The 6 Best Soundbars For Dialogue - Winter 2022 Reviews

The Samsung HW-Q950A is the best soundbar for dialogue clarity that we've tested. This premium 11.1.4 setup offers a very versatile overall performance, and its discrete center channel accurately localizes voices to a pinpoint location in the sound image. It also has a very balanced and neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, so voices are reproduced clearly and with detail.

This setup comes with many sound enhancement features to help improve your listening experience, including an Auto EQ room correction feature and a graphic EQ for sound customization. You can also use its Active Voice Amplifier to make voices in your TV shows sound more clear and crisp, and its auto-volume mode helps balance the volume level across different programs. It also supports many wireless playback options, so you can wirelessly stream podcasts and audiobooks to the bar.

Unfortunately, though it has a good build quality overall, the fabric covering the bar and the satellites seem like they could rip or get dirty easily. Also, you can't wirelessly stream audio to the bar via Chromecast built-in, which could be disappointing for some users. That said, this versatile setup is a solid choice for listeners who want to hear dialogue clearly in music, movies, and TV shows.

The best soundbar for speech clarity with a standalone design that we've tested is the Bose Smart Soundbar 900. This 5.0.2 setup has a very premium design, and its discrete center channel can anchor voices to a pinpoint location in the soundstage. It also uses PhaseGuide technology to beam sound throughout your room, creating a wide, immersive soundstage that rivals many setups with satellite speakers that we've tested.

This soundbar comes with an ADAPTiQ room correction feature that optimizes audio reproduction based on your room's unique acoustics. With this feature turned on, it has a very neutral, balanced sound profile that ensures voices are reproduced clearly and accurately. You can even use its dialogue enhancement feature to make voices seem more clear and crisp.

Unfortunately, this soundbar doesn't have an auto-volume feature, which can be disappointing for users who want to balance out the volume level between their TV programs and commercials when watching at night. There also isn't an EQ available to help you customize its sound. That said, its bass and treble adjustments may be sufficient for most listeners.

The best soundbar for dialogue with a small design that we've tested is the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). This 5.0 setup has a very small, compact design like the original Sonos Beam, but it adds support for Dolby Atmos content. Despite its small size, its side-firing speakers still create an impressive soundstage performance, so you feel immersed in your audio.

You can use a compatible iOS device to activate its Trueplay room correction feature, which automatically optimizes audio reproduction based on your room's acoustics. With this feature on, voices are reproduced pretty clearly, though they can be slightly muddled at times. However, you can use its Voice Enhancement feature if you want to clarify the dialogue in your audio.

Unfortunately, this small soundbar doesn't get very loud, and there's some compression when you push it to its max volume. It also doesn't offer Bluetooth connectivity, which can be disappointing if you like to stream podcasts to your soundbar. That said, you can still playback audio wirelessly via Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay 2.

The best soundbar for dialogue in the budget range we tested is the Vizio V Series V51-H6. This 5.1 setup has a very balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, especially in the mid-range, where most voices are reproduced. As a result, the dialogue in vocal-centric content like TV shows and podcasts is clear and detailed. You can even use the dialogue enhancement mode to make them more crisp.

This setup comes with a dedicated subwoofer as well as two discrete satellite speakers. It supports surround content, and its satellites help to more accurately localize surround objects within the sound image. There are also a couple of EQ presets as well as bass and treble adjustments available to help you customize its sound based on your preferences.

Unfortunately, this soundbar doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, which can be disappointing if you like to watch movies. Also, it lacks a Full HDMI In port, so you can't use it as a hub between different devices like your PC and your TV. That said, you can still connect it to your TV via ARC or Optical In.