CBS News
The 6 best soundbars for 2024 are here to bring the noise
Bose, Roku, Samsung, Polk, Sonos
The latest big screen TVs offer a stunningly bright and detailed picture with accurate colors. They also display ultra-smooth action. And the TVs themselves are thinner than ever. Their biggest problem? Sound quality. The good news is that simply by adding a soundbar to any TV, you can enhance sound from your favorite TV shows, movies, sporting events and more. They can even help enhance dialogue for added clarity.
Our top TV soundbar picks for 2024
Whether you have a 55-inch or 75-inch TV (or any size in between), we recommend a soundbar. And the good news: While you can spend a lot on a soundbar, you don’t have to. There are some very affordable options that offer impressive sound quality and, in some cases, simulated surround sound and spatial audio support. Others allow you to connect a subwoofer and satellite speakers to generate authentic surround sound. Compiled by our team of in-house tech experts, this roundup of the six best TV soundbars for 2024 includes our picks for both households on a budget and those looking to experience the highest quality audio.
Best TV soundbar overall: Bose Smart Ultra
Amazon
Channels: 5.1.2 | Dolby Atmos: Yes (also supports TrueSpace, AdaptIQ and an AI Dialogue mode) | Dimensions: 41.14 x 4.21 x 2.29 inches | Subwoofer: Optional | Satellite Speakers: Optional | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI eArc / Arc, optical audio, Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast
When it comes to audio speakers, Bose is one of the best brands out there, so when the company released its latest TV soundbar — the Bose Smart Ultra — expectations were high. This soundbar is currently among the best you can get in the sub-$1,000 price range.
By combining Dolby Atmos support with Bose’s TrueSpace technology and AI dialogue mode, you get robust, room-filling simulated surround sound. The soundbar can automatically enhance dialogue, making it clearer, especially when music and sound effects are also playing. Immersive audio is enhanced by two, built-in, upward-firing speakers, along with Bose’s Adaptiq Calibration, which optimizes sound for its surrounding space.
One of the things we love about this soundbar is the ease of use. It connects to any TV using a single HDMI eArc cable. The Bose Music smartphone app makes it easy to customize your listening. And, if you own Bose wireless headphones or earbuds, you can create a private listening experience via the soundbar.
You also get voice control via Alexa or Google Assistant. The Bose Smart Ultra TV soundbar does an excellent job generating simulated surround sound, but if you want the real thing, add a Bose subwoofer and satellite speakers. If you do this one component at a time, we recommend adding the Bose Bass Module 500 ($399) subwoofer first, followed by the Bose Surround ($399) satellite speakers.
Best budget TV soundbar: Roku Streambar Pro
Amazon
Channels: 2.0 | Dolby Atmos: No (Dolby Audio and PCM only) | Total Power: Up to 36-watts | Dimensions: 32.2 x 3.9 x 2.8 inches | Subwoofer: Optional | Satellite Speakers: Optional | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth, HDMI (Arc), optical audio, USB, Apple AirPlay, Google Home
If you’re looking for a low-cost way to dramatically boost the audio quality from your TV, and at the same time add Roku streaming smart TV functionality, we highly recommend the Roku Streambar Pro. For less than $200, this easy-to-use soundbar generates robust stereo audio and connects to any TV using an HDMI cable or optical audio cable.
You’ll get clearer sound from your TV, and access all of your favorite video streaming channels using the popular RokuTV interface. Plus, you get access to the Roku Channel, which offers a vast collection of free, on-demand live TV and movies. The Roku Streambar Pro lacks Dolby Atmos and spatial audio support, but it does support Dolby Audio. It comes with a Roku voice remote to control your TV and the soundbar.
If you want to upgrade the Roku Streambar Pro, an affordable subwoofer ($180) and a pair of satellite speakers ($154) — each designed for this soundbar — are sold separately. When the three components are used together, you’ll experience true surround sound without draining your bank account.
Best TV soundbar for spatial audio: Samsung Q900C
Samsung
Channels: 7.1.2 | Dolby Atmos: Yes (also DTS: X, Samsung Q-Symphony and SpaceFit Sound Pro) | Total Power: 446-watts | Dimensions: 48.5 x 5.4 x 2.7 inches | Subwoofer: Yes | Satellite Speakers: Optional | Connectivity: Bluetooth, HDMI (Arc), optional audio, Apple AirPlay 2, SmartThings
Fill a room with robust audio by adding soundbar and subwoofer combo, like the Samsung Q900C. Together, these components do an excellent job generating spatial audio with simulated surround sound from any TV — not just a Samsung.
Along with Dolby Atmos support, the Q900C supports DTS:X and other audio codex, along with Samsung’s own Q-Symphony and SpaceFit Sound Pro technologies. They work together to customize audio to fit a room — while the accompanying subwoofer generated rich bass that will help you feel, not just hear, the sound.
