Here are the best budget soundbars for TV and home theater surround sound setups that deliver superb audio performance. These sound bars are designed to be slim and blend in seamlessly into modern home interior décor, and come with built-in subwoofers for deep bass without the need for a dedicated subwoofer. It also has clear voice functionality for enhanced movie dialogues. Our experts have tested numerous soundbars to determine which ones provide the best value for money. They are also relatively easy to setup with HDMI, optical and analog connections with Bluetooth wireless music streaming. If you are looking for some of the best budget soundbars for TV and music listening, be sure to check out our top picks below!
#1 Yamaha YAS-107BL Budget Soundbar
The Yamaha YAS-107BL is one of the best budget soundbars with an ultra-slim simple design that blends in nicely with ultra-wide flat screen televisions. It has built-in subwoofers for deep bass without a second box. The low profile sets well beneath a television with directed sound output with clarity and deep bass. It comes with clear voice technology for enhancing the dialogue clarity while watching movies on the television. A sound bar with subwoofer is self-sufficient in producing clear and loud sound output without the need of additional speakers to support. The Yamaha YAS-107 comes with subwoofers that makes it great for bass output without the need of hooking up additional sub-woofers. It has an all-in-one sleek design and functionality which makes it perfect for home movie setups and as television speakers. It supports Bluetooth wireless music streaming to connect with smart TVs or smartphones to stream music over the sound bar. It can be connected through smart speakers like Echo devices easily with the Bluetooth compatibility for easy wire free music stream from any device. The setup is simple with HDMI, optical and analog connection options. Overall, the Yamaha YAS-107BL is one of the best budget soundbars that delivers great sound quality and we highly recommend them.
The Yahama YAS-107 is a sleek soundbar with clear and deep sound output with clear vocals and good bass output. Dialogues and vocals sound crisp and clear on this sound bar. Yamaha has put in extra effort to enhance the vocal and dialogue output on this sound bar. Movies and TV shows sounds crisp and clear for the most part on this sound bar. The bass output is very pleasing and does not muffle the vocals or cause any distortion. It is fairly loud for small to medium sized room as a standalone speaker. Music output on this sound bar is very true and sounds real like being a standalone speaker itself. The high-end are detailed with precise musical output and sharp where needed. Yamaha YAS-107 does come with in-built subwoofer, which produces satisfactory bass but not a powerful room filling output. The mid tones are crisp and binds together well with the overall sound output of the sound bar. The sound bar delivers crystal clear dialogues which makes watching movies with the YAS-107 a very enjoyable experience. It does not over emphasize the tone of the sound output and has a well-balanced sound signature. Movies sound very precise with lot of details and voices accurate to the actors. It also has built in vocal enhancement technology that can enhance the audio experience even better with music and movies. However, it sound clear even without the vocal enhancement turned on, you can choose to enable it for added clarity and enhanced dialogue output.
The Yamaha YAS-107 blends in very well with most décor for being non-intrusive, and sleek. It has an ultra-sleek design that allows it to blend into modern interiors and under flat screen TVs. The outer casing is an acoustic fabric that not only helps in sound output but gives the sound bar a unique look of its own. It looks like a big driver without any casing or shiny plastics. The top of the sound bar houses the control buttons for easy access to the functions. You can adjust volume, mute, source selection, file navigation, filters and many other control options directly on the speakers. The Yamaha YAS-107 supports an HDMI input and output, though you need to buy the cables separately. It also supports 4K Ultra HD (60P) and HDR pass-through, and HDCP 2.2 that ensures compatibility with the latest TVs and sources. It is compact but delivers a very pleasing sound output with enhanced vocals and clear dialogues. Bluetooth connection allows it to be connected easily without any wires from any Bluetooth supported device. To connect with your TV it has many options from the latest HDMI technology CEC to 3.5mm AUX jack. HDMI CEC allows you to connect the sound bar to your TV and control it with the Television remote itself. You can additionally use the accompanied app on iOS and Android to control the sound bar. The whole footprint of the speaker is 2 inches tall by 5 inches deep and 35 inches long. It comes with three ways to control the soundbar including the remote in the box or the TV remote when connected over HDMI CEC. It also has a mobile app that gives more control over the modes and functioning of the soundbar.
The Verdcit? The Yamaha YAS-107 is one of the best budget soundbars that delivers the right combination of sound quality and slim design. It sits perfectly with any television above 25 inches forming the base of the television while maintaining a slim and simple outlook. The sound output on this sound bar is clear with enhanced dialogues for movies and TV shows. It is Bluetooth compatible making it a versatile speaker for connecting with many devices. The Yamaha YAS-107 incorporates the modern HDMI connectivity technology to deliver great sound output. It comes built with HDMI CEC and HDMI pass through technology that can allow the remote of your player to control the soundbar. The sound signature of this speaker is neutral with focus on the vocals and dialogues. It comes with inbuilt sub woofers that enhance the lower-end frequency range for deeper bass response. Overall, the Yamaha YAS-107 is one of the best budget soundbars that delivers quality audio performance and crystal clear movie dialogues.
