Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
Best Small Soundbar 2024: The perfect picks for smaller spaces
In This Article
Not everyone has the space for a surround sound system or even a full-sized soundbar. If you’re searching for a soundbar that’s small enough to fit your space, we’ve got several options that’ll work for you.
We review a wide range of soundbars, and we’ve tried to ensure with this list of the best small soundbars that there’s an option for everyone. If you’re looking or a soundbar that can do Dolby Atmos, one that works with an older, non-HDMI port TV or even one that could double up as a video streamer, we’ve got an array of options to choose from.
We review any soundbar by watching lots of movies and listening to plenty of music, examining how each handles dialogue, effects, and different genres of music. We also make test the features available to see if they work as the manufacturer intended; and from those results, we determine which ones are worth your money.
Keep reading to discover all the best small soundbars available right now. We have other guides to have a look to, which includes ourbest soundbarsand thebest Dolby Atmos soundbars.
We’ve also narrowed down thebest surround sound systemsfor those with the space and budget to create a bigger sound system.
Best small soundbar at a glance
How we test
Soundbars were created to boost TV sound quality – which means we end up watching a lot of TV. We play everything – news reports for voices, movies for scale and effects steering – to ensure that the soundbars that come through the doors at Trusted Reviews are given a proper challenge. We’ll play different genres of music, too, since a good soundbar should be capable of doubling-up as a great music system.More complex soundbars feature network functionality for hooking up to other speakers and playing music around the home, so we test for connectivity issues and ease of use. We cover the spectrum of models available, everything from cheap soundbars costing less than £100 to those over £1000, to ensure our reviews benefit from our extensive market knowledge. Every product is compared to similarly priced rivals, too.
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Pros
Cons
Compared to theoriginal Beam, theBeam Gen 2has been updated to match the appearance of its bigger and more expensive sibling,the Arc. It comes with addition of an eARCHDMIport that allows it to play full-fat lossless Atmos soundtracks. That also means you’ll need aneARCcompatible TV to get the best out of it. Otherwise, things remain the same with the Beam 2nd Gen, with it best suited for TVs up to and including 49-inches.
The current Beam supports Wi-Fi and the Sonos S2 app, which offers access to a multitude of streaming services such as Tidal,DeezerandQobuz, as well as Sonos’ own Radio service. You can also call on voice assistance in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, as well as initiateTrueplay(as long as you’ve got an iOS device), which optimises the Beam’s audio performance according to the environment it is in.
During testing we found it produced an excellent audio performance, offering a solid low end and a generally balanced sound across the frequency range. It also handled music impressively, with no noticeable distortion, handling more subtle elements with nuance. The addition ofDolby Atmosisn’t achieved through upfiring speakers but through virtual processing, and it offers a good performance with a decent sense of dimensionality when we watched Captain Marvel onDisney+. An alternative Atmos bar is thePolk Signa S4, which offers a good sense of height with its upfiring speakers, and while its cheaper it is not as compact.
There is a foot dangled in the direction of DTS but support for this audio format is not complete. The similarly compact and pricedPolk Magnifi Mini AXandDenon Home Sound bar 550do supportDTS:X, and like the Sonos both can be paired with a subwoofer for added ‘oomph’. A slightly more expensive but still impressive alternative is theSennheiser Ambeo Mini.
While the Beam 2 is not perfect, as a means of getting Atmos into the home, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a great way of doing so.
Reviewer:David LudlowFull Review:Sonos Beam Gen 2
Samsung HW-S61B
Pros
Cons
TheSamsung HW-S61Bis an excellent compact soundbar, a more affordable rival to theSonos Beam Gen 2.
Its a compact speaker cabale of producing a crisp, clear and punchy sound. It offers plenty of energy and outright attack that easily betters anything a TV can produce. Its built-in subwoofer provides impact to action scenes, and with Atmos content, the soundstage is bigger than the dimensions of the bar and TV, producing plenty of size and scale to go with Hollywood blockbusters.
It’s pretty solid performer with music content whether over Wi-Fi orBluetooth, though the former produces a clearer, more detailed performance. The lack ofHDMI eARCis a disappointment as it means you won’t be getting the highest quality Dolby Atmos sound possible, and we’re not big fans of the design when it comes to placement of the LED screen. We can barely see it at the best of times given how small it is.
Features includeAmazon Alexavoice control, though this would need another connected speaker to be able to use.AirPlay 2is another means of playing audio to the system, while if you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you can tap it on the surface of the soundbar and play music to it. If after you’ve bought the speaker, you’re looking to upgrade and add more, the S61B does support the SWA-9200S wireless rear speaker system. Anyone with Samsung Q-Symphony compatible TV can also take advantage of that feature, whereby the TV and soundbar speakers combine for a bigger sound.
