8 best soundbars 2024 | Top-rated TV speakers Australia
The latest model of this popular Samsung soundbar adds a feature designed to make it even more appealing to entertainment lovers.
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Now that TVs are getting progressively thinner, brands are having a tough time building decent speakers into them.
It doesn’t help that TV speakers often face downwards, creating low audio that loses much of its detail.
As a result, the sound quality often suffers, leaving you with audio that’s less immersive and sometimes hard to hear.
By comparison, soundbars have speakers that actually face towards you, making sound clearer and speech more understandable.
Ready to ditch mediocre audio for a better entertainment experience?
We’ve rounded up the best soundbars for all budgets and audio preferences below - including the "powerhouse" Samsung HW-Q990D, which is now $500 off for a limited time.
Prices are correct and products are in stock at time of publishing.
OUR TOP PICKS
BEST DOLBY ATMOS SOUNDBAR
Samsung HW-Q990D, $1488 (down from $1999) at The Good Guys
Samsung HW-Q990D
What You Need To Know
The next generation of Samsung's popular HW-Q990C, the HW-Q990D, offers a few notable upgrades that could make it even more appealing to streamers and gamers. The premium 11.1.4 setup once again includes a soundbar, subwoofer, and rear speakers, for a comprehensive surround sound experience that's the best you'll get outside of a cinema.
Like the Samsung HW-Q990C, the HW-Q990D delivers support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound formats. Dialogue is clear and detailed, while sound is wide and expansive, making movies and TV shows feel that much more immersive. There’s also plenty of customisation features and Q-Symphony support, which syncs sound between your Samsung TV and soundbar for even better surround sound.
However, the newer model also includes HDMI 2.1 support, which allows it to passthrough 4K at 120Hz, making it ideal for those gaming on next-gen consoles. The Q990D also supports Private Rear Sound, which sends audio only to the rear speakers so you don't disturb other household members, and SpaceFit Sound Pro, which adapts the audio output to fit the size and space of your room.
Given its powerful nature, the one pitfall of the HW-Q990D is, of course, the price. If you can go without the extra features, you could pick up the HW-Q990C, which offers a similar high-quality experience for less. Otherwise, the HW-Q990D is the model to splash out on.
The HW-Q990D holds a current 4.9 out of 5 star rating on Google Reviews, with one customer calling it a "powerhouse of audio engineering”.
"With its array of speakers, in both the soundbar itself and the satellite speakers, paired with the subwoofer, it delivers deep, rich bass, crisp highs, and clear dialogue, ensuring that every sound detail is heard with precision.
"Whether you’re watching movies, playing video games, or streaming music, the soundbar’s audio performance is consistently impressive".
BEST ALL-IN-ONE SOUNDBAR
Sonos Arc, $1185 (down from $1499) at The Good Guys
Sonos Arc
What You Need To Know
The Sonos Arc has been on our list now for three years running, and we still think it's the best all-in-one soundbar you can buy. Despite being a single unit, the Arc brings dynamic audio with strong bass, along with support for Dolby Atmos and easy integration with other Sonos speakers, effectively delivering a fantastic audio experience.
Like most audio products from Sonos, the Arc is made for mixed usage, which means it delivers equally impressive audio quality for both music and movies. It also offers room correction feature Trueplay, which optimises sound based on your room’s acoustics, though this is unfortunately only available for iOS users.
There’s also bass and treble adjustments, voice control through Alexa and the Google Assistant, and a simple, user-friendly set up. On the downside, there’s no Bluetooth and only one HDMI port with no passthrough. You will get a more direct sound from newer soundbars, but the Arc remains a top choice for those after a bar that combines great Atmos sound with smart home integration.
The Sonos Arc holds a current rating of 4.6 out of five from more than 28,000 reviews on Google Reviews.
"Dialogue is crisp and intelligible, stereo separation is excellent, and the depth of tight, bass rumble seems to come from nowhere," said one reviewer.
"Sure, if you want room-shaking bass you're going to need to add a sub, but I reckon most won't bother.
"The surround effect is excellent from this single bar, bouncing the sound in controlled directions from its cleverly-angled eleven speakers, made all the better if you have (or can borrow) an iPhone or iPad to do its very clever Trueplay tuning to suit your room characteristics."
