Most of today’s TVs are slim, making it difficult to accommodate a good sound system. Because of this, you will not get surround sound and you will not be able to feel the same atmosphere as in the cinema. Fortunately, it is very easy to fix it, installing a soundbar at home. Such device is a small system consisting of a subwoofer, a soundboard and additional speakers. Together, they provide perfectly balanced sound with excellent surround sound and well-defined bass, allowing you to dive into the world of TV series and movies in a whole new way.
Those looking for the best TV soundbars for value for money in 2023 need to consider a lot of criteria and do a thorough comparison of all models to find the perfect one for themselves. Or simply familiarize yourself with the rating, which was prepared by our experts. It presents the top audio systems from different segments, so that everyone will find the right device for a reasonable price.
The best soundbar companies include Xiaomi, JBL, LG, Sony and Samsung. They put their years of experience in the development of models, so their equipment is of very high quality and can please you with a perfectly balanced sound with good volume and highly detailed bass.
Xiaomi Mi TV Soundbar
For those who are looking for an inexpensive soundbar with good sound, we offer to pay attention to the model from the Chinese company Xiaomi, made in the oblong form factor. Such design contributes to convenient placement on the shelf in front of the TV or in many other places, where there is little free space. Four passive radiators and eight speakers with a total power of 28 watts are responsible for the sound quality. They guarantee excellent coverage of the entire supported frequency range, which is quite large here and ranges from 50 to 25000 Hz.
Thanks to the extensive set of jacks (Line, Aux, SPDIF, Optical) and the possibility of wireless connection via Bluetooth, you can synchronize your speaker system with your tablet, laptop or even smartphone. So you can enjoy perfectly clear and balanced sound while playing games and listening to music. For control, there is a simple push-button panel that even new users can quickly get to grips with. On the plus side, there is a nice package that includes a wall mount.
We would also like to emphasize the design which was developed by the best specialists of the company. And it is noticeable, because it is very beautiful and unique – the entire front panel is covered with fabric material, which does not collect dust and dirt, and the rest of the body is made of durable plastic. In addition, the user has a choice of two colors – white and black, which allows you to choose the most suitable for the interior of the room.
Pros:
- Good sound with the presence of bass;
- Does not take much space;
- An extensive frequency range;
- You can connect both over the wire and via Bluetooth;
- Included is a bracket for wall mounting;
- Looks beautiful in the interior;
- Excellent build and materials.
Cons:
- No remote control;
- There is a slight delay in sound when connecting via Bluetooth.
Sony HT-S350
Choosing the best soundbar speakers for your computer, we advise you to take a closer look at the products of Sony, namely the model HT-S350. Its main feature is support for 3D, thanks to which the sound is the most volumetric and you can fully immerse yourself in the movie or your favorite game. S-Force PRO Front Surround and Voice Mode also contribute to it. The latter noticeably improves the dialogs, allowing you to hear clearly even offscreen conversations.
The audio system consists of a 170-watt sound bar and a 16-inch subwoofer, the power of which is limited to 150 watts. They guarantee good sound detail and bass, and connect wirelessly. This allows you to place them in different places in the room, which sometimes is a must. One optical and one HDMI-connector each is provided as interfaces for connection.
The presence of Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to create a wireless connection to a smartphone or tablet, which will be very handy for music lovers. Dolby Digital and Dolby Dual Mono codecs play an important role in improving sound quality, so their presence can definitely be attributed to the pluses.
Pros:
- Well-balanced sound;
- 3D support;
- Very good bass;
- High connection speed;
- When connected via HDMI, the TV remote accesses the control of the system;
- Automatically comes out of sleep mode when music is turned on on the connected device;
- Mode for better intelligibility of voices;
- Quality finish;
- Stable Bluetooth 5.0.
Cons:
- Not very clear indicators;
- No built-in equalizer.
Samsung HW-A55C.
The apartment soundbar comparison test goes to Samsung, which stands out from all previous models with its acoustic type. It meets the 3.1 standard, which guarantees a more surround sound that will capture the entire space around you. This makes it feel like you are in the middle of the action and makes watching movies even more interesting. Loudness and sound quality is also decent, which is easily explained by the good output power at 310 watts.
If you like to play games and want to win more often, a special mode will come in handy. When you turn it on, all the noise is filtered out and the speakers play only the sound you want, so you can better perceive the gaming environment. Another advantage will be the Sound Lite technology, which optimizes the sound, taking into account the individual characteristics of the song.
