The Best Budget Soundbars That Actually Beat Your TV Speakers
Shopping for the best budget soundbar looks easy until two bars at the same price turn out to sound nothing alike, and one is barely better than the TV.
Spend a little too little and you get a bar that adds volume but no bass; spend a little too much and you pay for features your room can’t use.
A few specific features matter far more than the price tag, and knowing them is what separates a real upgrade from a louder version of your TV.
Below are ten picks from under $100 to a few hundred dollars, what each one gives up, and how much you really need to spend.
Every pick is in stock on Amazon, and the sound notes come from independent measurements rather than marketing claims.
What Is the Best Budget Soundbar?
Those ten picks cover every kind of budget buyer, from the tightest limit to a room that wants real surround. The best budget soundbar for most people under about $100 is the Ultimea Poseidon M60, while a few hundred dollars buys true 5.1 surround with the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus system.
| Pick | Channels | Subwoofer | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire TV Soundbar Plus with sub and speakers | 5.1 | Yes, plus rear speakers | Real surround on a budget |
| Samsung HW-B750D | 5.1 | Yes | Surround without rear speakers |
| Polk Signa S4 | 3.1.2 | Yes | Dolby Atmos height on a budget |
| Ultimea Poseidon M60 | 5.1 | Yes | The best sound under about $100 |
| Hisense HS2100 | 2.1 | Yes | A name brand around $100 |
| Sonos Beam (Gen 2) | 5.0 | No | Small rooms and music |
| Polk Signa S2 | 2.1 | Yes | A slim bar with clear dialogue |
| Yamaha SR-B20A | 2.1 (built in) | Built into the bar | Apartments and small rooms |
| Amazon Fire TV Soundbar | 2.0 | No | The simplest setup |
| Roku Streambar SE | 2.0 | No | Older TVs that need streaming too |
The channel count tells you most of what you need. The first number counts the main speakers, the second the subwoofer, so a 2.1 bar has left and right speakers plus a subwoofer, and a 5.1 system adds a center and two surrounds (Dolby).
| Product | Link |
|---|---|
Best Budget Surround Sound System  | See ratings |
Best Budget Soundbar and Subwoofer Without Rear Speakers  | See ratings |
Best Budget Dolby Atmos Soundbar With Height Speakers  | See ratings |
Best Budget Soundbar Under $100  | See ratings |
Best Cheap Name-Brand Soundbar  | See ratings |
Best Budget Soundbar Without a Subwoofer  | See ratings |
Best Slim Budget Soundbar for Dialogue  | See ratings |
Best Budget Soundbar for Apartments and Small Rooms  | See ratings |
How Were These Budget Soundbars Chosen?
That table leans on two independent sets of measurements rather than spec sheets. RTINGS, a lab that has tested more than 250 soundbars, publishes its budget picks with measured results (RTINGS).
The Hook Up, a testing channel, bought 16 soundbars under $100 with its own money and compared them head to head, with frequency sweeps and volume-matched recordings of the same movie scene (The Hook Up).
On top of that, each pick had to be sold new on Amazon with a long record of strong buyer reviews. That rule knocks out one lab favorite: RTINGS’ current top budget pick, the Hisense AX5140Q, doesn’t yet meet it, so it isn’t listed here.
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Those two sources agree on more than they disagree, and the picks below run from the most complete system down to the simplest single bar. Start with the one that fits your room, then read one step up to see what a little more money buys.
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus With Sub and Speakers: Best Budget Surround System
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with subwoofer and surround speakers is the cheapest way here to get speakers behind you. It’s a 5.1 system with a dedicated center channel for dialogue, plus Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, according to Amazon’s listing.
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with subwoofer and surround speakers
RTINGS named it its top budget pick in September 2025 for strong performance across the board. It later moved the bar down only because the price swings so much, and still recommends it to anyone who wants deep, room-filling bass, especially on sale.
The setup is simple for a surround system. The subwoofer and rear speakers only need power, then connect to the bar on their own, and a Fire TV remote can run the TV and the sound together.
Worth knowing: it has no up-firing speakers, so RTINGS notes you won’t get the sense of height that pricier Atmos bars give. Watch for sales, since the price moves a lot.
Skip it if you can’t run power to two rear speakers behind the couch; the B750D below gets you most of the effect from the front.
