what to look for in a soundbar 2018
The research
- Why yous should trust u.s.
- Who should become a soundbar
- How we picked
- How nosotros tested
- Our pick: Samsung HW-Q900A Atmos soundbar
- Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Runner-up: Vizio Drag Atmos soundbar
- Budget pick: JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass soundbar
- A cracking mid-priced soundbar: Vizio M512a-H6
- Other skillful soundbars
- Measurements
- Sustainability and environmental impact of soundbars
- What to look forward to
- The competition
Why y'all should trust us
I have been reviewing audio gear professionally since 1990, having worked every bit an editor or writer for SoundStage, Audio & Vision, Domicile Theater Review, Dwelling Theater Magazine, and numerous other publications. In that time, I've conducted and published more blind tests of audio products than any other journalist in the world, and I am an acknowledged expert in sound measurement. I besides used to piece of work equally a consultant in soundbar design and tuning for numerous companies (by and large OEM/ODM companies that supply products for well-known brands), and I've evaluated and measured more than 120 soundbars in final or prototype course.
Our panelists for our summertime 2021 listening tests were LeRena Major, a music industry pro and voting fellow member of the Recording Academy (parent organization of the Grammy Awards), and Dan Gonda, who plays woodwind instruments in a diverseness of jazz combos and big bands in California and is a certified Gorging Pro Tools engineer (and my bandmate in the jazz grouping Tonic Trio). Both have participated in at least a half-dozen listening tests I've conducted.
Who should become a soundbar
If y'all desire better sound than you're getting from your TV's built-in speakers simply don't desire to slice together split up components (such as an AV or stereo receiver and a speaker packet), a soundbar is the manner to go. Separate components almost always provide better functioning for your dollar, but they likewise take up more infinite and require additional cables, and their operation is more complicated. A practiced soundbar strikes a residuum betwixt operation and convenience, delivering improved sound quality in a package that's easier to prepare and use.
In addition, today's soundbars aren't just for Television set and pic watching. Most also support some method of wireless audio streaming over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This characteristic allows y'all to stream music from mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and portable audio players.
How we picked
To decide which soundbars to call in for testing, we considered the following criteria:
- Number of channels: Soundbars tin take anywhere from two to 11 channels of audio. A simple "2.0" (or 2-channel without subwoofer) soundbar is commonly the least expensive and least complex, but more often than not it tin't evangelize a cinematic feel. A "2.1" bar includes a soundbar and a subwoofer; this is the most common type, and most are priced nether $300. A "3.1" bar adds a center-aqueduct speaker for better voice clarity. A "5.i" bar adds environment speakers, which may be built into the ends of the soundbar or might be separate speakers. Bars that incorporate Dolby Atmos are usually labeled "5.1.2" or "v.i.four," meaning they add together two or 4 upward-facing Atmos speakers to bounciness sound effects off the ceiling. Considering all of these soundbars might be of interest to dissimilar people, we tried everything we could get our hands on.
- Wireless audio support: We considered only soundbars that had the power to stream music from a phone or tablet, via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (or both). Fortunately, almost new soundbars have this capability. Wi-Fi systems such as AirPlay, Chromecast, and Sonos are more than complicated to set up, simply they offering potentially better sound quality than Bluetooth considering they do non apply additional information compression to the sound point, and they can work in conjunction with other uniform speakers in a multiroom audio arrangement setup.
- HDMI ARC connection: Nosotros included only soundbars that have an HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) jack, which lets you transmit audio via a single HDMI cable betwixt the TV and soundbar. This characteristic is important considering it allows the soundbar to work like information technology'south part of the Television set: When yous power up your source device (such as a streaming media player or a cable/satellite receiver), both the Telly and the soundbar should automatically power up and switch to their correct inputs, and the remote for the Tv or media player allows y'all to control the soundbar's volume. When this connexion works the way information technology'southward supposed to, tech-phobic family unit members don't ever have to touch a push on the soundbar or its remote.
- HDMI inputs: Although such inputs are less important in a 2.0- or 2.1-channel soundbar, this feature may exist essential if you accept a 5.1-channel or Atmos-capable soundbar and want to go the highest-quality sound from streaming media players, Blu-ray players, and video game consoles. Many older TVs equipped with HDMI ARC "impaired downwards" a five.1 or Atmos betoken coming in through HDMI to ii.0 channels, which they then laissez passer to the soundbar. Many TVs released in the past 4 or five years tin pass 5.1 sound and Dolby Atmos over HDMI ARC only in a compressed class. The newest TVs equipped with eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel, office of the HDMI 2.i spec) can pass an uncompressed Atmos point, but both the Television set and soundbar must support eARC for that to happen. If your soundbar has HDMI inputs, you don't have to worry which version of ARC your gear supports because you can connect your sources directly to the soundbar instead of to the Television receiver.
- Cost: In previous versions of this guide, we set a price ceiling of $1,000. At the asking of Wirecutter readers, we've eliminated the price ceiling for this and future updates.
- Configuration: Nosotros tested but standard, powered soundbars with built-in amplifiers and audio processing, equally opposed to passive soundbars that must exist connected to an AV receiver. We also declined to examination soundbases, which fit under a TV; some of those sound pretty good, just many TVs take legs that are too widely spaced for the TV to sit stably atop a soundbase.
How nosotros tested
Fortunately, since the deployment of COVID-xix vaccines, we've been able to resume our make-concealed audio tests with a listening console. Concealing the identities and configurations of audio products is essential; studies take shown that listening results tin be greatly skewed when listeners know the identities of the products.
