Getting great audio in your living room doesn’t have to break the bank. While high-end soundbars can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, you can also find excellent options for under $200.
In this guide, we’ll go over what to look for when shopping for an affordable soundbar, provide reviews of my top 8 recommendations, and answer some frequently asked questions. Let’s dive in!
VIZIO V-Series 5.1 Home Bar
VIZIO V-Series 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar
The VIZIO V-Series 5.1 Home soundbar is a low-profile sound bar that delivers an immersive audio experience with six total speakers optimized for 4K HDR content. With a 96dB sound pressure level and a 20kHz frequency range, this soundbar is perfect for watching movies or gaming. The all-new backlit remote makes it easy to control your sound bar.
The voice assistant input feature lets you use your voice to control your Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant devices through the soundbar. The VIZIO device also features a variety of connectivity options. Y has HDMI ARC / eARC, USB, 3.5mm stereo mini jack, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. This allows you to connect the sound bar to various devices easily.
Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar Sound System
Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar Sound System with Universal Remote Control
Bose is a well-known audio industry brand known for its high-quality and innovative products. The Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar Sound System boasts several impressive features that make it stand out from other soundbars on the market.
It has a dialogue mode feature that makes every word stand out. This mode enhances speech clarity, making understanding conversations and dialogue on your TV easier. You can connect your smartphone, tablet, or other Bluetooth-enabled device to the soundbar and play your favorite songs with Bluetooth connectivity.
Setting up the Bose Solo 5 is a breeze. The soundbar only requires one connection to your TV, making it a simple and hassle-free process. It has an optical audio input (digital), coaxial audio input (digital), and a 3.5mm aux input (analog) for easy connectivity to a variety of TVs.
VIZIO M-Series All-in-One 2.1 Sound Bar
VIZIO M-Series All-in-One 2.1 Immersive Sound Bar
The VIZIO M-Series All-in-One 2.1 Immersive Sound Bar has features that elevate your viewing experience. With 98dB of premium audio powered by six high-performance speakers, the VIZIO soundbar delivers exceptional sound quality.
The M-Series All-in-One sound bar also utilizes DTS Virtual:X technology. This feature creates an optical illusion for your ears, making it feel like you have speakers placed throughout your room.
With built-in dual subwoofers and a fully integrated design, this sound bar requires no external components to sound its best. At just 36 inches in width, it can fit seamlessly into any space without taking up too much room.
SAMSUNG 2.1ch A550 A Series Soundbar
SAMSUNG 2.1ch A550 A Series Soundbar
If you’re looking for an immersive surround sound experience, the SAMSUNG 2.1ch A550 A Series Soundbar is a great option. With Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Virtual:X technology, you can enjoy realistic surround sound that makes you feel right in the middle of the action. The Bass Boost button lets you instantly amplify the bass to add power to your listening experience.
The wireless subwoofer with the soundbar delivers deep, rich bass that brings your music and movies to life. When gaming, the Game Mode ensures you’ll have the advantage of a sound that moves with the action on screen. For even more flexibility, the Adaptive Sound Lite mode optimizes sound to match the video content you’re watching.
YAMAHA SR-B20A Sound Bar
Yamaha Audio SR-B20A Sound Bar with Built-in Subwoofers and Bluetooth
The Yamaha Sound Bar SR-B20A is the ideal audio upgrade for your home theater. It delivers a powerful, room-filling sound with deep bass in one slim soundbar. The built-in subwoofers provide precise, accurate low frequencies, while DTS Virtual 3D surround sound gives you an immersive experience that will blow you away.
With Bluetooth streaming, you can easily switch between two devices and enjoy uninterrupted music without missing a beat. The Yamaha soundbar also has a remote control that makes adjusting volume or switching between inputs accessible. This speaker has an HDMI input and output, as well as optical.
Roku Streambar
Roku Streambar | 4K HDR Streaming Device & Premium Roku Soundbar All In One
Roku Streaming Stick is a streaming media player that allows you to watch your favorite TV shows, movies, sports, and more on your TV. The Roku Streaming Stick features an enhanced remote with voice search to find the best of what’s on offer. This compact device plugs into any HDMI port on your television and delivers smooth streaming in 1080p HD/4k/HDR quality.
