The best soundbars for 2025: My top picks for theater-quality audio at home

Size (HWD): 2.4″ x 36.2″ x 3.5″ | Connectivity: HDMI (x2), Bluetooth, optical | Number of embedded speakers: 9 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Subwoofer: Yes

Hisense makes some of my favorite budget TVs, so I was eager to see if the company could bring its bang-for-the-buck acumen to soundbars. Turns out yes. For a very modest $350 (often discounted to $300), you get not only a Dolby Atmos-equipped main speaker, but also wireless rear speakers and subwoofer. That means real surround sound, not simulated.

Nearly everything about this kit impressed me, starting with the detailed instruction manual. (If anything, it’s almost too detailed; a simple quick-start guide would be nice for users who want to get up and running faster.) I also admired the numbered cord bags, a simple but effective means for helping you make connections in the proper order.

Not that it’s complicated. Plug in the soundbar, then the subwoofer and rear speakers. Everything connects automatically; I didn’t have to manually pair anything. Meanwhile, because this is a “Roku-ready” soundbar, my Roku TV immediately recognized and configured it, then played a nifty audio-demo video. (Setup should be similarly easy with any TV; this one just offers some onscreen soundbar controls as well.)

Worth noting: There’s an HDMI pass-through port, nice if you want to add something like an audio receiver into the mix. That’s a feature not found even in some more expensive models, like the Sonos Arc Ultra.

Traditionalists will appreciate the inclusion of a remote and the lack of need for a companion app, Hisense account or the like. The flipside is it’s a little more complicated to adjust certain settings. For example, I wanted to disable the music tones that play when the soundbar turns on and off. To do so, I had to wade into a setup menu using the embedded display window, which can show only five characters at a time and uses scrolling for the rest. 

Even so, I like that display, which is large enough to be read from across a room; it’s much better than the tiny uninformative LEDs employed by most soundbars. Plus, you can adjust the brightness or turn it off altogether using the Dimmer buttons on the remote.

The soundbar offers seven preset equalizer modes, including Music, Movie and “AI” (which promises to automatically optimize audio depending on the source). Curiously, there’s no Voice mode for boosting dialogue, though I did notice that the News setting did exactly that. Plus, the AX5125H has a dedicated center-channel speaker; in my testing, dialogue came through clearly when watching movies encoded with 5.1 sound.

One thing missing here is Wi-Fi, which would allow for not only music streaming via Apple AirPlay, but also connections with voice assistants (such as Amazon Alexa). Alas, it’s Bluetooth-only. 

Hisense promises a hefty 500 watts of total audio output power, easily enough to fill even a large living room. Sure enough, the system just about blew the windows out of my smallish office; it’s loud. But also crisp and detailed, equally well-suited to noisy action movies and workday Spotify playlists. The subwoofer in particular adds the kind of oomph you just can’t get from little ones built into the soundbar itself.

On the whole, I consider the Hisense AX5125H an amazing value, delivering full-throated surround sound for a fraction of the cost of other systems.

Size (HWD): 2.5″ x 35.5″ x 3.5″ | Connectivity: HDMI, Bluetooth, optical | Number of embedded speakers: 2 | Dolby Atmos: No | Subwoofer: No

A soundbar doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles to do its job effectively, nor does it need to put you in the poorhouse. Sony’s HT-S100F is the best basic soundbar we’ve found, and it’s priced to fit just about any budget.

Setup couldn’t have been easier; my Roku TV automatically detected the S100F, meaning I was instantly able to use the Roku remote to control volume. 

But I have to mention Sony’s excellent fold-out startup guide (big illustrations, clearly written text, imagine that!) and remarkably detailed user guide. This is the kind of hand-holding you rarely see with modern consumer electronics, and I commend Sony for it.

You may need that guide to interpret some the buttons on Sony’s remote, however. There’s a lot of them, and while the basic modes — Cinema, Voice, Music, etc. — are fairly straightforward, I didn’t immediately understand the Indicator, Play Mode or Audio buttons.

