If your budget is under $200, you might be worried you won't find a good soundbar for your home theater system. While budget soundbars usually don't have the same surround sound options as some of the more expensive soundbars out there, you can still find something decent at this price point.
We've tested over 230 soundbars; below, you'll find the best that cost under $200. See our recommendations for the best small soundbars, the best budget soundbars, and the best soundbars under $300.
Quick Look
Our recommendations are built upon our thorough testing and rigorous reviews. Every soundbar we evaluate goes through multiple testing stages with different teams to ensure accurate, authentic results. No cherry-picked units or data.
Curious how we've tested over 200 soundbars (and counting)? Look at our How We Test Soundbars article for a behind-the-scenes look at our lab and process.
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Best Soundbar Under $200
Movies7.1Music7.3Dialogue/TV Shows7.7Mixed Usage7.3Stereo Frequency Response7.3Center8.0See all our test resultsSurround 5.17.7The best soundbar under $200 we've tested is the Vizio SV510X-0806. This versatile soundbar shines with different audio content, from music to movies to TV shows, for a budget-friendly price. It even has discrete satellite speakers, which is uncommon in this price range. Adding satellites to your setup makes a huge difference, especially when watching surround sound content like Dolby Digital. This bar supports Dolby Atmos, which can make for particularly immersive audio, although it lacks dedicated upfiring drivers. Still, sound effects stretch both above you and around your couch, so you feel like your favorite scenes are taking place all around you.
Since this soundbar has a 5.1 setup, it comes with a discrete center channel designed to improve vocal clarity in the mix. As a result, it's really easy to follow along with conversations between characters on screen. Plus, the dedicated sub brings out the thump and rumble in more intense scenes. If you want a different sound, you can customize this bar's output thanks to its bass and treble adjustments, as well as adjust the levels of the center, surround, height, and subwoofer channels. Music and podcasts are also easy to stream to the bar over Bluetooth. That said, it lacks the optical support that you can find on more expensive bars like the Hisense HS5100. If Optical support is essential, the older bar performs very similarly but has an ARC port instead of an eARC, and it isn't compatible with Dolby Atmos. Overall, the SV510X-0806 offers a great price-to-performance ratio, making it a standout pick that can please many different types of listeners.
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Best Soundbar Without Satellites Under $200
Movies6.7Music7.5Dialogue/TV Shows7.5Mixed Usage7.1Stereo Frequency Response7.4Center6.8See all our test resultsSurround 5.14.4Depending on the shape and size of your living room, you might not have space for a setup with rear speakers. In that case, the TCL S55H is worth a look. This 2.1 well-built setup offers a balanced performance without taking up too much space in your home. Thanks to its sub, it delivers a boomy, punchy bass. At the same time, dialogue and instruments sound clear and natural. If you prefer something different, there are a few sound enhancement features like EQ presets to give you a bit more control, as well as viewing options like 'Night' mode, which tries to compress the dynamic range so loud explosions don't disturb your neighbours.
This bar can get loud enough to fill the average room with sound, and even though there's a little bit of compression at max volume, it isn't very noticeable. It only delivers stereo sound, so your audio isn't the most immersive or dimensional, as sound effects seem to come from out in front of you rather than around you, but it's a good choice for stereo mixes. That said, it does support height formats like Dolby Atmos, which is common on Blu-rays and streaming platforms. Without up-firing drivers, the effect is limited, but the support is nice to have. Still, if you're a die-hard movie lover, you'll either want to upgrade this bar with rear speakers or go with the Vizio SV510X-0806 instead.
