The Best Soundbars for Turning Your Living Room Into a Movie Theater — And the Best Deals From Amazon’s Prime Day
Here are the best speakers for every type of TV setup, from small apartments to stylish spaces.
By Thomas Hindle, Danielle Directo-Meston, Rudie Obias
October 8, 2024 9:24am
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TV speakers are better than they have ever been. Any new high-range flat screen will now come decked out with fantastic sound, a perfect complement to crystal-clear picture quality.
However, that audio experience can always be improved. And for that, a good soundbar might just be the option. These speakers — or, more often, collections of them — serve as an ideal piggyback to take the TV watching experience from good to great, giving a movie-theater quality to the living room. There are a lot of good options: Companies such as Sonos, Bose, Sony and Samsung are just a few who offer excellent soundbars and accompanying home speaker systems.
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In the meantime, before we get into the best soundbars for your home, here are the best soundbar deals during Amazon’s Prime Day shopping event. And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you’ll get a soundbar delivered faster to your home with Prime Delivery.
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of these deals and other perks, including fast free shipping in less than two days, in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market, access to Prime Video and much more.
Amazon’s Prime Day: Best Soundbar Deals
- Samsung HW-S800B/ZA 3.2.1ch Soundbar, $350 (reg. $898)
- Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, $95 (reg. $120)
- Yamaha Audio SR-C30A Compact Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, $220 (reg. $280)
- Vizio 2.0 Soundbar, $80 (reg. $100)
- Vizio M-Series 5.1.2 Immersive Soundbar, $399 (reg. $500)
- Sony S100F 2.0ch Soundbar, $98 (reg. $130)
- Samsung HW-S60B 3.1ch Soundbar, $268 (reg. $348)
- Samsung HW-Q600B 3.1.2ch Soundbar, $249 (reg. $598)
- Zvox AccuVoice AV100 Compact TV Soundbar, $130 (reg. $170)
The Best Soundbars for Every Type of TV Setup
Now that you know how to choose the right speakers, we’ve rounded up some of the best soundbars that will turn your TV room into a proper home cinema. Check out our top picks below from Sonos, Samsung, Bose and many other best-selling audio electronics brands.
Courtesy of Sonos
BEST SOUNDBAR OVERALL
1. Sonos Arc Soundbar with Dolby Atmos
$719 $899 20% off
For its sleek Arc soundbar, Sonos collaborated with Oscar-winning sound engineers to specifically amplify the human voice, creating crystal clear audio. It has a handsome curved shape and 11 speakers on all sides to give it a unique, fresh look while ensuring that sound reverberates throughout the listening space, thanks to Dolby Atmos (which offers the most realistic surround sound right now).
This soundbar boasts voice control, allowing switching between streaming services, or even toggling specifics on sound. Perhaps the biggest appeal of the Arc, though, is its practicality. Given the slim and creative design, it’s easy to mount on a wall. And the simple color schemes — either all black or all white — don’t make it an eyesore like some other soundbars out there.
Roku
BEST SOUNDBAR WITH BUILT-IN STREAMING
2. Roku Streambar SE
$59 $99.99 41% off
If you’re looking to upgrade your TV’s streaming and sound capabilities, Roku Streambar SE is the way to go. The streaming platform’s soundbar delivers stunning cinematic sound and vibrant 4K quality for video streaming. The speaker lets you automatically lower the volume on commercials, optimize sound for dialogue or nighttime watching and plug in headphones to the remote so you watch without disturbing the rest of the household.
BEST SOUNDBAR FOR SMALL SPACES
3. Vizio M-Series 60-Inch Soundbar
$141 $180 22% off
One of the best cheap soundbars that doesn’t sacrifice quality, Vizio M-Series Soundbar is a great option for small spaces, as the wireless slim subwoofer can be placed under a couch or discreetly in corners while still delivering booming bass. The DTS Virtual:X technology (which rivals Dolby Atmos) offers virtualized 3D surround sound for immersive audio, and the soundbar also features Bluetooth for playing audio from smartphones and other devices.
