightforward with HDMI and optical connections, though it lacks Wi-Fi connectivity and only offers Bluetooth for wireless streaming.
Would I buy it?
No – While it offers decent value at $119, the limited bass response and basic feature set make it hard to recommend when there are more capable options in this price range.
Bose TV Speaker
This compact soundbar delivers clear, balanced audio with surprisingly good bass response for its size, though you can add an optional subwoofer if you want more low-end. The dialogue mode does an excellent job at enhancing vocal clarity, making it perfect for TV shows and movies. While it lacks fancy features like room correction or surround sound, it makes up for it with simple plug-and-play setup and intuitive controls. The soundstage is decent but not particularly focused, so sound effects seem to come from a general area rather than precise locations.
Would I buy it?
Maybe – It’s a solid choice for those prioritizing dialogue clarity and simplicity, though the lack of advanced features might not justify the price for some users.
Vizio V20x-J8
The soundbar delivers a bass-heavy sound profile that adds nice punch to movies and music, while still maintaining clear dialogue reproduction. Despite being a budget option, it comes with several EQ presets for sound customization and includes both HDMI and optical connections. The build quality is decent, though it lacks support for premium formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. The surround performance is notably poor, which is expected from a 2.1 channel system at this price point.
Would I buy it?
Maybe – It offers good value for basic TV audio enhancement, but the bass-heavy tuning and limited surround capabilities might not suit everyone.
Samsung HW-C450
The wireless subwoofer delivers impressive bass response that adds theater-like rumble to action scenes, and the DTS Virtual:X creates an engaging 3D soundscape. The Adaptive Sound Lite feature automatically adjusts audio settings based on content type, while Game Mode optimizes sound for gaming sessions. Despite its budget-friendly price, it includes useful features like Voice Enhance and Night Mode, though the remote control feels somewhat flimsy. The soundbar is energy efficient with an ENERGY STAR certification, which helps keep power consumption low.
Would I buy it?
Maybe – While it offers good features and performance for the price, the build quality concerns with the remote and lack of HDMI ARC might be dealbreakers for some users.
Sonos Beam Gen 2
The sound lacks true overhead effects since it doesn’t have upfiring drivers, making the Dolby Atmos experience feel cut off around ear level. TruePlay tuning only works with iOS devices, which is quite limiting for Android users. The soundstage isn’t as immersive as multi-speaker setups, and voices aren’t projected into the room as effectively as higher-end models. The price increase over the original Beam is hard to justify given these limitations.
Would I buy it?
No – The virtual Atmos implementation is unconvincing and the iOS-only tuning is too restrictive for a modern soundbar.
Sonos Arc
The soundbar delivers stunning Dolby Atmos performance with eight elliptical woofers and three silk-dome tweeters that create an immersive soundfield. While the bass is well-controlled, it’s somewhat modest without a subwoofer, and music playback lacks some directness. The Arc excels at positioning sounds precisely, including height effects, though performance varies based on room acoustics. The lack of HDMI passthrough and DTS support is disappointing at this price point.
Would I buy it?
Maybe – While it offers excellent Atmos performance and build quality, the missing features and modest bass make it hard to fully recommend at this price.
Sonos Arc Ultra
The new 9.1.4 channel configuration with Sound Motion driver technology delivers double the bass of the original Arc while eliminating mechanical vibration. The soundbar produces incredibly detailed audio with excellent low-level dynamics and can handle grand volume changes without distortion. It creates a remarkably wide soundstage and offers superior dialogue clarity compared to previous models. The improved speaker setup and processing power make it the best-sounding one-box soundbar available today.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The significant improvements in bass response, detail retrieval, and overall sound quality make it worth every penny.
LG S60T
The soundbar delivers astoundingly wide sound with impressive clarity for TV shows and adds airiness to movies. It offers excellent features including Alexa voice control and one of the best streaming music apps around. The sound changes dramatically when you add a sub, offering an instant upgrade in performance. The integration with LG TVs is seamless and the overall sound quality is terrific once properly configured.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of wide soundstage, streaming capabilities, and upgrade potential makes it an excellent value proposition.
JBL Bar 500
The clean bass from the 10-inch subwoofer really impressed me, and it’s not overpowering even at high volumes – I found setting 2-3 perfect for most content. The treble sounds great and setup was a breeze, though I noticed the mids including dialogue could use some improvement even after the break-in period. The Dolby Atmos performance is just okay with only a slightly noticeable difference compared to regular audio, and there are no upfiring speakers which limits the immersive experience. While it fills large rooms with sound nicely, I found the directional audio could be better, and the dialogue boost feature left me wanting more.
Would I buy it?
Maybe – The sound quality and features are solid for the price point, but the limitations with Atmos and dialogue clarity hold it back from being a must-buy.
Vizio M213ad-K8
This compact soundbar delivers surprisingly impressive Dolby Atmos performance that I haven’t heard in this price range before. The clean, well-balanced sound provides crisp dialogue and satisfying bass thanks to the built-in woofers and passive radiator. The low-profile design looks great under any TV, and you get convenient features like HDMI eARC and multiple sound modes. The night mode works great for late-night viewing, compressing the dynamic range so you don’t wake anyone up.
Would I buy it?
Yes – For the price, you’re getting exceptional value with great sound quality and Atmos support, making it perfect for smaller rooms or bedrooms.
Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro
The surround sound performance blew me away with its fluid, detailed treble and powerful bass that creates a truly immersive sphere of sound. Dialogue clarity is excellent through the center channel, and the system handles dramatic moments in movies with impressive precision. The latest firmware update completely transformed the sound quality, fixing previous processing issues and delivering a thrilling audio experience. The build quality feels robust despite the plastic construction, and it should last for years with proper care.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of true surround sound, powerful performance, and recent improvements make this an outstanding choice for home theater enthusiasts.
