The best cheap soundbars offer you an easy way to get clearer, bolder sound from your TV than its built-in speakers are capable of. Small and budget TVs especially have very little effort and physical space given to their sound output, which often leaves the sound feeling thin, artificial and sometimes straight-up hard to hear.
The best cheap soundbars won’t give a big home theater experience like the best soundbars at higher budgets, but they’ll solve those problems – they’ll make dialogue clearer, give movie soundtracks some extra thump, and deliver higher volumes without becoming grating and unpleasant. And we know this because we’ve tested every model we recommend here – along with plenty of others we haven’t recommended that aren’t as good.
What are we classing as cheap soundbars? We’re going from models that cost under $100/£100 up to $400/£300 for our top pick, the Sony HT-S2000. However, every model here is regularly discounted, and the Sony HT-2000 can be found for under $300 – our automatic price-finding tools on this page should help you find the lowest prices whenever you’re looking.
We tested these cheap soundbars in the real world, in our homes, and in comparison to built-in TV speakers as well as each other – so these really are the choices that we’re happy to live with ourselves.
The quick list
Here’s our quick run-down of the best budget soundbars, based on our testing – all with different needs in mind. You can click through for a more in-depth write-up for any of them.
The best cheap soundbar overall
This powerful and well-featured soundbar offers Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for impressive and full-ranged spatial sound. Excellent value.
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The best super-cheap soundbar in the US
A real surprise of a budget soundbar. Cheap, small and packing plenty of volume, the strong built-in bass and hint of 3D audio are bonuses.
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The best super-cheap soundbar in the UK
A very solid soundbar that impresses with super-clear voices, though the bass is thin. Ideal if extra clarity is what you want most.
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The best cheap soundbar with surround sound
The Poseidon D50 delivers good results with real surround sound at a pleasing price. Full rear sound costing this little is not to be sniffed at.
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The best cheap soundbar for music
A compact, attractively-designed soundbar that’s tuned just as well for music as it is for movies – a rarity at this kind of price.
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Matt Bolton
I oversee TechRadar’s TV, audio and streaming channels, and I’ve been in tech publishing for over 15 years. I’ve written about the latest soundbars and TV audio since 2017 (including filling my entire house with soundbases at one point, causing severe logistical issues), and I have strong opinions about everything in them from the use of center channels to the number of HDMI ports.
24 January 2025
Totally overhauled our old budget soundbars recommendations with this new-look guide, based on our latest reviews.
The best cheap soundbars: the list
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The best cheap soundbar overall
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Buy it if:
✅ You want big Dolby Atmos sound: The Sony HT-S2000 delivers quality Dolby Atmos for a budget soundbar, producing convincing height and width.
✅ You want a compact design: The HT-2000 has full sound, but doesn’t require a separate subwoofer, and works for mid-size TVs as well as larger ones.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want flexible music streaming: As it doesn’t support Wi-Fi, you sadly can’t link the HT-2000 to a multi-room speaker system.
❌ You want big bass out of the box: The HT-S2000’s sound is meaty, but can’t match a dedicated sub – but you can add one (and rear speakers) optionally.
What you need to know: By striking just the right balance between impressive sound quality, strong Dolby Atmos performance and at a more than reasonable price point, there’s no better-value affordable soundbar than the Sony HT-S2000 in our book. Comfortably superior to pretty much all built-in TV speakers (and definitely all budget or mid-range TVs), Sony’s soundbar is terrific value for money, which is why we can quite easily look past its very limited issues.
Audio performance: The audio the 3.1-channel Sony HT-S2000 produces sound that can full small and mid-size rooms, though it may struggled in big rooms. Its clear strengths are the sharp and clear dialogue it delivers, while we’re also big fans of its virtual surround sound that does a good job of mimicking a multi-speaker setup. Dolby Atmos performance also punches well above its weight for the money Sony is asking for the HT-S2000, and bass levels are also pleasingly punchy – though not at the level a dedicated subwoofer delivers.
Design: Our favorite design feature of the HT-S2000? That would have to be the cool visual feedback you get when using its remote control (a feature that’s rarely seen in budget soundbars). On top of that, the general look of this bar is assured, and we’re quite taken with its sturdy metal grill on its front. The sturdy plastic casing that houses its speakers also feels reasonably premium for a cheap soundbar.
