Best soundbars for the way you use them

A narrow TV stand is no problem for the Beam, and it leaves the door open to a larger Sonos system. Its Atmos effect comes from processing. It has no upward-firing drivers. Room tuning also requires a compatible iPhone or iPad.

Best forA small TV setup where rear speakers may come later

Consider the Ray if you have a small TV with optical audio and also want Sonos music streaming. Hooking it to the TV is easy, but no software setting or new cable will turn it into an Atmos soundbar.

Best forA narrow stand and an optical-only TV

With the Q990F, the subwoofer and two rear speakers come in the same box, and two 4K 120 Hz sources can plug straight in. It is the one to pick if you have room under the TV and also have spots ready for the rear speakers.

Best forMovies and two gaming consoles on a full surround package

Put the Q990D on your shortlist if its complete-package price comes in below the Q990F. It already offers two 4K 120 Hz inputs and rear height speakers. The catch is a larger subwoofer that needs more floor depth.

Best forA full surround package, bought while the older model is discounted enough to matter

If you want a separate subwoofer and upward-firing sound but would rather not put speakers behind the sofa, the Q800F fits. A high-refresh console should go on the TV, because the bar’s single HDMI input passes 4K at 60 Hz.

Best forA bar with a subwoofer and no rear speakers to place

The bar alone is just over 51 inches wide, so measure your cabinet first. The Bar 9 is meant for a wide TV setup where you want a direct high-refresh HDMI connection and plan to choose the subwoofer and rear speakers separately.

Best forOne high-refresh HDMI source on a wide TV stand

You get the same connection options as the Bar 9 from the Bar 8, in a cabinet almost eight inches narrower. When the TV stand is tight, it is the more practical Sony to start with, as long as you budget for a subwoofer and rears if you add them later.

Best forGrowing into Sony surround without the widest soundbar cabinet

The Bar 6 comes with a separate subwoofer and upward-firing drivers, and you do not have to commit to a whole speaker ecosystem. It is a simple bar-and-sub choice. Just remember that your TV has to do all the HDMI source switching.

Best forAn included subwoofer and physical height drivers, with no rear speakers to place

A 32-inch-wide space is enough for the HT-S2000, and there is no separate bass box to place. Audio can arrive over eARC or optical. The Atmos height effect is virtual, though, and a console cannot plug into the bar.

Best forA small Sony bar with bass built in and optical as a backup connection

If your TV sits low and you want room calibration that does not depend on an iPhone, the Smart Ultra is a good match. The cabinet is low but still needs more than 41 inches of width, and every video source has to connect through the TV.

Best forA low-sitting TV, and one calibrated bar to start with

Under 28 inches wide, the 2024 Smart Soundbar still has upward-firing speakers and Wi-Fi music. Placing it is easier than placing the Smart Ultra. What it lacks is the Ultra’s room-calibration system.

Best forReal upward-firing speakers on a small, low TV stand

In a living room where rear speakers cannot stay plugged in, the Bar 1300X makes sense. You detach them for a movie and then return them to the bar to charge. Measure carefully, because the subwoofer is large and the docked configuration is wide.

Best forRear surround now and then, with no power cables behind the sofa

When a lack of outlets for rear speakers stands between you and a full surround setup, the 1300X MK2 is the one to pick. Three direct HDMI inputs take pressure off a crowded TV. In return you get a charging routine for the detachable speakers, and the subwoofer is sizable.

Best forThree HDMI devices, plus rear speakers that skip permanent outlets

A 10-inch subwoofer comes with the Bar 500 MK2, along with a low-profile bar and no rear speakers to position. Its cabinet slides under more low TVs than taller rivals can, though the bass box still needs a spot on the floor. If you want surrounds later, you need current firmware plus two Cove M1 or two Cove P1 speakers, which are sold separately.

Best forA low TV with separate bass and no rear speakers cluttering the room

Take the low cabinet and Wi-Fi features of the 500 MK2, drop the separate subwoofer, and you have the Bar 300 MK2. One HDMI source can plug straight into it, which helps when the TV is already out of ports. Optional surrounds need current firmware and two Cove M1 or two Cove P1 speakers, bought separately.

