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Honorable mentions
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Photo: Parker Hall
There are so many great speakers out there, we don’t have room to showcase them all. Here are some other things you may want to consider.
Yamaha True It includes a wireless subwoofer and two fully wireless portable surround speakers that act as standalone Bluetooth speakers, which is a great party trick. As you would assume for the price, it delivers exceptional, detailed sound with great surround channel clarity. It is also the first speaker with Auro-3D processing. However, the setup is complicated, it lacks enough HDMI and room correction ports, and the clarity of center channel dialogue is disappointing out of the box. Although its impressive accuracy will impress some, these omissions make it difficult for us to recommend flagship models from Samsung and others.
Samsung HW-Q990F, priced at $1,500: Samsung’s latest version of its impressive 11.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos chassis, the Q990F (8/10, WIRED recommends) offers modest upgrades over previous models, including a new subwoofer cube for a slightly cleaner, more musical bass sound. This and HDMI 2.1 support for connecting game consoles directly are the only real reasons to upgrade, meaning we’ll be keeping the similarly impressive Q990C (at about half the price) until the price drops.
LG S95AR, $1,700: LG’s latest 9.1.5-channel system offers minor upgrades over its predecessor, the ST95R, leaving few reasons to upgrade at full price. It remains among the best performers in its class, delivering stunning clarity, fast and smooth immersion, and quick setup and control through LG’s ever-improving ThinQ app. It’s a solid value compared to competing full-price multi-piece Dolby Atmos systems, and will become increasingly tempting as the price drops.
Sony Bravia Theater 9 for $1,500: Sony’s follow-up to its flagship soundbar, the HT-A7000, falls behind in some key ways. There are fewer inputs (no more analog), a simpler fabric-wrapped design, and fewer audio settings. The Theater 9’s smaller frame equates to a thinner, more immersive soundstage, but this is still one of Sony’s flagship speakers, which means great music, great detail and advanced spatial imaging for 3D audio. Premium features like an HDMI 2.1 input for connecting modern gaming consoles and advanced integration with newer Sony TVs sweeten the deal, but at $1,400 (sometimes $1,500 in a post-tariff world), it’s a pricey proposition.
Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $500: Sonos’ sturdy little middle child remains among the most expressive and feature-packed options in its class, offering great music and brilliant Dolby Atmos virtualization, along with all the networking options that Sonos prizes. It’s a bit pricey at this point in its lifespan, but if you can find it on sale, it’s worth giving it a lot of thought, especially now that Sonos has mostly resolved the previous app issues.
Vizio Soundbar 2.1 (SV210M) for $170: Vizio’s curvy little package offers attractive value, with solid sound quality and some cinematic footage from the smallest subwoofer you’ll ever see. There’s no optical input or remote, but the Vizio app makes adjusting settings or switching to Bluetooth simple enough. The main drawback is that dialogue is sometimes (but not always) lost, which reduces the main appeal of cheap speakers. However, good music bits and features like DTS Virtual X expansion make it worth considering for sale.
Samsung HW-Q800C at $600-700: If Samsung’s HW-Q990 everything bar is too rich for your blood, the two-piece HW-Q800C (8/10, WIRED recommends) might be a good solution. This bar offers a similar sound signature to Samsung’s flagship bars and many of the same features, packed into a smaller bar and subwoofer combo for a notable discount — especially since it’s almost always on sale.
Sennheiser Ambio Mini for $800: This luxurious pint-sized bar is great for those with money to burn on very small spaces. Sennheiser’s built-in Ambeo virtualization technology brilliantly projects sound around you for immersive TV shows and movies, and provides advanced features like Google Assistant and Alexa support.
Polk’s reaction for $134: This speaker works if you want to eventually get surround sound but don’t have the money right now. The Alexa-enabled speaker is good on its own, with Polk surround speakers and subwoofers available if you want to upgrade.
How to connect your speakers
We’ve included a list of available connectivity options next to each speaker on our list. Most soundbars will connect to your TV via optical or HDMI cables, although optical input is starting to disappear for newer models, including the more expensive flagship options. In most cases, HMDI is the preferred connection anyway.
If your TV and soundbar have an HDMI ARC/eARC port (the cable port looks like regular HDMI, but is labeled ARC or eARC), connect it this way. It will allow you to use the volume buttons on your TV remote to control the soundbar volume. Also make sure CEC is enabled. Use an optical cable only if HDMI is not available, as HDMI is also necessary for Dolby Atmos and other 3D audio formats.
Finally, check your TV’s sound menus to make sure the TV’s internal speakers are turned off (so you don’t get any weird sound vibrations) and find the best places to place your speakers and sub.
We have yet to test a new TV that doesn’t sound better with an audio accessory. This is mostly due to the way TVs are designed. Great speakers are big, and as TVs have gotten thinner with shrinking bezels and sleeker designs, manufacturers have had a harder time building good speakers into them.
You can spend $100-$150 on new speakers, which is essential to getting the most out of your TV experience. Our list of the best speakers we’ve tested includes speakers sold alone, models that come bundled with a subwoofer, and surround speakers at a variety of price points.
Are speakers as good as speakers?
If you find any audio, video, or home theater subreddit or forum, you’ll see a horde of people even claiming that the idea of matching speakers to a pair of speakers is a heresy. The truth, as far as we’re concerned, is that it all depends on your individual wants and needs.
If you’re looking for the best music bang for your buck, especially when it comes to high-resolution audio and vinyl record collections, a great pair of bookshelf speakers will likely be your best value choice. Even if you’re not keen on shopping for a speaker and running speaker wires, our best bookshelf speakers guide offers plenty of active/powered pairs that include all the inputs and amplification built-in, like an audiophile speaker system.
However, this may not be the best option for everyone. If you’re looking for something cheap and simple to enhance your TV’s sound, or conversely, a convenient way to explore exciting audio formats like surround sound and Dolby Atmos, a soundbar could be the perfect choice. Soundbars are affordable, hassle-free solutions, with many offering sound and features that may match your needs better than a pair of speakers or a traditional home theater setup. We’re not biased here, we just love good sound and great features. For many, a megaphone is the best way to get there.
This is a question that only you can answer, but there are some points to consider before making a call, starting with your living space. If you live in a smaller apartment or multiplex, a subwoofer may not be the best choice due to its size and potential for triggering noise complaints. Larger modern speakers have become increasingly good at reproducing convincing bass from a single bar, often using multiple speakers in a party to bring more punch to the low frequencies without causing too much boom and thud.
If you’re less concerned about close quarters and looking for more cinematic effects, you should strongly consider speakers with a subwoofer. The physics can only be expanded so far, and no multi-speaker system we’ve heard can match the power and effectiveness of a dedicated large driver and acoustic cabinet. Many affordable speaker models even include a subwoofer. If you want full sound, we suggest considering using a subwoofer, or at least a bar that allows you to add one later.
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