Finding the right soundbar for you, is about as tough as finding the right TV, that’s where this soundbars gift guide comes in. But it is something that you need to grab. Because the speakers in your TV are going to be garbage. While they may not sound bad to you right now, plug in a soundbar and you’ll quickly notice how bad it truly is.
Like TVs, there are hundreds of thousands of soundbars available on the market right now. From cheap Vizio soundbars that don’t even include a subwoofer, to expensive Samsung and LG soundbars that have everything including Dolby Atmos support. Here, in this gift guide we have rounded up the best soundbars that are available, in many different price ranges. Ranging from $100 all the way up to $1500. So there’s something for everyone.
| Product name | Cost | Where to buy |
| JBL Bar 5.1 | $499 | Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Walmart |
| Samsung Q800A Q Series Soundbar | $593 | Amazon, ABT Electronics, B&H Photo, Walmart |
| TCL Alto 9+ Dolby Atmos Soundbar | $239 | Amazon |
| Sony S200F | $198 | Amazon, ABT Electronics, B&H Photo, Best Buy |
| Sonos Beam 2 | $449 | Sonos |
| Bose Soundbar 500 | $549 | Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart |
| Sony Z9F 3.1ch Sound bar | $898 | Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart |
| Roku Smart Soundbar | $179 | Amazon |
| Sonos Arc | $799 | Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo |
| Samsung HW-Q600A Dolby Atmos Soundbar | $377 | Amazon, B&H Photo, Best Buy, Walmart |
| Polk Audio Signa S2 | $149 | Amazon |
JBL Bar 5.1
The JBL Bar 5.1 is what I would call a “simplistic” sound bar. This is because it is a pretty inexpensive one, and doesn’t have a lot of the frills of more expensive soundbars, but it still has plenty of oomf to really shake your living room.
It comes with the soundbar, which is about the same length as a 40-inch TV. And it also has a wireless subwoofer, which is what will really make your house shake. The bass is very deep here. And it provides virtual surround sound. You can upgrade to the JBL Bar 9.1 for full on surround sound though.
It doesn’t have a lot of the frills like Dolby Atmos, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. But it does support Chromecast, and AirPlay 2 for casting content to your speaker. So you could use the JBL Bar 5.1 as a speaker for music when you’re having a get-together.
JBL Bar 5.1 – Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, Walmart
Samsung Q800A Q Series Soundbar
This soundbar from Samsung is a Dolby Atmos soundbar, and it also has DTS:X, along with Alexa built-in. Making it a pretty incredible soundbar for under $600.
Now, Samsung does include a wireless subwoofer here, which is going to allow for some incredible bass from this unit. It has 3.1.2 channel surround sound, giving you a theater-like experience, without paying a fortune.
Samsung Q800A Soundbar – Amazon
TCL Alto 9+
- Price: $239
- Where to buy: Amazon
The TCL Alto 9+ is one of the cheaper Dolby Atmos-compatible soundbars that are available today. And that’s a big reason why it is available in this gift guide. The TCL Alto 9+ has a wireless subwoofer that comes with it. And it uses 3.1-channel for Dolby Atmos.
This soundbar also includes support for Chromecast and AirPlay 2, so no matter what kind fo smartphone you have, you can cast audio to this soundbar in your home. Which makes for a really nice experience. You’re also going to get some really great bass from that wireless subwoofer too.
Sony S200F
This year, we replaced the Sony S100F with the S200F, which is a slightly higher-end model and costs $70 more. But we feel that the $70 you’ll be spending on this one, is worth it. It has a low-profile design, and also includes some deep bass with the built-in subwoofer too.
This does use HDMI ARC for connecting to your TV. So you can easily control it with your TV at the same time. Which is a really neat feature to have.
The bass one this one isn’t super over-powering like the others on this list. And that mostly comes down to the fact that this does not have a wireless subwoofer available. But it is a huge upgrade over your built-in TV speakers. Even at $100.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
- Price: $449
- Where to buy: Sonos
The Sonos Beam is one of the more compact soundbars on this list, without sacrificing audio quality. And it is a perfect pick up if you already have Sonos speakers in your home. And with the second-generation, you also get Dolby Atmos support!
With the Beam, you’re getting the choice of either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant in your home, connected to your TV. This is a smart soundbar. It also works with the other Sonos speakers out there, so you can easily create a wireless surround sound setup, with the Sonos One, or the PLAY:5, or any of the other speakers that Sonos has. Which is a really incredible experience.
Sonos does really well with its sound quality too. With the bass being very bumpy, but not over-powering. And the mids and highs are still crystal clear. There is also an EQ built-in, that you can use to adjust the audio if you wish.