#2 VIZIO SB2920 Budget Soundbar
The VIZIO SB2920 29-inch soundbar is one of the best budget soundbars that can deliver crystal clear dialogue and sound effects. The soundbar can deliver up to 95dB of room-filling crystal clear sound with less than 1% total harmonic distortion. The frequency range of the soundbar is 70Hz- 19KHz, giving it a wide range of sensitivity to produce exact sound output at frequencies. It comes with built-in Bluetooth connectivity option for the versatility and freedom of connecting devices wirelessly to the soundbar. Listen to your favorite music with just a tap of finger from any Bluetooth supported devices. The soundbar is easy to connect and deliver punchy sound output to fill an entire room. The VIZIO 29 inch soundbar comes with audio enhancement technologies for premium audio listening experience. It comes with DTS Studio, DTS TruVolume and DTS TruSurround Sound. It is easy setup as you can connect the sound bar to your TV using one of the included cables. It also comes with a user manual for easy reference. Overall, if you are looking for one of the best budget soundbars for your surround sound home setup, the VIZIO SB2920 comes highly recommended.
The new VIZIO C6 29 inch soundbar offers excellent sound quality in a compact size. It has two powerful full-range stereo speakers that boost your audio and deliver amazing sound. The soundbar produces premium quality sound capable enough to fill an entire room. It can stay distortion free even at max volumes and retain the quality. Music and dialogues are crisp and clear without any distortion or muffled sound. The bass is punchy with lot of details retained even when you crank up the volume to max. Highs are rich and with great clarity on this soundbar. It retains most of the details even at higher volumes. The sound output is loud and crisp that can provide great quality sound close to a home theatre setup within a compact design and sleek stylish cabinet. Mid tones are clear and sounds very crisp retaining lot of details being loud at the same time. Classical and instrumental music sounded especially good with very clear soundstage and tonal separation. Overall, it has a very clear and loud sound output without any distortion even at higher volume.
The speaker is a modern looking sleek soundbar that goes with the aesthetics of minimal design and modern outlook. It is a great addition to a 32+ inch flat screen TV with its sophisticated new design and compact size. It dwells very well with most style of room décor for it’s not so intrusive in its looks and appeal. The soundbar is minimalistic design that compliments the boxy look of the soundbar altogether. It looks luxurious for the use of materials and feel of the soundbar as a whole unit. The design is simple with black cabinet housing the two drivers with silver accent on the sides. They are good looking without being too flashy and can easily get into being a part of most style of setups. A gorgeous design with array of connectivity options make it a great choice for soundbars overall. VIZIO soundbar has a streamlined design crafter to accentuate your TV with a minimalistic body style. It uses DTS audio technology to deliver elevated multi-channel audio output.
The Verdict? The VIZIO C6 is one of the best budget soundbars that can deliver 95 dB of room-filling crystal clear sound with less than 1% total harmonic distortion. It is a very compact and well-built speaker with minimalistic deign to suit most modern style room décor. The sound output is clear, loud and distortion free at max loudness. The sound bar gets loud enough to fill a room with the crystal clear dialogues and vocals to suffice the taste of most listeners. The setup is straightforward for straight out of the box listening experience. It produces a very balanced mix of treble, bass and surround sound effect for a crisp sound output. The VIZIO soundbar is very easy to setup and connects to your TV using the included cables – it also delivers premium audio with DTS studio Sound, DTS Tru Volume and DTS TruSurround. We liked the fact that the soundbar has built-in Bluetooth which allows you to stream music directly from your smartphone device. Overall, the VIZIO C6 is one of the best budget soundbars we have tested and come highly recommended.
#3 TaoTronics 25” Budget Soundbar
The TaoTronics 25” soundbar is one of the best budget soundbars designed to be compact and delivers superb audio performance. The soundbar comes with a versatile adapter which allows it to be installed in most bedrooms and small environments. It comes with dual mode with wired and wireless for extra flexibility. You can pair it via Bluetooth from a range up to 33 ft. /10m or use the provided 3.5mm to RCA connector along with the and optical inputs for connecting to your TV. It has multiple layout options for the soundbar that can sit flat below the TV screen. It can also be mounted on the wall for a sleek, elegant home theatre setup. It is easy to use and operate with simple setup option and remote. The high-sensitive IR remote control displays the different modes by means of differently coloured LED lights. The compact size of just 29 inches coupled with the connectivity options make it a very versatile as a TV speaker. The optical connection provide for clearer sound and crisp sound output. You get the optical cable inside which can provide for more pure and unaltered audio reproduction. It a great choice for small and tight spaces for its smaller footprint and crisp sound output. Overall, the TaoTronics is one of the best budget soundbars we have tested that delivers great sound quality with a sleek and elegant setup.