Samsung HW-B750D: Best Budget Soundbar With a Subwoofer and No Rear Speakers
Not every room has space for speakers behind the couch, and that’s where the B750 fits. The Samsung HW-B750D is a 5.1 bar with a subwoofer that creates its surround effect from the front of the room.
Samsung HW-B750D
RTINGS tested the 2025 version, the HW-B750F, and picked it as the best budget bar and subwoofer without satellites. It found the side-firing drivers bounce sound off the walls to create phantom surround speakers, while the center channel keeps dialogue clear in busy scenes.
RTINGS also found its sound balanced out of the box, with a touch of extra warmth. Like most budget bars it has no room correction, but you can adjust the bass, treble and subwoofer levels.
Worth knowing: it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos. For the rest of Samsung’s range, from budget bars to flagships, see our guide to the best Samsung soundbars.
Skip it if you stream a lot of Atmos movies; the Polk Signa S4 below adds real height speakers for a similar kind of budget.
Polk Signa S4: Best Budget Soundbar With Dolby Atmos Height Speakers
Most budget bars that list Dolby Atmos have no speakers pointing up, and the Signa S4 is the exception. The Polk Signa S4 is a 3.1.2 bar with two up-firing elevation drivers and a wireless subwoofer.
Polk Signa S4
Polk lists a seven-driver array, including a dedicated center channel, and pairs it with VoiceAdjust, which raises only the voices while leaving the rest of the soundtrack alone. Its HDMI eARC connection carries Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos from the TV (Polk).
Those up-firing drivers need the right room to work. Dolby’s setup guide for Atmos bars recommends a flat ceiling of about 7.5 to 12 feet made of a hard surface like drywall, and says acoustic ceiling tiles absorb the effect (Dolby setup guide).
Worth knowing: it’s a front-of-room system, with no rear speakers, so the surround effect comes from processing rather than speakers behind you.
Skip it if your ceiling is very high or covered in acoustic tiles; the Samsung B750D or the Fire TV system above will give more for the money.
Ultimea Poseidon M60: Best Budget Soundbar Under $100
For the tightest budgets, one bar beat 15 others in a head-to-head test of cheap soundbars. The Ultimea Poseidon M60 won The Hook Up’s comparison of 16 soundbars under $100 in every category.
Ultimea Poseidon M60
The Hook Up found it has tight, clean bass, an even frequency response and good connections. It also had the lowest Bluetooth delay of the group, and the most sound controls, with separate bass, treble and midrange settings, presets and virtual surround.
Its verdict was that the M60 is the right pick for 90% of people shopping at this price, as long as the room has space for a separate subwoofer. That’s a strong result for a brand most people haven’t heard of.
Worth knowing: The Hook Up notes its price can drift slightly over $100 depending on sales.
Skip it if you have no floor space for a subwoofer; the Yamaha SR-B20A below keeps its bass inside the bar.
Hisense HS2100: Best Cheap Name-Brand Soundbar
If you’d rather buy a brand you know, the HS2100 is the lab pick at the same price. The Hisense HS2100 is a 2.1 bar with a wireless subwoofer, and RTINGS calls it the best-value soundbar it has tested for spending as little as possible.
Hisense HS2100
RTINGS found the subwoofer adds real punch to action scenes, which most bars at this price can’t manage. Dialogue and instruments sound natural, if a little lacking in sparkle, and a few EQ presets let you change the balance.
It gets loud enough for a larger room, but RTINGS found the treble turns harsh at high volume, so sharp sounds like breaking glass can sting. It has HDMI ARC and optical inputs, and plays Dolby Digital and DTS.
Worth knowing: without satellites, its surround effect is limited. If a fuller system matters more than the brand name, the Ultimea above is the stronger performer.
Skip it if you often watch at high volume in a large room, where RTINGS found its treble gets harsh.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2): Best Budget Soundbar Without a Subwoofer
Some rooms have no space for a subwoofer at all, and a good all-in-one bar is the answer there. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is RTINGS’ pick for the best budget standalone soundbar.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
It’s a 5.0 bar under 25 inches wide, small enough to fit between the feet of most TVs. RTINGS found vocals clear and present out of the box, with enough warmth in the upper bass to make up for the missing subwoofer.
It plays Dolby Atmos, though without up-firing speakers, and links with other Sonos speakers through the Sonos app. Its Trueplay room tuning works only from an iPhone or iPad, while Android users get bass and treble controls.
Worth knowing: it won’t produce room-shaking bass. RTINGS suggests the Samsung HW-S60D as a similar-size alternative with Bluetooth and Chromecast support.
