September 2021
Sound Bars: Aggregated Ranking Report
This report contains an aggregate consensus of Sound Bar rankings posted by key online experts, as of September 2021.
At a glance - September 2021 Ranking
| Rank | Change | Price | Sound Bar |
Tom's Guide
|
CNET
|
World Wide Stereo
|
TechRadar
|
Rtings.com
|
SoundGuys
|
TechHive
|
CNN Underscored
|
WIRED
|
PCMag
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
- | $950 |
Sonos Arc
|
2
|
8
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
9
|
3
|
|
2
|
- | $499 |
Sonos Beam
|
6
|
-
|
5
|
8
|
6
|
2
|
4
|
7
|
-
|
4
|
|
3
|
- | $2500 |
Sennheiser Ambeo 3D Soundbar
|
-
|
6
|
10
|
7
|
5
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
12
|
9
|
|
4
|
- | $977 |
Vizio Elevate
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
6
|
14
|
3
|
-
|
|
5
|
- | $129 |
Roku Streambar
|
7
|
9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
5
|
10
|
-
|
|
6
|
- | Check price |
Vizio M-Series 5.1
|
8
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
3
|
13
|
-
|
6
|
|
7
|
- | $350 |
Yamaha YAS-209
|
1
|
4
|
15
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
|
8
|
+7 | $180 |
Roku Streambar Pro
|
10
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
|
9
|
- | $499 |
Klipsch Cinema 600
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
|
10
|
- | $199 |
Polk Audio React
|
9
|
-
|
14
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
|
11
|
+2 | $799 |
Bose Soundbar 700
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
|
12
|
+2 | Check price |
Samsung HW-Q90R
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
13
|
+3 | $279 |
Polk Signa S3
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
|
14
|
+3 | $1498 |
Sony HT-ST5000
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
11
|
-
|
-
|
|
15
|
+3 | $1000 |
JBL Bar 9.1
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
|
16
|
+3 | $298 |
Sony HT-X8500
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
-
|
|
17
|
-9 | $160 |
Roku Smart Soundbar
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
-
|
|
18
|
+2 | $278 |
Sony HT-S350
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
-
|
5
|
We ranked Sonos Arc #1 in September 2021 because:
- 8 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Sonos Arc as #1.
Tom's Guide
The Best Premium Soundbar
|
Pros
Clear vocals and focused sound
Strong, Sonos-quality bass
Alexa and Google Assistant built-in
|
Cons
Very large
|
TechRadar
The Best Soundbar You Can Buy Right Now
|
Pros
Dolby Atmos, TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus
Discrete all-in-one soundbar
Amazing surround sound and music playback
|
Cons
Doesn’t suit every room
|
PCMag
Best for multi-room audio/Editors' Choice
|
Pros
Large sound field with powerful bass, even without a subwoofer
Supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Can easily be expanded with satellites and a subwoofer
Dolby Atmos compatibility with angled tweeters
|
Cons
Expensive
Only works with pricey Sonos subwoofer
|
We ranked Sonos Beam #2 in September 2021 because:
- 8 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
Tom's Guide
Big Sound And Smart Home Controls
|
Pros
Easy set up
Alexa inside
Wide soundstage
|
Cons
Bass lacks detail
No Bluetooth audio
|
TechRadar
This Is The Smart Soundbar We've Been Waiting For
|
Pros
Great compact design
HDMI ARC compatible
Superb sound
|
Cons
No Dolby Atmos
|
SoundGuys
Best Smart Soundbar
|
Pros
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support
Size
Dolby Digital Support
Easy Setup
Simple to connect other Sonos Speakers
|
Cons
Doesn't support any object based codecs
Overpriced
|
PCMag
Best for multi-room audio/Editors' Choice
|
Pros
Powerful sound for its size.
Built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant.
Easily expanded with additional Sonos speakers.
|
Cons
No Bluetooth.
Optional subwoofer is expensive.
|
Methodology: combine opinions of key experts
Identify Experts
We identify key publishers and experts that consistently review and recommend Sound Bars.
Capture Rankings
For each publisher we find a currently recommended "top 10" list of Sound Bars, it must be updated in the last 9 months.
Aggregate Rankings
We put all those lists together and aggregate them. The more frequently a product is recommended, the higher it is in our ranking
Experts chosen for September 2021 ranking
Tom's Guide
CNET
World Wide Stereo
TechRadar
Rtings.com
SoundGuys
TechHive
CNN Underscored
WIRED
PCMag
We ranked Sennheiser Ambeo 3D Soundbar #3 in September 2021 because:
- 7 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Sennheiser Ambeo 3D Soundbar as #1.
TechRadar
Dazzling 3D Sound – But at Quite a Price
|
Pros
Superb sound quality
Effective Dolby Atmos
|
Cons
Humongous price, size and weight
No AirPlay or AptX for Bluetooth
|
SoundGuys
Best All Around/Editors Choice
|
Pros
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
Number of Inputs
Chromecast built-in
|
Cons
Price
Fairly large soundbar
|
PCMag
Immersive All-in-One Audio
|
Pros
Powerful audio with rich bass depth, crisp highs, and listening modes tailored to music, film, and TV.
