These 6 Soundbars Are the Best of October 2025

What makes it stand out:
The Vizio 2.1 Soundbar (SV210M) is a great soundbar for the money. This stereo soundbar features a modern design with rounded edges and is paired with a wireless subwoofer that’s so small it should be easy to find a place for it. Despite its compact 30-inch width, the Vizio delivers room-filling sound — if I closed my eyes, I couldn’t tell where the speaker was, which is an achievement for a budget model. For music and movies, this soundbar is all that many people will need. The tiny sub can put out some hurt when needed, handling explosions with impressive power. It’s an absolute winner.

Perfect for these listeners:
The Vizio 2.1 is ideal for anyone with a limited space and budget, thanks to its compact soundbar and wireless subwoofer for under $200. Music lovers will appreciate its natural and fun touch with their favorite songs while still being able to hit deep bass notes. Movie dialogue positively sizzles, and sound effect reproduction is raw and untamed (in a good way). With impressively-performing listening modes for both music and movies, the Vizio 2.1 Soundbar is all that many people will need.

Consider alternatives if:
If you have an older TV without HDMI connections, you’ll need to look elsewhere; the Vizio 2.1 lacks analog or optical connections. Home theater enthusiasts seeking true Dolby Atmos effects will be disappointed — while it can read Dolby Atmos and DTS signals, it can’t produce genuine height effects. The soundbar also lacks a physical remote control, offloading setting changes to the Vizio Mobile app, which requires a Bluetooth connection first. Audiophiles who prefer a «direct mode» for music listening should note that the soundbar bounces sound off your walls, even when set to Music mode.

What makes it stand out:
The Yamaha YAS-209 packs in everything I expect from a midpriced soundbar: ease of use, powerful output levels and an ability to replay both movies and music to a high standard. The soundbar offers an immersive experience with movies, thanks to DTS Virtual:X, and better separation of instruments and a broader stereo effect (in its Stereo mode) compared to competitors. The wireless subwoofer demonstrates better articulation with music tracks, avoiding the bloated sound that some competitors can produce. As Yamaha’s first smart speaker, it implements Amazon Alexa effectively — the microphones work well even in loud environments, and it’s able to hear commands without shouting.

Perfect for these listeners:
The YAS-209 is ideal for those seeking a midrange soundbar with excellent performance for both movies and music. Home theater enthusiasts will appreciate the DTS Virtual:X for simulated surround effects from a single bar. Those who want connectivity options will find HDMI, optical digital and Bluetooth, plus Ethernet and Wi-Fi for Spotify Connect. It’s perfect for people who want the convenience of voice control, as it incorporates two microphones for use with Amazon Alexa. The fact that you can ask Alexa for a song — and have it sound better than pretty much any smaller smart speaker — makes it particularly appealing for music lovers who’ve embraced smart home technology.

Consider alternatives if:
If you’re invested in the Apple or Google ecosystems you’ll be disappointed, as the Yamaha only works with Amazon Alexa. There’s also no AirPlay 2 or built-in Chromecast. The subwoofer is quite large at roughly 16 inches square and 7.5 inches wide, making it potentially intrusive in smaller spaces. Those who prefer visual feedback when adjusting settings might be frustrated by the lack of a display, and the tiny LEDs on top that are too small to see from across the room. Finally, music purists might note that its Music mode adds reverb to vocals and less separation between instruments than its Stereo mode, and it can sound slightly compressed during complex musical passages.

What makes it stand out:
The Sonos Ray is the closest thing yet to a Sonos One speaker in soundbar form, and that’s high praise. Despite its compact 22-inch width and simple design, the Ray delivers sound that belies its physical dimensions. The key to this performance lies in its proprietary tweeters with waveguides that focus high frequencies outwards, allowing it to produce a surprisingly wide soundstage. The vocals sound super crisp, and both the highs and bass are full. It delivers a tight, contained sound and offers respectable dialog reproduction. At $279, it’s part of the exciting trend toward affordable audio gear that actually sounds good.

Perfect for these listeners:
The Sonos Ray is ideal for those who primarily use their soundbar for music, as it performs particularly well with this content, sometimes even outshining the more expensive Sonos Beam. The Ray makes a perfect complement to a bedroom TV and would also work well to upgrade a television in a smaller living room. Those who want to start building a Sonos multiroom system will find the Ray an excellent entry point, as it includes all the streaming capabilities that make Sonos the gold standard of multiroom speakers. It features dozens of streaming services and connections with Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. People who prefer simplicity will appreciate the straightforward optical connection and lack of unnecessary features.

