Ever have trouble hearing your television when watching a show or movie, especially the dialogue? You’re not alone. While speakers built into televisions have drastically improved over the years, sound quality often doesn’t measure up to the advancements in audio equipment like soundbars — which is one of the many reasons why our experts recommend pairing your new 4K TV with one.
Soundbars connect directly into your TV and emit clear, crisp and immersive sound quality, helping you achieve a “theater-like” experience from your living room couch. Best of all, most modern soundbars are compact, can be mounted onto your wall to take up less space and can be used as a standalone speaker when you’re not watching TV.
1
Best Overall
Sonos Arc
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Smart home compatibility (Google Assistant and Alexa)
- Features Dolby Atmos surround sound
- Includes speech enhancement mode and several adjustable EQ settings
- Sleek, modern design
Cons
- Not suitable for TVs smaller than 49″
Whether you’re new to Sonos or already have a few Sonos speakers throughout your home, the pros at the Good Housekeeping Institute agree that the Sonos Arc is the best soundbar for most households. While it’s not the cheapest (nor the most expensive), this soundbar is one of the easiest to set up and use.
Not only did its compact and sleek design impress us, but we like that you can adjust settings directly from your smartphone via the intuitive Sonos app. Or you can use your existing TV remote to adjust the volume thanks to an HDMI eARC connection. This soundbar is even compatible with voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa so it’ll integrate seamlessly into your smart home, and it supports Dolby Atmos for a surround sound effect when watching movies or streaming music.
“As a music lover, I would definitely recommend and buy this soundbar. In addition to its modern look and feel, it has a great price point, and the clean sound throughout the unit is just amazing,” says Elliot Lopez, Hearst’s Director of Audio Visual Services. “This is a streamlined soundbar that offers a premium surround sound experience without the need for supplementary speakers. But if you want the full experience, you can always purchase the sub and rear speakers to complete the system.”
| Dimensions | 3.4 x 45 x 4.5” |
|---|---|
| Weight | 13.78 lbs. |
| Connectivity | HDMI input (eARC), Wi-Fi |
| Operation | Sonos app, Google Assistant, Alexa, Apple AirPlay 2 |
2
Best Value
Roku Streambar
Pros
- Robust streaming services and audio in one
- Compatible with voice assistants (Google Assistant and Alexa)
- Lightweight and compact design
- Features voice control remote
Cons
- Design is not as aesthetically pleasing as other soundbars
This compact, affordable soundbar is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to improve their TV’s speaker setup at a great price. And you’ll get the perks of an integrated media player so you can stream shows and access all your favorite apps from Roku’s robust streaming platform.
Our pros love that this soundbar is super lightweight, making it a great pick for smaller spaces, smaller TVs or even projectors. “If you’re not the biggest fan of your smart TV’s applications or interface, then Roku Streambar is a great option since it combines audio and streaming services together,” said one tester.
“I love its small, compact size that still offers enough volume for my whole space,” says Senior Analyst Emma Seymour. “It sounded great when listening to music and watching TV. I especially like that it offers Roku streaming directly for one less remote!” Another tester shared, “Though the bass was slightly on the disappointing side, this soundbar would do just fine in a small space.”
| Dimensions | 2.4 x 14 x 4.2” |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2.2 lbs. |
| Connectivity | HDMI, HDMI-ARC, Optical, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Operation | Roku remote, Roku app, Google Assistant, Alexa, Apple Home, Apple AirPlay |
3
Best for Movies
Sony HT-A5000
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Clear dialogue
- Attractive, compact design
- Works with Google Assistant and Alexa
Cons
- Other models may offer better value
Our pros love how easy it is to set up the Sony soundbar. Its compact and thin design makes it an ideal choice for smaller living rooms, and the front display is a useful feature for displaying volume.
“The sound on this all-in-one soundbar is immersive, clear and packs a good punch, though you sacrifice some sub frequencies,” says one tester. “The Bluetooth connectivity was very easy to use, and the settings and sound levels are all visible on the soundbar making it simple to acknowledge which settings are active when selected.”
