If your budget is under $200, you might be worried you won't find a good soundbar for your home theater system. While budget soundbars usually don't have the same surround sound options as some of the more expensive soundbars out there, you can still find something decent at this price point. The best options for this budget range will get the basics right, with balanced frequency responses, solid dynamics performances, and discrete center channels for dialogue detail. Some bars might even feature discrete satellites, which can add to the immersion of 5.1 surround sound content.
We've tested over 250 soundbars; below, you'll find the best that cost under $200. See our recommendations for the best small soundbars, the best budget soundbars, and the best soundbars under $300.
Our recommendations are built upon our thorough testing and rigorous reviews. Every soundbar we evaluate goes through multiple testing stages with different teams to ensure accurate, authentic results. No cherry-picked units or data.
Curious how we've tested over 200 soundbars (and counting)? Look at our How We Test Soundbars article for a behind-the-scenes look at our lab and process.
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Best Soundbar Under $200
MoviesMusicDialogue/TV ShowsMixed UsageStereo Frequency ResponseCenterSee all our test resultsSurround 5.1The best soundbar under $200 we've tested is the Hisense HS5100. This versatile 5.1 system is well-suited to a wide range of audio content, from music to movies to TV shows, at a budget-friendly price. It even has discrete satellite speakers, which are uncommon at this price. Adding satellites to your setup makes a huge difference, especially when watching surround sound content like Dolby Digital. That said, this bar lacks Atmos compatibility, so this content type will be downsampled, resulting in a loss of immersiveness. Still, if you have a compatible Hisense TV with Atmos speakers, you can always pair it with the bar in TV mode. This feature lets you use the audio processing capabilities of the TV rather than the soundbar, though it still won't sound as natural as native Atmos support.
Since this soundbar has a 5.1 setup, it comes with a discrete center channel designed to improve vocal clarity in the mix. As a result, it's really easy to follow along with conversations between characters on-screen. Plus, the dedicated sub brings out the thump and rumble in more intense scenes. If you want a different sound, you can always customize this bar's output thanks to its bass and treble adjustments. Music and podcasts can also be easily streamed to the bar over Bluetooth. If you need broader sound customization options, it's worth checking out the similarly spec'd Samsung HW-B650, which features a graphic EQ and presets. The Samsung lacks discrete satellites, though, so 5.1 content gets downmixed to stereo.
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Best Soundbar Without Satellites Under $200
MoviesMusicDialogue/TV ShowsMixed UsageStereo Frequency ResponseCenterSee all our test resultsSurround 5.1Depending on the size and shape of your living room, you might not have space for a setup with rear speakers. In that case, the TCL S55H is worth a look. This 2.1 well-built setup offers a balanced performance without taking up too much space in your home. Thanks to its sub, it delivers a boomy, punchy bass. At the same time, dialogue and instruments sound clear and natural. If you prefer something different, there are a few sound enhancement features like EQ presets to give you a bit more control, as well as viewing options like 'Night' mode, which tries to compress the dynamic range so loud explosions don't disturb your neighbors.
This bar can get loud enough to fill an average room with sound, and even though there's a little bit of compression at max volume, it isn't very noticeable. It only delivers stereo sound, so your audio isn't the most immersive or dimensional, as sound effects seem to come from out in front of you rather than around you, but it's a good choice for stereo mixes. That said, it does support height formats like Dolby Atmos, which is common on Blu-rays and streaming platforms. Still its stereo soundstage and center channel performance fall short of the Hisense HS5100, and it lacks the Hisense's discrete satellites.
