Whether you’re buying one for yourself or someone else, soundbars offer a lot of entertainment for what can be a very minimal outlay. Budget soundbars have made fantastic strides in recent years and now deliver features like a simple HDMI connection and Bluetooth streaming, never mind great sound. And during Black Friday, they’re more affordable than ever.
The following soundbars have either been at the top of the game in their respective tests, or offer the potential of great performance (even though we haven’t reviewed them yet). Either way, you’re sure to find something that sounds good and fits your budget.
Note that prices and availability were accurate at the time of publication, but they may fluctuate.
JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass: $200
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Ty Pendlebury/CNET
At $300 the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass is already one of our favorite soundbars, but at $200 it’s a steal. The JBL offers excellent sound and one of the biggest subwoofers we’ve ever seen on a bar. Get it while the getting’s good.
Roku Streambar: $100
Save $30
The Roku Streambar is a great little unit with an excellent 4K streamer and better sound than almost any TV on the market. At $100 it’s an awesome bargain.
Vizio V51-H6: $150
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Vizio
The V51-H6 is just the excellent V21 with rears added, and this price is actually cheaper than the V21 alone is normally. What’s not to love?
Klipsch Cinema 400: $179
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Klipsch
Klipsch has been in the business of making big sound from tiny speakers for decades, and the Klipsch Cinema 400 offers classy looks as well. We haven’t reviewed the 400 yet but $180 for a soundbar with a wooden, wireless subwoofer and horn-mounted drivers seems like a great deal.
Vizio Elevate 5.1.4: $700
Save $300
Vizio
The Elevate is one of the most innovative-looking soundbars in a long time. We first saw it a couple of years ago at CES where its rotating height/front speakers seemed like magic. Look out for a review on CNET.com shortly — we’re expecting big things — but in the meantime a $300 discount seems like a really decent deal.