The 5 Best Soundbars Under $500 - Fall 2023 Reviews

The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is the best soundbar under $500 we've tested. It's a great choice for everything from music to movies to TV shows, offering a versatile overall performance at a more affordable price than more premium models. With its immersive soundstage, the action on screen seems like it's happening all around you, and its sub brings the rumble in the bass for a real cinematic feel. Its rear speakers help position sound effects to pinpoint locations in the soundstage, so whether you're watching 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital or object-based formats like Dolby Atmos, you get a clear and real listening experience.

Right out of the box, this soundbar has a neutral sound profile suitable for listening to most types of audio content. Vocals and lead instruments are clear and present in the mix, thanks to their neutral, balanced mids. Also, its extended low-bass reproduces the deep thump and rumble in everything from bass-heavy music and action-packed movies. Of course, it doesn't offer as many sound enhancement features as premium setups, so you won't find a room correction feature, meaning that it sounds a bit different depending on your room's acoustics. There's no graphic EQ either to control its response across the range. That said, its bass and treble adjustments still give you some ability to control its sound, which is nice. Overall, it offers great value for the price.

Depending on the setup of your living room, you might not have enough space for a soundbar with dedicated satellite speakers. In that case, you'll want to look at the LG SP8YA. This 3.1.2 setup consists of a soundbar and a subwoofer, and that's it. Still, it can bring a clear and accurate sound, making it suitable for listening to all sorts of different audio content. Plus, the sub brings the rumble in the bass range, which is great for action-packed movies and bass-heavy music. If you want a different sound, there are some customization tools on hand, too, including bass and treble adjustments.

This soundbar supports many audio formats commonly found on streaming platforms and Blu-rays. For example, it supports Dolby Atmos, with two up-firing drivers built into the bar to create the illusion of height with this content. However, without dedicated satellites, it doesn't bring the same immersive feel with surround sound content you get with the Vizio M Series M512a-H6. This audio seems concentrated in the space in front of your couch rather than stretching around you for a more life-like feel. If you don't watch much surround sound, it's not a big deal, though, and if you're low on space, you may find it's the better deal overall.

If you don't have a lot of room in your setup, you can always opt for a small standalone bar like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). Since it doesn't come with a subwoofer like the LG SP8YA, it takes up even less space in your living room. The bar is less than 25 inches wide, so it easily fits underneath your TV stand or monitor. With a wide and immersive soundstage, the bar offers a performance that rivals some home theater speakers. Audio formats like Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital bring sound effects to the space around the bar, so you feel more immersed in your audio.

This soundbar has many of the same features as Sonos's more premium offerings. For example, it's compatible with the Sonos S2 app, which you can use to connect the bar with other Sonos products to spread audio throughout your room. Also, the TruePlay room correction tool automatically calibrates the bar's output based on your room's unique acoustics. It's only available with iOS devices at this time, but Android users can still manually adjust the bar's sound with its bass and treble adjustments. Of course, without a sub, you don't get as much rumble in the bass. But it's a solid choice if you're low on space and mostly listen to content without a lot of bass mixed in.

Lots of soundbars on the market come with sound customization tools so you can switch up their sound to your liking—and the best we've tested under $500 is the Samsung HW-Q60C. This versatile 3.1 soundbar gives you lots of control over its sound thanks to its 7-band graphic EQ, which lets you control the bar's output across the range, not just in the bass and the treble like most soundbars. Plus, some EQ preset modes are on hand for those who want a quick alternative to the standard sound.

This soundbar offers a balanced sound out-of-the-box, and its dedicated subwoofer brings out the thump in the low-bass. It gets loud, which is great for filling larger rooms with sound. While it supports many different audio formats, its output isn't quite as clear or as real as our top picks. The bar's 3.1 setup means it has to downmix height and surround sound into stereo to play it. Again, this isn't a huge deal if you mostly listen to stereo content in the first place, like most music and TV shows. Still, it's worth noting, especially if you're a big movie lover.

Dolby Atmos is a popular object-based audio format found on many different streaming platforms, especially with newer releases. However, not everyone needs a soundbar that can decode this format. If you prefer to watch stereo content, like most music and TV shows, or 5.1 surround formats like Dolby Digital, you can save a lot on a bar without Atmos support. The best we've tested under $500 is the Vizio V Series V51-H6. For a budget-friendly price, you get a bar with a subwoofer and two satellites that are great for 5.1 content.

From the jump, this bar offers a great sound quality that makes it suitable for listening to many different audio formats—besides Atmos. The sub brings the rumble in action-packed movie scenes while the satellites spread sound effects into the space around your couch for a more immersive feel. Naturally, though, you don't find as many features as with the top-of-the-line offerings—there's no room correction, for example, so the bar sounds a little different depending on your room's acoustics. Thanks to its bass and treble adjustments, you can still make up for this and control the bar's sound to get it more to your liking. Overall, this bar is a solid value pick.