The TaoTronics 25 inch soundbar produces decent quality sound with ample loudness and clarity suitable for a room filling sound output. The sound output is loud but it does not distort much at higher volumes. It definitely performs far better compared to the usual television speaker output. Vocals and dialogues are clear and crisp with good amount of detail. It can comfortably fill up a big sized room with loud booming clear sound output directly from the source inputs like the television you are connected. Movie dialogues sounded very clean and crystal clear with nice frontal sound projection. The bass output is not overpowering or bloated. The soundbar handles the highs and mid tones with clarity and crisp sound output. The bass control is great as the speaker though being small does not distort or produce any noise even at higher volumes. The soundbar has relatively good soundstage and clean stereo separation between the right and left channels.
The soundbar from TaoTronics is a very compact and small sized soundbar that sits in perfectly with small sized televisions and tight spaces. It is very compact at only 25 inches of length making it great pair for TVs even below 32 inches. It comes it multiple setup options that can be set below the television screen or mounted on the wall. The soundbar supports dual wired and wireless mode – it can pair via Bluetooth from up to 33 feet away, or connect via the 3.5mm RCA or optical inputs. The soundbar comes with a high-sensitivity IR remote control which displays different modes by multiple colored LED lights. It also supports optical connection for clearer sound; plug in via the included optical cable for a more pure audio reproduction. It’s a soundbar you can find on a budget that really delivers great quality sound performance in a small and compact design.
The Verdict? The TaoTronics is one of the best budget soundbars with a length of 25” and delivers quality sound performance. It is compact, discreet looking and blends in nicely with most surround sound setups. The soundbar has a great sound output with loud bass, crisp vocals and clear dialogues. It is powerful enough to fill up an entire room with its clear distortion free sound. It has two connectivity modes that allows it to have a wired connection with the Television or connect wirelessly via Bluetooth to other Bluetooth enabled devices. The Bluetooth range is very decent over 30 ft. It has a very practical design that helps it to be kept as a soundbar sitting in front of a television or mount it on the wall for a sleek look to a home theatre. The soundbar comes with a remote control as well as physical tactical buttons on the shell of the soundbar that can also be used to change various modes and functions on the soundbar. It is easy to setup with and control using the remote for the various functions like changing modes, volume adjustment, and other controls. Overall, the TaoTronics 25” is one of the best budget soundbars that delivers really crisp audio quality with a sleek and modern looking design.
#4 Sony S200F Budget Soundbar
The Sony S200F is one of the best budget soundbars with a full 2.1 stereo sound experience for movies and TV shows. It is sleek and modern looking to match most home décor. It has a built-in subwoofer for enhanced bass output. The power output on this soundbar is 80 Watts which is relatively good considering its small and compact size. The 2.1 surround sound technology allows this speaker to produce good stereo separation between the right and left channels. The surround sound output is impressive. It connects over Bluetooth to devices and can be used to send audio directly to the soundbar wirelessly through Bluetooth. It has one cable HDMI ARC connectivity for the soundbar to connect with your TV for high quality sound output. Stream audio or music direct over the soundbar from any Bluetooth enabled devices using the in-built Bluetooth technology. The entire package comes with a remote control, batteries, optical cable, AC Adapter, AC Cord, Footpads, wall mount template for easy and hassle-free installation on your own. The soundbar is sleek, good looking and provide cinematic surround sound with the help of the 2.1 channel output and built-in subwoofer. Overall, it’s one of the best budget soundbars that delivers quality sound performance and we highly recommend them.
The sound quality on this sound bar is crisp and reproduces dialogues and vocals very well. Low frequencies sound great on this soundbar with clear and detailed voices. The subwoofer built in has ample power to produce powerful and balanced bass output. It comes with Dolby Digital sound for an immersive sonic experience. The soundbar comes with S Force Pro Front Surround sound technology that puts the listener in the middle of the action with the surround sound experience. It is small but has a powerful sound output that will fill an entire room with clear and loud sound output without any distortion. The bass output is great but has three-level of controls that limited the adjustments you can do on this soundbar. The Sony S200F compliments surround sound and home theater speaker setups relatively well. The clarity of vocals and dialogues are good with lot of details to make them sound close to lifelike. Overall, sound signature is crisp and vibrant, and dynamically reproduces the details in the music with good precision.
