10 Soundbars You Need To Replace Your TV Audio With, According To Experts

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Televisions are among the many electronic appliances that have benefited from technological advancements. Gone are the days when a bulky CRT set took up half the space in your room and produced a muddy picture. Instead, today’s OLED and Mini LED panels have 4K or even 8K resolution and are so thin that you can essentially stick them to a wall. Unfortunately, one metric suffered as a consequence of this desire to make TVs thinner: sound quality. Since producing audio requires drivers to move large volumes of air, which is physically impossible in a space-constrained environment, most TV speakers end up sounding tinny and lacking bass.

The obvious solution to this problem is a soundbar. It has the space for the drivers to push air, but should you invest in one? According to experts, the answer is a big yes. As George Lucas once said, “Sound is half the experience,” so getting a proper soundbar or even a home theater setup can significantly improve your media experience. However, choosing a soundbar isn’t that easy. The market has tons of players, with each operating under a different setup. To help you get started, we’ve identified the best soundbars to replace your TV speakers, according to experts.

The Samsung HW-Q990F is arguably the best Dolby soundbar system money can buy, and these are not our words, but those of experts who’ve tested soundbars for years. The 11.1.4 channel system includes the soundbar, two surround speakers, and a subwoofer. The Q990F connects to your TV via one of the two HDMI 2.1 ports and supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital. Beyond that, there’s the SpaceFit Sound Pro feature, which automatically adjusts the soundbar’s audio based on your room’s acoustics. According to experts, the setup process for the Q990F is really simple, thanks to the SmartThings app, which takes care of everything and allows EQ customization. 

The performance? The best in business. Rtings and TechRadar’s reviews state that the Q990F produces a super-immersive audio experience with the surround speakers, putting you right in the action of any movie. Elements are crystal clear, and the music-listening experience with Dolby Atmos-enabled tracks is tough to beat. Despite the smaller size of the subwoofer (great for apartments), the bass can shake a few things up, but also doesn’t overpower the vocals or music. Gaming is another strong point, as the Q990F supports HDMI passthrough at 4K 120Hz without adding any extra latency. All this comes at a cost, and the current price is $1,715.99 on Amazon.

When the original Sonos Arc debuted in 2020, it was an instant favorite thanks to the sound and the fact that it didn’t require subwoofers or surround speakers. And if you don’t want to mess up your home decor, the recently launched Arc Ultra could be the best bet. You get two color options, either white or black, and the design is identical to the previous Arc except for the dimensions, which have increased slightly. The 9.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar houses 15 Class-D digital amplifiers, seven tweeters, six mid-woofers, and Sonos’ Sound Motion woofer. 

Our review of the Arc Ultra found that it creates a soundstage that ticks every box. The sound is clear and spot on, in the sense that you can hear every approaching footstep and raindrop, and it fills the whole room without issue. Despite the lack of surround speakers, the Arc Ultra justifies its Dolby Atmos certification by excellently placing sound elements in different locations. Likewise, the bass, thanks to the Sound Motion woofer, hits really deep, doesn’t interfere with other notes, and carries that weight. At $1,099 on Amazon, the Sonos Arc Ultra may seem a bit pricey, but according to Tech Radar’s experts, it’s the best-sounding single-equipment soundbar.

If you don’t mind installing surround speakers throughout the room, then the LG S90TR is worth a look. It costs $1,196.99 on Amazon and sits slightly below LG’s flagship S95TR. The only downgrade is the lack of an upward-firing speaker. Still, for most people, not being able to hear an overhead helicopter sound from the ceiling shouldn’t be a deal-breaker, since the S90TR is really good. For starters, the 7.1.3 Dolby Atmos-enabled system comes with the soundbar, two surround speakers, and a subwoofer. LG TV owners can enable the WOW Orchestra feature, which uses the TV’s speakers for a more dynamic sound (on a compatible LG set). The system also supports Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay to stream music directly.

