Thin TVs have thin speakers. Most of them fire downward or backward, so dialogue gets lost and the bass is not there at all. A soundbar fixes that with one cable and no receiver, and the good ones also handle music from your phone when the TV is off. The hard part is reading the spec sheet: 2.1 versus 5.1.2, ARC versus eARC, and whether the subwoofer in the photo is actually in the box.
We went through the 112 soundbars in our audio catalog and kept five that owners rate 4.4 stars or higher, covering a plain 2.1 bar with a subwoofer, a compact Dolby Atmos bar, an all-in-one with no separate sub, and a full surround kit with rear speakers. We have not tested every one ourselves, so rankings lean on channel count, connections and thousands of owner reviews. Prices at the time of writing ranged from about a hundred dollars to well over a thousand; prices are not printed because they change daily, and every button opens the live Amazon page.
How we picked
- One pick per layout. A 2.1 bar with a wireless sub, a compact Atmos bar, a budget 2.1 sub combo, an all-in-one with built-in woofers, and a full 11.1.4 surround kit. You should be able to find your room here.
- HDMI ARC at minimum. Every pick connects with a single HDMI cable to the TV’s ARC or eARC port so the TV remote controls volume. All five also have optical or Bluetooth as a fallback.
- Honest channel counts. We list the actual channel layout from the data, not the marketing “3D surround” label. A 2.1 bar is not surround sound, and we say so.
- Fits under the TV. Bar height matters when the TV sits on a stand. We note the slim ones.
- Owner ratings of 4.4 stars or higher, with at least a few hundred reviews.
The picks
The Signa S2 is the soundbar most people should start with. It is a 2.1 system, which means a left and right channel in the bar plus a separate wireless subwoofer, and that subwoofer is what makes movies sound like movies. The bar is just over 2 inches tall, so it slides under a TV on a stand without covering the bottom of the picture. Owners praise the VoiceAdjust setting for making mumbled dialogue easy to follow, and both the HDMI and optical cables are in the box. It does not do Atmos and it uses regular ARC, but at 4.4 stars across 21,000+ ratings, it is the safest buy on this page.
- Wireless subwoofer is included, not an add-on
- Slim enough to sit under almost any TV without blocking the screen
- VoiceAdjust makes dialogue clearer without turning up the whole mix
- 21,000+ ratings at 4.4 stars, the most of any soundbar we track
- No Dolby Atmos and no up-firing drivers
- HDMI ARC only, not eARC, so no lossless formats
- Plastic build and a basic remote
The Beam Gen 2 is the compact choice for people who care about both TV sound and music. It decodes Dolby Atmos and uses processing to place sound above and around you, which works better than it should from a bar this size. The real strengths are the HDMI eARC port, the Wi-Fi streaming and the app, which turns the bar into a music system when the TV is off, with AirPlay 2 for Apple devices. There is no subwoofer in the box, so bass is good for a bedroom or apartment and not deep enough for a big living room unless you add the Sonos Sub later. Owners rate it 4.4 stars across 1,900+ ratings; this listing is the white version.
- Dolby Atmos processing in a bar small enough for a bedroom TV
- HDMI eARC and Wi-Fi streaming from every major music service
- Two-cable setup and Trueplay tuning for the room
- Expandable later with a Sonos Sub and rear speakers
- No subwoofer in the box, and the Sonos Sub is expensive
- No Bluetooth; music goes over Wi-Fi only
- Height effect is virtual, not from up-firing drivers
Samsung HW-B550/ZA 2.1ch Soundbar with Dolby Audio, DTS Virtual:X, Subwoofer Included, Adaptive Sound Lite, Bluetooth Multi-Device Connection, Wireless Surround Compatible, 2022, Black
The HW-B550 is the budget 2.1 combo that owners like best. It ships with a wireless subwoofer, decodes Dolby Audio and adds DTS Virtual:X, which spreads the sound wider than the bar itself. Adaptive Sound Lite adjusts the mix as you switch between sports, movies and games, and there is a dedicated Game Mode for consoles. Bluetooth can hold two phones at once, which is handy in a shared living room. If you want rear speakers later, Samsung sells a wireless surround kit that pairs with this bar. At 4.5 stars across 1,200+ ratings, it is the best-rated combo on this page.
- Subwoofer included, with a Bass Boost button on the remote
- DTS Virtual:X widens the sound without extra speakers
- Game Mode keeps audio synced with the picture on consoles
- Highest rating of any sub combo we track at 4.5 stars, 1,200+ ratings
- No Dolby Atmos decoding
- Bar is taller than the Polk, so check TV stand clearance
- Remote and menus are basic compared to Sonos
VIZIO V-Series All-in-One 2.1 Home Theater Sound Bar with DTS Virtual:X, Bluetooth, Built-in Subwoofer, Voice Assistant Compatible, Includes Remote Control - V21d-J8
If you do not want a subwoofer box on the floor, the VIZIO V-Series all-in-one is the pick. It squeezes two woofers into the bar itself, so it counts as 2.1 without a separate cabinet, and it plugs into the TV with a single HDMI ARC cable. DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio handle the processing, and Bluetooth covers music from your phone. Bass is a clear step up from TV speakers but not as deep as the Polk or Samsung subwoofer combos, which is the trade-off for the clean, single-box design. Owners rate it 4.5 stars across 1,000+ ratings, and it is a good fit for a bedroom, dorm or small living room.
