T3's Expert Recommendations
00. The list in brief ↴
01. Best surround system: Samsung HW-Q990D
02. Best for most people: Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
03. Best budget: Denon DHT-S316
04. Best for Sony: Sony HT-A7000
05. Best for LG: LG S95QR
06. Best Sonos: Sonos Arc
07. Best for flexibility: JBL Bar 1300
08. Best for small screens: Yamaha SR-C20A
09. How to choose
The best soundbars of 2024 will transform your TV's audio. Whether you're watching a blockbuster movie or listening to music, a soundbar or surround system will boost the sound, pump up the bass, and give you a more immersive experience.
The best TVs of 2024 are often super-slim – and while their panels mean stunning visuals, this slender nature often means you lose out on sound quality. That's exactly why a soundbar pairing is an essential not to be overlooked.
Whether you're looking for a fully immersive surround system with multiple boxes, a soundbar and subwoofer combo, or a single-box solution, there are options for all – and at every budget. Here are the best soundbar options available:
T3's Top Picks
Best surround system
A massive soundbar with multiple channels, plus separate sub and rear speakers, this surround system will deliver the very best Dolby Atmos immersion. It's also the best option for Samsung TVs as it can pair with Q-Symphony technology.
Best for most people
A single-box solution (no sub included here – the Sub Mini is sold separately), this well-proportioned soundbar delivers great audio – it's great with other Sonos multi-room products too – and while there's no HDMI passthrough it's an ideal all-rounder for most people.
Best budget
This 'bar-and-sub combination might not cost the earth, but it'll certainly shake it. That's thanks to a subwoofer delivering the low-end and great audio quality all considered. Don't expect the Dolby Atmos to be as immersive, but it's still offered here at a cut of the cost.
Best surround system
Samsung's 2024 flagship is not only the best at delivering Dolby Atmos for truly immersive surround sound, it's also the T3 2024 Award Winner for Best Soundbar. It's the best soundbar for Samsung TVs, too, thanks to Q Symphony compatibility pairing with relevant Samsung TVs' speakers.
The Q990D does demand a chunk of space though: that's because it comprises a large soundbar with a separate subwoofer, plus two rear speaker units. It's worth that sacrifice, though, as the wirelessly communication and 11.1.4 channel configuration means truly immersive sound with great Dolby Atmos delivery.
Where this model also levels up over to its HW-Q990C predecessor is by adding HDMI 2.1 passthrough for next-gen consoles (and other devices) benefit at 4K/120Hz. That's what makes the Q990D, as we said in our review, "a peerless soundbar system", especially for those wanting the best surround sound without a separate amp system.
Best for most people
Sonos is well known for its speakers first and foremost – but this second-gen Sonos Beam is just as excellent at handling music, as it is in handling movies as a superb soundbar. It's a one-box solution, so no separate sub included, which makes it nice and simple to connect and the best option for most people.
It's not a gigantic soundbar and there's no HDMI passthrough – that's why the larger and more advanced Sonos Arc is the top-tier Sonos pick, but it's far pricier – but for simple plug-and-play brilliance (there is eARC here), the sound upgrade the Sonos Beam Gen 2 brings to the party is undeniable.
As said in our Sonos Beam 2 review: "the sound quality for smaller TVs is just fantastic". So if you're disappointed by your TV's audio this is a significant upgrade, and it's the soundbar we'd recommend to most buyers (unless you've got one of the best 65-inch TVs or larger, which will need something bigger).
Best budget
If the Sonos above isn't appealing and you're pining for a subwoofer to be included in your soundbar package then look no further: the Denon DHT-S316 is a two-box solution for a snip of the price. That makes it our favourite budget offering right now.
As said in our Denon DHT-S316 review: this two-piece package "definitely bears consideration in the world of best soundbar options for smaller and sensible sums of money". And it's really the price that's the winning point about this product.
Sure, there's lots of competition out there, and you're not going to get Dolby with as convincing a surround presence (but it is supported!), but when cash is king the Denon does exactly what it needs and will be a crowd pleaser.
Best for Sony
The Sony HT-A7000 delivers basically the best Dolby Atmos width and height we've heard from a one-box soundbar – certainly at this kind of price. When we say "one-box" soundbar, we mean there's no separate subwoofer here, making it great for those who want a simpler setup. It's an especially good match for Sony TVs.
In our full Sony HT-A7000 review, we said: "There’s really dynamic potency on display, so when the going switches from ‘very quiet’ to ‘very loud indeed’ (as it surely must in any modern movie soundtrack at some point) the A7000 breathes deeply enough to make the difference explicit. It’s very detailed in general, and especially through the midrange/centre channel – so dialogue is plain, easy to follow and packed with character."
Best of all, this soundbar includes two HDMI inputs, as well as the HDMI connection to your TV, and it can pass through 4K HDR at up to 120Hz, meaning it's absolutely ideal for next-gen gamers, as well as movie fans. It's not cheap, but you get a seriously future-proofed bit of kit with big and deep bass response all from the one box.