Before we did the tests with outside listeners, I spent at least 3 days using each soundbar casually, watching Tv programs, at least one action movie, and a few favorite movie clips—and listening to a variety of music. During these tests, I tried out the various audio modes, tested the different connection options, and got a general feel for how the soundbars performed and operated. I then put each of the soundbars through a formal test, playing Dolby Atmos scenes from Blu-ray discs of Midway and Divergent: Insurgent forth with audiophile favorites such as Tracy Chapman'due south "Fast Car," streamed via Wi-Fi when possible, or Bluetooth otherwise. I also compared the soundbars confronting our existing picks. Afterwards this circular, I picked the viii models I idea had the best gamble to win over our panelists.
For our panelists, I concealed the identities of the soundbars backside sparse, blackness cloth. I told them goose egg at all about the soundbars, although they could meet that at to the lowest degree some of the soundbars used defended surround speakers, which were arrayed on 59-inch-alpine bookshelves backside them. I set the volume of each soundbar to the same playback level, using a sound pressure level level meter and a shaped noise tone taken from a Dolby Digital receiver. I and then played them the same movie and music selections I used for my test, plus one music track of their pick.
During these tests, I asked the panelists to pay detail attention to:
- how articulate voices sounded in music and movies
- the residuum of bass to midrange to treble
- how clean the bars sounded when cranked upward
- the volume, depth, and clarity of the bass response
- how enveloping the sound was with movies and music
- how effective the different listening modes were
- how easy the soundbar was to ready and apply
With soundbars that offered special sound modes, I more often than not employed the mode intended for the type of content I was listening to—"movies" or "music," for instance—simply I likewise experimented with all of the other modes available. For soundbars with 4K HDR video pass-through, I tested whether this part worked properly with an HDR-capable TV.
Our pick: Samsung HW-Q900A Atmos soundbar
Our pick
Even though the two-piece Samsung HW-Q900A is every bit easy to fix every bit a basic two.ane-channel soundbar, our panelists thought it delivered the best sound of all the bars we tested—and they never realized that it doesn't include divide surround speakers. It's a true seven-aqueduct soundbar that incorporates upward-firing Atmos speakers, side-firing surround speakers, and three front speakers, and it's compatible with the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats. It besides includes an excellent viii-inch subwoofer; two HDMI inputs that can pass 4K and high dynamic range signals; an HDMI eARC port; built-in Alexa capability; and sound streaming through AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth.
Both of our panelists picked the HW-Q900A as their sonic favorite, and it was one of my two favorites (along with the Klipsch Movie theatre 1200). They peculiarly loved the way picture show dialogue sounded through the HW-Q900A. "The dialogue stands out more, and the voices in music sound clearer, but non in a mode that upsets the balance of the mixes," LeRena said. "Really, everything seemed to sound a niggling clearer through this one."
The sound wasn't quite every bit enveloping as it was with the Vizio Elevate, simply it was pretty close. In fact, the panelists were surprised to learn that the HW-Q900A didn't utilise divide surround speakers in the rear. (Those who want an even more intense surround effect can add the SWA-9500S Atmos-enabled surround speakers.) I got a stiff sense of overhead sound when I used the HW-Q900A for some of the tests nosotros did for my contempo article on Atmos music.
The 8-inch subwoofer included with the HW-Q900A produces impressive bass for its size. Our CTA-2010 measurements showed that its output averaged 111.7 decibels in the mid-bass and 97.2 dB in the low bass—that's 7.4 dB more and 3 dB less, respectively, than the Vizio Drag. This means that, compared with the Elevate, the Q900A will give you more sense of bear on with car crashes and onscreen punches in movie soundtracks, just a little fleck less couch vibration during explosions. The only soundbar subwoofer we've tried that clearly outperforms the Q900A's is the one included with the Klipsch Cinema 1200, which is much more costly and about two-and-a-one-half times as large.
I peculiarly convenient characteristic of the HW-Q900A is its Adaptive Sound mode, which analyzes what you're listening to and adjusts the sound to conform. We establish it ever gave united states of america sound that was at least equally skillful as what nosotros got by manually selecting the Standard, Surround or Game Pro mode. The Agile Voice Amplifier way does a pretty good chore of making dialogue easier to understand. An Auto EQ mode uses test tones and an internal microphone to conform the subwoofer'due south response to adjust a room's acoustics; information technology did seem to reduce some of the subwoofer's smash and made bass notes sound a fiddling clearer and meliorate defined. There's too a Q-Symphony feature that routes sound from the soundbar's environment channels through a Samsung TV's speakers to create a more than enveloping event, simply nosotros didn't take a chance to endeavour it. Fine-tuning of the sound can be done through Samsung's SmartThings app, which is more user-friendly than doing information technology through the remote control.
The HW-Q900A offers a decent selection of inputs, including ii HDMI inputs and an HDMI eARC jack, all of which back up 4K HDR video laissez passer-through. With two HDMI inputs at your disposal, you can connect, say, a video-streaming device and a Blu-ray player or game panel directly to the soundbar instead of the TV—which is especially helpful if your Telly doesn't support eARC and you desire to enjoy uncompressed Atmos and DTS:X audio. There's also an optical digital audio input.
