Best Soundbars to Buy Right Now in 2024 | TV Audio Upgrades for Every Budget

The weather outside is frightful but the  sound inside is delightful and since we've   no place to go let it sow let the surround sound flow ah this rhyme blows let's just go Hello friends welcome back I'm Caleb Denison  and even though this won't be the last video I   do in 2023 I do feel like this video brings my  year full circle in a way if we flash back to   the beginning of the year Las Vegas the massive  CES show there were lots of great TVs sure but   the show standout shock for me and for a lot of  others was the Nakamichi Dragon almost hard to   call it a soundbar but technically it is now as  over the top as the Dragon is it got me hooked   on experiencing the state-of-the-art in soundbars  from the budget friendly models right up up to the   wallet busting wall shaking earsplitting Dolby  Atmos extravaganzas like the Nakamichi Dragon   and everything in between not going to lie it's  been fun I've watched more movie clips this year   than maybe any year before but it hasn't been all  fun in games I've plucked out some awesome picks   this year and there's something for everyone I'm  not kidding when I say that there's something for   you that you're going to love here I'm starting  with the Roku Streambar and folks this is one   of the most underrated overlooked sound bars  that you can buy plus it isn't just a soundar   it's kind of a Swiss army knife really the Roku  stream bar is a 4K HDR Roku Streaming Stick built   into a speaker so you can add it to a computer  monitor and effectively turn that monitor into a   TV uh these things are great for dorm rooms kids  rooms kitchens and I personally use one in my RV   I think they're a solid choice for all kinds of  smaller spaces and because it isn't just a speaker   but a streaming device too it solves more than one  problem at a very affordable price now if you like   the idea of the stream bar but want to go with  something a bit bigger and more robust sounding   there's a Roku Streambar Pro that I also highly  recommend it's just a plus-size version of the   original Streambar and can fill up a living  room nicely next is the most budget friendly   and space friendly option that I think will work  for the most people the Vizio all-in-one soundbar   the model number as much as I hate it is kind  of important here it's the Vizio M213AD-K8 you   can write that down or you can just click the link  that we put down in the description if you want to   buy it and I think many of you will because I know  the soundbar is going to resonate with a lot of   you hey my audio advice is better than my puns I  promise you the Vizio all-in-one is just a stellar   deal it was a huge value at $199 back when it  came out in 2022 but it's an even better deal now   at about 150 bucks yes it's over a year old but if  it ain't broke don't fix it and Vizio thankfully   hasn't tried to reinvent the wheel here because  they got it right the first time if you want to   significantly upgrade your TV sound but you aren't  interested in surround speakers or subwoofers and   I understand that's the case for a lot of folks  especially those who live in apartments or shared   housing or if you just want better sound for your  bedroom maybe this all-in-one is the ticket it   sounds far better then you'll be expecting it too  with excellent dialogue clarity some respectable   stereo separation full-bodied presence and even  some pretty impressive Dynamics like if you want   to you can crank this thing up and it will do a  pretty good job of blowing your hair back oh and   hey if you're one of my viewers who already  bought this Vizio all-in-one would you do me   a favor and drop a comment with your thoughts on  it I think it'll help viewers to see real owners   opinions as well now let's say you want big sound  and you're down to have a subwoofer for that deep   visceral base that benefits movies TV shows and  music but you're super tight on space my go-to in   this scenario is the Polk Magnify Mini AX I've  been a big fan of every iteration of the Magnify   Mini and this latest version the AX attempts to  add spatial audio to the mix for a more Dolby   Atmos dome of sound effect and while it doesn't  do that bit especially well it really doesn't   matter to me because the Magnify Mini AX still  delivers exactly what it needs to and that is   absolutely massive sound in a ridiculously tiny  package the subwoofer is way better than you're   expecting it to be and sure the soundbar portion  is tiny but you will be blown away at how big the   system sounds and that's it that's the sales  pitch if you want the biggest sound you can   get in the smallest footprint the Magnify Mini AX  is my top recommendation it's got some other fun   features in toe as well but if you're buying this  soundbar it's to fill a very specific need and it   absolutely will will do that okay so we've got  some super compact options we've got all-in ones   no subwoofer we've got an option with a sub how  about a bread and butter super budget friendly   5.1 surround system with a subwoofer and Surround  speakers well we're back to Vizio M series for that   the Vizio M series 5.1 model number is M51AX-J6 and again you don't have to remember that you can   just click the link down in the description Folks  at $300 this soundbar package just makes a ton of   sense in fact