Soundbars offer a few advantages over traditional home theater speaker setups: they tend to take up less space, are easier to set up, and are often more affordable. Whether you're looking for a soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos or want something you can plug your older MP3 player into, there's a model for you. However, not all soundbars are created equal; some provide a better listening experience than others. If you watch a lot of TV or listen to music at home, you'll want something that sounds good and is compatible with your existing devices, whether you want to hook it up to your smart TV or prefer streaming directly from your smartphone. The best soundbar for TV can reproduce dialogue in your favorite shows with clarity and detail.
We've tested over 240 soundbars, and below are our top picks. See our recommendations for the best budget soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars, and the best 5.1 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
The Samsung HW-Q990F is the best soundbar we've tested. While you might have been expecting the newer Samsung HW-Q990H, we found much of the performance remains the same between the two generations, save for a few added features like Sound Elevate, which pushes dialogue upwards at the cost of the speaker's horizontal clarity. Coupled with deep discounts following its successor's release, the HW-Q990F offers better value for all but those set on having the newest features Samsung has to offer.
The 11.1.4 setup features a discrete subwoofer with dual 8" drivers and two satellites, which help the system reproduce a balanced and immersive sound for all kinds of content. You have access to all common audio formats, including object-based DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, which make great use of the system's up-firing drivers, generating a verticality in your favorite immersive movies. The bar also gets plenty loud if you need to fill a larger living room rather than a cozy home theater. And you have plenty of sound enhancement features available, like a graphic EQ, rear-satellite-only playback, and automatic room correction. If you own a supported Samsung TV, you can also use Q-Symphony to integrate the TV into your system as an additional center channel, though we find this tends to spoil precision in dialogue reproduction compared to the bar operating standalone.
If you like the idea of Samsung's flagships, but can't quite palate the price, you can also check out the Samsung HW-Q990D. It often goes on sale for significantly less than the HW-Q990F, and the differences in performance are minimal. The HW-Q990D has an older subwoofer design that pumps out more low end than the HW-Q990F's, though we found it's also at a higher risk of chuffing or rattling.
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Best Mid-Range Soundbar
The JBL Bar 1000MK2 is the best mid-range soundbar we've tested. If you're looking for a soundbar for your living room that keeps you cable-free and clutter-free, this is the right system for you. It features two detachable, battery-powered satellites that you can flexibly place without worrying about your closest power outlet. Despite their small stature compared to the Samsung HW-Q990F's satellites, the JBL's get plenty loud too, and you can even use them as standalone wireless speakers if you're doing some prep work in the kitchen.
Don't let the convenience fool you into thinking the bar is only a gimmick, either; this 7.1.4-channel system comes with a high-powered 10" driver subwoofer that pumps out ample low-end rumble and thump in the most bombastic action sequences. It's also well supported by the same kinds of sound enhancement features as our top pick, including room correction, a satellite-only playback mode, and room correction. Still, the JBL falls short when it comes to connectivity compared to our top pick; while it has three HDMI In ports, they can't passthrough 4k @ 120Hz video signals, capping out at 4k @ 60Hz.
If you're looking to fill a larger space but want to keep the battery-powered wireless satellites, check out the JBL Bar 1300XMK2. It gets louder than even our top pick, but as you'd expect, it's more expensive than its little brother, the Bar 1000MK2.
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Best Budget Soundbar
The Hisense QX5140Q is the best budget soundbar we've tested, but given its features, you wouldn't necessarily expect its affordable price. The 5.1.4 configuration boasts satellites and up-firing drivers to lend surround sound and 3D formats like Dolby Atmos their due. While the Hisense lacks the higher-end build quality of the JBL Bar 1000MK2, room correction, and comprehensive wireless connectivity, the Hisense delivers a value-driven satellite-equipped setup that sounds great. The wired connectivity and audio format support of this soundbar are impressive: HDMI In with video passthrough and support for virtually every common audio format. This sets you up for a versatile movie-viewing experience with Blu-rays or any video streaming platform, so long as there's a cable involved.
The downside is that, aside from Bluetooth, this soundbar won't connect to any other wireless platforms, so Spotify Connect or even Wi-Fi are off the table. However, not everyone uses their soundbar for wireless listening, and it may be a worthwhile trade-off for those four up-firing drivers that reproduce Atmos, delivering an immersive experience. More to the point, the soundbar is very well-tuned, lending a balanced sound with a low-end punch that doesn't overwhelm the mix, while clear dialogue can cut through. Still, if Dolby Atmos content isn't particularly important, the 5.1 Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers is a compelling alternative with deeper, rumbly bass and a sealed sub that can be easier to place within your room.