Roku’s Streambar is the best soundbar for streaming TV and movies, with four full-range drivers producing 8 watts RMS each for a total output of 32 watts, which is 64 watts of peak power. It also includes an enhanced remote with TV power and volume buttons.
These voice assistants are compatible with Roku devices. To start a channel, ask Alexa or say “Hey Google” to launch channels, search for content, and control your streaming.
Yamaha YAS-109dB Sound Bar
Yamaha Audio YAS-109 Sound Bar with Built-In Subwoofers, Bluetooth
Yamaha is another incredible brand that enables homeowners to complete their audio system setup with style. As a single bar, this unit has multiple mounting options and is even great for small rooms. It gives you an appealing setup that you’ll like to bring into your living space.
YAS-109 built-in speakers produce remarkable virtual surround sound with an output of 10dB. It’s one of the loudest units on our list, but you won’t be dealing with listening fatigue. YAS-109 integrates a clear voice function that balances how you hear people speak on TV. You will listen to every word with better clarity and never have to keep adjusting the volume according to the scene.
Connectivity is also two-way, either wired or wireless Bluetooth connection. The remote control gives you easy operation. It even has a downloadable app (Home Theatre Control App), which provides you with access to more functions other than those in the remote control.
Sony S200F 2.1ch Soundbar
Sony S200F 2.1ch Soundbar
Sony’s S200F soundbar with a built-in subwoofer is a must-have for anyone looking to enhance their entertainment experience! The low-profile design of the soundbar does not obstruct the view of your television, so you can still watch movies or sports without having to look at a big box on top of your TV.
This Sony soundbar also includes Bluetooth technology, which allows you to connect wirelessly to any compatible device and play music. It also has an HDMI input that will enable you to connect it directly to your television.
The soundbar’s voice enhancement feature strengthens the listening experience, which is ideal for TV content with hushed dialogue or conference call quality. A built-in subwoofer delivers the deep bass. Enjoy the detailed sound and rich bass across multiple entertainment sources, including movies, sports, music, and video games.
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Soundbar Under $200
Sound Quality
This is the most essential feature. You want a soundbar that produces clear, balanced audio with solid bass. Soundbars in this price range typically have 2 or 3 speaker drivers. The more drivers, the better the sound quality potential.
Connectivity
Most budget soundbars connect via either HDMI ARC or optical cable. HDMI ARC provides higher bandwidth for lossless audio formats. The visual is more limited but still decent. Bluetooth connectivity allows you to stream music wirelessly.
Size
Measure the space where you plan to place the soundbar. Soundbars with 32-43 inch TVs are compact, while 54+ inch TVs need a more extended bar. Wall mounting requires slimmer profile units.
Ease of Setup
Affordable soundbars are designed for quick, painless installation. Most include all necessary cables/adapters. HDMI ARC models with Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) sync up with simple remote controls.
Brands
Stick with well-known audio brands offering the latest features. In this guide, Vizio, Samsung, JBL, Sony, Yamaha, and LG consistently make the best budget soundbars.
FAQs
Soundbars provide an all-in-one audio upgrade that’s more affordable and compact than receivers and surround setups.
Solomen is the founder of MrHow.io, and he is happiest when working with technology and able to help others. In his free time, he often listens to Baroque music, swims or runs. Feel free to contact him on social media!
Some people prefer sound bars home theater over traditional home theater speakers.
Yeah! It is
I bought a Bose for my LG OLED and was very disappointed. Took it back and got a Sony instead. Great sound quality! By the way, heard the Vizio at COSTCO recently and was very impressed for less than $200!
Thank for your sharing.
Brilliant list of hand-picked soundbars. We all must agree that a high quality soundbar is not an option these days but more of a necessity if we aim to have an all round audio system in our house. Although the above options maybe popular for those hunting for a low cost soundbar, the likes of Bose, Denon and Nakamichi offer unmatched audio quality and connectivity options.
Thank for your information, I will update ASAP. Cheers!