I've found the best soundbars by watching Top Gun Maverick on repeat all year — here are my 6 favorites

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. Go ahead — watch a movie with your built-in TV speakers, and you'll soon find that it's missing something that you get at the movie theatre. I, personally, hate TV speakers. I watch a lot of movies, and I want more than the tinny, thin-sounding hardware that TV manufacturers pack into their displays.

If you want to bring the meat back to your action movie explosions and the clarity back to your dialogue, then you're best off with a soundbar. I'm a big fan of a soundbar, thanks to their sound quality size compared to a full surround setup. I'm also lucky enough to have tested some of the best around — most recently my top pick for best soundbar, the Sonos Arc Ultra.

It's an incredible bar, and even better when connected to the separately available subwoofer. I found it full of bass and low-end for spectacular explosions, and then the Dolby Atmos performance outperformed everything else around. When I watched Masters of the Air on Apple TV+, I was right alongside those bomber crews as they flew over Europe.

Of course, not everyone can afford the more premium Sonos option — if you want to spend a little less, there's the more budget-friendly Yamaha YAS-209. It comes with a subwoofer in the box for those all-important boom moments in your movies, but also some great dialogue clarity.

Below, you'll find my other top picks for soundbars based on your needs. Afterall, not everyone even has the space for one of the really long ones, and you might not be interested in the surround performance and want something that'll fit into your living room without standing out. These are the best soundbars around based on Tom's Guide's testing.

The Quick List

About the author

Tammy Rogers

I oversee the audio content that goes up on Tom’s Guide, and maintain the site's buying guides for headphones, wireless earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, soundbars, and more. I have spent more than 20 years testing audio equipment for my own enjoyment, and was previously the audio editor for iMore. There's nothing more I love than jamming out to my favorite tunes on audio equipment of different prices and sizes.

What are the best soundbars to buy right now?

Best overall

There are a few things that I look for in a soundbar. It has to sit in my living room, below my TV, so it needs to be stylish. It needs to sound really, really good for a variety of different applications. It needs to have good virtual surround, because I don’t have loads of space for a full setup. Finally, it needs to be relatively well priced so that I don’t end up spending thousands of dollars to get excellent audio for my audio. The Sonos Arc Ultra hits pretty much all of those points, justifying its slightly higher price by being really, really good.

It might look similar to the old model, but there are some key updates and differences. For one, the completely rounded shell of the first Arc is now gone. While the front of the device looks like a complete cylinder, there’s a large box-like protrusion in the back which houses some of the new audio hardware that makes the soundbar sound so good. I love the way that it looks, and it fits in perfectly with my living room decor.

The new SoundMotion driver does excellent things for the audio as well. There’s loads more bass on offer with the Arc Ultra, and you shouldn’t feel too bad if you can’t afford the extra for a subwoofer. Dialogue is also far improved from the older model, and I found that watching news bulletins and other speaker-heavy content was a whole lot nicer than other options. It’s movies where it really comes up trumps, however.

Not only is the sound rich and pleasing, but the surround and Atmos performance is next level. I found myself looking around as the noises of starfighters and laser fire blasted around me in the opening moments of Revenge of the Sith, and the car chase in The Matrix Reloaded was a sight to behold. The Atmos bubble is one of the best I’ve ever experienced for the price, and makes watching movies a delight.

The only thing that might hold you back from picking one up is the price, especially if you want to add the sub (and you do, because it can shake a sofa). The bar itself is $999, and the sub is $799 — nearly $2000 when bought together. Now, to me, it’s well worth it, but it does mean you need to think before you buy.

Read our full Sonos Arc Ultra review

Best budget

If value is the most important thing for you when choosing a soundbar, then the YAS-209 is an epic option that comes in at a very solid price. For $350, you get a great-sounding and slick-looking soundbar. You even get a subwoofer in the box, which is pretty impressive for the price, making it an even better deal.

We particularly enjoyed its musical performance of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy", and how it managed to rumble the floor thanks to the extra subwoofer. Of course, you'll likely want to know more about the TV show and movie performance, and it shone there as well — there was breadth to the sound while watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with the vocals shining through the rest of the action-packed soundtrack. There are sound modes for Movies, TV shows, Sports, and even games, so you can really dial the sound in to suit what you're watching.