Skip it if bass is your priority; any pick here with a subwoofer will hit harder for less money.
Polk Signa S2: Best Slim Budget Soundbar for Dialogue
A bar that sits low under the screen and keeps voices clear is all many people want, and the Signa S2 has done that for years. The Polk Signa S2 is a 2.1 bar with a 5.25-inch wireless subwoofer.
Polk Signa S2
Polk’s VoiceAdjust setting makes speech clearer without raising the overall volume, which is exactly what helps with mumbled dialogue. The bar is only 2.15 inches tall, so it’s less likely to block the bottom of the screen or the TV’s remote sensor (Polk).
It connects over HDMI ARC or Bluetooth and decodes Dolby Digital 5.1. That covers most TV and streaming soundtracks, though not the newer Atmos and DTS:X formats.
Worth knowing: without Atmos or DTS:X, it’s a bar for TV and dialogue rather than a movie system.
Skip it if you want height effects; its bigger sibling, the Signa S4, adds them.
Yamaha SR-B20A: Best Budget Soundbar for Apartments and Small Rooms
A separate subwoofer isn’t always welcome, especially with neighbors below, and the SR-B20A builds its bass into the bar. The Yamaha SR-B20A has two 3-inch subwoofer drivers and bass ports inside the bar itself.
Yamaha SR-B20A
Yamaha adds Clear Voice, which lifts dialogue above music and effects, and four sound modes: Stereo, Standard, Game and Movie. It connects over HDMI ARC and supports DTS Virtual:X for a wider virtual sound (Yamaha).
It’s also built for wall mounting. Yamaha includes keyholes on the back and a sensor that adjusts the sound when the bar is mounted rather than lying flat.
Worth knowing: built-in subwoofers can’t match a separate one for deep bass, but they keep the low end more contained, which suits apartments.
Skip it if you have a large room or love bass-heavy movies; a bar with a separate subwoofer will fill the space better.
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar: Best Simple Budget Soundbar
Everything above involves a subwoofer, and some people want one box and one cable instead. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is a 2.0 bar that sets up with the included HDMI cable, according to Amazon’s listing.
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar
It’s 24 inches long and 2.5 inches tall, so it fits most TV stands, and it adds DTS Virtual:X for a wider virtual sound. With a Fire TV device or Fire TV smart TV, one remote controls the TV and the bar.
In The Hook Up’s test of 16 bars under $100, it ranked sixth: better than most cheap bars, but short of the Ultimea and the top all-in-ones. That fits its job as the easy option rather than the best-sounding one.
Worth knowing: without a subwoofer, the lowest bass is missing. If simple matters most, it’s the pick; if sound matters most, the Ultimea is worth the extra space.
Skip it if your TV isn’t a Fire TV and you don’t use a Fire TV stick, since the one-remote control is a big part of its appeal.
Roku Streambar SE: Best Budget Soundbar for an Older TV
An older or non-smart TV needs streaming as much as sound, and the Streambar SE handles both. The Roku Streambar SE is a compact soundbar with a Roku 4K streaming player built in.
Roku Streambar SE
Roku describes it as the easy way to add 4K streaming and clearer dialogue to smaller or older TVs. It includes speech clarity and volume leveling settings, Bluetooth for music, and Roku’s voice search (Roku).
RTINGS notes Roku’s Streambar is smaller than the Sonos Beam but compromises more on sound, while working well for dialogue and stereo. The Hook Up ranked the SE ninth of its 16, so buy it for the streaming and convenience rather than the sound.
Worth knowing: if your TV already streams everything you watch, one of the picks above will sound better for similar money.
Skip it if you have a big living room; its compact speakers suit a bedroom or a small TV better.
How Much Should You Spend on a Soundbar?
Those ten picks fall into three price bands, and each band buys something specific. Knowing what that is stops you from overspending on features you won’t hear.
Under $100: a subwoofer is the upgrade
At this level, the difference between a good and a bad bar is huge. The Hook Up found the cheapest bar it bought, a $39 model, barely better than a TV’s built-in speakers, and noted it produced almost no bass below about 80 Hz.
The best bars around $100 add a separate subwoofer, and The Hook Up’s conclusion was blunt: there’s no replacement for a subwoofer if you want bass you can hear and feel. Spend here if you want a clear upgrade for the least money.
