The 10 Best Rated Soundbars Under $200

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Built-in TV speakers are infamously terrible. Of course, that's not to say all built-in TV speakers are awful — but most of them are. If you want to improve your home theater setup, one of the easiest places to start is by adding a soundbar.

Many of the top-rated soundbar systems can quickly set you back over a thousand dollars, but it's definitely not necessary to shell out that much cash if your only goal is to get better audio quality than your TV speakers offer. In fact, we actually found 10 of the best soundbars for under $200 with stellar critic and customer ratings.

Some of these budget-friendly soundbars come with a single subwoofer, while some only come with the soundbar itself. For less than $200, you won't get a soundbar system with multiple speaker units to create a surround sound effect, but you can get crisp sound quality that's infinitely better than your TV's built-in speakers. So without further ado, let's break down your best 10 options for a soundbar under $200.

While it's right at the top end of $200, the Sonos Ray soundbar is easily one of the best soundbars in this price range. Plus, you can often find it on sale for slightly less than its full $200 retail price.

True surround sound may not be something soundbars can produce – especially not without an extra subwoofer unit — but there's no denying the Sonos Ray offers a stellar soundstage. This soundbar features Dolby Digital surround sound and high-res audio support, and it's equipped with three channels, two tweeters, and two woofers.

In our review of the Sonos Ray, we found the sound quality to be "just swell," and our Executive Editor Chris Davies emphasized how well the soundbar delivers crisp dialogue. He also noted that the soundbar doesn't feel cheap, despite its relatively affordable price — a common complaint among budget-friendly soundbars.

In addition to its admirable build quality, the Sonos Ray is quite a compact soundbar, measuring just 22 x 3.7 x 2.8 inches. This leaves plenty of room to add in the Sonos Sub Mini subwoofer if you want fuller sound, though it is an additional $429.

If you're looking for a soundbar right at the edge of $200, the Samsung HW-C450 is a fantastic option from a reliable brand. Plus, you can typically find it discounted for at least a little bit from major retailers.

Though the HW-C450 doesn't support high-res audio, it does support Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual:X surround sound and has 2.1 channels, multiple modes to play around with, and a wireless subwoofer for extra bass. When blasting your favorite music through this B-Series soundbar, you can turn on Bass Boost for extra oomph.

This soundbar also has Night Mode, a feature that automatically compresses the bass to prevent disturbing anyone's sleep while you play games or binge a show late at night. If you don't have to worry about waking anyone up, try out Game Mode instead, in which the soundbar syncs directional audio with what's happening on the screen.

Alternatively, switch on the soundbar's Voice Enhance feature to amplify dialogue frequencies and make it easier to hear characters speaking in TV shows or movies without needing to boost the overall volume. The HW-C450 is long, but pretty thin, measuring 33.8 x 3 x 2.3 inches. If your TV is mounted or if you have plenty of space below your TV, it should have no issues nestling in nicely.

Vizio is one of the best major soundbar brands you can buy from, especially if you're looking for the best performance to price ratio. In particular, Vizio's M213ad-K8 soundbar is one of the most popular affordable options available right now, with great sound quality and a fairly thin profile, measuring 36 x 5.5 x 2.1 inches.

Inside the M213ad-K8, there are six high-performance speakers delivering sharp audio, whether you're listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a game. With built-in dual subwoofers and integrated tweeters and woofers, this $179 soundbar produces a full sound that'll easily fill the room. It also features Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X surround sound support, which both work to help your soundbar sound the best it possibly can in every scenario, as long as the content you're consuming incorporates support for these audio technologies as well.

Using an HDMI eARC port, you can use your TV remote to control the soundbar, but the included remote has a few special buttons that make it worth keeping around. You can, of course, control the volume, power, and Bluetooth with the remote, but the more unique controls include a quick-switch button for Night mode, buttons to adjust bass and treble levels, and a quick-access EQ button.

Despite its affordable $169 price, the Vizio SV210M-08 is a recent 2024 model soundbar that's a fan-favorite for multiple reasons. This 30-inch soundbar features two full-range speakers, and comes with an additional wireless subwoofer unit to help round out the soundstage with boomy bass. You can experience the best audio possible from this soundbar with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content.

The only minor hangup some might find with the SV210M-08 is that it doesn't come with a remote control. You can purchase a remote from Vizio separately for only $15, or you can use your existing TV remote by connecting the soundbar to your TV with an HDMI eARC port. It's also worth noting that this is a fairly wide soundbar, measuring 30 x 3.2 x 2.3 inches, so make sure your TV stand is long enough to accommodate the SV210M-08 before you add it to your cart.

TCL is well-known for making affordable TVs, but many don't know the brand also makes budget-friendly soundbar setups. In particular, the TCL S55H 2.1 soundbar offers great features and sound quality for just $159 at full price.

This soundbar comes with a wireless subwoofer with a 5.5-inch driver to bring deep bass notes to the soundstage, helping intense movie moments feel more heightened and your favorite songs sound fuller. With Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X in the mix, it's even easier to become fully immersed in whatever movie you're watching or game you're playing. TCL's S55H soundbar also utilizes AI to boost its capabilities. With AI Sonic, the soundbar performs a feature called Auto Room Calibration to analyze the room it's in and specifically tailor the sound quality to that room.

