The TV soundbar market offers a plethora of excellent alternatives that cost half, if not a third, of what some premium models do. We put together a list of the best soundbar packages we’ve heard and ranked them based on sound quality and features. Continue reading to learn more about the best cheap soundbars available.
Here is the list of Best Cheap Soundbars
Sonos Beam Gen 2
Delivering Dolby Atmos from a small chassis is no easy task, but the Sonos Beam Gen 2 pulls it off with a convincing, immersive performance that doesn’t require a single vertical speaker insight. Instead, two of the soundbar’s five front-facing arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds when watching Atmos content. With its powerful processing power, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 employs psychoacoustic HRTF (head-related transfer function) technology to create the illusion of height without the need for vertical positioning. While genuine overhead sounds may be a stretch for this small TV soundbar, its virtual delivery of the Atmos format outperforms any similarly priced and even a few more expensive soundbars. The Beam Gen 2 provides an enveloping, spatial soundscape that includes rich, detailed audio as well as tangible motion and depth. Currently, this is one of the best Cheap Soundbars that you can buy right now.
Polk Audio Signa S4
Many companies sell basic 2.1 soundbars, but few have the soundstage of this Polk Dolby Atmos-enabled bar. It comes with a basic, no-frills remote and an HDMI ARC connection to connect to a modern TV. You can choose between Cinema, Night, and Music modes, each of which serves its purpose well. Cinema mode operates in a simulated 3.1.2 Atmos surround—quite it’s immersive! Music mode provides a more traditional stereo image. Night mode reduces subwoofer activity to avoid waking the neighbours. I’ve been working with this bar in preparation for a full review, which will be available in the next update, along with more personal insights.
Hisense HS205
Easily one of the best Cheap Soundbars available on the market, The Hisense HS205 is a small, inexpensive soundbar with big sound. It connects to your TV via HDMI ARC, optical cable, AUX cable, or Bluetooth, and it includes a wall-mount kit to complement minimalist home theatres. Your movies, music, and shows will sound better than ever with three different equalizer presets. The movie mode increases the impact of the bass during dramatic scenes, the music mode increases the richness of the mid and high tones, and the news mode increases the dialogue so you never miss an important line. The soundbar is also Roku-ready, which means it can be used with the Roku remote and companion app for better streaming and even voice controls.
Samsung HW-B550
Depending on how your living space is configured, you may not have enough space for additional satellite speakers. In that case, there are plenty of budget-friendly options available that can still meet your requirements, the best of which we tested is the Samsung HW-B550. It is a versatile bar with a subwoofer dedicated to thumping through action-packed TV shows and bass-heavy music genres. You won’t have any trouble following along with the action on the screen because the dialogue is clear and present, and the voices and instruments are accurate in the mix. This setup, like most Samsung bars, comes with a variety of tools to help you customise its sound. There are standard presets and some bass and treble adjustments, but its 7-band graphic EQ allows you to control the frequency of the bar across its entire range.
Sony HT-G700
If you’re on a tight budget, best Cheap Soundbars the Sony HT-G700 could be just what you’re looking for. It’s not the smallest bar on the market, but it’s certainly big on sound and big on value, with a wireless subwoofer, dedicated HDMI input, and support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Sony’s own Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force Pro Front Surround technologies deliver a convincing Dolby Atmos soundscape, while the 39cm-tall subwoofer adds plenty of heft to big explosions. It also lacks music streaming features as well as voice control. Still, if you’re looking for a dedicated piece of home cinema equipment on a budget, the powerful-sounding HT-700 delivers a seriously cinematic performance at a reasonable price.
Vizio M Series M213ad-K8
The Vizio M Series M213ad-K8 is the best Cheap Soundbars option we’ve tested. It has a distinct trapezoidal design and a 2.1 setup, making it ideal for listening to stereo content, such as most music and TV shows. Right out of the box, you get a fairly clear sound, so the dialogue on screen is clear and easy to follow. You don’t get the same rumble in the low-bass without a sub. It’s not noticeable if you mostly listen to non-bass-heavy content, such as dialogue-centric TV shows and sitcoms, but it’s not ideal for those who enjoy bass-heavy EDM and hip-hop. It’s a fairly unique bar in that it’s one of the few in its price range to include Dolby Atmos support. However, because it is a 2.1 system, it must downmix both Atmos and 5.1 surround sound formats such as Dolby Digital into stereo in order to play them.
Samsung HW-Q990B
Companies have been producing massive soundbar systems designed to resemble old-school home theatres for a few years. They’ve been pretty good for a few years. The Samsung HW-Q990B, on the other hand, is the best I’ve ever heard, owing to Samsung’s excellent audio processing, a whopping 15 drivers, and the ability to bounce tones around your room. It’s also the first Samsung soundbar to include wireless Dolby Atmos, which means the surround speakers and subwoofer don’t need to be connected to anything other than an outlet. It’s pretty cool. The only disadvantage? It will cost roughly the same as a good traditional system.
Creative Stage
Soundbars can make a lot of noise from a small box, but nothing compares to the bass that a dedicated subwoofer can provide. The Creative Stage has a lot to offer for only $90, including HDMI cable connection, but it’s the wired subwoofer that really makes the system sing. This soundbar also has Bluetooth and a USB port for playing MP3s from an external drive. It’s nearing the end of its life cycle, having been replaced by the Stage V2, but the Creative website still lists it as available. Thus, this product is one of the best Cheap Soundbars available right now.
TCL Alto 6 Plus
The Alto 6 Plus is even less expensive than the Stage V2, and it comes with its own dedicated subwoofer — albeit a wireless one. It’s also powerful, capable of filling out movie action scenes or music playback with deep, rumbling bass. The disadvantage is that the low-end isn’t as tightly controlled as it is on more expensive soundbar/sub combos, and your options for adjusting the sound profile are limited. However, we were impressed with how powerful the Alto 6 Plus sounded in our testing, and its simplicity means that home theatre beginners may appreciate how simple it is to set up.
LG SK1 SoundBar
If you have a small living room, the LG SK1 is the best soundbar for you. It’s slightly more than 2 feet long and 3.5 inches wide, so it’ll fit on a shelf, mantle, or TV stand. The dual speakers produce up to 40W of power for richer, cleaner audio than TV speakers alone; however, if you have a compatible LG TV, you can use the Sound Sync feature by connecting an optical cable to the soundbar. This method combines the soundbar and the speakers on your TV to produce surround sound audio without the need for additional equipment. It has Bluetooth connectivity for wireless setup and auto-updates to keep everything running smoothly.
Final Words
Our recommendations above are what we believe are the best cheap soundbars for the majority of people to buy right now. We consider the price, visitor feedback, and availability. If you want to pick your own, here is a list of the best value soundbars. Take care not to get bogged down in the details. No soundbar is flawless. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will be more important in your choice.
