12 Best Soundbars for Music of 2024

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Want to improve your music listening experience but don't have the space for a full home theater setup? Soundbars are the perfect medium, giving you phenomenal sound quality without taking up a ton of room.

In this article, we're going over the best soundbars for music lovers at all price points, making sure you can get the best soundbar for your budget (if you have one!).

We also threw in a buyer's guide to cover everything you need to know before you make a purchase. Our #1 overall soundbar is the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus because of its versatility, sound quality, and build quality.

The right soundbar will be able to improve your music quality without taking up too much space; keep reading to find the best soundbar for your current setup.

Best Soundbar for Music

1. Best Overall Soundbar – Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby ATMOS, DTS:X, 360 Reality Audio, and MPEG-H Audio
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and HDMI
• Size: 3" x 41.3" x 4.75"
• Additional Features: Built-In Alexa, Remote Control via App

In a list of 15+ soundbars, the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus reigns supreme. It creates a captivating surround sound experience through 2 4" cone drivers and 9 class D amplifiers, giving you the bass you need for that immersive sound you're looking for. The audio quality on this machine is second to none, with 9 speakers in total.

The AMBEO Soundbar Plus supports an incredibly wide range of audio formats, including the popular Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X formats. This ensures that your soundbar will be compatible with the latest formats as they are coming out.

One of the best features that the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus has is its self-calibration, which adapts to whatever room you put it in automatically.

While this soundbar works well for TV shows and movies, it also connects seamlessly with your phone, giving you the ability to play your favorite songs with ease. The AMBEO OS can connect with Bluetooth, Apple Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, and TIDAL Connect with Google Chromecast built-in.

While there are many great soundbars for music on this list, none are quite as good as the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus.

2. Best Smart Soundbar – Bose Smart Soundbar 300

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby Digital
• Connectivity: Bose Music App, Bluetooth, HDMI, Optical Cable, Wi-Fi
• Size: 2.2" x 26.5" x 4"
• Additional Features: Built-In Alexa and Microphone

Bose makes some of the best soundbars on the market, and the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 is no exception. It takes the spot as the smartest soundbar on this list due to both its built-in Alexa and microphone, giving you the ability to play your favorite songs without any kind of remote.

While it has a lot of connectivity options, including a dedicated Bose Music App, audio formats are restricted and don't include Dolby ATMOS.

At just over 2 inches in height, the Soundbar 300 is compact enough to fit into any setup. Despite its size, it comes with 5 full-range drivers that deliver immersive audio. As a Bose product, the Soundbar 300 can connect to other Bose products, including the best surround sound system and even Bose headphones.

You can control the speakers through a remote, an app, or through your voice, making it the smartest speaker on this list. It's just under $500, too, which is a reasonable price in the world of Soundbars.

If you want a great Bose speaker without spending too much, check out the compact yet powerful Bose Smart Soundbar 300.

3. Best Bose Soundbar – Bose Smart Soundbar 900

SPECS

• Audio Formats: ARC, Dolby ATMOS, Dolby Digital, and Dolby TrueHD
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, and Wi-Fi
• Size: 2.2" x 41.1" x 4.2"
• Additional Features: Built-In Alexa and Google Assistant

The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 takes everything the Bose Smart Soundbar 300 does and turns it up a notch. It's almost double the price at $900, but the price increase is certainly reflected by the numerous features the soundbar comes with.

One of the most important changes is the addition of support for Dolby ATMOS formats, allowing you to play the latest hits at the highest audio quality.

Bose made another 2" tall speaker, but you wouldn't be able to tell by listening to the Soundbar 900. It has 9 powerful speakers that will make you feel like you're in the middle of whatever you're playing.

It also comes with the same connectivity options as the 300, including Apple Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect, allowing you to play your favorite songs from almost anywhere.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is a great soundbar for music and for anyone looking to listen to excellent sound quality. It connects easily and quickly to the best music streaming services and has a deep bass response you'll love.

Check out Bose's Smart Soundbar 900 if you're in the market for a smart speaker that works very well.

4. Best Soundbar for Surround Sound – JBL Bar 5.1 Surround Soundbar

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and DTS
• Connectivity: Apple Airplay, Bluetooth, Chromecast, and HDMI ARC.
• Size: 2.3" x 40" x 4"
• Additional Features: Battery Powered

The JBL Bar 5.1 Surround Soundbar is the best soundbar on this list for surround sound. While it doesn't have rear speakers, it plays surround sound through its MultiBeam technology to immerse you in whatever you happen to be playing.