The Sony S200F is a sleek and modern looking soundbar that complements most modern home décor. It is designed to match most aesthetics of a home décor setup with sleek and compact design. It looks classy with the matte finish giving it a pleasant look to blend into any room or surrounding. The top is a leather look top for added style and classy look to the soundbar. It also has piano black sides that make it look very appealing and luxurious. The built-in subwoofer has a power output of 80 watts which is really good; it also supports wireless Bluetooth streaming and one cable HDMI ARC for high quality music streaming. We liked the fact that the manufacturers provided a wall mount template for you to mount the Sony S200F speaker onto the wall underneath your flat-screen TV. The entire setup comes with remote controller, batteries, optical cable, AC adapter and AC cord for easy setup.
The Verdict? The Sony S200F is one of the best budget soundbars that delivers high quality sound reproduction with vibrant details and deep bass. It produces quality sound with clear vocals and dialogues with crystal clear stereo separation. The surround sound technology ensures the listeners gets the best output directed straight at them with a room-filling surround sound experience. It makes the listener to get the sense of sounds coming at him from all sides making for an immersive listening experience as you might experience in a movie theatre. The size of the soundbar is compact and can be placed under most televisions to enhance the sound output. It has a variety of connectivity options for the users to choose from for various listening scenarios. It can be connected to the TV over the HDMI ARC that allows it to be controlled using the TV remote itself. Additionally, it can also connect wirelessly over Bluetooth to devices for streaming of audio and music directly on the soundbar. On the whole, the Sony S200F is one of the best budget soundbars we have tested that delivers good value for money and we highly recommend them.
#5 Bose Solo 5 Budget Soundbar
If you are an audiophile on a budget, the Bose Solo 5 is one of the best budget soundbars you can find that delivers excellent sound. The Solo 5 TV sound system is an easy solution with advanced technologies that deliver the clear audio your TV cannot produce. It comes with a dialogue mode to make every word and detail to stand out. It supports Bluetooth connectivity to wirelessly stream music from any devices. You can connect it to your TV with a single Optical Audio Input or the Coaxial Audio Input or the 3.5mm AUX input. The Bose Solo 5 comes with a universal remote control that can be used to control the various functions on the soundbar. It is a soundbar with focus on the dialogues and words to allow the user for a better listening experience for vocals and dialogues. It is compact and sleek with modern design to fit in well with any décor. The dimensions of the soundbar is 2.6H x 21.6W x 3.4D and comes with a large remote of 4.1×1.6×0.4 dimensions respectively. If you are looking for one of the best budget soundbars that will satisfy audiophile tastes, the Bose Solo 5 TV sound system is a great choice.
The Bose Solo 5 soundbar is aimed at delivering crisp and clear dialogues with lot of details to make movie dialogues and performances sound very clean. It comes with enhanced dialogue technology that put in extra emphasis on the words and dialogues to deliver a cleaner sound output. The Bose solo 5 is designed to deliver an incredible amount of detail in the sound output for the listener to hear every word crystal clear and sharp. Voices and minute sound effects can be felt through the soundbar. You would be able to hear details and sound effects in the music which you might not have noticed before. Even without the dialogue enhanced button turned off the soundbar provides crisp and clean dialogues and vocals. The dialogue enhancement feature is a nice added touch to improve movie dialogues while the side and rear speakers produce sound effects – it lowers the bass to provide more enhanced voice and dialogue output for the listener. The highs and mid are excellently handled with lot of detail and crisp sounding output. The bass and lower-end frequency ranges are acoustically produced to great detail without any bloated or muddiness.
The Bose Solo 5 is an elegant compact soundbar that looks classy and blends in nicely with modern home décor. The all black cabinet is minimalistic with just the Bose logo on the front grill. The front grill also houses the status LED indicators. The LED can change colours to show the mode the soundbar is operating or the dialogue mode is turned on or off. The flashing amber light indicates the dialogue mode to be turned on. There are no physical control buttons on this sound bar but it comes with a Universal remote. You can use the remote supplied with the soundbar to control other electronics devices. This can be done by programming the remote with the manufacturer’s IR codes from the database provided. It has a lot more buttons than require controlling a soundbar for the same reason. You can use it to control your television or your satellite television box or even DVD players. It has a variety of connectivity options with physical cables and wireless connection. The Bose solo 5 setup is straightforward with the provided optical coaxial cable that plugs into your television.