Available connection both by wire (optical and HDMI-port), and by Bluetooth connection. The second way will be especially useful if you want to listen to the music playlist on your smartphone. A nice addition will be a USB-connector that allows you to play audio files from flash drives.
Pros:
- Voluminous and clear sound that adds realism to movies;
- Acoustic type 3.1;
- Bluetooth connection is not lost;
- Game mode to eliminate interference;
- USB connector for playback from external media;
- Reliability;
- Sound optimization with Sound Lite technology;
- TV remote control;
- Comes with a ruler for marking the bracket mounting holes;
- Synchronization of on and off together with the TV;
- No delays.
Cons:
- Bass may be lacking in large rooms.
JBL Bar 5.1 Surround
The third position in the top list of the best soundbars for home according to customer reviews goes to the reliable model, which creates a surround sound effect both when watching movies and playing music. Dolby Digital and JBL MultiBeam play an important role in this, which helps to achieve the best sound quality. The power is big enough and reaches 550 watts, 300 of which belong to the wireless subwoofer. Thanks to this, the sound will be natural and songs with emphasis on lower frequencies will sound just amazing.
The best sounding 5.1 soundbar offers a wide range of connectivity options. These include HDMI (input and output), an optical port and AUX, which can be used to connect to many smartphones, laptops and PCs. Although this does not make much sense, because there are also Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules. The positive features include the presence of Chromecast and Airplay 2 technologies for data streaming.
In the final part of the review let’s talk about the delivery set. It is quite standard – there is the original remote control, power cords, HDMI wire and a special bracket designed to fix the device on the wall.
Pros:
- Huge power of 550 watts;
- There is a Wi-Fi module;
- Perfect balance of settings for watching movies;
- Chromecast and Airplay 2;
- Great low-frequency performance;
- Laconic design;
- Good option for music lovers;
- Many connectivity options;
- High volume level.
Cons:
- Does not support Dolby Atmos;
- Only two equalizer profiles.
LG SN5R
The best soundbar system for TV in terms of sound quality from LG will make watching your favorite movies and TV series as pleasant and memorable as possible, which will be helped by a 200-watt subwoofer and a 400-watt sound panel. But high power is not all what the reviewed model can boast. Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround and DTS Virtual X decoders are provided in the equipment, and AI Sound Pro and Meridian technologies are also implemented. The latter technology is especially good for movie playback.
The elegant housing of the system is complemented by a panel with interfaces, which has an optical port and HDMI input and output. Using the latter, the TV remote control synchronizes with the system and can control its parameters. Separately, we would like to note that the design is made in accordance with the 4.1 standard and supplemented with 3D support. Thanks to this, the spatial sound fills the entire room, creating an effect of total immersion.
The device can be turned into the control center of the smart home system, and then its functionality becomes even more extensive. Built-in equalizer allows you to adjust the sound by individual frequencies to achieve the desired sound with a pronounced or vice versa soft bass. In conclusion, we note the presence of Bluetooth module, which creates conditions for a stable connection with your smartphone.
Pros:
- Voluminous sound;
- The equalizer for individual adjustment;
- Excellent sound with well-researched upper and lower frequencies;
- Ability to control the TV remote control;
- Can be used as a control center for a smart home system;
- Easy installation;
- Huge number of technologies and decoders to improve sound;
- Wireless rear speakers.
Cons:
- No USB ports.
JBL Bar 9.1
A premium soundbar with the best sound will help you feel like the main character in a movie and get pleasant emotions that will remain in your memory for many years. The model has a power of 820 W and is presented in a unique acoustic standard 9.1, thanks to which the sound will be the most volumetric and qualitative. In addition, it uses DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, which further enhances the immersive effect, creating a cool atmosphere.
The audio system has a Bluetooth module, and Chromecast and Airplay 2 technologies are also implemented. With their help you can stream audio files directly to the system, making playing music from your phone as convenient as possible. All additional speakers and 250 mm subwoofer are connected wirelessly, so it won’t take too much time to install them.
On the interface panel there are an optical jack, LAN-port, HDMI (input and output) and USB-A, allowing playing music from external drives. Reviewing the soundbar, we simply cannot help but speak about its design. It is designed in a classic minimalist style and painted black, so all components of the system look good and do not stand out from the home interior.
Pros:
- Incredible surround sound;
- Very cool music playback;
- Automatic sound calibration;
- Cool design;
- Audio playback with Chromecast and Airplay 2;
- Wireless subwoofer and speakers with good autonomy;
- Deep bass performance;
- USB for flash drive connection;
- Easy connectivity.
Cons:
- Rear speakers only charge when the soundbar is off.