The 15 best soundbars tested in 2025: Sonos, Sony, Bose

Honorable mention

Photo: Parker Hall

There are many great soundbars out there, but we don’t have the space to introduce them all. There are several other things to consider.

Yamaha True X Surround 90a $3,500: After a year-long hiatus from the premium market, Yamaha is back with its flagship model. True X Surround 90A (7/10, WIRED review)a $3,500 Dolby Atmos soundbar system. A nifty party trick, it includes a wireless subwoofer and two completely wireless portable surround speakers that also function as standalone Bluetooth speakers. As you might expect from the price, it offers exceptional, detailed sound with excellent clarity in the surround channels. It’s also the first soundbar to feature Auro-3D processing. However, the setup is complicated, it lacks a sufficient HDMI port and room correction, and center channel dialog clarity is disappointing out of the box. While some may be attracted to its incredible accuracy, these omissions make it difficult to recommend it over flagship models from the likes of Samsung.

Samsung HW-Q990F $1,500: The latest version of Samsung’s amazing 11.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos Hulk, Q990F (8/10, WIRED recommended) offers modest upgrades over previous models, including a new Cube subwoofer for slightly cleaner, more musical bass. That and HDMI 2.1 support for directly connecting a game console are the only real reasons to upgrade. That means you’ll be stuck with the equally great Q990C (about half the price) until the price drops.

LG S95AR $1,700: LG’s latest 9.1.5 channel system offers a minor upgrade over the previous generation ST95R, and there’s little reason to upgrade at list price. It remains a top performer in its class, offering impressive clarity, fast and fluid immersion, and agile setup and control with LG’s continually improving ThinQ app. This is solid value compared to the list price of competing multi-piece Dolby Atmos systems, and will only get more attractive as prices drop.

Sony Bravia Theater 9 $1,500: The successor to Sony’s powerful flagship soundbar, the HT-A7000, takes a step back in a few key ways. It has fewer inputs (no analog), a more mundane design wrapped in fabric, and minimal sound settings. The Theater 9’s slim frame translates into a meatier, less immersive soundstage, but it’s still Sony’s flagship soundbar, and that means great musicality, great detail, and advanced spatial imaging for 3D audio. Premium features like an HDMI 2.1 input for connecting the latest gaming consoles and advanced integration with the new Sony TVs sweeten the deal, but the price tag is steep at $1,400 (or $1,500 in a post-tariff world).

Sonos Beam Gen 2 is $500: Sonos’ chunky little middle-of-the-road offering remains one of the most expressive and feature-packed options in its class, offering great musicality and impressive Dolby Atmos virtualization, as well as all the networking options Sonos is known for. It’s a little pricey at this point in its lifespan, but if you can find it on sale, it’s very much worth considering, especially now that Sonos has resolved most of the issues with the previous app.

Vizio 2.1 Soundbar (SV210M) $170: Vizio’s curvaceous little combo delivers compelling value with solid sound quality and cinematic punch from the tiniest subwoofer you’ve ever seen. It doesn’t come with an optical input or remote control, but the Vizio app makes adjusting settings and switching to Bluetooth super easy. The main drawback is that dialogue is sometimes (though not always) lost, detracting from the main appeal of a cheap soundbar. That said, its excellent musical chops and features like the DTS Virtual X expansion make it worth considering for release.

Samsung HW-Q800C $600-700: If all the bars on Samsung’s HW-Q990 are too rich, try the 2-piece HW-Q800C (8/10, WIRED recommended) It might be a good compromise. This bar packs a similar sound signature and many of the same features as Samsung’s flagship bar into a smaller bar and subwoofer combo at a huge discount, especially since it’s almost always on sale right now.

Sennheiser Ambeo Mini $800: This small upscale bar is perfect for those who can burn money in a very small space. Sennheiser’s built-in Ambeo virtualization technology emits stunning ambient sound for exhilarating TV shows and movies, and offers advanced features like support for Google Assistant and Alexa.

Pork React $134: This soundbar is useful if you want to get surround sound eventually but don’t have the money right now. The Alexa-enabled soundbar is fine on its own, but if you want to upgrade, you can get surround speakers and a subwoofer from Polk.

How to connect the soundbar

A list of available connection options is included next to every soundbar on the list. Most soundbars connect to your TV via an optical or HDMI cable, but newer models, including more expensive flagship options, are starting to drop optical inputs. In most cases, HMDI is the preferred connection anyway.

If your TV and soundbar both have HDMI ARC/eARC ports (the cable port looks like regular HDMI, but is labeled ARC or eARC); Please connect like that. You will now be able to control the soundbar’s volume using the volume buttons on your TV remote. Also, Make sure CEC is enabled. HDMI is also required for Dolby Atmos and other 3D audio formats, so use optical cables only if HDMI is not available.

Finally, check your TV’s audio menu to make sure your TV’s built-in speakers are set to off (so you don’t get weird audio sputtering). Find the best place to place your speakers and subwoofer.

I haven’t tested the new TV yet, but audio accessories didn’t improve the sound quality. That’s mainly due to the way the TV is designed. Good-sounding speakers are big, and as TVs become thinner with shrinking bezels and sleeker designs, manufacturers are having a hard time building good speakers into their TVs.

You can spend around $100 to $150 on a new soundbar. Essential to get the most out of your TV experience. Our list of top soundbars we tested includes models sold as standalone soundbars and models bundled with subwoofers and surround speakers at various price points.

Are soundbars as good as speakers?

If you stumble across any A/V or home theater subreddit or forum, you’ll see a swarm of people claiming that even the idea of a soundbar comparable to a speaker is heretical. As far as we are concerned, the truth is that it all depends on the individual’s desires and needs.

If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, especially when it comes to high-resolution audio or your record collection, a good bookshelf speaker may be your best value option. Even if you are not interested in shopping, amplifier Pass the speaker wire through Best Bookshelf Speaker Guide offers a number of powered/active pairs with all inputs and amplifiers built-in, much like soundbar systems for audiophiles.

However, it may not be the best option for everyone. If you want to cheaply and easily enhance the sound on your TV, or conversely, you’re looking for a convenient way to explore exciting audio formats like surround sound or Dolby Atmos, a soundbar could be your best option. Soundbars are an affordable and hassle-free solution, and many offer sound and features that suit your needs better than speakers or a traditional home theater setup. We’re not taking sides here. I just love good sound and great features. For many people, a soundbar is the best way to get there.

This is a question only you can answer, but before you make the call, there are a few points to consider, starting with your living space. If you live in a small apartment or apartment building, a subwoofer may not be the best choice, both because of its size and its potential to cause noise complaints. Large, modern soundbars are becoming increasingly adept at reproducing convincing bass from a single bar, often using multiple speakers in tandem to bring punch to lower frequencies without causing a lot of boom or thud.

If you don’t really care about close-up shots and are looking for a more cinematic punch, you should strongly consider a soundbar with a subwoofer. Stretching physics has its limits, and no multi-speaker system we’ve heard can match the punch and capability of a dedicated large driver and acoustic cabinet. Many affordable soundbar models also include a subwoofer. If you want full-throttle sound, you might want to go all out with a subwoofer, or at least consider a bar that you can add later.

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