BEST ALEXA SOUNDBAR
Sonos Beam Gen 2, $633 (down from $799) at The Good Guys
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
What You Need To Know
While it doesn’t look a whole lot different from the first generation, Sonos’ Beam (Gen 2) brings a range of great upgrades, including HDMI eARC support, immersive Dolby Atmos interpretation, a new CPU and more audio formats.
It doesn’t have the upfiring tweeters needed for ‘true’ Dolby Atmos, but you do still get a seriously decent performance out of it. Audio is rich and detailed and can also be further fine tuned to suit your space through TruePlay in the Sonos app.
The Beam also supports both Alexa and the Google Assistant, and can be paired with other Sonos speakers to further expand your system. It’s versatile and straightforward to use too, making it a top option for those after a great soundbar at a reasonable price.
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) holds a current customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 rating on Google Reviews.
BEST SOUNDBAR FOR TV
Bose TV Speaker, $345.96 (down from $419) at Amazon Australia
Bose TV Speaker
What You Need To Know
If you're just looking to enhance the dialogue of your favourite shows, the Bose TV Speaker is our top pick. While it is a little more expensive than other barebones soundbars, its simple set up and clarity of speech make it an easy favourite.
There’s no Dolby Atmos support, which is hardly surprising at this price point, but there are HDMI ARC and Optical ports, along with Bluetooth compatibility for music streaming. Audio is smooth and reasonably well balanced, though the speaker does lack low-bass, so sound isn’t as immersive as more expensive rivals.
There's also dialogue enhancement and bass adjustment features, so you can make your TV shows and movies sound just as good as they look.
BEST SOUNDBAR FOR GAMING
Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos Soundbar, $1695 at Sony Australia
Sony HT-A7000
What You Need To Know
This beautifully designed Sony soundbar offers the best surround format support of any bar we've come across, as well as the best experience for gamers. The HT-A7000 packs in Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with Vertical Surround Engine, S-Force Pro Front Surround and 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, resulting in impressive sound for both movies and TV.
It also supports HDMI 2.1 on all of its HDMI ports, making it a great choice for next-gen gamers with more than one console, as you can get 4K 120Hz passthrough with this system.
However, it has limited height channels and lacks low-bass, so those seeking the best cinematic experience may find the HT-A7000 a little lacking. That said, you can always add more speakers to your setup to get your desired sound.
Dialogue is meanwhile nice and clear, and the sound profile is neutral enough to suit most types of audio content.
It is a very large soundbar, measuring approximately 53-inches in length, so you are better off pairing it with a TV of 65-inches or above. If you have the space for it though, it's gaming features are worth the splurge for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X users.
BEST PREMIUM SOUNDBAR
Sennheiser Ambeo Max Soundbar, $2495 (down from $3999) at The Good Guys
Sennheiser Ambeo Max
What You Need To Know
Even without the addition of satellite speakers or a subwoofer, Sennheiser’s Ambeo Max produces truly impressive immersive sound. The standalone bar delivers 5.1.4 channel surround sound powered by Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, with thirteen front, side and upward-facing drivers. It also has a unique 3D mode that greatly improves the surround sound experience without the need for wireless speakers, making it an excellent choice for movies.
The Ambeo Max also comes equipped with the latest HDMI standards, 4K passthrough compatibility, Bluetooth and Chromecast built-in, offering plenty of great features to help justify its huge price.
It’s definitely a luxury purchase and is a beast of a unit that requires lots of space, but it’s also one of the best-sounding bars money can buy.
BEST SOUNDBAR UNDER $500
Sonos Ray Soundbar, $399 (down from $499) at The Good Guys
Sonos Ray
Tried and tested by Lauren Chaplin, Consumer Technology Reporter
Despite being much smaller than Sonos' other soundbars, the compact Ray offers a surprisingly wide soundstage, with audio that can be fine tuned through adjustable EQ in the companion app.
The two-channel speaker is compatible with both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS Digital Surround, though it doesn’t include support for Dolby Atmos surround sound. It also packs in a Speech Enhancement function to clarify dialogue, Wi-Fi for music streaming and support for Apple Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect.