Best forA single low-profile bar with one extra HDMI source input

No other bar here is narrower than the Mini AX, so it can work between TV feet that sit close together. The tiny bar does not make this a one-box setup, though, because the included subwoofer puts part of the system on the floor.

Best forTV feet set close together, with room for a separate subwoofer

For a movie setup with several HDMI sources and room for powered rear speakers, the Max AX SR fits. The 10-inch subwoofer and both rears are bundled in. High-refresh consoles will run into its limit of 4K 60 Hz passthrough.

Best forA full surround package for a disc player, a streaming box and a console

Physical height drivers, built-in bass and a wired subwoofer output all come together in the Flexus Core 200. That helps if you plan to add a conventional powered sub down the line. Just know that this model has no Wi-Fi music.

Best forOne bar that can later grow with a conventional wired subwoofer

Look at the AMBEO Plus if you want one bar that has room calibration and plenty of ways to connect. It has two HDMI source inputs, an optical input and an analog input, which gives it more flexibility than the smaller Mini.

Best forA single bar that handles HDMI sources, optical TV audio and an analog source

In a bar under 28 inches wide, the AMBEO Mini still has room calibration and Wi-Fi music. The catch is a single HDMI TV connection, which rules out an optical-only TV and anyone hoping to plug sources into the bar.

Best forA narrow setup where the TV connects over HDMI and room calibration is automatic

Because the rear speakers are battery-powered and included, a shared living room can move between daily use and surround sound. Make space for the wider charging position, or set up separate USB-C charging.

Best forSurround sound from time to time, with no permanent power cables behind the sofa

This is a full system of bar, subwoofer and battery-powered rears, made for a room where rear power cables cannot stay in place. Three source inputs suit a household with several players. The four upward-firing drivers, for their part, need a suitable spot.

Best forRear speakers placed only temporarily, plus physical height drivers and several HDMI players

The subwoofer and powered rears are in the box, and two direct inputs accept 4K 120 Hz sources. Private Rear Sound shifts the listening behind the sofa. It turns Q-Symphony off and resets once the power is switched off. It does not promise silence in the next room.

Best forA full surround setup for two high-refresh sources, with usable outlets behind the sofa

Two 4K 120 Hz source inputs and a separate subwoofer are here, and nothing needs to go behind the sofa. Should you want rear listening later, add compatible SWA-9500S rears. Samsung’s US web table has a conflicting row, but the rears are not included.

Best forHomes with two consoles that want a bar and subwoofer today and may add rears later

This bar-and-subwoofer set suits a TV that already takes care of the household’s source connections. A high-refresh console needs a suitable TV input, since the bar’s single HDMI input does not pass 4K 120 Hz. You can add compatible rears afterward.

Best forStreaming mostly through the TV with a separate subwoofer, and no 120 Hz video routed through the bar

All the bass hardware sits inside the one bar, which helps if a separate box would block a walkway or a child’s play space. Console routing still needs thought, since the one HDMI source input does not pass 4K 120 Hz. Optional rears bring speakers and power cables back into the room.

Best forSingle-box TV audio where placing an external bass box is the main problem

You get two 4K 120 Hz source inputs and a subwoofer, with no rear speakers to place. Weigh its current offer against newer models, but compare on the complete system you need, since buying rear speakers later changes the total.

Best forA bar with a subwoofer that keeps two high-refresh sources plugged in

This bar has a conventional powered-subwoofer output plus Wi-Fi music, one HDMI source input and measured Dirac room setup. A working sub from an older system can therefore stay in use. Make room for its 54-inch width, and set aside a calibration session when the house is quiet.

Best forA wide TV setup where a compatible powered sub can be reused and a direct source input is useful

This 28-inch bar can reuse a compatible wired powered subwoofer and does not take over a narrow TV stand. Dolby Atmos is virtual, and there is no dedicated center channel or HDMI source input. Music plays over Bluetooth, without Wi-Fi streaming.

Best forA narrow TV stand, plus either a powered subwoofer you already have or simple Bluetooth music

This compact TV bar can also connect a record player, using an optional Sonos line-in adapter and the right preamp. It brings physical height drivers and Android quick tuning. If the top of the bar is obstructed, the reason to buy it shifts toward simulated overhead sound, so check the space above it.

Best forA room shared by TV and music that needs a compact bar and a wired turntable connection