Movie fans often say that sound is half of the experience. It draws you into the movie, significantly increasing the immersion and making you feel like it's all around you. While no TV can deliver a true movie-like experience without an external surround sound system or soundbar, a TV with good speakers can go a long way into drawing you into the experience. You want a TV to be loud enough to match your environment, while also delivering a clear frequency response that brings dialogue out and makes it easy to understand. Keep in mind that the vast majority of TVs offer very little deep bass; as they've gotten thinner, speakers have had to shrink too.
Below are our recommendations for the TVs with the best sound you can buy. If you're more concerned about image quality, make sure to check out recommendations for the best TVs, the best outdoor TVs, and the best smart TVs. You can also vote on which new models you want us to purchase and test. To learn more about the new TVs coming out soon, check out our 2026 TV lineup page.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
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Best Sounding TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Max:dB SPLStd. Dev. @ 80:dBSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 77" 83"The Samsung S95H OLED is the best-sounding TV that we've tested. It features 70W speakers in a 4.2.2 channel configuration, with up-firing Atmos speakers that add an extra audio dimension to your favorite movies. It has a good frequency response, with a well-balanced sound profile that delivers clear dialogue that's easy to understand, but like most TVs, it doesn't deliver much deep bass. It can also be paired with a compatible Samsung soundbar and still use the TV's speakers as a center channel.
Not only does it sound good, but it delivers fantastic picture quality. It looks amazing in a dark room thanks to its deep, inky blacks, without a trace of light glow around bright details. It's also incredibly bright and vibrant, so bright details in movies stand out well, and bright scenes look impressive. It's great for gaming thanks to its wide range of gaming features, including low input lag, VRR support to reduce tearing, and four HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can take full advantage of multiple gaming devices.
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Best Sounding Mid-Range TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Max:dB SPLStd. Dev. @ 80:dBSee all our test resultsSizes:50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 98"If you want something a bit cheaper, the best sounding mid-range TV we've tested is the Sony BRAVIA 7 II. The TV's speakers aren't nearly as powerful as the Samsung S95H OLED's, with a 40W package in a 2.2 channel setup, meaning there are no up-firing Atmos speakers, and movies don't sound as full. It still delivers a decent frequency response, with a well-balanced sound profile at moderate listening levels. It gets very loud, but as you increase the volume, sound effects tend to drown out voices a bit.
Of course, you want a TV that looks great as well, and the BRAVIA 7 II doesn't disappoint. While blacks aren't quite as deep as they are on the Samsung above, it still delivers an excellent home theater experience. It gets very bright, so small details stand out incredibly well, and colors are extremely bright and vibrant. It has a good selection of gaming features as well, but again, it's not quite as advanced as the Samsung, with two HDMI 2.1 ports instead of the Samsung's four.
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Best Sounding Lower Mid-Range TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Max:dB SPLStd. Dev. @ 80:dBSee all our test resultsSizes:55" 65" 75" 85" 100"If you want a cheaper option than the Sony BRAVIA 7 II without sacrificing sound quality, the Hisense U7SG is the best-sounding lower mid-range TV we've tested so far. It features 50 or 60W speakers (depending on the size) in a 2.1.2 channel configuration. Its built-in subwoofer delivers deeper bass than many similarly-priced models, and it features two surround-channel speakers to improve its sound stage. It has a well-balanced sound profile overall, but dialogue can be a bit more boxy than the Sony.
As for picture quality and extra features, it's a surprisingly well-equipped model. It actually looks better than the Sony in a bright room, thanks to its anti-reflective coating. It's also a great model for home theater use, with deep blacks in most scenes. Its local dimming feature isn't as advanced as the Sony's, though, and you'll see more light glow around bright details and subtitles. It's packed with gaming features, including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, VRR support to reduce screen tearing, and a boosted refresh rate mode for PC gamers.
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Best Sounding Budget TV
Mixed UsageHome TheaterBright RoomSportsGamingBrightnessBlack LevelColorMotion HandlingGame Mode ResponsivenessProcessing (In Development)Max:dB SPLStd. Dev. @ 80:dBSee all our test resultsSizes:43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"If you want a TV that doesn't break the bank but offers alright sound quality, check out the Samsung M70H instead. This budget model delivers considerably worse picture quality than the other options on this list, but it delivers surprising sound quality. With two 20W channel speakers, it won't fill a room with booming sound, but it's fine for quieter spaces or late-night watching when you don't want to wake the family. It has a fairly well-balanced sound profile, with very clear dialogue and only minor compression at max volume.
On the other hand, this TV is very basic when it comes to extra features and picture quality. It's best-suited for a moderately-lit or dim, but not completely dark room, as it has fairly low contrast, no local dimming, and low peak brightness. It has a few basic gaming features, like VRR support to reduce screen tearing, but it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. This is just fine for casual console gamers, but if you're into competitive esports or action-based games, the higher-end models like the Hisense U7SG are a better choice.
Notable Mentions
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Sony BRAVIA 9 II:
The Sony BRAVIA 9 II is an excellent TV overall that competes closely with the Samsung S95H OLED. Its built-in surround sound speakers deliver a decent frequency response, but the TV itself isn't as versatile as the Samsung.
See our review
Recent Updates
Sep 16, 2026:
We updated all of our picks to 2026 models, adding the Samsung S95H OLED as the top pick, the Sony BRAVIA 7 II as the mid-range pick, and the Samsung M70H as the budget pick. We also added a new lower mid-range category with the Hisense U7SG.
Jun 16, 2026:
We replaced the Panasonic Z95B OLED with the Sony BRAVIA 9, as the Panasonic is now very hard to find. We also refreshed our text throughout for clarity.
Mar 19, 2026:
We moved the Sony BRAVIA 9 to the Notable Mentions, and updated that section with more relevant alternatives to our recommendations.
Nov 19, 2025:
Replaced the Panasonic Z95A OLED with the Panasonic Z95B OLED in the 'Best Sounding TV' category, the Sony BRAVIA 5 with the TCL QM8K in the 'Best Sounding Mid-Range TV' category, and the Hisense U6N with the TCL QM6K in the 'Best Sounding Budget TV' category. We also updated the Notable Mentions.
Apr 30, 2025:
We made the Panasonic Z95A OLED our new top pick and moved the Sony BRAVIA 9 QLED into a new 'Best Sounding Bright Room TV' category. We also moved the LG G4 OLED into Notable Mentions.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the TVs with the best sound to buy for most people with different needs. We factor in the price (a cheaper TV wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it) and availability (no TVs that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our reviews of TVs, sorted by their sound quality. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no TV is perfect, most TVs are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them. Keep in mind that no TV can deliver the sound quality of a dedicated sound system or a soundbar.