The 5.1 Surround Soundbar boasts a powerful 5.1 channel configuration, creating a cinematic surround sound experience right in your living room.

One of the highlights of the JBL Bar 5.1 Surround Soundbar is the detachable wireless speakers, which can be placed around the room to deliver true surround sound.

The detachable speakers are battery-powered and last up to 10 hours long. With 510W of total power, the 5.1 Surround Soundbar can easily fill even the largest of rooms with crisp, clear sound.

While it doesn't have the most immersive audio formats in Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X, it still has a couple of reliable audio formats backed by Dolby Audio.

The design of the soundbar is sleek and modern, complimenting your home decor. The JBL Bar 5.1 Surround Soundbar is an excellent sound bar for movie and music lovers alike.

5. Best Soundbar for Desktop – Mackie CR2-X Bar Pro

SPECS

• Audio Formats: N/A
• Connectivity: Auxiliary Output, Headphone Output, Bluetooth, and USB-C
• Size: 4.9" x 19.4" x 4.8"
• Additional Features: Optimized for Desktop Use

The Mackie CR2-X Bar is the perfect soundbar for your desktop. Not everyone needs a full-size soundbar for music; some people need something to fit under their computer monitor. If you're one of these people, it doesn't get better than Mackie's CR series.

The soundbar is lightweight, compact, and easy to fit underneath any monitor you have due to its incredibly small size.

We wouldn't fault you for thinking that the Mackie CR2-X Bar Pro isn't powerful due to its small size. Surprisingly, however, this soundbar packs a punch. The CR2-X Bar Pro can credit its resounding power to its BMR (Balance Mode Radiators) drivers that deliver crisp and clear audio.

The Mackie CR2-X Bar Pro is unbelievably versatile, allowing you to watch movies, play games, and listen to your favorite music all out of one machine.

Connectivity is simple with the CR2-X Bar Pro; you can use traditional Bluetooth connections or plug it directly into your headphones; the choice is yours.

Overall, the Mackie CR2-X Bar Pro is easily the best soundbar for desktop users while still being a great soundbar for music too.

6. Best JBL Soundbar – JBL Bar 9.1 3D Surround Soundbar

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, HDMI, Optical, and Wi-Fi
• Size: 2.4" x 34.8" x 4.7"
• Additional Features: Detachable, Battery-Powered Speakers

JBL is known for its reliable and powerful audio equipment. As we've already gone over on this list, they also have a couple of great soundbars for anyone who wants to enhance their music-listening experience.

Out of all of their soundbars, none are quite as good as the JBL Bar 9.1 3D Surround Soundbar.

At nearly $1,000, it's no wonder then Bar 9.1 comes in well above its compatriots. The Surround Soundbar gets its name from the 10-inch wireless subwoofer that comes with the soundbar. You can place the wireless subwoofer anywhere you want in your room, turning your home into a home theater.

It comes with 10 hours of charge as well, more than enough time to play your favorite album front-to-back and then some.

The JBL Bar 9.1 3D Surround Soundbar has 820W of total power, filling any room you place it in with deep, immersive sound. The soundbar can also stream music easily through Airplay or Chromecast.

It's one of the best Dolby ATMOS soundbars around - check out the JBL Bar 9.1 3D Surround Soundbar if you want great sound from JBL's best.

7. Best Budget Soundbar – Mackie CR StealthBar

SPECS

• Audio Formats: N/A
• Connectivity: Bluetooth and USB
• Size: 4" x 18.7" x 3"
• Additional Features: Three Sound-Enhancing Presets

Another great desktop-oriented soundbar, the Mackie CR StealthBar is less than $100, the most affordable soundbar on our list. Don't let its cost (or size) fool you; this soundbar comes with plenty of sound modes to get the most out of your music.

Like the other Mackie CR series soundbar on our list, the StealthBar comes with Mackie's highly acclaimed bass and treble adjustments, tuning the bar to perfection.

While it can't play any of your favorite Dolby formats like Dolby Vision, it can plug in directly to your desktop through a USB cable or wirelessly through Bluetooth. Both options are easy to set up and reliable to maintain.

The StealthBar comes with three sound-enhancing presets for movies, games, and music, allowing you to switch between them as your use your soundbar.

