The Best Soundbar

We analyzed 6,103 reviews from 18 websites to find the best soundbar. Sources included:
WalmartBest BuyTargetDigital TrendsB&H Photo Video
+13 More

Top Soundbars

Best for Most People
Best Soundbar Vizio SB46514-F6 Soundbar
$700 from 11 stores
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Why Consider This:
The Vizio SB46514-F6 delivers a dynamic, immersive audio experience and checks all the right boxes in terms of soundbar features.
People Like:
  • Good mid-range performance
  • Treble is nicely detailed without being bright
  • Very good bass performance from the new 10” sub
People Dislike:
  • More HDMI inputs would be nice
  • A way to set speaker distances/delay for individual speakers
  • So-so surround system
87
Owner Score
332 Reviews from 8 Sites
80
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Best Value
Best Soundbar Yamaha YAS-209 Soundbar
$300 from 10 stores
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Why Consider This:
The Yamaha YAS-209 is a full-featured soundbar that sounds great and offers built-in Alexa support.
People Like:
  • Immersive sonics from a single sound bar
  • Built-in Alexa
  • Wi-Fi and Spotify Connect
People Dislike:
  • No independent Alexa volume control
  • DTS Virtual:X surround mode sounds distractingly harsh
  • Bass Extender mode is overkill
82
Owner Score
133 Reviews from 10 Sites
81
Media & Critic Score
3 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Top Performance
Best Soundbar Definitive Technology Studio Slim Soundbar
$799 from 6 stores
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Why Consider This:
If you don’t need Dolby Atmos or separate surround speakers but want a three-channel soundbar-with-subwoofer that sounds great, we recommend the Definitive Technology Studio Slim. This stylish, low-profile soundbar isn’t as full-featured as the Vizio SB46514-F6; it lacks HDMI video inputs, Dolby Atmos support, and the ability to add surround speakers. Overall, this model is a simple option that looks and sounds great.
People Like:
  • Wireless subwoofer.
  • Good overall sound quality.
  • Wi-Fi music streaming.
People Dislike:
  • No Bluetooth.
  • Wi-Fi support is limited.
  • Lacks HDMI inputs
93
Owner Score
80 Reviews from 5 Sites
86
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com

How Critic.ly Saves You Time

When it comes to reviewing the best soundbar, critic.ly is different than other sites. How?
Unbiased & Unsponsored: Critic.ly aggregates and analyzes reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
Our reviews of the best soundbars were based on 6,103 reviews from 18 websites.
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Find the Right Product: Critic.ly lets you search and compare products from thousands of sites in one place.

How to Find the Right Soundbar

If you want better sound than you’re getting from your TV’s built-in speakers but you don’t want to piece together a variety of separate components (such as an AV or stereo receiver and a speaker package), a soundbar is the way to go. Separate components almost always provide better performance for your dollar, but they also take up more space and require additional cables, and their operation is more complicated. A good soundbar strikes a balance between performance and convenience, delivering improved sound quality in a package that’s easier to set up and use. Today’s soundbars aren’t just for TV and movie watching, either. Most support some method of wireless audio streaming, such as over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This feature allows you to stream music from mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and portable audio players. If your top priority is getting the best surround-sound experience or you have a lot of sources to connect to your TV, you’re better off with an AV receiver and a multi-channel speaker system. If you just need a simple audio setup with no video pass-through, you might also consider wireless powered bookshelf speakers or a stereo receiver and a pair of bookshelf speakers.

Soundbars We Eliminated

We research and analyzed 7 soundbars. Here's what we concluded about the ones that didn't make the cut.
Sony HT-Z9F Soundbar
Runner Up
Highly rated (90 owner score, 78 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Vizio SB3651-E6 Soundbar
Runner Up
Highly rated (81 owner score, 75 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 Soundbar
Runner Up
Highly rated (88 owner score, 74 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.
Sony HT-S350 Soundbar
Runner Up
Highly rated (90 owner score, 59 expert score), but a slight notch below the best.

Sources & Methodology

Critic.ly uses a combination of machine learning and human editors to help you find the best products.
We start by aggregating and analyzing reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
We convert every review to a weight average score from 0 to 100.
For this article, we analyzed 6,103 reviews from 18 sites to find the best soundbar.