Soundbars make a lot of sense. On their own, most TVs simply don’t have the capacity to output stunning video and exceptional audio. Unless you’re buying a top-of-the-line OLED from LG, you’re probably only getting the former without the latter.
But there’s still hope. You can buy an awesome-sounding soundbar on the cheap and you’ll never have to listen to awful audio ever again.
Trying to find the best soundbar deals, however, can be tedious. It’s a world filled with random series of numbers (take, for example, the Vizio SB-3830-D0 38-inch soundbar) and crazy differences in price. It’s overwhelming for most, and inconvenient for everyone. But that’s why you have us.
We’ve found tons of cheap soundbars you need to check out ASAP.
- On a less restricted budget? Check out our guide to the best soundbars overall.
What’s the best soundbar deal?
This answer is going to be different for everyone. Some people are fine with a standard soundbar – no subwoofer, no streaming capabilities. Others might want the sub, but no streaming. Others might want all of the above, plus two satellite speakers. It’s a your-miles-may-vary situation.
That said, we can give you some good ideas of what to look for and where to find those great deals when they pop up.
For most folks, you really just want the basic package: a soundbar with a digital audio cable input that should connect to most modern TVs. You can get a bit tricky with HDMI passthroughs, RCA inputs and 3.5mm jacks, but sometimes basic is better. Of course, we also recommend looking for soundbars with a subwoofer included, that way you’ll get the full audio range from your favorite TV shows and movies, not just the highs and the mids.
There’s plenty of soundbars to pick from, and more coming out every week, so without further ado here are the best soundbar deals we’ve found this month.
Samsung's HW-J355 is one of the best-selling soundbars, and for good reason. Not only does it offer good sound quality from its four combined-120W tweeters, but also comes with a wired subwoofer to add some meat to the sound. It's a bit on the trim side at 37.13 x 2.28 x 2.56 inches, but it only weighs 3.5 lbs. The accompanying subwoofer is wired, so that might be one hang-up, and you won't find a ton of ports here. On the plus side, though, it comes with 3D Sound Plus, which tries to simulate a surround sound effect using some clever sonic tricks. If you don't mind something basic, this is your guy.
Read the review: Samsung HW-J355
Don't want to be tied to a subwoofer? We don't blame you. If you want the same robust quality of sound without the extra black box, check out the Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System. The bar measures in at a fair 2.6 x 21.6 x 3.4 inches (H x W x D) and 3.73 lbs, making it easy to wall-mount. As far as inputs and outputs are concerned it takes optical audio, coaxial audio and 3.5mm auxiliary. It comes with a remote control, which we appreciate, and has built-in Bluetooth.
The M3 soundbar is easy to love. It might not be the most glamorous to look at, stubbornly only supports 2.1 channels of sound, and has never heard of Wi-Fi, but if there’s a better sounding soundbar on the market for less than £300/$300, we haven’t heard it. Unfortunately, there's no subwoofer here or shot at simulated surround sound, but that's because Q Acoustics has very deliberately kept things simple by not attempting to ‘muddy the waters’ by trying to apply (often ugly) psycho-acoustic processing.
Read the review: Q Acoustics M3 Soundbar
If you're looking for a soundbar that strikes the balance between feature set, performance and price, LG's SH7B is it. That said, it might cost a bit more than you were looking to spend. Thankfully it's very often on sale. This soundbar measures in at 41.73 x 2.09 x 3.35 inches, making it perfect for 49-inch and up TVs. The soundbar excels in the movie department – lasers, explosions and crushing bodily impacts in football hit home with impactful blasts of sound – but it's probably not the best soundbar for the music lover out there.
Read the review: LG SH7B
Not content with dominating the TV world, Samsung now seems to have its sights set on becoming the number one brand for home entertainment audio, too. To that end, the Samsung HW-MS650 Sound+ Soundbar is one of our favorite pieces of AV equipment made this year – which is why we gave it our coveted Editor's Choice award when it came out in April.
Simply said, Samsung has rewritten the rulebook with the HW-MS650. No other one-body soundbar has combined so much raw power with so much clarity, scale and, especially, bass, or excelled so consistently with both films and music. It’s the sort of performance that only genuine audio innovation can deliver.
If you can afford it, this is the soundbar you need in your living room.
Read the review: Samsung HW-MS650 Sound+ Soundbar
One of the best deals on high-end soundbars comes in the form of Sony's HT-NT5. This 6.1 soundbar offers 400 watts of power and, for the audiophiles out there, supports 24-bit/96KHz Hi-Res Audio. The main bar is 42.51 x 2.28 x 5.00 inches (W x H x D) while the accompanying wireless subwoofer sits at a portly 7.48 × 15.0 × 15.2 inches. As far as inputs and outputs are concerned, it has Analog Audio In, Bluetooth Reception, Bluetooth Transmission, Ethernet, USB, three HDMI-Ins and one HDMI-Out. Beyond traditional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth the HT-NT5 also supports multi-room listening through Sony's SongPal app, and works with Google Home.
Read the review: Sony HT-NT5
Just when you think you really know a company, it goes and releases something completely out of left-field. Take Razer: historically, it’s been a peddler of pointers and the king of keyboards. Then they release the Razer Leviathan, a really smart soundbar that costs less than most TVs. Razer's audio monster might not have the most power-per-inch at only 30 watts, but we really liked how low it could go with the accompanying subwoofer. Plus, while other speakers on this list might not even attempt surround sound, Razer gives it the ol' college try and actually does a decent job with it. It might not be as good as a true 7.1 system, but try finding one of those for under $199/£159.
Read the review: Razer Leviathan
With four HDMI inputs and 4K passthrough, myriad other connections and Bluetooth streaming, it's tempting to call the Arcam Solo Bar as much of a home cinema hub as a soundbar. It also adds Bluetooth aptX for good measure, rendering your streamed tunes listenable at last. Well connected it may be, but this 1,000 x 130 x 110mm unit offers more than one-cable nirvana, with its two speakers offering a lot more meat than the average flat TV. Want more welly? Just add Arcam's wireless Solo Sub. Want it for a steal? We've got you covered.
- Don't forget, Amazon Prime Day deals start on July 11
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/soundbar-deals
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