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Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I test soundbars for a living — upgrade your TV audio for under $300 with these budget picks
Your TV speakers suck. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but it's important that you're aware. As TV manufacturers make ever-thinner TV sets, the space your speakers have to breathe becomes ever more tight and restrictive, the speakers inside your TV sound worse and worse by the year. You could be cynical — "It's because the manufacturers want you to buy the matching soundbar!" — and there's a part of that which could be close to the truth. But. That doesn't mean you have to go out and buy the expensive matching soundbar option for your TV. We've tested loads of the best soundbars at Tom's Guide, and there are some great options out there that won't stretch your budget. Here are three at slightly different price points to give you what you want for less. If you're looking for the best way to get excellent sound for your TV without spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a more expensive option, the Sony HT-S100F is an excellent way of making dialogue clearer and movies sound bigger for only $150. You're not going to get a full surround experience or a big, floor-rumbling subwoofer with this option, but you are going to get some very good separate speakers that make watching TV a joy. Voices that are muffled and annoying on your TV are now much clearer and easier to make out, and soundtracks sound much fuller and exciting. The soundbar earned 4 stars in our review thanks to its boost in sound quality over your (awful) TV speakers. Just plug it in and you're away, with a simple-to-use remote control to keep on top of volume level and sound mode. You're not going to do better for $150. A very solid soundbar for a very solid price, the HT-S100F brings excellent sound for your TV without emptying your wallet. It's even been spotted for under $100, so it might be worth watching that price over deals events like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day. "Oh, it's a Sonos, that means it's going to be really expensive, right?" Not so, weary soundbar traveler, your patience wearing thin as you scan the Amazon listings for 'cheap soundbars.' The Sonos Ray is the cheapest of the Sonos family, and it's actually really not all that expensive when compared to the competition. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. It's $200, and brings all the smarts of the more expensive models into a more affordable package. That means AirPlay 2 and the Sonos app so that you can stream all your favorite tunes without the need to dip into a Bluetooth menu. It connects to the TV really easily as well, and then plays some excellent sound for your movies and TV. There's no Dolby Atmos or surround sound here, but it's a great option for smaller TV sets and smaller rooms. A great option for a not world-ending price. Sonos' smallest soundbar still packs a massive movie punch, with massive bass and excellent dialogue. The smart features are what make it though, with AirPlay 2 and connection to the Sonos app so that you can stream music to it. The compact Samsung HW-B650 sounds much bigger than it's size would suggest, thanks to a 3.1 setup inside. That's about as surround-y as you're going to get for this price, and it does a marvelous job of making your movies and TV sound larger than life. It's the seperate subwoofer that comes in the box which really comes in clutch, though. It produces some lovely bass for explosions, music, and other sounds that need some more power behind them. It's the most expensive on the list, but if you want your movies to get more cinematic on a budget, this is the way to go. The HW-B650 is a great soundbar, especially if you're after a bit more bass. There's a dedicated subwoofer in the box for the low stuff, and the soundbar itself does a great job at some pseudo-surround thanks to its 3.1 setup. The price is right — this could be the soundbar for you. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
01-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Hurry! One of my favorite Sony soundbars is just $98 right now in this awesome early Prime Day deal
Even though Prime Day 2025 is still a week away, we're tracking the best early Prime Day deals so you don't have to. Don't forget that some manufacturers start dropping prices before the sale event. And Sony has done just that with this awesome $98 HT-S100F deal. I reviewed the Sony HT-S100F and awarded it a coveted 4 stars. In terms of pure bang for buck, the Sony HT-S100F is utterly unique. Why unique? Well, because no matter how hard other brands try, they just can't seem to replicate the HT-S100F. In the U.K., it's called the Sony HT-SF150 and is currently son sale for £99. Budget soundbars are often quiet, tinny or lackluster in bass. The Sony HT-S100F has none of that: it performs like a $200+ model. Now at just $98, this is one of the best value soundbars money can buy. I'm not going to lie to you: $99 used to be the HT-S100F's MSRP. Unfortunately, some time around April, the MRSP was raised to $159. I'll let you make up your own mind as to why this occurred, but those are the facts. Sony tends to hover this soundbar at around $120-$160 now, so when I saw the HT-S100F at its original price, I knew I had to make a big deal about it. If you're in the U.K., you'll want to check out this deal. For some unknown reason, the HT-S100F is called the HT-SF150 in the U.K., but the awesome deal is the same. Just £99 for the best value soundbar (sans sale) is beyond impressive. The Sony HT-S100F is so good because it performs like a much pricier soundbar. It's definitely the best cheap soundbar. Although it's just a 2.0 channel soundbar, it doesn't feel like it. The bass has a surprising boom for the price. In my review, I wrote, "Considering the HT-S100F has no subwoofer, I wasn't expecting the bass to be great. However, the bass notes in 'Danger Zone' were groovy and didn't overpower the sounds of the jets taking off." While the soundbar is prone to tinniness in some moments, this is just an occupational hazard with a cheaper soundbar. When you look at similarly priced competition, you quickly realize there is no competition. The $99 Majority Elias is tinny, flat, and makes for a disappointing listen. The $67 Majority Naga 60 performs better than its price, but not as good as the HT-S100F. The Naga 60 really struggles with loud bass — during testing, it couldn't translate the rumble of a jet engine at all. If you want the best sounding soundbar for under $100, there's no competition: it's the Sony HT-S100F or nothing. But don't be fooled — the Sony HT-S100F isn't a hi-fi setup: it's just a step up from TV speakers. There's no Dolby Atmos or DTS:X support here. However, at this price? This is the cheapest way to upgrade from TV speakers. I'd snap this up pronto, before the best early Prime Day and 4th July deals are gone.