it's really my top recommendation  overall for any soundbar under 500 bucks so long   as you can accommodate the subwoofer and surround  speakers I just you know I'm so happy that Vizio   managed to put together really good quality sound  this thing could easily have been too boomy or   too tiny and it is neither of those nasty things  it's just quality sound with the fun of surround   sound and a nice bit of boom from the sub to  bring it all home just keep in mind that the   surround speakers are connected to and powered by  the subwoofers so for this setup you'll place the   sub somewhere around or behind your couch and then  run the surround speakers from there not everybody   likes that arrangement so it's worth mentioning  but if that sounds like it will work for you go   press the buy button and prepare yourself  to be pleased as punch okay guys one more   budget friendly option before we move on to some  premium stuff I wanted to give you a Dolby Atmos   option that doesn't break the bank and shocker  it's another Vizio hey Vizio just knocks it   out of the park in the value department and this  Vizio M512a-H6 is my top pick for Budget Atmos   soundbar now I'm not going to sit here and try and  convince you that you're going to get the ultimate   Dome of sound effect from this soundbar like you  would from some of the more premium options I'm   about to cover but what this soundbar does better  than the previous Vizios I just mentioned is   contiguous surround effect and what I mean by  that is that this Vizio Atmos soundbar paints   a more seamless sonic picture around you you  get a little of the top down effect sure but   it's the seamless movement of sound around you  that really sells me on this thing it's about   200 bucks more than the less expensive Vizio 5.1  model but I think that 200 bucks buys you a lot   more sound and just a more fun experience overall  now I've got to give an honorable mention here to   the Vizio Elevate soundbar the Vizio Elevate has  been a hit among my readers and viewers and my   brother has one and just loves it it definitely  brings in that Dolby Atmos dome of sound effect   but at 800 bucks we're starting to tread into the  premium territory so stick with me and let's see   what you think about the other options I'm about  to tell you about before you make your final call   okay on to the premium stuff the following options  will all be at or above $1,000 and will all be   excellent the only question will be whether they  suit specific needs for you so I'll try to stay   focused on the use cases and then you can check  out individual reviews for these if you want to   dive a little deeper I figured we should launch  this premium section with the best soundbar system   at or around $1,000 and for that it was a tough  call but after deliberating with myself and some   friends for a bit I've got to go with the Samsung  Q930C don't worry fans the Q990C is definitely   on this list too but the Q930C just ticks all  the boxes for $1,000 and frankly is going to be   the most suitable choice for more people than the  Ultra Premium Q990C this is a big beefy soundbar   which makes placement a little tricky especially  if your TV is on a media stand the bar is wide   enough that you'll need to push your TV back a  bit to make way for it and depending on how well   raised up your TV is it could obscure the bottom  of your TV a bit but it's bulk and Brun is borne   out in big big sound you'll be hard pressed to  find a soundbar with Dolby Atmos surround speakers   that are so capable and the sub is nothing to  sneeze at either I mean yeah for the most bang   for your premium Buck the Samsung Q930C is just  the ticket the more research I did the more I   realized this soundbar is just not getting talked  about enough it is fantastic now let's cover some   use cases we've already considered on the budget  end what's the best all-in-one premium soundar   for when you want exquisite sound but no space for  subwoofer or surrounds well I hate to say it but I   think it might have to be a tie between the Bose  Smart Soundbar Ultra and the Sony HT-A7000 now   before you go and get mad at me I'll go ahead and  give the top nod to the Bose here the Bose Smart   Soundbar Ultra is less expensive and it sound  competes directly with the Sony HT-A7000 so if the   one sound bar is all you need and all you'll ever  want there's no need to scale it up in the future   bu the bows but if you like the idea of being  able to add surround speakers and or a sub in the   future Sony makes it a little bit easier and less  expensive to do so maybe you pay a couple hundred   more now but when you decide to scale up later  you'll be happy you front-loaded your investment   another soundbar system that lives in the $1,000  zone would be the Yamaha True X 50A with the true   X 1A speakers added on as surrounds now while  this system isn't quite as beefy as the Samsung   Q930C the surround speakers offer some utility  as they're also little batterypowered Bluetooth   speakers that you can take anywhere so what little  you might lose in Dolby at presence you're going   to gain in functionality not everybody agrees  that this is a smart take but I like this system a   lot JBL also makes something similar but I've not  tested it and I don't love that you have to charge   the speakers on the soundbar itself so the Yamaha  gets my nod here okay