Around $100 to $200: name brands and better dialogue
This band adds known brands like Hisense and Polk, better build, and features like Polk’s VoiceAdjust. The sound gains are smaller than the jump from a bad $50 bar, but the bars tend to last and hold their value in reviews.
For a full list at this price, see our guide to the best soundbars under $200.
A few hundred dollars: surround and Atmos
Spending more buys channels. A 5.1 system like the Fire TV Soundbar Plus or the Samsung B750D puts effects around you, and bars like the Sonos Beam add Dolby Atmos support and better music performance.
Past this point, you’re into mid-range Atmos bars, where RTINGS counts Samsung’s HW-Q600F among the best soundbars under $500. That’s no longer a budget purchase, but it’s the next step if a few hundred dollars still feels tight on features.
Our guide to soundbar prices at every tier lists what Sonos, Bose, Samsung, Vizio and Roku charge above that, up to full systems near $2,000.
Do You Need a Subwoofer With a Budget Soundbar?
That under-$100 finding answers the question for most people: yes, if you have the floor space. A slim bar can’t physically move enough air for the lowest notes, which is what makes explosions and bass lines feel physical rather than just loud.
The Hook Up’s testing showed it clearly. Its top two picks both used a separate subwoofer, while all-in-one bars like the $39 Mzeibo and the Puxinat struggled with low bass.
There are good reasons to skip one, though. Apartments with close neighbors, small rooms and wall-mounted setups can all work better with an all-in-one like the Sonos Beam, which RTINGS found still sounds warm without a subwoofer.
If you do get a subwoofer, where it sits matters as much as which one you buy. Our guide to placing a soundbar subwoofer covers the best spots and a simple test for finding yours.
What Do You Give Up With a Cheap Soundbar?
Every budget bar makes trade-offs, and knowing them helps you pick the one whose trade-offs you won’t notice. These come up again and again in both sets of tests:
- Room correction. RTINGS notes that budget bars usually skip features like automatic room tuning, so the sound changes more with your room.
- Sound at high volume. Some cheap bars get harsh when pushed; RTINGS found the Hisense HS2100’s treble turns piercing near full volume.
- Real surround. Most budget bars fake surround with processing. Only the 5.1 systems here put actual speakers to the sides or behind you.
- Bluetooth timing. The Hook Up found some cheap bars lag behind the picture over Bluetooth, so use HDMI or optical for TV and keep Bluetooth for music.
- Height effects. Budget Atmos support usually means the bar can decode Atmos, not that it has up-firing speakers to put sound overhead.
None of these matter much if your main complaint is muffled dialogue. They start to matter if you watch a lot of action movies or play music loudly.
Which Budget Soundbar Is Best for Dialogue?
That trade-off list matters less if voices are your main problem, because the fix for muffled dialogue is cheap. Two features do most of the work: a dedicated center channel, and a dialogue mode that lifts voices without raising everything else.
The Samsung B750D, Polk Signa S4 and Fire TV Soundbar Plus all have a center channel, which gives voices a speaker of their own. RTINGS found the B750’s center keeps dialogue clear even in crowded scenes.
Several cheaper bars add a dialogue mode instead. Polk’s VoiceAdjust on the Signa S2, Yamaha’s Clear Voice on the SR-B20A and Roku’s speech clarity setting on the Streambar SE all aim at the same problem.
If you only want clearer TV voices and don’t care about movie rumble, the Signa S2 is the pick. If you also want surround, the B750D does both.
What’s the Best Budget Soundbar for Music?
Those dialogue features matter less for music, which asks for balance more than boom. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the strongest here: RTINGS found its vocals clear and present, and it streams through the Sonos app and joins other Sonos speakers around the house.
Among the cheaper bars, The Hook Up found a real difference in bass character. The Ultimea’s tight, controlled bass suited rock, country and jazz, while the Saiyin bar it also rated was tuned for punchier bass that suits rap and pop.
For casual listening, every pick here takes music over Bluetooth from a phone. Yamaha’s SR-B20A also has a dedicated Stereo mode that Yamaha recommends for music and podcasts, which avoids the virtual-surround processing that can smear a song.
Which Budget Soundbar Is Best for a Small Room or Apartment?
That Stereo mode and a compact size also suit small rooms, where too much bass is more of a problem than too little. In a bedroom or a small living room, a compact bar close to the screen matters more than power.