One of the great features of the Q900C is that it relies on wireless technology to reduce cable clutter, without compromising sound quality. You even get a variety of audio pre-sets calibrated for dialogue, sports, news, movies or games. Voice amplifier tech does a particularly good job boosting the clarity of dialogue, regardless of what you’re watching. The soundbar’s regular and up-firing speakers, combined with the subwoofer, generate impressive 3D audio, although for true surround sound, optional satellite speakers can be added to the setup.
Best compact TV soundbar: Polk Audio MagniFi Mini AX
Amazon
Channels: 13.2 | Dolby Atmos: Yes (also DTS:X and Polk SDA 3D Audio | Total Power: 150-watts per channel | Dimensions: 14.4 x 4.1 x 3.1 inches | Subwoofer: Included | Satellite Speakers: Optional | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI (eArc), USB, optical audio, Apple AirPlay, Chromecast
Some of the best soundbars are very long — too large for a smaller room. With this MagniFi Mini AX soundbar and subwoofer combo, Polk has done an excellent job creating a compact soundbar that’s just 14.4 inches long. It generates impressive audio that’ll nicely complement whatever you’re watching.
This soundbar offers Dolby Atmos support, along with other popular audio codex compatibility, like DTS:X. It also relies on Polk’s own SDA 3D Audio technology to create a more immersive experience using just the speakers in the soundbar (and the subwoofer).
You can expect a wide soundstage with simulated surround sound that rivals larger and more expensive soundbars. The Polk VoiceAdjust feature enhances the clarity of dialogue that comes through the center channel — making voices easier to understand, especially when music and sound effects are also playing. With the addition of the wireless subwoofer, everything you hear is accompanies by deep, down-firing bass.
The subwoofer that comes with the MagniFi Mini AX is wireless and self-connecting, so there’s less cable clutter, but very easy set up. In an apartment or any smaller size room, adding this soundbar and subwoofer combo to your TV will dramatically enhance audio quality. Thanks to support for Apple AirPlay and Chromecast, you can wirelessly stream audio (music, podcasts, audiobooks) from your iOS or Android mobile device and listen through the soundbar.
Best soundbar setup with Dolby Atmos: LG S95QR Soundbar
LG
Channels: 9.1.5 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Total Power: 810-watts | Dimensions: 47.2 x 2.5 x 5.3 inches | Subwoofer: Included | Satellite Speakers: Included | Connectivity: HDMI 2.1, Bluetooth, USB, AirPlay 2
While the LG S95QR soundbar is made by LG and certainly works well with LG OLED B, C and G series televisions, it also works nicely with virtually any TV from any brand. Between the included soundbar, subwoofer and dual satellite speakers, you get 810-watts of room-filling, 9.1.5 channel surround sound audio.
The S95QR supports Dolby Atmos spatial audio when playing compatible content, but you also get Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS:X, DTS Digital Surround, DTS-HD High Resolution and support for a handful of other codecs. The result is clear, immersive and lifelike audio regardless of what you’re watching.
Using the including remote or the LG mobile app, you’re able to customize the audio EQ and adjust settings for the surround sound and dynamic range. Other highlights include the soundbar’s 24-bit high-resolution audio support with upscaling capabilities, 4K passthrough, Amazon Alexa support and custom room tuning. Preset audio modes include bass blast, cinema, clear voice, game, sports, music and standard. The soundbar itself offers a total of 17 speaker drivers that include an up-firing center channel for clear dialogue and rear up-firing speakers that add to the audio’s immersive quality.
Best premium TV soundbar: Sonos Arc
Sonos
Channels: 5.0.2 | Dolby Atmos: Yes | Total Power: 110-watts | Dimensions: 44.96 x 4.57 x 3.34 inches | Subwoofer: Optional | Satellite Speakers: Optional | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, HDMI eArc, Apple AirPlay 2
Some soundbar models come with a premium price tag just because they come from a well-known brand. That doesn’t mean you’re getting the best quality. Thankfully, this is not the case with Sonos. Yes, Sonos is a well-known and high-end audio brand, but its products offer superior build and sound quality. And all Sonos speakers and audio products are designed to work seamlessly with each other and be controllable using a single mobile app.
If you want high-end audio from your TV, start the upgrade with a Sonos Arc soundbar. As your budget allows, add a Sonos subwoofer, followed by a pair of satellite (rear) speakers to create a true surround sound system. However, even on its own, the Arc soundbar generates really clear and robust audio that supports Dolby Atmos for a simulated 3D listening experience.
Along with the soundbar’s right, left and center speakers, you get a pair of internal, up-firing speakers to create a multi-dimensional soundstage, regardless of what you’re watching. In fact, you’ll hear detailed audio that seems to bounce around the room to add a greater sense of immersion — whether you’re watching a blockbuster movie, live sports, or a TV series.
As you’d expect, all dialogue is automatically enhanced. Even cooler: You can calibrate the audio for the space its in using the microphones and technology in your smartphone and the Sonos mobile app. Voice control via Google Assistant, Alexa or even Sonos’ own digital assistant is also included.
What’s the best TV soundbar?
