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Research · 5.1.4-channel soundbar

Hisense AX5140Q: what the testing says

The AX5140Q is the value pick. For $399.99 you get a 5.1.4 system with a wireless sub and two wireless rears with up-firing drivers, and RTINGS rates it great for mixed use, dialogue, and movies and names it its best budget soundbar. What you give up: Wi-Fi streaming, 4K 120Hz passthrough, and room correction unless you have a Hisense TV.

By The WhichTVShouldIBuy editorsUpdated Released Summer 2025
Hisense AX5140Q soundbar with its wireless subwoofer and two rear speakers, three-quarter view
Image: Hisense (official product page, opens in a new tab)
Hisense AX5140Q soundbar, subwoofer, and rear speakers, front view
Image: Hisense (official product page, opens in a new tab)

Our take

The short version

Hisense's 2025 AX5140Q is the cheapest full surround system we cover: a 5.1.4 bar with a center channel and up-firing drivers, a 6.5-inch wireless subwoofer, and two wireless rear speakers that have their own up-firing drivers. RTINGS calls it 'great for mixed usage', 'an excellent one-size-fits-all solution, especially at this price bracket', and great for dialogue and movies.

The limits show up around the edges. There's no Wi-Fi, so no AirPlay or Chromecast, only Bluetooth 5.3. The HDMI input passes 4K at 60Hz, not 120Hz. Room correction only runs through a supported Hisense TV, and RTINGS notes the sub favors high bass over the deepest notes.

On a Hisense TV, Hi-Concerto plays the TV's speakers along with the bar, and EzPlay puts its controls on the TV remote. Hisense's manual also covers Roku TV setup. One more caution: Hisense's US spec table for this model is a copy of another product's, so our specs come from its press releases, store listing, and manual. At 40.1 inches it fits under a 48-inch screen.

Pros and cons

What we like

  • Sub and two up-firing rears in the box for $399.99
  • RTINGS: great for mixed use, dialogue, and movies; its best budget soundbar
  • Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, with an HDMI input
  • Hi-Concerto and EzPlay with Hisense TVs

Trade-offs

  • No Wi-Fi: Bluetooth only
  • Passthrough tops out at 4K 60Hz
  • Room correction needs a supported Hisense TV
  • Sold by a marketplace seller on Amazon on October 26

Who it's for

Buy it if…

  • Anyone who wants real surround for about $400
  • Hisense TV owners
  • Movie nights in a room where rears are easy to place

Skip it if…

  • Music streamers who want Wi-Fi or AirPlay
  • Gamers who'd pass 4K 120Hz through the bar
  • Anyone who can't run power to speakers behind the couch

Your TV

TVs it fits and syncs with

At 40.1 in (1,020 mm) wide, the AX5140Q fits under a 48-inch screen, whose picture is 41.8 inches wide, and anything bigger. It's wider than the picture on a 42-inch screen or smaller. Our rule: a bar fits when it's no wider than the picture, since every TV is a little wider than its picture and the bar then won't overhang it. Check the gap under the screen too: the bar is 2.3 inches (59 mm) tall.

Hisense names these features for Hisense and Roku TVs. Any other TV still works with it over HDMI eARC.

  • Hisense TVs: Hi-Concerto, EzPlay 3.0, Room Fitting Tuning

    Hi-Concerto plays the TV's speakers along with the bar instead of muting them. EzPlay lets a Hisense TV remote change the bar's sound modes and shows speaker status on the TV, and Room Fitting Tuning calibrates the sound through the TV. Hisense says these work with 'select Hisense TV models'; its Canadian page names the UXQG, U88QG, and U78QG. Hisense's page (opens in a new tab)

  • Roku TVs: Roku TV Ready

    Hisense's manual has a 'Use with Roku TV' section and the Roku TV Ready mark: connect it to a Roku TV's HDMI ARC port and follow the on-screen setup. Hisense's US product page doesn't mention it. Hisense's page (opens in a new tab)

TVs we cover that it fits under

Sizes are the ones each TV is sold in. A sync feature is listed where Hisense names one for that TV's brand and model year.

