Soundbars are often seen as a more convenient alternative to traditional home theater speaker systems. But, as more drivers and radiators are packed into a soundbar setup, they can become quite large. Some are too wide to keep underneath your computer monitor or on a smaller media console. While the best small soundbars generally don't sound as spacious as their wider counterparts due to the drivers' physical placement, their compact form makes them easier to set up wherever you'd like.
We've tested over 235 soundbars; below are the best compact soundbar recommendations. Also, check out our recommendations for the best budget soundbars, the best soundbars 5.1, and the best soundbars for music.
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 Small Soundbar
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is the best small soundbar we've tested. This premium model has the same compact footprint as the original Sonos Beam, measuring less than 26 inches in width. Thanks to its small size, it'll fit easily beneath your computer monitor or TV stand without taking up too much space. Also, unlike the first-gen model, this soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, so you can enjoy object-based formats from streaming services. If you move to a bigger space, you can expand your setup with compatible Sonos speakers.
Despite its small size, this 5.0-channel bar has a wider soundstage than its physical edges, providing a cinematic feel that makes it seem like you're right in the middle of the action. This feature helps it stand out from other high-end small soundbars, like the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini. However, the Sennheiser is more customizable, since it comes with a graphic EQ, which you may find worth its extra cost compared to the Sonos.
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Best Mid-Range Small Soundbar
If you want a more affordable option, consider the Samsung HW-S60D. This 5.0-channel bar offers a pretty versatile performance for the price, along with Dolby Atmos support for users who watch a lot of content on streaming platforms. It has a sleek design that's easy to integrate into your home decor and has built-in Alexa support for hands-free control. At less than 27 inches in width, the bar also doesn't take up much space in your setup.
This soundbar has many customization tools to maximize your listening experience, too; it has a room correction feature to optimize its sound to your space and a 7-band graphic EQ if you'd like to make some tweaks. Unlike the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), it also supports Bluetooth and Chromecast. That said, its stereo soundstage isn't quite as impressive as Sonos's, so you won't get the same wide sound reproduction if you're listening to music on the Samsung. Still, this matters less once you activate the side-firing drivers of both bars in higher-channel content.
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Best Budget Small Soundbar
The Roku Streambar is a great, budget-friendly alternative to our top picks. It's a 2.0-channel standalone with great features to improve your existing home theater setup. For example, it gives you access to Roku's media streamer, which organizes all your streaming services, like Netflix and Disney+, into one easy-to-use interface.
This well-built soundbar measures slightly less than 14 inches wide, making it the smallest entry on this list and more flexible for placement than the previous Samsung HW-S60D. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity allow you to use the bar wirelessly, and Apple users can also stream with Apple AirPlay 2.
However, the Roku's limited 2.0-channel count limits the bar's ability to bring your favorite movies to life. The lack of surround channels and lower low-end output compared to the Samsung make the Roku best suited for listening to vocal-centric content like podcasts, sitcoms, and documentaries. Still, it's worth a look if you're on a tight budget.
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Best Soundbar For Desktop Computers
While many people opt for a soundbar to enhance their TV's sound, you can also connect to your computer for a noticeable improvement over built-in display speakers. The Bose Smart Soundbar is the best small soundbar we've tested for this use. With a width of less than 28 inches, it's easy to place in front of your monitor. Since it's only about two inches tall, it's unlikely to obscure your screen. This bar's price is comparable to the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). However, it adds Bluetooth connectivity for a wireless connection option to your computer.
This soundbar doesn't deliver the same wide, immersive soundstage as the Sonos, but it still offers great sound. Dialogue is clear and accurate, and bass lovers can always purchase one (or more) of the brand's subwoofer modules to enhance the rumble in the mix. Bass and treble adjustments are also available to customize the bar's output. Plus, the built-in Amazon Alexa lets you control the bar with only your voice.
The bar supports Dolby Atmos content with dedicated up-firing drivers; however, you'll need a display that supports audio passthrough, or a way to split audio from your PC's HDMI output, as Dolby Atmos isn't typically supported over Bluetooth. Overall, it's great for casual computer users who are fine with reduced channel compatibility or higher Bluetooth latency, but if you want something better suited for gaming, consider the Razer Leviathan V2. While we haven't tested the bar, it supports USB audio directly from your PC, and works with Razer's own THX Spatial Audio.
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Best Flexible Soundbar
If you're more limited by your table rather than your space, you might want to consider a more flexible soundbar like the Hisense HT Saturn. It's a fair bit pricier than our top pick, but features four individual speakers and a subwoofer, meant to be set up in the four corners of your desired listening area. This 4.1.2-channel speaker configuration's lack of a central bar can create space on your TV stand or media table for your favorite gaming consoles or living room decor.
The benefits of this design aren't just about saving space; using two distinct speakers for the L/R channels creates a wider soundstage and a more speaker-like presentation for content like music. Still, the implementation isn't as good as the much more expensive Sony BRAVIA Theatre Quad with Bass Module, which you may also want to consider; though neither quad-speaker setup has a dedicated central channel, the Sony's phantom center reproduces panning objects more convincingly and without a gap in the middle of your stereo soundstage. Still, the Hisense gets louder, and its subwoofer delivers solid bass, resulting in a somewhat warm overall tuning. If you find it too bassy, you can always adjust the bass and treble levels using the dedicated controls. The bar supports all our tested audio formats, too, including object-based DTS:X and Dolby Atmos.
Notable Mentions
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Roku Streambar SE:
The Roku Streambar SE is a solid choice for budget-conscious buyers who want a soundbar that doubles as a TV streamer. It comes at an even lower price point than the Roku Streambar but sacrifices Dolby Digital support and compresses more at max volume. That said, it has a more balanced out-of-the-box frequency response, with more punch in the high bass.
See our review
Recent Updates
Mar 20, 2026:
We've verified our picks are still valid and added the Hisense HT Saturn as an extra pick for people looking for a more flexible design. Plus, we've streamlined the article by removing some products from Notable Mentions.
Nov 24, 2025:
We've updated the text for accuracy, ensured our picks are still valid, and replaced the Samsung HW-S60B with the Samsung HW-S60D due to the limited availability of the HW-S60B.
Apr 16, 2025:
All our picks are still in stock, and we haven't tested any small soundbars recently, so we've made only minor edits to the text for clarity.
Jan 20, 2025:
We added the Samsung HW-S60D as an alternative pick in the mid-range category for anyone who prioritizes eARC support. The Bose Smart Soundbar replaces the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 as our 'Best Soundbar For Computer Use' pick because it's more widely available and cheaper. Finally, we restructured the article by removing the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Small Soundbar' category to better distinguish between the performance and features of soundbars at different price points.
Oct 11, 2024: We've added the Roku Streambar SE as a Notable Mention due to its wireless streaming capabilities at a budget price. Otherwise, we've only made minor changes to the text.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best compact soundbars, the best mini soundbars, and the best soundbars for computers 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 the list of all our soundbar reviews, sorted by bar width. 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.