If you've grown tired of blown-out TV speakers with their boxy, honky voices and lack of oomph in the bass, you may be looking to a soundbar to solve your audio woes. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options for under $500. If you're short on space, a compact standalone bar is a great option. And if immersion is your top priority, look for full surround systems with subwoofers and satellite speakers. The best soundbars are user-friendly, have relatively balanced audio, and support a wide range of audio formats.
We've tested over 255 soundbars. Below are our recommendations for the top soundbars under $500. Also, check out our picks for the overall best soundbars, the best Dolby Atmos soundbars if you watch a lot of movies, and the best budget soundbars if you're on an even tighter budget.
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 250 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 $500
The Hisense AX5140Q is the best soundbar under $500 we've tested. It's a solid choice for everything from music to movies to TV shows. The 5.1.4-channel kit includes a dedicated subwoofer and two discrete satellites. Its balanced sound keeps vocals clear, while the satellites and four up-firing drivers ensure movie soundtracks feel more immersive. The bar also features some sound customizations you'd typically find in more premium setups: a graphic EQ, independent channel-level adjustments, a night mode, and dialogue enhancement. Still, you'll miss out on room correction unless you have a supported Hisense TV, though we didn't find the feature made too much difference when we tested it in our room (with a compatible Hisense TV).
For older TVs, it has an optical input, while its HDMI In and eARC connections support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for movies and shows. That means you're covered whether you're watching a movie from your Blu-ray collection or Netflix. If you need as much rumbly bass as possible, consider the 5.1-channel Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus with Sub + Speakers. Just keep in mind you'll sacrifice the up-firing drivers for the extra low-end output.
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Best Soundbar Without Satellites Under $500
Depending on your room's layout, you may not have enough space for a soundbar with dedicated satellite speakers, such as those included with the Hisense AX5140Q. In that case, you'll want to look at bar-and-sub combos like the Samsung HW-B750F. This 5.1 setup consists of a soundbar and a subwoofer, and that's it. You'll miss out on object-based audio formats like Dolby Atmos, but not everyone needs a soundbar that can decode this format. What it does offer is a clean, clear sound that is well-suited for a variety of audio content, including music and TV shows. It's a great pick if you want a budget-friendly option with a subwoofer.
While this setup doesn't have satellite speakers, its side-firing drivers help to create a wide stereo soundstage. However, surround effects aren't as convincing as they are on the Hisense AX5140Q. Still, by default, the bar has a well-balanced sound profile with a bit of extra punch and warmth. Its dedicated center channel keeps dialogue comprehensible during busy cutscenes. However, there's no room correction, so the bar can sound a little different depending on your room's acoustics. If room correction is a priority, consider the JBL Bar 500MK2 instead. It has a bass-heavy sound, supports 4k @ 60Hz video passthrough, and plays Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content, though it also lacks up-firing drivers for convincing height effects.
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Best Small Soundbar Under $500
If you don't have much space in your setup, you can always opt for a small standalone bar like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). Since it doesn't come with a subwoofer like the Samsung HW-B750F, it takes up even less space in your listening environment. The bar is less than 26 inches wide, so it easily fits under most TVs with feet at either end, like those made by Sony. But unlike the Samsung, the Sonos doesn't support Bluetooth, so you'll need Wi-Fi to stream music wirelessly.
If you don't need Bluetooth, this soundbar has many of the same features as Sonos's more premium offerings. For example, its companion app lets you connect the bar with other Sonos products to spread audio throughout your home. Also, the room correction tool automatically calibrates the bar's output based on your room's unique acoustics. It's only available on iOS devices at this time, but if you're an Android user, you can still manually adjust the bar's sound using its bass and treble controls. If you want a compact bar-and-subwoofer setup rather than a standalone bar, consider the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5. It gets louder and delivers more bass than the Sonos, but it lacks the option to connect via Wi-Fi.
Notable Mentions
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Vizio SV510X-0806:
The Vizio SV510X-0806 is a 5.1 setup that's significantly cheaper than the 5.1.4-channel Hisense AX5140Q. While it can play back Dolby Atmos content, it doesn't have up-firing drivers like the Hisense, which limits the sensation of height from movie audio.
See our review -
Bose Smart Soundbar:
The Bose Smart Soundbar can reach higher volumes with less compression than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). If you already own Bose products, it could make a good alternative. However, the Sonos has a wider stereo soundstage that works well with music and TV shows.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 20, 2026:
We checked that our picks are accurate and in stock, but haven't changed them.
Aug 19, 2026:
We've mentioned the JBL Bar 500MK2 as a comparison to the Samsung HW-B750F for its room-correction feature and more robust bass response. Otherwise, we've made minor tweaks to the text throughout to improve flow.
Jul 03, 2026:
We've double-checked our picks for relevance and stock and made minor edits to the article to improve conciseness.
May 21, 2026:
We've mentioned the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 in the text for our 'Best Small Soundbar' pick, as it offers a good alternative to the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) for those who prefer a discrete subwoofer.
Apr 03, 2026:
We've tightened up the text in a couple of places but haven't changed our picks.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top soundbars under $500 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'd like to choose for yourself, here's our full list of reviews of soundbars under $500. 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.