It also looks good for a soundbar of its price, with a sleek design and will easily fit into your living space. The grille wraps around the outside of the bar, leaving faux-metal top open for you to use the touch controls. Alexa control is also useful, and we found it worked well throughout our testing. Thats a feature that even some of the more expensive options don’t have, so it’s nice to have it on something budget-oriented. There is only one HDMI, unfortunately, so setups with multiple displays might be better off looking at an alternative, but for most people and their one TV it’s not going to be a massive problem. Also, while the subwoofer was great for booming explosions and some extra depth, it did struggle with punch with some movies.

As a package though, the YAS-209 is a great deal. It's compact (although larger than some of the alternatives from Sonos or Bose), and it's not too hard to fit on your TV stand. It might not reach the lofty heights of the very best soundbar, but it gives plenty of punch for a relatively low price.

Read our full Yamaha YAS-209 review

Best budget Dolby Atmos

Dolby Atmos isn't just for the most expensive soundbars around anymore, and the Yamaha True X bar 40A is the perfect example of why. It brings the Spatial Audio format to your TV stand for less than $500, and it looks great while it does it. It's not quite as cheap as the best value bar on this list, but its brings some excellent specs that might bring you over to the Atmos equipped option.

For one, there's that Atmos support. "Deadpool 2" showed off not only the 180W punch of the bar, but also the height of the surround offered by its upward-facing drivers. It made for a far more immersive experience than that which you might find on something that lacks Atmos support, and more than makes up for the shortfalls of the 209.

One of the shortfalls to be aware of is the slight lack of bass from the soundbar. It's not poor by any stretch of the imagination, but if you want the most bass for those epic explosions, you might be left wanting. If you want that extra 'boom' you can add a Subwoofer, however — although that will cost you extra.

You can add extra surround sound as well, if you pick up the extra Yamaha True X 1A speakers, which really round out the audio experience. Again, that will cost you extra, so make sure you factor that in if you want the full surround experience.

In the end, though, the Dolby Atmos support with this soundbar makes it a great sub-$500 option for those looking for more out their TV audio.

Read our full Yamaha True X Bar 40A review.

Best luxury soundbar

If money is no object and you want the best soundbar you can get hold of before looking at full home cinema systems, then the Devialet Dione is going to make you very, very happy. It's got that super fashionable and stylish Devialet look to it, including the center speaker, which is set into the bar itself.

It’s those looks that set it apart from the rest of the crowd, beyond its lofty price. It’s a large soundbar, but it’s super sleek and very attractive. The front line sweeps down with a curve that allows the blob-shaped center speaker to play its audio over the rest of the soundbar's audio.

That blob-shaped speaker can be pivoted around as well, so you can place the bar in different-shaped rooms that might require different audio dynamics. And once it's all placed properly and dialed in, there really is nothing that sounds like the Dione.

Its 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos sound gives you some incredible experiences with your favorite movies and TV shows, surrounding you with immersive audio. We found the Dione expansive, delivering the very deep lows you want for punchy explosions, but plenty of mid-range impact for voices and dialogue. The high range is good as well, never becoming sibilant or problematic. Music performance is, as you might expect from a Diavalet product, exemplary, with plenty of depth to the sound when listening to your favorite tunes. That powerful low-end comes into its own during playback, for some powerful audio.

You control the soundbar through the app, where can change the volume along with EQ and other settings. Thanks to eArc though you won’t have to worry — the volume will change when you raise or lower it on the TV.

It's not a small soundbar, however, and while sleek, you'll need to make sure that you've got enough space to account for its hefty frame. Still, if you've got nearly $3,000 for a soundbar, you're not going to be disappointed by its incredible performance.

Read our full Devialet Dione review

Best Style

Bowers & Wilkins is well known for its great-sounding premium audio gear, and its soundbar, the Panorama 3, is no exception. There are 3 channels in the bar itself, including left, right, and center, and then there are two sub-drivers for some low-frequency rumble. This is a standalone bar, so don't expect a subwoofer in the box. There are then a further 2 drivers facing upwards for the height channel, bringing Dolby Atmos support to the bar.

In testing, we found the bar sounded incredibly well-rounded and punchy. The soundtrack for "Extraction" showed immense promise, the bar handling it with confidence and style. You won't miss a subwoofer either, as the bar is capable of some convincing low-end grunt while watching explosion-packed action movies.

Music playback is top-quality as well — our test track, Can's "Live in Brighton 1975" showed a stellar degree of focus and confidence, especially in Rhythm. Dolby Atmos sounded excellent as well, with plenty of height to proceedings and a great pseudo-surround experience.

