Everybody’s audio wants are totally different, so remember to contemplate your distinctive preferences, area and listening habits. Use this information to navigate the choices and discover the most effective soundbar for you. In the event you want slightly additional assist, take a look at my full guide to how to buy a soundbar in 2025.
Price range
A very powerful consideration when selecting a soundbar is figuring out how a lot you’ll be able to spend, and I’ve discovered there are nice soundbars at each worth, beginning at $100. In the event you’re in search of extra premium, feature-packed fashions, be ready to spend so much extra — upwards of $3,000. I do have one rule of thumb: As soon as the value of a soundbar exceeds $500, chances are you’ll discover it extra worthwhile to save lots of for an AV receiver and audio system.
In the event you’re a film buff, contemplate splurging on options like Dolby Atmos to deliver the theater expertise house. Music lovers will need to prioritize audio replica and multiroom or wi-fi streaming to fill their area with sound. Players ought to search for soundbars with devoted gaming presets that improve dialogue readability and directional audio cues.
Room dimension
Take into account your room’s dimension and format. Smaller areas, like bedrooms and places of work, is perhaps overwhelmed by high-wattage soundbars with separate subwoofers. Single-bar techniques are nice for smaller rooms and TVs, as their size permits for built-in stereo sound whereas nonetheless being compact. Bigger rooms or house theater setups will profit from extra strong soundbars with extra audio system and subwoofers to provide that booming encompass sound.
Additionally take into consideration the place you will place it — will it sit on an leisure console, be mounted on a wall or match beneath your TV? Ensure that your soundbar can bodily match within the desired area by checking the size and mounting capabilities.
Use the next information to see which soundbar size we advocate for every TV dimension.
| Speaker size (in inches) | Really useful TV display dimension |
|---|---|
| 12 | Any |
| 38 to 45 | 42-inch to 50-inch |
| 50 | 55-inch to 65-inch |
| 60 | 70-inch and bigger |
Audio format compatibility
Match your soundbar’s audio format to the content material you take pleasure in most. Listed here are a couple of of a very powerful audio codecs and their use circumstances to think about when selecting a soundbar:
- Dolby Atmos for 3D soundscapes with peak channels that create immersive experiences good for film buffs
- DTS:X for object-based audio that adapts to your particular speaker setup, preferrred for house theater fans
- PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) for uncompressed digital audio generally discovered on Blu-ray discs and gaming consoles
- Dolby Digital 5.1 for conventional encompass sound with 5 audio system and a subwoofer, the usual for DVD content material
- Bluetooth audio codecs (AAC, aptX, LDAC) for wi-fi streaming with various ranges of high quality, important for music streaming from cellular gadgets
Examine your TV’s connection choices (HDMI ARC/eARC, optical) to make sure compatibility with the soundbar you select.
