The 4 Best Soundbars Under $100 - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best soundbar under $100 we've tested is the Hisense HS2100. While the price is technically just a touch above the $100 mark, the extra couple of dollars make all the difference, especially if you're looking to upgrade from your TV's speakers. This bar has a compact subwoofer, bringing plenty of punch and boom to your audio. Dialogue and instruments sound natural but lack brilliance. Luckily, a couple of EQ presets are available to help you get the best sound from your setup.

Since this bar has a 2.1 configuration, it has to downmix surround formats like Dolby Digital into stereo. Unfortunately, the resulting sound isn't the most immersive or dimensional, which can be especially disappointing if you love watching movies. This bar can get loud, but there's some compression at regular and high volume, which affects the quality of your audio. On the upside, it has ARC and Optical ports, both of which support Dolby Digital and DTS, which are commonly available when streaming or using Blu-rays. You can also connect your smartphone to this bar via Bluetooth if you want to play music.

If a few bucks will make or break your budget, then consider the Sony HT-S100F. This bar is often found under $100, but it lacks a subwoofer, so your audio lacks thumpy, boomy bass, and this model doesn't support the DTS format. It has less compression at max volume, so you'll get clear sound if you like to crank up the tunes.

If you can spend more on your soundbar, check out our recommendations for the best soundbars under $200.

If you have even less space in your living room, consider the Roku Streambar. Unlike the Hisense HS2100, it's a standalone bar, but it boasts an even smaller footprint, so it takes up less space in your living room. At less than 14 inches in width, you can easily slide this budget-friendly soundbar into the space beneath your television screen. Plus, it has a premium build for the price, which is a nice touch for design-conscious shoppers. With built-in access to Roku's media streamer, the bar lets you organize all your favorite streaming services into one easy-to-use interface. It can occasionally retail for more than our $100 price point, but you may still find a good deal.

If you're on a strict budget, you can opt for the LG SK1 instead. This soundbar is another small, standalone model, and while it's a touch wider than the Roku, it's still quite easy to integrate into your setup. It has far fewer features than the Roku, so you don't get access to a media streamer, and there's no dialogue enhancement tool. Plus, there's no HDMI ARC port to help reduce the number of cables in your setup. If you plan to connect your bar to a TV over Optical, it's still a fair choice, with a small, compact design and a solid sound quality that makes for a noticeable upgrade over your existing TV speakers.

Want lots of thump and rumble? Love to feel the power in the bass? The truth is that most soundbars in this price range can't bring the deep, cinematic rumble of more premium models on the market. Still, even for those shopping on a budget, some options are available. The Creative Stage is the best of the bunch since this soundbar comes with a dedicated subwoofer to improve its low-frequency extension. As a result, you'll notice more punch and warmth in genres like EDM and hip-hop than other budget models like the Roku Streambar.

At less than 22 inches in width, this soundbar is another great choice for a smaller living room or the space underneath your computer monitor. Its build quality isn't the best, though, and it doesn't support a lot of audio formats. Compared to the Hisense HS2100, this bar is designed only for 2.0 PCM content, which is disappointing if you want to take advantage of other options like Dolby Digital or DTS. If you're willing to spend a little more than $100, the TCL Alto 6+ is another soundbar with a subwoofer that supports more audio formats.

The TCL Alto 6 is an even cheaper alternative to our top picks that still provides decent sound quality for the price. It's another budget-friendly standalone model designed as an affordable upgrade over your traditional TV speakers. It gets loud, too, and it's also Bluetooth-compatible for easy music streaming from your smartphone. That said, it can be hard to find in stock.

This 2.0 soundbar is really only designed for stereo content. Unlike the Creative Stage, it can playback some surround sound formats like Dolby Digital, though it has to downmix them into stereo to play them back. Dialogue and instruments reproduce with overall clarity, which is nice. However, this bar lacks a lot of punch and rumble in the low bass, especially in genres like EDM and hip-hop. This is true even compared to other budget standalone bars. Still, if you just want to save money, this bar is a good place to start.