14 Best Soundbars We’ve Tested and Reviewed (2025): Sonos, Sony, Bose Leave a comment

There are a variety of nice soundbars on the market, and we don’t have room to function all of them. Listed below are some others you may wish to think about.

LG’s S95TR for $1,000-1,300: LG’s 9.1.5-channel soundbar (8/10, WIRED Recommends) does not carry out in addition to Samsung’s flagship Q990 collection, nevertheless it might be a more sensible choice for these with newer LG TVs just like the C4, which might join wirelessly and use its audio system in tandem with the bar for extra immersion. It additionally helps gaming options like 120-Hz pass-through, however solely consists of one spare enter.

Vizio 2.1 Soundbar (SV210M) for $170: Vizio’s curvy little combo brings attractive worth, with stable sound high quality and a few cinematic punch from the teensiest subwoofer you’ll ever see. There’s no optical enter or distant included, however the Vizio app makes adjusting settings or swapping to Bluetooth easy sufficient. The principle disadvantage is that dialog generally (however not all the time) will get misplaced, decreasing the primary draw of an affordable soundbar. That mentioned, good musical chops and options like DTS Digital X growth make it price contemplating on sale.

Samsung HW-Q800C for $598: If Samsung’s HW-Q990C every little thing bar is just too wealthy to your blood, the two-piece HW-Q800C (WIRED Recommends, 8/10) might be compromise. This bar presents the same sound signature as Samsung’s flagship bars most of the identical options, packed right into a smaller bar-and-subwoofer combo for a notable low cost–particularly because it’s now nearly all the time on sale.

Sennheiser Ambeo Mini for $700: This pint-sized luxurious bar is nice for these with cash to burn in very small areas. Sennheiser’s built-in Ambeo virtualization know-how brilliantly throws sound throughout you for exhilarating TV and flicks, and presents superior options like help for Google Assistant and Alexa.

Sony HT-X8500 for $300: Sony’s HT-X8500 is getting tougher to seek out, nevertheless it’s nonetheless one among our favourite choices for these after a single bar with stable bass response and expansive sound, together with first rate Dolby Atmos virtualization. Whereas it is pricier than our prime bar, it is a fantastic various for these after a bit extra, and price contemplating whereas it is nonetheless accessible.

Roku Streambar for $130: In case you’re after a soundbar that doubles as a fantastic streaming machine, WIRED reviewer Adrienne So swears by the Roku Streambar. After she spent years with out one she was so impressed that she shouted it from the rooftops. Setup is straightforward, and since it consists of Roku’s easy streaming interface you may stream motion pictures and exhibits at as much as 4K HDR from nearly each streaming service. You may also add a Roku subwoofer or surround-sound audio system down the road. We encourage getting a sub.

Vizio Elevate M-Sequence for $500: In order for you full-featured Dolby Atmos and you want a little bit of aptitude, Vizio’s second Elevate bar is price contemplating. Drivers come out of the facet and goal towards your ceiling when Atmos content material is taking part in, giving it a nifty get together trick to indicate your buddies. Sound high quality is stable too, and we just like the compact design and straightforward setup. Nonetheless, you’ll have to route some speaker cables for the rear surrounds.

The Yamaha SR-C30A for $276: This mannequin SR-C30A soundbar appears very related certainly to the SR-C20A, and that’s as a result of they’re the identical factor the place dimensions, specification, and sound high quality are all involved. The distinction is that the SR-C30A ships with a compact (335 x 160 x 364mm) wi-fi subwoofer for some genuine Hollywood-style rumble and punch. —Simon Lucas

Sennheiser Ambeo Plus for $1,200: Given the value and the bodily dimensions of the soundbar—which does not even embrace a subwoofer—the Ambeo Plus may appear like a poor deal. However due to its 400 watts of energy and its 9 fastidiously developed and much more fastidiously positioned speaker drivers, this Sennheiser is able to huge, enveloping sound with a powerful suggestion of the sonic top that Dolby Atmos soundtracks thrive on. By the use of an encore, it seems to be a vastly succesful wi-fi speaker whenever you wish to hearken to some music, too. —Simon Lucas

The Polk React for $269: This soundbar works if you wish to get {surround} sound finally however don’t have the money proper now. The Alexa-enabled soundbar is okay by itself, with {surround} audio system and subwoofers accessible from Polk if you wish to improve.

The Vizio Elevate P-Sequence for $700: That is an awesome-looking soundbar with facet audio system that swivel skyward whenever you’re watching content material with object-based audio. It’s a nice-sounding bar, and that gimmick is neat, however there are higher choices for beneath $1,000.