Value: While it obviously can’t quite cut the mustard against more premium soundbars, the HT-2000 provides excellent value at around $349 / £299 /AU$695. The fact it hands in confident Dolby Atmos performance is what just edges it as our favorite cheap soundbar of the moment.
Read our full Sony HT-S2000 review
The best super-cheap soundbar in the US
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Buy it if:
✅ You need to save cash: Getting this level of sound quality at such an attractive price isn’t easy, so if you’re on a limited budget this is a great option.
✅ You want plenty of volume: Though the Naga 60 isn’t going to pop your eardrums like more expensive bars, it does get pleasingly noisy.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You have limited HDMI ports: Though the Majority Naga 60 has HDMI ARC, HDMI passthrough doesn’t make the cut, which is a shame.
❌ You want detail at loud levels: The Naga can go loud, but you’ll hit the limits of the speakers’ responsiveness – best for short bursts, not constant loud use.
What you need to know: Officially priced at $65 but often found on sale for less than $50, the Majority Naga 60 is almost absurdly cheap. Normally, budget soundbars selling at the most affordable level like this would be blighted by subpar audio, yet that’s simply not the case with the Naga 60. Capable of surprisingly clear – not to mention loud – sound, the fact it comes with a built-in bass system and 3D audio support round off a quality soundbar that belies its meager price.
Audio performance: The Majority Naga 60 is ideally suited to pair with a second/bedroom TV, because you’ll notice a significant jump in quality over your set’s speakers. Does the Naga 60’s audio dip in quality played at its highest volume? A little. But at this price, that’s a relatively minor quibble we can overlook. This soundbar’s outward-pointing tweeters power the Naga 60’s admittedly limited 3D audio processing, yet it’s still nice that such a cheap bar has this feature in the first place. With defined and clear highs and a reasonably full-bodied mid-range performance, there’s quite a lot to like about the Naga 60’s audio performance, even if it obviously lack detail and soundstaging compared to more expensive soundbars.
Design: The Majority Naga 60 has a basic, no-frills design with four top surface control buttons that let you tweak the soundbar’s volume and turn it on or off. Though it may look basic, it hides a small subwoofer and side-firing tweeters under that workmanlike shell. It also sports a relatively generous variety of connections on its rear, including an HDMI ARC, optical digital port, 3.5mm analog audio input and separate subwoofer output.
Value: At just $65, the Majority Naga 60 offers superb value for money. If you’re looking for a solid 2.1-channel soundbar that offers an effort at 3D audio at a super-affordable price, there’s plenty to love about the Naga 60 despite some audio shortcomings.
Read our full Majority Naga 60 review
The best super-cheap soundbar in the UK
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Buy it if:
✅ You want clear vocals: Vocals are delivered with real clarity when watching TV shows and movies, which adds to immersion.
✅ You’re working with a budget: Seeing as many budget soundbars still come in at well over £100 in the UK, this is a great choice if you need to save pennies.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ Bass matters to you: This is one bar that definitely won’t boom, boom shake the room, Big Willy style.
❌ You want surround sound: This budget bar skimps on Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, so if you’re craving a cinema-style soundscape, you should look elsewhere.
What you need to know: An aggressively priced, full-sized soundbar that you can often find for £79 or under, making this one of the best cheap bars for UK buyers. Alright, so the sound quality of the Panasonic SC-HTB100 isn’t exactly mind-blowing, yet it’s more than respectable when it’s going for such a bank balance-friendly price tag. And the SC-HTB100’s biggest strength? It’s confident clarity when it comes to handling voices, which is what a lot of us want most compared to budget TV speakers.
Audio performance: At such an affordable price point, it’s tough to overly grumble over this soundbar’s lack of support for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. Considering it’s a 2.0-channel bar, it also lacks a subwoofer or rear speakers. Still, its three main EQ modes – Movie, News and Music – provide well-rounded sounds, whether you’re watching your favorite blockbuster on a 4K Blu-ray or catching up with the latest (no doubt gloomy) breaking headlines. Sure, bass isn’t going to shake your room like the T.rex approaching in Jurassic Park, but speech is handled with impressive clarity.
