Are you tired of not being able to hear what's going on in your favorite film or TV show without constantly rewinding and enabling closed captions? The best soundbars could be the answer to your prayers, boosting audio quality and giving you more power over the way your television sounds.
Ranging from single speakers to more complete sound systems with a wireless subwoofer included, soundbars are designed to fit nicely on your unit (or mounted to the wall) and compensate nicely for the smaller speakers housed in modern flat-screen TVs.
Without external speakers to compensate, the sound quality of an average television has dropped, making soundbars ever more popular as a result. Many come with technology like Dolby Atmos that mimic surround sound, while you can connect others to a wider speaker system after the fact.
We have looked at some of the best and most popular soundbars available right now, rating them on everything from smart features and connectivity to size and design. Scroll down to see what we thought or if you're looking for something that goes a little further, take a look at our roundup of the best surround sound systems.
The best soundbars in 2022
It may force you to trade convenience for sound quality, but the Sennheiser AMBEO soundbar really does deliver on its promises. With support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound and its impressive internal speaker set-up, the AMBEO is powerful enough to be the only TV speaker needed in your living room.
The only drawback is the size and heft of the unit, which isn't recommended for those dealing with a smaller space. Weighing in at more than 40lbs and with a height of 5.3in, the speaker is large enough to actually block a small amount of your TV's picture if you place it on a stand. Of course, the best alternative is to mount the soundbar, but this will require a bracket that can hold it. For inspiration, head over to our rundown of soundbar mounting ideas.
Ease of set-up aside, the Sennheiser AMBEO is an awe-inspiring piece of kit. Once installed, the soundbar will calibrate its output based on the room it's in, and there are three preset normal, movie, or nighttime modes depending on what you're watching and when. Of course, it's not perfect - there is no built-in compatibility with Alexa or Google Assistant - but for those who want the best of the best, this could well be it.
Livingetc rating: 5 out of 5 stars
A cheaper, smaller alternative to the Sonos Arc, the 2nd Generation Sonos Beam has a ton to offer. Use it as a smart speaker with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, hook it up with other Sonos speakers around the home, or use it as a minimalist (yet powerful) soundbar for the TV.
All Sonos speakers are simple to network together, whether creating a multi-room audio experience with the same tunes playing in the kitchen, bedroom, and lounge or building your own true surround sound system for the TV. As a central unit, the Sonos Beam is a fantastic jumping-off point, allowing you to build out any system at your leisure.
Even without additional speakers, the Beam comes equipped with Trueplay - a system that maps your living space to create the optimum sound profile based on where your furniture sits in the environment. There's also night mode and speech enhancement, which allow you to get the audio spot-on for whatever (and whenever) you're watching.
Livingetc rating: 5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
If you have a smaller television or struggle to find space for a full-size soundbar (or just don't like how it looks!), then LG's QP5 Eclair soundbar is the ideal surround sound companion. It's also the only speaker on this list that's Energy Star certified, so it could be a good choice if you want to reduce your waste.
With Dolby Atmos and 'Sound Field Expander' technology on board, the sound produced by the tiny soundbar is impressively immersive, filling the room with audio that completely masks the fact that the device is about a third of the size of an average bar. It also comes with a wireless subwoofer, which unfortunately does not continue the compact theme. Instead, it's so big and heavy that we struggled to find a good place for it while testing.
But if that's not a problem for you, then this is great looking - with wood grain treatment and a fabric wrap - and performing soundbar.
Livingetc rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | read our full review of the LG QP5 Eclair Soundbar
The Sonos brand has become known for its quality, and the Sonos Arc is the company's biggest (literally and figuratively) soundbar offering. While there is a slightly baffling lack of Bluetooth connectivity and just a single HDMI port to connect the speaker to your TV, it's also one of the smartest examples on this list.
