TV-first tech research

Which TV Should I Buy?
Search

Soundbars · 14 models · 3 guides

Which soundbar should you buy?

Start with your TV: its brand decides which sync features you get, and its width decides which bars fit under it. Pick from our four, or answer four questions and get a shortlist with reasons.

Quick picks

If you just want the answer

  1. Samsung HW-Q990H soundbar with its wireless subwoofer and two rear speakers, three-quarter view

    Best overall

    Samsung HW-Q990H

    ~$1,497.99 (approx., Oct 2026)

    Bar, sub, and two rears in one box, with RTINGS' 'amazing' verdicts for mixed use and dialogue. ~$1,497.99, and 48.5 inches wide, so 65-inch TVs and up.

  2. Samsung HW-Q800H soundbar with its wireless subwoofer, three-quarter view

    Best under $1,000

    Samsung HW-Q800H

    ~$697.99 (approx., Oct 2026)

    RTINGS calls it excellent for dialogue, and its wireless sub brings deep bass. No DTS and no rears in the box, at ~$697.99.

  3. Hisense AX5140Q soundbar with its wireless subwoofer and two rear speakers, three-quarter view

    Best value

    Hisense AX5140Q

    ~$399.99 (approx., Oct 2026)

    A 5.1.4 system with sub and up-firing rears for ~$399.99, and RTINGS' best budget soundbar. Bluetooth only, with no Wi-Fi streaming.

  4. Samsung HW-B750F soundbar with its wireless subwoofer, three-quarter view

    Best under $300

    Samsung HW-B750F

    ~$297.99 (approx., Oct 2026)

    RTINGS rates it very good for dialogue and music, with a sub in the box, at ~$297.99. No Dolby Atmos, and ARC rather than eARC.

Disclosure: “Check price” buttons are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you; it never changes our picks, which come from published testing and manufacturer specs, not our own testing. Product images: official manufacturer photos (Hisense, Samsung).

The soundbar finder

Tell us about your TV

01What brand is your TV?
02How big is the screen?
03What do you want it to do best?
04What's your budget?

Picks update live as you choose. No email, no sign-up.

Your shortlist

Top picks for your TV

A soundbar for movies, for a 65" Samsung TV, under $600: here are your top 3 picks.

  1. 01

    Top pick

    Hisense AX5140Q

    Channels
    5.1.4 Atmos
    Approx. price
    ~$399.99
    In the box
    Bar, sub, and rears
    Fits under
    48" and up
    TV sync
    Hisense, Roku
    Width
    40.1 in

    A 5.1.4 system with sub and up-firing rears for $400; RTINGS' best budget soundbar.

    • 4/5 for movies. 5.1.4 channels with Dolby Atmos; sub and rears in the box.
    • No Samsung-specific features; it connects over HDMI eARC like any bar.
    • 40.1 in wide, under a 65-inch screen's 56.7-inch picture.
    • ~$399.99 (approx.), inside your $600 budget.

    Top fit scores

    Movies
    4 out of 5
    Dialogue
    4 out of 5
    Bass
    4 out of 5

    Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published testing and specs, not our own measurements.

    Check price

    Affiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.

    Read the breakdown: Hisense AX5140Q
  2. 02

    Samsung HW-B750F

    Channels
    5.1
    Approx. price
    ~$297.99
    In the box
    Bar and sub
    Fits under
    48" and up
    TV sync
    Samsung
    Width
    40.6 in

    A 5.1 bar and sub under $300 that RTINGS rates very good for dialogue and music, but with no Atmos.

    • 2/5 for movies. 5.1 channels; sub in the box.
    • Samsung lists Q-Symphony for older Samsung TVs only; it still connects over HDMI ARC.
    • 40.6 in wide, under a 65-inch screen's 56.7-inch picture.
    • ~$297.99 (approx.), inside your $600 budget.

    Top fit scores

    Value
    5 out of 5
    Dialogue
    4 out of 5
    Music
    4 out of 5

    Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published testing and specs, not our own measurements.

    Check price

    Affiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.

    Read the breakdown: Samsung HW-B750F
  3. 03

    Samsung HW-S60D

    Channels
    5.0 Atmos
    Approx. price
    ~$277.99
    In the box
    Bar only
    Fits under
    42" and up
    TV sync
    Samsung
    Width
    26.3 in

    An all-in-one Atmos bar under $300 with Wi-Fi and AirPlay; RTINGS rates it great for dialogue.

    • 2/5 for movies. 5.0 channels with Dolby Atmos; no sub in the box.
    • Samsung lists Q-Symphony for older Samsung TVs only; it still connects over HDMI eARC.
    • 26.3 in wide, under a 65-inch screen's 56.7-inch picture.
    • ~$277.99 (approx.), inside your $600 budget.

    Top fit scores

    Value
    5 out of 5
    Dialogue
    4 out of 5
    Music
    3 out of 5

    Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published testing and specs, not our own measurements.

    Check price

    Affiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.

    Read the breakdown: Samsung HW-S60D

Only bars no wider than the screen's picture are shown. Ranked on our editorial fit scores (from published testing and manufacturer specs, not our own tests), the maker's TV sync features, and Amazon prices seen October 26, 2026. Check price links are affiliate links.

The lineup

Every soundbar we cover

14 bars from Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, Sonos, Bose and Roku. Each one has its own page with specs, the TVs it fits under, its TV sync features, and what the testing found.

Under $300 · 04

$300 to $1,000 · 06

Over $1,000 · 04

Go deeper

Soundbar buying guides

  1. 01

    The Best Soundbars of 2026

    Our 2026 soundbar picks: Samsung's HW-Q990H for a full system, the HW-Q800H under $1,000, Hisense's AX5140Q for surround on a budget, and what fits under your TV.

    Updated Oct 26, 2026

    7 picks

    Read the guide →

  2. 02

    The Best Soundbars Under $300 in 2026

    Four soundbars were $300 or less at Amazon on October 26, 2026. Samsung's HW-B750F is the pick for most TVs, the HW-S60D for small ones, and what another $100 buys.

    Updated Oct 26, 2026

    4 picks

    Read the guide →

  3. 03

    The Best Soundbar for Your TV, by Brand and Size

    Which soundbar to get for a Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, TCL, Roku, or Fire TV, from 42 to 98 inches: the sync features each maker names, and which bars fit under each screen.

    Updated Oct 26, 2026

    8 picks

    Read the guide →

Setting one up? Our TV and soundbar pairing guide covers eARC vs ARC, Dolby Atmos, and placement.

Methodology

How we score soundbars

Every bar gets five fit scores from 1 to 5. Four are our reading of published testing (RTINGS, Tom's Guide, What Hi-Fi? and others, credited on each page) and the maker's spec sheet. We don't run a test bench, and we never claim measurements we didn't take.

Value comes from written price bands on the Amazon price we saw on October 26, 2026, a point lower when a cheaper bar here matches all four of the others. No brand pays for placement.

Read the full methodology
01Movies and surround
Height and surround effects, dynamics, and how big it sounds with films and series.
02Dialogue and TV
How clearly voices come through for shows, news, and sports, including center channels and voice modes.
03Music
Tuning, stereo width, and streaming: Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Chromecast.
04Bass
Depth and punch, from an included subwoofer or the bar's own woofers.
05Value
The Amazon price against the written price bands, a point lower when a cheaper bar here matches all four of its other scores.