Ambeo modes widen stereo field and create immersive listening experience.
|
Cons
Wildly expensive.
Big and heavy.
We'd still like to add a subwoofer.
|
We ranked Vizio Elevate #4 in September 2021 because:
- 5 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
We ranked Roku Streambar #5 in September 2021 because:
- 5 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
Tom's Guide
The Best Soundbar For Cord-Cutters
|
Pros
4K streaming
Clear, loud sound
Compact design
|
Cons
Relatively weak bass
No Ethernet port
|
We ranked Vizio M-Series 5.1 #6 in September 2021 because:
- 5 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
Tom's Guide
The best soundbar, subwoofer and satellite system on a budget
|
Pros
True surround sound
Full Dolby Atmos support
Great value
|
Cons
Bass can overpower
No auto calibration or app
|
PCMag
Affordable 5.1 Surround/Editor's Choice
|
Pros
Powerful, theater-like sub-bass and solid overall balance
EQ and dedicated levels for individual channels
5.1 surround with Dolby Atmos support
Generous array of included cabling
|
Cons
Can distort on deep bass at high volumes
Rear surrounds are wired to subwoofer
|
We ranked Yamaha YAS-209 #7 in September 2021 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Yamaha YAS-209 as #1.
Tom's Guide
The Best Soundbar And Subwoofer Combo
|
Pros
Clear and resonant dialog
Excellent for music
Alexa inside
|
Cons
Lacks low-frequency effects when movies are playing
Only 1 HDMI input
|
We ranked Roku Streambar Pro #8 in September 2021 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Roku Streambar Pro as #1.
Tom's Guide
A soundbar/streamer combo with virtual surround sound
|
Pros
Easy to set up and use
Wide sound
Built-in Roku 4K streamer
|
Cons
No Dolby Atmos
Low streaming app performance
|
PCMag
Best for Roku Media Streaming/Editors' Choice
|
Pros
Affordable
Solid audio performance
Lots of media streaming options
Remote with headphone jack
|
Cons
Relatively weak bass response
|
We ranked Klipsch Cinema 600 #9 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Klipsch Cinema 600 as #1.
PCMag
Powerful, Affordable 3.1 Audio/Editors' Choice
|
Pros
Powerful audio performance with deep, theater-like sub-bass and crisp high-end definition
Wireless subwoofer
Bluetooth streaming
Virtual surround mode sounds good
Can be expanded to a true 5.1 system
|
Cons
No user-adjustable EQ
|
We ranked Polk Audio React #10 in September 2021 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
Tom's Guide
The best soundbar for getting Alexa on a budget
|
Pros
Lots of bass without a sub
Built-in Alexa
Slim design
|
Cons
Narrow soundstage
Limited modes
No Atmos
|
We ranked Bose Soundbar 700 #11 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
We ranked Samsung HW-Q90R #12 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
TechRadar
Be afraid, traditional Hi-Fi speakers. Be very afraid.
|
Pros
Impressive sound quality
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Easy to install and setup
|
Cons
Expensive
|
We ranked Polk Signa S3 #13 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
PCMag
Affordable 2.1 Audio
|
Pros
Powerful audio performance with deep bass and crisp highs
Wireless subwoofer
Voice Adjust mode for clearer dialogue
Supports Chromecast audio and Google Assistant voice commands
Ships with both HDMI and optical cables
|
Cons
No EQ
Lacks visual indicators for various audio modes
|
We ranked Sony HT-ST5000 #14 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
We ranked JBL Bar 9.1 #15 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
PCMag
Best for versatility
|
Pros
Powerful audio with thunderous bass depth
Dolby Atmos drivers
Wireless rear channel speakers
Easy setup
|
Cons
Expensive
Large
Could use more precise EQ controls
|
We ranked Sony HT-X8500 #16 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
TechRadar
Sony’s All-In-One Dolby Atmos Bar May Be The Best Value Of The Year
|
Pros
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible
Compact all-in-one form factor
Integrated subwoofer
|
Cons
No upfiring drivers
|
We ranked Roku Smart Soundbar #17 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
SoundGuys
Best Features
|
Pros
Integrated Roku Player
HDMI ARC output
Google Assistant and Alexa Support
Bluetooth and WIFI Streaming
Remote access via Roku App
Vslue
|
Cons
Sound clarity lacking
|
We ranked Sony HT-S350 #18 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Sound Bars” rankings.
PCMag
The Best Affordable 2.1 Audio/Editor's Choice
|
Pros
Relatively affordable.
Powerful, clear audio with multiple sound modes and adjustable subwoofer levels.
Easy to set up and operate.
|
Cons
Sound signature is quite sculpted, regardless of mode.
|