Owning a soundbar has been a game-changer for me here are 5 cheap options Id recommend

Date:
Mon, 10 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Description:
If you want a great soundbar at a low price, these five options are sure to fit the bill.

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Are you growing tired of your TVs sub-par audio? Well I promise you this, youre not alone. A lot of TVs yes, even some more expensive models are guilty of plating up unclear dialogue, tinny treble and thin bass. But since
I added a soundbar to my setup, Ive freed myself of such issues and watching my favorite movies or TV shows never felt better.

But a lot of you may be thinking that a good soundbar will set you back quite some way. And OK, if you want the crme de la crme, youre right; some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars , for instance, wont come cheap. Having said that, Ive tested some of the absolute best cheap soundbars on the market and now Im convinced theres an option for everyone, whether your budget is around $300 or under $100. So, Ive collected a list of five budget bars that will take your viewing experiences to the next level. Lets take a look Sony HT-SF150 (Image credit: Future)

Id like to begin with a real favorite of mine, the Sony HT-SF150, or HT-S100F for those of you in the States. This isnt the newest soundbar on the market theres nothing flashy like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X support, but it just nails
the basics.

Firstly, its ultra-cheap, often appearing on sale for less than $100 / 90 / AU$180 thats a phenomenally low price. But dont be deceived: that low price is not indicative of the bars quality. The HT-SF150 also offers up clear dialogue, meaning you can keep those pesky subtitles turned off. And you can adjust audio to suit whatever content youre viewing by switching between the soundbars Standard, Cinema, Music, Night, and crisp-sounding Voice modes.

On top of all of that, the HT-SF150 harnesses the power of Sonys S-Force
Front Surround virtual processing, which aims to emulate cinema-style
surround sound. Now that might be a bit out of reach for this bar, but still, I was impressed by the width of audio and felt on-screen action was mapped pretty effectively to boot. Pair that with the soundbars surprisingly sleek looks and youre staring at a value champion.

Read our full Sony HT-SF150 review . Hisense HS214 (Image credit: Future)

But hold on: lets say youre working with a bit less space. Well, the Hisense HS214 could be the perfect option for you. This is another sub-$100 option, coming in at $99 / 79, but unlike the Sony HT-SF150, this is a mini soundbar.

The HS214s diminutive build makes it is ideal if you live in a dorm room or small-sized apartment and want a soundbar that seamlessly slots into your TV setup. But despite its truncated size, this thing is able to pack quite the punch. It boasts a maximum power output of 108W and has a built-in subwoofer for some added weight in the low-end. Does it dish out truly booming bass?
Not quite. But if will be a significant step-up on a lot of TVs especially smaller models that often serve up disappointing sound. Yep, that even includes some of the best small TVs .

Whats more, this soundbar comes with EQ options of its own, is simple to
setup and has every connection type under the sun including HDMI ARC. It
cant create quite as broad a spatial impression as the HT-SF150, though.
Thats partially inherent to its more restricted width, but its included Surround Mode also sounds a bit tinny so if you want truly expansive audio, the Sony alternative may be a better fit. But all in all, this surprisingly powerful soundbar is a super solid option if youre looking for a quick and cheap upgrade on plain TV audio.

Read our full Hisense HS214 review . Panasonic SC-HTB100 (Image credit: Future)

And for my next trick: a UK exclusive. Sorry, US folk. Id like to shed some light on the Panasonic SC-HTB100, which sees us return to full-sized
soundbars once again. This model is ultra-cheap, often retailing for less
than 80, but I was surprised to find that out myself.

Why? Well, above all, I was impressed by how clear and well-positioned vocals sounded with this soundbar. Both higher and lower-pitched voices are pretty neatly separated, rarely sounding muffled or disrupted in the overall mix. Sure, this isnt the most powerful bar and bass isnt going to blow you away but if you listen to a lot of radio or documentaries, for instance, the crisp reproduction of vocals makes this bar worth it alone.

