The Best Soundbars Under 200 For 2024

Nicolas Ward By, Nicolas Ward
Updated
Best Soundbars Under 200
Best Soundbars Under 200

The Rundown

1. Best Overall: Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim TV

Dolby Digital decoding creates incredible room-filling surround sound that easily beats anything you hear from your small speakers and TVs. Read Review

2. Best For Price: TCL Alto 6+ 2.1 Channel Dolby Audio

This soundbar is the perfect way to immerse yourself in your favourite entertainment with more extensive and transparent sound. You can also enjoy smooth setup, easy access to sound settings, and compatibility with your TCL Roku TV remote. Read Review

3. Best Sound Quality: Sound Bar for TV, PHEANOO 2.1 CH

Providing you crystal clear sound with less than 1% total harmonic distortion, let you hear every musical note beating on each violin string, and not miss every whistling of bullets piercing the air in the game. Read Review

4. Best Multiple Features: Samsung HW-A450/ZA 2.1ch

Enjoy optimized sound for your favourite video content, including games, sports, movies and more — with technology that equalizes background music and consistent volume control. Read Review

If you think your TV speakers don't sound good and don't want to spend a lot of money on a complete surround-sound system, a soundbar is a perfect solution. A budget soundbar can make your TV sound better for under $200 - whether it's for watching movies or streaming music over Bluetooth.

Soundbars bypass underwhelming built-in TV speakers to deliver wholly enthralling audio, well-defined, a simple way to improve your setup. While you may not be able to immerse yourself in the latest spatial audio formats and streaming services that a more expensive model provides, a new soundbar is still a budget-friendly way to increase volume, clarity, and soundstage around your TV. Suppose you're done settling for mediocre sound. In that case, our selection of the best soundbars under $200 can help you strike the right balance between price and functionality to reap the eternal rewards of better home audio that fits your budget.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim TV
Our Score:
9.9
Polk Audio

This soundbar has excellent sound and value on par with any mid-to high-range soundbars. It fits most spaces at over 2" tall — easily wall-mount it or place it in front of your TV. It will not block the bottom edge of your TV or IR remote sensor.

You can set up your soundbar in minutes. HDMI and optical cables will quickly connect your TV to the soundbar with the included subwoofer. Get set up and listen in a minute.

TOP Choice #2 TCL Alto 6+ 2.1 Channel Dolby Audio
Our Score:
9.7
TCL

Not only does it have a simple design and budget-friendly price, but this TCL Alto 6+ soundbar can also deliver excellent sound quality. For example, the dialogue in films can be heard clearly and accurately.

It's also quite easy to set up and use as well. Generally, it accomplishes everything a soundbar should do.

TOP Choice #3 Sound Bar for TV, PHEANOO 2.1 CH
Our Score:
9.5
PHEANOO

This soundbar has the 115W 420H 250D mm subwoofer made of ultra-high-quality wooden materials, matched with a big 5.25inch driver with a 60W stable frequency of 45Hz ultra-bass, offering you a surging bass, designed as DSP technology to achieve a room-filling home theatre experience.

It also features wireless Bluetooth 5.0 with reliable stability and the fastest transmission speed, as high as 33 feet range, to control it with your mobile phone or laptop anywhere in the room with just a tap of a finger. 

4 Samsung HW-A450/ZA 2.1ch
Our Score:
9.3
SAMSUNG

The Samsung HW-A450/ZA  soundbar is decent for mixed-use. Its neutral sound profile with a little extra boom in the bass range is still suitable for listening to various audio content types. There are lots of helpful customization features available. 

Out-of-the-box, voices are reproduced accurately and clearly. You can even use Adaptive Audio to enhance the conversation. The Sound Mode's auto volume adjustment can balance the volume when watching TV at night.

5 PHEANOO Sound Bar
Our Score:
9.2
PHEANOO Audio

This soundbar has a dedicated wired subwoofer that offers deep and powerful bass. It provides outstanding sound quality compared to the majority of cheap standalone soundbars.