The Verdict? The Bose Solo 5 is one of the best budget soundbars designed for audiophiles with crystal clear vocal and dialogue output. The sound quality that we got from the Solo 5 is exceptionally clear and detailed, with crystal clear highs, detailed midranges and deep bass. The soundbar also has a dialogue mode which focuses on projecting the frontal dialogues in movies and TV shows. The soundbar is designed to blend in with most home theatre setup with its sleek design and compact size. The all black design and the minimalistic approach in the design make it a very appealing choice for people looking for a stylish and functional soundbar. It is very easy to setup with the provided cables optical and coaxial audio inputs. It has ability to connect over Bluetooth; the use of lower end codec will cause some quality loss. This soundbar comes with a dialogue enhancement technology that will emphasize on the vocals and dialogues. The entire soundbar has a relatively compact dimension of 2.6” x 21.6” x 3.4”. If you are looking for one of the best budget soundbars that can deliver audiophile-grade sound quality, the Bose Solo 5 is a great choice.
#6 Samsung N400 Budget Soundbar
The Samsung N400 is one of the best budget soundbars that is designed to be compact and easily connects to your TV for crystal clear dialogue performance. It is very compact and blends in nicely with ultra-slim TVs with a height of only 77mm. There multiple connectivity options for this soundbar via optical cable or the HDMI inputs. It also has wireless capabilities to allow it to connect to other devices over Bluetooth. You can stream music directly from your smartphone and other devices over Bluetooth. It comes with 2.1 channel speaker configuration with two forward firing channels that delivers great sound quality. You can control the soundbar with the remote or use smartphone to control the various functions and modes of the soundbar. It is easy to connect and blends well with home décor and television setups. The Samsung N400 is also surround sound ready and integrates well into hoem theater setups. Overall, the Samsung N400 is one of the best soundbar available that delivers great value and sound performance, and comes highly recommended.
The soundbar improves the sonic output of smaller television downward firing speakers. It comes with 2.1 channel for greater depth and surround sounding audio output. It has two forward firing speakers for a front directed sound output and a built-in subwoofer for lower bass response. The soundbar works really well to enhance dialogue and vocals in movies and TV shows. The acoustic drivers have a wide dispersion which creates a nice soundstage to listen to with detailed separation. The N400 soundbar is surround-sound ready and integrates into home theater setups as a front soundbar dialogue speaker. It is great for enjoying movies and TV shows with family and friends as the sound reaches to a wider angle for everyone to get a clear audio. We also liked the fact that you can really crank up the volume on the N400 soundbar to maximum without hearing any distortion. The N400 also supports HDMI inputs which provides crystal clear sound clarity and streams music wirelessly via Bluetooth.
The Samsung N400 is a great looking soundbar that looks classy and matches well with most home interior décor. The cabinet is a black rectangular box with solid construction and matte finish. There is a metal grille at the front of the soundbar to display different modes. It has a brushed metal finish on the top and plastic sides for a more classy and modern look. The soundbar is 71mm tall that is suitable to be placed in front of slim television sets without blocking the screen. It comes with wall brackets to mount the soundbar on the wall for a sleeker look. The compact and sleek design allows the soundbar to be placed in narrow or cramped spaces. It also houses some basic controls on the right side for selecting inputs, adjusting volume and on/off button. The bottom of the soundbar houses the connection options for it to be connected using the Optical and HDMI cables. The supplied remote has buttons to control the various functions as well as selecting modes and controlling the volume, tracks and others. It can also be controlled using the Samsung Audio Remote App from your smartphone or tablet.
The Verdict? The Samsung N400 is one of the best budget soundbars with a sleek design and delivers crystal clear dialogues with smooth bass response. The wider sound dispersion tweeters provides a much wider soundstage and stereo separation which gives you a sense of where each note is coming from. The sound is distributed equally to all direction with details and clarity for a better movie experience. We liked the fact that the N400 comes with built-in Bluetooth connectivity and features HDMI inputs and outputs for TV shows. It has an all-in-one design with 2.1 channels for clear and balanced sound output. This soundbar has the ability to deliver well-balanced and clear dialogues with decent bass. It also has an array of connectivity options with HDMI ARC and Bluetooth for versatility and wireless audio streaming, and is surround sound ready for your home theater setup. If you are looking for one of the best budget soundbars that can provide a really well-defined listening experience, the Samsung N400 is a great choice.
#7 Sonos PLAYBAR Budget Soundbar
The Sonos PLAYBAR is one of the best budget soundbars for audiophiles that complements HD television screens with crisp and powerful sound output from the in-built nine amplified speaker drivers. You can also wirelessly stream music and audio to the sound bar directly from your device. It can also be connected to smart home speakers like Echo or Alexa enabled devices to play music on the PLAYBAR by voice commands. It synchronizes seamlessly with other sonos speakers giving a connected and synced music flow throughout your house. To get the best surround sound experience in your home, pair it with two PLAY 1 and a dedicated subwoofer. It provides an immersive 5.1 surround sound for a superb home theatre experience. It has a simple two cord setup with one for power and one for the TV. You can control the soundbar using the existing TV remote or use the sonos app on your smartphone. The PLAYBAR enhances the speech for extra clarity for clear dialogues and vocal in a movie. It comes with a night sound feature, which when turned on enhance quiet sounds at lower volumes and reduce the intensity of loud sounds. It is WiFi capable, which can connect to your home network for uninterrupted wireless audio streaming in your home. If you are an audiophile looking for one of the best budget soundbar, the Sonos PLAYBAR is an excellent choice.
