The 6 Best Budget Soundbars - Winter 2020
Reviews

The best cheap soundbar we've tested so far is the Sony HT-S100F. This is a standalone entry-level soundbar from Sony that performs decently, despite its price. The soundbar itself is fairly unassuming. The top is covered with a faux-leather while the front grill is metal, all in a matte black color. The overall build quality is decent and you shouldn't have any issues with it. Do note, however, that the soundbar itself is quite large and won't fit between the legs of a 55 inch TV or smaller, so you may have to adjust the placement accordingly.

Unfortunately, since it doesn't have a wireless subwoofer, it doesn't perform very well with low bass and lacks deep thump and rumble. On the upside, it's a very affordable option if you only want to stream music via Bluetooth and if you only watch TV shows or movies here and then. It even supports Dolby Digital content, but it will be downmixed to stereo due to the speakers' configuration of the bar. It's an overall very straightforward bar but does a good job if you're not looking for a top-of-the-line product.

If you're only looking to upgrade the sound from your TV's integrated speakers and you're on a tight budget, this soundbar will do the job.

The best budget soundbar under $200 we've tested so far is the TCL Alto 7+. This soundbar set up comes with a dedicated subwoofer for deeper bass, so it's a better choice for movies than some of the cheaper models we've reviewed. It feels surprisingly well-built for a budget soundbar, with a durable plastic and metal build. It also comes with lots of cables and accessories, like a wall-mounting kit, which is quite nice at this price point.

Its sound signature is fairly neutral, but it performs noticeably better in the treble range than the Sony HT-S100F. This results in brighter sounding vocals and dialogue in TV shows. There are a few EQ presets as well, which offer a bit of customization depending on what type of content you're listening to. It even supports Dolby Digital over HDMI ARC, but don't expect a very immersive surround performance, since everything is downmixed to 2.0.

Unfortunately, if you like listening to movies or music at a very high volume, this soundbar might not be the optimal choice. Although it can get loud, it has trouble performing well when pushed to its limits. There's some audible compression, especially in the bass range. On the upside, it's quite sturdy for its price point and will offer decent performance for people who aren't looking for the most premium setup.

The best soundbar under $300 we've tested so far is the Yamaha YAS-207. This soundbar has plenty of connection options, whether you want to use wired to your TV or even wirelessly via Bluetooth. It also has a dedicated app if you plan on using it often with your phone. This setup comes with a wireless subwoofer that offers decent overall performance and should please most users.

Its stereo sound profile is surprisingly well-balanced and neutral, which is great at this price point, making it one of the best budget soundbars. Even if it doesn't have a dedicated center channel, it does a good job of making dialogue clear and still provides more bass than most budget options on this list. You can also get it to play at very loud volumes, although this isn't recommended as there's audible compression when pushing the bar to its limits. However, most people shouldn't normally notice this.

Although the bar is fairly well-built, especially for the price point, it's almost entirely covered by mesh-like fabric that doesn't feel very high-end. It's prone to tearing and can quickly become dirty and catches dust and pet hair. Also, even if it comes with dedicated wireless subwoofer, people might feel like it doesn't perform as well as more high-end products, and results in a bit disappointing low-bass. Nevertheless, this soundbar has one of the best performance to price ratios and will offer great value for users.