A soundbar on its own fixes dialogue; a subwoofer fixes everything else. The low end that makes an explosion thump or a bass line move the room needs a driver bigger than any slim bar can hold, which is why the sets on this page ship a separate box to sit on the floor. We ranked the soundbar-plus-subwoofer sets in our audio catalog by subwoofer size and whether it is wireless, channel count and rated power, HDMI ARC or eARC and Dolby support, room-tuning and app control, and what thousands of owners report after living with them.
We have not installed every set ourselves; the verdicts rest on the spec sheets and on the owner review history. Prices are not printed because they change daily; every button opens the live Amazon page. For bars without a sub, our soundbars for TV guide is the place to start, and if you want real height channels, see our Dolby Atmos soundbars guide.
How we picked
- A real subwoofer in the box. Every pick includes a separate subwoofer; bars with a built-in bass driver were left to the budget guide.
- Wireless where it counts. Six of the eight subwoofers connect wirelessly so they can sit anywhere near an outlet.
- HDMI ARC at minimum. Several add eARC for lossless Dolby formats.
- Dialogue tools. Voice modes or dedicated dialogue processing on most picks, since a sub makes voices harder to hear if the bar is weak.
- Owner ratings of 4.0 stars or better, and most picks have more than a thousand reviews.
The picks
Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim Sound Bar for Smart TV with Subwoofer
The Polk Signa S2 has been the most recommended entry-level sub set for years, and 22,000 owners rating it 4.4 stars make the case for it better than any spec sheet. Five full-range drivers in a bar just over two inches tall handle the front channels, a wireless subwoofer handles the bass, and Polk’s VoiceAdjust control lets you turn up dialogue without turning up everything else. It decodes Dolby Digital, connects over HDMI ARC, optical, AUX and Bluetooth, and ships with the HDMI and optical cables. It does not do Atmos or DTS:X and there is no HDMI input for a console, which is where the Sony and ULTIMEA sets below pull ahead. For a living room TV that needs clear voices and some thump, it is still the one to buy.
- 22,000 owner reviews at 4.4 stars, the most-trusted set here
- VoiceAdjust lets you raise dialogue independently of effects
- Slim enough not to block the TV remote sensor
- Wireless subwoofer with cables included
- Dolby Digital only; no Atmos or DTS:X
- No HDMI input, only ARC
- Subwoofer is compact rather than deep
Sony HT-S400 2.1ch Soundbar for TV with Powerful Wireless Subwoofer
The Sony HT-S400 is the step up from the Polk if bass depth is the priority: its wireless subwoofer carries a 160mm driver, larger than most in this class, and owners describe the low end as the reason to buy it. The bar uses Sony’s X-Balanced speaker units for clearer vocals, S-Force Pro front surround to widen the stage, and an OLED display window that shows what the remote is doing, a small thing that owners of blinking-LED bars miss. It connects over HDMI ARC, optical and Bluetooth, and links wirelessly to compatible BRAVIA TVs. Like the Polk it stops at Dolby Digital with no HDMI input. With 2,300 owners at 4.3 stars it is the safe brand-name 2.1 set.
- Large 160mm subwoofer driver for deep bass
- X-Balanced drivers improve vocal clarity
- OLED display shows input and volume clearly
- Flat back for a flush wall mount; 4.3 stars
- Dolby Digital only, no Atmos
- No HDMI input
- Wireless TV link works only with Sony BRAVIA sets
ULTIMEA 5.1CH Surround Sound Bar System with Dolby Atmos, Poseidon M60
The ULTIMEA Poseidon M60 is the set that brings Dolby Atmos and a subwoofer down to a mid-range price, and owners have responded with 4.5 stars across 2,700 reviews, the best rating on this page. Five drivers in the bar, two of them side-firing, create a wide stage without rear speakers, and HDMI eARC carries lossless Atmos from the TV. The wooden subwoofer uses an 18mm high-excursion driver in a tuned 5.3-litre cabinet, and it is wired to the bar, which guarantees sync but fixes where it sits. VoiceMX dialogue processing and an app with a 10-band EQ, 121 presets and 13 surround levels give more control than the Sony or Polk. There are no up-firing drivers, so height is virtual, but for the money it does the most.
