The 5 Best Budget Soundbars - Winter 2022 Reviews

The best cheap soundbar that we've tested is the Sony HT-S100F. This standalone 2.0 soundbar is best-suited for dialogue-centric content like TV shows and podcasts. It gets pretty loud without a lot of compression, making it a suitable choice for cranking up the volume at busy parties.

This soundbar has a muddy and slightly dark sound profile due to the recessed treble, but its balanced mid-range helps reproduce voices clearly and accurately. There's a dialogue enhancement feature to make voices sound more crisp, as well as an auto-volume mode to balance out the volume while watching TV at night. You can even stream podcasts from your phone to the bar via Bluetooth.

Unfortunately, this soundbar has a surround sound mode called S-Force Front Surround that you can't turn off. It lacks many sound customization features, and its surround performance isn't very impressive. However, if you're just looking for a simple upgrade over your TV speakers at a low price, it's a solid choice.

The best budget soundbar under $200 that we've tested is the Samsung HW-A450. This 2.1 setup is a good choice for TV shows and music, and it comes with lots of sound customization features. It's also Bluetooth-compatible, so you can stream audio from your mobile devices to play on the bar.

Thanks to its neutral, balanced sound profile, this soundbar is suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. Its dedicated sub adds a little extra boom in the bass range, too. If you prefer a different sound, there are lots of customization options available, including a graphic EQ and presets.

Unfortunately, this soundbar has a very limited selection of inputs. There's an Optical In port to connect it to your TV, but you can't connect via HDMI ARC or Full HDMI In. As a result, you can't use it as a hub between different devices, which can be disappointing for some users.

The best soundbar under $250 we've tested is the Vizio V Series V51-H6. This 5.1 setup offers a very versatile performance for its price, with two satellite speakers that help create a more immersive surround sound. It's also Bluetooth-compatible, so you can wirelessly play music from your mobile devices on the bar.

This soundbar has a pretty neutral sound profile with a little extra boom in the bass range, making it suitable for listening to many different types of audio content. You can even use its bass and treble adjustments as well as its EQ presets to customize its sound. It also gets pretty loud, and there isn't a lot of compression at max volume, which is nice.

Unfortunately, this soundbar doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, which might disappoint some movie fans. It also lacks a Full HDMI In port, so you can't use it for high-quality passthrough. However, it's still a solid choice for music and dialogue-centric content like TV shows.

The best budget soundbar for Dolby Atmos that we've tested is the TCL Alto 8i. This standalone bar is one of the few 2.1 setups we've tested that supports Dolby Atmos content. It has front-firing drivers built into the bar to bounce sound around your room, creating the illusion of height.

Out-of-the-box, this soundbar has a slightly dark and boomy sound profile with a little extra emphasis in the bass range. Vocals and lead instruments are reproduced clearly, though, meaning dialogue in Atmos content is clear. There are even bass and treble adjustments available to help you customize its sound.

Unfortunately, there's no dedicated subwoofer, and this setup struggles to reproduce the low rumble in action-packed movies. Due to its 2.1 configuration, it has to downmix surround content into stereo to play it, which isn't as immersive-sounding. However, if you want a fairly versatile bar on a budget, it's still a solid choice.