Equipping your home theater system with speakers can cost a fortune. Thankfully, you don’t have to break the bank to find best cheap soundbar that can make watching TV or movies more exciting.
Even some of the cheapest soundbars perform fairly well, especially if you watch a lot of dialogue-heavy content like TV dramas or like to listen to podcasts or audiobooks at home. Whether you’re looking for a soundbar with a subwoofer for watching action movies or a small soundbar that’ll fit under your TV, there’s something for everyone in the budget range.
Top 10 best cheap soundbar in UK 2021
We’ve tested over 80 soundbars, and below you’ll find the best budget soundbars to buy. See our recommendations for the best soundbars, here are top 10 best cheap soundbar in UK 2021..
1. Roku Streambar
Think of the Roku Streambar as an upgrade on your TV, rather than an entry into proper home cinema, and it ticks pretty much every box. While it doesn’t quite ascend to five-star status, it easily nails the aspects for which it is most commonly going to be used: projection and clarity.
The Streambar will work with any television with an HDMI input, outputting 4K HDR at up to 60fps for those with compatible sets. Everyone else will get 1080p Full HD, with lower resolution signals upscaled.
The bundled remote is splendid, and for an out-of-the-box boost to TV audio and older sets’ smart features, the Roku Streambar is extremely low risk for this price. In that sense, it’s something we can wholeheartedly recommend.
2. Avantree Torpedo Plus Portable
The 10.8 x 2.4 x 2-inch Torpedo Plus has something other cheap soundbars don’t: a 5.5-hour battery, which makes it convenient to take it anywhere you want to watch TV. The unit also has a sharp design, making it stand out from the field.
The Torpedo Plus serves up clear dialog, but lacks any bass to speak of. The crisp treble tones help provide details in music and movie soundtracks. The Torpedo Plus creates a wide soundfield when you engage 3D surround mode.
Due to its small size, this soundbar is a better complement to a laptop or tablet than a full-sized TV. The soundbar suffered from interference when connected via Bluetooth and only features one wired connection option for 3.5mm. It also lacks a remote so you have to adjust the volume on the unit itself.
3. Sony HT-S350
If you already have a good soundbar then this might not be for you, but if you’re still listening to your movies via the built-in speakers on your TV then this will make a world of difference.
On top of that, you can also connect to it via Bluetooth and play songs via your smartphone or tablet making it a versatile speaker that will do well in a party setting as well as movie night.
4. Yamaha YAS-109 Soundbar
We always recommend snagging a soundbar with a separate subwoofer included for maximum audio enjoyment, but if you live in a small apartment, or just don’t have room for a subwoofer in your living room, the Yamaha YAS-109 is for you. It might not have a sub, but this small Yamaha bar comes packed with great tech.
With the same great built-in Alexa, Spotify Connect, and the same dual HDMI inputs as the YAS-209 (also on this list), you’ll get a stripped-down bar that’s capable of being the center of your living room audio experience—from playing your favorite movies to telling you the news and weather—without making you touch a remote.
5. Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System
Don’t want to be tied to a subwoofer? We don’t blame you. If you want the same robust quality of sound without the extra black box, check out the Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System.
The bar measures in at a fair 2.6 x 21.6 x 3.4 inches (H x W x D) and 3.73 lbs, making it easy to wall-mount. As far as inputs and outputs are concerned it takes optical audio, coaxial audio and 3.5mm auxiliary. It comes with a remote control, which we appreciate, and has built-in Bluetooth.
6. Creative Stage 2.1 Channel Under-monitor
Soundbars are able to make a lot of noise from a tiny box, but nothing can compare with the bass that a dedicated subwoofer can bring. The Creative Stage offers a lot for just £80, including HDMI cable connectivity, but it’s the wired subwoofer which makes the system really sing. This soundbar also offers bluetooth connectivity and a USB port for playing MP3s from an external drive.
7. JBL Bar 2.0
JBL’s budget bar is an absolute steal. Sure, as a standalone soundbar with no satellites or sub, it’s never going to deliver the immersion of a dedicated separates setup, but there’s far more going on here than the price tag might suggest.