Samsung Q990D
The 11.1.4 channel system delivers an absolutely incredible soundstage with precise positioning of every sound effect. Bass performance is phenomenal with the subwoofer providing deep, controlled rumble that never distorts, even at high volumes. The bar supports all major formats including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, plus it has HDMI 2.1 with 4K 120Hz passthrough for gaming. The room correction feature optimizes the sound perfectly for your space, though setup takes longer than simpler soundbars.
Would I buy it?
Yes – While it’s expensive, the outstanding audio quality, gaming features, and complete surround sound package make it the ultimate soundbar system.
Samsung HW-Q930C
The sound quality on this 9.1.4 soundbar is absolutely incredible, with crystal clear dialogue reproduction and a perfectly balanced sound profile that makes everything from movies to music sound fantastic. The included rear satellites create an immersive surround sound experience, and the subwoofer brings that deep, rumbling bass that really makes you feel like you’re in a movie theater. I love how customizable it is with the SpaceFit Sound room correction and 7-band graphic EQ, plus the built-in Alexa support makes controlling it a breeze. The soundstage is impressively wide, and it gets loud enough to fill even large spaces, though I did notice some compression at max volume with bass-heavy tracks.
Would I buy it?
Yes – This premium soundbar delivers everything you could want with excellent audio quality and features that justify its price point.
JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass
The setup is super basic with just a soundbar and wireless subwoofer, lacking any fancy features like voice assistants or surround sound processing. While the bass is indeed deep thanks to the large subwoofer, I found it’s not as refined with music as it is with movies. The dynamic range is impressive for blockbuster movies, but it really lacks the immersive atmosphere you get from more advanced systems. It does have two HDMI ports which adds some nice flexibility, but the sound controls are pretty sparse.
Would I buy it?
No – While it delivers decent movie performance, there are better options available with more features and better overall sound quality.
Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar
The build quality is absolutely premium, and the compact size makes it perfect for smaller spaces, but I immediately noticed it lacks some weight in the low end. The soundstage is impressively wide with great detail retention, and dialogue comes through crystal clear, which is crucial for movie watching. Despite having upward-firing speakers, the Dolby Atmos height effect is pretty underwhelming compared to competitors. The app control is fantastic, but the TrueSpace processing can’t be disabled, which might bother some audio purists.
Would I buy it?
No – While it’s well-built and easy to use, the underwhelming Atmos performance and lack of punch make it hard to recommend at this price point.
Hisense HS2100
This little beast packs a serious punch with its 240W system, delivering impressive power through its 2.1-channel configuration. The wireless subwoofer paired instantly in my testing, and the whole setup process was literally plug-and-play simple. The DTS Virtual:X technology creates a convincing surround sound experience, and the various sound modes really help optimize the audio for different content types. For the price point, the rich, immersive audio quality completely exceeded my expectations.
Would I buy it?
Yes – The combination of powerful performance, easy setup, and an incredibly competitive price point makes this an absolute no-brainer for budget-conscious buyers.
Sonos Ray
The sound quality feels quite limited with no HDMI ARC option and only optical input, which really restricts its compatibility with modern TVs. While it delivers clear dialogue, the lack of positional sound makes movies feel flat and one-dimensional, plus there’s no Dolby Atmos support. The bass response is underwhelming without a dedicated subwoofer, and TruePlay tuning is frustratingly limited to iPhone users only. The compact size might seem appealing, but at this price point you’re better off looking at competitors that offer more modern features and better sound positioning.
Would I buy it?
No – The lack of HDMI and modern features make it feel outdated, and there are better options at this price point.
JBL Bar 1300X
This beast packs a massive 1,170 watts of total power with a 12-inch subwoofer that delivers thunderous bass. The innovative design includes detachable rear speakers that can be used as portable Bluetooth speakers when charged. With 16 channels and six up-firing drivers, it creates the most immersive Dolby Atmos experience I’ve heard in a soundbar. The sound quality is exceptional with clear dialogue and precise spatial audio placement, though you’ll need to regularly recharge those wireless surround speakers.
Would I buy it?
No – While it sounds amazing, the high price point and hassle of maintaining charged speakers make it impractical for most users.
Polk S4
The dialogue enhancement feature works brilliantly, making every word crystal clear even during intense action scenes. The 3.1.2 setup creates an impressive soundstage with Dolby Atmos support that really brings movies to life. The sound profile is nicely balanced with a touch of extra punch in the bass and brightness in the treble that makes everything sound engaging. The build quality feels solid, and at this price point, it delivers exceptional value for everyday TV and movie watching.
Would I buy it?
Yes – It hits the sweet spot of features, performance, and price, making it perfect for most users looking to upgrade their TV audio.
Philips B8507B
The soundbar’s vocals come through crystal clear, but the subwoofer performance is inconsistent and sometimes feels disconnected from the main unit. While it offers multiple connection options including HDMI and optical inputs, the Bluetooth connectivity is problematic with frequent disconnections. The build quality seems decent with 8 speakers packed into a sturdy, well-constructed unit. The bass output is particularly disappointing, producing obnoxious thumping sounds that can ruin movie watching experience.
Would I buy it?
No – The unreliable Bluetooth connection and subpar bass performance make this a hard pass, especially considering other options in this price range.
Thanks for watching, I hope this video helped you pick the soundbars for you. If you have any questions, drop a comment below. Links to all of these products mentioned in this video will be in the description.
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