There is one big thing to keep in mind about the Panorama 3 — and that's the sheer size of the thing. It is long, and it is deep, so make sure you've got plenty of space on your TV stand so that it can fit under your screen. Overall though, it's stunning sound, slick design, and surprisingly solid value make this the best soundbar that you can buy right now.

Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 review

Best Sony soundbar

While it has since been replaced by the Sony HT-A8000, the A7000 still deserves all the accolades it received. It might not be the cheapest soundbar you can pick up, but it's a great-sounding, super flexible soundbar that wows sonically and has a great range of alternative accessories that you can add on.

There are some excellent surround channel speakers that you can add to the equation, although they do cost extra. There's a subwoofer you can buy separately as well, although it's a shame that it doesn't come as standard in the box. Even without those extra options, however, the Sony bar is still a movie audio delight.

There's a surprising amount of low-end grunt to the stand-alone soundbar, and you'll find yourself immersed in your movies thanks to the Dolby Atmos upwards-firing drivers. We found the sound it displayed during the classic, super tense jazz movie Whiplash was tense and powerful, making for a convincing almost cinema-like time.

We particularly love the hi-res music support — using the incredible sound engineering on the inside, listening to your favorite music over Chromecast or AirPlay 2 will have never sounded better. It's not just for movies and TV, after all.

One thing we wished where different is the display on the front which tells you what connection it’s playing. It’s tiny, and when you’re sat across the room from it in a reasonably well-lit space, it can be very difficult to read. That doesn’t hold it back from sounding excellent of course, but it’s still worth bearing in mind before you drop your cash.

It's a massive soundbar, however, so if you're short on space then you might want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, you've got a great soundbar with Hi-res support for listening to audiophile-quality audio.

Read our full Sony HT-A7000 review

Best soundbars: specs compared

Not sure what those different specs all mean? Here's a quick explainer:

Dolby Atmos
The current industry standard for spatial audio and the best surround sound you'll ever find. It makes things above you sound like they're coming from above you while you're watching your movies, thanks to height surrounds. The content you're watching has to be compatible with the standard — although there are more and more ways to watch and listen to spatial audio movies and music than ever thanks to services like NetFlix, Disney Plus, and Apple Music.

Audio Channels
This tells you how many different stereo and surround sections the soundbar has. Usually, in home cinema terms, that would mean how many speakers you've got dotted around the room, but with soundbars, it's often virtual speakers using clever audio trickery to make the sound move around your space. Generally, there are three numbers. The first is your stereo and surround channels. The second number relates to subwoofer channels, and then the final number is Atmos height channels.

Power Output
In audio land, we measure the power an amplifier has by the number of watts it uses to power the speakers attached to it. Generally, the higher the wattage, the more power on tap and the louder the soundbar will go.

Wireless connections
An HDMI connection often isn't the only way to connect to your soundbar. There are other connections available, like AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth for streaming audio. Be aware that only some of these work with your Soundbars Atmos playback, so make sure you check the product's full specs and read our detailed reviews for more information.

Inputs/outputs
This is where you can find out how many things you can plug in, and what kind of ports you can use. Generally, it'll be HDMI, optical, or USB, but some do offer other plugging options.

Subwoofer
Some soundbars come with a bass-producing subwoofer in the box, some have one available separately, and some don't support subwoofers at all. A sub is the best way to get that cinema theater-like bassy rumble that you want for all your action movie watching.

Also tested

Samsung HW-Q990B (★★★★☆)
Right out of the box you have yourself an 11.1.4 surround sound system that is powerful and sleek while still being easy to set up and install. Adaptive Sound uses built-in microphones to adjust the output to your surroundings, and can help boost the height speakers. It’s not quite as feature-complete as we’d like at this price, but if you’re looking for a strong soundbar that can rattle the windows, the Samsung HW-Q990B is worth auditioning.

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How to choose the best soundbar for you

4 things to consider when buying the best soundbar for you

1. 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.

2. Dolby Atmos: More and more of the best soundbars are embracing Dolby Atmos, which is a surround sound technology designed to simulate the immersive 3D audio you'd get from a movie theater. The big difference between Atmos and traditional surround sound is that you'll hear sound move up and down and not just side-to-side, allowing you to get extra immersed when, say, a car flies overhead in an action movie. For more a in-depth explanation and to find out how to get it, see Dolby Atmos explained.

3. 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.

4. 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 there are plenty of sales on with many of our favorite models discounted at online retailers, meaning you can bag a bargain for even less. Bookmark our best tech deals page to keep track of the latest savings.