Measuring 31.9 x 3.9 x 2.4 inches, the S55H soundbar will take up a fair bit of space on your TV stand. Just make sure you avoid these common mistakes when installing a soundbar to ensure your system is set up for success from the get-go.

At just $119, the Samsung HW-C400/ZA soundbar is quite the stunner, with an all-in-one design that features a built-in subwoofer. This soundbar measures 25.2 x 4.2 x 2.6 inches, and without a separate subwoofer unit, it's an ideal pick for homes with limited space on the TV stand or in the living room in general.

The soundbar comes with a few built-in modes and features to make your life easier. Night Mode automatically compresses the bass and turns down the volume so you don't disturb other people while you're binging a TV show late at night, and Voice Enhance specifically amplifies voice frequencies so it's easier to hear dialogue without needing to turn the volume up. 

A similar, yet slightly different Samsung soundbar is available through Amazon for only $115. This the Samsung HW-T400/ZN model, which largely appears to be the same as the HW-C400/ZA model but with a different remote.

You've probably heard of popular Amazon Fire TVs and the Fire TV Stick for streaming, but there's a good chance you might be unaware of the Fire TV Soundbar. Although this nifty device launched in late 2023, it's not nearly as sought-after as Amazon's TVs and streaming sticks, but this soundbar is definitely worth checking out.

At just $119 full price, it's a super affordable soundbar option. Plus, it goes on sale frequently, so you can often find it just shy of $100. On top of its budget-friendly price, the Fire TV Soundbar measures just 24 x 3.5 x 2.5 inches, making it a fantastic option for tight spaces. Amazon's base soundbar features two speaker channels and support for Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual:X, and it integrates seamlessly with Fire TVs. You can control both your Fire TV and the Fire TV Soundbar with one remote.

Sadly, the base Fire TV Soundbar doesn't offer much bass to speak of, but you could opt for the more expensive — yet still relatively affordable – Fire TV Plus Soundbar if you want you want something capable of fuller sound.

At just $109, the Creative Stage V2 is one of the most affordable soundbars that also comes with a subwoofer unit for boosted bass coverage. 

The soundbar itself is equipped with two custom-tuned, 2.25-inch mid-range drivers and support for Clear Dialog and Surround audio technologies. Then, the separate, side-firing subwoofer adds depth to the soundstage, whether you're listening to a bass-filled song or watching an action movie. Through the included remote, it's easy to adjust treble and bass levels, change the audio mode you're currently using, swap the input, and of course, control the soundbar's basic connectivity, volume, and power settings.

Despite coming with a soundbar and a subwoofer unit, you won't have to clear a lot of space to accommodate this tech on or around your TV stand. The subwoofer is tall and thin, measuring 16.7 x 9.8 x 4.6 inches, and the soundbar is fairly compact, measuring 26.8 x 3.9 x 3 inches.

There's an argument to be made for investing in a set of speakers over a soundbar, but it's hard to beat the all-in-one convenience of a soundbar, especially if you're shopping for a small space. This all-in-one benefit is just one of the many things the Roku Streambar SE has going for it.

For just $99, Roku's Streambar SE not only provides solid sound quality via two front-facing speakers and a dedicated bass port, but also functions as a streaming source. Through the Streambar SE, you'll have access to 4K HDR quality streaming and all your favorite streaming apps, along with Roku's huge library of free content. This soundbar is also the smallest option on this list, making it ideal for small living rooms, bedrooms, dorms, or any other compact spaces. Measuring only 9.6 x 3.5 x 2.4 inches, it's incredibly easy to slide under a TV or in an entertainment unit. 

The slightly more expensive Roku Streambar is one of the best smart soundbars you can buy, with Roku's own voice assistant built into the remote. Alternatively, through a separate supported device, you can use Apple AirPlay, HomeKit, Google Home, or Alexa with the Roku Streambar.

Sony is a go-to brand for high-quality TVs, headphones, and of course, soundbars. While many of the company's products come with a high price tag, the Sony HTS100F soundbar is relatively affordable at only $99 full price.

The HTS100F is a 2-channel soundbar with a built-in tweeter and a Bass Reflex speaker near the center for more atmospheric sound. To make movie night even more immersive, the soundbar features support for S-Force Pro Front Surround sound to help fill the room. This soundbar comes with a remote that's decked out with a ton of helpful buttons. In addition to your typical volume and other media controls, the HTS100F remote features individual buttons for each mode you can swap between, like Cinema, Music, Voice, Night, and Standard.

Measuring 35.5 x 3.5 x 2.5, the HTS100F is a pretty long soundbar, so make sure you have enough space on your TV stand to accommodate it. You can also mount the soundbar to the wall if that works better for your setup.

There are plenty of pros and cons of budget-friendly soundbars to consider before making your final decision, but ultimately, there are quite a few fantastic soundbars under $200 available that are quite highly rated.

To compile this list, we first looked at customer reviews and ratings for soundbars that met the price range we were looking at via top tech retailers, like Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart.

Then, we took those customer ratings and compared them with reviews from trusted publications, including but not limited to RTINGS, Tom's Guide, CNET, TechRadar, and PCMag, to create a list of budget-friendly soundbars that are well-constructed, offer useful features, and most importantly, sound great.