Best Soundbars

What do all the numbers mean, like 2.0, 5.1 or 7.1.2?

• The first number refers to how many channels (and commonly, speakers) a soundbar has. For example the 2 in a 2.0 speaker configuration means there are two speakers, positioned on the left and right of the soundbar, like a radio. The 5 in a 5.1 system soundbar means there are 5 speakers – on the left, right, centre, and two rear speakers. More channels equates to a greater surround sound effect, because it gives the impression the sound is coming from more places around the room.
• The second number refers to the number of sub-woofers. These are responsible for deep bass sounds (like in action scenes or music). So 5.1 means there are 5 channels, and 1 subwoofer.
• The third number tells you if it has any upward-firing speakers (or Atmos speakers) to simulate sound from above. 7.1.2 means there are seven channels, one subwoofer, and two upward firing speakers.

What’s your space like?

It's important to consider whether a soundbar will work in your entertainment space. Each bar has a range of speakers inside it that project audio on different channels to increase clarity and to simulate high fidelity surround – and they are more suited to small to medium-sized rooms. If you have a large, wide space, speakers may be a better option. The physical size of your soundbar is mainly an aesthetic concern.

Is the soundbar compatible with your TV?

Next, you should consider ports and connectivity. Many soundbars have 2 ports which is compatible with most TVs. However, some older TVs may only have an optical connection rather than the required HDMI ARC or eARC cable. This is sufficient for up to 5.1-channel sound, but won’t work for Dolby surround sound.

Only buy a unit that a number of ports that your your home entertainment system might have, such as the TV itself, a DVD player, or even a record player. There are also wireless soundbars connectable via built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Google Chromecast, Amazon Alexa or Apple Airplay functionality. You can filter for this information, as well as the number of HDMI/USB ports, via the panel on the left.

So what’s the best soundbar for me?

While there is a wide selection of quality models on the market, including sound bars from Sony and Samsung, selecting the right one depends on a number of factors unique to you.

The higher the soundbar number, the better it will be at simulating high fidelity surround sound. However – the higher the price of the soundbar. You can find the best budget soundbar under $500 by clicking here, including a quality Bose sound bar.

Film fanatics: For watching movies, it's generally recommended to have a soundbar with at least 3.1 channels as the 3rd middle channel can make dialogue clearer.

Real audio buffs will be encouraged to go for a 5.1 or higher system, but these require a bigger budget and may also require the placement of two satellite speakers for the full surround sound experience, which might not suit every living room. If you want to go as high as 7 channels, you should make sure that whatever you want to watch actually supports 7.1 surround sound - Netflix for example, currently only supports up to 5.1 surround sound.

When only the premium choice will do there is Dolby Atmos surround sound, used in commercial cinemas and renowned for its clarity, richness and depth. DTS-X provides a similar, surround sound sphere. These both are designed for sound to appear from above through up-firing or satellite speakers. DTS Virtual:X is designed to simulate this effect without the use of satellite or up-firing speakers.

When sifting through all the soundbar options sounds good for you, feel free to start experimenting with the filters on the left hand side of the page above.