guys we're getting to the   really good stuff now I've got five more entries  I want to tell you about and you already know two   of them are coming so let's just get on with it I  have to take a moment to recognize the Sennheiser   Ambeo Plus soundbar for audio files there's just  nothing better the Sennheiser sound is just so   refined and so bougie also you can get Senheiser  sub if you want but this is one of the few options   on my list that lets you B yoos that's bring your  own sub so if you already have a subwoofer that   you want to use or have one in mind or just have  very specific subwoofer needs or tastes Sennheiser   is good deferring to your particular proclivities  this next one isn't a soundbar system at all   technically but it is sort of a home theater in  a box system that is extremely good and wildly   popular among those in the know it's the Sony  HT-A9 now you really need to add a subwoofer to   this system Sony makes two of them so this system  will end up costing between $1,700 and $1,900 and   honestly I'd recommend getting the better SW5  subwoofer if you're going to spend this much money   what's another 200 bucks in the grand scheme of  things right but folks the HT-A9 is just shocking   Sony's 360 spatial sound mapping technology is  not just smoke and mirrors marketing it is legit   magical this system will have you swearing that  you have speakers where speakers do not exist   the Dolby Atmos effects I mean the entire surround  experience really is just shockingly good now this   system's look is not for everyone the speakers are  a bit bigger than they look in the pictures and   some features are reserved for Sony TV owners like  you can use some Sony TVs as the center channel in   the system but don't pass up on this system just  because you don't own a Sony TV like I said this   thing makes it seem like there are speakers where  there aren't and the phantom center channel that   this system creates will make you swear voices  are coming right out of your TV no matter where   you place the speakers it's pricey but it is also  phenomenal also if you like sitting down to listen   to music then this system is the best one on the  list for that purpose in my opinion but speaking   of music lovers we've got to talk about the Sonos  Arc with Era 300's and Sonos sub system this system   man it is hard to express just how good it is  I think it has to be my favorite entry on this   list actually Sonos just get so many things right  I don't know there's just something special about   the Sonos sound that a lot of folks are really  warm to myself included Sonos has a slightly more   laidback I'd argue more musical approach than  any other system on on this list save maybe the   Sony HT-A9 and the most revelatory Atmos music  experience that I've ever had came through this   Sonos system is it expensive yeah you bet it is  2500 bucks right now but if you love music as   much as you love movies and TV and want the most  versatile audio system that fits a lot of spaces   and doesn't involve speaker wires a receiver and  a bunch of speakers this is it I big time love it   however as great as the Sono system is it isn't  the right choice for everyone if music is a big   priority by all means get it but if you're  focused on making a home theater experience   awesome then I think the Samsung Q990C is the  way to go it's still expensive at 1,400 bucks   but what you get for that money is monstrous I  mean I'm not the only one saying so either you   will find universally positive reviews for this  system across the board it's the best surrounding   system for most folks and it tops this list with  that said the Q990C is not the most badass the   most over- the-top the most no compromise system  on this list that distinction can only belong to   one system and that is the Nakamichi Dragon look  there aren't a lot of folks that belong on team   Dragon it's massive it is heavy it is hard to get  it is prohibitively expensive for most folks but   there is no denying that it's sheer power grunt  muscle and just no compromise approach is awesome   to behold and I'm going to stop there because when  it comes to the Nakamichi Dragon if you know you   know and if you don't you can always check out my  full review Thanks as always for watching everyone   I know that was a big list but I really wanted  to make sure that I covered everyone and hey   if you walked away knowing exactly which soundar  you should buy would you let us know down in the   comments and please give this video a like if you  appreciate it we want to see it help as many folks   as we can I'll see you on the next one and until  then here's two other videos I think you might like oh my God you got to be  kidding me if I was on a gig I'd be fired

Channel: Digital Trends

Views: 461,068

Keywords: best soundbar for tv, best soundbar with subwoofer, best soundbar for movies, best budget soundbar, best soundbars, best soundbar, best sound bar, best cheap soundbar, best soundbar for the money, best tv soundbar, best budget soundbars, best soundbars for tv, best budget soundbar with dolby atmos, best soundbars 2024, best soundbar 2024, best soundbar for tv 2024, best soundbar to buy in 2024, which soundbar is best for tv, which soundbar should i buy, which soundbar to buy

Id: x7wZKoBg3L0

Length: 16min 16sec (976 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 12 2023