It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single TV in need of decent sound must be in want of one of the best soundbars. And, likely, you're here because you're sick of awful-sounding TV speakers — well, I've got the list for you. We've spent a lot of time testing the best soundbars to make sure you get the best bang for your buck.
The best is still the Sonos Arc Ultra. It's an absolute stunner of a soundbar, bringing great sound, lovely Dolby Atmos, and even slick styling so you won't mind it sitting under your TV. It does come with a big wallet-denting price, though — if you're looking to save some money, we'd go for the also excellent Sony HT-S100F.
But without further ado, these are the best soundbars you can buy in 2026.
Meet the testing team
The Tom's Guide testing team is an experienced bunch who love good sound. Here's why you can trust us to find the best soundbar for your needs:
From the time I built a surround system from the cheapest stuff I could find on eBay to reviewing the latest and greatest sound gear, I put a whole lot of time and effort into working out which soundbars are worth your money. I've constructed this guide with input from the rest of the team so that we can use our experience to guide you through your soundbar journey.
When I’m testing soundbars, I put them through their paces in our state-of-the-art testing suite, complete with a top-of-the-range Panasonic QLED TV and an array of 4K Ultra HD Blu-Rays. I’m looking for soundbars that make movies come to life — both budget-friendly and premium.
As a reviews writer, I put soundbars through rigorous testing by analyzing sound quality across various film and TV genres, connectivity options, and determine whether they're the best value for money. I love watching movies at the cinema so I like a soundbar that can closely replicate the sound via Dolby Atmos. I also play a lot of video games on my PS5 and there's nothing better than a soundbar that makes you feel like you're actually a sword-wielding samurai in feudal Japan.
How do we test the best soundbars?
Before we dive deep into the best soundbars, I just want to go through what we look for when we're testing them. We make sure to evaluate the soundbar in some key areas.
Setup: While it's something you're only going to do once, we want to make sure that it's as easy as possible to get working. Plug-and-play is the name of the game here, and if there are extra features we want to make sure that they're as easy as possible to use.
How big is it? Everyone's space is different. Maybe you've got a massive room with loads of stuff in it, or maybe your living room is more compact and minimal. You want a soundbar that's going to suit your space, and, more importantly, not going to take up too much of it. We check whether the soundbar fits under our 50-inch OLED Philips testing TV to make sure you're not going to have any size issues. Ultimately, it needs to fit on your TV stand.
Are there any extras? What's in the box, and are its contents any good? Some soundbars come with extras like surround speakers and subwoofers. I want to make sure that those extras are worth it, and that they're not just pictures to sell them at the store.
Sound: This is arguably the most important part of the soundbar, and there are a number of things we look out for here. How's the dialog? Is it clear, or muffled? What about the bass — are you going to have rumbling floors in your movies, or are there going to be problems with the low end? I love testing the sound portion because I get to watch movies instead of working; But it's still important when testing and working out whether a bar is for you.
The best soundbars available right now
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Best soundbar overall
The Sonos Arc Ultra is the best soundbar around. It's not cheap, but it's surround sound and Dolby Atmos performance beats just about anything else that lacks seperate surround speakers. I'll almost certainly never watch movies with anything else for some time.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is more than just a soundbar. It's a fully fledged audio entertainment center that connects to your TV and just happens to be really good for movies and TV.
I particularly like how you can stream your music to it from any device — I frequently find myself spending a bunch of time listening to my favorite tunes from Qobuz and Tidal with it, thanks to its ease of use.
But it's really that epic movie experience you're looking for with something like the Sonos Arc Ultra, and you get it in spades. The Dolby Atmos with just the soundbar is unlike anything else around, and if you add in the optional surrounds, it's a game-changer.
I absolutely love watching just about anything with the Arc Ultra — although you will want to pick up a Sonos sub so that you can get the low-end grunt your movies deserve. It's not cheap — but it is so, so worth it.
