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Best soundbars in Australia

We read hundreds of customer reviews to find the seven best soundbars to improve your home listening experience.

Tim Falk
Tim Falk

Updated

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The best soundbars in Australia

How did we pick this list?

Our editorial team selected the soundbars on this list based on extensive research, real customer reviews and personal experience. For each category, we carefully selected parameters based on our research and identified the products with the highest review score within those parameters.

Read more detail on our methodology below.

Best overall soundbar:Sonos Arc

  • Dolby Atmos
  • Stylish all-in-one
  • Expensive
  • Some users complain about a difficult set-up process

Price (RRP): $1,399

Buy at Amazon
Buy at The Good Guys

Why we chose it

With plenty of impressive features, an average rating of 4.7/5 from JB Hi-Fi customers and lots of positive reviews around the World Wide Web, the Sonos Arc is our best overall pick.

The Arc features 11 Class-D digital amplifiers, 8 elliptical woofers and 3 silk-dome tweeters. It can be controlled using your voice, via remote, through a compatible app or by using Apple Airplay 2. You can use the app to adjust bass, treble and volume, plus use Trueplay software to tune the Arc to suit the acoustics of your space.

For more information, check out our full review of the Sonos Arc.

Best soundbar under $700: Samsung HW-T650

Samsung HW-T650

  • Built-in centre speaker
  • Wireless subwoofer
  • No Dolby Atmos
  • Some users criticise sound quality

Price (RRP): $579

Buy at Catch
Buy at The Good Guys
Buy at Bing Lee
Buy at Mwave

Why we chose it

If you're searching for a mid-range soundbar, there are plenty of reasons why the Samsung HW-T650 is well worth a closer look. Priced at less than $600, this 3.1-channel soundbar boasts positive ratings from customers at retailers like The Good Guys and Harvey Norman.

Designed to offer 3D surround sound, the HW-T650 features a built-in centre speaker and a 6.5-inch wireless subwoofer. An HDMI ARC connection allows for high-quality sound, although it's possible to connect to your TV wirelessly using Bluetooth. You can also control the soundbar by using your Samsung TV remote.

Best soundbar under $300: Yamaha YAS-108/ATS-1080

  • Dual built-in subwoofers
  • Low-profile design
  • Some buyers would prefer a separate subwoofer for better bass
  • Not suitable for larger spaces

Price (RRP): $349

Buy at Amazon
Buy at Bing Lee
Buy at The Good Guys

Why we chose it

If you're on a tight budget, make sure you check out this impressive unit from Yamaha. With lots of positive reviews from customers at stores like The Good Guys and Bing Lee, it's our choice as the best soundbar under $300.

With a 120W total output, this model can be mounted on the wall or placed in front of your TV. It features dual built-in subwoofers, virtual 3D surround sound thanks to DTS Virtual:X and Bluetooth connectivity for wireless streaming from your mobile or Amazon Alexa. The Yamaha also includes Bluetooth Multipoint so you can connect two devices at the same time.

Best Dolby Atmos soundbar: LG SN7Y

LG SN7Y

  • Affordable Atmos option
  • Room calibration
  • No rear speakers
  • There are still cheaper soundbars with Dolby Atmos

Price (RRP): $899

Buy at Appliances Online
Buy at The Good Guys
Buy at Bing Lee

Why we chose it

If you're in the market for a Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Sonos Arc, which we chose as our best overall pick, is obviously a top contender. But if you're looking for something a whole lot more affordable, the LG SN7Y has been well received by consumers and tech reviewers.

This 3.1.2-channel soundbar supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X and is the result of a partnership with Meridian. It also offers Bluetooth connectivity, 4K pass-through and a room-calibration feature that lets you tailor sound delivery based on the size and shape of your room.

Best premium soundbar: Yamaha MusicCast YSP-2700

  • Surround sound
  • Multi-room audio options thanks to Yamaha MusicCast
  • May not be suited to every space
  • Some users report having to tinker with settings during the set-up process

Price (RRP): $1,549

Buy at Amazon
Buy at The Good Guys
Buy at Bing Lee

Why we chose it

The Yamaha MusicCast YSP-2700 scores an average of 4.8/5 or higher from JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and The Good Guys customers. It also scores an average of 4.5/5 from more than 15 ratings on productreview.com.au, so it's our pick if you're shopping for a high-end soundbar.

This 7.1-channel surround sound system features 16 speakers designed to create "beams of sound". It's also quite sleek, with the height of the centre unit measuring 51mm, and features a wireless cubic subwoofer for bass.

Best soundbar for small spaces: JBL Bar 2.0

  • Affordable option
  • Sleek design
  • Lacks advanced features
  • Some users would prefer better bass performance

Price (RRP): $279.95

Buy at Amazon
Buy at JBL
Buy at Catch
Buy at The Good Guys

Why we chose it

If you're looking for an affordable soundbar to suit a smaller room, the JBL Bar 2.0 is well worth checking out. It's been positively rated by consumers and can be purchased for under $300.

This two-channel all-in-one soundbar features Dolby Digital and JBL Surround Sound technology. It boasts a low profile to help it fit easily in front of your TV, while it features built-in Bluetooth so you can stream music from your mobile device. Other features include HDMI ARC or optical cable connection and a remote control.

Best smart soundbar: Sonos Beam

  • Reviewers report impressive sound performance
  • Stylish and compact design
  • Doesn't have Dolby Atmos
  • Bass performance could be better

Price (RRP): $599

Buy at Amazon
Buy at The Good Guys

Why we chose it

Last but not least on our list of the best soundbars in Australia, the Sonos Beam features Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built in. And with an average rating of 4.8/5 from JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman customers, plus 4.5/5 from 19 productreview.com.au ratings, it's our choice as the best smart soundbar.

Boasting a simple set-up process, the Beam can be controlled via voice, remote control, through the Sonos app and using Apple AirPlay 2. You can also connect other Sonos speakers via Wi-Fi in different rooms of your home to create a complete home audio set-up.

For more information, check out our full review of the Sonos Beam.

Methodology

15
Brands considered
50+
Products compared
7
Best soundbars chosen
  • We compared soundbars from 15 leading brands.
  • We based our recommendations on in-house expert testing as well as reviews from real customers (as of September 2020) and key product features.
  • The products on this list are chosen by our editorial team and are not selected based on commercial relationships.

Still not sure which soundbar is best for you? Check out our buying guide for more on how to choose between all the options.

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