Buying a New Soundbar? Here's What You Need to Know in 2026

For many people, soundbars are the best way to get better audio quality from a TV. They're simple to install and lack all the speakers and frustrating wires that come with a surround-sound system. While most soundbars won't sound as good as separate speakers -- especially with music -- they're still vastly better than your TV's built-in sound.

So which soundbar should you buy? I go through all of the features (and jargon) you'll find on today's models. That should help you work out what you need and what you don't.

If you're looking for our recomendations, you can try CNET's list of best soundbars for an overall pick or our best soundbars under $200 for more budget options. Want to know even more? Here's a quick primer on which features are the most important for your needs and other stuff you should know.

See also: Best Home Theater Systems of 2026

HDMI eARC, Optical: Which connections do I want?

For a long time, most soundbars were connected via an optical output between the TV and the speaker, but the increasing prevalence of ARC (audio return channel) and eARC HDMI means you now have a choice of connection types. The idea is that you connect all your home theater devices directly to the TV, then connect the TV's HDMI (or, at a pinch, optical) output to the soundbar. It's a simple overall design, since you only have to switch inputs using your TV remote. (For more information, read our guide to using your TV as a switcher.)

Given the ease of use, using the TV as a switcher is the way to go for most people. There are some drawbacks to this configuration, though. For one, you're limited by the number of inputs on your TV. If your TV has only three inputs, you can connect only three devices. You could get around this using an HDMI switcher, but then you start adding complexity, you were probably hoping to avoid by getting a soundbar in the first place. Another issue is that, unless it specifically supports eARC, some TVs downgrade incoming audio to stereo rather than a true surround-sound signal. Most bars are stereo-only, and the more-expensive surround-capable bars work best with a surround input.

Some soundbars at the $500-and-over mark do include multiple HDMI inputs, which you'll need if you want to connect AV devices directly to the soundbar, rather than route them through the TV. For future-proofing, look for at least 2 HDMI inputs and make sure they can pass 4K and HDR signals -- especially if you already have a 4K TV. 

If the soundbar only has an HDMI ARC input (like the Sonos Beam Gen 2), be aware that you can't connect a source device directly to it. Connect your set-top devices to the TV first, then connect an HDMI cable from the TV's HDMI ARC port to the soundbar. If you have a more expensive soundbar with Dolby Atmos, you will need a TV that can pass these signals over HDMI. Look for HDMI 2.1 or eARC compatibility.

Read more: Best Dolby Atmos Soundbar

Do I need surround sound or Dolby Atmos?

In the past, two-channel soundbars typically didn't sound much different between stereo and surround modes, but the arrival of technologies such as Dolby Virtual:X and beamforming have really improved the immersion you get from single bars. For instance, I've been impressed by the sound of two models in particular: the Sonos Arc and the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar. Both were able to produce near-surround sound without rear speakers. Also, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 can convincingly emulate a sense of height.

Adding optional surrounds does help most bars achieve better surround. Adding Sonos Era 100 speakers to the Arc for example, adds a tremendous sense of immersion when playing movies. This ability to add surround speakers to existing bars is now supported by many midrange soundbars, across brands such as Polk, LG and Samsung. Typically, they use Wi-Fi to connect to standalone wireless speakers, but as this can add $300 to $400 to the cost, it can be an expensive option. 

In the last few years, we've seen an explosion in the number of Atmos soundbars released, with the price finally dipping under $500, though be careful, as some only simulate Atmos. Look for dedicated height speakers to be sure. While Netflix and other streaming services now offer movies and TV shows with Atmos soundtracks, the number of titles is still dwarfed by those with 5.1 surround audio. While it's worth considering an Atmos bar to take advantage of that extra capability, it's still not an essential buy. 

Do I need a separate subwoofer?

Having a soundbar is great. It'll fit under your TV, and doesn't take up much physical or visual space, but it won't give you convincing bass. A soundbar's cabinet can only be so large, and the "onboard subwoofer" of most single bars is optimistic at best. If you really want to hear the bass from your favorite action movies or latest EDM track, you need a separate subwoofer.

You don't need to spend much money to get one, as even budget models like the Vizio SV210M come with one in the box. It's wireless too, so you don't need to worry about placement or hiding wires. While there are a number of soundbars with wired subwoofers, there's no real savings, and they don't necessarily perform better than wireless models.