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Best Small Soundbar
Low on space? Don't want to clutter your living room? Check out the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), our best soundbar for TV, if you prefer a small footprint. This next-generation soundbar retains the same compact design of the original Sonos Beam at less than 26 inches in width. What's the difference between them? Well, this model supports Dolby Atmos content, which is increasingly common on both streaming platforms and Blu-rays. You can enjoy a wide, immersive sound with multi-channel content, as the bar can widen its soundstage well past its small frame. It's not quite as stellar a performance as the more premium (and larger) Sonos Arc Ultra, but it stands out compared to other smaller soundbars.
This 5.0 setup has many of the same sound enhancement features as the Arc Ultra. First, you can access a room correction feature designed to optimize the bar's sound for your unique room. You can even add a sub and satellites to create the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) with Sub Mini + One SL Speakers for the best possible performance. That said, the standalone bar still offers a solid performance, and it's worth a look for those without a lot of space. The ability to add on other components is an added benefit if you move to a bigger room down the line.
For more on self-contained bars, check out the best all-in-one soundbars.
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Best Soundbar For Large Rooms
For those with larger, more open living spaces, finding a soundbar capable of filling your whole room with sound is important. The Nakamichi Shockwafe Wireless is one of the best soundbars for this use case, thanks to its 11.2.6 setup. Unlike most soundbars, it has two subwoofers to even out the bass reproduction throughout your room, as well as four satellite speakers, which you can position horizontally or vertically for the best possible sound. You can move these components around the room to fill any gaps in the soundstage, so no space goes without. While the subwoofers ensure you hear plenty of thump and rumble, the treble can sound a bit dull at times, which hurts vocal intelligibility, especially compared to our top pick, the Samsung HW-Q990F.
This soundbar doesn't have a traditional room correction feature since it lacks a microphone to analyze your room's unique acoustics. Still, you can enter your room dimensions to optimize sound for your space and customize the level of each output channel to your taste. The bar also comes with a few presets to toggle between, including 'Music,' 'Movie,' 'Game,' 'News,' and 'Sports.' Connectivity-wise, the bar offers support for all the major formats via eARC and optical. It also supports HDMI 2.1 and can passthrough 4k signals @ 120Hz @ 10-bit. With two HDMI In ports, the bar can easily act as a hub for your different devices and displays.
Notable Mentions
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Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc Ultra:
The Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc UItra is a premium alternative to the Samsung HW-Q990F. It offers an immersive sound and a modular design you can add speakers to, but it's more limited than the Samsung with wired connectivity due to its single eARC port.
See our review -
Klipsch Flexus Core 300:
The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 is an all-in-one soundbar that makes a good alternative to larger setups like the Samsung HW-Q990F, especially if you're short on space. Of course, since it lacks a dedicated sub and satellites, the Klipsch's sound isn't as immersive as the Samsung's, but it still offers a balanced, versatile sound in a simple package.
See our review -
LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 Pro:
The LG Immersive Quad Suite 7 Pro is the fully expanded version of the LG Sound Suite H7. It features four satellites and a discrete satellites reproducing a wide soundstage with ample bass output. However, you'll need room for multiple satellites, and their positioning can change how the system behaves.
See our review
Recent Updates
Apr 29, 2026:
We've updated the article to reflect new product releases and changing stock availability: the JBL Bar 1000MK2 is now our mid-range pick, and we removed the now hard-to-find Samsung HW-Q930D.
Feb 23, 2026:
This article was updated to replace the mid-range pick, LG S90TR, with the Samsung HW-Q800D, which offers better value. The Hisense AX5140Q is the new budget pick because it has up-firing drivers, unlike the previous pick, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers. The Amazon is mentioned in the text, though, and the LG has been moved to Notable Mentions. In the Samsung HW-Q800D's section, the TCL Q85H is suggested for its satellites.
Nov 26, 2025:
This article has been updated to remove the Samsung HW-Q800F as the lower mid-range pick and instead include it as a mid-range option for those who prefer not to have satellites, which come with the LG S90TR. Otherwise, only minor edits have been made throughout for accuracy.
Sep 29, 2025:
We've added the Samsung HW-Q800F as a new lower mid-range pick to better serve different price points. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers is our new budget pick, with the Vizio Elevate SE SL512X-0806 as an alternative for Atmos fans. The Nakamichi Shockwafe Wireless replaces the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 eARC as our pick for large rooms. Finally, in our Notable Mentions, we added the Klipsch Flexus Core 300 for anyone looking for an all-in-one solution, removed the Sony BRAVIA Theater Quad with Bass Module, and replaced the LG S95TR with the newer LG S95AR.
Jul 17, 2025:
We've replaced our 'Best Soundbar' pick, the Samsung HW-Q990D, with the Samsung HW-Q990F due to marginal improvements in connectivity and format support (Eclipsa Audio). We've also updated the text for clarity and mentioned more recently reviewed products throughout the article, including the Nakamichi DRAGON and Samsung HW-Q910D.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top soundbars 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 soundbar reviews, including the top soundbars for TV. 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.