Tom's Guide
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I'm a soundbar reviewer — avoid these are 3 common budget soundbar traps
I've tested loads of soundbars by now. Sometimes I spend whole weeks locked away in Tom's Guide's testing room, emerging only to make cups of coffee and take snacks from the office kitchen. So surely I know how to separate the best soundbars from the chaff, right? Yeah, in a way. Unfortunately, though, a lot of the best budget soundbars often fall into the "chaff" category. Budget soundbars aren't intended to be cinematic, immersive setups like the 11.1.4 channel JBL Bar 1300X (the best soundbar I've ever tested). Budget soundbars know what they are: TV speaker upgrades. For the most part, that's it. These are the budget soundbar mistakes you've been making, so hopefully you'll be able to squeeze the most out of your cheap soundbar. This soundbar used to be $99, but it's recently increased to $159. Even so, it's one of the best value soundbars you can get. I love how this soundbar performs like a much pricier model, and makes my TV speakers sound cringe-inducingly bad. Let's take the Sony HT-S100F for example. This is the best budget soundbar on the market, no questions asked. I love this soundbar. But right out of the box? You might think I'm a crazy person. This is by far the easiest fix. Soundbars will all come with a remote or a companion app, so you can adjust the default settings. On this remote, you'll want to cycle through the playback modes (EQs) until you find the one that suits your movie or TV show. Sony's options are: 'Auto sound', 'Cinema', 'Night', 'Voice', and 'Standard'. When I tested this soundbar, I mostly used 'Voice' with TV shows and movies with less bass in the soundtrack. For blockbusters, I watched with 'Cinema' which upped the bass. You should also go into your TV settings and have a play around. I can't recommend one setting, because different TV brands have different settings. Just keep clicking through until you find something that suits your eardrums. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Seeing as most Dolby Atmos soundbars (with 5.1.2 channel, or minimum 3.1.2) start from around $500, getting a budget soundbar and expecting 360° audio is just setting yourself up for failure. There's nothing inherently wrong with lacking Dolby Atmos, so don't be disheartened. While, yes, it definitely provides some of the best audio experiences, not everyone needs Dolby Atmos. I recently tested the $67 Majority Naga 60 soundbar, and while, no, a $67 soundbar is never going to rival Sonos, it was actually really impressive for the money. When I was watching Stranger Things, I could feel the radioed dialogue all around me. Another budget option with quasi-immersive audio is the $249 Samsung HW-B650. I thought this was one of the cheapest ways to get (imitation) surround sound, thanks to the powerful DTS Virtual:X DSP and high-quality channel speakers. These are great budget options that don't have Dolby Atmos, but won't let you down. Now, this is a funny one. Firstly, you have to make sure your budget soundbar has a subwoofer out in the first place. The Majority Naga 60 soundbar I mentioned earlier actually does have a subwoofer line-out. You'll need to get a wired, powered subwoofer to go with it. I asked Majority for recommendations, but it just said any wired and powered subwoofer would do the trick. You can see the "SW out" on the top right of the soundbar. While, yes, this will increase the price of your setup, it will provide a much stronger sound system. Ideally, you'd get a soundbar setup with a wireless subwoofer, but those go for at least $400 on a good day. If you follow my tips, you should be well on your way to making the most of your soundbar, even though it's cheap! Let me know if you try any of these tips in the comments. Also, if you have any budget soundbar recommendations I haven't mentioned here, do tell me about them.
