The Best Sound Bars For 2024-2025

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This will be an article covering the best sound bars for 2024-2025.

These are some of the best fully featured sound bars that in my opinion, perform exceptionally well as part of a quality home theater.

The actual choices are listed directly below, with a helpful guide on how to choose a quality one below that.

 

Best For A Very Small Room (8 X 10 feet) – Saiyin Soundbar

 

Best For A Small Room (10 x 12 feet) – PHEANOO P15 Soundbar

 

Best For A Medium Room (14 x 16 feet) – Klipsch Flexus Core 200 3.1.2 Channel Soundbar

 

Best For A Medium To Large Room (16 x 20 feet) – VIZIO M Series Soundbar

 

Best For A Large Room (22 x 25 feet) – Yamaha YAS-109

 

Best For A Very Large Room (Over 25 feet) – Samsung HW-Q950A

 

Best Looking – Klipsch Cinema 600

 

Best With A Built In Subwoofer – Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar

 

A Personal Favorite – Yamaha YAS-209BL Sound Bar

 

Another Personal Favorite – Sony HT-S100F

 

Best High End – Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar

 

Decision Guide

 

 

The Best For A Very Small Room (8 X 10 feet) – Saiyin Soundbar For TV With Subwoofer

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So for those of you out there with really small rooms that still want awesome sound then this would be a really good one to go with.

Coming in at 17.55 x 12.52 x 5.71 inches, it’s pretty compact as far as sound bars go.

This is particularly useful if you don’t have a lot of space for anything burly or unwieldy.

It has Bluetooth, so playing music without wires is also easy to do.

What I found particularly alluring about this this choice was the fact that it has a built in subwoofer.

So you get the low end benefits of a subwoofer, without having to worry about setting an external one up. Even more interesting, it happens to also have a built in microphone.

This allows you to take calls straight from the sound bar.

Now that’s cool.

As far as looks go, it’s pretty standard, with a metal grill protecting the drivers inside.

The sound it produces belies its appearance though; don’t let it fool you, this thing can put out some seriously satisfying sound.

 

Pros

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• Small & manageable
• Built In subwoofer Is convenient
• Good sound quality
• Built in microphone allows you to make calls from it
• Bluetooth ability

 

Cons

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• Volume level using it in anything bigger than a small room

Overall, it’s a great soundbar if you plan on using this thing in smaller listening spaces. It’s awesome.

 

Check Availability Of Saiyin Soundbar With Subwoofer

 

 

 

 

The Best For A Small Room (10 x 12 feet) – PHEANOO P15 Soundbar

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For use with a smaller room, the PHEANOO P15 soundbar is a solid choice.

At 16 inches and a slim profile, this is a soundbar that is best suited for a smaller room.

What’s awesome about this one is the fact that there’s an internal DSP with 3 different sound profiles to accommodate the specific content that you watch.

This is supplemented by the 2 full range internal speakers and low frequency drivers that actually get much louder than one might initially think.

Their sound quality is also suprisingly great.

With Bluetooth 5.0 present, you can wirelessly enjoy music and content from your device which is definitely nice.

It’s also really simple to setup, with an optical port, auxiliary input, USB port, and HDMI ARC.

 

Pros

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• Clear sound quality
• Great for small rooms at 16 inches
• Wall mountable
• Multiple sound modes for different content
• Bluetooth 5.0 capability
• HDMI ARC Capability
• Easy to setup

Cons

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• No granular DSP control
• No batteries in remote

There’s not too much else to say other than this is a great soundbar for smaller rooms.

 

Check Availability Of PHEANOO P15 Soundbar

 

 

 

 

The Best For A Medium Room (14 x 16 feet) – Klipsch Flexus Core 200 3.1.2 Channel Soundbar

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If you happen to do most of your listening in a normal room or even dorm room, then the Klipsch Flexus Core definitely works for that use.

The first thing that surprised me about this sound bar was the fact it uses horn technology.

Now for those of you out there who are familiar with the company Klipsch, then you’ll now that they employ this technology in their products as well.

What is it though?

Well you know how within the speaker there’s the driver that’s responsible for the output of sound?

Well with horn tech, what it basically does is place a specifically measured covering around the driver, which duckbills outwards around the edges.

This allows the sound to not only cover a wider area, but it’s usually clearer as well.