It may be intended for desktop users, but that doesn't make this soundbar a great pick for music lovers as well. At just 4" in height, the StealthBar can fit comfortably under any computer monitor or TV, and at less than $100, you're not going to be breaking the bank.

If you want to get your hands on a soundbar but don't want to spend too much, we recommend the Mackie CR StealthBar.

8. Best Soundbar for $500 – Bose Smart Soundbar 600

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby ATMOS and Bose TrueSpace
• Connectivity: HDMI eARC, Optical, Bass Module, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi
• Size: 2.3" x 27.5" x 4"
• Additional Features: Built-In Alexa and Google Assistant

TV speakers just don't cut it if you want to use them to play your favorite music. To get the most out of your playlist, you need an ATMOS soundbar, and the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is the perfect pick. At $500, it's a solid midrange soundbar that can still give you that immersive sound you're looking for.

Like JBL, Bose is known for their outstanding audio equipment. Most of their devices already come with Dolby ATMOS support so you don't have to worry about missing out on one of the best audio formats around.

The 600 comes with a TV stand as well, so you can configure it however you like. As a smart soundbar, you don't need a remote to play music. Simply use your voice, and the 600 can take it from there.

The Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is a great soundbar for music and a surround system. It's powerful enough to fill most rooms with great sound and can play sound effects from movies very well.

If you're in the market for a mid-range smart soundbar that can just about do it all, consider the Bose Smart Soundbar 600.

9. Best Soundbar for $1,000 – Sony HT-A5000

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby ATMOS, DTS:X, 360 Reality Audio, and Hi-Res Audio
• Connectivity: HDMI, Optical, eARC, Bluetooth
• Size: 2.8" x 47.8" x 5.6"
• Additional Features: Unique Features for PS5

We've covered the best soundbars for cheap, for $100 and $500, but what if your $500 budget doubled to $1,000? If it did, we'd recommend the Sony HT-A5000 for its sound quality and HDMI inputs.

At $1,000, you'd expect to get double the amount of features as our $500 choice, and with the Sony HT-A5000, you do.

This soundbar is exciting. It comes with Sony's state of the art 360 Degree Spatial Mapping technology, available with optional rear surround speakers.

The A5000 can map any room you put it in automatically, making bass and treble adjustments without you having to lift a finger, getting the most out of your Dolby ATMOS soundbar.

As a Sony product, the A5000 has some unique features tied to another one of Sony's products, the incredibly popular PS5, making this soundbar a great choice for gamers and music lovers alike.

Sony is yet another company known for their great machinery and wonderful audio quality. If your soundbar budget is around $1,000, you can't get better than the Sony HT-A5000.

10. Best Expensive Soundbar – Devialet Dione

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby ATMOS
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, HDMI Inputs, Airplay, and TOSLINK Cable
• Size: 6.5" x 47.2" x 3"
• Additional Features: Four Audio-Enhancing Modes

We've covered the best soundbars for every budget, but what if you don't have a budget? What if you're looking for the absolute best soundbar for music money can buy?

Well, look no further than the Devialet Dione. At $2,000, this soundbar is well above every other pick on this list in terms of its price point. Once we go over its features, however, the price won't seem so absurd.

To call the Devialet Dione powerful would be an understatement. It's the best soundbar for music lovers for a reason - with Dolby ATMOS support, the Dione can turn your TV into an entire home theater setup on its own.

Seventeen autonomous high-end drivers fill the room with a deep, immersive sound that will make you think you're at a concert or the movie theater.

The Devialet Dione comes with four pre-set audio-enhancing modes, including a specific music mode that reproduces a stereo setup and disables spatialization.

It's also one of the only Dolby ATMOS soundbars on this list to come with a voice mode, perfect for anyone who enjoys listening to podcasts as well.

If you want the best soundbar for music lovers and don't have a budget to worry about, buy the Devialet Dione.

11. Best All-In-One Soundbar – VIZIO M-Series P514A-H6

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby ATMOS, DTS:X, and DTS VIRTUAL:X
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, HDMI Inputs, Optical, Wi-Fi, and USB
• Size: 2.6" x 48" x 6.5"
• Additional Features: Four Audio-Enhancing Modes

Soundbars can be a piece of a larger surround sound system, usually serving as a sort of center channel speaker to guide the rest.

The VIZIO M-Series P514A-H6 is the perfect all-in-one soundbar. It has everything you need to get your setup going, including an 8" wireless subwoofer and wireless surround speakers.

