Compare Soundbars

16 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 19 Aug 2026

Pick any two to four of the 16 ranked soundbars and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, Samsung HW-Q990F, Samsung HW-Q990H and Samsung HW-Q800F.

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Soundbars compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	Samsung Samsung HW-Q990F	Samsung Samsung HW-Q990H	Samsung Samsung HW-Q800F	Sonos Sonos Arc Ultra	Klipsch Klipsch Flexus Core 300	Sony Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9	JBL JBL Bar 1300XMK2	Sony Sony Bravia Theatre System 6	Sonos Sonos Beam (Gen 2)	Focal Focal Mu-so Hekla	Hisense Hisense AX5140Q	Marshall Marshall Heston 120	Bose Bose Smart Soundbar 600	Sonos Sonos Ray	Sony Sony HT-G700	Sony Sony HT-S100F
Tier	S	A	A	A	A	B	B	C	C	C	D	F	F	F	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 16	2 of 16	3 of 16	4 of 16	5 of 16	6 of 16	7 of 16	8 of 16	9 of 16	10 of 16	11 of 16	12 of 16	13 of 16	14 of 16	15 of 16	16 of 16
Ladder points	1014 LP	706 LP	674 LP	656 LP	648 LP	583 LP	530 LP	474 LP	398 LP	377 LP	273 LP	209 LP	177 LP	115 LP	101 LP	27 LP
Our verdict	Premium 11.1.4 system with proven durability and a generous 5-year warranty; consistently top in RTINGS reliability tests.	Same robust build as the Q990F but with more frequent firmware updates, giving it a slight edge over the older model.	Inherits Q990-series tuning with a real sub at midrange money; outclasses everything near its price.	Excellent spatial audio, but its firmware updates are less frequent than Samsung/Sony, placing it just below the Bravia Bar.	Best all-in-one; Klipsch’s components are durable and the unit has a solid warranty, but its software support lags behind larger brands.	7.1.4 system with separate subwoofer; Sony’s eARC implementation is rock-solid and the unit has a long track record of low failure rates.	Powerful 7.1.4 with a dedicated sub; JBL’s build quality is high, though some users report occasional Bluetooth pairing issues after two years.	The cheapest credible route to real multi-piece surround, per What Hi-Fi?'s budget testing.	Compact but reliable; firmware updates are regular, yet its smaller driver set limits longevity in high-end use cases.	High cost with no clear advantage over more reliable competitors; early component failures noted in reviews.	Budget appeal but poor long-term reliability; many users report failures within 18 months.	Stylish design but subpar sound and frequent firmware stalling; not worth the price for serious home theater.	Good sound but Bose’s firmware is slow to roll out new features; some users report early hardware failures after 18 months.	A one-job tool (dialogue clarity) that does that job brilliantly; limited, but honestly priced for what it is.	5.1.2 system with good soundstage; Sony’s long-term reliability is strong, though it lacks the advanced channel count of higher tiers.	The default impulse buy that barely beats your TV's own speakers; better-tested options at the same money exist.
What reviewers rate	11.1.4 channel configuration for immersive sound 5-year warranty gives peace of mind Consensus best soundbar tested by RTINGS, PCMag's top tested pick, and Business Insider's top recommendation Full 11.1.4 system with wireless sub and rears that no rival matches at its real-world street price	11.1.4 channel configuration Regular firmware updates keep performance fresh Wirecutter's new upgrade pick in their 2026 guide Successor flagship to the Q990F and objectively excellent	Mid-range sweet spot: bar plus wireless sub inheriting most Q990-series tuning and processing A fraction of the flagship's price Embarrasses everything else in its bracket at its street price	Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support Business Insider's "best stand-alone soundbar we've tested" Smart Home Sounds rank it #1 overall Included among PCMag's top tested picks	All-in-one design Solid warranty RTINGS' pick for the best all-in-one soundbar they have tested Audio Advice names the Flexus line their best mid-range soundbar	7.1.4 channel layout Rock-solid eARC support Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Mapping is legitimately impressive Ranked #4 among Dolby Atmos bars by Smart Home Sounds	Strong 7.1.4 performance Dedicated subwoofer Detachable battery-powered surrounds - the most flexible true-surround party trick in the category PCMag carries the JBL Bar 1300 line among its top tested picks	Complete multi-piece system with dedicated surround presence at a midrange price One of the