You can read about it here if you’re curious. https://www.klipsch.com/blog/how-do-horn-loaded-speakers-work

At 44 inches long, this is definitely one on the larger side.

Also, if your television has an audio out jack, then you can plug it in there as well to take advantage of its enhanced sound.

In terms of looks, I really liked the subtle yet refined aesthetic of the soundbar.

The built in dual subwoofers also has a good amount of bass that definitely adds to the experience.

It also has 200 watts which allows it to get plenty loud.

There’s even Bluetooth to enjoy your favorite content

 

Pros

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• 200 watts of audio quality
• Horn technology makes sound incredibly enjoyable
• Nice bass quality
• Bluetooth capability

 

Cons

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• Large at 44 inches

In summary, it’s a really performant soundbar that finds its groove in a variety of rooms.

 

Check Availability Of The Klipsch Flexus Core 200 Soundbar

 

 

 

 

The Best For A Medium To Large Room (16 x 20 feet) – VIZIO M Series Soundbar

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In this size of a room where you nearly getting into large territory but not quite, you might want something with a little more oomph.

The Vizio M Series is that very thing that provides you with just that. Being able to go up to 98 decibels ensures that you get a very full and rich sound that makes movies come alive.

To put that into perspective, that’s nearly the equivalent of standing right next to a subway train in terms of loudness (that’s plenty loud)

But the thing is it’s not just the loudness that makes it impressive, but the clarity of the sound as well.

It also offers Bluetooth so that you can enjoy your music without the hassle of wires.

Even better is the fact that it utilizes DTS sound to give you the most realistic experience possible.

Set up is also simple, and even comes with the cables necessary to plug it up.

Coming in at around 8 and a half pounds and 36 inches, it makes it manageable for those with not the most space in the world as well.

 

Pros

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• Easy to setup
• DTS sound gives a very lifelike and appreciable sound
• 98 decibels peak also ensures it can go plenty loud when it needs to
• Small enough to still be manageable

 

Cons

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• No internal sub

For music and the casual listening this is a great option as well.

 

Check Availability Of The VIZIO M Series Soundbar

 

 

 

 

The Best For A Large Room (22 x 25 feet) – Yamaha YAS-109

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When we start to get into the large room territory, this is where speakers need to be able to go loud, otherwise they’ll come off as disappointing.

The Yamaha YAS-109 does exactly that.

Now before even that, the first thing you’ll notice is just how thin it actually is.

This is part of what Yamaha is calling its ultra slim design.

This is to allow it to fit anywhere in your theater space with ease.

However despite this thin design, it still has managed to build in 2 woofers, 2 tweeters, and even 2 subwoofers all within this little enclosure.

The results of this is actually pretty astonishing.

You get a crisp high, and convincingly ominous low that really melds beautifully together.

Power is also something that this doesn’t lack, as it has over 120 watts of power.

What’s really interesting is the different modes available to further customize the sound.

There’s even a clear voice mode that emphasizes dialogue over everything else; which would help in scenes where the characters may be whispering or talking really low.

It comes with Bluetooth as well so you do have the option of going wireless if you want.

What’s also noteworthy about this one is the fact that you can hook it up however you want since it supports all the common connection methods like HDMI and optical.

The bar even has its own app that you can download to customize your sound even further.

Plus there’s even support for DTS Virtual:X, which allows you to enjoy virtual surround sound without the need of any external speakers.

How cool is that?

 

Pros

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• Built in subwoofer
• 120 watts of power makes for a very entertaining presentation
• Multiple sound modes
• Dedicated app for even further customization
• Great sound clarity
• Virtual surround sound

 

Cons

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• 37 inches puts it on the slightly longer side.

In all, it really is amazing.

 

Check Availability Of The Yamaha YAS-109 Soundbar

 

 

 

 

The Best For A Very Large Room (Over 25 feet) – Samsung HW-Q950A

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From smartphones to TV’s, Samsung is certainly a respectable brand in technology.

That said, this is definitely one of the best ones I’ve personally tried.

Maybe it might have something to do with the fact it can support a whopping 616 watts.

Couple this with the fact that there’s an included subwoofer (which also happens to be wireless), and 2 speakers you’re obviously bound to get something that you’ll be pleased with.

The best way to describe the sound would be super crisp with no distortion, even at high levels.

Of course it comes with the usual features you’ve come to expect from a quality sound bar like Bluetooth and HDMI compatibility.