BEST SOUNDBAR FOR QLED TVS
4. Samsung HW-Q600C 3.1-Channel Soundbar
$398 $598 33% off
Another affordable home theater audio option is Samsung’s 3.1-channel soundbar, which pairs well with the electronics brand’s QLED TV series. This speaker system boasts Dolby Audio for transforming your living room into a home theater with 3D surround sound makes it feel as if the sound is coming at you from the action onscreen.
BEST WIRELESS SOUNDBAR
5. JBL Bar 500 5.1 Soundbar
$400 $600 33% off
From its top-notch range of wireless speakers to its reliable workout headphones, JBL has an affinity for premium sound in a practical manner. The JBL Bar 500 5.1 Soundbar certainly delivers an HD experience with its 10-inch subwoofer, as the entirely wireless speaker system features detachable units that are strategically positioned around your home theater space for immersive Dolby Audio. It also boasts Bluetooth connectivity with MultiBeam so you can hook up your phone for music streaming from anywhere around the home.
Bose
BEST SMART SOUNDBAR
6. Bose TV Speaker
$199 $279 29% off
Bose has consistently provided some of the best-sounding headphones on the market — and its Bose TV Speaker expands that capability to speakers. It’s compatible with virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing the user to seamlessly switch between music and TV using voice control.
But the real appeal is its capacity to pair with Bose wireless headphones. So, if users want to enjoy the big screen without disturbing the world around them, they can simply connect their headphones to the soundbar — keeping the visual experience without sacrificing sound.
Sony
BEST SOUNDBAR FOR CUSTOMIZATION
7. Sony HT-S400 Soundbar
$178 $300 41% off
Compared to the sheer volume of speakers on other options, the fact that Sony HT-S400 Soundbar only has a mere three might make it seem like an under-equipped system. However, the HT-S400 features Dolby Digital technology, which packs a lot of punch by creating a surround-sound feel despite only having one unit.
The real appeal in the HT-S400, though, is its sheer number of options for customization. The speaker can be manipulated for different viewing experiences, offering different settings and profiles for movies, news, sports, gaming and music. Each mode amplifies a certain element of the audio to create a realistic listening experience — a distinctive feature available on few other high-end speakers.
How to Choose the Right Soundbar for your TV
There are a few things you’ll want to consider before buying the best soundbar:
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TV size If you want your soundbar’s width to match your TV, you’ll need to measure the actual width of your television (not the diagonal screen size). But if you’re looking for vibrant sound to go along with your big-screen TV, then you’ll really want to look at the tech specs (such as surround sound) rather than just the physical length of your soundbar.
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Speaker channels Do you want surround sound for all of those action-packed movies you’re streaming, or do you prefer dialogue-driven entertainment (or both)? There are different types of speaker channel systems for soundbars depending on your preferences, and here are the most common:
- 2.1, the most basic option with left and right speakers and a subwoofer, which is best for small spaces or if you’re not picky about surround sound
- 5.1, which uses left, right and center speakers and a subwoofer, and is the most common surround sound option
- 7.1, the best option for home theaters that uses two front speakers, two back speakers, two side speakers, a center speaker and a subwoofer
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Connection If you want to use your TV as a switcher (meaning you’re using the TV remote to switch between other inputs such as a gaming console or DVR), then your audio output connection to your soundbar will be relatively easy. However, soundbars use different input connections, and two of the most common are digital optical audio cables and HDMI cables. For the best sound quality for multi-channel formats, generally HDMI is the best way to go. And some of the best TVs and soundbars feature ARC or eARC HDMI, an option that cut down on the number of cables while upgrading your audio.
-
Wireless connectivity If you want to use your soundbar to play audio from other devices besides your TV (say your phone or computer), you’ll want a unit with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.
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Location Are you looking for the best soundbars for mounting on the wall, or you do you plan to set your speakers on a TV stand or media console? For the former, you’ll want to make sure to get a wall-mountable unit, while a lower-profile soundbar is best for placing in front of your TV without blocking the screen.
Want more? Shop THR’s coverage for the best Prime Day deep discounts.
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