Some of the more premium single-bar models (over $300) offer a subwoofer as an add-on. Prices for these tend to be as high as a full system, but the advantage is that they actually perform better than the bundled kind. They're larger, feature bigger woofers and tend to look more stylish. The best thing about having the subwoofer as an optional extra is that you can buy the bar first, and then upgrade later when your budget allows. The difference in sound quality you get by adding a subwoofer is night and day, and it's usually worth the extra expense.

Do I need Bluetooth or Wi-Fi music?

While many features are superfluous when it comes to soundbars, there is one main exception: wireless streaming. This can take one of two main forms: Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. Wireless streaming lets you play music from a multitude of sources -- like Spotify on your phone, or iTunes on your computer -- via your soundbar.

Bluetooth is the easiest way to wirelessly stream audio from your phone or tablet. It works with the music stored on your device and any music app (for example, Pandora or Spotify), plus it's platform-agnostic -- virtually all iOS, Android and Windows phones and tablets have built-in Bluetooth. Likewise, almost every soundbar on the market features Bluetooth, and if it doesn't, you can buy an adapter like those made by Belkin or Logitech. 

Wi-Fi offers several upgrades to Bluetooth including the ability to listen in multiple rooms, and even control it with Google Assistant or Alexa. There are two main "open" standards, AirPlay and Chromecast built-in, plus a number of specific ones such as Spotify Connect, Sonos and Yamaha MusicCast. With so many options it's worth investigating Wi-Fi music options before you buy. 

The most cost-effective add-on system right now is the $149 WiiM Pro which also allows multi-room playback and control with the Google Assistant. 

Which size soundbar do I need?

Soundbars come in all shapes and sizes, from under a foot long to wider than a big-screen TV. While the larger soundbars sometimes offer more drivers and hence a bigger sound, there are others where all you're paying for is a longer box.

If you want the soundbar to be exactly the same width as your TV then take note. Televisions are measured diagonally while soundbars are measured lengthways, so a 46-inch TV won't match up with a 46-inch wide speaker, for example. Buying a soundbar that is designed by the same manufacturer may help but it's not guaranteed. If you want the two products to match you have two main options, a) check the width of your TV compared to screen size with this handy chart, or b) more accurately, you can check the width of both models in the manufacturers' spec sections before you buy.

If matching the dimensions precisely isn't as important you can try the following guide:

Do I need Alexa or Google Assistant built-in?

While it's not as popular these days, you can still buy a number of smart soundbars which offer an onboard voice assistant, and it's usually Amazon Alexa. The argument goes like this: why buy a separate Amazon Echo and soundbar when you can combine the two in one device? 

Buying a soundbar with a voice assistant on board does cut down on clutter, although it depends on how comfortable you are with an "always on" microphone in your living space, especially if you haven't had one before. If you already have an Echo Dot speaker or two, it makes total sense. Models such as the Polk React will also enable you to control the functions of the soundbar itself. You can do cool stuff like turn off lights or ask for the weather.

If you're uncomfortable with the idea of a soundbar with an onboard microphone, think of it like a web browser: The assistant just sits there waiting for you to say the wake word and responds (which is the vocal equivalent of a web search). The voice assistant apps even let you read back everything the soundbar records if you're concerned about privacy. However, if this is too much, you can either turn the microphone off -- with a hardware switch -- or simply opt for a model without the feature. 

Apart from privacy implications, there is another, more benign problem with smart soundbars: If you utter the voice assistant's wake word (e.g., "Hey Google"), the sound of your program goes away or mutes until you ask it something. It's much easier to have a second, cheaper device that can also control the soundbar -- you can ask a question, and your show goes on uninterrupted. Both the Echo and the Google Assistant devices are smart enough to work with lots of background noise. It's likely this issue has led to fewer soundbar models with voice assistants onboard.    

Do I need a soundbar with a front-panel display?

A surprising number of soundbars don't have a true front-panel display, so you don't get much (or any) visual feedback as to how loud the volume is or what input you're on.

A front-panel display is certainly nice -- especially if it's well-hidden, like on the Zvox SB500 -- but I don't think it's essential. Generally, you just turn the volume up to a comfortable level, and it doesn't matter much if you're at "20" or "30." Some soundbars, and here I'm thinking of older Vizio models, had a perplexing series of LEDs that are supposed to correspond with the input you're on, but were almost worse than no display at all.

What else do I need to know?

That about covers it. For more in-depth info, head over to our latest reviews of the best soundbars and dig in.