But what’s odd about it is the fact it supports surround sound.

But wait, aren’t sound bars incapable of doing surround sound?

Well as it turns out, not necessarily.

By utilizing special processing technology, it can reflect sound in specific ways where it gives the perception of being all around you.

It’s a really cool feature.

The sound bar itself is 48.5 inches long and has an attractive design.

There’s even the ability for it to connect with certain Samsung TV’s without any wires.

Now that’s convenience.

 

Pros

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• 616 watts provides plenty of power for even the biggest of rooms.
• Wireless subwoofer
• Bluetooth
• Provides surround sound through special 3D processing tech
• Amazing sound

 

Cons

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• Large at 48.5 inches

If you have a big room you plan on doing your listening in, then this one is a solid choice.

 

Check Availability Of The Samsung HW-Q950A Soundbar

 

 

 

 

The Best Looking – Klipsch Cinema 600 Soundbar

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Klipsch is known for making good looking speakers, and the Klipsch Cinema 600 soundbar is no exception.

Of course sound trumps all, but it’d be hard to ignore how good this one looks, especially when it sounds just as good!

The copper metal accents and metal grille give a premium feel to the sound bar, and the logo on the front of it adds even more.

There’s an included subwoofer that ensures you’re taken care of when it comes to bass, and the added tweeters help make the higher end sounds much more pronounced.

Even better is the fact that it’s 2.88 inches tall, so even if you place it under your TV, you won’t have to worry about blocking the screen.

It is a long soundbar at 45 inches though so that’s something to note.

Bluetooth makes a welcome appearance as well, ditching the need for any wires.

It has a virtual surround mode that as the name suggests, creates the illusion of surround sound without the need for additional speakers.

Surprisingly it works really well, and is sure to impress you.

Rubber feet fixed to the bottom of the bar also ensures it can be placed anywhere without sliding, and the keyholes included as well allows for wall mounting.

Of course Klipsch’s signature tractrix horns are here as well, allowing for a much wider dispersion of sound.

 

Pros

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• Looks great
• Included subwoofer for low end sounds
• Virtual surround sound mode
• 2.88 inch height ensures it won’t block the TV
• Great sound

 

Cons

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• Long at 45 inches.

Besides that, this is a great option that manages to combines looks and functionality into one.

 

Check Availability Of The Klipsch Cinema 600

 

 

 

 

The Best With A Built In Subwoofer – Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar

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So if you’re someone who’s concerned with getting a quality sound along with good bass, then this one is certainly a solid choice.

For starters, it comes with built in dual subwoofers and 7 internal speakers that handles the high and low ends really well in my opinion.

A welcome feature this comes with is Bluetooth which is helpful for enjoying your music wirelessly.

When it comes to connecting it, you have a few options including aux, optical, HDMI ARC, and analog. It’s also on the longer side of things, coming in at around 41.38 inches so just be aware of that.

Even when it comes to looks, it has a premium look that really makes it look awesome and has different equalizer modes to dial in your sound.

It can even be wall mounted if you so chose.

All in all, it’s a really great soundbar.

 

Pros

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• Great sound which can be further customized
• Bluetooth
• Different ways to connect it
• 2 built in subwoofers
• Works with a smartphone
• Includes remote

 

Cons

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• 41.38 inches could be a little long for some people.

 

Check Availability Of The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar

 

 

 

 

A Personal Favorite – Yamaha YAS-209BL

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This one is awesome with Yamaha’s inclusion of DTS Virtual X.

If you’re curious about all the specific details then you can check it out here, but to sum it up, this allows it to move sounds around you as if that object were really there.

Normally you would need extra speakers for this, but that’s where the virtual part comes in.

It uses special processing to do accomplish this without all the extras.

What’s also really cool about this one is that it comes with a wireless subwoofer to provide that extra bass.

This bar also supports HDMI so no need to worry about that.

There’s even an app which allows you to control the bar with your smartphone (just in case you lose the remote.)

The bar itself is a little over 36 inches, and has a subdued look to it.

Pros

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• Includes DTS Virtual: X
• Can be controlled by smartphone
• Comes with a subwoofer
• Can be connected via HDMI
• Bluetooth
• 200 Watts of power

 

Cons

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• On the long side

Simply put, if you have the room for it, then this is one that is awesome and excels in a wide variety of conditions.

