There are many great soundbars and we don’t have space to feature them all. Here are some others you may want to consider.
Vizio Elevate M Series for $500: If you want full-featured Dolby Atmos and like a bit of style, Vizio’s second Elevate bar is worth considering. The controllers come out the side and point toward the ceiling when playing Atmos content, giving you a neat party trick to show off to your friends. The sound quality is also solid and we like the compact design and easy setup. However, you will have to run some speaker cables around the rear surrounds.
The Yamaha SR-C30A for $276: This SR-C30A soundbar model looks a lot like the SR-C20A, and that’s because they are the same when it comes to dimensions, specifications, and sound quality. The difference is that the SR-C30A comes with a compact wireless subwoofer (335 x 160 x 364 mm) for authentic Hollywood-style boom. —Simon Lucas
Sennheiser Ambeo Plus for $970: Given the price and physical dimensions of the soundbar, which doesn’t even include a subwoofer, the Ambeo Plus may seem like a bad deal. But thanks to its 400 watts of power and its nine carefully developed and even more carefully placed speaker drivers, this Sennheiser is capable of producing wide, immersive sound with a strong suggestion of the sonic height that characterizes Dolby Atmos soundtracks. As an encore, it turns out to be a highly capable wireless speaker when you also want to listen to music. —Simon Lucas
The Polk reacts for $259: This sound bar works if you eventually want to get surround sound but don’t have the cash right now. The Alexa-enabled sound bar is fine on its own, with surround speakers and subwoofers available from Polk if you want to upgrade.
The Vizio Elevate P-Series for $700: This is an amazing looking soundbar with side speakers that rotate towards the sky when you watch content with object-based audio. It’s a good-sounding bar and that trick is cool, but there are better options for under $1,000.
Roku streaming stick for $129: If you’re looking for a soundbar that also doubles as an incredible streaming device, WIRED senior editor Adrienne So swears by the Roku Streambar. After going years without one, I sent her home with this Roku model and she was so impressed that she shouted it from the rooftops. Setup is extremely easy, and because it comes with Roku’s simple streaming interface (and support for surround sound, as well as 4K and high dynamic range video), you can stream movies and shows from almost any streaming service. You can also add a Roku subwoofer or surround sound speakers in the future. We encourage get a submarine. We’ve linked to Walmart’s version of Roku, called “Onn,” because it appears the original model is being discontinued. It’s cheaper and a little weaker, but it’s still much better than standard TV speakers, and it comes with Roku streaming built-in. Interface.
