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Under $300 is the sweet spot for a first soundbar. It’s enough for a real subwoofer, and sometimes rear speakers and Dolby Atmos, a huge step up from the thin speakers in a modern TV. It’s also a price range full of bars that look great on paper and sound boxy in a real room. These five are worth the money. Prices move constantly, so click through for today’s price.
Our verdict
Quick picks: the Hisense AX5125H is the best soundbar under $300 for most living rooms: a full 5.1.2 Atmos system with a wireless sub and real rear speakers. The Samsung HW-B750D is the simpler bar-and-sub pick with a center channel. For music in a small room, the Sonos Ray. The Ultimea Poseidon D50 is the cheapest real 5.1, and the Majority Naga 60 is the under-$100 upgrade.
Top picks at a glance
Best overall
Hisense AX5125H
Living rooms that want real surround on a budget
$ BudgetBest with subwoofer
Samsung HW-B750D
Everyday TV, sports and music
$$ Mid-rangeBest for music
Sonos Ray
Small rooms and people who play a lot of music
$$ Mid-rangeThe five picks side by side
| Soundbar | Channels | Sub | Rears | Atmos | TV connection | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hisense AX5125H | 5.1.2 | Wireless | Yes | Yes | HDMI eARC + HDMI in | $Check price |
| Samsung HW-B750D | 5.1 (center included) | Wireless | No | No | HDMI ARC + HDMI in, optical | $$Check price |
| Sonos Ray | Stereo array | Optional | Optional | No | Optical only | $$Check price |
| Ultimea Poseidon D50 | 5.1 | Wireless to bar | Wired to sub | No | HDMI ARC | $Check price |
| Majority Naga 60 | 2.1 | Built in | No | No | HDMI ARC, optical | $Check price |
What the reviews don’t tell you
Budget soundbar reviews judge sound. They rarely tell you whether the bar fits under your TV, or what the speaker wiring means for your room. We lined up the makers’ dimensions against standard TV screen widths.
Some budget bars are wider than a 43-inch TV
| Soundbar | Bar width | Fits under | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimea Poseidon D50 | 15.7 in | Any TV | $Check price |
| Sonos Ray | 22 in | 32-inch TVs and up | $$Check price |
| Majority Naga 60 | 24 in | 32-inch TVs and up | $Check price |
| Hisense AX5125H | 36.2 in | 43-inch TVs and up (37.5-in screen, just) | $Check price |
| Samsung HW-B750D | 40.6 in | 50-inch TVs and up (43.5-in screen) | $$Check price |
So the Samsung is wider than a 43-inch screen, and the Hisense barely fits under one. On a 43-inch TV, the Ray or Naga looks right. The D50’s bar is tiny because the subwoofer and rears do the heavy lifting.
“Wireless rears” doesn’t always mean what you think
On the Ultimea D50, the bar pairs wirelessly with the sub, but TechRadar notes the rear speakers plug into the sub with RCA cables. That means the sub has to sit near the back of the room, near the rears. On the Hisense, the rears are separate wireless units that need their own power outlets. Plan outlets before you buy either.
Not every HDMI bar is eARC
Only the Hisense lists eARC. The Samsung, D50 and Naga are plain ARC, which is fine for these bars but rules out lossless formats if you upgrade later. And Tom’s Guide found the Naga only worked after switching the TV’s digital output to PCM. Our HDMI ARC vs eARC guide explains the difference.
The picks
1. Hisense AX5125H: best overall
Hisense AX5125H
Best for Living rooms that want real surround on a budget
- 5.1.2 channels: bar, wireless subwoofer and two rear speakers
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
- HDMI eARC plus one HDMI input
- Bluetooth 5.3
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
A bar, a wireless sub and two rear speakers, with up-firing drivers for Atmos, at a budget price. TechRadar found immersive Atmos, clear dialogue and punchy bass, and scored it 4.5 out of 5 for sound and value. Hisense lists 500W, HDMI eARC plus one HDMI input, optical and USB.
The catch: no Wi-Fi or app, so music is Bluetooth-only and EQ is basic. TechRadar found the small rears can get overwhelmed in the loudest scenes.
2. Samsung HW-B750D: best bar and sub
Samsung HW-B750D
Best for Everyday TV, sports and music
- 5.1-channel bar with wireless subwoofer
- DTS Virtual:X for wider sound
- Bass Boost and dialogue modes
- Bluetooth
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
RTINGS calls it the best soundbar under $300 it has tested, a good pick for everything from music to TV. Samsung’s spec sheet lists a 5.1 layout with a center speaker, so voices stay anchored to the screen, plus a wireless sub and DTS Virtual:X. RTINGS adds that the newer HW-B750F shares the design with a slightly brighter tuning, so buy whichever is cheaper.
The catch: no Atmos, no rears, and at 40.6 inches it needs a 50-inch TV or bigger to look right.
