The best soundbars money can buy today

You’re sitting on your couch with some popcorn and a drink of your choice, and all you want to do is switch off the lights and crank that volume up. Essentially, you’re craving a big-screen experience in the comfort of your own home. In 2025, it’s totally possible. All you need is a big-screen TV (preferably an OLED or Mini-LED) and a soundbar—the latter will do all the heavy lifting and turn your ordinary movie nights into something special.

While TVs are impressively slim these days, they have to skimp on sound quality to be eye-catching. Many televisions prioritize visuals, with sound as an afterthought, and investing in a good soundbar makes sense. Just turn on your television, open YouTube, and play the Mission: Impossible theme song—if your floor isn’t shaking, you’re doing it all wrong.

In most set-ups, you have to buy the subwoofer and rear speakers separately, which can add to the overall cost. Nonetheless, there are some very good options across budgets today. Here’s a handy list:

Samsung HW-Q990F

Samsung’s “Dolby Atmos-in-a-box system” soundbar is our top pick across budgets and the easiest to recommend. For under ₹1,00,000, you’re getting a soundbar with thumping bass (thanks to the subwoofer) and a wireless surround sound system. With 23 speakers, your floor will quite literally be shaking at all times.

It’s easy to set up and doesn’t require any fancy calibration. The subwoofer has slimmed down to a rounded cube and now packs dual 8-inch drivers. The soundbar utilizes its four upfiring drivers to create an immersive soundscape, something that rivals can only do at double the price.

Sonos Arc Ultra & Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9

If you want an alternative to Samsung’s HW-Q990F, we’ve got two options for you. Spoiler alert: they cost more! First up is the Sonos Arc Ultra. With an entirely revamped interior and extensive acoustic re-engineering, the Arc Ultra became a super hit. Pair it with the Sub 4 and you’ve got a winning combination. The Arc Ultra retails at ₹99,999, but that’s for the soundbar alone. The Sub 4 is sold separately and priced at ₹84,999. That’s a whopping ₹1,84,998 for the combination.

With a warm and welcoming sound signature and an emphasis on bass (if you get the Sub 4), the Sonos combination does the trick. You’ve got a clean, precise and spacious sound. The soundbar, on its own, has a very detailed sound, good instrument separation, and that opening scene of Dune will hit hard. Just watch out for some teething app problems that may dampen your experience a little. The company has promised a major software update.

The Sony Bravia Theatre 9 at ₹1,49,990 and the SA-SW3 subwoofer ( ₹29,900) are another option from a very well-known brand. Crisp and clean and aimed directly at you—that’s how I would describe the Bravia Theatre 9. The instrument separation is excellent, and the vocal clarity is some of the best in the business.

Take any action scene with a sword, and you’ll realize that you can hear every strike, every chop, with pristine clarity, even when the scene is cluttered with other sounds. There’s a sort of punch to the sound that makes for a pitch-perfect delivery.

The only downside is that the bass is trying a little too hard and can easily overwhelm some scenes. This is especially noticeable at high volumes. Taking the soundbar by itself, this is some of the best Dolby Atmos sound out there.

Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6

On to the mid-range and budget segments. We’ll start with the Bravia Theatre Bar 6, a more affordable sibling of the Bravia Theatre 9. At just ₹39,990, the Bravia Theatre Bar 6, a 3.1.2-channel soundbar, is more in line with its flagship siblings than otherwise. It’s a five-driver configuration with three front-firing units and two angled up-firing speakers. This soundbar surprised me by filling the whole space around it. From fighter jet scenes in Top Gun: Maverick to Formula 1 cars in F1, it really does roar through. For smaller rooms, this is the perfect soundbar to accompany your television.

Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar

At just ₹49,999, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is another worthy product to be added to this list. It’s a compact soundbar that just works as advertised. It’s Sonos’ entry-level soundbar for those who want immersive 3D audio (Dolby Atmos).

There are five separate arrays, and thanks to the enhanced processing power, the Beam (Gen 2) uses HRTF (head-related transfer function).

Basically, this means you will get the impression of height without needing to get vertical (without any height drivers). You get a sense of depth and immersion when listening to films that support Dolby Atmos. Furthermore, the soundstage is remarkably consistent and can identify all the different sound profiles in a particular scene without fail. With a wide dynamic range and a price point a smidge below ₹50,000, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) can be your next movie companion.

LG S70TY

You’d be surprised that a soundbar costing just ₹23,991 (yes, it’s currently on discount) comes with a subwoofer in the package. That’s the LG S70TY for you. It’s a 3.1.1-channel sound system and comes with a beefy wireless subwoofer. The audio balance is excellent, and this one will handle movies like none other in this price range. Play anything at around 80% volume, and thanks to the beefy subwoofer, you’re going to feel the room starting to shake.

The LG S70TY is one of the most affordable soundbars available with a height channel for spatial audio, and it offers all-around excellent sound quality and booming bass.

Since it doesn’t have side-firing drivers, the spatial audio imaging capabilities are limited. Still, the single height channel does wonders.

You get a good sense of verticality, which makes for a more immersive experience than what most other soundbars deliver. With a thumping bass and spatial audio on a budget, the LG S70TY is another good option to consider, especially if you’re on a tight budget.