The 6 Best Soundbars Under $500 - Spring 2021 Reviews

The Vizio M Series M51a-H6 is the best soundbar under $500 that we've tested. This 5.1 setup comes with a dedicated subwoofer for two satellite speakers, and it offers a very versatile overall performance. It has a good surrounds performance, and it also supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X content, so it's a great choice for movie fans.

Out-of-the-box, it has a very neutral, balanced sound profile suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content, and its sub adds a little extra punch in the bass range that can please fans of bass-heavy genres like EDM. It even comes with bass and treble adjustments, as well as a few EQ presets to help you customize its sound more to your liking. It gets loud enough to use in large rooms or at crowded parties, too.

Unfortunately, it lacks some more premium sound enhancement features like a graphic EQ for greater sound customization or a room correction feature to help adjust its audio reproduction based on the room you're listening in. It also has a mediocre selection of wireless playback options, so you can't stream audio to the bar wirelessly over Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay, or Chromecast built-in. That said, it's Bluetooth-compatible, so you can pair Bluetooth devices like your smartphone or tablet to the bar wirelessly to play your music.

The Klipsch Cinema 600 is the best soundbar under $500 for dialogue that we've tested. Thanks to its dedicated center channel, this 3.1 setup helps to more clearly and accurately reproduce voices in dialogue-centric content like TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks. You can also use its dialogue enhancement feature to help makes voices sound more crisp and clear, or its auto-volume mode to help balance the volume level between different programs.

Out-of-the-box, it has a very neutral, though slightly bright sound profile that's suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content. There's also a subwoofer level adjustment to help you customize its sound more to your liking. It's Bluetooth-compatible, so you can wirelessly stream podcasts and audiobooks from your smartphone or tablet to the bar.

Unfortunately, while it supports surround content, it has to downmix it into stereo to play it, which doesn't sound as immersive. It also doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, and it doesn't have a Full HDMI In port, so you can't really use it as a hub between different devices. However, if you're looking for a more simple setup for listening to vocal-centric content, it's a solid choice.

The Sonos Beam is the best small soundbar under $500 that we've tested. If you don't have much room on your TV stand, this 3.0 channel model manages to have a small footprint while still delivering a fairly well-balanced sound. Its compact size should also fit between the legs of most 55 inch or larger TVs. Still, if you decide you need an even better audio experience down the line, you can expand this setup by purchasing its subwoofer and satellites sold separately.

Although it has a plain-looking design, it has a robust and solid build. Its side-firing speakers help create a wide soundstage for a more immersive listening experience, while features like room correction and dialogue enhancement can further improve audio clarity. You can control all of its settings directly in the Sonos Controller companion app, and you can even set up alarms and link up all of your streaming services in one place so you can quickly search through all of your audio libraries in one go.

Unfortunately, since it doesn't come with a subwoofer, it struggles to produce low-bass. While it has bass and treble adjustment features that can help compensate for it, unfortunately, it lacks a proper EQ. It also doesn't support Atmos and doesn't have Bluetooth connectivity, which is a bit disappointing. That said, this compact soundbar offers an immersive sound experience that can be further upgraded in the future.

The Yahama YAS-408 is the best 2.1 soundbar under $500 that we've tested. It's also known as the Yahama MusicCast BAR 400 as it supports MusicCast, which allows you to stream your favorite audio to different rooms if you have compatible devices, but we don't currently test this feature. It also comes with a wireless subwoofer, which makes this a step up from your TV's built-in speakers.

It has a very neutral sound profile, and while it's similar to the Yamaha YAS-207 in this regard, it feels better built. It can reproduce a boomy bass, which is great for action-packed movies or musical genres like EDM and hip-hop. If you like to listen to vocal-centric content like podcasts or TV shows, it can also reproduce speech well. It can get loud, but there are some compression artifacts at max volume. You can even wirelessly stream your favorite content to the bar using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Unfortunately, it lacks a lot of sound enhancement features like an EQ or room correction. Its surround performance is also disappointing as it has to downmix this content into stereo to play it. It also doesn't support Atmos, which can be disappointing if you're a big movie fan. That said, if you're looking for a straightforward 2.1 setup, this is a solid choice.