Read the mini review
Setup
Setting up your Arc Ultra is going to take a bit more effort than some of the other options on the list. I found it fairly easy though, given the excellent instructions. If all you want to do is use the soundbar, you just plug it into power, plug the HDMI port into the back of the soundbar and the HDMI ARC port of your TV, and it should work without problems at all. I did have to change the settings in my Samsung TV sound menu to make sure that the device was set as the primary sound output, but then it worked with no problem.
If you want to use the excellent Sonos room correction settings, smart features, or to connect other Sonos speakers as surrounds, things will get more complicated. You'll need to use the Sonos App for these — and while it's not difficult, it is extra work. The room correction options also need you to move around the room while waving your phone around, so if mobility is something you struggle with, you may want to look elsewhere.
Once set up, you won't have any issues, but it's worth bearing in mind that it takes more work to get it working. It's all absolutely worth your time though, with massive boosts to sound quality and useful features within the Sonos App.
How big is it
The Sonos Arc Ultra is a big soundbar. It's very long, measuring around four feet long. I found it perfectly suited for TVs larger than 55 inches, although if your TV is smaller, things might look out of place.
There's less of a problem with the height. It's only about 3 inches tall, so it'll fit under most TVs without a problem.
Are there any extras
You get the soundbar in box — there's no included subwoofer here. Not that you really need one, though, given that Sonos has managed to pack some incredible bassy hardware into its slim frame.
If you want to enhance your movie-watching experience, though, you can add in a Sonos sub and surrounds in the from of Era 100 or Era 300 speakers. It adds to the cost, but it gets very close to dedicated home cinema sound.
Sound
This is the best bit of the Arc Ultra. I love the way that soundbar sounds for movies and TV, with some incredible body to the sound. I found the dialogue clear while watching the news and other TV shows, and it was excellent when listening to Sir David Attenborough talk to me about dinosaurs in Prehistoric Planet.
For movies, as you might expect, the Arc Ultra dominates. I discovered that even without extra surrounds, the Dolby Atmos was amazing, putting me in the centre of a space battle in Star Wars Episode 3. The bass without a sub is surprisingly good as well, although if you really want to feel your movie,s you should buy the extra subwoofer.
It's pretty good for music as well, uncommon for a soundbar. There's plenty of space, thanks to the wider form factor, and the bar manages the low end of your tracks pretty well, too.
- Read the Sonos Arc Ultra review
Best soundbar under $100
The Sony HT-S150 is a great sounding soundbar for an epic price. It won't break the bank, but it'll increase the sound quality of your movies and TV far and above the sound from your TV speakers.
When you don't want to spend loads of money on a soundbar, something like the Sony HT-S150 is just what the doctor ordered. It's a lovely, cheap soundbar that does everything you need it to — make your TV sound better than the built in audio.
It brings more clarity to dialogue, most importantly. Everything from your favorite movies all the way to news bulletins and everything in between become much easier to make out, perfect if you're struggling to hear what people are trying to say.
It's relatively compact as well, so you'll have no problems fitting it on your TV bench beneath most sizes of screen. Our tester found it super easy to use well, with very few (if any) connection issues that sometimes plague cheaper devices.
It's not going to be as impressive as some of the more expensive options on the list, but it more than makes up for it with excellent clarity for all your watching.
Read the mini review
Setup
Getting the HT-S100F up and running is about as easy as they come. Just plug the power in, connect the HDMI port to the HDMI ARC on your TV, and it'll turn on automatically whenever you turn on your TV.
Erin did find that you might have to occasionally turn the bar on with the remote control, but it didn't happen enough to be a massive problem.
How big is it
The HT-S100F is designed for normal-sized televisions, and it's compact frame will fit on most TV stands. It measures 35 inches long, so you'll be fine for TVs from 32 inches to 48.
It might seem a little small for larger TVs, though, with the screen dwarfing the soundbar beneath. You'll also find some minor sound issues with larger sets, as the picture feels wider than the sound that's coming out.
Height-wise wise you'll be fine with a range of different TVs as well. The bar measures just 2.5 inches tall, so it won't cover the bottom of your screen. If it covers the IR receiver of your TV, there's an IR repeater built in so that your controller still works.
