Because sound bars are easy to set up, affordable, and offer much better sound quality than a built-in standard TV speaker, they are much more popular than traditional home theater speaker, AV receiver and subwoofer Packages these days. With a plethora of options on the market, finding the best soundbar can be a challenge, but this guide can help you reduce noise.
We play music and movies in our audio lab to test the sound quality of the sound bars listed below. We also take into account characteristics such as the amount of HDMI ports and if the soundbar offers high resolution audio, Bluetooth, surround sound or Dolby Atmos. From smart speakers powered by Alexa to solid bars, this is CNET’s line of the best sound bars available in multiple levels of features and prices.
This publication is periodically updated as new products are tested.
read more: Soundbar Buyer’s Guide to 2020
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Vizio’s $ 150 soundbar is one of the best you can buy
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If you are looking to get rid of your TV speakers, this is where we suggest you get started. The Vizio SB3621n-E8 offers excellent sound quality in a compact package. Its wireless external subwoofer ensures that the sound is balanced, whether you’re watching movies or listening to music. The Vizio SB3621n-E8 is the best budget soundbar we’ve ever heard, period. Read our Vizio SB3621N-E8 review.
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If your price range is limited, for less than a C note, the Creative Stage soundbar offers plenty of never-before-seen features, including HDMI connectivity and a subwoofer. But what’s even more remarkable is that it sounds better than most of its ultra-budget competition, with a wired subwoofer filling the room with great bass. A variety of modes makes it a great soundbar speaker for music, concerts, and games. Excellent sound quality for gamers and movie fans. Read our Creative Stage review.
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The Yamaha YAS-209 offers excellent sound quality in a compact soundbar. The addition of Amazon Alexa is useful as it allows this smart voice control soundbar to stream music, and the microphones work well in noisy environments. The implementation of the DTS Virtual: X soundbar offers a rich effect reminiscent of surround speakers. The wireless subwoofer is more articulate and offers more headroom than the competition, and also an excellent Polk command bar. However, the YAS-209 does not use the company’s MusicCast system, so it will not sync with other Yamaha speakers. Read our Yamaha YAS-209 review.
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The Vizio SB36512-F6 proves you don’t need to spend a ton to get a high-quality soundbar that can handle the latest Dolby Atmos soundtracks and get multi-room sound. The Vizio SB36512-F6 is a complete 5.1.2 immersive sound system for the price of an AV receiver, and its height channels do a solid job of bringing out the Atmos effects. You can also stream music from any Google Chromecast enabled audio app like Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio and Google Play Music. Read our Vizio SB36512-F6 review.
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If you are interested in setting up a multi-room sound system, the Sonos sound bar is still the best option. Sonos Arc is the company’s best soundbar, and includes playback of Dolby Atmos, a class-leading music ecosystem, and a choice of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built into the bar. The soundbar system sounds good with music and movies, and adding a couple of Ikea Symphonisk shelves will really enhance your home theater sound experience. The Arc sounds much bigger than the cheaper Beam the $ 700 subwoofer on top needs for it to be comparable in terms of sound. Read our Sonos Arc review.
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If you simply need to have the fewest boxes and remotes in your living space, yet demand the best Atmos quality sound performance you can get, this Sennheiser speaker is your boy. It is a single unit, without a subwoofer, but is capable of conjuring up the most realistic and lifelike surround sound effects we’ve heard. It is also fully controlled via remote control. It is not cheap sound equipment, but it is comparable in price to a complete set of surround speakers without the volume and with 85% of the excellent sound and performance. Read our Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar review.
Also consider
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With a full 4K HDR Roku transmitter and a single voice remote control that controls everything, this bar offers a simple all-in-one audio / video solution. This soundbar setup is very easy; just add to a TV with a simple HDMI connection. The sound quality was very good for a single bar and you can add the optional Roku wireless subwoofer for more power. It also comes with a much-loved Roku remote. Read our Roku Smart Soundbar review.
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If you are looking for a single bar that is even cheaper than Sonos Arc, the Zvox SB500 is a great choice for people who still appreciate sound quality. This speaker offers multiple sound mode options, tighter bass and better sound than most other individual speaker options. While Sonos Wi-Fi streaming may be missing, the Zvox still includes Bluetooth connectivity to stream audio from your phone or tablet. Read our Zvox SB500 review.