This soundbar stood out in particular among movie watchers for its clear dialogue and omnipresent sound. “The voice quality for sporting events, movies, shows and news struck me as being consistently good,” said one tester. “I did not need to throw the volume way up to hear the dialogue, only to then be drowned in some loud background sound from the program. The sound felt clean and immersive for a wide variety of programming across cable and streaming and was very impressive in comparison to my current home sound set up.”
| Dimensions | 47.75 x 2.75 x 5.62″ |
|---|---|
| Weight | 13 lbs. |
| Connectivity | HDMI, HDMI eARC/ARC, Optical, USB, Bluetooth |
| Operation | Remote, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Google Assistant, Alexa, AirPlay 2 |
4
Best for Music
Yamaha YAS-209
Pros
- Great value
- Crisp, clear audio
- Easy to set up
- Alexa built-in
Cons
- Doesn’t work with Google Assistant
For a great value, this soundbar comes with Alexa built-in so you don’t even have to pick up the remote to pause your TV show. The soundbar does include a subwoofer, so you’ll need some extra room near your TV, but nevertheless, our testers found it extremely easy to set up.
“The soundbar is aesthetically pleasing and it’s easy to set up and adjust the settings to your liking. Though it doesn’t have an app, the sound quality was clean, the bass had great clarity and the treble was well balanced,” says one tester, though there was noticeable distortion at higher volumes.
We particularly enjoyed streaming music via this soundbar, finding the sound quality crisp, clear and loud, albeit smaller than other soundbars. Watching movies was also a joy. “The sound quality is perfect if you’re watching a movie — the omnipresent audio intensifies the movie-watching experience and provides movie-theater sound from the comfort of your home,” says Product Analyst Grace Wu. “I also like that it’s easy to turn off if I’m not in the mood for such a cinematic feel when watching the news or a more relaxed TV show,” she says.
| Dimensions | Center unit: 36.62 × 2.5 × 4.25″, Subwoofer: 7.5 × 16.5 × 16″ |
|---|---|
| Weight | Center unit: 6 lbs., Subwoofer: 17.4 lbs. |
| Connectivity | HDMI, Optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Operation | Remote, Alexa built-in, Spotify Connect |
5
Best Premium Soundbar
Sennheiser Ambeo
Pros
- Clear, 3D sound quality
- All-in-one construction
- Easy to set up and use
- Impressive performance
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Not compatible with voice assistants
Look no further if you’re ready to invest in your home theater’s audio setup and want premium sound performance. While this soundbar is one of the most expensive we feature, it earned top scores for performance and ease of use and blew our testers away with its outstanding sound quality (we witnessed some jaws dropping).
Our pros and engineers note that it is heavy, but it’s one of the most impressive all-in-one soundbars on this list, and it doesn’t require a sub or rear speakers for a 3D sound experience. “This soundbar features very impressive bass. It’s extremely powerful and the sound quality is fantastic,” said one tester.
| Dimensions | 49.8 x 5.3 x 6.7” |
|---|---|
| Weight | 40.7 lbs. |
| Connectivity | eARC (HDMI 2.1), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet |
| Operation | Remote, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect |
6
Best for Gaming
OXS Thunder Pro
Pros
- Small, compact size
- Great sound quality
- Easy to use
- Built-in lights
Cons
- May be too small for larger TVs
Intended for home gaming systems and ideal for PC monitors, this miniature-sized soundbar can replace multimedia speaker systems as the audio quality is great across games, YouTube videos, podcasts and music.
Our data engineer and in-house audiophile, Nik Greenwald, describes the OXS soundbar as “small yet mighty.” In tests, we found the soundbar’s plug-and-play setup to be super simple and Bluetooth pairing was intuitive. The soundbar features a jog wheel on the unit itself so you can make quick adjustments to volume and EQ settings, and a wireless remote comes in handy.
