Best soundbar for music – You’re looking for a budget option that gives you solid audio with some customization options or luxurious sound bar that delivers a true surround sound cinematic experience, all of the product for you. If you want more information on the most up-to-date pricing on the products mentioned, be sure to check the links in the description below.
Vizio 36” 2.1 Sound Bar (SB362An-F6)
Everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars for a quality sound. So, if you’re on a tighter budget, you’ll likely wanna take a look at the Vizio 36” 2.1 Sound Bar which is our pick for the best budget sound bar on the market right now. The Vizio 36” 2.1 Sound Bar is a solid choice if you’re not looking to break the bank and cost around 100 dollars.
You get surprisingly powerful audio performance for the price along with Dolby audio and DTS virtual X support. As well as Bluetooth capabilities in an easy to use sound bar. This 2.1 sound bar is small enough to fit underneath most TVs and it comes with two wall mount brackets as well. It gives you four main drivers with 22.6 inch full range woofers and two subwoofers for increased base response to deliver frequencies down to fifty hertz. The subwoofers are complimented by two extra passive radiators that further enhance low frequencies.
It comes with a remote control that gives you a few different options and I like that you can adjust the EQ to adjust the base and treble to customize your soundscape. Plus, it comes with presets for music and movies. There’s a good selection for connectivity including Bluetooth, optical, and 3.5 millimeter R inputs and a USB port to play stored music. While I would have like to see an HDMI port, the economical price makes up for this minor oversight. I think the support for Dolby Audio and DTS Virtual X makes this a terrific value. Virtual X adds surround sound effects without needing expensive hardware. This feature should really enhance your experience watching films by adding some depth and tamber to create a better sense of movement. The maximum volume is suitable for most needs and it has plenty of base presence.
This sound bar is mainly geared towards cinematic sounds and the overall music performance is still respected. Although base heavy tracks can get somewhat distorted at high volumes. The Vizio 36” 2.1 Sound Bar provides excellent value for the money and is the best budget sound bar on the market. You get solid base levels, respectable maximum volume, and the inclusion of DTS virtual X gives you virtual surround sound at an affordable price.
back to menu ↑Yamaha YAS-209
If you’re looking for a really solid sound bar that is still rather affordable that has some of the best performance per dollar that you can find, the Yamaha YAS-209 is easily one of the best sound bars for the money. Price at 350 dollars, the Yamaha YAS-209 gives you solid bang for the buck. You get a big and diverse sound stage, integrated Amazon Alexa support, and clear and comprehensible dialogue. The Yamaha YAS-209 has a sleek and thin design that comes with integrated screw holes for easy wall mounting and it gives you 41.75 inch drivers and two one inch tweeters. It comes with a dedicated six and a half inch wireless subwoofer which adds versatility to your sound by enhancing the low end frequencies. You get a comprehensive range of connection options with Bluetooth and WiFi support, a single 4K and HDR compatible HDMIN input, ARC enabled HDMI output along with optical and Ethernet inputs. That it including Alexa support is a useful feature and adds to the value but you need to download the companion app to enable it and to use the music streaming options.
The app offers a few different modes to adjust your soundscape including movie, music, sports, TV program, and game modes. Why think some competitors get a bit louder and while it lacks the music cast feature, the overall audio performance is respectable with adequate power. You also get DTS Virtual X sound here which uses psychoacoustic processes to simulate surround sound to deliver a bright and wide sound stage with solid dimensionality. The base extension mode is another important feature which noticeably boost the base performance without being overpowering. So it blends nicely with the decent mid-range frequencies.
You even get the clear voice feature to enhance dialogue projection which should enhance your viewing experience. Even though the overall music performance is solid, you should switch it to stereo mode to avoid noticeable processing. The Yamaha YAS-209 is a sound bar that gives you solid value for your money. You get good audio, adequate power, and some helpful features that enhance your experience. This is a good bet for anyone looking for a cost-effective sound system.
back to menu ↑Samsung HW-Q800A
Next up, if you’re looking for something with great quality, getting more into the home theater range, the Samsung HW-Q800A is our top choice for a high-end sound bar for movies. The Samsung HW-Q800A is a great choice if you’re looking for an immersive movie sound experience and it will cost you around 750 dollars. I think this is one of the best all around powerful, detailed, and well-performing sound bars you can get in this price range. The Samsung HW-Q800A is powerful with a total audio output power of 330 watts. You get a two-piece system with the main sound bar and a large eight inch subwoofer to enhance the low end response.