The Sonos PLAYBAR has nine driver units that produces clear, crisp and immersive sound output unlike any other soundbars in the market. It is still a single unit speaker but the stereo separation on these speakers are Steller due to the side firing speaker driver units. The sound is deep with clarity and immersive surround sound effect that will take you directly to the heart of the music or movie. The highs and timbre ranges, mid-ranges and vocals sounds like you are sitting in a real-life theater performance. The soundbar is loud, clean with deep bass notes that feel tight and punchy. The Sonos PLAYBAR has excellent stereo separation and vibrant soundstage which makes it feel exceptionally good to listen to. There is a great deal of depth and detail even in the low ends of the frequencies without any thumping overpowering bass. It also has speech enhancement mode to lift up the dialogues and vocals for movies and TV shows. We also liked the fact that it features a night sound function to enhance quiet sounds at lower volumes and reduces the intensity of louder sounds.
The Sonos PLAYBAR is an engineering masterpiece with nine drivers fitted into a slim, compact body for easy installation in most places or mounting on the wall. It has an ultra slim profile of just under 9cm the play bar can sit under the television or inside a cabinet. The Sonos PLAYBAR supports Wi-Fi connectivity and connects to your home Wi-Fi network with any 802.11lb/g, 2.4 GHz broadcast capable router for uninterrupted wireless streaming. The soundbar is slim even though it has nine drivers inside that can be placed within the legs of a television with bigger display. Smaller televisions will make it look out of place, as it is longer at 42 inches that can go well with bigger flat screens. The design blends in well with most style décor and setup of a drawing room with its stylish smooth fabric covering the whole body. The cabinet is made of aluminium for added durability and style. The Sonos PLAYBACK syncs wirelessly with other Sonos speakers so you can listen to music or watch movies in synchronized audio.
The Verdict? The Sonos PLAYBAR is one of the best budget soundbars that complements HD TV screens with crisp and powerful sound performance from nine amplified speaker drivers. The soundbar allows you to connect to Echo or Alexa-enabled devices and sync wirelessly with other Sonos speakers so you can listen to your TV in perfect sync. You can also pair the soundbar with the Sonos Play and subwoofer for a surround 5.1 system setup. The soundstage offered by this soundbar is very impressive due to its nine acoustic drivers that effective disperses sound through the entire room. It can be connected over WiFi for uninterrupted music playback from any connected device in the network. Sonos also has an app that allow users to stream music directly from popular music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and others directly to the speaker. The soundbar uses an optical input to connect direct with your television; it also connects to your home wifi network with any 2.4 GHz broadcast capable router for wireless music streaming. The soundbar is easy to setup and you can control it from your existing TV remote or wireless connect it through the Sonos app from your smartphone device. It also has night mode which enhances speech for extra clarity. Overall, the Sonos PLAYBAR is one of the best budget soundbars we have tested and are a great choice for audiophiles and music lovers.
#8 Sony CT290 Budget Soundbar
The Sony CT290 is one of the best budget soundbars with a 300w power output and 2.1 channel S-Force Pro Front Surround Sound drivers. They provide a well-directed sound output towards the listener with clarity and depth. It connects and streams music wirelessly from smartphone devices with Bluetooth enabled capabilities. It has a slot in design to blend in perfectly in under slim TV sets. Its ultra slim profile largely helps in saving space and complementing with home décor. It can also be wall-mounted for a cleaner look in the room. It has a built-in voice mode for enhanced voices and dialogues that boost their clarity for a better listening experience. It also comes with a night mode that allow the listeners to have better sound output at low volumes at night. You can connect the soundbar to your TV using HDMI ARC that allow you to control your television and the soundbar using a single remote. It also has a nifty USB playback feature that allows you to play audio and music directly from a USB stick connected to the soundbar. The soundbar comes with a separate wireless subwoofer in the box to lift the low ends and provide better bass output. Overall, the Sony CT290 is one of the best budget soundbars with an ultra-slim design and comes with a dedicated subwoofer.