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Best Standalone Soundbar Under $200
MoviesMusicDialogue/TV ShowsMixed UsageStereo Frequency ResponseCenterSee all our test resultsSurround 5.1The Sony HT-S100F is the best standalone soundbar under $200. If you're low on room or simply won't miss the extra bass, this bar might be just what you're looking for. It's a 2.0 setup, meaning surround sound is downmixed to stereo. Sony tries to mitigate this with its always-on surround mode, S-Force Front Surround, but the effect isn't very convincing. Our top pick, the Hisense HS5100, has a more convincing surround sound, thanks to its dedicated satellite speakers. However, for content like sitcoms, reality TV, and documentaries, an adequately balanced stereo frequency response is sufficient. Unfortunately, the bar lacks detail in the treble, so voices sound muffled. You can tweak this to some extent with the included EQ presets, but you're never going to get the detail you'd get from a more balanced bar. There's also no room correction feature, and the absence of a subwoofer means low-end thump is out of the question, so techno fans will be better off with the TCL S55H.
At this price, you usually have to make many sacrifices in connectivity and passthrough, and this bar is no exception. The Sony doesn't support DTS, and there's no dedicated HDMI In port. On the plus side, latency via ARC is superb, so you shouldn't experience any AC sync issues, and the Optical support is decent, too. You can connect your phone to the bar to play audio via Bluetooth, but there's no support for Wi-Fi playback or Apple AirPlay. All in all, it's a pretty stripped-back affair, but that's par for the course at this price.
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Best Small Soundbar Under $200
MoviesMusicDialogue/TV ShowsMixed UsageStereo Frequency ResponseCenterSee all our test resultsSurround 5.1A small soundbar is a great way to improve your TV's sound without taking up much space in your living room. The Roku Streambar SE is one of the best we've tested and is usually available for well under $200. Measuring less than 10 inches wide, this soundbar is a great way to improve your TV's sound without cluttering your living area. Out of the box, the treble is slightly recessed, which can make effects like clashing swords lose excitement, and without a sub, the bass is quite subdued, but the tuning is acceptable for dialogue. You can improve this by adding a subwoofer that's sold separately. If you'd rather avoid the extra expense, we suggest raising the bass a few notches in the companion app, but always do so to suit your personal taste.
It doesn't support DTS, but it does support Dolby Digital, and since it's a 2.0 bar, it downmixes surround content. As a more affordable bar, it comes with plenty of compromises on features. There's no room correction, but you can choose between a selection of EQ presets and, as already alluded to, adjust the bass and treble amount in broad strokes. Given its smaller size, it can't get as loud as larger options on our list, like the Hisense HS5100, either.
Notable Mentions
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Hisense HS2100:
The Hisense HS2100 is a great budget 2.1 soundbar alternative to the TCL S55H if you want to stay well under $200. While the Hisense has a more balanced default sound than the TCL, it can't get as loud as our pick and doesn't support Atmos.
See our review
Recent Updates
Aug 25, 2026:
We've added the Hisense HS5100 as our top pick due to its discrete satellites and solid performance with stereo and 5.1 content. We've also replaced the discontinued Roku Streambar with the Roku Streambar SE, which offers similar features in a smaller package.
May 20, 2026:
We've confirmed that all our picks are available and relevant. They still represent the best options within the price range, so we've made no changes.
Feb 16, 2026:
This article has been checked for accuracy with only minor changes to the text for clarity. The picks are unchanged.
Oct 07, 2025:
We've refreshed this article to bring our picks back under the $200 cap. Our new pick for 'Best Soundbar Without Satellites' is the TCL S55H for its useful Atmos compatibility. The Sony HT-S100F is our new 'Best Standalone Soundbar,' with the Roku Streambar our pick for 'Best Small Soundbar.'
Aug 26, 2025:
This article's picks have been updated to include the Hisense HS5100 as an alternative to the Vizio SV510X-0806. The out-of-stock Vizio M Series M213ad-K8 was replaced with the Samsung HW-S60D for the best standalone. The format was also updated to follow our current guidelines.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top soundbars under $200 for most people to buy. We factor in the price (a cheaper soundbar wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no soundbars that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our reviews of soundbars under $200. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. No soundbar is perfect. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.