5 Top-Rated Soundbars To Complement Your New Smart TV Set-Up
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Televisions have come a long way over the years, offering crystal-clear picture quality that provides an almost movie-theater-like feel at home. But even the best TVs often fall short when it comes to delivering audio clarity and depth. This is in part because modern TVs have ultra-thin designs that leave no room for larger, higher-quality speakers. In an ideal scenario, you'd purchase a top-rated home theater system for the most immersive audio experience. But surround sound systems are expensive, and the space requirements make them less practical for many. That's why soundbars can be the perfect alternative for budget and space-conscious consumers.
Thanks to its compact design, a soundbar can be placed on your TV stand. Because it features a number of speakers that face outward, it can drastically improve your TV's audio. Also, since soundbars are available across price ranges, you're more likely to find one that fits your needs without having to splurge.
That said, given the varied models available on the market, it can be hard to pick the right one for you from the best major soundbar brands. To make things easier, SlashGear has put together a list of five top-rated soundbars selected based on user reviews on online marketplaces. You'll find a more detailed methodology that explains how we went about selecting these products toward the end of this list.
Bose Smart Soundbar 600
This soundbar is a great choice if you're looking for a compact device that doesn't compromise on quality. It's capable of delivering Dolby Atmos sound despite its small size. This model includes five drivers with two upfiring speakers that can bounce sound off the ceiling, giving the illusion of overhead audio.
One of the highlights of this soundbar is its support for non-Atmos audio signals like 5.1 or stereo by way of Bose's proprietary TrueSpace technology. This analyzes and up-mixes the audio to create an enhanced experience, even if the original audio source isn't encoded to provide a rich, immersive feel. While a compact soundbar like this model may lack in terms of bass depth, it still manages to create a surprisingly natural sound balance. And, as in the case of most soundbars in its category, the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 supports remote, app-based, and voice commands. It's even designed with noise-rejecting mics to ensure that your voice commands are captured accurately even when there's background sound.
The setup process, which can be completed via the walkthrough on the Bose Music app, is fairly straightforward as well. All in all, given that it's available at a discounted price of $449.99 on online platforms, this is a pretty solid choice if you're looking for a sleek, compact soundbar that really delivers in terms of quality. It's also received a favorable user rating of 4.2 on Amazon and 4.4 at Best Buy. You can also purchase it from Bose's official website.
Samsung S-series 5.0 ch. Soundbar S60B
While Samsung offers a number of great soundbar and subwoofer combos, the Samsung S-series 5.0 ch. Soundbar S60B stands out for its simplicity, thanks to its wireless design. The device has built-in subwoofers and tweeters that deliver a powerful audio experience. Additionally, the device includes a built-in center speaker to project sound clearly.
One of the highlights of this device is that it supports audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. This makes it a good option for audiophiles looking for such technology at an affordable price. While its compact size makes the expansive sound it produces seem rather impressive, a few recent reviews mention the lack of surround sound effects as a slight downside. This isn't a complete deal-breaker, though, given that this soundbar packs in a number of advanced features while remaining one of Samsung's most affordable soundbar offerings.
It's also received a pretty high user rating of 4.2 on Amazon and 4.5 on Best Buy, which showcases its dependability and performance. While this model retails for $349.99, it's available at a discounted price of $227.99 on Amazon and $229.99 on Best Buy, making it even more of a value buy.
Vizio M-Series AiO Sound Bar
Another device that doesn't compromise on features despite having an affordable price tag is the Vizio M-Series AiO Sound Bar, which retails for $179.99. This isn't surprising, given that the company has sold a number of affordable yet performance-heavy soundbars in the past. Although it's an affordable option, this device offers support for audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Also, the soundbar packs six high-performance speakers and includes two built-in subwoofers, which help with bass reproduction.
The M-Series AiO also offers multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, and voice assistant support. Keep in mind, though, that while this soundbar produces an adequate audio experience for movie-watching, it falls short when it comes to delivering low bass, which may be disappointing if you listen to a lot of bass-rich music.
Despite this minor downside, it's rated pretty highly by users. This soundbar has an average user rating of 4.4 on Amazon and 4.5 on Best Buy, with hundreds of positive reviews.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
If you're running low on space but still want a soundbar that offers solid performance, the Sonos Bean (Gen 2) is a great choice. While it's not the most affordable option on this list, it's an affordable alternative to the Sonos Arc, which costs almost double. Designed with Dolby Atmos support, this soundbar delivers an immersive and multidimensional audio experience. The one downside you'll need to be mindful of is that it doesn't feature upfiring drivers; that said, it uses advanced processing techniques to create an illusion of height.
Even with just its default settings, this soundbar can produce crystal-clear audio at pretty much any volume level, but you can further fine-tune the sound settings for greater clarity. This might come in handy when watching movies or TV shows that have a lot of dialog-heavy scenes. Additionally, it uses only two cables, and the Sonos app gives you step-by-step instructions to set up the soundbar.
At the time of this writing, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is available for $476.45 on Amazon, where it has a 4.3 average user rating, and for $499 at Best Buy, where it has an impressive 4.7 user rating. You can also buy it through Sonos' official website for $499. All in all, investing in a Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a smart decision if you're looking for a sleek and compact soundbar that's perfect for enjoying immersive audio.
Sony HT-A3000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar
Sony has a number of premium soundbar options in its lineup, but the HT-A3000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar is a more affordable offering that still provides plenty of value. It's a popular choice among buyers, as evidenced by its average user rating of 4.3 on Amazon and 4.4 on Best Buy.
The soundbar offers support for audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, making it great for audiophiles. While the device doesn't have upfiring speakers, it comes with three front speakers and built-in subwoofers, which feature an X-Balanced Speaker Unit. This creates a more balanced sound profile with better bass reproduction, less distortion, and better audio clarity. If you'd like to enhance the audio quality of this soundbar even further, you can pair it with rear speakers. This helps create an optimal surround-sound-like experience and allows you to take advantage of Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping technology.
In terms of setting up this soundbar, you couldn't possibly have an easier experience. All you need to do is plug in the soundbar's HDMI cable to your TV's HDMI eARC port, and you're ready to start using the device. If you'd like to purchase this product, you can find it on Amazon at a discounted price of $498 (originally priced at $699.99) and on Best Buy for $499.99. It's also available on Sony's website for the same discounted price.
Why these soundbars made this list
If you're in need of a soundbar, you're likely looking for one that offers reliable performance, immersive sound quality, and a compact, good-looking design. In this list, we've tried to compile products that meet all these parameters. We've also tried to include options across price ranges, so you're sure to find one that suits your budget and needs.
To ensure that we selected the right products, we evaluated user ratings and reviews on platforms like Amazon and Best Buy and only selected the ones that had an average user rating of at least 4.0 and above. While these are some of the top-rated soundbars available on the market right now, you could focus your search exclusively on affordable surround sound systems if your heart is set on achieving the truest cinema-like audio experience.