Sony 3.1-Channel Soundbar w/Wireless Subwoofer | $700 | Best Buy
Not every TV needs a complex audio solution that involves a chunky rectangle that sends sounds out to smaller rectangles via 12-16-gauge wires that then must be hidden, somehow. If you just want great sound with minimum hassle, this 3.1-channel soundbar from Sony is ideal, thanks to its wireless subwoofer, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. With two HDMI inputs, an HDMI output that supports 4K video pass-through, optical audio input and output, USB, ethernet, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, just about all of your connection needs are taken care of. It supports ARC as well, and the soundbar itself can be wall-mounted for a more minimalist look. The soundbar and woofer are $200 off right now—a sale price it hasn’t reliably dipped to since 2020, so if you’ve been looking in this price range, this is the deal for you.
It’s guaranteed this sounds better than your TV, and likely even sounds better than whatever 10-year-old surround system you’ve been using (I’m definitely not referring to myself here, nope). It supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but offers no AirPlay 2 support—the latter won’t matter if your TV does support the wireless standard, but it’s something to note, regardless.
Taking a look around the web, it looks like this soundbar is very well-liked, with reviewers from the likes of Tech Radar and Rtings giving it kudos for great surround virtualization, good spoken audio performance, and good up-mixing of normal surround sound. Hell, we even reviewed it back in 2019, and we thought it exceeded our expectations—particularly given that it’s a humble 3.1-channel system that has no up-firing speakers—with rich audio coming from the diminutive 2.5" drivers. We did note that some of the midrange audio is routed through the subwoofer, so if you’re hoping to tuck the woofer out of sight, you’ll want to keep that in mind. Given how stingy Sony has been with this discount over the last year or so, you’ll want to jump on this deal soon, because it’s unlikely to last.