- One box and one cable, no subwoofer to find floor space for
- Dual built-in woofers give more bass than a plain 2.0 bar
- DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio for a wider soundstage
- 4.5 stars across 1,000+ ratings
- Built-in woofers cannot match a separate 5-inch subwoofer
- No Atmos, no eARC
- Voice control needs a separate Alexa or Google device
SAMSUNG Q990D 11.1.4ch Soundbar w/Wireless Dolby Atmos Audio, Rear Speaker Included, Q-Symphony, SpaceFit Sound Pro, Adaptive Sound, Game Mode Pro with Alexa Built-in, HW-Q990D/ZA
The Q990D is what “surround sound from a soundbar” actually looks like. Eleven front-facing speakers, four up-firing channels, a wireless subwoofer and a pair of rear speakers all come in one box, so sound really does come from behind and above you instead of being simulated. It has HDMI eARC plus HDMI inputs for a console or streamer, and SpaceFit Sound Pro tunes the system to your room. With a recent Samsung TV, Q-Symphony uses the TV speakers as extra channels. It costs several times what the Polk does and needs outlets for all four boxes, but with 4.4 stars across 470+ ratings, it is the one to buy for a dedicated living-room setup.
- Real up-firing Atmos height channels, not virtual
- Rear speakers and a subwoofer are in the box
- Wireless Dolby Atmos link and Q-Symphony with recent Samsung TVs
- Alexa built in, 4.4 stars across 470+ ratings
- By far the most expensive pick here
- Four boxes need power outlets and floor or shelf space
- Some features only work with a Samsung TV
Compare the picks
| Product | Channels | Subwoofer | TV connection | Owner rating | Our score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Audio Signa S2Polk Audio | 2.1 | Wireless, included | HDMI ARC, optical | 4.4 / 21k+ | 8.8 | See price |
| Sonos Beam Gen 2Sonos | Dolby Atmos, virtual height | None, add-on | HDMI eARC | 4.4 / 1.9k+ | 8.8 | See price |
| Samsung HW-B550Samsung | 2.1, DTS Virtual:X | Wireless, included | HDMI ARC, optical | 4.5 / 1.2k+ | 9.0 | See price |
| VIZIO V-Series V21d-J8VIZIO | 2.1, DTS Virtual:X | Dual built-in | HDMI ARC | 4.5 / 1k+ | 9.0 | See price |
| Samsung Q990DSamsung | 11.1.4, true Atmos | Wireless, plus rears | HDMI eARC, HDMI in | 4.4 / 470+ | 8.8 | See price |
What 2.1, 3.1 and 5.1.2 mean
The numbers are channels. The first is the count of main speakers across the front, the second is the subwoofer, and a third number is height channels. 2.1 is left, right and a sub, which is what the Polk, Samsung HW-B550 and VIZIO offer; it is a big upgrade over TV speakers for most rooms. 3.1 adds a dedicated center channel for dialogue, useful if voices are your main complaint. 5.1 adds rear speakers, and 5.1.2 adds two up-firing drivers that bounce sound off the ceiling for Dolby Atmos. The Q990D is 11.1.4, which is the same idea with more of everything. The Sonos Beam creates Atmos height with processing rather than up-firing drivers, which is why it can be so small.
HDMI eARC vs optical, and whether you need the sub
HDMI ARC sends TV audio down the same HDMI cable and lets your TV remote control the soundbar. Every pick here supports it. eARC is the newer version with more bandwidth, needed for lossless Dolby TrueHD and full-quality Atmos from a disc player or game console; the Sonos Beam and Samsung Q990D have it. If your TV is older and has no ARC port, use optical, which the Polk and Samsung HW-B550 include; it carries compressed 5.1 but no Atmos, and you will use the soundbar’s own remote for volume.
On subwoofers: a separate sub with a 5-inch or larger woofer is the difference between hearing an explosion and feeling it. In a bedroom, dorm or apartment with neighbors below, an all-in-one like the VIZIO or the Sonos Beam is plenty and easier to live with. In a living room over 200 square feet, get a bar that ships with the sub, like the Polk or Samsung, or plan to add one.
Will these work with my TV brand?
Yes. All five connect over HDMI ARC or eARC, which every smart TV sold in the last several years has, marked ARC or eARC on one HDMI port. Q-Symphony and the wireless Atmos link on the Q990D are Samsung-TV extras; everything else works with any brand.
Do I need a separate HDMI cable?
The Polk ships with HDMI and optical cables. The others include an HDMI cable in most listings, but check the box contents on the product page. Any HDMI cable rated High Speed works for ARC; eARC on a long run is safer with an Ultra High Speed cable.
Can I return a soundbar if it does not fit under my TV?
Amazon-sold electronics typically have a 30-day return window in the original packaging. Measure first: the Polk is just over 2 inches tall, while the Samsung and VIZIO bars are taller, and the Q990D needs space for four boxes.
Does the subwoofer need its own outlet?
Yes. A wireless subwoofer is wireless for audio only; it still plugs into a wall outlet. The Q990D rear speakers need outlets too, so count the plugs behind the couch before you buy.
More speakers and headphones are in the audio shop. If you are also replacing the screen, our best 65-inch TVs and best TVs for gaming guides cover the other half of the setup.
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