Tom's Guide
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Do you even need Dolby Atmos? I test soundbars for a living, and here's what I think
It's a fact of life: most of the best soundbars boast Dolby Atmos. If you don't know what Dolby Atmos is, first, why are you here? Second, don't worry, I'll tell you. So what is Dolby Atmos? Dolby Atmos is basically a spatial audio format built into soundbars (and other audio gear). It makes the sound feel like it's coming from all around you. On soundbars with extra channels like surround speakers and subwoofer, this sensation is all the more heightened. Soundbars come with channel setups; these act like codes, so you know what you're getting. For example, a 2.0 channel setup (like the Majority Elias, which I'll discuss later) has two stereo channels in the soundbar and no subwoofer or surround channel speakers. An 11.1.4 setup, like the JBL Bar 1300X, has 11 stereo and surround channels in the soundbar, a sub channel, and 4 Dolby Atmos channels. Confused? You're not alone. I know — it's actually really complex. Dolby Atmos is everywhere, but beyond its mad channel setups and confusing names, do you really even need it? Although I'd be the first person to jump at getting an epic surround home cinema setup, I can also acknowledge that my apartment doesn't really bode well for Dolby Atmos, and here's why. So if you get a cheaper soundbar, it probably has something called upfiring speakers. These types of soundbars lack channel (secondary) speakers, so they rely on speakers that shoot sound upwards to provide that surround-sound experience. For example, The Majority Elias (£99, UK-only) is a soundbar that has "Dolby Atmos". Those quotes are doing a lot of legwork right now. Sure, the brand paid for the Dolby Atmos license, and the upfiring speakers inside the soundbar that is somewhat capable of Atmos. However, if you live in an apartment like mine, these particular upfiring speakers are completely useless. I live in a gorgeous period property — it was built in 1792. As a result, my apartment's Georgian ceilings are high. Like, 16 foot high ceilings. Yep, I know. That's high. As a result, height upfiring speakers simply don't work in my home. Similarly, if your ceilings are angled (like, you live in a penthouse or your cinema room is the attic), the sound waves will struggle to bounce off the surface as planned. However, this is only the case for cheap 2 channel soundbars. If you have a soundbar with rear and side upfiring speakers and high ceilings, this probably won't be as much of an issue. So if you have flat ceilings between 8-12 foot tall, you're probably good to go. If you don't, your lovely upfiring speaker soundbar may as well be as Atmos-less as the $99 Sony HT-S100F, which you should definitely buy instead. Full candor, this soundbar used to be $99. The price just got raised to $159. This makes it far less competitive, which is a shame for Sony. Even so, it's probably the best cheap soundbar available on the market right now. It sounds excellent, much, much better than other $159 soundbars I've tested. The bass is great considering there's no subwoofer, and there's a range of listening modes. 5.1 is not Dolby Atmos — it is basic surround sound. If you haven't already noticed, basic tiers of even the best streaming services lack Dolby Atmos. You'll need to look for 'Dolby Atmos' in the audio quality section. Streaming services will literally say 'Dolby Atmos' in the movie information. If it says '5.1' that is not Dolby Atmos. It is more basic surround sound. It's worth noting that streaming services compress size of the file. This means the file will cut out elements at the high and low end of the frequency range to save space, and results in a weaker-sounding track. Just like with Bluetooth audio, you'll never get as high-quality audio on streaming as you will on Blu-ray. Netflix's cheapest tier ($7 a month), Disney Plus's cheapest tier ($10 a month), and Hulu ($10 a month), do not have Dolby Atmos. Apple TV+ ($10 a month) and HBO Max ($10 a month) have Dolby Atmos in the basic tier, so I'd recommend either of these sites for the cheapest way to get Dolby Atmos on streaming. Amazon Prime Video ($3 a month on top of Prime) offers Dolby Atmos on the ad-free tier, so would be a fantastic streaming service if you've already got a Prime account. You can even get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime Video right now. For the best Dolby Atmos, I'd recommend getting some Ultra HD 4K Blu-rays. I test all soundbars with UHD 4K Blu-rays on a Panasonic Blu-ray player, and oh boy, does it make all the difference. Obviously. Not all 4K UHD Blu-rays have Atmos, though, so you'll still need to check the box. So, if you don't have the aforementioned streaming services, and you don't have 4K UHD Blu-rays, I don't think you need Atmos. The best Dolby Atmos soundbar I've tested is the JBL Bar 1300X — which is amazing. It's also $1,700. However, if $1,700 is just a little (or in my case, a lot) out of reach, I'd recommend the Polk Audio Signa S4. This 3.1.2 setup is $399, which is much more affordable than other surround soundbars I've tested. It's