Design: While the Panasonic SC-HTB100 is far from ugly, it has some design flaws (such as its slightly plasticky outer casing) that can prove distracting. But the worst aesthetic offender? That would be the underwhelming front display on this soundbar. Instead of a full LED display, Panasonic has gone with a difficult to make out and annoyingly small LED light that requires you to read the manual front and back to get a good grip on its functions. And while the included remote is welcome, the buttons are a little sluggish, especially when trying to tinker with the soundbar’s volume.
Value: There’s a lot to commend about this sub-£100 soundbar. On the audio front, you’re unlikely to feel short changed if you pick up the Panasonic SC-HTB100. Vocals are clear, connectivity options are fairly impressive, it’s easy to set up, and its three main sound modes do a decent job whether you’re listening to music or watching your favorite flicks. Build quality feels a little cheap, but overall this bar represents good value.
Read our full Panasonic SC-HTB100 review
The best cheap soundbar for surround sound
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Buy it if:
✅ You want cheap surround sound: This offers a commendable surround experience thanks to its subwoofer and dual rear speakers.
✅ You crave a bigger sound than your TV can provide: Compared to your TV’s speakers, the Poseidon D50 offers superior bass that adds real boom to movies.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You consider yourself an audiophile: Nabbing a 5.1 soundbar system at this price is great, but sound quality can’t match more premium bars.
❌ You’re pining for Dolby Atmos. If spatial audio is a priority, look elsewhere – though at this price, you wouldn’t get much from Atmos anyway.
What you need to know: A four-box soundbar system that provides plenty of bang for your buck. Though it’s not all that fancy, the surround sound it offers at such an ultra-low price point isn’t to be taken for granted. Though general audio could use a bit of a bass boost, it’s way beyond what cheaper TVs can provide. It has an easy setup process, and once you’ve got it going, proves itself a good performer across movies, TV shows and games.
Audio performance: Like every other soundbar on this list the Ultimea Poseidon D50 offers a superior audio experience than you’re likely to get from your TV’s speakers. Also, the fact it has a name that evokes a 1970s disaster flick is a big bonus. Thanks to its claimed 400W power output, it packs considerable oomph that offers both a meaty and wide soundscape. A lack of Dolby Atmos or DTS: X means spatial audio is off the table, yet its Ultimea BassMax tech provides decent bass levels. Alright, so the rear speakers are a tad quiet, yet the Poseidon D5 still provides a commendable surround sound package for folks on a budget.
Design: The Ultimea Poseidon D50 is roughly as sexy as a celery salad… though that doesn’t mean it’s flatout ugly. Though it’s on the cheap-looking side, it certainly doesn’t look bad for a budget piece of audio tech. While it looks more plasticky than we’d like, the fact it comes with a remote (even if Ultimea skimps on the batteries) is appreciated.
Value: If you’re in the market for a super-budget 5.1 soundbar, you can’t do better than the Ultimea Poseidon D50. Its surround sound is more than adequate and despite lacking Dolby Atmos support and not boasting the beast rear speakers, we’d still say it’s a strong $129 / £99 / AU$180 surround sound bar.
Read our full Ultimea Poseidon D50 review
The best cheap soundbar for music
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Buy it if:
✅ You love listening to music too: Delivering clear vocals and surprising bass, the Sonos Ray will make your favorite tunes shine thanks to its well-balanced audio.
✅ You want a small soundbar: If you want a soundbar to pair with a more modestly sized TV, the compact Ray is a great option to go for.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a HDMI ARC connection: This only uses optical digital, which works great, but may mean a little more setup on your TV.
❌ You want Dolby Atmos positional sound: The Sonos Ray doesn’t any real spatial processing – you’d have to step up to the Sonos Beam for that.
What you need to know: The cheapest soundbar Sonos currently makes, the Ray is gorgeous and compact, and will deliver a massive upgrade on your TV’s built-in speakers. Though it’s a shame there’s no HDMI ARC port, but the fact it uses an optical digital connection ensures it will work with any remotely modern TV – but means its volume isn’t automatically controlled by your TV. However, Sonos’ setup process adds remote control setup as part of its steps, and it was fast and seamless for us, and then you never think about it again. Its four-speaker driver setup and bass ports deliver clear, impactful dialogue and power for movies, but are also excellent with tunes, unlike most soundbars here. The fact the Ray is so small also makes it a great choice to pair with a TV from 24 to 55 inches.