The Sony CT290 is a powerful sound bar system that comes with a 2.1 channel driver and a separate wireless subwoofer for enhanced bass output. The powerful 300 watts drivers provide a room filling sound output that is clean and crisp. The lows are well balanced with clear thumping bass with the separate subwoofer that is included in the system. It enhances the vocals and dialogues for a better listening experience during movies or shows where dialogues play crucial role. We liked the fact that you can really crank up the volume on this soundbar without hearing any distortion. The Sony CT290 also delivers really good soundstage with detailed separation for you to appreciate where the music is coming from. The sound performance is loud, clear and crisp and stays consistent at any volume level without rolling off. The bass output on this soundbar is very pleasing as the dedicated separate subwoofer enhances the low end frequency ranges. The Sony CT290 allows you to hear clearer voices with Voice Mode and clearer sounds at low volumes with Night mode.
The soundbar in itself is slim and can be placed in tight spaces without much difficulty. The ultra slim footprint allows it to sit flush in front of the TV without getting in the way of the screen. It looks discreet and stylish with the slim cabinet and boxy layout that complements most modern slim televisions. It has a black body with a grey mesh for a classy look to the otherwise not so striking looking soundbar. The soundbar is 35 inches long which make it ideal for large size televisions as well. It can also be mounted on the all to complement the modern look of any room without blocking the IR receiver. It is discrete and blends in well with most décor and home theater setups. It has a bluetooth connectivity option that allows you to play audio from your smartphone, tablet or laptop. It also features HDMI ARC connectivity option and allows you to control the soundbar using the TV remote. The soundbar has a dimension of 35.43 x 2.05 x 3.39 inches and the subwoofer has a dimension of 6.69 x 13.46 x 14.25 inches. The entire system comes with the Sony CT290 soundbar and subwoofer, digital amplifier, batteries, foot pad, optical cable and user manual for easy reference.
The Verdict? The Sony CT290 is one of the best budget soundbars that has a separate dedicated wireless subwoofer for the added punch in the low ends. The soundbar has a power output of 300 watts plus 2.1 S-Force Pro front surround sound technology for surround sound performance. Both the sound bar and the subwoofer are boxy and all black with a grey mesh for added touch of class and elegance. It comes with multiple connectivity options for connecting to a television over the optical cable or the HDMI ARC. The HDMI ARC technology allows the users to control both the television and the sound bar using the same remote. It comes with audio enhancing features like Voice Mode, which enhance the vocals and dialogues. It also has a Night Mode that allows the users to lower down the bass output and present a soothing soft sound output perfect for quieter night times. Overall, the Sony CT290 is one of the best budget soundbars with a dedicated wireless subwoofer and audio enhancing modes. It also plays music over Bluetooth giving the freedom of wireless music streaming.
#9 Richsound Research TB220L Budget Soundbar
The Richsound Research TB220L is a 32 inch 16 watt (RMS) 2.0 channel sound bar that has decent quality sound output. It is one of the best budget soundbars we have tested that can deliver clear stereo output audio with detailed separation. Vocal performances and dialogue sound particularly crisp and crystal clear with the TB220L speaker. This soundbar connects to your television over optical connector or auxiliary input. The sound bar also has a convenient Bluetooth connectivity that allows it to connect to devices wirelessly and stream music. It is slim and can be placed beneath a television for enhancing the sound output of a television. You can also mount it on the walls using the provided guide and kit. It is an entry-level sound bar, which does a better job of uplifting the experience of listerners coming from television speaker. If you are looking for one of the best budget soundbars that can enhance your TV audio experience, the TB220L soundbar comes highly recommended.
The sound output on this sound bar is clear and clean without being too flashy or having overpowering bass. It has good amount of details in the dialogues and vocals, which is great for movies and shows where dialogues play an important role. The 2.0 channel drivers are capable to deliver loud room-filling sound output. The 2.0 channel system delivers rich, clear sound to enhance the movie experience on your flat screen television. It is a small unit with limited power but the sound output is good considering the size of the drivers and absence of dedicated subwoofers. The bass output on this soundbar is decent but not muddy or overpowering. It is designed to give emphasis on vocals and dialogue with very clean stereo output. This soundbar has two bass reflex tubes that enhance the bass output and enhance the lower-midrange frequencies. It delivers loud, open sound with excellent details in the mid-range and trebles. We also liked the fact that you can crank up the volume on the TB220L without experiencing any distortion.
The construction of this sound bar is sturdy and compact to match with most style décor. It has a glossy black colour exterior that matches with the modern aesthetics of most modern electronic. The sound bar is slim enough to fit into any sized cabinets or beneath the flat screen televisions. The sleek design and modern style of the sound bar makes it a great pair with modern flat screen High definition televisions. The soundbar can connect wirelessly to devices with Bluetooth support which make it easy to stream music wirelessly via smartphone. It can also be mounted on the wall with the wall mounting kit in the box that allows for a cleaner setup or to project the sound outwards into the room. This soundbar supports optical, auxiliary and Bluetooth options and comes with a single optical and auxiliary input jack.
