How to choose a soundbar: 2026 buying guide

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Short answer

Decide what you want in the box first: a soundbar alone, a soundbar with a subwoofer for deeper bass, or a full surround system with rear speakers. Then set the most you want to spend on the maker's own store. After that, look for Dolby Atmos if you watch movies mixed for it, HDMI eARC if your TV has that port, and Wi-Fi if the soundbar will also be your music speaker. Ignore wattage.

Do I need a subwoofer or rear speakers?

You need a subwoofer if you want bass you can feel in explosions and music, and rear speakers only if you want effects to come from behind you. A soundbar alone is the simplest choice for a small room, a bedroom or a wall-mounted TV with no floor space.

We sort every soundbar by what its maker says comes in the box:

Do I need a subwoofer or rear speakers?
Speaker setupWhat's in the boxModels we catalogued
Soundbar onlyOne bar; any bass comes from drivers inside it12
Soundbar and subwooferThe bar plus a separate (usually wireless) subwoofer20
Soundbar, subwoofer and rear speakersThe bar, a subwoofer and two rear speakers8

Of the 40 soundbars we catalogued (as of October 19, 2026), 28 include a subwoofer. "Soundbar only" doesn't mean no bass: Denon's DHT-S218 builds two down-firing subwoofers into the bar, and Samsung calls its 7.1.2-channel HW-QS90H an all-in-one soundbar. They just don't need a second box on the floor. Many soundbar-only models can add a subwoofer or rear speakers later, but you buy those separately, so the finder only counts what comes in the box.

Rear speakers in these systems connect to the bar without a cable, as their makers describe them, but they still need power. LG's footnote for its S40TR, for example, says the two rear speakers are wired to each other and one needs an outlet.

If the room is small or the TV is in a bedroom → a soundbar only. If you watch action movies or listen to music with bass → a soundbar and subwoofer. If you have outlets behind the sofa and want sound around you → a full surround system.

See soundbars with a subwoofer · See full surround systems · Related list: Soundbars with a subwoofer and rear speakers

How much should I spend on a soundbar?

Our budget options use the price the manufacturer's own US store charged when we checked (October 19–27, 2026; changed prices re-read October 27), not a retailer's price and not the crossed-out "was" price. On 15 of the 40 soundbars, the maker's store sold below its own list price. Prices change with promotions, so check the current price before you buy.

The budget options are ceilings, so "Under $500" also shows everything under $300:

  • Under $300: 13 models: 5 soundbars only, 6 with a subwoofer and 2 full surround systems (LG S40TR and TCL S65K). 7 list Dolby Atmos; only 2 list Wi-Fi.
  • Under $500: 22 models, including the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), Polk's Signa S3 and the LG S70TR surround system.
  • Under $1,000: 36 models, including 6 of the 8 surround systems.
  • No limit: all 40, including Samsung's HW-Q990H, Sonos's Arc Ultra and Bose's Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar.

If you have about $300 → expect a bar with a subwoofer or a compact bar, usually without Wi-Fi. If you want Atmos, eARC and Wi-Fi in one bar → plan on $500 or a little less; four models had all three under $500 when we checked. If you want full surround with Dolby Atmos under $300 → the TCL S65K was the only one.

See soundbars under $300 · Related list: Soundbars under $300 on the maker's store

What do soundbar channel numbers like 5.1.2 mean?

The numbers count speaker channels: the first is the front and side channels, the second is the subwoofer channel, and the third, when there is one, is height channels that fire upward. A 2.1 bar has left and right plus a subwoofer; a 3.1.2 system adds a center channel for dialogue and two height channels.

30 of the 40 soundbars we catalogued state a channel layout, from 2.0 (TCL S45H) to 11.1.4 (Samsung HW-Q990H); 19 of those include height channels. Sonos, Polk on some models, Bose on its smaller bars and Denon on the Home Sound Bar 550 don't state one, so we show "not stated" rather than count drivers ourselves.

A center channel is the one to look for if voices get lost: it gives dialogue its own speaker. Makers also count differently. Samsung's title calls the HW-S60D 5.0ch, with no subwoofer channel; Denon counts the DHT-S218 as 2.1 because of its built-in subwoofers. Use the layout to compare models from the same maker, not to rank brands.

If dialogue is hard to hear → look for a 3 or more in the first number (a center channel). If you want height effects → look for a third number.

Is Dolby Atmos worth it on a soundbar?

Dolby Atmos is worth it if you watch movies and shows mixed in Atmos, because it adds height so sound can seem to come from above. 32 of the 40 soundbars we catalogued list Dolby Atmos, including 7 of the 13 under $300.

How much height you hear depends on the speakers. Bars with height channels in their layout (the third number) have drivers that fire upward. Others decode Atmos without them: TCL's S45H is a 2.0 bar that lists Dolby Atmos processing, and Polk says its bars can up-mix standard audio "to create a virtualized Atmos experience". Expect the clearest overhead effects from models that state height channels.

If you watch a lot of streaming movies → choose "Yes, Dolby Atmos" in the finder. If you mostly watch news, sports and sitcoms → leave it as "Doesn't matter" and put the money toward a subwoofer or a center channel.

See Dolby Atmos soundbars under $500 · Related list: Dolby Atmos soundbars with HDMI eARC

HDMI eARC, ARC or optical: how should a soundbar connect to my TV?

Use HDMI eARC if your TV has an eARC port, because it carries the most audio formats over one cable. Polk puts it this way on its Signa S4 page: "eARC supports HD and 3D audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio, Dolby Atmos and more." Plain HDMI ARC also lets one cable carry TV sound and lets your TV remote control the volume, but it passes fewer formats. Optical is the older digital cable.