also often on sale for $299. Most people agree that more like 5.1.2 is the minimum, which would price you out of the Polk Audio option, too. However, in a pinch, I found 3.1.2 to be perfectly serviceable. It just won't be as good. As a result, if your budget is below about $300, then 'true' Dolby Atmos is likely not going to happen. The cheapest one I've seen recently is the TCL Q75H Class, a massive $599 (and that's cheap!). You can get a 3.1.2 setup for $300 (like the Polk Audio Signa S4 on sale), but a true Atmos soundscape (with real height channels) will definitely run more like $500. If you've got the following: Then yes, you do need a Dolby Atmos soundbar. And you'll have an amazing time immersed in movies, TV shows, heck, even gaming (if you have the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S). Dolby Atmos really does make movies feel more immersive. Obviously it will — it's literally an audio format designed for that sole purpose. If you can afford an excellent soundbar and you want to get 360° audio out of your movies, then by all means, get a Dolby Atmos soundbar. My favorite is the JBL Bar 1300X, but there are plenty more excellent options out there — all of which I've mentioned here. I adore this soundbar. It has a stonking 11.1.4 channel setup so it's truly Dolby Atmos and immersive. I felt like I was inside the TV screen, no matter what movie I was watching. It's high-quality, and has a premium price to boot. If you've decided you don't need a Dolby Atmos soundbar, Sony HT-S2000's $499 offering could be a fantastic purchase. The 3.1 channel soundbar is compact and has crisp dialogue.
Tom's Guide
13-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
I just tested this $67 soundbar, and I'm blown away for the price
The Majority Naga 60 has something I've never seen before on a soundbar: a sub-$70 MSRP. The Naga is by far the cheapest soundbar I've ever tested. But is that enough to make it one of the best soundbars on the market today? Well… it depends on what you're after. Are you looking for a super affordable upgrade from TV speakers? Then it could be the one for you. Conversely, if you're looking for a buildable home theater setup, then it's probably not adept enough to impress you. If you configure the EQs correctly (Movie mode and 3D on), then the Naga can hold its own. However, for just $67, I'm inclined to say that this is the top bang-for-buck soundbar out there — admittedly, there's not that much bang, but there's so little buck that I can forgive it. Find out the full info in this Majority Naga 60 soundbar review. Price $67 / £69 Connectivity HDMI ARC (not eARC), Optical, Bluetooth, USB Weight 3.7 pounds Dimensions 24 x 4.6 x 3 inches Colors Black Subwoofer Built-in, but poor. Sub output for wired third-party Dolby Atmos No Channel 2.1 The Majority Naga 60 is incredibly affordable. The 2.1 channel soundbar is just $67 from Amazon U.S. and £69 from Amazon U.K. It is, by far, the cheapest soundbar I've ever reviewed. The other budget options I've tested are the Majority Elias ($99, 3-stars) and the Sony HT-S100F ($99, 4-stars). While I would wholeheartedly recommend the Sony HT-S100F (which you'll be hearing a lot about in this review) over the Naga 60, for that extra $32 saving, the Naga 60 could be a good option for those on a very tight budget. I'm just going to discuss the Naga's connectivity issues right off the bat. Even though it has an ARC HDMI output, it won't work without fiddling with your TV's settings. Once the soundbar is connected, you'll need to go into the advanced settings and change the S/PDIF settings to PCM. PCM is usually reserved for optical connectivity, so I was utterly baffled by this. However, once this was sorted, I was able to watch TV as usual with the Naga soundbar. While this might seem a bit daunting for newbies, if you follow Majority's steps carefully, it should be easy to correct. Connectivity issues aside, the soundbar looks like any other soundbar. It's a little bulky at 3 inches tall and 4.5 inches deep, which is considerably bigger than the Sony HT-S100F's 2.5 and 3.5 inches respectively, but this could be a worthy sacrifice for the $32 saving. There's a range of buttons on top, but these are all remote controlled too. The remote feels decently made, with slightly tactile buttons. These buttons control EQs (flat, movie, music, dialogue, 3D), bass and treble levels, and Bluetooth connectivity. Disappointingly, though, I didn't find the tone controls all that effective. This is either due to such a weak built-in subwoofer that increasing the bass volume to max does nothing, or that the button controls don't actually do anything. The minimum volume (01) and max volume (04) sounded virtually identical to me. Volume 4 resulted in some unpleasant vibration interference, but didn't actually improve the movie's sound, so I turned it back down to stop this vibrating. Considering this is a $67 soundbar, I didn't expect a massive range of features, and that's exactly what I got. There's a built-in subwoofer, Bluetooth connectivity for music or linking to your phone/laptop, and a range of playback EQs I mentioned above. I got the