10 Best Sound Bars 2024 in the US

Sound bars are made to compensate for the poor acoustics of today’s flat-panel TV sets. Since these TVs put such an emphasis on picture quality, and devote so much space to the size of the screen, they don’t have much room for speakers. Thus, they skimp on sound quality. This is what a sound bar comes to supplement.

A sound bar will contain several speakers inside, with even a subwoofer to provide bass. They also can have “dialogue” mode, so that you can hear the dialogue in a TV show or movie better, without having to adjust the volume, to turn it up when people are talking. And they can be placed almost anywhere in the room: in front of the TV, mounted to the wall, or on a bookshelf. No matter what, it’s able to compensate and create the sound as if it is coming from the TV set--or to create a “surround-sound” effect! You’ll also see that there are wireless versions, as well as units that are hooked up with a digital or analog audio cable. They can also be operated by remote control, and employed in Blu-ray disc players, music systems, or gaming systems as well.  

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a sound bar. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of sound bar,

• See useful tips about that type of sound bar,

• Read reviews of different sound bars, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of a sound bar, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

We can distinguish between the different shapes of sound bars on the market.

• Different shapes of sound bars: Most sound bars have a straight geometry, for flat-screen TV sets. But Samsung has also marketed a curved sound bar, for curved TV sets.

We can also distinguish between how the sound bar is powered. There are two main methods:

• Self-powered or “active speaker”: A self-powered sound bar has its own built-in amplifier. For example, the JBL 5.1 Sound Bar System has two detachable wireless Bluetooth speakers, that are powered by rechargeable batteries. You have the choice of using it as a sound bar, or as a 5.1-channel device, with 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer.

• Non-powered or “passive speaker”: These have to be connected to the receiver to get their power. This is already becoming rarer on the market. They can’t be hooked up directly to the TV--instead, you’ll need an AV receiver or amplifier to take the TV audio and direct it into the sound bar’s different channels. So, the passive speaker sound bar is usually cheaper, but it requires another piece of equipment.

• When to prefer a sound bar: Sound bars are ideal if you have a TV in a relatively small room, measuring 13 feet x 12 feet or less. However, if the room is 15 feet x 20 feet or larger, then it is probably better to go with a surround-sound speaker system.

• Easy to hook up: There are sound bars with a variety of hook-up options. Some use cables, such as the Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System. It can accept an optical digital cable (TOSLINK), digital coaxial, or 3.5 mm auxiliary analog audio cable. There are also sound bars that hook up with an HDMI cable. The system is designed to automatically adjust to the type of device that you have connected--just “plug and play”! And the subwoofer unit is usually wireless, either by means of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so you’re not limited to placing it within reach of any cables. And for Bluetooth or WiFi sound bar, you can stream content from a smartphone, tablet, or computer as well!

• Easy to install: If you want to attach your sound bar to a wall, there are sound bars with special mounts just for this purpose. The Yamaha YAS 207 has built-in keyholes, for easy installation on the wall, if you like. Of course, you can just lay it in front of your television as well.

• Dialogue mode: Some subwoofers have voice enhancement or “dialogue mode”. This automatically improves the sound when a movie or TV show reverts to people speaking over background noise. Instead of you having to adjust the volume in order to hear, the sound bar makes the adjustment automatically. This is especially useful for the hearing impaired.

• Immersive feeling and Surround Sound: Some sound bars promise 3D Surround-Sound, creating sound effects from all sides--something that you could experience only in a movie theater--while you watch TV. These sound bars work both on multichannel and stereo content. This is an inexpensive and space-conserving alternative to distributing speakers all over the room. And the sound bar is capable of this, independent of whether you’re watching Netflix or Spotify or broadcasted TV content.

• Connecting the sound bar cables: When you hook up a sound bar by means of an optical or HDMI cable, you should cancel the TV’s built-in speakers. You then press the “Source” button on the sound bar, or on its remote control. If you’re hooking up an HDMI cable, you should use the HDMI ARC ports on both the TV and sound bar. (HDMI has a particular advantage, in that it communicates automatically between the sound bar and TV.)

• Size: It’s recommended to match the size of the sound bar to the size of your television. For example, for a 42” - 50” TV screen, it’s recommended to get a sound bar that is somewhere from 38” - 45” in length. For a TV screen that’s over 55”, get a sound bar that is 50” in length. And for a 70” screen, get a 60” sound bar.

• Channels: You’ll see sound bars that say that they are “5.1 channels”. This means that there are 5 speakers situated around the room, with the “.1” referring to the subwoofer bass speaker. The configuration usually means three speakers in front (left, center, right), and two behind the viewer (surround left and surround right). But even a 2.1-channel sound bar, with only two speakers and a subwoofer, like the Yamaha YAS 207, can give an immersive experience.

JBL are makers of loudspeakers and electronics for home entertainment. The company was founded by James Bullough Lansing (hence the initials “JBL”) and Ken Decker in 1927. The JBL brand is presently owned by Harman International Industries, Inc., which in turn has been purchased by Samsung. JBL products include headphones, loudspeakers, sound bars, home theater systems, car audio, and much more.

Bose is an American audio equipment company, based in Framingham, Massachusetts. They were founded by Amar Bose in 1964, making stereo equipment. They present make car audio systems, headphones, smartphone apps, and home entertainment systems.

Yamaha was founded in 1887 in Japan by Torakusu Yamaha, primarily as a maker of musical instruments. In the 1970s, Yamaha ventured into electronic music and audio systems. They presently make AV receivers, home theater systems, sound bars, and digital sound projectors, while maintaining a reputation for quality musical instruments.

Denon is a maker of wireless audio, home theater systems, including sound bars, and portable audio equipment such as Bluetooth speakers and headphones. The company was founded in 1910 by Frederick Whitney Horn, originally making records and phonographs--but the company has expanded considerably in its 100+ year history.