Beyond that, my only real usability complaint is having to rely on a single flashing LED to know when a mode is active or not. Two flashes equals “on”; one flash means “off”. It’s also a little challenging to remember how to switch inputs; you press the Input button once, then again to cycle between HDMI, Bluetooth and AUX. At least when you choose Bluetooth, the LED turns blue, but the other two inputs have white LEDs. Which is which?

These aren’t major issues — you just need to commit all this to memory or refer to the instructions as needed. It’s entirely possible you’ll tweak your modes and settings once and rarely touch them again.

As for sound quality, the S100F offered a nice soundstage for both music and movies. I definitely appreciated the dialogue boost when switching to Voice mode, though I do wish it could be applied to, say, Cinema mode instead of overriding it.

Just take note that there’s not much bass here (though I wouldn’t expect it at this price point), and audio starts to get a little harsh when you reach for higher volumes. Thankfully, the soundbar is loud enough (especially for small/medium rooms) that you shouldn’t often need to. 

Bottom line: The Sony HT-S100F proves you don’t need to spend a lot to get a solid soundbar.

Size (HWD): 2.4″ x 14″ x 4.2″ | Connectivity: HDMI, Bluetooth, optical, Ethernet (with USB adapter) | Number of embedded speakers: 4 | Dolby Atmos: No | Subwoofer: Optional

Not to be confused with the Streambar Pro, which we’d previously named the best soundbar overall but was discontinued in 2024, the smaller Streambar is nearly as good — especially for apartments, bedrooms and other cozy spaces. It’s affordable, expandable and stocked with a secret weapon: Roku!

In other words, this soundbar is also a streaming device. Whether or not that’s appealing depends on a few things. Are you currently using an old, slow Roku device you’d like to upgrade? Are you unhappy with the streaming software that’s built into your TV? The Streambar gives you the full Roku experience, effectively bypassing whatever you’re using currently.

That means you get not only Netflix, Hulu and all the other channels, but also a souped-up remote with voice controls. (It should be able to control your TV’s power, volume and mute settings as well.)

Just note that while the Streambar supports HDR image processing, it doesn’t support HDR10+ or Dolby Vision — newer, better iterations of that technology. If your actual TV does, you’ll be sacrificing those capabilities by using the Streambar. (For what it’s worth, there’s also the Streambar SE, which costs $30 less and does offer HDR10+. However, it has two embedded speakers instead of four.)

This is something of a smart-home hub, too, compatible with Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. (“Home servant, turn on the TV and play the latest episode of Severance!”) It also works with Apple’s AirPlay 2, which lets you mirror your Apple device to your TV, and HomeKit. 

Setup is extremely easy, thanks in no small part to Roku’s excellent quick-start guide; it’s detailed and novice-friendly (although it doesn’t really explain voice commands; you have to venture online to learn about that). All you do is connect the Streambar to your TV, ideally via an HDMI eARC port, and walk through the onscreen setup steps — which conclude with a fun little demo video.

Indeed, nice touches like these are part of why Roku is my preferred streaming environment. It continues to offer a friendly and uncluttered interface that’s easy to navigate. I especially like automatic (but manually adjustable) Speech Clarity feature, which dynamically identifies dialogue and increases the volume relative to other audio. This works quite well; I never found myself struggling to hear people talk.

On its own, the Streambar delivers really nice Dolby-powered audio, but it’s definitely light on bass, unsurprising given the lack of a subwoofer. One solution: Spring for the Roku Wireless Bass Pro Subwoofer ($180). And for the absolute best experience? Tack on the Roku Wireless Speakers ($150) to use at the rear for a true 5.1-channel surround setup.

That’s the setup I have, and I really, really like it. Great sound and simple operation for the win.