Erin found it fit well underneath our 50-inch testing TV, although if you've got a larger TV set, you might want something slightly larger in the long run.
Are there any extras?
In the box of the HT-S100F, you get the soundbar — and nothing else. You can't buy an extra subwoofer or surround either, leaving you with no upgrades for the future.
This makes it great for just a simple setup, and it keeps the cost down. There's a controller in the box as well, so you can connect Bluetooth devices and change sources without standing up.
Sound
The HT-100F isn't going to blow you away if you're a movie lover, but its solid, serviceable sound is a big step-up over your TV's built-in speakers. It makes dialog clearer, music sounds better, and sound effects are easier to hear.
For music, things wheren't quite so impressive, but if you've got no other ways to listen to music in the living room, it will more than suffice. If you're looking for a cheap way to get much better sound out of your TV watching, then this is the way to go.
- Read the Sony HT-S100F review
Best soundbar for movies
The Samsung Q600F is ideal for premium performance at a mid-range price point. The powerful subwoofer provides room-filling bass and the high-quality speakers in the soundbar itself make for clear, intelligible dialogue, and powerful surround sound.
As the Q600F is the most affordable soundbar in Samsung’s premium ‘Q’ series, it has a lot to live up to. Thankfully, the Q600F lives up to that and more.
Even though it’s just a 3.1.2 channel setup, the soundbar + subwoofer is electric, with animated, crisp dialogue and floor-shaking bass thanks. The only real downside of the Q600F is the lack of height and immersion without the ‘Surround’ sound mode activated. However, the soundbar does an admirable job of faking 360°, despite its lack of rear speakers.
Although there are no smart home features, this is certainly a movie-focused soundbar rather than a ‘Hey Google, set me a timer for two minutes’ kind of home ecosystem. Blockbuster movies like ‘The Batman’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ is where the Q600F really shone.
The Q600F was great for TV, too, even with non-Dolby-Atmos-encoded shows. Don’t forget about the music performance — while the instrument separation wasn’t great, the bass made up for it enough.
On the whole, the Q600F is one of the best ways to achieve room-filling audio for very little cost.
Read the mini review
Setup
As the Q600F doesn’t have Wi-Fi or app-related features, setup is straightforward. The soundbar simply requires connection to the power outlet and a HDMI cable plugged into the TV, and the subwoofer connects wirelessly to the soundbar.
The soundbar comes with wall-mounting brackets, but it also fits onto a standard TV stand or entertainment unit.
How big is it
At a whopping 42.8 inches long, the Q600F isn’t the ideal soundbar for a small space. It looked congruous with the 55” testing TV, but a smaller TV might look unnatural or out-of-place next to the Q600F.
The subwoofer is 13 inches tall, and will need a space near to the soundbar for optimum performance.
Are there any extras
The Q600F is a soundbar with very few bells or whistles: it plugs in via HDMI or Optical, and has Bluetooth and USB connectivity for music playback. There are a few sound-related features, like ‘Surround’ mode and ‘Game’ mode.
But while the Q600F sounds great for movies, it won’t impress smart home lovers. There’s no smart home integration — Samsung’s Smart Things, AirPlay, and Chromecast included. So, users looking to integrate a soundbar into a smart home ecosystem would be better off elsewhere.
Sound
The Q600F, in short, sounds utterly magnificent. For a $600 soundbar, there’s loud, thumping bass that doesn’t sacrifice clarity for volume. Every blockbuster movie sounded great through the Q600F, including action scenes in ‘The Batman’, and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’.
Don’t think that a powerful low-end results in mediocre treble or unclear dialogue, though. Even Batman’s growled lines were clear and intelligible through the Q600F, despite a chaotic soundscape layered with soundtrack and diegetic effects. Quieter media didn’t disappoint, either, with the eerie murder-mystery of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ enlivened thanks to the Q600F’s ‘Surround’ audio mode.
Although the Q600F isn’t as immersive as other setups — it is just 3.1.2 channel, after all — for the price and the size, this is an enviable performance. The Q600F is compatible with Samsung rear speakers, too, so could be the first player in a larger home cinema game.
