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 most affordable soundbars perform admirably, especially if you watch a lot of dialogue-heavy content at home, such as TV dramas, or listen to podcasts or audiobooks. There is something in the budget range for everyone, whether you want a soundbar with a subwoofer for watching action movies or a small soundbar that will fit under your TV.
We tested over 80 soundbars and have compiled a list of the best budget soundbars to buy below. See our picks for the best soundbars, and here are the top 10 best cheap soundbars in the UK in 2022.
Consider the Roku Streambar to be an upgrade to your TV rather than an entry into proper home cinema, and it checks almost every box. While it doesn’t quite reach five stars, it easily nails the aspects for which it will be most commonly used: projection and clarity.
The Streambar will work with any television that has an HDMI input and will output 4K HDR at up to 60 frames per second for those who have compatible sets. Everyone else will get 1080p Full HD with upscaled signals from lower resolutions.
The included remote is excellent, and for an out-of-the-box boost to TV audio and older sets’ smart features, the Roku Streambar is an extremely low-risk purchase at this price. In that regard, we can wholeheartedly recommend it.
The 10.8 x 2.4 x 2-inch Torpedo Plus has something that other low-cost soundbars lack: a 5.5-hour battery, which allows you to take it anywhere you want to watch TV. The unit also has a distinct design that sets it apart from the competition.
The Torpedo Plus provides clear dialogue but lacks any bass. Crisp treble tones aid in the presentation of details in music and movie soundtracks. When you activate 3D surround mode on the Torpedo Plus, it produces a wide soundfield.
Because of its small size, this soundbar complements a laptop or tablet better than a full-sized TV. When connected via Bluetooth, the soundbar experienced interference, and it only has one wired connection option for 3.5mm. It also lacks a remote control, so you must adjust the volume on the device itself.
If you already have a good soundbar, this may not be for you, but if you’re still watching movies through your TV’s built-in speakers, this will make a world of difference.
Furthermore, you can connect it via Bluetooth and play songs from your smartphone or tablet, making it a versatile speaker that will work well in a party setting as well as a movie night.
We always recommend getting a soundbar with a separate subwoofer included for the best audio experience, but if you live in a small apartment or simply don’t have room in your living room for a subwoofer, the Yamaha YAS-109 is for you. Although it lacks a subwoofer, this small Yamaha bar is jam-packed with cutting-edge technology.
With the same great built-in Alexa, Spotify Connect, and dual HDMI inputs as the YAS-209 (also on this list), you’ll get a stripped-down bar capable of being the centre of your living room audio experience—from playing your favourite movies to informing you about the news and weather—without requiring you to touch a remote.
Don’t want to be tethered to a subwoofer? We can’t say we blame you. Check out the Bose Solo 5 TV Sound System if you want the same robust sound quality without the extra black box.
The bar measures a reasonable 2.6 x 21.6 x 3.4 inches (H x W x D) and weighs 3.73 lbs, making it suitable for wall mounting. In terms of inputs and outputs, it accepts optical audio, coaxial audio, and 3.5mm auxiliary. It comes with a remote control, which we like, and it has Bluetooth built in.
Soundbars can make a lot of noise from a small box, but nothing compares to the bass that a dedicated subwoofer can provide. The Creative Stage provides a lot for £80, including HDMI cable connectivity, but it’s the wired subwoofer that really makes the system sing. This soundbar also has Bluetooth and a USB port for playing MP3s from an external drive.
JBL’s low-cost bar is an absolute steal. Sure, as a standalone soundbar with no satellites or subwoofer, it will never provide the immersion of a dedicated separates setup, but there is far more going on here than the price tag suggests.
Despite its physical limitations (the entire thing is only about 60cm wide), the bar produces 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 it doesn’t need to at this price.
The Polk Audio Signa S2 is one of the best budget speakers in our list and reviews if you have a larger space and want something with more bass. It’s a budget-friendly TV soundbar with a dedicated wireless subwoofer that amplifies the low frequencies.
This sound bar, which includes Polk’s voice adjust technology and Dolby Digital decoding, is capable of producing clearer sound and reducing delays. When we tested it in our listening room, it outperformed some of the best midrange products on the market.
When it comes to setup, there are plenty of options. This model also accepts HDMI, optical, and AUX inputs. Simply connect the soundbar to your TV via HDMI and you’re ready to go.
TCL manages to cram a powerful soundbar and a bass-boosting subwoofer into a single affordable package, making this an excellent option for those looking to really upgrade their setup.
The 36.20 x 3.90 x 2.50-inch bar isn’t the smallest on this list (and you might want to consider mounting it if your TV bench isn’t quite big enough), but you get 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, which measures 8.3 x 12.9 x 9.8 inches, can also be placed anywhere in the same room to handle low frequencies and provide a more complete range of sound.
The TOPVISION soundbar has a unique, detachable design that allows it to be more versatile than some of its competitors.
This is a tough rectangular design with visibly long-lasting grilles. The entire soundbar can be split in half for use as traditional left and right channel placement, or it can lie down as one soundbar.
Internal components are well-designed. It has four high-quality speaker drivers as well as a built-in wireless subwoofer. It also has a bass reflex tube in each half to keep the sound impactful and distortion-free.
Like the previously reviewed soundbar, on-board digital signal processing provides users with three preset sound modes.
It comes with a variety of input options, including optical, coaxial, RCA, and a 3.5mm AUX. It includes a power adapter remote control, a wall-mounting kit, and Bluetooth version 5.0 for a stable signal.
The best cheap soundbar for you will be determined by the features, connections, and size that will allow you to enjoy watching movies and TV the most. None of these low-cost soundbars include a subwoofer, but some do deliver more bass — an important feature if you enjoy the tactile rumble that comes with action movies. Consider whether you require a remote; only a few of these come with one.
You should also pay attention to the audio outputs on your television or monitor. Because none of these low-cost soundbars include HDMI, the best alternative is optical digital or coaxial digital audio. If your system lacks these features, look for a soundbar with stereo RCA or 3.5mm inputs.
Another important factor to consider is the size of your television; larger televisions look and sound best when paired with larger soundbars. However, if space is limited, a small soundbar is preferable to no soundbar at all.
The best cheap soundbar for you will be determined by the features, connections, and size that will allow you to enjoy watching movies and TV the most. None of these low-cost soundbars include a subwoofer, but some do deliver more bass — an important feature if you enjoy the tactile rumble that comes with action movies. Consider whether you require a remote; only a few of these come with one.
You should also pay attention to the audio outputs on your television or monitor. Because none of these low-cost soundbars include HDMI, the best alternative is optical digital or coaxial digital audio. If your system lacks these features, look for a soundbar with stereo RCA or 3.5mm inputs.
Another important factor to consider is the size of your television; larger televisions look and sound best when paired with larger soundbars. However, if space is limited, a small soundbar is preferable to no soundbar at all.
Our recommendations above are what we believe are the best budget soundbars for the majority of people to buy right now. We consider price (a cheaper soundbar wins over a pricier one if the difference isn’t worth it), visitor feedback, and availability (no soundbars that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
I hope you were able to find the best cheap soundbar for your home!
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