In our catalogue, 31 soundbars list HDMI eARC, 7 list HDMI ARC without eARC, Sonos's Ray connects by optical, and Bose's page for the Smart Soundbar names an HDMI cable but not ARC or eARC. An eARC soundbar still works on a TV with ARC; you just get what ARC can carry.

If your TV has a port labeled eARC → choose "Yes, HDMI eARC" in the finder. If your TV is older and has only optical out → the Sonos Ray connects that way.

See soundbars with HDMI eARC under $300

Do I need Wi-Fi on a soundbar?

You need Wi-Fi if the soundbar will also play music from apps, AirPlay or Chromecast. Without it, most soundbars still play music over Bluetooth from a phone nearby. 23 of the 40 soundbars we catalogued list Wi-Fi or a Wi-Fi streaming service, 5 say they have no Wi-Fi, and 12 don't say. Wi-Fi is rare at the low end: only the Sonos Ray and Samsung HW-S60D had it under $300.

Wi-Fi models are also where voice assistants live: Samsung lists Alexa built in on several of its Wi-Fi bars, Bose on its Smart and Lifestyle Ultra bars, and LG lists Google Assistant and Alexa support on its Wi-Fi models. We don't filter on voice assistants because makers describe them in too many ways (built in, works with, needs another device).

If the soundbar replaces a music speaker → choose "Yes, Wi-Fi streaming". If you only want better TV sound → leave it as "Doesn't matter".

See Wi-Fi soundbars · Related list: Soundbars with Wi-Fi music streaming

How wide should a soundbar be?

Pick a bar that fits your TV stand or wall space, and ideally isn't wider than the TV. The bars we catalogued run from 14.4 in (Polk MagniFi Mini AX) to 49.2 in (LG S90TR and S90TY); 10 are 45 in or wider and 9 are under 30 in. Width comes from each maker's spec sheet; measure your stand before you buy, and check the height on the maker's page if the bar sits in front of the TV's remote sensor.

What doesn't matter much

  • Wattage. Makers measure "total power" in different ways, so the numbers don't compare across brands. We never record or compare it.
  • Speaker counts. "13 speakers" says how many drivers are inside, not how they are used. The channel layout tells you more.
  • Virtual surround names. DTS Virtual:X, TrueSpace and similar processing names describe each maker's processing and can't be compared across brands.
  • Crossed-out prices. A "was" price is the maker's list price, not what most people pay.

Common mistakes

  1. Buying a bar wider than the stand. Measure first; the widest bars here are almost 50 in.
  2. Expecting rear-channel sound from a bar alone. Only the 8 full surround systems put speakers behind you.
  3. Plugging into a regular HDMI port. The soundbar has to go into the TV's ARC or eARC port for TV sound over HDMI.
  4. Paying for Atmos you won't hear. If you rarely watch Atmos movies, a subwoofer or center channel changes more.

Picks lists in this category

FAQ

Should I buy a soundbar from the same brand as my TV?

You don't have to: HDMI ARC and eARC are standards, so a soundbar connects to any TV with the matching port. Same-brand pairs add extras. Samsung lists Q-Symphony, its Samsung TV pairing feature, on many of its bars, and LG lists WOW Orchestra, its LG TV pairing feature, on several of its bars. If you own a Samsung or LG TV, those features are a reason to stay with the brand.

Can I add a subwoofer or rear speakers later?

Often, yes, but only from the same maker. Samsung lists compatible add-on rear speakers for several bars, Sonos says Beam (Gen 2) gets "an even more immersive experience when you add a subwoofer and pair of rear speakers", and Bose says the Lifestyle Ultra works with compatible surround speakers and subwoofers. The finder counts only what comes in the box, so check the maker's page for compatible add-ons.

Is a soundbar better than my TV's speakers?

A soundbar adds what most TV speakers lack: 28 of the 40 we catalogued include a subwoofer, and many list a center channel for dialogue. We don't test sound quality, so we can't compare a specific bar with a specific TV; we match on the features makers state.

Why don't you list wattage?

Wattage isn't measured the same way across brands, so a higher number doesn't mean louder or better sound. We use features makers state the same way: what's in the box, Dolby Atmos, the TV connection and Wi-Fi.

Which price do the budget options use?

The price on the manufacturer's own US store when we checked (October 19–27, 2026; changed prices re-read October 27). When a maker shows a crossed-out list price next to a lower one, we use the lower price the store charges. We don't show live prices, so check the current price before you buy.

Why isn't Vizio, Sony, JBL or Roku in the finder?

We only use specs and prices from each manufacturer's own site. Vizio's and Roku's sites sent us to non-US pages, and Sony's and JBL's sites refused our automated reads, so we couldn't verify their specs and prices. Yamaha and Hisense publish no prices on their US sites. We don't fill gaps from retailer pages.

How we chose and sources

Written with AI assistance from manufacturer specifications; reviewed and approved by the site owner. We don't test products hands-on. How we choose

Results are ordered by how well each model fits your answers. When two models fit equally, the one with more features stated by its maker comes first, then the one with the lower price on the maker's own store, then a fixed catalogue order. Commissions never affect the order.

"Catalogued" means the 40 soundbars we catalogued for this category from manufacturer sites as of October 19, 2026 (Samsung, LG, TCL, Polk Audio, Sonos, Bose and Denon), not the whole market. Each product's source links appear with its specs. Pages quoted in this guide:

Written with AI assistance from manufacturer specifications and reviewed before publishing in October 2026. We don't test products hands-on.

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