Despite its physical limitations (the whole thing is only about 60cm wide), the bar puts out a surprisingly throaty bass with decent detail, JBL’s pseudo surround technology bouncing beams around a room to give the illusion of enveloping sound without the need for physical rear speakers. It doesn’t provide a next-level auditory sensation, but at this price, it doesn’t need to.
8. Polk Audio Signa S2
If you have a larger space and you want something with more bass, the Polk Audio Signa S2 is among the best budget speakers in our list and reviews. It’s an affordable TV soundbar that includes a dedicated wireless subwoofer, making the low frequencies pop.
Including Polk’s voice adjust technology and Dolby Digital decoding, this sounding bar is capable of producing clearer sound and reducing delays. When we tested this in our listening room, its performance rivals some of the best midrange products you can buy on the market.
When it comes to setup, the available connections aren’t sparse. This supports HDMI inputs, optical input, and AUX inputs as well. Just connect the soundbar to your TV through the HDMI and you’re good to go.
9. TCL TS7010
TCL manages to pack a powerful soundbar and a bass-boosting subwoofer into one affordable package, making this an ideal consideration for those looking to really elevate their setup.
The 36.20 x 3.90 x 2.50-inch bar itself isn’t the smallest on this list (and you may want to consider mounting it if your TV bench isn’t quite big enough), but what you get in return is enough audio components to deliver rich, crisp sound and modes specifically for music, movies and speech.
The 8.3 x 12.9 x 9.8-inch subwoofer can also be placed anywhere in the same room to handle the low frequency and give you a more complete range of sound.
10. TOPVISION 120W Sound Bar
The TOPVISION soundbar features an innovative, detachable design, giving it a little more versatility than some of its competitors.
This is a hardy rectangular construction with visibly durable grilles. The entire soundbar can be split in half for separate use as either traditional left and right channel placement, or they can lie down as one soundbar.
The internal components are well-engineered. It features four quality speaker drivers with a built-in wireless subwoofer. It also includes a bass reflex tube in each half to keep it high-impact and distortion-free.
On-board digital signal processing once again allows users access to three preset sound modes like the previously reviewed soundbar.
It’s kitted out with a range of input options including optical, coaxial, RCA, and a 3.5mm AUX. It comes with a power adapter remote control, a wall-mounting kit, and it benefits from Bluetooth version 5.0 for a stable signal.
How to choose the best cheap soundbar?
The best cheap soundbar for you depends on the features, connections and size that will help you most enjoy watching movies and TV. None of these cheap soundbars come with a subwoofer, but some deliver more bass — a key feature if you like the tactile rumble that comes when watching action scenes. Think about if you need a remote; only some of these include them.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the audio outputs on your TV or monitor. Since none of these cheap soundbars comes with HDMI, the next best option is optical digital or coaxial digital audio. If your set doesn’t offer those, look for a soundbar with stereo RCA or 3.5mm inputs.
Another important consideration is the size of your TV — larger TVs look and sound best when paired with larger soundbars. But if your space is limited, a small soundbar is better than no soundbar at all.
The best cheap soundbar for you depends on the features, connections and size that will help you most enjoy watching movies and TV. None of these cheap soundbars come with a subwoofer, but some deliver more bass — a key feature if you like the tactile rumble that comes when watching action scenes. Think about if you need a remote; only some of these include them.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the audio outputs on your TV or monitor. Since none of these cheap soundbars comes with HDMI, the next best option is optical digital or coaxial digital audio. If your set doesn’t offer those, look for a soundbar with stereo RCA or 3.5mm inputs.
Another important consideration is the size of your TV — larger TVs look and sound best when paired with larger soundbars. But if your space is limited, a small soundbar is better than no soundbar at all.
Conclusion
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best budget soundbars for most people to buy. We factor in the price (a cheaper soundbar wins over a pricier one if the difference isn’t worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no soundbars that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
Hope you can choose the best cheap soundbar for your home!