“I thought the bass sound quality was superb given it’s a standalone soundbar and it’s quite compact,” adds Greenwald. Also unique is that the soundbar lights up in sync with the music or audio you’re playing (albeit a bit laggy), and an LED display on the front indicates helpful information like volume levels, mode and more.
| Dimensions | 23.9 x 4.8 x 3″ |
|---|---|
| Weight | 10.3 lbs. |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, AUX IN, HDMI IN, HDMI eARC, USB-C, USBA-A |
| Operation | Remote |
7
Samsung HW-Q990B
Pros
- Amazing audio performance
- Speakers and subwoofer wirelessly connect
Cons
- Heavy and space-consuming
We recommend this soundbar and speaker set from Samsung for anyone who owns a larger TV or is looking to create a home cinema setup. Though it’s a heavy set of equipment that’s far from compact (you’ll need enough space to handle the large soundbar itself, two rear speakers and a large subwoofer), we love that everything connects wirelessly so you don’t have to deal with hiding any long cables.
In our Lab tests, we were very impressed with the sound quality of this soundbar and gave it top performance scores. “The dialogue felt easy to understand even during movie scenes with lots of underscore and sound effects. The treble and bass were both well balanced, and the audio felt extremely clear without feeling thin,” says Greenwald. If top-notch audio quality is what you’re looking for, this soundbar is worth the extra investment.
| Dimensions | Center piece: 48.5 x 2.7 x 5.4″, Subwoofer: 8.7 x 16.3 x 16.1″, Rear speakers: 5.1 x 7.9 x 5.5″ |
|---|---|
| Weight | 17 lbs. |
| Connectivity | HDMI, HDMI eARC, Optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Operation | Remote, built-in Alexa, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect |
8
Best for Small Spaces
Bose Smart Soundbar 900
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Works with Google Assistant and Alexa
- Sleek, modern design
Cons
- Surround sound could be improved
We like this all-in-one Bose soundbar for smart homes and smaller spaces that want a hassle-free, intuitive audio upgrade. Our pros gave this model top scores for ease of use, finding it a breeze to set up and operate. You’re able to use a remote to operate your TV and soundbar, or you can adjust your soundbar’s settings further in the Bose app. We also like that voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Alexa are built-in, meaning that you can ask Google to change the channel without having to lift a finger.
Much like other Bose products, this soundbar features a super clear sound that our pros enjoyed. “The soundbar’s audio was crisp and well-balanced. The stereo was impressive and felt spatially accurate,” says Greenwald. Our pros also loved the soundbar’s design, though we do wish there was an LED display on the unit to indicate any volume or setting changes. “This soundbar has a sleek, modern look to it and will fit into any home theater setup. I love that there’s an option to hang the unit. What it lacked was the bass module, but for a small space this would work perfectly,” says Lopez.
| Dimensions | 2.29 x 41.14 x 4.21″ |
|---|---|
| Weight | 12.68 lbs. |
| Connectivity | HDMI eARC, Optical, Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Operation | Remote, Alexa and Google Assistant, Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect |
9
Best Under $1,000
Vizio M-Series Elevate M512E-K6
Pros
- Great audio quality
- Mid-range price
- Sleek, thin design
Cons
- Long cables
- Not Wi-Fi enabled
If you’re looking for a soundbar at a mid-range price, this pick from Vizio is an excellent choice that includes a subwoofer and two side speakers. While its design is sleek and thin, take note that the system doesn’t connect wirelessly and the long proprietary cables can hinder a clean setup. But the soundbar’s audio performance makes up for it. “This soundbar has top-notch sound quality with incredibly immersive surround sound,” says Greenwald.
According to another tester, “The sound quality was fantastic. The subwoofers and surround speakers really helped create an impressive sound experience.” On top of this soundbar’s stellar audio performance, we like that the remote features an LED display so you can easily keep tabs on any volume adjustments. And though voice assistants aren’t built-in, there’s a speaker input so you can still access Alexa or Google Assistant through your soundbar.
| Dimensions | 41.38 x 2.60 x 4.73″ |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.73 lbs. |
| Connectivity | HDMI, HDMI eARC, optical, AUX in (3.5mm jack), USB, Bluetooth |
| Operation | Remote |