- Read the Samsung Q600F review
Best all-in-one soundbar
If you want a true surround sound package in one unit, then the 1300XMK2 could be just what you've been looking for. It's extra speakers attach to the bar itself, and then you can move them into position when you want to a movie. It's not cheap, but it's a movie monster.
There’s not really such a thing as a “bargain” when it comes to home surround sound. Instead, there’s value — and the JBL bar 1300XMK2 brings the value unlike just about anything. Flexibility, a more affordable price than the key competition, and, of course, great sound.
The two ends of the soundbar can be disconnected and placed around the room, powered by their own internal batteries. If you don’t have the space for a traditional setup, this is a great way to enjoy immersive Dolby Atmos sound without a more permanent (and expensive) solution.
The soundbar itself is quite large, however. It’s very deep and rather long with its surrounds attached, so you’ll need a long TV stand and big TV to make sure it doesn’t look out of place. There’s a subwoofer in the box that you’ll need to find space for as well.
The sound is great. It’s immersive, directional, deep and clear. We loved it when watching a wide range of movies, from action to romance. There’s little this soundbar can’t do.
Read the mini review
Setup
First off, hit the gym before you place this soundbar anywhere. This is a 26-pound behemoth, so you might even want two people to lift it into place on your TV stand. There are some extra setup quirks as well, but they’re easily mitigated thanks to the good instructions and user-friendly design.
Once you’ve plugged the soundbar and subwoofer into the wall, you’ll hook the soundbar into the eARC port of your TV. The soundbar and sub should find each other automatically, but if not use the connection button on the sub.
If you want to use the surrounds, pull them off the soundbar and place them around your room. Sound adjustment is done automatically. If you have any wireless connection issues, re-attach them to the soundbar to reset everything.
Streaming and WiFi are handled by JBL’s ONE app. It’s super easy; we had no problems at all getting everything connected and working.
How big is it
There’s no two ways around it — the 1300XMK2 is a very big soundbar. At 40 inches, the soundbar is wide, and that's without taking extra surrounds into account. It’s very deep too, so you’ll want to make sure that there’s enough space on your TV stand that way. If not, we’d recommend wall mounting the TV.
This is a bar suited to much larger TVs, 65-inch at a minimum. Otherwise you’ll risk the bar looking too big, and your TV small.
Thankfully, you won’t have to worry about how tall the bar is. It’s short enough that most TVs will amply clear the top, so you don’t have to worry about the soundbar blocking the view. Just bear in mind that you’ll also want space for the surround speakers behind your seating position — they’re not going to work if they’re in front of you.
Are there any extras
You get everything you need in the box. There’s the bar itself, along with the surround speakers. Unlike other models, from the likes of Sonos, this is a big bonus and means you don’t have to buy any further devices for some lovely Dolby Atmos sound.
There’s also a subwoofer in the box too, along with all the cables you’d ever need for just about any circumstance. There’s a controller in the box, although we found that the JBL ONE app was a perfectly serviceable way of controlling the sound — or your TV remote through the eARC port.
Sound
With 25 drivers powering 11.1.4 channels, you’d hope the 1300XMK2 sounded good. And, sure enough, the bar sounds excellent. Those extra surrounds make sure that the sound is immersive and massive, while the sub adds impressive depth and bass.
The planes flying in Top Gun: Maverick made the room shake, and the soundtrack was bombastic during testing. The whole movie placed our tester directly in the movie.
Object placement is good too, making sure that everything is kept in the right place.
The soundbar was pretty good for music too, making soundtracks sound great, although it struggled slightly more with stereo tracks — but its still better than most soundbars.
- Read the JBL Bar 1300XMK2 review
Best value soundbar
Want everything in one box bud don't want to spend every single dollar you have? The QS750F is a great option, with extra surround speakers and a subwoofer for less than $1000.
Soundbars are expensive — there’s no way around that. You want to achieve the best bang-for-buck sound, right? Enter the Samsung QS750F. For a relatively low MSRP of $899, the QS750F gives you a soundbar, two rears, and a subwoofer, which is considerably more generous than Sonos or JBL.