The PHEANOO Sound Bar also features Dolby Digital decoding that delivers a fantastic cinematic surround sound experience. This device specially tuned dialogue mode makes speech crystal clear and easier to understand for a more enjoyable experience

The modern, low-profile design slides neatly under TVs and blends seamlessly into any home. The two full-range speakers and a wireless 4.5” subwoofer deliver clear, dynamic, room-filling sound for your favourite movies, music, and gaming without additional surround speakers.

The HDMI ARC connectivity provides the highest-quality audio and easy single-cable setup, plus the ability to control the soundbar with the TV's remote.

7 Sony S100F 2.0ch Soundbar
Our Score:
8.8
Sony

The Sony S100F is a stunning combination of quality and value. This soundbar is equipped with a variety of professional sound drivers that provide a well-balanced sound. Voices are reproduced quite clearly and accurately as well.

As a result, this soundbar is equally suitable for listening to music and watching television.

8 VIZIO V-Series 5.1 Home Theater
Our Score:
8.6
VIZIO

The Vizio V51-H6 is suitable for mixed usage. This soundbar has a neutral sound profile with a little extra boom in the bass range, ideal for various audio content types.

There's a discrete centre channel to help with dialogue reproduction. It also has two discrete speakers to create a more immersive surround sound.

9 YAMAHA YAS-109 Sound Bar
Our Score:
8.2
YAMAHA
  • Built in subwoofers for deep bass in 1 slim sound bar
  • DTS Virtual: x Virtual 3D surround sound. Audio Formats-File Format-WAV (PCM format only) / FLAC: up to 192kHz, ALAC: up to 96kHz, MP3 / WMA / MPEG-4 AAC: up to 48 kHz
  • ADAPTIVE SOUND LITE - Optimizes sound to video content.
  • BASS BOOST - Instantly amplify the bass with the touch of a button.
Product Images, Product Titles, Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API

How Do You Know Which best soundbars under 200 Here Satisfies Your Tight Criteria?

Buyers are frequently hesitant to purchase best soundbars under 200. Certain factors should be considered while making a significant purchase. Our understanding and expertise with best soundbars under 200 will assist you in making the right decisions.

The top selections will address many of the most notable new products on the market, as well as a few frequently asked questions:

  • What advantages does the product provide to its users?
  • Would you agree that spending your time and money on this item is a wise idea?
  • Which product lines are now the most popular?
  • What is the best way for customers to find the best solution?
  • What is the name of the location where people can go to seek assistance?

best soundbars under 200 have become one of the most essential and valuable information sources accessible on the internet nowadays, especially with the proliferation of commerce websites, market forums, user ratings, and reviews.

They have been put in place in line with the quality that has undergone technical accreditation. Take the following into consideration:

Size

To ensure that the unit will not block the screen, or interfere with the remote control or display of your TV's remote, check its dimensions. You should also check that the design of the unit matches your TV.

Ease Of Set-up And Use

It is easy to hook up the soundbar with your TV or other device and get started using it immediately. This can be gauged by looking at the manual or reading some user reviews.

Number Of Channels And Speakers

A soundbar with just 2.1 channels may be enough to enhance the audio quality of your TV. A 5.1 and 7.1 models might offer better sound quality when you watch TV/movies or listen to audio. Dolby Atmos is available on 5.1.2 and 7.1.2 models. This technology allows for a richer experience. It involves placing speakers higher than the roof, to create sound from above.

Subwoofer

In large rooms, a soundbar with an external subwoofer (or dedicated soundbar) can be more effective than one without it. A subwoofer that is well made will enhance low-end sound quality and add a cinematic vibe to your system. A sub that is poorly designed can cause a drop in sound quality. A soundbase is a great option if you need bass, but aren't able to fit an external sub. They include an integrated subwoofer.

Wired/wireless Speakers

Some soundbars allow for wired and wireless connection to other speakers. Some soundbars only support a subwoofer. However, a few models offer "surround sound" connectivity, which allows you to connect other speakers to the rear of the room to replicate 5.1. You can purchase these speakers separately or as a bundle at an extra cost.

Remote Control

Some soundbars include a remote control, while others can be controlled using your TV remote. If you have a remote, ensure it is intuitive and easy to use.

App

A number of soundbars are also possible to be controlled via a smartphone app. Learn more about the app and its ease of use.