All of that fits into this package that can easily fill a room with sound, and doesn’t even come with a remote. Because it is completely controlled by your TV.
Bose Soundbar 500
If you have used Bose products over the years, then you know, pretty much what to expect here with the Bose Soundbar 500. This soundbar is a pretty good option for those that want good audio quality, but don’t want a ton of bass in their soundbar.
The sound signature from Bose is very rich, and you can definitely hear that in the Bose Soundbar 500.
Additionally, this soundbar also comes with Amazon Alexa built-in. Making this like a huge Echo smart speaker that you can use to control your smart home speakers and such. It’s a really great all-around soundbar from Bose, which is why it has made it into our soundbars gift guide this year.
Bose Soundbar 500 – Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart
Sony Z9F 3.1ch Sound bar
Sony doesn’t just do cheap soundbars, like another entry in this gift guide. It does also do some premium soundbars like the Sony Z9F. This is a really good looking soundbar, with a wireless subwoofer included. This is a 3.1-channel soundbar, which will provide you with some incredible sound.
It is 4K HDR capable. And it also includes support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, giving you a really incredible sound experience. You can also tune the audio to your liking, so if you want more bass, you can choose to do just that.
Amazon Alexa is built-in, so you can ask Alexa to stream music from Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify, Apple Music and many other services. In addition to using it for audio from your TV.
Sony Z9F Sound bar – Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart
Roku Smart Soundbar
- Price: $179
- Where to buy: Amazon
Here’s when we get into the fun soundbars on this gift guide, that do more than just offer great sound. The Roku Smart Soundbar is exactly that. You can think of it as a soundbar, with a Roku built-in. That means that it does connect to your TV using HDMI ARC. But with this, you won’t need to buy a Roku, as all of that is inside this soundbar.
It comes with a Roku remote, so you can control it and your TV using this remote. It’s also going to provide some really great sound for your TV. This is a small-ish soundbar, but the sound is definitely not small. It can easily fill your room with sound. And it’s super simple to set up as well.
The Roku Smart Soundbar does also include support for up to 4K HDR. So if you have a 4K HDR TV already, then this is a great addition. As you can watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV and more, via your soundbar. Which sounds kinda crazy when you say it out loud. But it’s true.
Sonos Arc
If you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem, then the Arc is a really good choice. But then again, why would you buy this over the Beam, which is half the price?
Two reasons. One, this has Dolby Atmos support – the first Sonos product to offer it. And two, it’s a larger speaker, with more audio. Making it better for larger rooms, and larger TVs.
The Sonos Arc can still work with a surround sound setup – using two Sonos One speakers, PLAY:5’s, etc. Which is one of the more compelling reasons to buy the Arc. It also offers up some really deep bass, with crystal clear mids and highs. Like the Beam, the Arc can also be controlled via the Sonos app. So you can adjust the EQ to your liking, and also group speakers together, much easier.
With Dolby Atmos and 3D sound available on the Sonos Arc, it makes it a really great soundbar to pick up. Even though the price is a bit tough to swallow.
Sonos Arc – Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo
Samsung HW-Q600A Dolby Atmos Soundbar
This Dolby Atmos Soundbar from Samsung is a really great value actually. It has a regular price of $599, but you can usually find it for under $400. It does still come with a wireless subwoofer, which is going to give you some really incredibly deep bass. It also uses 3.1.2-channel for stereo surround sound like a lot of models on this list.
Samsung has included Adaptive Sound here, which will optimize the voice clarity and sound to video content. There’s also Samsung Acoustic Beam, for panoramic audio that dynamically moves with the action.
It’s a really great model, and perhaps the best value on this list.
Samsung HW-Q600A Soundbar – Amazon, B&H Photo, Best Buy, Walmart
Polk Audio Signa S2
- Price: $149
- Where to buy: Amazon
With the Polk Audio Signa S2, you’re getting a premium soundbar and included wireless subwoofer, without the premium cost.
It includes five powerful full-range drivers, that will deliver beautiful rich sound, with deep bass. It does not have Dolby Atmos, but does have Dolby Digital Decoding which is going to maximize the sound clarity and reduces voice delays.
The Signa S2 does not use HDMI to connect to your TV, instead it uses the optical port. And there is IR support so you can use your TV remote to control the audio on the Signa S2 soundbar.
You can wireless stream music directly from your smartphone, but not via Cast. Polk Audio has their own technology for this. So it’s not quite as good as the other speakers on this list, but at $149, you’re getting a whole lot of sound. And that is definitely good to see. Which is why it is rounding out our soundbars gift guide this year. It’s not the most perfect soundbar out there, but it is a great value for the money.
2021-11-12 15:06:14