The Yamaha SR-B20A keeps its subwoofers inside the bar, so there’s no separate box on the floor pushing bass into the building. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the pick for music in a small space, and the Roku Streambar SE suits a bedroom TV that also needs streaming.
Apartments add neighbors to the equation. Bass travels through floors and walls more easily than voices, so a bar with a night mode or adjustable subwoofer level, like the Fire TV Soundbar Plus with its Night mode, helps late at night.
What Size Soundbar Do You Need for Your TV?
Those small rooms raise the question of size, and it’s worth checking before you buy. A bar should be no wider than the TV, and ideally close to its width, so the sound seems to come from the picture.
The picks here span a wide range. Amazon lists the Fire TV Soundbar at 24 inches long, RTINGS puts the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) under 25 inches, and Polk lists the Signa S2 at 35.4 inches.
Samsung publishes its own pairings, and they’re a useful rule of thumb. It matches its budget B550F with TVs from 55 inches up and its smaller B400F with sets from 43 inches up (Samsung).
For a small bedroom TV, a compact bar like the Fire TV Soundbar or Roku Streambar SE looks right. Under a 55-inch or bigger TV, a full-width bar like the Signa S2 or Samsung B750D fills the space better.
What Is the Simplest Soundbar to Set Up?
For people who want the least fuss, simplicity comes down to cables and remotes. The simplest setup is a single bar connected with one HDMI cable to the TV’s port labeled ARC or eARC, which carries the sound and lets the TV remote control the bar.
The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is the clearest example here: Amazon’s listing says you plug the included HDMI cable into the TV’s eARC or ARC port and you’re done. The Roku Streambar SE is just as easy, and adds streaming for TVs without it.
If your TV has no ARC port, most budget bars also accept an optical cable. Our guide to hooking a soundbar up to a TV walks through both, plus the TV settings that make the sound switch over.
Which Connections Should a Budget Soundbar Have?
That one-cable setup depends on the right port, so check the connections before you buy. An HDMI ARC or eARC port matters most, because it carries the sound and lets one remote control everything.
Optical is the fallback for older TVs without ARC, and Bluetooth is useful for music from a phone. The Hook Up counted good connections among the reasons its winner came out on top.
Before you buy, check which ports your TV has. A bar with only Bluetooth and optical will still work, but you’ll lose the single-remote control and may notice lip-sync delay on Bluetooth.
How Do You Get the Best Sound From a Budget Soundbar?
A budget bar set up well can sound better than a pricier one set up badly. These steps cost nothing:
- Use HDMI ARC or eARC for the TV. It carries the best sound your TV can send and avoids the Bluetooth delay The Hook Up measured on some cheap bars.
- Center the bar below the screen. Dolby says a soundbar should sit close to the TV and near seated ear level, and that an off-center bar makes sound seem to come from the wrong place.
- Pull it to the front edge. A bar pushed back behind a TV stand’s lip loses part of its sound before it reaches you.
- Turn on the dialogue mode for TV. VoiceAdjust, Clear Voice or speech clarity does more for news and dramas than any EQ setting.
- Set the subwoofer level from your seat. Turn it up for movies and down at night, rather than raising the whole volume.
- Match the sound mode to what you watch. Yamaha’s Stereo, Standard, Game and Movie modes, and the Fire TV Soundbar Plus’s Movie, Music, Sports and Night modes, exist for exactly this.
Each of these is free, and together they get the most out of whichever bar you choose.
What Should You Check Before Buying a Budget Soundbar?
Those setup steps come after the purchase; these six quick checks come before it and save a return. Confirm:
- Your TV’s ports. HDMI ARC or eARC gives the simplest setup; optical is the fallback.
- Space for a subwoofer. If there’s none, choose an all-in-one like the Sonos Beam or Yamaha SR-B20A.
- The width. The bar should fit under the TV without being wider than it.
- The height. A tall bar on a low TV stand can block the bottom of the picture or the TV’s remote sensor.
- A dialogue feature. A center channel or a voice mode matters more than extra watts.
- Tested results. Look for independent measurements, not just a long spec list, especially from unfamiliar brands.
If a bar passes all six, it will almost certainly be a clear upgrade over your TV’s speakers.
When Is the Best Time to Buy a Budget Soundbar?
Timing matters more at the budget end than anywhere else, because a small discount is a big share of the price. RTINGS moved the Fire TV Soundbar Plus off its top spot only because its price swings so much, and recommends it when it’s on sale.