You lot can stream audio wirelessly from a phone, tablet, or reckoner using Apple AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth. Amazon Alexa capability is built in, so the HW-Q900A has the same vocalisation-command adequacy as an Amazon Echo smart speaker, and tin be used in a multiroom system employing Alexa or AirPlay 2.
At 48½ inches long, this bar is a little on the large side relative to most models at present on the market place, and information technology's all-time suited for use with TVs 55 inches and larger. The subwoofer is relatively compact, though, at only eight.3 inches broad by fifteen.9 inches tall and deep.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The glaring flaw in the HW-Q900A'southward design is that the alphanumeric display that shows the selected input, sound mode, and such is mounted on the top of the soundbar, so you lot have to walk upward to the bar to see it. This baffling quirk initially caused me to dismiss the HW-Q900A, but the panelists' reaction to the sound, and their lack of business organisation about the pinnacle-mounted brandish, fabricated me reconsider. Having the Adaptive Sound mode, which for u.s. eliminated the need to conform the sound, helped a lot, as did the piece of cake-to-access adjustments in the SmartThings app.
Unlike many competing models, the HW-Q900A has no analog input. This might be a business organisation for sure situations, such equally connecting a turntable or an older computer without HDMI. If you need to connect an analog source, yous'll take to use an analog-to-digital converter, as we did for our lab measurements.
Runner-up: Vizio Elevate Atmos soundbar
Runner-up
Vizio Elevate
For fifty-fifty more enveloping sound
The Elevate, with defended surround speakers and a subwoofer, delivers a dynamic, immersive audio feel, just voices don't audio as clear equally they practice through our acme choice.
The Vizio Elevate (P514a-H6) is a full-featured Atmos soundbar that produces an immersive surround effect nearly as realistic equally you'd hear from a full surroundings-sound speaker system. Information technology incorporates motorized front speakers that turn upwardly automatically with Atmos and DTS:X content and turn forrard to expand the soundstage with 5.one-aqueduct movie soundtracks and stereo music. The Elevate as well includes two split up rear speakers with upward-firing Atmos drivers and a powerful 8-inch subwoofer. Our panelists felt that our top choice, the Samsung HW-Q900A, produced clearer dialogue and required less adjustment to get optimum sound, simply that the Elevate produced a more than enveloping sound. The Elevate has 2 HDMI inputs that can laissez passer 4K and high dynamic range video, plus an HDMI eARC port and a signal-sensing input to attach an Amazon Repeat Dot and add smart-speaker functionality.
The Elevate is one of the almost dynamic soundbars we've tested. It impressed our panelists with its ability to fill a large room with a big, clear sound, without sounding distorted or harsh when we pushed the book. Although our panelists preferred the Samsung HW-Q900A overall because information technology produced clearer dialogue, the Elevate still offers better dialogue clarity than most soundbars do, and there's a dialogue level adjustment that tin make voices easier to hear when necessary.
The 8-inch subwoofer is in the same form as the i included with the Samsung HW-Q900A; the simply soundbar subwoofer we've heard that is conspicuously better is the much larger 12-inch model included with the Klipsch Cinema 1200. Our CTA-2010 measurements showed that the subwoofer'south output averaged 104.3 decibels in the mid-bass and 100.ii dB in the low bass. That means its mid-bass dial isn't especially strong, only its low-bass power beats all but the Movie house 1200. So when a character on screen gets punched, for example, yous may non feel it in your breast quite every bit strongly as with the Samsung HW-Q900A or the JBL Bar two.1 Deep Bass, just when the earthquakes hit in San Andreas, you'll feel more vibration in your burrow.
In the Movie sound way, the subwoofer's output is too loud, fifty-fifty when turned all the manner downwards, and the excessive volume tends to make the subwoofer distort. This is i of the major complaints we've read about the Drag, but the fix is easy: Just switch to the Music or Direct sound manner, either of which works very well with movies and volition allow yous go the subwoofer's volume under control. Keep in mind, however, that the Dialogue control, which we institute useful, doesn't work in Directly mode. Also, since the rear speakers are cabled to the subwoofer, you will probably accept to install the subwoofer toward the back of the room, which means that the everyman tones of male voices may come from behind you, which can exist distracting.
The Elevate offers an aplenty array of inputs—most notably, information technology provides 2 HDMI inputs (in addition to the HDMI eARC jack) that support 4K HDR video pass-through and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding. The bar too includes an optical digital audio input, a USB input that accepts WAV and MP3 audio files, an analog sound input, and an extra analog input with betoken sensing. Using that last input, you can connect an Amazon Echo Dot, and the Elevate will work just like a dedicated smart speaker; the bar senses the signal coming from the Echo Dot and automatically switches to that input. However, we found the Elevate tended to cut off the first few seconds of the Dot'due south replies, then instead of hearing "The time is four p.m." when we asked what time information technology was, we heard but "...k." Smart speakers that take Bluetooth output, such every bit the Google Home Mini, can perform the aforementioned office using the Elevate's Bluetooth connexion.
The subwoofer is wireless, and so you lot can place information technology virtually anywhere, and the two modest rear speakers connect direct to the dorsum of the subwoofer via 25-human foot cables. The long cables provide some flexibility in where you can position both the subwoofer and the surrounds, but you withal have to deal with the presence of cables. The accessories box provides all the cables you lot need.