It also comes with a backlit remote which makes controlling your soundbar a breeze. If you don't want to use the remote, you can always connect your phone to the soundbar through Chromecast, playing your favorite hits in just a couple of clicks.

One of the most unique features VIZIO included with their M-Series P514A-H6 (what a name) is their auto-rotating adaptive height speakers.

The speakers will rotate on their own to find the best sound quality they can play. If you want the best soundbar for music lovers and want to get your whole setup in one purchase, we'd recommend the VIZIO M-Series P514A-H6.

You get a soundbar that can play Dolby ATMOS music, an 8" wireless subwoofer, and surround speakers for just $800, not a bad deal for an entire setup.

12. Best Wireless Soundbar – Samsung HW-B650

SPECS

• Audio Formats: Dolby Digital and DTS VIRTUAL:X
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, eARC, HDMI, and USB
• Size: 4.1" x 40.6" x 2.3"
• Additional Features: Built-In Center Speaker

The Samsung HW series of soundbars are some of the best you can buy, and the Samsung HW-B650 is the best wireless soundbar available. You can stream music directly from your phone to the Samsung HW, saving you from having to plug a cord in just to hear a song.

The B650 also comes with a center-channel speaker, enhancing vocals like only a center-channel speaker could.

The Samsung HW-B650 is compatible with DTS VIRTUAL:X, a perfect audio format for blu ray discs. You can also make bass and treble adjustments with the touch of a button, increasing the power output of the subwoofer that comes with the Samsung HW.

The soundbar comes with a couple of audio-enhancing modes as well, including Game Mode and Night Mode.

Game Mode is perfect for video game players who want to increase the sound quality coming from their games overall, while Night Mode will turn down the bass and increase vocals to ensure the soundbar isn't waking anyone up.

If you want to play your music without plugging anything in, check out the Samsung HW-B650.

Best Soundbar for Music Buyer's Guide

When you're looking to buy a soundbar, there are a couple of key features you should pay attention to. The four most important features you should keep in mind when buying a soundbar are sound quality, size, connectivity options, and brand reputation.

Sound Quality

The main reason you buy a soundbar is to enhance audio performance. Pay close attention to the sound quality and look for models that offer clear and balanced sound.

Look for soundbars with high-quality speakers, support for various audio formats (such as Dolby ATMOS or DTS:X), and a wide frequency range to ensure you get the full spectrum of sound.

Size

Consider the physical dimensions of the soundbar and make sure it fits well in your living space. You should also think about how you plan to place the soundbar – whether it will be mounted on a wall or placed on a TV stand.

Connectivity

Check the connectivity options of the soundbar to ensure it can easily integrate with your existing setup. Most soundbars support Bluetooth, which allows wireless music streaming from your devices.

You should also consider if the soundbar has HDMI or optical inputs, making it compatible with your TV or other audio sources.

Brand Reputation

Before making a purchase, research the brand and read customer reviews to gauge the overall performance and reliability of the soundbar.

Established and reputable brands are more likely to deliver better quality products and offer better customer support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What connectivity options does the soundbar have for streaming music from devices?

Most soundbars are compatible with Airplay, Bluetooth, and Chromecast, so you can stream music right from your phone or mobile device. Some soundbars are voice-activated, meaning you won't need a device in the first place.

Can I connect the soundbar to my TV or other audio sources?

Yes, in most cases, you can connect your soundbar for music to your TV or other audio sources either through HDMI cables or wirelessly through Bluetooth. If you want to connect your soundbar to your TV, make sure the soundbar you're looking to purchase has the capability.

Does the soundbar come with a dedicated subwoofer for enhanced bass?

Some soundbars come with a dedicated subwoofer; some even come with a dedicated subwoofer and extra surround speakers. But that all depends on the soundbar in question.

If you want a dedicated subwoofer to boost your bass, make sure the soundbar you're buying comes with it or is at least capable of connecting to one.

Conclusion

Soundbars can be the standalone audio enhancer in your setup or the crown jewel of your surround sound system. You can find the right soundbar by looking at its sound quality, size, connectivity options, and brand reputation.

If you want the pound-for-pound best soundbar for music, consider buying the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus. If you want the best soundbar for music and haven't said the phrase "Sorry, that's out of my price range" in a long time, consider buying the Devialet Dione.