The Hook Up bought all 16 of its test bars during Prime Day, and noted that the Ultimea’s price can move slightly above $100 depending on sales. Big shopping events are when budget bars drop the most.
If you’re not in a hurry, set a price alert on the bar you want. If you are, the picks here are all worth their normal price; a sale just makes a good deal better.
Are Cheap Soundbar Brands Any Good?
Some are, and The Hook Up’s test is the best evidence. Its winner, the Ultimea Poseidon M60, beat name-brand bars from Samsung, Amazon, Roku, Vizio and Sony in the same test, and its host called cheap products outperforming name brands one of the test’s main themes.
The catch is consistency. Among the same 16 bars, the cheapest unknown brand barely beat TV speakers, so a low price and an unfamiliar name tell you nothing on their own.
That’s why tested results matter more than brand at this price. Stick to bars with independent measurements behind them, like the ones in this guide, or a long record of strong buyer reviews.
Is a Cheap Soundbar Better Than TV Speakers?
Almost always, but not automatically. The Hook Up found its cheapest bar only just beat a TV’s built-in speakers, while the better bars around $100 were a clear step up in bass, dialogue and volume.
The difference comes from the size of the speakers and the subwoofer. Dolby notes that thin TV panels leave room only for small speakers, which is why even a modest 2.1 bar with a subwoofer sounds fuller than the TV alone.
So the real choice isn’t between a bar and the TV. It’s between a bar that barely helps and one that clearly does, and the picks above are all in the second group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheap soundbar?
The Ultimea Poseidon M60 won The Hook Up’s test of 16 bars under $100, and the Hisense HS2100 is RTINGS’ best-value pick at around $100. Both include a subwoofer, which is the biggest upgrade at this price.
What is the best budget soundbar with a subwoofer?
For under $100, the Ultimea Poseidon M60; for a 5.1 bar without rear speakers, the Samsung HW-B750D; and for full surround, the Fire TV Soundbar Plus with sub and speakers. All three include a subwoofer.
How much should I spend on a soundbar?
Around $100 gets a real upgrade with a subwoofer, and a few hundred dollars adds surround or Atmos. At the very bottom, the cheapest bar The Hook Up bought, at $39, barely beat TV speakers.
Is a 2.1 soundbar better than a 5.1 soundbar?
A 5.1 bar adds a center channel for dialogue and surround channels for effects, so it’s better for movies. On cheap bars, though, channel claims can outrun the sound, so check tested reviews rather than channel counts alone.
Do budget soundbars support Dolby Atmos?
Some do. The Fire TV Soundbar Plus and Sonos Beam (Gen 2) both play Dolby Atmos, but budget bars usually lack up-firing speakers, so the height effect is limited.
Will a budget soundbar work with any TV?
Almost any. Every pick here connects over HDMI ARC, most also take an optical cable for older TVs, and most add Bluetooth. Check your TV’s ports first, since HDMI ARC or eARC gives the simplest setup.
Is a budget soundbar good enough for movies?
For most people, yes, if it has a subwoofer. A 5.1 system like the Fire TV Soundbar Plus adds real surround, while a 2.1 bar with a subwoofer, like the Hisense HS2100, adds the bass that makes action scenes land.
Can you add a subwoofer to a budget soundbar later?
Some bars allow it, but many don’t. RTINGS notes Samsung’s all-in-one HW-S60D can take a Samsung subwoofer later, while many budget bars that ship without a subwoofer can’t add one, so buy the version with a subwoofer if you think you’ll want the bass.
Do budget soundbars come with an HDMI cable?
Some do. Amazon’s listing for the Fire TV Soundbar says the HDMI cable is included, but check the box contents for any other bar before setup day.
Are soundbars under $50 worth it?
Rarely. The cheapest bar The Hook Up tested, at $39, was barely better than TV speakers, though it rated the $54 Puxinat BT103 good value for a simple all-in-one. Spending closer to $100 buys a subwoofer, which is the upgrade you’ll actually hear.
Which budget soundbar has the best bass?
The Fire TV Soundbar Plus system, which RTINGS recommends for anyone who wants deep, rumbling bass on a budget. Under $100, The Hook Up found the Ultimea’s bass the tightest and the Saiyin SBP’s the punchiest.
Where should I put a budget soundbar?
Centered below the TV, as close to the screen as practical, and near seated ear height. Our guide to placing a soundbar for the best sound covers TV stands, shelves and wall mounts.