Vizio'southward SmartCast Mobile app lets you connect through Google Chromecast for streaming from a mobile device to the soundbar. Setup of the app is fourth dimension-consuming and complicated; information technology took us three tries to get all the way through the process (and we're not sure what we did right that third time). The app also provides remote control of the soundbar, with directly admission to all adjustments. This would exist even easier and faster to use than the remote, if the soundbar responded reliably to the app, which it unremarkably didn't in our feel. The practiced news is, other than Chromecast streaming, there's nothing you really need in the app—and if you use Bluetooth for streaming, you have lilliputian reason to bother with the app.
We initially heard some complaints about HDMI connexion issues with the Drag, resulting in problems such every bit lip-sync errors and the environment speakers non working, although nosotros've seen fewer such comments over the past several months. For help in diagnosing and fixing these problems, read our weblog on soundbar troubleshooting tips. One more than complication: Every time you want to listen to a Bluetooth source through the Elevate, you have to switch to the Bluetooth source mode—which means grabbing the remote or pressing the push on the soundbar's top panel. In dissimilarity, some other soundbars accept ever-active Bluetooth, so whenever you hitting the Connect push button on your smartphone or tablet, information technology automatically switches the soundbar into Bluetooth playback mode.
Budget option: JBL Bar 2.i Deep Bass soundbar
Budget pick
The JBL Bar 2.ane Deep Bass represents a big step forrard in sound quality for 2.1-channel soundbar-and-subwoofer systems. Lots of soundbars priced under $300 sound okay, just the JBL Bar 2.ane Deep Bass actually sounds practiced. The all-time testament to its quality is its remote, which offers but one sound-tweaking control: a subwoofer level adjustment. Most other soundbars offering a multifariousness of modes for music, movies, games, sports, and the like, along with other controls to alter the sound to your liking. The Bar ii.1 Deep Bass doesn't have those, and in our opinion information technology doesn't demand them. It has more connexion options than you'll often see in its price range, just it lacks many features plant in our pricier picks, such as Wi-Fi music streaming, Atmos/DTS:X back up, and voice control. (If yous're searching for an fifty-fifty lower-priced upkeep soundbar, check out Other good soundbars to see more than recommendations.)
In our tests, nosotros loved the way the Bar 2.one Deep Bass sounded with movies. Even though it'south only a ii.1-aqueduct soundbar, with no optional surround speakers, the bar produced a spacious, wraparound audio effect that made us feel nigh as if we were hearing surround speakers. It also had the clearest vocalism reproduction we've heard in an inexpensive soundbar, and its relatively large subwoofer put out more and deeper bass than most under-$400 models.
We measured the subwoofer's mid-bass output at 110.5 dB and its depression-bass output at 87.9 dB. It really outpunched the Vizio Drag's subwoofer in the mid-bass, although it fell far short of the depression-bass (couch-shaking) performance of the Drag and the Samsung HW-Q900A. Still, it's much better than the other subwoofers that come with cheap two.1 soundbars we've tested—which didn't even have enough low-bass output for us to calculate an average in that range. (Note that JBL has an earlier, pre-2019, non–Deep Bass Bar two.1 available at a lower price. We haven't heard that model, just a JBL representative informed u.s. that the Deep Bass model, unsurprisingly, has improved bass performance.)
What'southward even more surprising is that the Bar 2.1 Deep Bass sounds great with music, too. About inexpensive soundbars mangle the sound of singers' voices, often making them seem fibroid and rough and creating a "cupped hands" effect (as if the singers had cupped their easily around their mouths). The Bar two.1 Deep Bass avoids those problems entirely; it isn't a replacement for a minor stereo, just it is hands satisfying enough for background music and light listening while you're puttering around the house.
With HDMI ARC, an HDMI input (that doesn't support 4K or HDR pass-through), one optical digital audio input, and Bluetooth support, the Bar 2.1 Deep Bass offers a lot of connectivity for the price, just it lacks an analog audio input, which may exist a deal-killer for people who want to utilize information technology with older TVs. The remote offers far fewer adjustments than those of most competitors, but it has everything you really need and is easier to navigate than most.
The Bar 2.i Deep Bass measures 38 inches wide by 2¼ inches loftier, so it's small and short plenty to fit on most TV furniture. The 6½-inch subwoofer is xv inches high by nine½ inches wide and deep, so information technology's a little on the large side, but that's part of why it performs the fashion information technology does.
A dandy mid-priced soundbar: Vizio M512a-H6
Also great
The Vizio M512a-H6 is the best soundbar to become if you want real home theater audio in a meaty and affordable bundle. Information technology incorporates a full 5.1.2-channel surroundings-sound system: left, heart, and correct speakers in the bar, with upward-firing speakers for immersive sound, plus a wireless subwoofer and environs speakers. Dolby Atmos and DTS:Ten capability are included, along with an HDMI eARC connexion and an extra 4K HDR-capable HDMI input, so you can become immersive sound fifty-fifty if your Idiot box doesn't have eARC. The remote control also includes lots of audio-adjustment adequacy, although the lack of an alphanumeric display on the soundbar makes the adjustments a lilliputian more difficult.
The enveloping, immersive sound of the M512a-H6 is what fabricated it stand out for me and our panelists; information technology has a bigger and more than spacious graphic symbol than probably any other soundbar we've heard in the mid-three-figures price range. Whether we were listening to music or watching movies, nosotros felt that the audio had a smoothen, warm character that made information technology generally more pleasant to listen to than most soundbars. At the factory-default settings, the bass is too loud and the dialogue in movies tends to become lost in busy scenes. But by bringing the center-channel level up and the subwoofer level down (both accomplished easily through the remote, which has its own alphanumeric brandish), nosotros were able to get the M512a-H6 sounding very good. Sonically, the difference between it, the Samsung HW-Q900A, and the Vizio Elevate is that the more expensive bars play louder, sound a little clearer, and have deeper and more powerful bass.
