Your TV is probably the centerpiece of your living room, and if you bought it in the past few years, chances are it’s a skinny slab of glass that would make a time traveler from the ’50s accuse you of sorcery. Video quality has drastically improved, and TVs have slimmed down. While that’s great for saving space in your living room, it’s not good for how your movies sound. Less space for speaker drivers means that whatever you’re watching isn’t going to get as loud or be nearly as immersive as surround sound audio. But what if you don’t have space for an entire surround sound setup? Then check out the best soundbars available right now.
What’s new?
- This list was updated on September 6, 2023, to add the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro to the notable mentions, answer more FAQs, and update formatting.
- On September 6th, 2023, to add the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro to the notable mentions, answer more FAQs, and update formatting.
- On April 25th, 2025, to add the Bose Smart Soundbar to the list of notable mentions.
Why is the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max the best soundbar?
The best all-around soundbar you can get is the new Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max. Sennheiser has been moving into the realm of 3D audio for a while now, and the company has taken what it has learned along with its legacy in sound and stuffed it all into one soundbar. While the Max is expensive, it also has all the newest technologies built inside to help you get the best experience possible. Most of the “What you should know” section will help you better understand everything this soundbar has to offer.
Sennheiser Ambeo 3D soundbar
9.6
Physically, it features 13 drivers, all angled in different directions to help bounce sound around the space, placing you in the center of it. It weighs approximately 18.5kg, and the dimensions are roughly 126.5 x 13.5 x 17.1cm. It has three HDMI 2.0 inputs, one HDMI eARC output, an optical input, stereo RCA input, Ethernet input, a subwoofer pre-out, 2.5mm microphone input, Bluetooth, and Google Chromecast built-in, making it a wireless soundbar too. Yeah, it’s a lot of ports, but that doesn’t even include the most exciting bits of tech in here, which supports any audio format you can throw at it. It’s compatible with basically all of the Dolby and DTS offerings, including Atmos and DTS:X, the immersive codecs that allow for 3D audio, which are all the rage right now. With the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, you’re paying for the best and getting it.
It comes with nine rather than 13 drivers, only two HDMI 2.0 inputs, and four built-in far-field high-precision microphones for room calibration in place of the 2.5mm microphone jack on the Max. It doesn’t feature any services, like the Max’s built-in Chromecast. Audio processing in the Plus is done on a Quad Core 1.8GHz SoC processor, whereas the Max uses a mix of ARM and SHARC DualCore processors. All other specs are comparable.
Neither model features rear-facing drivers, but you can hook up a subwoofer.
Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max
MPEG-H support • Hard to beat sound quality • Excellent connectivity
Ambeo Max embodies the future of 3D sound
The Ambeo Max is one of the best soundbars on the market, providing a fully functioning surround sound system with built-in MPEG-H support, the next leap in broadcast standards.
If you just want a smart soundbar, then go with the Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Sonos is the go-to for people getting into home audio because of the pain-free setup; the company makes some of the best soundbars and smart speakers around. All Sonos speakers work together seamlessly and can be controlled wirelessly via the app. The company has also been pushing to release products more frequently than before, resulting in a smart soundbar called Sonos Beam (Gen 2). What is a smart soundbar? It’s just like a smart speaker but in soundbar form. Tiny microphones built into it pick up your voice when you speak the keyword and access a virtual assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant to get things done. For Apple users, it has AirPlay 2 too. If you have an HDMI ARC input on a TV that supports consumer electronics control (CEC), you can even turn the TV on and off with just your voice.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is 69 x 651 x 100mm in dimensions and weighs only 2.8kg, so mounting it is definitely a possibility. On the back, you’ll find the ports, which include an HDMI and an Ethernet port. It is also a wireless soundbar, meaning it operates via Wi-Fi. The revised Beam (Gen 2) has Dolby Atmos support (but not DTS). The room correction aids in getting it to sound good, and you can build out the system later if you want more speakers. It’s a good choice for a smaller room, especially if you pick it up with the sub.
If the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a bit too expensive for your best soundbar budget, there are a ton of Sonos speaker alternatives out there.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Voice assistance • Easy setup • Dolby Atmos support
One of the best soundbars on the market
The Sonos ecosystem has something for everyone, and if you want a smart soundbar, the Beam is the one for you.
The LG SL5Y 2.1 comes with a subwoofer and has a sleek design
The LG SL5Y is a mid-tier option from LG that punches above its price point. It has a sleek, modern design that looks great without attracting too much attention, and it comes with a subwoofer. This soundbar supports DTS Virtual:X and automatically adjusts the sound according to your media.
The LG SL5Y soundbar ships with a 15.5-inch subwoofer.
The audio formats include Linear Pulse Code Modulation, DTS Digital Surround, Free Lossless (Up to 192kHz) C4A/USB, DTS Virtual X, and Dolby Digital, so you have plenty of options to choose from. Some may be disappointed to realize that this isn’t a smart soundbar, but you can always connect a Chromecast to the USB input for that.
You can’t cast out a Bluetooth signal from this speaker (i.e., for private listening), but you can send audio to it from your smartphone. You’re not paying for gimmicks with this one, just pure sound quality.
LG SL5Y 2.1
Automatic sound adjustment • Subwoofer included • DTS:X audio
This mid-tier LG soundbar punches above its price point.
The LG SL5Y 2.1 includes a subwoofer, so it’s a great choice for those looking for extra bass.
If you’re looking into how to start building up your home audio setup and are questioning whether or not you need to actually invest in a subwoofer, the answer is probably no. If you hook up one of the best soundbars, your audio will play just fine without an added sub. The problem is that most soundbars are following the trend of TVs and getting thinner and thinner, and because of how sound works, that means that the smaller physical space is going to result in weaker bass response.
The subwoofer for the LG SL5Y 2.1 soundbar stands about 15 inches tall.
So if you really want to feel the explosions in action movies or be drawn into the gravel drawl of your favorite classic western, then a subwoofer is worth considering as it is going to really bring that extra layer of depth. One thing to keep in mind if you’re looking to get a subwoofer is that you’re going to need space on the floor for it, and they’re usually fairly large. So if maintaining a clean and minimal look is important to you, then know that start thinking now about where you can place it so that it’s still effective but stays out of the way.
If you want versatility, get the Roku Streambar Pro
The Roku Streambar Pro is an absolute steal when it comes to features and functionality. Roku’s 2.0-channel soundbar integrates Google Assistant and Alexa support for voice-enabled access. Rather than integrating Chromecast, users benefit from…