Another reason to choose the Panasonic SC-HTB100 is its Bluetooth connectivity. This bar uses Bluetooth 5.0 more up-to-date than the previous twos Bluetooth 4.2. And of course the big win there is you can seamlessly connect your phone up to the soundbar and play your favorite tunes from Spotify , Apple Music and the like. I found music quality to be pretty decent on the SC-HTB100 not as good as the best Bluetooth speakers or anything but still clear and tonally accurate, especially in Music mode.

Read our full Panasonic SC-HTB100 review . Bose Solo Soundbar 2 (Image
credit: Future)

Another small-sized option I enjoyed using was the Bose Solo Soundbar 2. Ill come clean from the get-go theres no HDMI connectivity option here, so youll have to use the included-remote to adjust volume output. But picture this:
you have a Playstation 5, a Nintendo Switch and a Blu-ray player. Oh no! You have no more HDMI ports remaining. But the optical connection will render
that insignificant. So, if you dont want to keep swapping out one of your consoles or accessories, the optical route may be a better fit for you
anyway.

Regardless, lets talk about the soundbar itself. Again, its surprisingly powerful for such a tiny model, with a maximum power output of 100W. It also has adjustable bass levels, so you can get fairly meaty low-end audio a big plus when watching movies with dark, imposing soundtracks. On top of that, theres Dialogue Mode, which is effective at lifting speech out in busier scenes, or just giving crisp clarity when streaming podcasts, for example.

Like the Hisense HS214, you cant expect particularly striking expansiveness from this soundbar, in part down to its small size. But a more positive similarity is that this is again, a pretty attractive-looking model, with a responsive remote and straightforward setup process. Its not too expensive
for a Bose product either, carrying a list price of $199 / 179.95 / AU$359.95
and its sometimes available at a cut-price too.

Read our full Bose Solo Soundbar 2 review . Sony HT-S2000 (Image credit: Future)

Maybe Im being a bit cheeky here, but I just have to circle back to Sony and shout out the HT-S2000 model. In honesty, this bar isnt quite as cheap as the previously mentioned soundbars, but still, its by no means super-expensive. Weve even seen it drop to less than $300 in the US and thats unbeatable value as far as Im concerned.

Thats because this soundbar packs almost everything you need into one comprehensive package. And I mean that literally: this is a standalone 3.1 soundbar that can play Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks to a high standard and deeply immerse you in the action, courtesy of Sonys proprietary
processing tech. Its quite rare, in my experience, to find a more budget-friendly soundbar that can do Atmos justice. But when I tested this
bar myself, I was really impressed by the verticality on offer sounds can easily exceed the height of your TV screen, making for significantly more engaging viewing.

Again, you can expect the HT-S200 to handle the fundamentals be it crisp dialogue, neat aesthetics and a straightforward setup. But it even gets trickier things right too, be that deep bass output, adept music replication or accurate mapping of on-screen activity. Its worth noting that this is a chunkier bar than some of the alternatives Ive listed above, so make sure you have plenty of space on your TV unit that is if you dont fancy setting it up on a rack.

Read our full Sony HT-S2000 review .

So, there you have it. My picks for the best soundbars if youre on a budget. As you may have noticed, a lot of these models sit closer to the $100 side of the spectrum, which really goes to prove that stepping up from TV audio
doesnt have to be a crazy expensive endeavour.

Of course, some of these options wont rock your world with booming bass or
the delights of Dolby Atmos but I can still vouch for their impressive sound quality. If youre looking for a real top-tier performer, check out our guide to the best soundbars , where weve curated a list of the most elite options available today. You might also like Want something a little different? Check out our list of the best stereo speakers I tested an ultra-cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar against a premium alternative, here's why it's worth spending the extra cash



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/owning-a-soundbar-has-been-a-g ame-changer-for-me-here-are-5-cheap-options-id-recommend


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