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Even the best TVs can’t compete with dedicated soundbars when it comes to sound quality. But buying a soundbar no longer means you need to spend a lot of money, especially after you’ve already dropped a ton on your newest entertainment system. A cheap soundbar is the perfect solution for getting better dialogue quality out of your TV. Whether it’s for watching movies and TV shows or even streaming music over Bluetooth, you can make your TV sound better for less than $200 with the best budget soundbars.
The budget models highlighted here are ones that performed well in CNET’s hands-on tests, including one that costs under $100. All of the affordable soundbars on this list have Bluetooth, HDMI and an optical connection, making hooking up to a TV easy. It’s time to abandon poor TV sound and turn up the volume on a better binging experience.
For $190 MSRP, the V21 includes a wireless subwoofer, HDMI connectivity and both Dolby and DTS decoding. Like many of its stablemates this is an absolute movie machine and an impressive speaker to stream music via Bluetooth as well.
Best smart soundbar
Roku Streambar
The compact Roku Streambar offers a lot for your $130 (or even cheaper when on sale). This is a fully fledged 4K HDR streamer with hundreds of supported services, plus the ability to connect via Bluetooth. It’s an instant upgrade on your TV speaker too, with excellent vocal clarity.
Best for dialogue
Yamaha SR-C20A
If you’re after a compact soundbar that offers Bluetooth, HDMI and really clean dialogue, the Yamaha SR-C20A has you covered. It also includes DTS Virtual:X for excellent simulated surround from a single box.
Best sound under $100
Creative Stage
Soundbars are able to make a lot of noise from a tiny box, but nothing can compare with the bass that a dedicated subwoofer can bring. The Creative Stage offers a lot for just $90, including HDMI cable connectivity, but it’s the wired subwoofer that makes the system really sing. This soundbar also offers Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port for playing MP3s from an external drive. Though the Stage V2 now exists — which adds USB audio, digital coaxial and a clear sound mode for $109 — the original is still current.