Unlike the Beam and the Arc, there is no voice assistance included with the Ray, so you won’t be able to control it with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. Still, it’s a great option for those who want punchy audio and clear vocals from a compact device.
Read our full Sonos Ray hands-on review.
BEST SOUNDBAR UNDER $300
Sony HTS100F Soundbar, $195 (down from $249) at The Good Guys
Sony HTS100F Soundbar
What You Need To Know
If you're looking to ditch your TV speaker, but don't want to spend a fortune in the process, Sony's HTS100F soundbar is a nice place to start. The no-frills option is loud enough to fill a decent-sized room, while giving dialogue a directional boost so you can hear your shows more clearly, even at lower volumes.
The soundbar offers very little in the way of features, and lacks support for Dolby Atmos and DTS, so it's not going to be the best choice for surround sound. The bar also struggles to produce low-bass, making it better suited to those who will mainly use it to watch TV shows or listen to podcasts.
There are a handful of sound mode presets you can choose from to help adjust the sound slightly, giving the HTS100F a little extra versatility.
Ultimately, it's a very basic model, but still a nice upgrade for those wanting a slight step up from their regular TV audio.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A SOUNDBAR
When choosing soundbars to include in our list, we evaluated several factors:
Size: Some soundbars can take up a lot of room on your TV unit, while others can easily overpower smaller spaces. We included soundbars of different sizes in our list so you can find one to suit your needs.
Connectivity: Different TVs and devices have various ports, so you'll need to ensure your soundbar has the right connections to work with your current setup. We tried to include soundbars with a range of connectivity options, and highlighted models for specific needs (e.g. the best soundbar for gaming , which includes two HDMI 2.1 ports).
Channels: The number of channels on soundbars refers to the quantity of separate audio channels they can reproduce. So, for instance, “2.0” means two audio channels, while “5.1” means five audio channels, plus a subwoofer. “7.1.2” meanwhile indicates seven channels, a subwoofer and two upward-firing drivers to simulate sound from above. Essentially, more channels means more immersive surround sound. Whichever option you're looking for, we looked for a top-performing option to match.
Price: Soundbars can vary greatly in price, with models ranging from around $200 to upwards of $3000, so we included a range of options to suit all price points. As with all tech products, you can find some decent budget options around, though you should also expect to make some concessions if you’re shopping at the lower end of the price scale. Alternatively, you can check out our best TV and entertainment deals roundup to see this week's best soundbar deals.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
Our team of experienced writers spend hours researching products to include in articles. We find out what factors make a good product by talking to experts, reviewing test results and analysing thousands of customer reviews.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are soundbars?
Soundbars are compact speaker systems specifically designed to work with TVs. They contain multiple speakers in a single unit, helping to enhance audio clarity and provide a better sound experience than built-in TV speakers. Some models also include virtual surround sound and smart home features.
Do all TVs need a soundbar?
Not necessarily. Depending on your audio preferences, you may find some TV models have built-in speakers that are impressive enough for your needs. If you want the best possible sound experience though, soundbars will almost certainly improve the audio quality of your set up.
Can I use a soundbar with any TV?
Generally speaking, yes you can use a soundbar with any TV, although you will need to check that they have compatible connections. To get the most out of your soundbar, it can help to match the brand of your bar to that of your TV, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule you need to follow.
Can I use soundbars with other devices?
Yes. Many soundbars come with multiple input options (such as HDMI, Bluetooth and optical), allowing you to connect them to other devices, including gaming consoles, laptops and phones.
Where do I place my soundbar?
Most soundbars are designed to be placed in front of your TV, or mounted below the TV if the model comes with mounting options. It’s worth checking ahead of time if wall mount brackets are included with your soundbar, or if they need to be purchased separately.
When setting up your soundbar, you should also align it with the centre of your TV for an optimal audio experience.
Are soundbars portable?
Most soundbars are designed to be used in a fixed location and are not highly portable due to their shape and size. However, there are some smaller models on the market that could technically be considered portable, though they aren’t likely to offer the same audio experience as their larger competitors.
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