Rtings says the S90TR’s soundstage is fantastic. The sound is clear, doesn’t distort at higher volumes, and the surround speakers do a really good job of engulfing you in any audio. Even the dialogues don’t get muffled. LG’s ThingQ app offers several customization options to tweak sound output based on your space’s acoustics. But if you don’t want to fiddle with any of that, there’s a room correction feature that maps your room and adjusts the metrics for the best sound.

If you don’t want to shell out the big bucks for the flagship HW-Q990F but still want a similar experience, we have some good news. The HW-Q930D has a similar feature set and costs a modest $840 at Best Buy. With it, you get the same room-correction feature that automatically adjusts the sound, and the handy Night mode that helps you watch a movie without waking everyone at home. Like its flagship sibling, experts say the setup, handled by SmartThings, is simple, and there’s a whole host of EQ settings to play with if you’re using a compatible Samsung television. The 9.1.4 channel system, which comes with the soundbar, two surround speakers, and a subwoofer, supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X but omits the 4K/120Hz HDMI passthrough and two channels.

Still, if you don’t plan on high-refresh-rate gaming, Trusted Reviews found that the Q930D immerses you in any content thanks to dedicated left and right channels and even manages to portray height effectively. The bass may be a bit lacking out of the box, but you can boost it with the EQ settings.

Like the Arc, the first Sonos Beam captured the hearts of experts simply because it delivered impressive audio in a form factor smaller than any competing soundbar. The second-generation Sonos Beam, which costs $468 on Amazon, continues this legacy. And if you’re in the market for a soundbar that takes up almost no space, experts say this is it. The new Beam measures just 26 inches wide and still supports almost every Dolby standard, including the main highlight, Dolby Atmos. Our review of the new Beam found its soundstage to be immersive. You will feel a sense of depth in different environments. Obviously, the Beam’s performance can’t match that of the bigger Arc Ultra, but the good news continues with bass, as it handles low frequencies really well. We also liked the music experience thanks to the clear and rich profile.

The 5.0 channel soundbar also gets a range of new features. For starters, there’s eARC compatibility, which allows it to support high-res audio. Then, instead of manually tuning the soundbar to your space, the Trueplay correction feature takes care of all the settings. Down the road, you can also buy other Sonos surround speakers and connect them to the Beam for a more authentic Dolby Atmos experience.

Not everyone wants to spend a grand on upgrading the TV speakers. For those who still want a complete surround-sound experience at a lower price point, the Fire TV Sound Plus with surround speakers is one combo experts recommend. It costs $415 on Amazon, and for the price, it gets a lot of things right. Unlike competitors that require a wired connection between speakers, the Fire TV soundbar keeps everything wireless, and, according to experts, the setup process is super simple since all speakers come paired out of the box. Plus, there are different modes like Movie, Sports, Music, and Night. The latter keeps the highs from getting loud while keeping the dialogue legible, and has been a particular favorite of many. 

According to TechRadar’s review, the 5.1-channel system keeps the mids fairly accurate without much distortion. The bass is thumpy and provides enough rumble during movies. Its surround speakers, which are Dolby Atmos, DTS: X, and DTS TruVolume certified, also do a decent job of surrounding you in a movie. There are some downsides, like muffled treble at lower volumes and the lack of an upward-firing channel, but experts say that if you aren’t an audiophile, you wouldn’t really notice any difference.

Bose and audio gear have always been a match made in heaven. The same match continues to pay dividends with the Bose Smart Soundbar, which many experts consider one of the best compact Atmos audio solutions. It costs $399 on Amazon, and for that, you get a 3.0.2-channel soundbar that measures 28 inches wide and 2.21 inches tall, making it suitable for any television set. Then there are the features, which include the likes of AirPlay and Chromecast support, an AI dialogue enhancer, and EQ adjustment settings in the Bose TrueSpace app. You can even connect existing Bose speakers to act as dedicated left and right channels or use the Ultra Open Earbuds for a true surround sound experience.

TechRadar’s review stated that the Bose Smart Soundbar is as good as such devices get. Sure, the soundbar is a victim of its compact form factor, as low frequencies lack that weight, and the soundstage is narrow. But the mids are well-balanced, and the highs are clear. Unlike the Beam Gen 2, the Bose soundbar does have up-firing speakers that do really well in providing that sense of depth.