- Real Dolby Atmos decoding over HDMI eARC
- Side-firing drivers widen the stage without rear speakers
- App with 10-band EQ and surround level control
- 2,700 owners at 4.5 stars, the highest rating here
- Subwoofer is wired to the bar
- No up-firing drivers, so height comes from processing
- Newer brand with a shorter track record
The Sony HT-S40R is the set for people who want sound behind them, not just processing that pretends to be. Two rear speakers plug into a wireless amplifier that sits at the back of the room, so there is no cable run from the TV to the sofa, and with the subwoofer the system is rated at 600W, the most power on this page. It connects over HDMI ARC, optical or analog and streams Bluetooth. The 4.0-star rating across 8,800 reviews is the lowest here, and the reasons are practical: the rears still need cables to their amp, the sub is wired, and there is no Atmos. If your room has space for speakers behind the seating and you want real surround at a 2.1 price, nothing else here does it.
- Real rear speakers for true 5.1 surround
- 600W total power fills a large room
- 8,800 owners, the second-largest review base here
- Bluetooth for music, three TV connection types
- 4.0 stars: rears need a cable to the back-of-room amplifier
- No Dolby Atmos or DTS:X
- Subwoofer is wired to the main unit
Hisense HS2100 2.1ch Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby Audio, DTS Virtual:X, HDMI ARC, Bluetooth 5.3, Remote Control, 6 EQ Modes
The Hisense HS2100 is the cheapest way on this page to get a wireless subwoofer from a TV brand. Two front-firing drivers and the sub are rated at 240W, it decodes Dolby Audio and applies DTS Virtual:X for a wider and taller effect, and it connects over HDMI ARC with the cable included, plus optical and Bluetooth 5.3. Six EQ presets cover movies, music, sports and games. There is no app, no room calibration and the display is a row of LEDs, so it is a plug-in-and-forget bar rather than one you tune. Owners rate it 4.2 stars across 860 reviews and the comments centre on how much bass arrives for the money. For a bedroom or a first apartment, it is the value pick.
- Wireless subwoofer at a budget price
- DTS Virtual:X adds width and height effects
- HDMI cable in the box and Bluetooth 5.3
- Six EQ modes; 4.2 stars
- 860 reviews, fewer than the big names
- No app or room calibration
- Remote is basic and the display is LEDs only
TCL S55H 2.1 Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer for Smart TV | Dolby Atmos DTS:X Auto Room Calibration| 220W Power Wireless Bluetooth Home Theater Audio | App Control and Remote Control | Latest Model
The TCL S55H packs Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X and an automatic room calibration into a low-profile 2.1 set that fits under a 43 to 65-inch TV. The calibration, run once from the TCL app, measures the room and adjusts the balance, a feature usually reserved for far pricier bars. The wireless subwoofer brings the system to 220W, and connections cover HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth and AUX, so it works with any TV brand. Because it is a 2.1 layout the Atmos height is processed rather than from up-firing drivers, and with 640 reviews it is still new. Owners rate it 4.3 stars and single out the calibration and the bass for the size. It is the modern, app-driven alternative to the Polk.
- Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X in a compact 2.1 set
- Auto room calibration from the app
- HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth and AUX
- 4.3 stars; works with any brand of TV
- Atmos from a 2.1 layout is virtual height
- 640 reviews so far
- App is required for calibration
5.1 CH Surround Sound Bar with Dolby Audio, Sound Bars for TV, Wireless Subwoofer and Rear Speaker, Dolby Digital Plus, Bluetooth 5.3, Surround Sound System for Home Theater, 4K and HD TVs| HDMI and Optical
This 5.1 set solves the Sony HT-S40R’s cable problem: the subwoofer and both rear speakers are wireless, so each just needs a power outlet. The system is rated at 400W, decodes Dolby Digital Plus, and its 16-inch tall subwoofer is rated down to 50 Hz, which is deep for the class. HDMI, optical and Bluetooth 5.3 cover the inputs, and the remote offers music, movie, news and 3D modes. Owners rate it 4.2 stars across 1,350 reviews and praise how quickly a full surround layout sets up; the complaints are the usual ones about generic-brand remotes and the lack of Atmos. If you want speakers behind you and no speaker wire anywhere, this is the set.
- Wireless subwoofer and rear speakers; only power cables to run
- Dolby Digital Plus decoding and 400W
- Bass rated down to 50 Hz
- Four sound modes; 4.2 stars
- No Dolby Atmos
- Rear speakers each need their own outlet
- Generic brand with 1,350 reviews
ULTIMEA Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer, App Control, for Home Theater
The budget ULTIMEA is the Poseidon M60’s smaller sibling with a wireless subwoofer instead of a wired one. The sub uses the same 18mm high-excursion driver in a larger 6.5-litre cabinet tuned for 45 to 150 Hz, the bar uses mica-reinforced drivers to cut distortion, and the system is rated at 240W peak. What sets it apart at this price is the app: a 10-band EQ, 121 presets and over-the-air updates, plus VoiceMX dialogue processing that lifts the 120 Hz to 6 kHz vocal range. There is no Atmos and only 640 owners have reviewed it so far, but at 4.3 stars they report bass well beyond the price. It is the tweaker’s budget pick.
