The 5 Best Budget Soundbars - Summer 2020
Reviews

The best cheap soundbar we've tested so far is the Sony HT-S100F. This entry-level soundbar from Sony can be a viable option if you're looking to upgrade the sound from your TV's integrated speakers without spending a fortune. The overall build quality is decent and it has a simple, straightforward design that's easy to set up.

While it sounds a bit muddy, this standalone soundbar still performs alright overall, especially compared to other cheap soundbars we've reviewed. It's not a top-of-the-line product, but it's an affordable option for streaming music over Bluetooth or watching some TV shows here and there. It can even downmix Dolby Digital surround content to stereo, which some cheap soundbars can't do at all.

Unfortunately, it's quite large for a standalone bar. It might not fit directly under your TV either, which can be an issue if you're tight on space. Still, if you don't mind it taking up a bit of room, it provides decent overall value for the price, making it the best cheap soundbar we've tested to date. 

The best budget soundbar under $200 we've tested is the Polk Audio SIGNA S2. This 2.1 channel setup has an exciting v-shaped sound profile that brings out the bass and treble from your favorite tunes. It's also decently well-built and you can easily stream audio to it as it supports Bluetooth.

Thanks to its wireless subwoofer, you get a lot of bass that fans of EDM and hip-hop may especially enjoy. It also has a fairly well-balanced mid-range, which is great for TV shows or podcasts, and it can get pretty loud too, although some listeners may hear compression artifacts if you've got the volume cranked up to its max. There's a couple of handy features such as dialogue enhancement as well as an auto-volume mode that can help improve your listening experience. If you prefer to tweak your sound a bit, there are also EQ presets available as well as a bass adjustment feature which can help reduce some of the bar's overall boominess.

On the downside, this bar doesn't support DTS content and its fabric covering on the bar is prone to collecting dust or ripping. Its center channel also doesn't do the best job of producing clear, natural sound. If you're looking for another soundbar that has a slightly better center channel performance, take a look at the TCL Alto 7+. That being said, the Polk Audio SIGNA S2 still delivers good value overall and it's one of the best soundbars under $200 that we've tested to date too.

The best value soundbar under $300 we've tested so far is the Yamaha YAS-207. This 2.1 setup comes with a dedicated wireless subwoofer that can producer much deeper bass than all the other options on this list. The newer Yamaha YAS-209 has even better bass performance, but it's still a bit more expensive, so it's worth snagging the 207 while you still can.

When it comes to sound, the stereo performance of this soundbar is quite surprising. Its sound profile is very neutral and is suitable for a wide variety of content, from classical music to horror movies. It supports most surround formats found on Blu-ray discs or content coming from streaming apps. It has a dialogue enhancement feature that can help make voices a bit clearer, and you can also adjust the subwoofer level to get a bit more bass.

While the soundbar feels decently well-built overall, it’s covered by a mesh fabric that feels like it could quite easily rip, and tends to collect dust. Nevertheless, it’s still one of the best affordable soundbars we’ve tested so far thanks to its impressive cost-to-performance ratio.