Despite its modest, six-inch woofer, the subwoofer performs well, averaging 104.1 dB in the mid-bass and 90.1 dB in the depression bass. The old number is most the aforementioned as the Vizio Elevate'south much larger sub achieves, although the depression-bass number falls virtually 10 dB brusk of the Elevate, or roughly half as loud. So if you desire your couch to shake, you'll accept to spend more.
As with the Elevate, the M512a-H6's surround speakers connect to the subwoofer, which ways the subwoofer volition probably have to go in the back of the room. And that means that you may occasionally notice the lowest notes of male voices coming from behind y'all, which tin can exist distracting, merely our panelists didn't mutter nearly this, and I rarely noticed information technology.
The M512a-H6 has Bluetooth, but it doesn't have Wi-Fi, and then yous may lose a chip of sound quality when you lot're listening to streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Like the Drag, it has a point-sensing analog input that can be continued to an Amazon Repeat Dot, which allows the M512a-H6 to role just similar a smart speaker—no matter what you're listening to, the bar volition switch over to the Echo Dot when yous ask Alexa a question or issue it a control. Dissimilar the Elevate, though, the M512a-H6 makes this switch with no apparent delay, and so none of Alexa's replies are cut off. Connecting an Echo Dot also allows the M512a-H6 to office as part of an Alexa-based multiroom music system.
There'southward an additional analog audio input and an optical digital audio input, plus a USB input for connection to a computer, although the USB input accepts only WAV files.
The M512a-H6 measures xl inches long, and so it fits well with screens downward to almost fifty inches in size. The subwoofer, at only 11.8 inches deep, 8.7 inches wide and 9.8 inches loftier, should be small enough to tuck behind a couch or nether an end table.
Other good soundbars
If you lot desire a super-affordable, super-compact soundbar with streaming built in: Consider the $100 Roku Streambar, a 14-inch-long, ii.0-channel, HDMI-equipped bar with the equivalent of a Roku Streaming Stick+ 4K HDR streamer (a current pick in our best media streaming devices guide) built in. The Streambar sounds much clearer, louder, and fuller than almost any TV speakers, and it's better than most inexpensive 2.0 soundbars. In our tests, we found information technology prissy for all but the loudest movies, as well as for streaming music from Spotify and YouTube through Roku, and it includes Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2 support. For more than bass, yous can add the Roku Wireless Subwoofer; at 100.4 dB in our measurements, its mid-bass output wasn't impressive, but its 87.4 dB low-bass output makes it competitive with the subwoofer included with the JBL Bar two.1 Deep Bass. You can too add the Roku Telly Wireless Speakers for surround channels, but they toll more the Streambar does.
If you desire to ameliorate your TV's sound but don't want to fool with a subwoofer: The $200 JBL Bar 2.0 is basically a shorter (24 inches long), subwoofer-less version of the Bar two.1 Deep Bass, with HDMI ARC and optical digital audio connections, a similarly simple remote, and a clear, spacious sound in movies and music. It produces more bass and a more enveloping environment-audio effect than the Roku Streambar does, but information technology gives you lot no mode to add a subwoofer or surround speakers. If you don't need the Roku Streambar's streaming capabilities, we recollect the Bar 2.0 is your all-time bet for an inexpensive, HDMI-equipped 2.0 soundbar.
If you want a soundbar that'southward slim, unproblematic, and under $100: The $80 TaoTronics TT-SK023 sounds so good for its size and price that we seriously considered making it a pick—even though it doesn't take an HDMI ARC port and it tin can't match the full sound of the JBL Bar 2.0 or Roku Streambar. If you can become past with just Bluetooth plus analog and optical digital inputs, it's a nifty choice for a vacation habitation or kids room.
If you desire a high-functioning soundbar without a subwoofer or surround speakers: The Sonos Arc, a former pick. Information technology offers peachy sound (with Dolby Atmos support, but not DTS:X), easy operation, and congenital-in voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Banana. You lot get the same extensive access to streaming services that other Sonos speakers offer, plus AirPlay 2 support (but not Bluetooth). The bar incorporates 11 speaker drivers total and produces an extremely spacious, realistic abode theater sound, specially with Atmos material. You tin add together the Sonos Sub and diverse Sonos speakers every bit surround speakers, but that increases the cost considerably. The downsides are that it lacks a remote control and an HDMI input to straight connect a source, simply the HDMI ARC port allows for easy connection and control through your TV. The Sonos Axle Gen 2 is similar and well-nigh half the cost, but it's smaller so information technology doesn't play every bit loud or offer as much bass.
If you lot want a great one-piece soundbar but don't want to use Sonos: The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is like to the Sonos Arc in that information technology's a one-piece Atmos soundbar with optional subwoofer and surroundings speakers, information technology'southward priced about the same, it has a single HDMI eARC jack, and it produces uncommonly enveloping and spacious sound. The Smart Soundbar 900 incorporates Bose'due south ADAPTiQ automatic room calibration organisation, which seems to work well, equally the Smart Soundbar sounds a bit clearer on dialogue than the Sonos Arc does, although it tin't match the Arc's bass performance. It incorporates Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth, so information technology works well with sound gear from many other companies. (Bose has also announced that Google Chromecast will be included in an update to all Smart Soundbar 900s later this twelvemonth.) It also has a slim, cute design and an included remote control. It has an optical audio input and can as well transmit audio to sure Bose Bluetooth speakers and headphones for listening in a second room. It lacks extra HDMI inputs, DTS:Ten support, and an analog input.
