Best Soundbar for TV and Movies: Top Picks 2024

Best Soundbars for TV Viewing and Movie Watching

Modern televisions deliver stunning picture quality, but their built-in speakers often fall short when it comes to audio. There just isn't much room for speaker drivers in today's ultra-thin panels, which means your movies, shows, and games probably don't sound as big as they should. A quality soundbar is the most practical solution. Whether you want clearer dialogue, deeper bass, or full Dolby Atmos immersion, there's a soundbar built for how you watch.

Premium All-in-One Atmos Systems

Samsung HW-Q990F

The Samsung HW-Q990F is the best soundbar we've tested. This premium 11.1.4 setup is the next generation of the Samsung HW-Q990D with a redesigned subwoofer. It's an incredible 11.1.4 surround soundbar that is easy to connect and performs with excellence as a main home theater sound source.

What makes this system exceptional is its completeness. Twenty-three drivers across four wireless components, both Atmos and DTS:X, two HDMI 2.1 inputs, and a price that undercuts any equivalent bundle by hundreds — it's the most complete package in the category. The MSRP is £1699 / $1999 / AU$1999, though it frequently drops lower. This soundbar is ideal if you want a genuine surround-sound experience without building separate components.

Sonos Arc Ultra

The Sonos Arc Ultra (aka the Sonos Arc 2) looks very much like its predecessor, but Sonos has made bold claims for its new Dolby Atmos soundbar's features and performance, saying that it features 'breakthrough' speaker technology and