Your TV speakers suck. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but it's important that you're aware. As TV manufacturers make ever-thinner TV sets, the space your speakers have to breathe becomes ever more tight and restrictive, the speakers inside your TV sound worse and worse by the year.
You could be cynical — "It's because the manufacturers want you to buy the matching soundbar!" — and there's a part of that which could be close to the truth. But. That doesn't mean you have to go out and buy the expensive matching soundbar option for your TV.
We've tested loads of the best soundbars at Tom's Guide, and there are some great options out there that won't stretch your budget. Here are three at slightly different price points to give you what you want for less.
Under $150: Sony HT-S100F soundbar
If you're looking for the best way to get excellent sound for your TV without spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a more expensive option, the Sony HT-S100F is an excellent way of making dialogue clearer and movies sound bigger for only $150.
You're not going to get a full surround experience or a big, floor-rumbling subwoofer with this option, but you are going to get some very good separate speakers that make watching TV a joy. Voices that are muffled and annoying on your TV are now much clearer and easier to make out, and soundtracks sound much fuller and exciting.
The soundbar earned 4 stars in our review thanks to its boost in sound quality over your (awful) TV speakers. Just plug it in and you're away, with a simple-to-use remote control to keep on top of volume level and sound mode. You're not going to do better for $150.
Under $200: Sonos Ray soundbar
"Oh, it's a Sonos, that means it's going to be really expensive, right?" Not so, weary soundbar traveler, your patience wearing thin as you scan the Amazon listings for 'cheap soundbars.' The Sonos Ray is the cheapest of the Sonos family, and it's actually really not all that expensive when compared to the competition.
It's $200, and brings all the smarts of the more expensive models into a more affordable package. That means AirPlay 2 and the Sonos app so that you can stream all your favorite tunes without the need to dip into a Bluetooth menu. It connects to the TV really easily as well, and then plays some excellent sound for your movies and TV.
There's no Dolby Atmos or surround sound here, but it's a great option for smaller TV sets and smaller rooms. A great option for a not world-ending price.
Under $300: Samsung HW-B650 soundbar
The compact Samsung HW-B650 sounds much bigger than it's size would suggest, thanks to a 3.1 setup inside. That's about as surround-y as you're going to get for this price, and it does a marvelous job of making your movies and TV sound larger than life.
It's the seperate subwoofer that comes in the box which really comes in clutch, though. It produces some lovely bass for explosions, music, and other sounds that need some more power behind them. It's the most expensive on the list, but if you want your movies to get more cinematic on a budget, this is the way to go.
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