The best cheap soundbars in 2024: Low cost TV speakers tested by experts
The best cheap soundbars to boost your TV sound without breaking the bank — tested and rated
The best cheap soundbars improve on the sound from a TV's built-in speakers. They bring better-sounding dialog and bigger bass to make whatever's on screen sound more lifelike. Each of these sub-$150 models has been thoroughly reviewed for their ability to boost the listening experience for medium-sized TV screens without bleeding your wallet dry.
Although they're packed with an impressive array of features and several come with sound customization options, you won't get full Dolby Atmos format support as found on many of the best soundbars overall. But the sonic upgrade these low-cost speaker systems bring to your TV sound make them worthy of consideration all the same.
Read on to discover the right TV soundbar speaker for you. And don't forget, you'll find lots more info in our in-depth standalone reviews, covering installation, customization, and performance. Just follow the link at the end of each product summary to learn more.
The best cheap soundbars you can buy right now
Why you can trust Tom's Guide
Best cheap soundbar overall
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Creative Stage V2 soundbar is outstanding value for money. In addition to a sleek soundbar with a relative bounty of connectivity, including HDMI ARC, the small outlay also gets you a dedicated subwoofer to help pump out impactful bass.
During out testing we found sound quality was very good overall, and can be tweaked to match what you're watching. For instance, you can choose to boost the bass or treble at any time, and there are "Dialog" and "Surround" to try out as well. The latter doesn't provide digital surround sound per se, but does widen the soundstage for more exciting action scenes.
- Read our full Creative Stage V2 review
Best value cheap soundbar
Specifications
Reasons to buy
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Vizio has a variety of soundbar and subwoofer bundles to choose from, but our long running favorite is the V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Soundbar V21-H8. The speaker itself has a nondescript, minimalist design that blends nicely into any home theater setup. There are numerous inputs to hook up other media devices, including televisions, gaming consoles, and any Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri smart speaker.
Bundled with the combo is a highly functional remote to enable playback, volume, and even DTS Virtual:X and DTS TruVolume, which help produce bigger and more encompassing sound. Staying in standard mode will also reward your ears with clear voices and rich mid frequencies.
Bass fanatics might enjoy the emphasized low end that comes out of the small subwoofer, but critical listeners won’t since it lacks precision and creates muddiness on certain songs and soundtracks.
- Read our full Vizio V-Series 2.1 Home Theater Soundbar V21-H8 review
Best cheap soundbar with wireless sub
Specifications
Reasons to buy
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The Alto 6 Plus is even cheaper than the Stage V2, and it also has its own dedicated subwoofer — only this one is wireless. It’s powerful, too, proving more than capable of filling out movie action scenes or music playback with deep, rumbling bass.
The downside is that this low-end isn’t as tightly controlled as it is on pricier soundbar/sub combos, and your options for adjusting the sound profile are relatively limited. But we were still impressed with how forceful the Alto 6 Plus sounded in our testing, and its simplicity means that home theater beginners might actually appreciate how easy it is to complete setup.
- Read our full TCL Alto 6 Plus review
Best cheap soundbar for small rooms
Specifications
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The Roku Streambar is Roku's second soundbar outing, and just might be the company's best yet. This unique all-in-one device is both a compact soundbar and a 4K Roku streaming player at once, allowing you to enjoy great sound for shows and movies while tapping into your favorite streaming services all from the same hardware.
Don't let its size fool you, though — the Streambar delivers impressive sound for its size and price. Packing four 1.9-inch drivers, this small soundbar can easily fill a living room with crisp audio for your next Netflix or Disney Plus binge. And since you're getting Roku software inside, you'll be able to watch just about every streaming service out there, with an intuitive interface and an included remote for navigation. Better yet, you can pair the Streambar to the Roku TV Wireless Speakers and Roku Wireless Subwoofer if you want even more immersive sound.
- Read our full Roku Streambar review
Best cheap soundbar with streaming
Specifications
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One of Roku’s earliest audio products, the Streambar Pro is an impressive device that stuffs a 4K Roku streaming player into a tiny soundbar. Virtual surround sound is available right out of the box to fill up your living room. Bass is decent considering there’s no subwoofer bundled with the package. It also comes with one of the most user-friendly remotes available, which features a button for voice search and headphone jack for private listening.
Lack of Dolby Atmos support will disappoint those seeking a more immersive listening experience. So will the sluggish performance when going through the menus and app. Nonetheless, to get quality sound and Roku functionality from a speaker makes this a sweet deal.
- Read our full Roku Streambar Pro review
Best cheap soundbar under $100
Specifications
Reasons to buy
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Another good option for smaller TVs is the LG SK1. Its compact design only includes two speakers and claims a modest 40W power output, which is enough to outperform many TV audio systems.
The plug'n'play setup, simple interface and included remote also help streamline everyday usage, which might be ideal if you just want a better TV speaker without a ton of extras. Still, we'd recommend turning on the Bass Blast mode for some extra low-end punch, and you can connect a Bluetooth device if you ever want to use the SK1 as a music speaker as well.
