Compare Soundbars

21 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 16 Oct 2026

Pick any two to four of the 21 ranked soundbars and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, Samsung HW-Q990F, Samsung HW-Q990H and Vizio Elevate 7.1.4 Pro.

Choose what to compare

3 of 4 chosen

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	Vizio Vizio Elevate 7.1.4 Pro	Sonos Sonos Arc Ultra	Klipsch Klipsch Flexus Core 300	Samsung Samsung HW-Q800F	Hisense Hisense HS2100	Sony Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9	JBL JBL Bar 1000MK2	Creative Creative Stage Pro	Hisense Hisense AX5140Q	JBL JBL Bar 1300XMK2	Sony Sony Bravia Theatre System 6	Bose Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar	Focal Focal Mu-so Hekla	Marshall Marshall Heston 120	Bose Bose Smart Soundbar 600	Sonos Sonos Beam (Gen 2)	Sony Sony HT-G700	Sonos Sonos Ray	Sony Sony HT-S100F
Tier	S	S	S	A	A	A	B	B	B	B	B	C	C	C	C	F	F	F	F	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 21	2 of 21	3 of 21	4 of 21	5 of 21	6 of 21	7 of 21	8 of 21	9 of 21	10 of 21	11 of 21	12 of 21	13 of 21	14 of 21	15 of 21	16 of 21	17 of 21	18 of 21	19 of 21	20 of 21	21 of 21
Ladder points	1411 LP	1014 LP	900 LP	856 LP	713 LP	705 LP	637 LP	626 LP	621 LP	578 LP	552 LP	497 LP	434 LP	402 LP	372 LP	199 LP	177 LP	118 LP	100 LP	25 LP	0 LP
Our verdict	The most complete hardware package RTINGS has tested, on a mature, annually refreshed platform with a vast service network. Firmware attention and parts support stay current for years, making it the safest flagship on the board.	Yahoo Tech's "phenomenal" standout, sharing the Q990F's platform and support backbone. One generation behind the F series, so one position behind.	Wirecutter calls its theater-quality surround "astounding" for a modest budget, which is the single best performance-per-dollar statement in the category today.	The best stand-alone bar per Business Insider, with the category's strongest firmware-longevity record. The 2024 app turmoil costs it confidence, but the hardware and update commitment remain excellent.	Genuinely sturdy build and a sensible expansion path, held back by a young platform and a small firmware team, which keeps it mid-board despite excellent physical construction.	The 990F's core bar with fewer components to fail and the same support network. Less immersive, more durable per component.	RTINGS' best cheap soundbar tested, delivering a genuine upgrade for the smallest outlay here. The purest value play on the board.	Solid Sony reliability and long firmware support. Ranks on platform reputation because no fresh review URL was retrieved.	RTINGS' best mid-range pick with Harman build quality. The battery-powered detachable rears are the most likely component to fail in year three.	The clearest performance-per-money winner on the board. What Hi-Fi? calls it better than it has any right to be, and nothing else here touches its value.	A complete 5.1.4 Atmos system with rears at a budget tier, top of OnReview's budget roundup. Flagship architecture at budget positioning.	Impressive hardware undermined for this lens by battery-powered detachable surrounds, the classic first-to-fail part, and a slower JBL firmware cadence. Still a genuine mainstream recommendation, but it sits in the lower half.	A full multi-piece Sony system that What Hi-Fi? recommends in the budget tier - exactly the arithmetic this lens exists to find. Less refined than the Beam but more system for the money, which leaves it just behind the compact bars.	Good sound wrapped in the category's heaviest marketing push, with ecosystem lock-in and bundle upsells that make long-term ownership poor value. Buy the Samsung HW-Q990F or Sonos Arc Ultra instead.	High cost with no clear advantage over more reliable competitors. Early component failures noted in reviews.	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 2021 design coasting on guide placements, as Smart Home Sounds' own 2026 reassessment implies. For the same money the AX5140Q or B750F deliver real bass and surround.	5.1.2 system with good soundstage. Sony’s long-term reliability is strong, though it lacks the advanced channel count of higher tiers.	No eARC, no Atmos, optical only, outclassed by its own sibling and undercut by a cheaper Hisense with a real sub. An ecosystem tax rather than value - which is why it lands second from the bottom.	Tom's Guide keeps it on the board only as the token ultra-budget slot, and RTINGS' actual cheap-tier testing crowns the Hisense HS2100 instead. A bare stereo bar in a category that has moved past them.
What reviewers rate	Premium 11.1.4 setup named the best soundbar RTINGS has tested Mature, annually refreshed platform with years of component support Huge service network behind it Redesigned wireless connection path over the previous generation	Yahoo Tech's reviewer called it "phenomenal" and the standout of the models tested Shares the Q-series platform, build approach and support backbone of the Q990F best-performing system in the test Described as "phenomenal" by Yahoo Tech	theater-quality surround sound delivers flagship experience at a fraction of the cost Top pick by Wirecutter Praised as the best soundbar for the money	Called the best stand-alone soundbar Business Insider has tested Decade-long record of pushing firmware updates to hardware many years old Excellent hardware and update commitment best overall soundbar according to multiple major outlets	Genuinely sturdy build from a speaker-first company Modular expansion path that ages well Built like Klipsch's passive speakers for durability Simple HDMI eARC operation with minimal app dependence	Fewer components to fail over years of ownership, being the Q990F's core bar without the full wireless rear kit Same platform maturity, HDMI 2.1 connectivity and Samsung service footprint as the flagship delivers most of the Q-series experience good value for midrange buyers	best cheap soundbar tested provides a real upgrade over TV speakers Punches far above its class for the money A solid choice if you want to spend as little as possible	Sony soundbar hardware has a long