Spec sheet

AX5140Q specs

Hisense AX5140Q specifications
Channels5.1.4
Drivers13 speakers: 5 full-range and 3 tweeters in the bar, 4 full-range in the rears (2 up-firing), plus the subwoofer
Audio formatsDolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD, DTS
HDMIHDMI eARC/ARC to the TV, plus 1 HDMI input
HDMI passthrough4K at 60Hz
Optical1 optical input
WirelessBluetooth 5.3; no Wi-Fi listed by Hisense US
Voice / micsNot specified
Subwoofer6.5-inch wireless subwoofer included
Rear speakersTwo wireless rear speakers with up-firing drivers included
Bar dimensions1020 x 59 x 108 mm (40.1 x 2.3 x 4.2 in), per Hisense's manual
Bar weight2.7 kg (5.95 lb), bar
Room calibrationRoom Fitting Tuning, only through a supported Hisense TV
Dialogue / night modesVoice and Night modes; AI EQ mode
Also notableUSB and 3.5 mm aux inputs. Hisense's US spec table for this model copies another product's, so we don't use it.

From the manufacturer sources listed below. “Not specified” means those sources don't state it. Model number: AX5140Q.

Published testing

What the testing says

Other outlets tested the AX5140Q; we didn't. Each finding is theirs, with the page and its date.

Cross-shop

Alternatives to consider

  • Samsung HW-Q800H soundbar with its wireless subwoofer, three-quarter view
    Image: Samsung (official product page, opens in a new tab)

    Samsung HW-Q800H

    Channels
    5.1.2 Atmos
    Approx. price
    ~$697.99
    In the box
    Bar and sub
    Fits under
    55" and up
    TV sync
    Samsung
    Width
    43.7 in

    Bar plus wireless sub for under $700, with RTINGS' top word for dialogue and rears you can add later.

    Pros

    • Pro: RTINGS: great for mixed use, excellent for dialogue
    • Pro: Wireless sub in the box with deep bass, per RTINGS
    • Pro: HDMI input with 4K passthrough, plus Wi-Fi, AirPlay, and Chromecast

    Trade-offs

    • Trade-off: No DTS of any kind
    • Trade-off: No rears in the box; Atmos height is modest, per RTINGS

    Top fit scores

    Dialogue
    5 out of 5
    Bass
    5 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-Q800H
  • Samsung HW-Q990H soundbar with its wireless subwoofer and two rear speakers, three-quarter view
    Image: Samsung (official product page, opens in a new tab)

    Samsung HW-Q990H

    Channels
    11.1.4 Atmos
    Approx. price
    ~$1,497.99
    In the box
    Bar, sub, and rears
    Fits under
    65" and up
    TV sync
    Samsung
    Width
    48.5 in

    A full 11.1.4 system in one box: bar, sub, and two rears, with RTINGS' top verdicts for movies and dialogue.

    Pros

    • Pro: Sub and two rears in the box: true 11.1.4 with nothing to add
    • Pro: RTINGS: amazing for mixed use and dialogue, impressive for movies
    • Pro: Two HDMI inputs with 4K 120Hz passthrough

    Trade-offs

    • Trade-off: 48.5 inches wide: fits 65-inch screens and up
    • Trade-off: RTINGS calls it largely unchanged from the Q990F

    Top fit scores

    Movies
    5 out of 5
    Dialogue
    5 out of 5
    Bass
    5 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-Q990H
  • Samsung HW-B750F soundbar with its wireless subwoofer, three-quarter view
    Image: Samsung (official product page, opens in a new tab)

    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.

    Pros

    • Pro: RTINGS: very good for dialogue and for music
    • Pro: Wireless sub in the box with punchy bass
    • Pro: Center channel and side-firing speakers

    Trade-offs

    • Trade-off: No Dolby Atmos
    • Trade-off: HDMI ARC, not eARC; no Wi-Fi

    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

Sources

Manufacturer specs

Published testing

Manufacturer specs and published testing, researched October 26, 2026. The Amazon price is the buy-box price for a new unit that day ($399.99, sold by HOORAY COMMERCE). We didn't test this soundbar ourselves; findings credited to an outlet are that outlet's.