8 Best Soundbars Under $300 in 2024

If you’re on a budget but want better audio for your TV, don’t worry. Quality sound can be affordable. There are numerous soundbars available that cost less than $300 and they perform well above their price range.

In this price category, many soundbars offer features like Bluetooth connectivity, HDMI support, and even a wireless subwoofer for improved bass. Voice enhancement technology is common in these soundbars too, making it easier to follow dialogue in TV shows and movies.

For those who enjoy listening to music, these soundbars are more than just TV accessories. They deliver a superior audio experience compared to standard Bluetooth speakers. And some of them also integrate with voice assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, or at least offer the option to connect to a smart speaker.

In This Guide

While features don’t vary too much from our $200 soundbar recommendations, you can expect improved sound quality and more powerful speakers. You’ll have to increase your budget substantially to access soundbars with the most immersive surround sound and/or integrated smart features, but the $300 budget represents the high-end of basic stereo soundbars with virtualized surround sound capabilities.

Stay with us as we guide you through our recommendations for this price bracket.

The Vizio M51ax-J6 Soundbar stands out in the market for providing an affordable 5.1-channel home theater experience with a separate subwoofer and rear satellites. It’s also one of the few soundbars in this budget to support Dolby Atmos for more immersive audio experiences.

The M51ax-J6 features a minimalistic design with a slim, rectangular speaker wrapped in a black grille cloth, housing three front-firing drivers and three tweeters. It sports a simple control interface with five buttons, including power, input, Bluetooth pairing, and volume controls.

Its back accommodates several ports including an HDMI input/output, optical audio input, and a USB port, among others. Unfortunately, a visual control panel is notably absent, placing reliance on a small display on the provided remote.

Performance-wise, the M51ax-J6 delivers impressive bass and good surround imaging, but its treble response could be better. The soundbar and subwoofer effectively handle bass-heavy tracks without distortion.

While the out-of-box sound balance leans towards the lower frequencies, some adjustments to the bass and treble levels can achieve a more balanced output. Despite its front imaging being a tad limited compared to wider soundbars like the Sonos Arc, its rear satellites make up for it, offering a richer surround experience at half the Arc’s price.

The M51ax-J6 has limitations – it lacks the high-frequency finesse of pricier alternatives and a better visual control panel. Yet, its powerful bass, strong vocal presentation, and support for Dolby Atmos make it a value-for-money 5.1 system that’s hard to beat at this price.

The new Samsung HW-B650 is a 3.1-channel soundbar that builds upon the previous HW-A650 model. It features a center channel for improved vocal reproduction and offers DTS Virtual:X support for object-based audio, though it doesn’t support the more widespread Dolby Atmos format.

The soundbar measures 40.6 x 2.3 x 4.1 inches and maintains Samsung’s design elements with a metal grille and angled edges. It comes with a subwoofer made of wood and covered with fabric.

The soundbar delivers a neutral sound profile, with customization options for bass, treble, and sound modes like Bass Boost and Surround Sound Expansion. It also features Adaptive Sound Lite technology for optimized audio based on the content. The external subwoofer makes it capable of producing lows, but do note the bass isn’t as potent as some of the other bundled subwoofers.

While its sonic delivery and features can’t match the Vizio M51ax-J6’s, it’s a great soundbar for the price that comes from a manufacturer with a slightly higher reliability reputation than the more budget-oriented Vizio brand.

Read full review: Samsung HW-B650

The Bose TV Speaker is a minimalist soundbar for those looking to enhance their TV audio without the hassle of complicated setups or clutter of wires.

The speaker sports a low-profile, premium design that is in line with the aesthetics of other Bose products. Despite being compact enough to fit in front of a 32-inch TV without obscuring the screen, it delivers sound quality that belies its size.

It might not support advanced audio formats or virtual surround sound modes, but it delivers excellent 2-channel stereo sound. Bose products tend to have a signature sound that is colored and strays from a flat sound signature. It’s a favorite among many listeners, but those seeking more natural sound might prefer other options.

Its dialog mode effectively enhances speech clarity, while two full-range drivers provide a sense of width and depth that can fill even big rooms without distortion.

Convenience and ease of use are at the heart of this soundbar. It has HDMI ARC input, a dedicated subwoofer output, and Bluetooth connectivity. However, it doesn’t support high-bandwidth audio formats like Dolby Atmos. The inclusion of Bluetooth allows for music streaming from other devices or pairing with a Bose smart speaker. It’s a shame though that Bose didn’t include the ability to pair with Bose wireless headphones.