If you want a soundbar that competes with a receiver-based home theater system: The Klipsch Cinema 1200 probably comes the closest to that platonic. The 5.1.four-channel, Atmos-capable system creates immersive audio with upward-firing drivers built into the soundbar and into the included wireless surround speakers. While the organisation didn't sound quite as enveloping to our panelists as the Samsung HW-Q900A and Vizio Elevate did, the dialogue clarity was excellent, and the organization sounded clean and articulate fifty-fifty when played very loud—especially the subwoofer, which produced 114.5 dB mid-bass output and 107.1 dB low-bass output. This means that during on-screen explosions, you'll feel some real shake in your couch versus the mere vibrations yous'll feel with the HW-Q900A and Drag. An output on the subwoofer lets you lot add a second subwoofer if you want even more than bass. The Movie theatre 1200 includes Alexa, Google Banana, AirPlay 2, and two HDMI inputs, plus an HDMI eARC connection—simply you lot could easily put together a solid receiver-based system with separate speakers for the aforementioned price.
If you want built-in Amazon Alexa adequacy at a lower price than the Samsung HW-Q900A: Consider the Yamaha YAS-209, a previous option. The 2.1-aqueduct YAS-209 delivers a big, balanced sound in a fairly meaty grade, and information technology includes Bluetooth and HDMI video switching (with 4K HDR pass-through). You lot can't add surround speakers, though. Nosotros didn't have a risk to measure its bass output, only we never found it lacking in that regard.
Measurements
To specifically examination each soundbar system's bass capabilities, we measured each system using the aforementioned CTA-2010 output measurements process we use for our all-time high-performance subwoofer and best budget subwoofer guides. These measurements provide a precise assessment of a speaker's or subwoofer'southward bass capabilities. Below is a chart that shows the results for near of our recommended soundbars; for our elevation picks, we outline the averages for mid-bass (63 to xl Hz) and low bass (31.5 to xx Hz) in the discussions to a higher place.
We also tried running frequency-response measurements to encounter how evenly each soundbar reproduced frequencies across the entire sonic range. But, equally expected, this test turned out to be a mostly fruitless attempt considering the surround-audio simulation used in the majority of soundbars (fifty-fifty when the surround effects are deactivated) can in some cases create farthermost anomalies that are difficult or impossible for a measurement microphone and an sound analyzer to sort out—no thing if they audio peachy to human being ears and brains.
Sustainability and environmental bear upon of soundbars
Many readers are concerned about how the manufacturing, shipping, and normal use of the products we recommend impact the world nosotros live in. We take that seriously too, which is why we've asked the manufacturers of all our picks to answer some basic questions about materials, life wheel, and other sustainability issues. While our product recommendations are based completely on the criteria outlined in How nosotros picked and How we tested, we offering this information to supplement the determination of any reader who uses environmental impact as a deciding factor in their purchases. Nosotros likewise recognize that this may not paint a complete picture of a product's supply chain and life cycle impact.
For soundbars, we asked manufacturers whether the packaging and/or the products use recycled materials, and whether the packaging and the products are recyclable. The sometime is a big plus. The latter should be a plus, ideally, because virtually electronics contain many recyclable materials, but the methods of recycling these products may take their own agin impacts. Nosotros asked whether the product'south firmware tin can be updated by the consumer; updatable firmware can extend a product's life considering information technology can permit bugs to be fixed or new features to exist added.
Samsung says the carton for the HW-Q900A is recyclable, but the interior cream is non—although the foam is marked as recyclable. No recycled materials are used in the product, and the production is not recyclable. The product can be updated through USB or over the internet. The company also has a spider web page that explains what it's doing to make its packaging more sustainable.
Vizio would not comment on whether its products and packaging are recyclable or fabricated from recycled materials. Withal, Vizio offers a nationwide have-dorsum recycling program for its products, sits on the e-Stewards Leadership Council, and has participated in the EPA Sustainable Materials Management Challenge since 2016. Consumers tin find out where to drib off or ship products for recycling at the company'south environmental page. Firmware on the Elevate and the M512a-H6 can be updated using downloaded firmware installed through a USB stick, and the Drag tin also be updated over the internet.
JBL says the Bar two.ane Deep Bass incorporates no recycled or recyclable materials, but its packaging is fabricated from recyclable paper and plastic. The firmware tin be updated through a USB stick, with software downloaded from jbl.com.
What to expect forward to
Several new soundbars were announced at or in conjunction with CES 2022 in Las Vegas, although price and availability information was unavailable for about of them.
LG'due south new line includes the S95QR, a Dolby Atmos/DTS:X-equipped bar that adds an extra center speaker that fires upward, and also adds extra drivers to its rear speakers for a more spacious surround-audio outcome. It includes LG'due south AI Room Calibration, which automatically adjusts the sound to accommodate the acoustics of a room.
Samsung's HW-S800B Ultra-Slim soundbar, featured in our Best of CES 2022 article, is a Dolby Atmos/DTS:X bar that measures just 1.four inches high and 1.6 inches deep, and includes a powerful mini-subwoofer. It also offers wireless Dolby Atmos capability when used with a compatible 2022 Samsung Boob tube.