Consider alternatives if:
The Sonos Ray isn’t for everyone, particularly those looking for the most bang for their buck in pure home theater performance. The Ray lacks HDMI connectivity, which seems an odd omission given that almost every new soundbar — even the $80 ones — now includes an HDMI port. While most TVs have an optical output, this connection limits the soundbar to Dolby Digital sound formats. The Ray also doesn’t include a voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant built in (though you can control it using a separate smart speaker). Those seeking powerful bass effects should consider alternatives with separate subwoofers, as the Ray sounds positively anemic compared to speaker systems. The Speech Enhancement feature is also quite subtle compared to competitors, which offer numerous levels of voice enhancement and are more effective for making dialog more understandable.

What makes it stand out:
Klipsch has made some of the best soundbars available and, in its first collaboration with stablemate Onkyo, the company continues its dream run. At $350, the Flexus Core 100 has settled into a clever niche between the Sonos Ray and Beam. It’s an excellent single-bar system with plenty of bass and extraordinary dynamics. If you want muscular sound in a single soundbar for under $400, the Core 100 is the place to get it.

Perfect for these listeners:
The Flexus Core 100 is compact and would suit smaller spaces, and while this is perfect for people who don’t want a soundbar, it’s also good to have the option. Even without a sub, the Flexus Core 100 offered plenty of bass slam and was loud enough for small to medium-sized rooms.

Consider alternatives if:
The Flexus Core soundbars come without a subwoofer, and adding one tacks an extra $350 or more onto your bill. Also, while I love the 100, the larger 200 doesn’t impress as much for the extra outlay. If you’re spending $350 on this single bar, you could consider the Sonos Ray or Beam — which also feature multiroom music — or the excellent Yamaha YAS-209, which comes with a sub, and is better for movies.

What makes it stand out:
Bose is an innovator in beam-forming sound, which can make effects sound like they’re coming out of the corners of your room. The Smart Ultra has some of the best immersion in any soundbar at the price. Its Dolby Atmos integration means that height effects are also well-placed above you, and there’s plenty of kick from the onboard «subwoofers.»

Perfect for these listeners:
The Bose Smart Ultra is the best single soundbar I’ve tested for under $1,000, and it sounds great whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie, and it’s not half-bad looking either.

Consider alternatives if:
There are plenty of options at $1,000, including the Sonos Arc Ultra, which includes a more robust streaming ecosystem and is cheaper to upgrade with the addition of the Ikea Symfonisk as rears.

What makes it stand out:
The Creative Stage delivers a compelling mix of sound quality and features at an ultra-affordable price. It includes both a separate subwoofer and an HDMI ARC input, something that’s unheard of at this price. The system comes with a comprehensive remote control, which includes four sound modes and independent volume control for the sub. The Creative’s separate sub really helps bring out the best in movies and video games, and while it may not be the most articulate model, it digs relatively deep. When set to gaming mode, the Creative system was able to keep up with gunfire, explosions and spatial cues without folding into a hard ball of distortion.

Perfect for these listeners:
The Creative Stage is especially well-suited for PC gamers who want to make every penny count. It truly excels as a desktop or gaming system, creating a better stereo image at 3 feet versus a couch-based 6 feet. Its compact dimensions make it ideal for smaller spaces and TVs for those on a tight budget — its sound will trounce the built-in speakers of just about any TV. The connectivity options make it versatile for various setups: it includes Bluetooth wireless, an optical input, HDMI ARC and even a USB port for playing MP3s from an external drive. People sharing walls or floors with neighbors will appreciate the ability to independently adjust the subwoofer volume for more considerate listening.

Consider alternatives if:
Those looking for a primary TV soundbar for average to large living rooms should look elsewhere, as the Stage doesn’t play as loud as you might want in a living room environment. Due to the physical length restrictions of the cabinet, it offers little stereo separation when heard from a couch — it’s all vocals and mostly mono at that distance. The subwoofer is tethered by an 8-foot cable that, while perfect for going under a desk, isn’t long enough to be effective when placed alongside a couch in a living room setup. Music enthusiasts might find the Creative less engaging than competitors, and while it does well with movies and TV shows compared to systems without a soundbar, it can’t compete with its competitors’ ability to go much louder without losing control.