The 6 Best Soundbars For Dialogue - Summer 2021 Reviews

The best soundbar for dialogue clarity we tested is the Vizio M Series M51a-H6. Thanks to its discrete center channel, it can reproduce voices clearly and accurately. It has a dialogue enhancement feature to help make voices clear and crisp and a TruVolume mode to help balance the volume level across different programs.

Out-of-the-box, this soundbar offers a very neutral, balanced sound profile, especially in the mid-range, where most voices are reproduced. A few EQ presets are available to help you customize its sound, and it also gets pretty loud, which is nice. It's also Bluetooth-compatible, making it easy to stream podcasts and audiobooks from your mobile devices to the bar.

Unfortunately, it doesn't offer as much wireless playback support as some of the other soundbars we've tested, like the Vizio Elevate, which also supports Wi-Fi and Chromecast built-in. Also, while it's decently well-built overall, the fabric covering the bar seems like it could rip or get dirty easily. That said, if you're looking for a versatile soundbar that also reproduces dialogue clearly, it's a solid choice.

The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar is the best standalone soundbar for dialogue that we've tested. This 5.1.4 setup has a unique design with 13 speakers that help create a more immersive listening experience without satellite speakers. It has a discrete center channel, too, so voices are reproduced clearly and with detail.

Out-of-the-box, it offers a neutral, balanced mid-range that's suitable for dialogue-centric content like podcasts and TV shows. There's also a graphic EQ and presets available to help you customize its sound, as well as a room correction feature to optimize audio reproduction based on your room. If you want to make voices clear and crisp, you can also use its dialogue enhancement feature.

Unfortunately, it's pretty big and tall, so it may not fit very easily into your existing setup. Also, it lacks some bass out-of-the-box, so you don't feel the deep thump and rumble in action-packed movies. However, this shouldn't be too noticeable since there usually isn't much bass reproduced with dialogue-heavy content. You can also use its bass adjustment feature to add more punch to your audio.

The Sonos Beam is the best soundbar for dialogue that we've tested if you prefer a small bar. This compact 3.0 channel model packs a punch for its small size. It has a well-balanced sound profile, and its dedicated center channel helps to provide clear dialogue for your favorite TV shows or podcasts.

It has a lot of sound enhancement features that can help immerse you in your audio. Its room correction feature allows it to adapt to your room setup, reproducing audio that sounds more accurate. There's also a night mode and a dialogue enhancement feature that can help make voices clear and easier to understand at any volume. If you want to upgrade this setup down the line, it's easy as Sonos also sells wireless subwoofers or rear speakers separately.

Unfortunately, it lacks connectivity options like a full HDMI In port. You can't stream podcasts from your mobile device using Bluetooth, and there's no DTS support. That said, it's still a solid choice for listeners who want to improve their TV experience without taking up a lot of space.

The best soundbar for dialogue in the budget range we tested is the Vizio V Series V51-H6. Thanks to its dedicated center channel, this 5.1 soundbar can reproduce dialogue clearly and more accurately. It comes with a dialogue enhancement feature to help make voices clear and crisp and a TruVolume feature to help provide a consistent volume across different programs.

Out-of-the-box, it has a very neutral, balanced sound profile that makes it suitable for listening to lots of different types of audio content, and its balanced mid-range reproduces clear and accurate dialogue. There are also a few EQ presets available to help you customize its sound more to your liking. Also, this bar gets loud enough for use at parties or in large rooms, which is handy.

Unfortunately, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, which can be disappointing for movie fans. Also, it lacks a Full HDMI In port, so you can't use it as a hub between your different devices. If you're on a budget, this soundbar is still an impressive choice for vocal-centric content.