Under $500 is where soundbars get genuinely good: you can get a wireless subwoofer, real rear speakers, and even Dolby Atmos height channels. These are the best soundbars under $500 you can buy on Amazon, chosen from lab testing, with a pick for every kind of room, and two of them currently sell for under $300.
The best soundbar under $500 is the Hisense AX5140Q (about $400): a full 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos system with a wireless sub, two rear speakers, and up-firing drivers.
No room for rear speakers? The Samsung HW-B750F (under $300) is the best bar-and-sub combo. For clearer dialogue, get the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 (about $280), and for a small space, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).
| Soundbar | Channels | Subwoofer | Atmos | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hisense AX5140Q | 5.1.4 | Wireless | Yes, up-firing | ~$400 |
| Samsung HW-B750F | 5.1 | Wireless | No | Under $300 |
| Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 5 | 3.1 | Wireless | Virtual | ~$280 |
| Sonos Beam (Gen 2) | 5.0 | Optional | Virtual | ~$499 |
Our picks follow RTINGS' lab testing of soundbars under $500, limited to models sold on Amazon at under $500. Two of them, the Samsung and Sony, currently sell for under $300, so they're worth a look even on a tighter budget. "Virtual" Atmos means the bar processes Atmos soundtracks without dedicated up-firing speakers, so height effects are much less convincing.
A complete surround system in one box for the price of a bare soundbar from most brands. You get the bar, a wireless subwoofer, and two wireless rear speakers, plus four up-firing drivers for real Dolby Atmos height effects. Its balanced sound keeps voices clear, and it has features usually saved for premium bars: a graphic EQ, adjustable channel levels, a night mode, and dialogue enhancement. HDMI eARC plus an HDMI input pass Dolby Atmos and DTS:X from your TV or 4K Blu-ray player, and there's optical for older TVs.
Worth knowing: room correction only works with a compatible Hisense TV, and if you want maximum bass, there are punchier subwoofers at this price.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.If you don't have room for rear speakers, a bar and subwoofer is the cleanest setup. The HW-B750F has a clean, clear, well-balanced sound with a bit of extra punch and warmth, side-firing drivers that widen the soundstage, and a dedicated center channel that keeps dialogue easy to follow in busy scenes. It's a great all-rounder for TV, movies, and music.
Worth knowing: it doesn't decode Dolby Atmos, surround effects are far less convincing than the Hisense's, and there's no room correction.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.A compact bar-and-sub combo built around a dedicated center channel, which is what keeps voices clear and anchored to the screen. RTINGS notes it gets louder and delivers more bass than the Sonos Beam. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X through virtual processing, and setup is simple over HDMI eARC. If dialogue is your main complaint about your TV, this is a great fix.
Worth knowing: it has no Wi-Fi streaming, and its Voice Zoom dialogue feature needs a compatible Sony BRAVIA TV.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.Less than 26 inches wide, so it fits under most TVs, even ones with feet at the far ends. It sounds balanced and wide for its size, has room correction (Trueplay, on iPhone), and joins a Sonos whole-home system. You can add a Sonos sub and rear speakers later.
Worth knowing: there's no Bluetooth, so music streams over Wi-Fi only, and bass is limited without a subwoofer. See how it compares in Klipsch Flexus CORE 200 vs. Sonos Beam.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.