 

Check Availability Of The Yamaha YAS-209BL Soundbar

 

 

 

 

Another Personal Favorite – Sony HT-S100F

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Another personal favorite of mine that I think works really well is the Sony HT-S100F soundbar because of its clarity.

Particularly when turned up, I noticed that it maintained that same level of detail in the high end that made content sound really good.

One of the things I like about it most is how well it handles voices in movies.

What’s also helpful is this can be wall mounted too, so there’s additional choice with how it can be placed.

There’s even a virtual surround sound feature and Bluetooth for enjoying your content that way as well.

 

Pros

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• Dialogue sounds awesome with movies
• Great sound clarity
• Bluetooth capability
• Can be wall mounted
• Slim design looks nice

 

Cons

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• No Dolby Atmos
• No DTS format support
• Would like more bass

 

In short, this is an incredible soundbar when it comes to watching content and listening to music.

 

Check Availability Of Sony HT-S100F Soundbar

 

 

https://easyhometheater.net/sony-ht-s100f-review

 

 

 

 

 

The Best High End – Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar

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If you were set on getting something that was next level so to speak, this would certainly be it.

The bar itself is super easy to hook up with only 2 cords to worry about (one is the power cord itself)

In terms of sound, this thing offers a clarity that’s hard to put into words.

The internal drivers have a bass quality that’s surprisingly good.

Wifi streaming is also something this soundbar is capable of and it can even connect with other Sonos speakers.

There’s even 3D sound in conjuction with Dolby Atmos for a surround sound experience that’s really immersive.

Talk about awesome.

 

Pros

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• Incredible clarity
• Solid bass
• Can connect to other Sonos speakers
• Built in voice control
• Attractive design
• Customizable sound

 

Cons

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• No Bluetooth

Overall, considering the sound quality, this would definitely be a really solid choice.

 

Check Availability Of The Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar

 

 

 

 

What Is A Sound Bar?

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For lots of people, a home theater is the preferred way of experiencing surround since it gives a deeply immersive and satisfying experience.

But there may be times when this simply just isn’t possible.

So what happens when you’re unable to utilize a full home theater setup, (due to space constraints, budget, etc) but you still want a better audio experience than what your television can provide?

Enter sound bars.

A sound bar is quite the interesting creation to put it lightly.

Inside each one, there’s usually a long row of individual speaker drivers whose job is to project the sound forwards.

The number of drivers is going to of course depend on which one you get, but regardless the end goal is the same; providing the listener with rich, detailed sound.

Now you might be thinking that the idea sounds awesome, but does it have any advantages over a typical 5.1 speaker setup?

Surprisingly, the answer to that question would be yes.

Here’s sound bars explained in an easy to understand manner.

 

What Are The Advantages Of A Sound Bar?

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It Can Save Space Compared To A Full Home Theater System

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So the first major advantage a sound bar would have over a normal speaker setup has to do with the design of the bar itself.

Being that all of the drivers are in an elongated enclosure, this ends up saving a lot of space compared to a home theater system

This is great for those of you who may not have a lot of space in the room, or don’t want speakers and/or wires everywhere.

Rather than having speakers situated all across the room, everything is in this simple bar — making things a lot easier when it comes to set up.

 

Shorter Setup Time

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Speaking of which, that actually brings us into the next reason why you may want to go with one.

I can even say this from experience, that setting up a sound bar takes way less time than a surround sound system.

Not to mention, it usually comes with everything you need included in the package along with its own set of individual instructions; making it a much more beginner friendly option than the former.

 

The Pricing

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Yet another reason why this be an attractive option to people is that sometimes a sound bar will not be nearly as expensive as a full on home theater setup.

Again this is speaking generally, since there are some extremely advanced sound bars out there that can definitely be up there, but those are the high end ones of course.

What Are The Disadvantages Of A Sound Bar?

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Not everything is sunshine and rainbows with them however, since there are definitely some real disadvantages you need to be aware of as well.

The Uniform Design Means The Sound Only Comes From A Single Direction

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The first drawback again, stems from its design.

While yes, having all of your speakers in one place does cut down on space, the issue with this is that they can only fire in one direction.

What that basically means is you lose out on a lot of the directionality of surround sound.

So when watching a movie, while still immersive yes, you won’t typically get the enveloping sound field that makes the content satisfying; at least in general.