The Arc has Alexa and Google Home built-in to be used as a standalone smart speaker, and the Sonos app makes it super-easy to connect other speakers for a surround sound set-up. With Dolby Atmos on board, however, the soundbar does an excellent job of mimicking this effect on its own, and there's a speech enhancement option for those who struggle to hear the dialogue in what they're watching.
The cleverness doesn't stop here, as the Sonos Arc can sense everything from the acoustics of a room to the brightness, adjusting audio output and the appearance of its LED lights accordingly. It's also a very good-looking device, enticing to those with carefully chosen aesthetics in their home.
If you’re looking for simplicity, you won’t have to look much further than the Sony HT-X8500, which offers more decent sound quality with far less fuss than some competitors. As such, if you’re not flush with space in your living area - or you just don’t want multiple speakers cluttering up the room - this is a mid-size option that shouldn’t disappoint you with its sound offering.
While it’s probable that you will want to use the soundbar to enhance your television’s sound, the Sony HT-X8500 also has Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to connect to it from your mobile and stream everything from music to podcasts. A great bonus if you’re usually relying on your smartphone speakers.
Sony’s soundbar has various modes you can switch between depending on what you’re doing. If you’re watching a movie or playing a game, for example, Cinema and Game Modes will mimic the surround sound of a theater, while in News Mode, it will prioritize voice audio above background music.
Yamaha has been a leader in sound for decades, and the Yamaha YAS-209 is a great, affordable soundbar that offers good sound quality despite the lack of Dolby Atmos (it sports DTS Virtual: X to create a surround sound effect). In addition, the matte design looks great and does away with problems such as reflection from the TV screen.
Depending on your existing set-up, it can be placed on a TV stand or mounted to the wall. In addition, the Yamaha YAS-209 soundbar has Amazon Alexa built-in, meaning you can control the speaker using just your voice. It also means it's possible to connect the soundbar with other smart devices around your home, including streaming sticks and smart TVs, for an easier experience all around.
If you have already started introducing smart speakers and other devices to your home set-up, it makes perfect sense to include your TV's sound in that. The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is our top choice for smart homes, with multiple voice control options and easy ways to expand.
As long as you don't mind being tied to Bose and its products, it's straightforward to build a surround sound system or multi-room listening with the Smart Soundbar 300. Bose SimpleSync lets you connect it with other headphones and Bluetooth speakers around the home or with a bass module and surround speakers for a bit more oomph.
Voice control comes built-in, and you have the option to use Google Assistant, Alexa, or Bose's own Voice4Video tech to send commands to your soundbar. You can also connect via Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect, making it a really versatile option.
How to choose the best soundbar for your home
Where should a soundbar be placed?
Soundbars are designed specifically to be placed underneath your TV without blocking any action, but you should ensure enough space before committing to a soundbar that doesn’t fit. Alternatively, many people choose to mount their soundbars to the wall - especially good if you already have your television mounted. You can read our advice on how to mount a soundbar to find out more.
What is a subwoofer?
You'll hear about subwoofers a lot when you're shopping around for a soundbar, and that's because they're an essential element. Basically, a subwoofer is a speaker that emits low frequencies to extend your sound and make it more dimensional. This is what makes them ideal for adding more bass to your output.
In addition, some soundbars have a subwoofer built-in, while others come with an accompanying sub that you can connect. If your chosen soundbar doesn't include its own wireless unit, you can see which we rated highly in our guide to the best subwoofers.
Are soundbars worth it?
The answer to this depends on whether you’re satisfied with your television’s current audio output and what kinds of things you tend to watch regularly. If you’re a music fan, for example, then a soundbar is a must to get the most out of live concerts, YouTube, or even music cast from your phone, but those who are just happy watching the news and cooking shows might not get as much out of one.
That said, even the occasional movie night makes a good soundbar a worthy investment and, once you watch an action movie this way, there’s no going back.
There's also the question of whether the better investment might be a more expansive speaker system. To help you choose, you can head on over to our comparison - soundbar or surround sound system?