Hisense is the affordable TV brand that we’ve all come to love. But TVs aren’t the only thing Hisense makes. The company’s operations also extend to soundbars, and if you’re in the market for a Dolby Atmos system that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, experts believe the Hisense AX5125H could just be it. For under $300 on Amazon at the time of writing, the AX5125H includes the soundbar, two surround speakers, and even a subwoofer. The 5.1.2 channel system, while made of plastic, does not feel cheap, supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio formats, and includes tons of features, including different sound modes and an AI mode that analyzes the content and adjusts the profile. Interestingly, there’s no app to adjust EQ. Instead, everything is handled by the included remote, but it is primarily for treble and bass adjustments. There’s also support for HDMI passthrough, but it is limited to just 60Hz.

What Hi-Fi‘s review said that the highs don’t screech, the dialogue stays real, and there’s a lot of detail. The party trick of the Hisense AX5125H, though, is Dolby Atmos. Despite the lack of up-firing speakers, the system effectively places different sounds throughout the room. Unfortunately, getting the AX5125H in stock can be difficult. If you can’t find it anywhere, Rtings name checks its successor, the AX5140Q, which costs $399.99 at Best Buy. 

Yamaha is a brand that’s most famously known for making motorcycles and, interestingly, pianos. However, the bike/piano maker’s reach also extends to other audio gear, including speakers and soundbars. Its SR-C30A soundbar system has its fans for a few key reasons. It’s affordable at just $299.95 on Amazon and comes with a subwoofer. The 2.1-channel soundbar is small, easy to place under any TV, and well-built. It connects via an HDMI port and features a Bluetooth mode for music listening.

The sound quality? TechRadar’s review says the SR-C30A does a decent job of producing clear and crisp audio that’s a step up from any TV speaker. The mids aren’t muffled, and the sound feels expansive with some depth. However, there were some inconsistencies between the subwoofer and the soundbar, in the sense that the crossover wasn’t smooth. Beyond that, Yamaha also ships a remote with the SR-C30A, which can be used to cycle between different modes like Stereo, Standard, 3D Movie, and Game. There’s even a Clear Voice button that boosts the dialogue, and a Bass Ext that does the same for lower frequencies.

Imagine you just scored a great TV deal on Facebook Marketplace. You install it in your room, its picture quality is a major upgrade, but the sound and the bass are lacking. This is exactly the problem budget soundbars are meant to solve. And the Sony HT-S100F, which featured in our best soundbars under $200 list, is really good. The 2.0-channel system can be purchased for $118 on Amazon. It has Dolby Digital and Dolby Mono certification and supports HDMI ARC. Sure, there aren’t any streaming capabilities, but the soundbar does include Bluetooth 4.2 for playing music.

For the price, What Hi-Fi’s review of the HT-S100F says the sound quality punches way above its weight, thanks to the S-Force Front Surround tech. They write about the soundbar producing an output that fills the room, providing some sense of dimension to every movie. The only gripe was the muffled dialogue in the happening scenes. While there’s no fancy room calibration technology, the HT-SF150 does include different sound profiles, such as Standard, Cinema, and Music, with each slightly tweaking the output. There’s even an Auto mode that’s supposed to dynamically adjust everything, but experts found it less effective than manually selecting a profile.

Sound is a very subjective matter, and everyone has different tastes. Some like the punchy bass, while others prefer a purer experience that reflects the artist’s vision. This makes choosing something that’s right for you very difficult. Even experts have this music bias. To determine which soundbars to feature on this list, we first took notes on all brands in this space and the products they offer.

Then we reviewed the best-of lists from reputable media outlets such as Rtings, What Hi-Fi, TechRadar, and Trusted Reviews, which have tested audio equipment. We selected the soundbars that appeared on the most lists and reviewed each of the systems mentioned, noting experts’ opinions on sound quality, setup experience, and features. Factors such as how well they justify the price and the surround-sound experience also played a role.