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Updated May 2026

Best Soundbars Under $1,000

Top-scoring soundbars you can buy for under $1,000. Independent benchmarks, no sponsored picks.

Ranked by the weighted Specdex score — 0-100 composite of real-world and synthetic benchmarks.

  1. #1
    Sonos

    Sonos Arc Ultra

    9.1.4 Atmos · Sound Motion woofers · eARC

    Sonos’ flagship soundbar with next-gen Sound Motion woofers — genuine 9.1.4 Atmos without a subwoofer required.

    92
    $999
    Read review →
  2. #2
    Bose

    Bose Smart Soundbar Ultra

    $999

    Bose's Bose Smart Soundbar Ultra soundbar.

    89
    $999
    Read review →
  3. #3
    Sonos

    Sonos Arc

    $899

    Sonos's Sonos Arc soundbar.

    88
    $899
    Read review →
  4. #4
    Bose

    Bose Soundbar 900

    Atmos · 9 drivers · ADAPTiQ

    Bose's compact Atmos soundbar. PhaseGuide tech delivers virtual height effects without upfiring drivers — the best-fit Atmos bar for tight TV setups.

    87
    $899
    Read review →
  5. #5
    Sonos

    Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

    Dolby Atmos · HDMI eARC · Compact

    The right-sized Atmos bar for most living rooms — compact, elegant, Sonos-expandable.

    86
    $499
    Read review →
  6. #6
    Sonos

    Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

    $499

    Sonos's Sonos Beam (Gen 2) soundbar.

    86
    $499
    Read review →
  7. #7
    Samsung

    Samsung HW-Q900C

    $999

    Samsung's Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar.

    86
    $999
    Read review →
  8. #8
    Bose

    Bose Smart Soundbar 900

    $899

    Bose's Bose Smart Soundbar 900 soundbar.

    86
    $899
    Read review →
  9. #9
    Samsung

    Samsung HW-Q700D

    3.1.2 Atmos · Q-Symphony · Wireless sub

    Samsung's value Atmos soundbar. Wireless sub bundled, Q-Symphony pairs with Samsung TVs, $599 — the easy upgrade for any TV setup.

    86
    $599
    Read review →
  10. #10
    Sony

    Sony HT-A5000

    $999

    Sony's Sony HT-A5000 soundbar.

    85
    $999
    Read review →
  11. #11
    Vizio

    Vizio Elevate

    $999

    Vizio's Vizio Elevate soundbar.

    85
    $999
    Read review →
  12. #12
    Bose

    Bose Smart Soundbar 600

    $499

    Bose's Bose Smart Soundbar 600 soundbar.

    83
    $499
    Read review →
  13. #13
    Samsung

    Samsung HW-S801D

    $399

    Samsung's Samsung HW-S801D soundbar.

    82
    $399
    Read review →
  14. #14
    Sonos

    Sonos Ray

    $279

    Sonos's Sonos Ray soundbar.

    80
    $279
    Read review →
  15. #15
    LG

    LG SP8YA

    $699

    LG's LG SP8YA soundbar.

    80
    $699
    Read review →

Head-to-head

The two highest-ranked products compared side-by-side.

Sonos
Sonos Arc Ultra
92
VS
Bose
Bose Smart Soundbar Ultra
89
Full comparison →

Frequently asked

What is the best soundbar right now? +

Sonos Arc Ultra leads our Best Soundbars Under $1,000 list with a Specdex score of 92/100. Sonos’ flagship soundbar with next-gen Sound Motion woofers — genuine 9.1.4 Atmos without a subwoofer required.

How is the Specdex score calculated? +

The Specdex score is a 0–100 weighted composite of category-specific sub-scores (e.g. CPU/GPU/camera/battery/display for phones). Weights are published on our methodology page and reviewed quarterly.

How often is this list updated? +

The ranking is regenerated on every page load from our live D1 database. Scores re-calibrate whenever we add new products or firmware updates change benchmark results.