Additional Features

You might also want these features in your soundbar:
There are special sound modes for various audio types, such as watching movies, listening to music, or gaming. You can adjust the treble and bass settings depending on what you are watching/listening too.
Compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa for voice-controlled music.
Front-panel displays that display important information, such as volume levels. Make sure to check if this display is able to be switched off when it's not in use so that it does not become distracting.

Connectivity

Soundbars typically only require one cable to connect with your TV. HDMI is the best choice. Make sure that your soundbar is equipped with all necessary ports for connecting to Blu-ray players and USB storage. You should check if your soundbar has a pass-through function that transmits 4K HDR video from your 4K HDR TV.

Wi-Fi And Bluetooth

Bluetooth is an important soundbar feature that allows you stream music from compatible phones, tablets and computers to your soundbar. Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to stream music from your Spotify account or access cloud music libraries.

FAQs

What Is "Cinema Sound"?

Many sound bars offer a "cinema sound", or "movieplex sounds", which, according to them, mimics real home theater sound. Reality: It adds a small digital delay to the sound, similar to a fractional echo (think of reverb). Although it doesn't create a true home theatre sound, it can make the room seem larger. Some are incredible, but it's not free.

Are Soundbars Really Worth It?

They are well worth the investment when compared to how loud your TV sounds. A soundbar costs only $100 and can make your TV viewing experience 10x better. A soundbar can make it easier to understand speech by allowing TV speakers to face down.

Where Do I Place My Soundbar?

The soundbars can be placed directly in front of your TV using a stand, or any other type of furniture. They are usually less than 2 inches high so they won't interfere with the infrared remote port of your TV or block it. Some soundbars are also wall-mountable and include brackets. There are third-party kits that can be used to mount soundbars on the wall.

Can You Use Any Soundbar With Any TV?

There are very few exceptions to this rule. However, you can still use your soundbar with any TV. It is helpful sometimes to match soundbar and TV brands. New soundbars often use HDMI ARC to transmit the audio from the TV's speakers through the soundbar. If both of your devices have this port, you are good. An optical connection is available on some older soundbars, and almost all TVs have them.

Can You Use A Soundbar To Play Music?

A soundbar can make music play through your TV much more enjoyable. Bluetooth is a feature that many soundbars offer, so you won't have to turn on the TV to hear your music. A soundbar that has a wireless subwoofer will work best to reproduce deep bass and dynamics.

Can You Add A Subwoofer To A Sound Bar?

Wireless sound bars often come with a subwoofer. You can also add your own wireless subwoofer to the sound bars that do not have one. If you desire an immersive experience, you'll want it.

Can You Add Speakers To A Sound Bar?

There are both yes and no. Some sound bars have additional speakers that can be added to the system, which brings you closer to home theatre sound. If the soundbar is multi-room compatible, then wireless rear speakers can be added. This is a good option for those who have or want to install a multi-room sound system in their home.

How Do I Connect A Soundbar To My TV?

There are three ways you can output soundbars depending on your TV's age: digital optical, analog (3.5mm headphones or RCA), and digital optical. Make sure your soundbar is compatible with the TV's connections before you purchase it. HDMI is the most popular input for soundbars. If your TV has less than 5 years, it will likely be compatible. However, it is worth checking twice.

Will A Soundbar Improve Sound Quality?

Modern TVs have very tiny speakers which bounce sound off of your TV. As a result, they can be distant and harsh. A soundbar can be added to most TVs to improve their sound quality, particularly when it comes down to reproducing spoken words. It will also allow you to listen to music.

Can A Sound Bar Be Used As A Center Speaker?

There are some that can and others that can't, but it's not something we recommend. Although a passive soundbar could technically be used to provide center channel speakers, this is not what it was designed for. This is like asking a pitcher to play both catch and second base instead of the only position that he excels at.

We constantly update the list of best soundbars under 200 as new data becomes available. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website regularly.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries or concerns with best soundbars under 200. If you ask, we'll do our hardest to help you in any way we can!


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About Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward

Nicolas Ward is an elite author with many years of experience in the music field and the owner of many engaging articles at TheAudioInsights. He studies music production and has many years of passionate research into sound systems. Appearing in many popular newspapers, Nicolas Ward provides useful knowledge and the latest information on music and sound.