There are other options in the market if you are looking for a soundbar and subwoofer combo, most notably thePolk MagniFi Mini AX, but its Atmos performance isn’t as convincing as the Samsung.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull review:Samsung HW-S61B
Sonos Ray
Pros
Cons
If you’re something with an older TV (say a Pioneer Kuro) or have a second, smaller TV that doesn’t have HDMI inputs, then theSonos Rayis tailor made for you.
It only supports audio through an optical connection, so you won’t have to worry about the scourge ofHDMIhandshake issues. Audio through an optical connection keeps things simple enough, though you do miss out on advanced 3D audio like Dolby Atmos andDTS:X. There’s only enough bandwidth for Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks.
It’s also not a smart soundbar either as it does not feature any built-in microphones for voice control from the likes of as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. You can still have those smart features, but you’ll need to connect the Ray to another smart speaker.
The design looks a little different from otherSonos soundbarswith its lozenge-shaped look and curved ends. Our reviewer felt it was a less in-your-face design that makes the Ray better to blend in with its surroundings more. You can also fit it into an AV rack if you wanted to conceal it from view.
The sound is surprisingly wide for its size, with effective bass performance too. It offers a clear and obvious improvement on a TV with dialogue making audio tracks much easier to understand. With music we felt it sounded decent, perhaps not quite as good as it is with TV series and films, but passable enough. For its primary job of making audio clearer, the Sonos Ray does a brilliant job.
Reviewer:David LudlowFull review:Sonos Ray
Polk MagniFi Mini AX
Pros
Cons
While a small soundbar is helpful in terms of reducing space, its size isn’t always great for producing a more cinematic sound, especially when it comes to bass. ThePolk MagniFi Mini AXhas you covered in that respect.
This an ultra-compactDolby Atmos/DTS:X soundbar from American brand Polk, and it differs from other options on this list in that it is not just an all-in-one effort but one that comes with sizeable subwoofer. This allows it produce and energetic and dynamic performance, and given the weight and power behind the subwoofer’s performance, it’s probably one that’s sure to alert the neighbours to what you’re watching.
In our opinion the Polk doesn’t full suffice as an immersive soundbar but performs better than theCreative Stage 360. It can do a decent impression of height effects but not with the greatest sense of definition, while its soundstage is front heavy, though you can add Polk’s SR2 surround speakers as real channels for a greater sense of space. Dialogue can be enhanced with Polk’s VoiceAdjust technology, although we found that while it did its job of boosting voices, it also had a tendency to raise surrounding noise as well.
Tonally we felt the soundbar sounded accurate and there’s good levels of detail and clarity to enjoy when the soundbar is put into its 3D mode, which also gives a bigger, wider soundstage to Atmos andDTS:X soundtracks. With music it’s a solid performer, playing music with a crispness that we found avoided sibilance or harshness.
It has an array of connections that’s greater than LG’sÉclair soundbar, with Chromecast available along with Bluetooth,AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and a USB connection that can play MP3 music. With Atmos and DTS:X support for the same price as theSonos Sub Mini, this is a good value soundbar/subwoofer combination.
Roku Streambar
Pros
Cons
TheRoku Streambaris a rare device in that is does two things for the price of one. You get a soundbar and video streamer all rolled into one for the relatively low price of £129 / $130. If you see them during a sale, you can get them for even less.
This is a smart little option for those after a no-frills performance for both video and audio. There’s no Dolby Atmos support so all you’ll get is a stereo performance. For its size it has a good grasp over dialogue, though it’s not as cinematic as some of the models on this list.
It does put in a decent performance in terms of bass, giving the low end some punch, and the soundstage is wider than you’d think for a soundbar of its size as it fires sound out towards its sides.
It’s not too shabby at performing its duties as a video streamer either. If your TV isn’t the smartest, it has all the major streaming apps covered inNetflix,Prime Video,Disney+and theFreeview Playcatch-up apps (in the UK). It supports 4K HDR content, putting in a colourful performance, and its upscaling is decent enough that you could get away with watching 720p streams on a4K TV.
Like Roku’s TVs, it comes with a range of features that includesAirPlay 2andApple HomeKit, although there’s no built-in voice assistant if that’s what you’re looking for. The interface is simple and easy to use, making this an accessible device for people of all ages to use and understand.
Reviewer:Kob MonneyFull Review:Roku Streambar
We also considered…
5.1.2 Atmos crammed into a compact soundbar
A well-featured compact soundbar with a big sound
For TVs that lack smarts, the Streambar offers great value sound and vision
We’ve reviewed
294
Sound Bar
FAQs
No, but it’s best for them to at least be similar in size. For a full-size soundbar, it’s best to partner them with TVs 50-inches and above. With compact soundbars that TVs’ 49-inches and smaller would be the best fit.
No, you won’t need a soundbar that’s the same brand as the TV. Any soundbar can work with any TV it is connected to. Where you may want to consider is whether the soundbar and TV have been optimised to work best with each other. LG and Sony both have soundbars that share features with their respective TVs.
You might like…
Comparison specs
Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyer’s Guide editor. Experienced in both magazine and …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
