Whether you're a fan of watching action movies or listening to bass-heavy music genres, you may want a soundbar with a dedicated subwoofer. A subwoofer can generally deliver a deeper, more powerful bass than a standalone bar, which helps you feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy content. You can read more about what a subwoofer does in our dedicated article. That said, you still want the rest of the system (the soundbar and any satellite speakers) to output a balanced sound, which allows you to discern other audio like dialogue or music. Since subwoofers can be fairly large, you'll also want to check that you have enough space for one (or more) in your TV room.
We've tested over 245 soundbars, and below you'll find our recommendations for the best soundbars with a subwoofer, including a pick with a built-in subwoofer (if you don't have the space for a sub). If you're looking for more options, check out our picks for the best soundbars, the best budget soundbars, and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
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 With Subwoofer
The Samsung HW-Q990F is the best soundbar with subwoofer we've tested, thanks to its balance of acoustic performance and price, all supported by a controlled but rumbly subwoofer. If you don't have the space for the dedicated subwoofer and satellites that come with this 11.1.4-channel soundbar, jump straight to our built-in subwoofer pick down below. If you've got the room, the Samsung is the whole package: dialogue and speech render intelligibly, thanks to the loud center channel; height effects in Atmos are reproduced convincingly and with solid tracking from side-to-side and front-to-back; and of course, the dedicated subwoofer outputs controlled rumble in cinematic sequences that's less susceptible to chuffing at high volumes.
While you might have expected our top pick to be 2026's Samsung HW-Q990H, we found its performance didn't improve by a significant margin compared to this entry. And though you have access to an interesting new feature in Sound Elevation (that pushes dialogue up vertically) with the H-generation, we found its implementation isn't good enough to justify paying extra for (for most people). With the HW-Q990F, you still have access to a huge cache of the same features, like automatic room correction, which adjusts the system's output to your room's acoustics. Given that the Q990F has already been discounted and will likely see steeper price cuts in the coming months, it's a better value pickup.
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Best Mid-Range Soundbar With Subwoofer
Going down a price segment to the mid-range, we have the JBL Bar 1000MK2. While Samsung has plenty of entries that could fill this slot, the JBL stands out thanks to the unique inclusion of fully wireless, detachable satellites and a powerful 300W subwoofer. The battery-powered satellites make the JBL an attractive proposition since they allow for flexible placement without worrying about power cables and outlet positioning. Meanwhile, the subwoofer provides great low-frequency extension well-suited for effects-heavy, sci-fi epics.
Compared to that of our top pick, the Samsung HW-Q990F, the JBL's sub can come off as heavy-handed, though, as it tends to cause surround content to reproduce with a bass-heavy, downward tilt, which can overwhelm clinking glasses or whirring sounds in the mid and treble ranges. Still, this isn't a huge dealbreaker since you have access to all the fixings for sound customization; you can knock the subwoofer down a peg with the channel- or subwoofer-specific level adjustments (and a graphic EQ). Like our top pick, you also have access to room correction. Connectivity is slightly more limited, with no HDMI 2.1 bandwidth video passthrough available, but this doesn't matter unless you intend to passthrough high refresh rate video from devices like consoles through your soundbar, though.
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Best Budget Soundbar With Subwoofer
Surprisingly, bringing your spend down to the budget category doesn't mean you have to sacrifice a ton of features or performance, as evidenced by our wallet-friendly pick, the Hisense AX5140Q. This 5.1.4-channel soundbar features two satellites (equipped with up-firing drivers for Atmos content) in addition to its discrete subwoofer. You also have support for just about every popular audio format, and HDMI video passthrough functionality if you want to use the bar as a device hub (maybe you ran out of HDMI ports on your TV). It gains some extra utility when paired with a compatible Hisense TV, which lets you access room correction, but it didn't change the audio output much when we tested it.
While it's not quite as well-built as the more premium bars earlier in the list and lacks room correction unless you have a compatible Hisense TV, this bar still punches well above its price in terms of sound. It features a balanced frequency response, with plenty of punchy bass on tap, and a discrete center channel that renders voices with detail. The two satellites add some immersive layers to surround sound content, and the up-firing drivers can create some sense of verticality with Atmos content, though it's not as convincing as the Samsung HW-Q990F in this regard.