best sound out of the 'Movie' mode with '3D' mode turned on. It appears you can turn on 3D mode and one of the listening modes simultaneously. I found 'Flat' to be very tinny, so I would never choose that EQ. Similarly, 'Dialogue' and 'Music' did little to improve the sound itself — only 'Movie' mode sounded good. I'll discuss the quality of the sound and Bluetooth connectivity for music in detail in the 'Sound quality' section below. I always test soundbars with 'Top Gun: Maverick' on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, a range of TV shows on Netflix, and music via Spotify and Qobuz. As with all soundbars I test, I watched 'Top Gun: Maverick'. The opening scene is fantastic for putting soundbars through their paces: it has thumping bass in both the diegetic jet engines and the soundtrack, plus high-frequency sound effects of whipping ropes, clinking metal, and radio sounds. While a lot of this nuance was lost, I could still hear sounds like the roaring engines and the whooshing wind. True, I couldn't make out the clinking metal sounds and flicking rope effects, but for a $67 soundbar, can I really complain? Throughout the movie, the OST's brass motif was a little tinny and flat, and I wanted some extra oomph from the action scenes — especially when Maverick was flying. However, this soundbar is a little better than my Panasonic TV speakers, and is just $67. There were some moments where the Naga 60 couldn't handle the sound: for example, when Maverick's jet is taking off at the start of the movie. This sound was condensed and clipped, almost muted. When I increased to volume 20+, the jet sound didn't really get louder, while dialogue and the soundtrack did. To test sound quality on TV, I watched a variety of shows on Netflix. Considering the Naga 60 is just $67, I think it's a worthwhile assumption that most customers will be using it for TV rather than surround-sound Dolby Atmos setups. Especially as the Naga 60 isn't actually compatible with Atmos. There were a few standout moments during testing: for example, when I was watching 'Stranger Things', the characters speaking over walkie-talkies was really immersive. The radio dialogue sounded as if it was coming from around me. When the characters were hiding in a school bus, the footsteps on the metal body echoed throughout the scene. While the soundtrack was pinchy in the treble and a little crackly at the top of the frequency range, this didn't detract massively from the general experience. The soundbar really struggles with high-pitched feminine voices, especially Winona Ryder's — which is a massive shame seeing as she's the main character in 'Stranger Things'. This impacted my ability to watch the show for long periods. The Naga 60 also really struggled with the 'Stranger Things' intro, which is very bassy, and just churned out an unpleasant vibrating and grating sound. Overall, the soundbar performed well, all things considered. It's a major step up from TV speakers, but it won't impress when playing Dolby Atmos-enabled movies or home cinema enthusiasts. For that, I'd recommend the Sony HT-S100F. To test music playback, I connected to my Naga 60 via Bluetooth on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. First, I listened to 'Certified' by Miso Extra, which is an upbeat pop track with synth motifs and a groovy bass beat. I couldn't really hear the bass synths, but the treble melody was audible. The vocals were soft yet a little flat, but overall the song sounded alright — just nowhere near as good as one of the best Bluetooth speakers. 'Memoirs of Miso' by The Orielles is a psychedelic indie track with rolling guitar melodies and airy vocals. This track sounded quite muffled in the bridge and chorus, as if the soundbar couldn't separate all the instruments layered across the track. However, the sound was still palatable. Another track worth noting was 'There's No Future In Optimism' by Garbage, which has a dense soundscape with electronic bass, guitars, and heady percussion. There was a little crackling at the peak of the bass, and the vocals were a little overpowered by the rest of the sound, but, again, I can't really expect more from a $67 soundbar. Overall, the soundbar did alright with music, but I'd just recommend getting a speaker (like the JBL Flip 7, $149 on Amazon). The Naga 60 soundbar is a great way to upgrade from TV speakers for as little money as possible. However, $67 is still a decent amount of money for a first soundbar, and, given the setup headache, I'm not sure how easy this is to use for complete beginners. If you can spare another $32, I'd recommend the Sony HT-S100F soundbar. It's just $99 and has fantastic, room-filling sound quality. On top of that, it never struggled with dialogue or bass like the Naga 60 did. However, it's worth noting that it doesn't have a subwoofer output (unlike the Naga, which can be connected to a wired sub), so it is not great for building a home theater. With all that being said, if you want a super cheap soundbar that sounds better than TV speakers (but not as good as a pricier soundbar), then the Majority Naga 60 is a good option — it just won't blow you away.