Size (HWD): 2.6″ x 36″ x 4.7″ | Connectivity: HDMI, Bluetooth | Number of embedded speakers: 4 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Subwoofer: 2 (embedded)

Vizio makes a ridiculous number of soundbars — a whopping two dozen in the current lineup, at last count. The SV210D-0806 (not to be confused with, say, the completely different SV210D-0808) is notable not just for being one of the newest additions, but also for incorporating Dolby Atmos. That’s an unusual find in a $150 soundbar.

It’s an attractive unit, rounded and cloth-covered, a nice change from the typical black-plastic rectangles. Setup is pretty standard: connect the included HDMI cable to your TV’s HDMI eARC input, plug it in and you’re good to go. (If you have an older TV, look elsewhere; there’s no optical connection option here.)

All this is outlined in Vizio’s short but straightforward quick-start guide, but there’s one potential source of confusion: You’re directed to download Vizio Mobile on your phone, but when you get to the app store, there’s no such app; it’s now called Vizio WatchFree+.

To use it — necessary in order to do anything besides control volume, because this soundbar comes without a remote — you’ll have to to create a Vizio account. That’s a common requirement these days, but an annoyance all the same.

While the app is nicely designed, it’s both limited and confusing in places. For example, it has volume controls but lacks a play/pause button. There are only two preset equalizer modes — music and movie — and switching between them doesn’t switch sources (namely, phone and TV). You can manually adjust treble and bass, but I detected zero change in dialogue volume when moving the “Cleardialog” slider. Similarly, the “Height” slider produced no noticeable changes either. (More on that below.)

Meanwhile, I couldn’t figure out how to switch out of Bluetooth mode (after listening to music from my phone) when I wanted to return to watching TV. There’s a setting called “auto HDMI” that I think is supposed to handle this, but at least once during my testing, I remained stuck in Bluetooth until I exited and reloaded the app.

Those usability complaints aside, the SV210D sounds very good for a $150 soundbar. Movie audio gets big and boisterous, with a decent amount of bass thanks to the pair of built-in subwoofers.

What’s more, although the soundbar lacks the up-firing Dolby Atmos speakers found in pricier models, it still manages to leverage the tech pretty well. During the opening battle sequence in All Quiet on the Western Front, for instance, it definitely felt like bombs and bullets were coming from the sides, not just in front of me.

It’s worth noting that if you own (or plan to own) a current-gen Vizio TV, you can easily affix the soundbar to the bottom without any tools. You can also access audio settings on the TV itself, effectively bypassing the app.

Size (HWD): 3.1″ x 46.1″ x 4.3″ | Connectivity: HDMI, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Number of embedded speakers: 14 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Subwoofer: No

If Apple made a soundbar, it would probably look a lot like the Sonos Arc Ultra. From the luxurious packaging to the sleek design to the sky-high price (which, unfortunately, is $100 higher than the original Arc’s), everything about this smacks of a premium product. And that’s fine if you can afford it, because the Arc delivers truly amazing audio, thanks to some high-tech tricks.

Available in white or black, it spans a whopping 46 inches. That actually makes it too large to tuck between the legs of my 55-inch Roku TV; it has to sit a bit awkwardly in front of them. (Before buying any soundbar, it’s always good to take measurements.) Newly added touch controls help to compensate for the lack of a physical remote, but they’re not easy to see in dim lighting.

The Arc Ultra’s wide frame accommodates 14 separate speakers, including two up-firing ones dedicated to Dolby Atmos. Setup isn’t complicated, but if you’re not tech-savvy, don’t expect much hand-holding: The included print guide lists just two steps. The second one: Install the Sonos app, which walks you through all the rest.

If you already have Sonos gear in your house, adding the Arc Ultra is a breeze; the app automatically detects and configures it. It’s still pretty easy if you’re starting from scratch, but be prepared for steps like creating a Sonos account and connecting to your home Wi-Fi. 

You’ll also want to configure Trueplay, which optimizes audio for your room. You can either use a new quick-tune option that takes about a minute, or use the original fine-tuning method that sees you walking around the room waving your phone around. Either way, this is part of the wizardry Sonos uses to simulate surround sound — and, boy, does it work.