cheapest credible routes to real immersion without spending Q990 money What Hi-Fi? places it #4 in their 2026 budget soundbar guide	Regular firmware updates What Hi-Fi?'s #1 budget soundbar of 2026 Excellent dialogue clarity and real Atmos processing in a compact bar Sonos ecosystem at a price where nothing else combines all three	Sounds beautiful for music Naim-built luxury all-in-one construction	Multichannel hardware including a sub at a price where rivals ship a bare 2.1 bar TechRadar describes the value of its Atmos bar line as "almost over the top" Real performance-per-dollar from the category's value disruptor	Smart Home Sounds' number 5 Dolby Atmos pick The style-and-music-first premium bar, with looks and stereo music playback that matter as much as Atmos The credible alternative to the Sonos/Bose single-bar duopoly	Good sound quality Recognizable Bose badge and compact industrial design that buyers cross-shop constantly Even Wired lists a Bose compact bar among their recommendations	Outstanding dialogue clarity per dollar The honest answer for someone who just wants to hear voices better without spending big What Hi-Fi? rank it #3 in their budget guide	Good soundstage Strong long-term reliability	Cheap and ubiquitous at big-box stores, making it an easy impulse buy
Where it falls short	Its list price is steep for buyers who never catch it on sale	Carries current-generation launch pricing The older Q990F it replaced is now discounted, beating it on value	Lacks dedicated rear speakers	Firmware updates are infrequent Flagship money with no sub included Asks flagship money for less total hardware than the discounted Q990F	Software support lags behind competitors Cannot match a full system with separate sub and rears for buyers who can place them	Premium-priced bar-only product in a market where full systems exist at its price Worth buying, not worth buying first	Occasional Bluetooth pairing issues after two years A half-step behind the Samsung and Sonos flagships in refinement, per the field	Ranks behind the top budget picks in What Hi-Fi?'s guide	Smaller driver set limits high-end longevity Not suited to large rooms or buyers wanting full surround hardware	Early component failures Priced in the multi-thousand-dollar stratosphere The purest case of a product that is good only because it is expensive For its asking price you could buy the Samsung HW-Q990F, a top-tier TV, and still have change	Poor long-term reliability Failures reported within 18 months Build quality and refinement trail Samsung	Subpar sound quality Frequent firmware stalling Its consensus footprint is still a single-guide deep compared with the flagships	Firmware rollout is slow Early hardware failures reported after 18 months Badly outflanked on value: the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) matches or beats it with a better ecosystem for similar or less money The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 demolishes it sonically for a modest step up	No HDMI No Atmos A specialist tool, not an all-rounder	Aging 3.1 bar whose "Dolby Atmos" and "Vertical Surround" badges are pure virtualization Competitive years ago and has coasted on shelf presence since At its current price the Samsung HW-Q800F or Sony Bravia Theatre System 6 give real surround hardware for similar money The classic coasting-on-an-old-reputation buy	Bare 2.0 bar with no HDMI eARC and no sub output Thin, boxy sound that barely improves on modern TV speakers Outclassed at its own price: RTINGS' budget testing points to better options at the same money The Smart Home Hookup's 16-bar budget test found stronger performers like the Ultimea Poseidon at the same money
Evidence behind it	58 sources across 46 outlets	37 sources across 32 outlets	32 sources across 27 outlets	60 sources across 49 outlets	43 sources across 38 outlets	3 sources across 2 outlets	8 sources across 6 outlets	10 sources across 8 outlets	57 sources across 50 outlets	28 sources across 19 outlets	62 sources across 50 outlets	48 sources across 44 outlets	42 sources across 31 outlets	45 sources across 41 outlets	9 sources across 9 outlets	32 sources across 27 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	2 of 3 research runs	2 of 8 research runs	1 of 6 research runs	1 of 7 research runs	1 of 6 research runs	2 of 7 research runs	2 of 5 research runs
Announced	Jan 2025	Apr 2026	Apr 2025	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Where to buy	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it

Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.