- Read our full LG SK1 review
Spec compared
Header Cell - Column 0 | Audio channels | Power output (rated) | Wireless connectivity | Inputs/outputs | Subwoofer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Creative Stage V2 | 2.1 | 160W | Bluetooth streaming | Optical digital, HDMI ARC, USB, 3.5mm jack | Yes |
Vizio V-Series 2.1 HTS V21-H8 | 2.1 | 80W | Bluetooth streaming | HDMI, USB, 3.5mm jack | Yes |
TCL Alto 6 Plus | 2.1 | 240W | Subwoofer only | Optical digital, HDMI ARC, 3.5mm jack, USB | Yes |
Roku Streambar | 2.0 | Not specified | Bluetooth streaming | Optical digital, HDMI, USB | No |
Roku Streambar Pro | 2.0 | 60W | No | Optical digital, HDMI ARC, USB | No |
LG SK1 | 2.0 | 40W | Bluetooth streaming | Optical digital, 3.5mm jack | No |
How to choose the best cheap soundbar for you
The best cheap soundbar for you depends on the features, connections and size that will help you most enjoy watching movies and TV. Some of these soundbars come with a subwoofer — a speaker dedicated to producing the tactile rumble that's evident when watching action movies. Think about whether you need a remote as some designs are better than others.
Soundbar size: There are a number of factors that play into deciding which soundbar you should buy. Size will likely be prohibitive for most customers; you obviously need a soundbar that will suit your TV and space constraints within your entertainment console. And, because a soundbar is one of the centerpieces of your home theater setup, it has to look good and fit stylistically.
Then you have to factor in the size of the room you're dealing with, and the distance viewers would typically be sitting from the TV. If you're dealing with a larger space, it's probably best to target soundbars that come with a subwoofer — you'll surely appreciate the extra bass.
Connectivity: Connectivity is crucial too, both in terms of wired and wireless access. Not every soundbar comes with an HDMI port; some force you to make do with optical audio. That's perfectly fine if you want to use your TV as a pass-through, but those who are in dire need of more HDMI ports — because their capacity is limited between game consoles, streaming boxes and so on — will need to prioritize options that offer those additional connections.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the audio outputs on your TV or monitor. Although the majority of the soundbars now come with an HDMI port for audio output from your TV, but the LG SK1 offers optical digital only.
Pricing considerations: Obviously, price is a big consideration when looking for the best soundbars. Although there are always exceptions, big-name brands will typically command a bit extra, but generally speaking, the less you spend on a soundbar the greater the chance that sound and features will be compromised. Going for a budget option isn't always the best choice, as any money you save on your purchase won't do you much good if the sound quality is poor.
As the saying goes: timing is everything; and right now many of our favorite models are being discounted at online retailers, meaning you can bag a bargain for even less. Remember to bookmark our best tech deals page for all the latest savings.
Contributions from: Michael Gowan, James Archer
Frequently asked questions
How to get the best sound from a soundbar?
Getting the best sound from a soundbar isn't tricky, but there are some basic placement factors to get right. Along with guidance provided in the maker's installation instructions, the shape of the soundbar itself should offer some clues as to how best to position it in your room.
As audio editor, I've been testing and writing about speakers for more than 3 decades. As with any kind of loudspeaker, the first thing to remember is that they need space to do their job. This is particularly important if your soundbar has upward or side-firing drivers such as the models in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars buying guide.
It's never a good idea to place a soundbar behind a TV or in line with any other objects as this will have an impact on how effectively the speakers are able project sound forward to your seating area. Also, if you place a soundbar too far inside a TV cabinet, it won't project sound out to your sofa as effectively. The TV cabinet enclosure could also have a detrimental effect on the overall quality of the sound.
Generally speaking, a soundbar should ideally be placed centrally with the screen (this helps aesthetically, too) in as much free space as is practical. It can be placed either above or below the TV screen. Many soundbar owners place the soundbar beneath their screen at the foot of the TV stand. This close proximity between sound and screen helps make it feel like the sound and picture are coming from the same location and in sync.
If you're placing a soundbar on top of the TV stand just beneath the screen, be careful to avoid fouling the bottom of the screen and obscuring the lower part of the picture. This may also block signals to the IR sensor from your remote control. If this does happen, a good solution is to raise the TV up slightly or place the soundbar on a lower shelf of the TV stand. If the soundbar does foul the TV's IR sensor, check to see whether it comes with an IR repeater.
Most soundbars are tabletop designs, meaning they can easily be placed on a TV cabinet without taking up too much room. Some soundbars can also be wall mounted, although you'd be wise to check the maker's instructions and consider any structural factors before embarking on wall mounting any soundbar.
Lastly, pay attention to whether your soundbar has any rear bass ports or rear speakers designed to bounce sound off nearby walls behind the TV, say. Ideally these need be kept free from any immediate obstructions that get in the way of speaker's soundwaves, but close enough to any wall structures to allow them to perform effectively.
Always check the maker's guidance for placement advice on your specific soundbar speaker system to make sure you're getting optimal performance and the best sound.
How we test the best cheap soundbars
We test soundbars for vocal clarity and low-end effects by watching a variety of movies and TV shows, including video in action and drama genres. We also listen to various songs ranging from rock to hip hop to acoustic to evaluate music performance. We benchmark volume using an app that measures decibels.
Ease of use depends on how quickly and simply we can connect the soundbar to the TV and how easily we can make adjustments to the sound quality. We'll let you know if this process is particularly easy or difficult, though cheap soundbars pretty much never require specialist audio knowledge to set up.
Once testing is completed, we rate the best soundbars based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Products that hit nearly every mark are awarded an Editor's Choice badge.
Find out how we test for more information on our reviewing procedures
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As a former editor of the U.K.'s Hi-Fi Choice magazine, Lee is passionate about all kinds of audio tech and has been providing sound advice to enable consumers to make informed buying decisions since he joined Which? magazine as a product tester in the 1990s. Lee covers all things audio for Tom's Guide, including headphones, wireless speakers and soundbars and loves to connect and share the mindfulness benefits that listening to music in the very best quality can bring.