1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best budget
4. Best for Dolby Atmos
5. Best compact Atmos
6. Best for gaming
7. Best Sonos soundbar
8. Perfect for music
9. Best for flexibility
10. How to choose
One of the best soundbars is essential if you’ve invested in a big TV and its speakers aren’t living up to its visuals. With one of the top soundbars, you get bigger, forward-facing speakers that deliver better speech clarity and immersion in movies. The best bit is they’re sleek and slim, often fitting below your TV on a cabinet or mounted on the wall.
Some TVs may not need a soundbar, but plenty of the best TVs you can buy today need an external soundbar for better audio – especially cheaper ones. Many of the best soundbars come in three styles: all-in-one units with just a single soundbar, soundbars with subwoofers, and soundbars with subwoofers and rear speakers for surround sound. The first is ideal for people who want a minimal setup, the second is great for big sound on a budget, and the third is perfect if you want a real home theater audio experience.
In expensive soundbars, you’ll find features like wireless connectivity, which can be used in multi-room speaker setups, while cheaper soundbars play the audio from your TV when linked via either an HDMI or optical digital connection. We’ve tested hundreds of soundbars and speaker systems over the years, including elite units with Dolby Atmos 3D sound, through to bargain soundbars that boost your sound.
Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Entertainment, and has over a decade of experience in tech publishing. He has been writing about the latest TVs and soundbars since 2017. This month, he helped to overhaul this guide to make it easier for you to find which soundbar best suits your needs, and get the essential info about it. Matt is busy exploring the best Black Friday soundbar deals as we speak, so head over to that page if you're looking for the biggest discounts available today.
The quick list
In a hurry but need to find the best soundbar for you? Take a look at our quick list below which covers a soundbar that will suit every budget and situation. You can still check out more detailed reviews of each soundbar below.
The best soundbar for most people
The Q800C offers great cinematic sound, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support at a great value price, making it the best buy for a lot of people.
The best budget soundbar
If you're looking to get immersive Dolby Atmos support on a budget, the Sony HT-S2000 is a no-brainer – a high-quality soundbar for a low price.
The best soundbar for Dolby Atmos surround
With outstanding power, range and impressive Dolby Atmos sound, the Samsung HW-Q990C is the best soundbar for the full Atmos experience.
The best soundbar for compact Dolby Atmos
If you're looking to get Atmos sound but are tight on space, this Bose is a soundbar that packs powerful sound into a small package.
The best soundbar for gamers
With two HDMI 2.1 ports, 4K 120Hz passthrough and VRR support, the HT-A7000 not only sounds great, but is the ideal choice for gamers
The best soundbar for Sonos fans
Sonos' soundbars are all excellent quality, but the Sonos Arc's dynamic sound, Dolby Atmos support and strong, built-in bass that puts it at the top of the Sonos family.
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The perfect small soundbar for music
Small in size but not in sound, the Sonos Beam's rich bass, level of clarity and hi-res audio compatibility make it perfect for music as well as movies.
The best soundbar for sheer flexibility
With four HDMI ports to connect other sources and rechargeable, wireless surround speakers, the JBL 1300X really adapts to what you need.
The best soundbars of 2023
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The best overall soundbar
If you're looking for a Dolby Atmos soundbar with a powerful performance that exceeds its price tag, then the Samsung HW-Q800C does it all. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, with two upfiring drivers to deliver the height channels. There's also support for a wide range of music files, including high-resolution ones such as FLAC. You also get an HDMI passthrough system for anyone concerned about losing one of their HDMI ports to the TV, and if you use the soundbar with a recent Samsung TV you can use Samsung's Q-Symphony tech. All of this combined, plus a fantastic price, mean the HW-Q800C is our best overall soundbar.
In action, the Q800C delivers spectacular power and excellent channel steering for movies and TV shows. Bass is deep, dialog is clear, and spatial effects are convincing – as much as a lack of rear speakers allows, anyway. But, the surround sound can be expanded with optional rear speakers to add even more immersion to your movie viewing.
In terms of design, the HW-Q800C may not be the most visually appealing bar, but there is an attractiveness to it in an almost industrial sense. Although it's heavy compared to to other soundbars, it's a reassuring heaviness that gives it that sense of quality. At 43-inches wide, it fits well exactly with a 50-inch TV and would look great with 55-inch plus sized TVs.
This is an excellent value soundbar. It may not carry the same power and soundstage as the Samsung HW-Q900C, but it's a fraction of the price and the rear optional speakers will certainly add to the already fantastic 5.1.2 channels in the HW-Q800C itself. When you add all that together, it's no surprise that this is the best soundbar for most people.
Read our full Samsung HW-Q800C review
The best budget soundbar
When it comes to sound quality and features vs price, we think the Sony HT-S2000 is the best budget choice around. Although it's a little basic in terms of connectivity, the sound you get from this soundbar is impressive for the money and is certainly a good choice for those looking for an upgrade to their TV sound without breaking the bank.
Whilst the Sony HT-S2000's sound isn't the biggest, the sound you do get for your money is impressive. Clear dialogue levels and a spacious, virtual surround sound are two of the HT-S2000's highlights. Bass levels are also punchy enough, but it's the Sony HT-S2000's ability to reproduce Dolby Atmos effects that's surprising. It's not going to beat a soundbar with height channels, but for a 3.1 soundbar, it offers plenty.
Design wise the Sony HT-S2000 feels and looks more expensive than it is, with a solid, mesh metal grill on the front and a sturdy black plastic casing housing the speakers. The soundbar also produces visual feedback to remote control commands, something rare on budget soundbars.
Yes, the HT-S2000 isn't going to set the world alight with its sound and certainly isn't the best soundbar for sound on this list, but when you're paying roughly $349/£299/AU$695 for a soundbar with this good a sound quality, it's hard to argue against.
Read our full Sony HT-S2000 review
The best soundbar for Atmos surround sound
The Samsung Q990C really is the best complete soundbar package around. With 11.1.4 channels split across the main bar, subwoofer and two compact rear speakers, the Q990C excels with Dolby Atmos playback and provides a powerful and immersive experience, be it movies or music.
Even when the Samsung Q990C is being pushed to its limits, it maintains an excellent quality sound without distorting. We said in our review that "Even the most shrill trebles manage to avoid sounding harsh or exposed," and that the "bass from the subwoofer is deep, enthusiastic and reactive."
The Q990C also brings with it a couple of extra unique features, with the main being an update to the Q-Symphony technology. This enables Samsung-compatible soundbars and TVs to communicate (even wirelessly) and work together to use all the available speakers between both systems to create an even bigger, bolder sound – which it succeeds in doing.
However, with this amazing package comes a higher price tag. Prices continue to drop slowly since its release, but it still sits at the premium end of the market, hence why it doesn't top our list. But, if you are after the complete Dolby Atmos experience from your soundbar and you have a bigger budget, the Samsung Q990C is the absolute best choice.
Read our full Samsung HW-Q990C review
The best compact Atmos soundbar