It provides a 3.1 .2 channel system with three forward-facing channels with the left and right consist of a tweeter along with a mid-range and base race track driver while the center is a single wide range tweeter. The sound is further enhanced by Samsung’s acoustic beam technology which directs sonic waves upwards to give you a bigger and more dispersed sound stage although the height can lack precision. It also comes with an integrated microphone and Alexa support I’m impressed with the functionality of the microphone which adjust the clarity of dialogue based on ambient background noise.
With the Smart Things Companion app, you can choose between three different sound profiles including standard, game mode pro, and surround mode along with a customizable seven band equalizer. You get support for DTSX and Dolby Atmost decoding. It also comes with a treble boosting voice enhancement for dialogue, a base boost, and a night mode that compresses dynamic and sub frequencies. The overall sound stage is bright and detailed, the base is booming, and it gives you a solid sense of space. While it can sound struggle with cohesive rhythms, this is typical of sound bars. Additionally, you can enhance the quality with features like space fit and automatic sound optimization by pairing it with a newer Samsung TV. The Samsung HW-Q800A is the best sound bar for movies at this price. It’s a powerful system that gives you dynamic sound, plenty of customizable settings, and intuitive companion app, useful features to enhance your audio and it should bring your more immersive cinematic experience to a whole new level.
back to menu ↑Sonos Arc
If you want something with great smart features and amazing overall performance, the Sonos Arc maybe a perfect option for you. The Sonos Arc is a top-end option and one of the best smart sound bars on the market and retails around 800 dollars. The arc features high quality audio output, a wealth of useful features, and Dolby Atmo support, and an intelligently designed build.
It gives you a total output power of 600 watts with eight elliptical woofers to deliver outstanding base and mid-range response and three silk dome tweeters to deliver crisp highs. While the physical unit might stand a bit high, it comes with a built-in IR repeater to avoid blocking your remote signals. Plus, you can add additional Sono speakers to enhance your experience. I think one of the standout abilities is the true play tuning feature which is their proprietary adaptive sound escape tool that analyzes your room to deliver the most optimal sonic output. You can control it directly with the Sonos S two app which also lets you adjust base and treble levels to customize your soundscape.
You can also get immersive Dolby Atmos soundscapes that draw on Dolby True HD and digital plus sound code X to provide you with high quality lossless audio. By bouncing sounds off the walls of your environment, it provides convincing threeD surround sound from the bar itself The arc also has a speech enhancement feature that bolsters dialogue along with a night sound feature that flattens dynamics and reduces the base. Overall, the sound stage is precise with exceptional tonal evenness, powerful base and clear treble, outstanding height, and nice left right soundscape movement. While I would have liked for music to be projected forward, the overall music performance is stellar. It also works with Google and Alexa voice assistance and supports music streaming services.
The Sonos Arc is perfect for anyone who wants a high-quality listening experience. It has powerful drivers, excellent sound quality, built-in voice assistance, and a host of software features that make setup a breeze. Plus, the arc is versatile and super convenient where you can control it via remote, the app, your voice, and Apple AirPlay two.
back to menu ↑JBL Bar 9.1
Last up, we’ve got the JBL Bar 9.1. With top-notch true surround sound, a nice design, high-end build quality, and it’s earned the title of the best sound bar for true surround sound. For 1,000 dollars, you get powerful audio, a balanced sound stage, wireless speakers for true surround sound, and lots of base depth. JBL gives you a 400 watts sound bar that houses four row racetrack style drivers, two up firing full range drivers, and three one inch tweeters.
You also get a wireless 300 watts 10″ subwoofer and 260 watts wireless surround sound speakers that deliver audio with up firing drivers and these have a battery life of ten hours. Although this varies with usage. You can charge the speakers directly from the bar which takes about three hours. Set up is simple with the automated audio calibration feature. It lacks a companion app but there’s a remote that makes it easy to switch between sources along with Chromecast, AirPlay two, and Bluetooth support.
It can also accept and decode Dolby Atmos and DTSX for high quality processing and when combined with the wireless speakers, you get an immersive true surround sound experience. You can also toggle between two modes, smart mode which automatically applies a movie EQ setting to enhance surround effects so you’ll hear up mixed height cues in addition to the music EQ preset that dials down the base and standard mode which has a normal EQ preset that’s better for dialogue heavy content. While it lacks more advanced equalizer cut, like treble volume adjustments, I think the night mode feature can help you in a pinch which dampens the audio’s dynamic range.
The JBL Bar 9.1 is an impressive sound bar that gives you true surround sound for a captivating viewing experience. You get a powerful system with a total output of 820 watts, wireless speakers, and overall impressive audio quality that has a powerful and refined base, clear dialogue, and an overall balance soundscape. While it can perform admirably with music, it’s best suited for movie viewing.