TCL announced four new soundbar models: three.1- and 5.1-channel models in the Alto-7 line, and 5.1.ii- and 7.ane.iv-aqueduct models in the Alto-9 line. All characteristic TCL's Master Room Calibration technology, which the company says optimizes the sound for the acoustics of a room. All are slated to be bachelor for the 2022 vacation season, only the only one for which we could get specifics is the $600 X9374, which is expected to exist available in August.
Hisense'due south U5120G features DTS:X, and the U5120GW incorporates Dolby Atmos and upward-firing speakers to add to the immersive issue. The sometime is scheduled for launch in the autumn, the latter in the spring.
The contest
Nosotros've tested a number of soundbars over the course of several years—too many to listing them all hither. The following is a list of some of the newer and more noteworthy models we've tested or considered:
The Bose Smart Soundbar 300 sounds very clear, natural, and enveloping with movies and music, only for a one-piece soundbar with no Atmos adequacy, it's expensive.
The Dali Katch One was formerly listed in Other good soundbars, and nosotros still like it a lot. Its ii tweeters, iv midrange-woofer drivers, and iv bass-reinforcing passive radiators give it an exceptionally clear and enveloping sound. It besides has a subwoofer output that lets y'all add your own subwoofer—potentially 1 that'south a lot better than those typically included with soundbars. It has HDMI ARC, two optical digital audio inputs, one analog audio input, and Bluetooth, but it lacks HDMI inputs and Atmos back up.
Anker'southward two-aqueduct Soundcore Infini Pro performs well for its size and toll, with good dynamics and a mostly total, balanced audio. Nevertheless, in our tests the remote often failed to execute power and sound-mode commands (the Soundcore app proved more reliable), and having the indicator lights on the height panel instead of on the front fabricated it difficult for us to encounter the feedback we needed.
Nosotros were surprised to hear how spacious the small, relatively unproblematic JBL Bar v.0 sounded, and if you want a very simple solution for enveloping audio, it's swell. But for a soundbar without a subwoofer (or an option to add ane), it'due south pricey.
We strongly considered making the Atmos-equipped JBL Bar 9.ane our summit pick because it sounded and so good—at to the lowest degree as skillful every bit the Vizio Elevate. Like the Bar 2.1, the Bar 9.1 had surprisingly natural vocal clarity, and its ten-inch subwoofer's aplenty bass blended well with the midrange and treble from the soundbar. But the detachable, wireless surround speakers didn't hold a charge for long, and it was a huge pain to have to keep recharging them.
The LG QP5 Eclair puts out a large, total, clear sound considering the soundbar is less than 1 foot long, just it'south expensive for a 2.1-aqueduct soundbar and doesn't produce the spacious, enveloping sound that a good, larger model tin offer.
The LG SP8YA is an Atmos-equipped soundbar that'south less pricey than the Samsung HW-Q900A, but in our tests, we felt it sacrificed a lot of performance, with a crude, boxy audio on voices and relatively depression maximum volume.
With its built-in, upward-firing Atmos speakers, the LG SP9YA is a fairly shut competitor to the Samsung HW-Q900A, but our panelists felt it boosted the lower treble unnaturally, making voices stand out besides much, and that its sound wasn't as enveloping every bit the HW-S900A's.
For its price, the 2.0-channel Monoprice SB-300 offers lots of bully features and a generous option of inputs, and information technology fits well with most movies and music, but it made rattling noises when we cranked up the audio on action movies.
The Monoprice SB-600 is affordably priced for a bar with Dolby Atmos and upward-firing immersive speakers, but we were unable to get an HDMI ARC connection working with it, even using the same Tv set and Monoprice cabling that worked fine with the SB-300.
Nakamichi's Shockwafe Ultra nine.ii is less a soundbar option and more than a home theater system that omits the separate AV receiver. The package includes four wired surround speakers and two ten-inch wireless subwoofers—that'southward more than gear than the typical soundbar shopper probably wants, so this system is best suited for the home theater enthusiast who wants a fully immersive audio experience but doesn't desire to purchase all the pieces separately. In our tests, its dynamic output was fantastic for larger rooms, and its low-end presence was great. Loftier frequencies were a little muted—non quite as crisp, clear, and airy—so this system didn't perform every bit well on music. Just we recollect movie lovers would love information technology.
Nakamichi's Shockwafe Elite 7.ii is the more than direct competitor, price-wise, to our top pick, simply similar the Ultra 9.2, information technology doesn't offer the simplicity and ease of setup that well-nigh people ownership a soundbar (instead of a full abode theater arrangement) would want.
Polk's Command Bar is a former pick for the best smart soundbar with Alexa. We call up the similarly priced Yamaha YAS-209 sounds a little improve, with more midrange and bass presence and a chip less accent on the high frequencies. Plus, the Yamaha soundbar has a more traditional shape, a more responsive remote, and a helpful control app.
The Polk MagniFi 2 is a powerful, Chromecast-equipped, 4.1-channel soundbar with a 3D fashion that'southward intended to simulate Atmos, but we found that it had a weird, echoey sound that didn't work well for movies. Even with 3D way off, it tended to sound echoey and weirdly swishy when playing music.