3. Sonos Ray: best for music and small rooms
Sonos Ray
Best for Small rooms and people who play a lot of music
- About 22 inches wide
- Great music playback over Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2
- Night Sound and Speech Enhancement
- Add a Sonos sub later
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
The most musical bar here and one of the smallest. What Hi-Fi rates its vocal clarity as excellent, and it plays music around the house with other Sonos speakers. More in our best soundbars for small rooms.
The catch: optical only, so no Atmos and no TV remote control over HDMI, and limited bass without a Sonos sub.
4. Ultimea Poseidon D50: cheapest real 5.1
Ultimea Poseidon D50
Best for Tight budgets that still want surround
- 5.1 system: bar, subwoofer and two rear speakers
- HDMI ARC
- Easy setup
- Surround and bass levels on the remote
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
Real rear speakers and a sub for one of the lowest prices around. TechRadar called it truly excellent value and easy to set up. Great for a bedroom, dorm or first surround system.
The catch: TechRadar found the sound can get tinny, there’s no Atmos or DTS:X, and the rears are wired to the sub.
5. Majority Naga 60: best under $100
Majority Naga 60
Best for The cheapest real upgrade over TV speakers
- 2.1 bar with built-in bass drivers
- HDMI ARC (not eARC), optical and Bluetooth
- Surprisingly loud
- Budget price tier
Prices change often, so check today’s price on Amazon.
Tom’s Guide called it the cheapest soundbar it has tested, and it still beats flat TV speakers, with a decent movie mode. There’s also a wired sub output if you want to add one.
The catch: Tom’s Guide found loud bass causes vibration and treble sounds pinched at volume, and called the setup baffling. Treat it as a cheap upgrade, not a home theater.
Which one for your room
| Your room | Pick |
|---|---|
| Bedroom, dorm or very tight budget | Majority Naga 60 |
| Small room, lots of music | Sonos Ray |
| Couch against the back wall, 50-inch TV or bigger | Samsung HW-B750D |
| Outlets and space beside or behind the couch | Hisense AX5125H |
| First surround system, smallest budget | Ultimea Poseidon D50 |
Skip this price range if your room is big and open-plan (Consumer Reports notes budget bars do best in small and medium rooms), or if you share thin walls and watch late; a sub carries through floors, so TV headphones may suit you better. If dialogue is your only problem, try the free fixes in our dialogue guide first.
Setup that makes a cheap bar sound better
- Plug into the TV’s HDMI port labeled ARC or eARC.
- Turn on HDMI-CEC (Samsung calls it Anynet+).
- Set the TV’s audio output to the soundbar and turn off the TV speakers.
- Set the digital audio format to Auto or Pass-Through, not PCM, unless your bar (like the Naga) needs PCM.
- Update the firmware if the brand supports it.
- Set the center (dialogue) and sub levels separately. Turn the sub down before the whole system.
Polk Audio warns that corners and walls boost bass, so keep the sub 12 to 18 inches from walls and near the front, then do a quick subwoofer crawl to find the smoothest spot. Dolby puts surround speakers about 110 to 120 degrees from your seat, slightly behind; beside you at 90 degrees also works.
For the Hisense’s up-firing Atmos, Dolby’s guidelines want a flat, reflective ceiling between 7.5 and 14 feet, ideally 7.5 to 12. With a vaulted ceiling, the Samsung may sound just as good. Placing rears? Our speaker placement calculator helps.
How we picked
We gathered the measurements and expert reviews for every pick, put them side by side, and worked out the room-fit numbers the individual reviews leave out. Bar widths, channels and inputs were checked against each maker’s spec page or a retailer listing, and the fit table is our own comparison with standard screen widths. Every source is listed at the end.
FAQ
What’s the best soundbar under $300 for a small room?
The Sonos Ray for music, or the Naga 60 on a tight budget. The Samsung is too wide for TVs under 50 inches.
Does the Majority Naga 60 have HDMI eARC?
No. It’s HDMI ARC, plus optical and Bluetooth, and Tom’s Guide found the TV’s output had to be set to PCM.
Do cheap soundbars support Dolby Atmos?
A few. The Hisense AX5125H has real up-firing Atmos drivers; the other picks here don’t do Atmos.
Is HDMI or optical better for a soundbar?
HDMI ARC or eARC: one cable, TV remote control and more audio formats.
Where should I put the wireless subwoofer?
Near the front, out of the corner and 12 to 18 inches from the wall if you can.
Related guides
- Best soundbars for small rooms
- Home theater under $1,000
- Soundbar vs surround sound
- HDMI ARC vs eARC explained
Sources: RTINGS best soundbars under $300 · TechRadar Hisense AX5125H review · Hisense AX5125H specs · Samsung HW-B750D specs · TechRadar Ultimea Poseidon D50 review · Tom’s Guide Majority Naga 60 review · Currys: Majority Naga 60 specs · Consumer Reports soundbar buying guide · Polk Audio: subwoofer placement · Dolby Atmos installation guidelines (PDF)
