The 3 Best Soundbars Under $100 - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best soundbar under $100 we've tested is the TCL Alto 6+. This simple 2.1 setup is a great addition to your living room if you want a better-quality sound. Its price tends to fluctuate slightly above our $100 price point, but it's still worth a look, especially since it's one of the few bars we've tested in this range to come with a dedicated subwoofer. As a result, it brings extra thump and rumble in the bass, especially compared to other standalone models. You feel more emphasis in bass-heavy music genres like hip-hop and EDM, which is a nice touch.

Despite the extra bass, voices and lead instruments remain clear and present in the mix, which is great for listening to many different music genres. TV fans can also use the aptly-named TV preset to enhance dialogue, so you can easily follow along with the conversation on screen. Also, the bar can playback 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital, often found on streaming platforms. Unfortunately, since it's a 2.1 setup, it has to downmix them into stereo to play them. The resulting sound isn't as immersive as what you get with more premium models, but it's about the best you can do at this price point. If you're mostly watching dialogue-centric documentaries and sitcoms anyway, it's not a big deal, either.

Your living room's size and space can make a difference when finding the right bar for your needs. The Sony HT-S100F is a great alternative for those with smaller rooms since it's a standalone bar that doesn't come with a dedicated subwoofer. For an affordable price, it still offers a solid upgrade over your existing TV speakers, especially regarding stereo content. Its HDMI and Optical inputs make it easy to connect to your TV, and you can even stream audio to the bar via Bluetooth.

For the price, the bar's sound quality is impressive. Voices are reproduced clearly right out of the box, and you get a solid representation of instruments in the mix. The bar's Voice Mode is an easy way to enhance dialogue. Naturally, without a dedicated subwoofer, this bar reproduces less rumble in the bass than the TCL Alto 6+. However, you won't notice much difference if you don't listen to much bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop. If you're low on space and want an affordable soundbar, this one's a great way to go.

If you have even less space in your living room, consider the Roku Streambar. Like the Sony HT-S100F, it's a standalone bar, but it boasts an even smaller footprint, so it takes up less space in your living room. At less than fourteen inches in width, you'll have no trouble sliding this budget-friendly soundbar into the space beneath your television screen. Plus, it has a premium design for the price, which is a nice touch for design-conscious shoppers. With built-in access to Roku's media streamer, the bar lets you organize all your favorite streaming services into one easy-to-use interface. It can occasionally retail for more than our $100 price point, but you may still find a good deal.

If you're on a strict budget, you can opt for the LG SK1 instead. This soundbar is another small, standalone model, and while it's a touch wider than the Roku, it's still quite easy to integrate into your setup. It has far fewer features than the Roku, so you don't get access to a media streamer, and there's no dialogue enhancement tool. Plus, there's no HDMI ARC port. If you plan to connect your bar to a TV over Optical, it's still a fair choice, with a small and compact design and a solid sound quality that makes for a noticeable upgrade over your existing TV speakers.