I do say in general because there are again, advanced ones out there that are able to create surround sound by some pretty creative measures, including actually bouncing sound waves off the wall so that they land directly where you ears are.

While amazing, not every sound bar will include something like this, so it’s really a matter of what you prefer.

 

Needs To Be Replaced All Together If It Breaks

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Another disadvantage is that if something goes wrong with it, chances are you’ll have to replace the entire thing.

With a speaker, if something goes wrong, you can simply address that particular speaker whether it’s repairing or replacing it.

 

How To Choose The Right Sound Bar

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So now that you know whether or not a sound bar is for you, it’s time to actually go over some things you’ll want to consider when going with one.

 

Wattage

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I’ve talked about this many times before, but to reiterate, wattage is basically the amount of power a device is capable of.

The higher the wattage, the more powerful it’s going to be.

You’ll typically want to go with at least over 50 in really big rooms.

Just keep in mind that this also increases energy consumption as well.

 

One That Can Adequately Cover The Low End

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What do I mean by this?

Well if you haven’t noticed by now, there’s one major difference between the average sound bar and a 5.1 system; the subwoofer!

You know, that black box that provides the rumble and tactile feeling during movies?

While some definitely do, not every sound bar will necessarily come with a subwoofer included.

In those instances, you’ll want to be sure that the one you’re choosing is able to cover the low end in its absence.

How do you do that?

Easy!

You can make sure the one you’re choosing can do this by looking at what’s called the Hertz. (Hz)

This is a measure of how many vibrations per second speaker is capable of.

To put it simply, the lower this number, the lower the bass.

So by getting one that’s capable of going as low as possible ensures that you’re getting a full range of sound.

For soundbars without a subwoofer, if it can at least go into the 40 Hz range, then it’ll be just fine for movie watching.

Honestly same thing with a subwoofer.

As long as it can at least dig that deep then you’re golden.

One That Can Adequately Cover The High End

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So conversely, you’ll also want to get one that is capable of covering the higher end as well.

This is usually denoted by the term Kilohertz (KHz).

With this number, the higher it is the better.

Try to at least get one that is capable of going up to at least 20,000 KHz as this will give you the most detailed sound.

To help you out even more, you’ll typically see something like this 20Hz – 20,000 KHz.

The number on the left is the Hertz (how low it can go), and on the right is the Kilohertz (how high it can go).

You want the number on the left to be as low as possible and the one on the right to be as high as possible.

Easy enough right?

 

Try To Get One That Accepts HDMI

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HDMI pretty much rules everything now a days, so it’s pretty rare occurrence for a modern day device not to support it.

Still, it does happen.

While it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t, try to at least get one that accepts HDMI cables.

HDMI 2.1 is the most recent iteration of this standard and allows for many advantages like high frame rate, much higher resolutions, eARC, and expanded color gamuts.

If not, then you’ll have to use a toslink optical cable for setting it up.

Luckily setup for both is pretty simple and typically involves connecting the power cord & HDMI/optical cable to the device.

 

You May Want One With Bluetooth Capabilities

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If you’re a lover of music, or plan on using your speaker for parties and that sort of thing, then getting one with Bluetooth would be an invaluable addition to consider.

Being able to press a button and play music wirelessly from your phone is much more convenient then having to bother with wires every time.

For setting up with Bluetooth, you’ll typically have to press a button on the bar so it can be paired.

Then when in the menu of that device, find that particular soundbar and wait until both are paired.

Get One That Will Fit In Your Entertainment Area

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Just as a heads up, some sound bars can be surprisingly long (some totaling over 4 feet in length)

So beforehand with any one that you choose, make sure that you’re aware of the dimensions of both the bar you’re thinking about going with, and the amount of space you might have for it.

That way you aren’t caught off guard when it comes time to take it out of the box.

 

Can Be Wall Mounted

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If there’s not much room in your entertainment center or under your TV, you may want to go with one that can be wall mounted.

That way, you don’t have to worry about trying to find space for it.

Plus a wall mounted soundbar above or below a TV can look pretty aesthetic.

 

Final Thoughts

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With all of this being said, the ones on the list above takes into account all of these things and more.

But that’s pretty much it for now. I hope you enjoyed this article on the best sound bars for 2024-2025.

Hopefully with this list, you now understand what a sound bar actually is, along with why it still can give a great home theater experience overall.

Until next time, make it easy, keep it simple.