As a result, the QS750F blows the competition out of the park. For under $1k, you get cinematic sound, with enviable width and immense bass. The QS750F sounds so good that we forgot we were supposed to be reviewing it.
Although it’s just a 5.1.2 channel configuration — considerably fewer speakers than JBL’s monstrous 1300X, which boasts 11.1.2 channels and costs almost double — you probably wouldn’t be able to notice the difference.
Read the mini review
Setup
As with every other soundbar, setup is tedious yet quick. Once the soundbar, subwoofer, and rears are unpackaged, simply connect everything to power and plug the soundbar into your TV using HDMI eARC.
Unlike JBL’s collection of premium soundbars, the QS750F’s rears aren’t truly “wireless” — sure, they connect to the soundbar wirelessly, but the left speaker must be connected to power. This is only an issue if you’re short on power outlets, extension cables, or if you want a particularly cable-free setup. Even so, you’re not going to get a better multi-speaker setup for less, so we think this is a worthy sacrifice.
The subwoofer is wireless, so don’t worry about needing to connect that to the soundbar with a wire. It’ll automatically connect.
How big is it
As you might expect, the QS750F is a large soundbar. This is true of pretty much every high-power soundbar — they’re designed to be able to fill large rooms with both size and physical presence.
The soundbar is 46 inches long and ten inches deep, so you’ll need to ensure it fits on your TV stand/wall mount and that your TV is big enough. I’d recommend anything from 55 inches up.
The subwoofer is effectively a 10 x 10 x 10-inch cube. We’d recommend positioning the subwoofer around 12 inches from the walls on all sides. You’ll need to play around with spacing to figure out the optimal position. Some setups come with configuration modes in the relevant app, but Samsung locks its proprietary Space Fit Pro behind post-2021 AI-powered Samsung TVs.
Are there any extras
The QS750F comes with everything you need for a Dolby Atmos all-in-one setup. You get the soundbar, subwoofer, and two rears.
You also get AirPlay, Google Cast, and smart home features in the Smart Things app, which we’d recommend downloading. You can easily adjust playback modes and listening styles — movie, music, gaming, voice enhancement — to find what pleases you.
Sound
Alright, now onto the most important part of any soundbar: its eponymous sound. Thankfully, you’ll be pleased to know that the QS750F sounds utterly fantastic.
As the QS750F is a large soundbar, it’s intended for use in a large room. The side-firing speakers inthe soundbar itself and the powerful subwoofer work together to create a wide soundscape worthy of a movie theater. Although there’s not as much height as width, the soundbar’s Dolby Atmos performance is still admirable.
The dialogue performance is a clear standout, though: I was never left wondering what was being said thanks to voice enhancement mode. This feature isolated dialogue well, and ensured even the moodiest and broodiest speech was crystal clear.
Most audiophiles will be the first to admit that soundbars aren’t ideal for playing music — me included — but the QS750F didn’t balk at the challenge. Although I’d much rather listen to music via my bookshelf speakers or headphones, the QS750F played every song with rich, pulsing bass, and would be good enough for a quick listening session or party.
- Read the Samsung QS750F review
Best compact soundbar
With epic sound and super helpful smart features, the compact and powerful Heston 60 is a great sound bar for smaller spaces. Add in the Marshall wireless sub for even better bass response.
It’s not hard to find a compact soundbar — there are plenty of them out there. It is, however, difficult to find a good one in the sea of otherwise identical, fairly woeful options. Thankfully, our favorite sure likes to stand out from the crowd, with a lovely retro look and lashings of useful features. Oh, and it sounds good.
We love the way that the little soundbar sounds. There’s some great bass from the bar itself, although you can increase that by buying the Marshall wireless soundbar; although it is sold separately, irritatingly. It was great for movies, TV, and uncommonly solid for music. That’s rare for a soundbar of any price. Not too shabby, Marshall.
The smart WiFi settings and features built in rival Sonos’, with plenty of connections and streaming options. Its the physical connections that really take the cake though, with a wide range of different plugs on the back to make sure you can plug in anything from a record player to your dad's old Betamax player. Yes, really.