The speaker is controlled via an included remote or your TV’s remote if you’re using an HDMI ARC connection. It’s Roku TV-ready, offering additional on-screen control options for Roku TV owners. The lack of physical controls on the soundbar, coupled with the intuitive remote design, ensures a hands-off experience.

While it might be more expensive than some soundbars offering more features, the Bose TV Speaker is an excellent choice for those who value simplicity, compactness, and solid sound quality over advanced technology and features. The cheaper Bose Solo 5 TV sound system or the more feature-rich (and expensive) Bose Smart Soundbar 300 are other Bose soundbars to consider.

Read full review: Bose TV Speaker

The Sonos Ray soundbar, a product from the brand with a reputation for high-quality, albeit high-priced, audio gear, continues the trend toward more affordable mass-market audio devices.

Deceptively simple in design and somewhat pared down in terms of features, the Sonos Ray still manages to compete against its more expensive counterpart, the Sonos Beam. The Ray has no HDMI port or built-in voice assistant, which the Beam includes. However, the Sonos Ray’s sound is tighter than the Beam’s, making it a better value given its lower price.

The Ray, with its stereo-only model that includes a pair of mid-woofers and two tweeters, provides a surprisingly full soundstage, creating the illusion of a much larger speaker system. While it may seem a little smaller at 22 inches wide and has a trapezoidal shape compared to the Beam, it boasts the same aesthetic and high-quality touch controls.

The Ray’s lack of microphones might disappoint some, but voice commands can still be issued via paired smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or another Sonos smart speaker.

Lacking HDMI might seem a strange omission, yet it’s mitigated by the prevalence of digital optical outputs on most TVs, which the Ray is compatible with. The soundbar lacks sophisticated surround sound codecs like DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Atmos, but it does at least include other audio functions such as speech enhancement and TruePlay tuning.

In terms of audio comparisons, the Ray excelled at music performance, exhibiting an impressive soundstage with a surprisingly full bass. However, when it comes to cinematic experiences, the Ray can’t compete with the Beam’s pseudo-Dolby Atmos effects, but it still provides respectable dialogue reproduction and wide-sounding output.

On a brighter note, the Sonos Ray shines in the integration of multiroom music and streaming features, showcasing the brand’s renowned multiroom system that features dozens of streaming services, as well as compatibility with Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect. These exclusive features make it worth considering alongside the Bose TV Speaker, which is slightly ahead when it comes to more typical considerations like HDMI input and better bass delivery.

Read full review: Sonos Ray

The Klipsch Cinema 400 soundbar is a relatively new offering from a brand with a history in loudspeakers. Unlike its predecessors, which fell short in the soundbar arena, the latest generation marks a significant improvement.

​​In terms of design, the Klipsch Cinema 400 stands out with its distinctive horn-loaded speaker technology and a structure crafted from actual wood. The black fabric grille and brushed metal finish create a unique aesthetic, setting it apart from the typical black rectangular soundbars found in this price range. However, it’s important to note that its taller profile may obstruct TV remote functionality.

While the Cinema 400 lacks smart features and Wi-Fi connectivity, it delivers excellent soundbar performance for both movies and music. The horn-loaded tweeters deliver a spacious sound that surpasses competitors like the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass. Meanwhile, the wireless subwoofer is impressively large, contributing to deep bass response which was lacking in the previous iteration.

The soundbar offers various connectivity options, including HDMI ARC, USB, digital optical, and analog inputs, with Bluetooth for streaming from mobile devices. However, there’s no support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. This is slightly surprising since most soundbars in this $300 price range do support virtualized DTS:X. But keep in mind that since most streaming platforms like Netflix do not offer the codec (yet), you probably won’t miss out on much.

Though lacking some features, the Klipsch Cinema 400’s exceptional sound quality and robust build make it a worthy contender in its price range.

Like Klipsch, Polk Audio is another American audio brand with a heritage in speakers. Their Signa series has always been generous with features and has been a favorite among consumers, although since its debut newer models from brands like Vizio have given it some tough competition.

The Signa S3’s sleek design houses dual front-firing midrange drivers and tweeters, offering a frequency range of 45Hz to 20kHz. The 40-watt subwoofer adds to the overall sound depth, pairing effortlessly with the soundbar. Notably, the subwoofer seems to function more as a potent woofer than a sub capable of hitting truly deep lows. The aforementioned Klipsch 400 Cinema’s soundbar has the Signa S3 beat in this respect.