The Verdict? The Richsound Research TB220L is one of the best budget soundbars with a slim profile and very good sound performance. It is versatile soundbar that provides really good stereo sound performance and clean dialogues. The dialogues and vocals are crisper and cleaner with good stereo separation; the acoustic drivers have great dynamic range with high volume sound output. The TB220L is a 32” soundbar with 16 watts RMS of power and 2.0 channel output. The soundbar can also be placed horizontally with the television unit or can be wall mounted using the supplied kit and manual. The modern look and the slim profile makes it a great choice to complement the flat screen TVs. It has Bluetooth connection ability to pair it with devices that can stream music and audio wirelessly over Bluetooth. You can pair the soundbar with your TV via optical or auxiliary connections. Overall, if you are looking for one of the best budget soundbars with a slim profile design, the TB220L soundbar comes highly recommended.
#10 Samsung HW-J335 Budget Soundbar
The Samsung HW-J335 is a 37 inch sound bar with four combined 120 watt tweeters inside for great sound output at all frequency ranges. It is one of the best budget soundbar you can find with a wired subwoofer for added depth and bass output. It offers the convenience of Bluetooth connectivity that allows it to connect to a range of devices wirelessly. The separate wired subwoofer is a 5.25-inch box style unit that produces enhanced bass output. The sound bar can be placed in front of a television like a conventional sound bar but the wired subwoofer will need a consideration too while planning your setup. It can also be wall mounted which can be a tedious task considering there would be a wire hanging that connect the sound bar to the subwoofer unit. It connects to the television over the optical cable connection and supports USB and Bluetooth connections as well. You have to remove the plastic covering the tips of the connectors on the optical cable before you install the sound bar. Overall, the Samsung HW-J335 is one of the best budget soundbars we have tested that delivers great sound quality and we highly recommend them.
The Samsung HW-J335 soundbar comes with four combined 120 watt tweeter that produces cleaner and crisp sound output. The added separate subwoofer does a great job handling the lower ends with enhanced sound output. The bass output is deep and clear with the separate subwoofer giving the sound bar the opportunity to expand the horizon of frequency response and greater sound output. The HW-J335 soundbar greatly enhances the audio output from the television and particularly the dialogue performance. The dialogues sound cleaner and detailed on the sound bar. Samsung also has a 3D sound plus feature that allows the speaker to create a fake surround sound effect. It is still a 2.1 channel so the output is digital and not done using the speaker drivers. However, you will not notice much difference in reality unless too critical of the audio output. This soundbar features ‘clear voice technology’ that enhance the vocals and dialogues to bring more details to the dialogue output. Movies and music orchestra performances sound much crisper and cleaner with the HW-J335 soundbar.
The HW-J335 soundbar has a slim profile design that can fit well in front of a flat screen television without blocking the screen. The construction is similar to most sound bars you will find in the market these days. It is boxy with all black exterior and a glossy plastic cabinet. The front is covered with a black grill housing the four tweeters. It is slim and compact at 37 inches of length, which makes it a great companion for a flat screen television setup. The only downside of the design aspect is the wired separate subwoofer that will need its own space during installation. It is a wired subwoofer that needs to be connected to the sound bar with a wire to get the bass output from the sound bar setup. It can also be wall mounted using the wall mount kit supplied in the box that allows it to be mounted easily. The soundbar has a lot of connectivity options including USB and wireless Bluetooth connectivity to allow wireless music streaming on the sound bar. It has a varied range of compatibility option for AV decoding for MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, FLAC, and WAV formats. It has a compatible with Samsung Audio Remote app to control over the equalizer, modes and create playlists. It also connects with the 2013, 2014, or 2015 Samsung 3D TV models with the Sound Connect technology.
The Verdict? The Samsung HW-L335 is one of the best budget soundbars that delivers clear and clean audio output. The wired subwoofer is a powerful 60 w unit that can produce powerful bass at higher volume with good clarity and details. A slim television is not capable enough to produce good sounds, as they are limited with small speaker units inside the television. A sound bar like the Samsung HW-J335 can add the detail and clarity in sound output that is unexpected from a TV source. The slim and compact size sound bar sits well below most flat screen televisions and offers great sound output. It can be connected to the TV using the optical connector, or as a desk speaker for its Bluetooth functionality. It is an entry-level sound bar with a wired separate subwoofer that enhances the usual audio output we are used to from a flat screen television. It does not have the cinema enhancing features like the higher priced models but does a decent job with dialogues and clarity of vocals. On the whole, the Samsung HW-L335 is one of the best budget soundbars you can find with easy setup and comes with all the components to get started straight out of the box.