Indeed, the combination of Trueplay and the Atmos speakers creates room-filling audio that’s unmatched by any other standalone soundbar. Obviously this is less effective in larger, more open spaces (think: a living room with vaulted ceiling), but in a self-contained room, wow. By the way, Trueplay is now supported on most Android phones; previously it was an iPhone-only feature.

Particularly impressive is how much bass the Arc Ultra produces without a separate subwoofer. You may not feel that thump, but you’ll hear it. Similarly, movie and TV audio exhibited a richness and detail beyond what I detected in cheaper soundbars. And although the app offers a Speech Enhancement setting you can toggle on and off, it’s not really needed; it does well on this front right out of the box.

I also found the Arc Ultra noticeably superior to other soundbars when it comes to music — unsurprising given Sonos’ pedigree in that area. (Remember: The company started out making speakers specifically for music.)

On a related, er, note, the Arc Ultra brings Bluetooth into the connectivity mix, meaning it can serve as a traditional Bluetooth speaker if you’re so inclined. (Personally, I prefer the convenience of Apple AirPlay, which relies on Wi-Fi.)

The Sonos Arc is a high-end product, one that looks gorgeous and outperforms all other standalone soundbars. But, wow, it’s expensive and, if you just want a basic TV audio upgrade, hard to justify.

Size (HWD): 2.2″ x 27.3″ x 4.1″ | Connectivity: HDMI, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, optical | Number of embedded speakers: 5 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Subwoofer: Optional

Not long ago, a Dolby Atmos soundbar for under $500 was a big deal. That’s no longer the case (see the Vizio SV210D-0806, above), and therefore it’s harder to justify Bose’s solid but problematic Smart Soundbar 600. It sounds good, no question, but setup can be challenging and usability suffers under the weight of some design flaws.

Among them: barely visible LEDs that light only when you adjust volume. There’s nothing that shows the actual volume setting (no dots, bar, numbers or the like), nor even anything to indicate power status. I couldn’t tell if the thing was even powered on.

Plus, it’s pretty light on bass — unsurprising given its compact size. It’s good at enhancing dialogue, though, and powerful enough to fill a small room. I just think if you want budget Atmos, there are better, cheaper options.

Size (HWD): 2.8″ x 45″ x 4.6″ | Connectivity: HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optical | Number of embedded speakers: 11 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Subwoofer: Yes

The Polk MagniFi Max AX is a beast of a sound system, with a mammoth, floor-shaking subwoofer and speakers powerful enough to bug the neighbors. It’s easy to set up, too, though the print instructions stop short of explaining various features — so be prepared to experiment.

One small issue did crop up during testing: Whenever I started streaming a new movie or TV show, there was a brief delay — just a second or two — before the audio kicked in. This didn’t happen with the other soundbars. It’s hardly a dealbreaker, but I did find it irksome.

That wrinkle aside, the Polk MagniFi AX SR is absolutely superb. It’s versatile and easy to use, and it can blow the doors off even a large home-theater space. If big bass, satellite speakers and Dolby Atmos are on your list of must-haves, this is the system to get.

Size (HWD): 2.7″ x 48.5″ x 5.4″ | Connectivity: HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optical | Number of embedded speakers: 22 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Subwoofer: Yes

Did you win the Powerball? Or score an inheritance from crazy old Uncle Leo? Then by all means splurge on Samsung’s utterly spectacular Q990B soundbar setup. It’s expensive and somewhat annoying to use, but also unrivaled at plunking you into a veritable dome of immersive sound.

Alas, only Samsung TV owners need apply, because otherwise you won’t get Dolby Atmos from the rear speakers. And everything here is confusing, from setup (bad instructions) to operation (bad remote, bad display, conflicting features).

Once you figure it all out, though, you’ll never want to leave the couch again.