Where the Signa S3 excels is in reproducing stereo music with delightful clarity. While it still offers a noticeable improvement over standard TV speakers for watching movies or TV shows, its 2.1-channel configuration limits its ability to deliver an immersive surround sound experience compared to models which add satellite speakers into the mix.

The Signa S3 also supports a variety of connections, including HDMI ARC, Optical, Bluetooth 4.0, AAC, AptX, SBC Bluetooth codecs, and has built-in Chromecast audio and Google Assistant support.

Read full review: Polk Audio Signa S3 Soundbar

Although not a top pick in this guide, the HT-X8500 still holds its ground as a solid recommendation due to its discounted price and ability to enhance TV audio without breaking the bank. Originally launched in 2019, it’s a notable 2.1 setup with integrated dual subwoofers, designed to save space while delivering immersive sound.

One standout feature of the HT-X8500 is its support for Atmos and DTS:X content, which is uncommon for a 2.1-channel setup. This soundbar employs Vertical Surround Engine technology to deliver a convincing wraparound sound, though it struggles to deliver deep low-bass rumble and exhibits a slightly boxy and dark sound profile.

While the HT-X8500 falls short of replicating the overhead audio of a true Atmos 7.1.2 system, it creates an immersive soundstage with impressive width. The Vertical Sound processor enhances both 3D movie mixes and advanced channel codecs, showcasing the prowess of Sony’s expertise in DSP technology.

Overall, the Sony HT-X8500 soundbar offers a solid audio experience with its integrated dual subwoofers and support for Atmos and DTS content. It’s a good standalone option but lacks its own identity, missing the connectivity options and smart features found in slightly more expensive standalone bars such as the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or JBL BAR5.0 Multibeam, while its standalone nature also means it outputs less power than external subwoofer setups included in this guide.

Read full review: Sony HT-X8500

While we typically associate soundbars with TVs, the Razer Leviathan V2 is a soundbar designed for use with PCs. This soundbar is a refined iteration of its V1 predecessor, presenting improvements like support for RGB Chroma, improved audio quality, and a more streamlined design. However, these advancements come at the expense of diverse connectivity options, which might pose an issue for some users and especially those who want to use it with a TV.

The Leviathan V2 is sleek and lightweight, making it easy to reposition within a workspace. It measures 19.7 x 3.6 x 3.30 inches and is accompanied by a more cube-like subwoofer, an aesthetic departure from the original Leviathan’s angular subwoofer. Adding to its gamer appeal, the soundbar now supports Chroma RGB, allowing users to customize its color according to their preference or desktop setup. A minor qualm though, the front grill’s paint quality and the plastic wrap around the Leviathan V2 seemed lacking, prone to chipping and smudging respectively.

In terms of audio quality, the Leviathan V2 does not disappoint. Despite its small size, it offers a solid audio output, especially when paired with its optional subwoofer. It delivers rich mids and lows, managing to render fine details in sound that go missed by stock laptop speakers.

It also boasts THX Spatial Audio integration, offering an impressive virtualized surround sound experience. However, it’s worth noting that its highs are slightly lacking, a nuance that will probably not matter to most users.

Usability is its strong point, allowing for smooth interaction with buttons, quick Bluetooth connection with smartphones, and plug-and-play compatibility with both Mac and PC. Users can easily customize the RGB Chroma via Razer’s PC software or smartphone app.

However, the Leviathan V2 falls short in terms of connectivity. It provides only two connection options – Bluetooth and USB-C, a significant setback compared to modern soundbars. The absence of options like HDMI 2.1 and a 3.5mm headphone jack limits its versatility, making it suitable only for a narrow set of use cases.

Read full review: Razer Leviathan V2

Wrapping Up

If your goal is to cultivate an unrivaled home theater audio experience without stretching your budget, the Vizio M51ax-J6 is our top recommendation. Its unique value proposition lies in its inclusion of dedicated satellite speakers – a rare find at this price point – complemented by its support for Dolby Atmos. This object-oriented audio format is favored by a plethora of popular streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video, adding another layer of appeal.

However, in spatially constrained environments or scenarios where a minimalist design is preferred, the Vizio M51ax-J6 might not be suitable. Where space is especially constrained, the Bose TV Speaker and the Sonos Ray are recommended. These compact soundbars prioritize ease of use and simplicity without compromising everyday TV viewing quality.

For those seeking a balance between cinematic audio and usability, the Samsung HW-B650 and Klipsch Cinema 400 offer a happy medium. Equipped with dedicated subwoofers, these 2.1ch or 3.1ch soundbars can serve up superior cinematic audio, without the hassle of dealing with extra speakers.