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Best Standalone Soundbar Under $200
Movies5.5Music6.4Dialogue/TV Shows7.1Mixed Usage6.2Stereo Frequency Response6.6Center6.5See all our test resultsSurround 5.12.2The Sony HT-S100F is the best standalone soundbar under $200. If you're low on room or simply won't miss the extra bass, this bar might be just what you're looking for. It's a 2.0 setup, meaning surround sound is downmixed to stereo. Sony tries to mitigate this with their always-on surround mode called S-Force Front Surround, but the effect isn't very convincing. If you know you like hearing sound coming from all around you, then check out our top pick, the Vizio SV510X-0806, which has dedicated satellite speakers. However, for content like sitcoms, reality TV, and documentaries, the adequately balanced stereo frequency response is good enough. Unfortunately, the bar does lack brightness in the treble range, so voices sound muffled and lacking in detail. You can tweak this to some extent using the included EQ presets, but you're never going to get the detail you would from a more balanced bar. There's also no room correction feature, and lacking a sub, low-end thump is out of the question, so techno fans will be better off with the TCL S55H.
At this price, you usually have to make a lot of sacrifices when it comes to connectivity and passthrough, and this bar is no exception. The Sony doesn't support DTS, and there's no dedicated HDMI In port. On the plus side, latency via ARC is superb, so you shouldn't experience any AC sync issues, and the Optical support is decent, too. You can connect your phone to the bar to play audio via Bluetooth, but there's no support for Wi-Fi playback or Apple AirPlay. All in all, it's a pretty stripped-back affair, but that's par for the course at this price.
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Best Small Soundbar Under $200
Movies5.4Music6.4Dialogue/TV Shows6.6Mixed Usage6.0Stereo Frequency Response6.0Center6.6See all our test resultsSurround 5.13.2A small soundbar is a great way to improve your TV's sound without taking up much space in your living room. The Roku Streambar is one of the best we've tested and is usually available for well under $200. Measuring less than 14 inches wide, this soundbar is a great way to improve your TV's sound without cluttering your living area. Out of the box, it has an acceptable frequency response. The treble is slightly recessed, which can make effects like clashing swords lose excitement, and without a sub, the bass is quite subdued. You can improve this by adding a subwoofer that's sold separately. If you'd rather go without the extra expense, we suggest raising the bass by a few notches in the companion app, but always do this to suit your own personal taste. It doesn't support DTS but does support Dolby Digital, though, and since it's a 2.0 bar, it downmixes surround content.
As a more affordable bar, it comes with plenty of compromises on features. There's no room correction, but you can choose between a selection of EQ presets and, as already alluded to, adjust the bass and treble amount in broad strokes. Given its smaller size, it can't get as loud as larger options on our list, like the Vizio SV510X-0806. And if you're on an even tighter budget or need something smaller, the Roku Streambar SE is a good alternative. It's less than 10 inches wide, but it doesn't get as loud as the regular Streambar, and doesn't support Dolby Digital.
Notable Mentions
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Hisense HS2100:
The Hisense HS2100 is a great budget 2.1 soundbar alternative to the TCL S55H if you want to stay well under $200. While the Hisense has a more balanced default sound than the TCL, it can't get as loud as our pick and doesn't support Atmos.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 07, 2025:
We've refreshed this article to bring our picks back under the $200 cap. Our new pick for 'Best Soundbar Without Satellites' is the TCL S55H for its useful Atmos compatibility. The Sony HT-S100F is our new 'Best Standalone Soundbar,' with the Roku Streambar our pick for 'Best Small Soundbar.'
Aug 26, 2025:
This article's picks have been updated to include the Hisense HS5100 as an alternative to the Vizio SV510X-0806. The out-of-stock Vizio M Series M213ad-K8 was replaced with the Samsung HW-S60D for the best standalone. The format was also updated to follow our current guidelines.
Apr 14, 2025:
The Hisense HS2100 has been added to the Notable Mentions as a 2.1 alternative. Otherwise, the text has been slightly edited for clarity with no changes to the picks.
Jan 13, 2025:
Our new top pick is the Vizio SV510X-0806 because it supports Dolby Atmos and is currently a little cheaper than the Vizio V Series V51x-J6. The Vizio V Series V51x-J6 is an alternative choice for anyone who needs an optical connection.
Sep 17, 2024: This article has been checked for accuracy and stock with no changes to the picks.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top soundbars under $200 for most people to buy. We factor in the price (a cheaper soundbar wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no soundbars that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our reviews of soundbars under $200. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. No soundbar is perfect. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.