The Polk React is a two.0-channel soundbar with Alexa capability, and the selection to add a wireless subwoofer and surrounds. We similar the à la carte concept, but the soundbar doesn't play very loud and it didn't sound as enveloping as some other models nosotros tested.
The Polk Signa S3 comes pretty shut to the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass in performance, with powerful bass, clear vocals and dialogue, and a dialogue enhancement aligning that makes voices a footling easier to distinguish. But it doesn't audio quite equally natural as the Bar ii.1, and its bass comes across as relatively boomy.
The Roku Streambar Pro updates the previous Smart Soundbar with a virtual environment manner. Compared to the Streambar, it sounds a footling edgy on motion-picture show dialogue and vocals in music, and it doesn't seem to produce much more than bass or a significantly higher maximum book.
The Samsung HW-Q800A three.ane.2-channel bar produced good Atmos furnishings, but sounded rough on vocals in music, and its subwoofer sounds excessively boomy unless its volume is ready near zilch.
Samsung's HW-Q800T is a feature-packed, Atmos-equipped, 3.1-channel soundbar. It sounded pretty good with music in our tests, but movie dialogue sounded a little coarse and sparse, and it didn't play every bit loud as some similarly priced competitors.
The Samsung HW-S60A 5.0-channel bar is designed for use without a subwoofer, but the style it's tuned makes information technology sound thinner and less satisfying than some other subwoofer-less bars we've tested.
The Samsung HW-S60T 2.0-channel soundbar has side-firing horn speakers plus Alexa built in, but in our tests it lent an edgy, harsh sound to dialogue and distorted desperately with deep bass effects from movies.
The Sony HT-A5000 produces dramatic overhead speaker furnishings with Atmos soundtracks, but it seems to emphasize the upper range of voices in a way that makes the audio rather glaring—and despite a large, push-filled remote and a dedicated smartphone app, we could discover no way to fine-tune the sound.
The Sony HT-G700 seemed to add some echo to stereo music that we were unable to defeat, and even for a 3.1-channel soundbar, its Dolby Atmos effects didn't sound very immersive.
Sony'due south HT-Z9F 3.1-channel soundbar system is a former runner-up. In our tests, it produced a big, spacious, dynamic sound that we liked with movies—just compared with our top pick, its subwoofer was smaller, its high cease was a picayune harsher, and it didn't audio as adept with music. Yous tin add together optional wireless surrounds for about $300, but the event is more complicated to set up and employ than many soundbars.
We liked the affordable Sony HT-S350 2.1-channel soundbar—just not quite plenty to make information technology a selection. We constitute information technology easy to set up upwards and use (with HDMI ARC, optical digital, and Bluetooth), it had practiced dynamic capability, the 6.3-inch subwoofer produced solid (and solidly controlled) bass, and dialogue clarity was good. Nonetheless, it could sound harsh when we pushed the volume.
TCL'south Alto seven+ is a low-priced 2.i-channel organization with a wireless subwoofer. Information technology's a solid performer, but other two.ane models offer superior build quality, dynamic capability, and bass/midrange operation—and you lot can't arrange the sub and dialogue levels, which makes it harder to tailor to your room and hearing needs.
The unusual trapezoidal shape of the Vizio M21d-H8 jumpsuit soundbar caught our attention, merely it sounded rather spacey and disembodied, and it produced barely any bass.
The Vizio M51a-H6 produced a very enveloping sound for a pocket-sized 5.1 soundbar, only dialogue sounded more sibilant than information technology did through some other affordable soundbars we tested.
The two-channel Vizio SB362An-F6 offered pretty skillful dynamics for its size and price, with make clean dialogue and a overnice, enveloping sound with movies. Nonetheless, it had very lilliputian bass and no HDMI.
The Vizio SB46514-F6 Atmos soundbar is a previous top selection. Although the Elevate has replaced it, the SB46514-F6 is still available, as of November 2021. We like the Elevate a lot ameliorate because of its extra features and more user-friendly remote, just the SB46514-F6 comes pretty close to the Elevate's operation, so it might be a adept choice if y'all find it at an irresistible price.
For such a compact and affordable 2.1 soundbar, Vizio'southward V21-H8 sounds pretty practiced, and we honey its car-detecting input feature, which lets it work like an Alexa speaker when continued to an Amazon Repeat Dot. Only movie dialogue in our tests sometimes sounded coarse and rough, and its tiny subwoofer, though skilful for its size, failed to come close to the ability of those that accompanied the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass and Polk Signa S3.
The Vizio V51-H6 carries an amazingly low price for a five.1 soundbar, and information technology had excellent dialogue reproduction and a large, enveloping audio in our tests. Simply because it uses basically the aforementioned tiny subwoofer as the V21-H8, the crossover frequency between the soundbar and the subwoofer is very high. And because the rear environs speakers had to exist connected to the subwoofer, nosotros needed to position the subwoofer in the back of the room—every bit a result, we heard bass and lower midrange notes coming from behind us, which drove us crazy.
If you're just looking for a uncomplicated option to deal with dialogue clarity and don't need all the bells and whistles of a total-fledged soundbar, Zvox'south AccuVoice Television set speakers are a good option, equally they utilize hearing-aid engineering science to improve dialogue clarity. We tested the AV203 and the SB380, both of which accept half-dozen preset AccuVoice levels. With both, we found the tech to exist more effective than the "phonation" modes on about soundbars at rendering dialogue clearly—but the more you pace up the AccuVoice consequence, the less natural everything else sounds.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-soundbar/
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