Marshall has taken on Sonos, and come out of the ensuing tussle on top — and that’s mean feat at all considering this is the brands second soundbar.
Read the mini review
Setup
Initial setup is about as easy as it comes. Plug the soundbar into the wall, and then connect the Heston 60 to the HDMI eARC on the back of your TV. Turn everything on, and you’re well on your way to sonic bliss.
Open up Marshall’s app to finish setting everything up properly. Here, you can run the room sound settings and change the sound to your liking with a simple EQ. You can also connect the soundbar to the WiFi with a quick setup menu. It’s all very simple.
If you bought the separate subwoofer, you’ll have to use the connection button on the back. It works well, and we had no problems with connection during use.
How big is it
The Heston 60 is on the larger side of compact soundbars, measuring around 28 inches across. It’s not very deep, though, and neither is it particularly tall. I’d say the largest TV you’d want to pair the soundbar with is around 55”, although smaller TVs might work better.
If you’ve got a larger room, you might want to opt for the larger Heston 120.
Are there any extras
In the box, you get the soundbar — and that’s it. There are no extras that come with the soundbar, like a remote. You do get a power and HDMI cables, thankfully.
You can technically connect most subwoofers up to the soundbar thanks to the standard sub-out port on the back, but Marshall also offers a very good wireless sub that you can buy. This avoids cable clutter and adds to the sound.
The RCA connector on the back opens up a whole wide world of different connection options as well. You can connect a music streamer or a record player, for example.
Sound
Despite its diminutive size, the Heston 60 packs a sonic punch. There’s plenty of oomph to the bass, even before you add a sub, and the surround from the Dolby Atmos sounds excellent, no matter the movie we threw at it.
Music sounds great, especially when you take into consideration that it's coming from a soundbar — they don’t traditionally work great for tunes. Bear one thing in mind: larger rooms will necessitate the need for a subwoofer, as the bar, while powerful, lacks the punch for bigger spaces.
- Read the Marshall Heston 60 review
Also tested
I've seen loads of soundbars pass over Tom's Guide's testing table, and while there are some excellent options out there, not all of them can fit onto one list.
That doesn't mean they're bad, by any stretch of the imagination — and they might just be the best soundbar for you. Here are some of the soundbars that we liked testing:
How to choose the best soundbar for you
It's gotta be simple
One of the best bits of most modern soundbars is that they're all simple to use in some form or another — but if you want something that you just plug in and use, then you'll want to avoid any with smart features.
While those smart features can make them sound better, or work for different types of content, they add complexity. An app might make it possible to access room EQs and the like, it also makes it more complicated for the end user.
Avoid soundbars with Wi-Fi and apps if you just want something that plugs in and works. Thankfully, most soundbars now just need your TV controller to control the volume, thanks to HDMI eARC.
Are you watching movies, watching TV or listening to music?
First up, if your primary use case is music, go for a pair of speakers with an HDMI port like the Fluance Ri71 above. They sound much better than sound bars for music, bar none. You'll thank me later.
Now, for the other questions. TV users will want something that increases dialog clarity and makes it easier to hear what's going on in the news. You won't need a subwoofer or any kind of surround support. The Sony HT-S100F above is going to be perfect for you, given it's not too expensive and works great for TV.
Movie watchers should look out for subwoofers and surround speakers. You want more space for your Dolby Atmos mixes and the subwoofer will help with the low-end rumble you get with movies. The Sonos Arc Ultra and subwoofer is a good option for you, or the JBL Bar 1300X if you want something in one package.
Size matters
If you've a small room or a small TV, you don't want a massive soundbar; that much should be obvious. It wouldn't fit, for one, but it would also make your TV look much smaller. And who wants that.
However, you also don't want a soundbar that's too small for your TV. Otherwise, all of the sound will appear to come from the middle of the TV, rather than from it's sides like it should. You'll want to get a decently sized soundbar if you've got something between 50-75 inches big. Larger than that and you should probably consider either the biggest soundbar you can lay your hands on, or a proper stereo setup built around one of the best home cinema receivers.