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 set-up instructions, the shape of the soundbar itself should offer some clues as to how best to position it in your room.

As with all speakers, the first thing to remember is that they need space to do their job, particularly if your soundbar has upward or side-firing drivers as can often be found in models with Dolby Atmos support. It's not 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 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.

What are all those channel numbers, and what do they mean?

When you're looking for a new soundbar, you've probably seen all those weird numbers in the spec sheets — and then you're left wondering what on earth they mean. Those are channels, and they tell you about the number of physical (or virtual) speakers you've got in your sound bar. Let's talk you through it.

Channel numbers are generally split into three. There's the first number, which denotes the stereo and surrounds speakers, the second number, which tells you how many subwoofers you've got, and the third, which signifies the number of Dolby Atmos drivers there are.

The first number generally tells you what kind of setup that most of the speakers are. For example, in a 3.1 system you'll have two stereo speakers, the left and right channels, and then a center channel, which is used mainly for dialogue. Then, you might find something with 5.1, which means you've got an extra surround speakers to make your audio sound wider, and more immersive. Finally, you'll find something with a 7.1 moniker, so you'll have an extra two drivers — usually rear speakers to really up the surround sound ante.

The second number is easier to decipher, and generally with soundbars, you'll only find a .1. That means that there's either a built-in subwoofer, or one that you connect seperately. You might find something with a .2, which means you've got 2 subwoofers — and so on and so forth.

Finally, you'll find the third number which tells you how many height speakers you've got. On soundbars that'll mean upfiring drivers, which send audio toward your cieling, which then bounces back down to your ears for audio that sounds like it's coming from above. That means helicopters sound like they're landing over head, or fishes swim above you in nature documentaries. You might find a system with 3.1.2 — that means you've got 2 height channels, and then you'll find they go up from there.

Let's put all that into practice. Your soundbar might be a 5.1.2 — that means you've got 5 stereo and surround speakers, most likely a center channel, left and right stereo, and then a pair of surround channels on that sit either side of you. Then, you've got a subwoofer, and finally, 2 height channels for Dolby Atmos.

Let's make another example. This time, you might have a 7.2.4 (although you'll likely not spot a soundbar with this setup). In this configuration, you have 7 surround and stereo channels — a center channel, 2 stereo channels, 2 surround, and 2 rear. Then, you've got 2 subwoofer channels, for loads of bass. Finally, you've got four height channels to really add some Dolby Atmos wallop.

If you're still not sure what channels you're getting, double check the spec sheets of your chosen soundbar — it will generally give you a breakdown.

How we test the best soundbars

Testing the best soundbars is something we take great pride and care in at Tom's Guide. After all, these devices are going to take center stage in your living room below your TV, so we want to be as thorough as possible to help you make an informed buying decision.

To that end, we test all soundbars that come across our testing table in the exact kind of environment that you'll be placing yours into — a medium living room, replete with couches and decorations. That way we can get an idea of how the soundbar performs in the most likely place that it will find itself when unboxed.

Then we test the process it takes the soundbar to connect to your TV. Do you need to connect it to WiFi? Which plugs need to be plugged in? What do you need to change in your TV settings to get it to work properly? If one of these is difficult at all, we report in our review.

Once set up, we make sure to bed the soundbar in. There is some contention to the idea that a speaker needs time to break in, but we've found that after a few hours of medium-level audio on first turn-on makes sure the unit performs its best over the course of your use.

From there we get into the meat and potatoes of the soundbar — the sound tests. We start with TV shows and measure how good the dialogue performance is for news bulletins, and other shows that you might watch every day on your TV. After all, your soundbar might be excellent for movies, but it also needs to do a good job with everyday TV as well.

Then we move on to movies, where we test surround and Atmos performance. We watch a range of different movies, and then we record our findings in our review. That will give you a real-world reference of how the soundbar sounds for your favorite movies, and we make sure to use a range of different films so that we hit as many tastes as possible.

We also test music performance, generally using the best connection possible and Spatial Audio using Apple Music. That gives us the best picture of musical performance possible.

Finally, we test the apps that might connect to the soundbar to get an idea of how the extra features might perform. At the end of our testing, we write our review based on our findings. For more information, check out how we test.

More from Tom's Guide

• This cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar is an effective TV sound upgrade
• The best big-screen TVs we've tested for every budget
• 5 of the best TV sound upgrades you can buy