record of solid reliability and multi-year firmware attention Strong build quality Cleaner software story than most Android-adjacent rivals Placed number 1 in a recent top-5 Atmos test	Harman-built with strong measured performance RTINGS names it the best mid-range soundbar it has tested Near-flagship experience without flagship money Detachable-rear flagship design	Cheap and cheerful performance Better than expected for its price Compact 2.1 design fits under the TV	full 5.1.4 Atmos package wireless rear speakers budget-tier price Leads OnReview's budget guide for soundbars	Impressive flagship hardware with detachable surround speakers A genuine mainstream recommendation RTINGS' top-ranked JBL in its best-AirPlay-soundbars testing Bigger sibling of the award-winning Bar 1000MK2	A complete multi-piece surround system from a major brand Sold at a budget-system price A full multi-piece kit rather than a single bar Complete multi-piece system with dedicated surround presence at a midrange price	The sound is genuinely good Nicely balanced, easy-listening sound with a premium-looking design Strong dialogue clarity, with SpeechClarity adding real value Strong Atmos performance	Sounds beautiful for music Naim-built luxury all-in-one construction	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	Clear dialogue and compact design praised Continues to be recommended years after launch Clear dialogue in a small room Compact form factor that has made it a go-to recommendation since launch	Good soundstage Strong long-term reliability	A compact smart soundbar tied into the Sonos ecosystem Still listed in What Hi-Fi?'s budget guide Outstanding dialogue clarity per dollar The honest answer for someone who just wants to hear voices better without spending big	Cheap and ubiquitous at big-box stores, making it an easy impulse buy
Where it falls short	Firmware support only average, not excellent Expensive relative to the value picks Superseded by the newer HW-Q990H, which will be supported longer Costs flagship money, even though it delivers flagship substance	One generation behind the current Q-series flagship requires flagship-level spend for gains most listeners won’t notice No long-term track record yet Wireless sub and rears add failure points compared with one-box designs	Nothing recorded	The 2024 app turmoil dents confidence in the software experience requires flagship spend for a single box without a sub or rear speakers 2024 app redesign damaged support response times Reaching its full potential means buying into add-ons	Young platform with a small firmware team compared with the Korean giants Shortest track record among top three No separate subwoofer or surround speakers - less physical hardware than multi-piece kits Software support lags behind competitors	Less immersive than the full rear-kit setups rear speakers must be purchased separately Same average Samsung software story as other Samsung models Lacks dedicated rear speakers	Fewer channels than the multi-piece surround systems it competes with	Offers less system than Q990F for similar money Asks flagship-adjacent money for a package undercut on value by the Samsung Q800F Premium-priced bar-only product in a market where full systems exist at its price Worth buying, not worth buying first	Detachable rear speakers are most likely component to fail by year three	Sound is too localized to the bar	Poor long-term reliability Failures reported within 18 months Build quality and refinement trail Samsung	Battery-powered detachable surrounds are precisely the kind of component that fails first in long ownership JBL's firmware cadence is historically slower than Samsung's or Sonos's Occasional Bluetooth pairing issues after two years A half-step behind the Samsung and Sonos flagships in refinement, per the field	Less refined sound than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Ranks behind the top budget picks in What Hi-Fi?'s guide	Closed ecosystem Bundle-driven upsell path of proprietary bass modules and surrounds inflates total cost of ownership Performance per unit of spend is outclassed by rivals Retail push steers buyers toward it hardest, and forum threads show buyers ending up confused by the packaging	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	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	five-year-old design still trading on reputation lacks real subwoofer bass and surround hardware A 2021 design sold unchanged while the market has moved on Outclassed by the Sonos Arc Ultra one step up	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	No HDMI eARC - optical connection only No Dolby Atmos support Outclassed at its own price by its own sibling, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Undercut by the Hisense HS2100, which adds a real subwoofer	Bare stereo bar with no subwoofer No immersive format support Loses the budget tier in RTINGS' testing to the Hisense HS2100 Bare 2.0 bar with no HDMI eARC and no sub output
Evidence behind it	51 sources across 42 outlets	23 sources across 21 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	48 sources across 39 outlets	23 sources across 19 outlets	18 sources across 14 outlets	10 sources across 10 outlets	3 sources across 2 outlets	11 sources across 9 outlets	26 sources across 25 outlets	30 sources across 22 outlets	9 sources across 7 outlets	6 sources across 4 outlets	30 sources across 27 outlets	28 sources across 19 outlets	47 sources across 44 outlets	42 sources across 31 outlets	36 sources across 30 outlets	8 sources across 8 outlets	44 sources across 40 outlets	13 sources across 11 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	2 of 11 research runs	Not flagged	Not flagged	1 of 3 research runs	2 of 3 research runs	1 of 6 research runs	1 of 7 research runs	4 of 16 research runs	2 of 7 research runs	2 of 7 research runs	3 of 6 research runs
Announced	Jan 2025	Apr 2026	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	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	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	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.