Best for LG
While there's a newer 'TR' model, the LG S95QR remains our pick as the best soundbar for LG TVs because it's even more of a bargain buy. Especially as you'll get the main bar, a separate subwoofer and two wireless rear speakers all in one package – and with development in conjunction with Meridian Audio the sound quality is second to none.
As said in our LG S95QR review: "This feature-packed system delivers immersive Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced audio that will delight". It's astoundingly good at enveloping you with audio, with convincing positioning of sounds around and above you – in part thanks to the world's first implementation of a height channel.
Downsides are the lack of support for 4K/120p and HDR10+, which is a shame on a flagship model at this price, but with twin HDMI inputs (plus the eARC output to the TV), useful wireless streaming options and Google Assistant support, and a really easy setup process, this LG soundbar is ideal for the best 55-inch TVs and larger.
Best Sonos
While the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the best soundbar for most people, it's the Sonos Arc that's the crème de la crème in the Sonos range. It's a single-box Dolby Atmos soundbar with eleven drivers at various angles, so it's great at projecting sound upwards and all around you.
As said in our Sonos Arc review: "The sound is so engaging and dynamic, and is a huge step up over what simpler budget soundbars (or built-in TV speakers) can achieve". The audio quality is really fantastic, no matter whether you're watching movies or listening to music (this is a full multi-room speaker, with streaming via the Sonos app or Apple AirPlay 2).
However: it has only a single HDMI port, with no passthrough at all, so you'll lose an HDMI port from your TV when connecting it, and if your TV doesn't decode or passthrough Dolby Atmos itself, then you won't actually be able to make full use of what it can do anyway. But if we were judging on audio quality alone, this would be a five-star soundbar.
Best for flexibility
The JBL Bar 1300 is a really interesting prospect as the main soundbar's left and right ends can be removed to act as separate rear speakers – ideal if you don't always want the surrounds placed around your room. That's what makes this the best soundbar for versatility's sake.
As said in our JBL Bar 1300 review: "This impressive soundbar delivers Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based sound with cinematic scale and plenty of bass thanks to a powerful subwoofer. But it’s the detachable rear speakers that really impress, allowing you to quickly create an immersive system with minimum fuss."
Downsides are few and far between, although without 4L/120Hz or VRR passthrough it's not the best for gamers – and some other premium competitors can deliver on this. That said, those can't challenge the detachable speakers, which gives this JBL an interesting selling point to go with its ace audio.
Best for small screens
If you're looking for a great cheap soundbar that's perfectly matched to smaller screens then your journey has just ended. The audio quality from this Yamaha is excellent for the price, adding so much more balance, clarity and depth than budget TV speaker could ever hope to produce.
Despite this soundbar being not even as wide as your average 32-inch TV (meaning it's just as at home with monitors as TVs), the sound has really impressive width and stereo positioning. The dynamic range is great too, in everything from movies to games. It's even pretty good with music, and has Bluetooth for easy streaming.
As said in our Yamaha C20A review: "This is an incredibly strong option to boost the weedy audio of a budget TV into something altogether more accomplished. It creates a little niche for itself by being so usefully compact and so very adept". That plus it's easy to setup, with a single HDMI ARC port meaning easy TV connection. The remote is naff, but we can forgive it.
How to choose
As televisions get slimmer they may look more attractive, but the audio quality is thin, too. A soundbar puts back some power and bass without the intrusive cables and clutter of a home cinema system.
First thing to bear in mind is they don't all supply surround sound – just as many soundbars deal only in stereo, so choose accordingly. Stereo is more reliable from a fixed unit; surround sound can be magical, or it can be a mess. Of course, it's excellent in all the soundbars we've chosen, but if you're look at others, keep that in mind.
Some have subwoofers built-in to the main unit, while others include separate woofers, often wireless (in that they connect to the bar wirelessly – they still need power).
Many now also boast Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi to stream music wirelessly from phones. Some will also include microphones with support for Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
The main thing to bear in mind with soundbars is where to position them. If your TV is on a media unit, and you're planning to just plonk the soundbar in front of it, you may find it blocks your remote control, or even the bottom of the TV, depending on your TV's stand. Some soundbars are lower profile than others, so be sure to factor this in.
Another key thing to look out for is the number and type of wired connections on offer. HDMI ARC is standard now, because it's the easiest way to plug and play, and it means you don't need a remote just for your soundbar, because the TV passes all controls over the cable.
However, some older TVs don't have HDMI ARC connections, or will only have one, which may already be in use by another box of yours, so most soundbars will have the option of an optical audio connection instead. So make sure that you choose a soundbar with the connection types that suit your TV.
Most high-end soundbars (and many budget ones) will have an HDMI passthrough, which can solve the issue of your TV only having one HDMI ARC port – this means you plug a console, set-top box or whatever into the soundbar, which passes the video onto the TV, while still receiving all audio from the TV.