Audio performance: While it’s a shame the Sonos Ray doesn’t support Dolby Atmos like the more expensive Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Beam (Gen 2), it still delivers the sort of top-tier sound quality you’d expect from Sonos. The Ray’s two drivers provide width to this little bar’s soundscape, and when it comes to listening to music or squeezing the most out of an epic movie soundtrack, the Ray absolutely shines. This pocket rocket delivers full and bassy audio that also provides clarity from angles. It’s so well-balanced, delivering impressive low-end as well as solid treble performance – instruments pop and dialogue is detailed, ensuring the Ray is a great choice for listening to basically anything.
Design: Available in either black or white, the Sonos Ray is understated and solidly constructed. Its flat front grille is mercifully resistant to dust and its touch controls on the top of the soundbar make using the Ray as a smart Sonos speaker a doddle when you want to tweak the volume of your tunes or pause them mid-action. The Ray is unfussy and adorably proportioned.
Value: The Sonos Ray provides good value for money… just not quite great value at $169 / £149 / AU$250. Cheaper rivals offer HDMI connections, and this may frustrate some people. And if you’re looking for Dolby Atmos support and can spare a little more money, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) might be a better option. When it comes to playing music, though, you won’t find a better cheap soundbar.
Read our full Sonos Ray review
How to choose the best cheap soundbar for you
When it comes to buying one of the best cheap soundbars, as clichéd as it sounds, beggars can’t afford to be choosers – but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon hope of good sound quality. It’s just about prioritisation.
The key factors to consider are size, features and connectivity. If you own a TV that’s less than 42 inches, you’ll want a compact bar. After all, there’s no point in owning a soundbar that’s wider than your TV.
The next consideration should be whether you want surround sound tech, such as rear speakers, or Dolby Atmos support. Atmos should be considered optional – it requires additional speakers and processing to do well, and having it in a bar that can’t really do anything with the positional audio data won’t improve anything. But some budget bars can get good effects out of it.
Connectivity is the other major factor. Though once again, when you’re dealing with a limited budget, you can’t be too choosy. Ideally, you want a bar with HDMI ARC (audio return channel), but as you go down the price bracket, this becomes less common. The advantage of it is high-quality sound and the bar will be automatically controlled by your TV’s remote over the cable – and this is necessary for Dolby Atmos. Soundbars that don’t have this will use an optical digital connection, which is high-quality, but doesn’t have the smarts and simplicity of HDMI – to control the soundbar’s volume with your TV remote, you’d need an infrared learning process.
Design should probably be your least important consideration when choosing a cheap soundbar, but obviously it does matter to people. Most will be plain black lozenges, though – it’s usually a matter of build quality. We think if you focus on sound first, most of these devices will just disappear the way they’re meant to.
How we test the best cheap soundbars
We’ve tested all of these soundbars ourselves, and we tested them in real-world conditions – ie, in the homes of our writers, where we can use them day-in and day-out to get a feel for what they’re really like to live with, and to compare with the speakers of TVs to see how much of an improvement they are.
Our testers have experience with soundbars of all different kinds, ranging from powerful Dolby Atmos beasts to super-small and cheap options, so they know which budget soundbars cheaped out too far and aren’t worth the price, and which actually offer a good-value upgrade.
We test the soundbars with all the things people usually watch – big bold movies, quiet dramas, talk TV, and music – and make notes of where they stand out, and where they might muddy things. For example, dialogue might actually be less clear than a TV’s built-in speakers, or they might struggle with clarity when turned way up due to limited amplification or speaker size.
We also run through the whole setup process to see how it works, including any extra features that are promised, and how easy they are to use. If they connect to devices other than the TV, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for music streaming, we’ll test that too, since it can often have a very different sound balance compared to an HDMI or optical digital connection.
Latest updates to this guide
24 January 2025
Totally overhauled our old budget soundbars recommendations with this new-look guide, based on our latest reviews.