- Wireless subwoofer with a 6.5-litre tuned cabinet
- Full 10-band EQ in the app at a budget price
- VoiceMX dialogue enhancement
- OTA firmware updates; 4.3 stars
- 640 reviews so far
- No Dolby Atmos on this model
- Response tops out at 18 kHz on paper
Compare the picks
| Product | Channels | Subwoofer | Dolby | HDMI | Owner rating | Our score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Signa S2Polk Audio | 2.1 | Wireless | Dolby Digital | ARC | 4.4 (22,000+) | 8.8 | See price |
| Sony HT-S400Sony | 2.1 | Wireless, 160mm | Dolby Digital | ARC | 4.3 (2,300+) | 8.6 | See price |
| ULTIMEA Poseidon M60ULTIMEA | 5.1 | Wired, wooden | Dolby Atmos | eARC | 4.5 (2,700+) | 9.0 | See price |
| Sony HT-S40RSony | 5.1 with rears | Wired | Dolby Digital | ARC | 4.0 (8,800+) | 8.0 | See price |
| Hisense HS2100Hisense | 2.1 | Wireless | Dolby Audio, DTS Virtual:X | ARC | 4.2 (860+) | 8.4 | See price |
| TCL S55HTCL | 2.1 | Wireless | Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X | eARC | 4.3 (640+) | 8.6 | See price |
| 5.1 set with wireless rearsRAINEVERRY | 5.1 with rears | Wireless, 16 in tall | Dolby Digital Plus | HDMI | 4.2 (1,350+) | 8.4 | See price |
| ULTIMEA 2.1 app controlULTIMEA | 2.1 | Wireless, 6.5L | None | HDMI | 4.3 (640+) | 8.6 | See price |
Wired or wireless subwoofer?
A wireless subwoofer still needs a power outlet, but it can sit anywhere within range of the bar, which usually means the corner where bass sounds best. Six picks here are wireless. The ULTIMEA Poseidon M60 and Sony HT-S40R wire the sub to the bar instead; that guarantees perfect sync and avoids interference, but it means the sub lives within cable reach of the TV. Owners of wireless subs occasionally report a pairing hiccup after a power cut; owners of wired subs report tripping over the cable. Neither is a reason to avoid a set, just a placement question to answer before you buy.
2.1 or 5.1?
A 2.1 set (Polk, Sony HT-S400, Hisense, TCL, budget ULTIMEA) gives you a bar and a sub, and relies on processing for width. A 5.1 set adds either side-firing drivers in the bar, as on the Poseidon M60, or real rear speakers, as on the Sony HT-S40R and the wireless 5.1 set. Rear speakers are the only way to hear sound genuinely behind you, but they need placement and power at the back of the room. If the sofa is against a wall or the room is shared, a 2.1 set is the practical choice; if there is space behind the seating, the rears are worth it.
Dolby Atmos and eARC
Only the ULTIMEA Poseidon M60 and the TCL S55H decode Dolby Atmos here, and both use HDMI eARC, the higher-bandwidth version of ARC that carries lossless formats. Neither has up-firing drivers, so the height effect is processed; for real height channels see our Dolby Atmos soundbars guide, and for the TVs that feed them, our TVs for gaming guide lists sets with eARC. The other picks decode Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus, which is what most streaming apps and broadcasts actually send.
Does a soundbar subwoofer need its own power outlet?
Yes, every subwoofer here plugs into the wall. Wireless subs connect to the bar for audio but still need power. Wired subs on the Sony HT-S40R and ULTIMEA Poseidon M60 take both power and a cable to the bar.
Where should I put the subwoofer?
Near a wall or in a corner on the same side of the room as the TV usually gives the most bass. Keep it off carpet if it fires downward. Wireless subs let you try a few spots; wired ones are limited by cable length.
Which set has the deepest bass?
The Sony HT-S400 has the largest subwoofer driver at 160mm, and the wireless 5.1 set is rated down to 50 Hz. The ULTIMEA sets use high-excursion drivers in tuned cabinets and owners rate their bass highly for the price.
Can I use these with a non-smart or older TV?
Yes. Every pick has an optical input as well as HDMI, and the Sony HT-S40R also has an analog input. Over optical you lose TV-remote volume control and use the soundbar remote instead.
Do I need rear speakers for surround sound?
For sound that comes from behind you, yes: the Sony HT-S40R and the wireless 5.1 set include them. The ULTIMEA Poseidon M60 uses side-firing drivers for width without rears, and the 2.1 sets use virtual processing.
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