The Best Soundbars for Every Budget
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
You probably shelled out good money for a nice big TV and maybe a streaming gadget for streaming. But it doesn’t matter how large your screen is or how much it costs—the speakers in your TV almost definitely sound awful. You’d be surprised how much more you'll enjoy shows and movies with a halfway decent soundbar or surround system hooked up to your primo panel. Explosions pop, dialog sounds far crisper, and you may even notice sonic details in your favorite films that you’ve never picked up before.
There are seemingly a million options, but we've put the time and effort into testing a bunch over the years to help you find the best soundbar at varying budgets. Need more help? We have a guide on how to find the perfect soundbar, with definitions of many of the terms you'll come across while shopping. Be sure to read our guides to Best TVs, Best Speakers, and Best Streaming Devices for more ways to upgrade your home theater.
Updated March 2024: We’ve added the Sony HT-A7000, Sonos Arc, and Samsung HW-Q990C.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
We have yet to test a new TV that didn’t sound crummy without an audio accessory. That’s mostly due to the way televisions are designed. Great-sounding speakers are bulky, and as TVs have gotten thinner, with shrinking bezels and sleeker designs, manufacturers are having a harder time building good speakers into them.
You can spend as little as $150 on a new soundbar with a subwoofer, and it’s essential to getting the most out of your viewing experience. To help, we put together this list of the best soundbars we’ve tested, including soundbars sold on their own and models that come bundled with a subwoofer. We’ve also compiled some advice on how to make the most of your purchase.