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Best Cheap Soundbar With Subwoofer
If you're looking for a solid bar at an even lower price point that doesn't make too many sacrifices, check out the Vizio SV510X-0806, the best cheap soundbar with a subwoofer we've tested. Its dedicated subwoofer means you feel plenty of thump in EDM tracks. That said, its mid- and high-bass frequencies are overemphasized beyond our target, as its relatively small subwoofer lacks the lowest bass extension. This will primarily affect the reproduction of rumble and the chest-shaking sensation you get with explosions. That said, its mid-range is quite balanced, so dialogue sounds realistic without getting honky, and instruments in soundtracks are rendered accurately and with detail.
This soundbar stands out from similarly priced models thanks to its inclusion of two rear satellites, which is why it's our pick in this category. The satellites are especially handy if you like to watch a lot of multi-channel content, as they make it feel like you're right in the middle of the action. That said, the lack of up-firing drivers can make them less immersive than the other picks on the list in Atmos content. Sounds like airplanes flying overhead feel more like they're coming from the side than from somewhere above you. Still, this bar represents a solid choice that allows you to play a variety of immersive media formats with reasonable accuracy.
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Best Soundbar With Subwoofer Built-In
Not everyone has space in their living room for a dedicated subwoofer. In these cases, bars with built-in subwoofers offer a great alternative. The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 is the best one we've tested, and it's one of the few bars with a built-in sub that can reproduce bass frequencies as low as (or close to) the top models on our list. You feel the deep thump and rumble in your seat, whether listening to bass-heavy music or action-packed movie scenes.
This soundbar supports object-based audio formats, including DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, which you're likely to find in modern shows and movies on streaming platforms. Thanks to its side-firing and up-firing drivers, you can still enjoy some semblance of immersion and height compared to more basic standalone soundbars. That said, don't expect to be wowed in the same way you'd be with some of the other picks on the list.
If you want a similar soundbar with the option to expand into a surround setup, consider the Sonos Arc Ultra. It also has an integrated sub, but it (barely) doesn't extend as low as the Klipsch. You'll miss out on video passthrough entirely as well as some sound enhancement features. If your space is pretty tight or you have fussy neighbors downstairs, consider checking out some other picks in best all-in-one soundbars instead.
Notable Mentions
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Sony BRAVIA Theater Quad with Bass Module:
The Sony BRAVIA Theater Quad with Bass Module is a unique quad speaker setup with a dedicated sub that can reproduce thumpy low bass. While it offers an excellent soundstage performance compared to other models, it lacks many sound customization features and doesn't have a dedicated center channel like the Samsung HW-Q990F.
See our review -
Nakamichi Shockwafe Wireless:
Should you need more firepower (and more subwoofers) than the Samsung HW-Q990F can provide, the Nakamichi Shockwafe Wireless's dual subs might be for you. This soundbar is as loud as they come, with a thunderous bass response and immersive Atmos performance. It's heavy and expensive compared to the Samsung, though.
See our review -
Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra:
The Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra is a sub and satellite setup that has a wider stereo soundstage (by a tad) than the Samsung HW-Q990F and is generally well-liked by enthusiasts for its music reproduction. That said, it isn't as customizable as the Samsung, so you're afforded less leeway to tune the system to your tastes.
See our review
Recent Updates
Jun 10, 2026:
We've overhauled much of the article's text to make purchasing decisions clearer. We also validated that our picks are still relevant and in stock.
May 01, 2026:
With the Samsung HW-Q990H review complete, we've determined that the previous-generation Samsung HW-Q990F still offers better value, as its performance and features are largely unchanged. We've added a comparison to make the trade-offs clear. Otherwise, we've made no changes to the picks.
Mar 31, 2026:
We've updated the article with text improvements and some pick changes. The JBL Bar 1000MK2 is our new mid-range pick, and we've removed the TCL Q85H as our lower mid-range pick since it doesn't offer performance improvements over the less expensive Hisense AX5140Q.
Mar 05, 2026:
We've restructured our picks in this article, removing the 'Best Dual-Sub' pick in favor of a cheap pick. The Hisense AX5140Q is our new budget pick, while the Vizio SV510X-0806 is our new cheap pick. We've also made some changes to the text throughout the article to help with conciseness.
Nov 19, 2025:
We've replaced the LG S90TR with the Samsung HW-Q910D as our mid-range pick to provide more distinction between products. Meanwhile, the Hisense AX5125H has been succeeded by the Vizio SV510X-0806 due to the former's limited availability. Lastly, we replaced the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX with the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 as it offers similar performance at a lower price.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best soundbars with a subwoofer 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 would like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our reviews for soundbars that come with a subwoofer. 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.