Just about every major TV and audio brand offers at least one (often multiple) TV soundbars, which gives you plenty of options. Keep in mind that a higher price doesn’t always translate to higher quality. To pinpoint which TV soundbar will work best with your TV, here are the key things to consider:
Channels
Most TV soundbars offer two to seven audio channels. A two-channel soundbar means it includes just a left and right forward-facing speaker, so it can generate stereo sound. A three-channel soundbar offers a forward-facing left, right and center speaker. Three channels is typically the minimum for what you should look for in a soundbar.
A five-channel soundbar offers a left, right, center and two up-firing speakers to create simulated surround sound. Seven channels means you get a left, right and center speaker, two up-firing speakers, plus two rear satellite speakers. Seven audio channels gives you true surround sound.
When you see two numbers (i.e. “3.1 channels”), the first number represents how many speakers are integrated into the soundbar. The second number (typically a “1”) refers to subwoofer channels. In most cases, this means the soundbar has a separate subwoofer.
A third number represents additional audio channels. Up-firing speakers drive audio upward to bounce it off the ceiling, creating overhead audio effects and a fuller listening experience.
Some TV soundbars come bundled with a subwoofer. When you purchase a soundbar, subwoofer and satellite speakers as a bundle, this represents a complete surround-sound system.
Dolby Atmos or spatial audio support
Dolby Atmos is widely used for music production, TV shows and movies. It tricks your brain into thinking audio is coming from all around you. Spatial audio is similar to Dolby Atmos, but it makes you feel like you’re actually in the center of what you’re watching.
Spatial audio is also sometimes referred to as 3D audio. Dolby Atmos and spatial audio together create an even more immersive listening experience.
Total power
This means how many watts of audio power all of the speakers can generate. Higher wattage does not necessarily translate to higher volume.
Dimensions and placement
If a soundbar is too long or too tall, it might not fit directly below your TV — where it’s meant to be. The ideal placement for a soundbar is at ear level (when you’re sitting down), directly below the TV.
If you’re using a subwoofer with the soundbar, it should be placed to the side (ideally in the corner of a room), within 10 feet of the soundbar. If the soundbar includes up-firing speakers, nothing should be placed directly above the soundbar.
Included equipment
Some soundbars come with mounting equipment and cables. Some TV soundbars come bundled with a subwoofer. If the bundle includes the soundbar, subwoofer and at least two satellite speakers, this means you’re purchasing a complete surround sound system.
Connectivity
The best and most common connection tech is an HDMI cable. Ideally, you want to connect HDMI ports that are labeled HDMI Arc or eARC HDMI, since these are designed to better handle audio. Another good option is an optical audio cable.
Depending on your TV and subwoofer, you may establish a wireless connection between the two pieces of equipment, which means you don’t need a cable.
A more old-school option is to use a pair of audio cables with RCA connectors. Keep in mind, no matter what cable you use, both the TV and the soundbar need to have the same type of port. The same is true for HDMI or RCA cable connections.
Will any TV soundbar work with any TV?
Yes. As long at the TV and soundbar have the same connector option (an HDMI port, optical audio cable port, RCA jacks or Bluetooth) any soundbar from any TV or brand will work with any soundbar. That said, if you choose a soundbar manufactured by the same company as your TV, you may get access to more functions or a smoother setup.
The biggest perks to using equipment from the same company is that programming your remote will be easier. You may also notice that the aesthetics of the TV and soundbar are more similar. But this is not a requirement, which is why we recommend soundbars from Bose, Roku, Polk and Sonos, which are companies that do not offer their own lineup of TVs.
Do I need to pay full price for one of the best TV soundbars?
Not usually. While brand new models are typically full price, all of the audio brands periodically put their top soundbars on sale. Right now, you can get the LG S95QR soundbar from LG’s website for $800 off, which brings the price down to $1,000, but that’s just one example. Plus, retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart often slash prices on popular soundbar models. So you can typically invest in the very latest and best audio technology, but not have to pay full price for it.
To learn all about the latest consumer tech, read in-depth product reviews and find the best deals, be sure to stay up to date on all of our latest tech coverage.
With just a month to go before Election Day, Sabrina German sees herself as an essential worker for democracy. The director of voter registration in Chatham County, Ga., German has found herself in the spotlight as she works to comply with sweeping changes to state election rules in this critical battleground state.
“The first three words in the preamble, it says, ‘We, the people,’ meaning that we, as public servants, we are working for the people to make sure that they have a fair choice and a voice for the candidates that they’re choosing,” German said.
The overhaul in Georgia has many fronts, from the Republican majority on the state election board, to the Georgia legislature, which has made it possible for individuals to file a flurry of challenges to the voter rolls.
German said she had a thousand challenges to voter registrations in just one county.
Attorney Colin McRae, who chairs the non-partisan County Registration Board (on which he has served for two decades), said, “It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out the agenda behind some of the challenges,” he said. “In a recent set of names that were submitted to us, it included hundreds of college students. And it didn’t take a lot of research to figure out that all of the college students whose registrations were being challenged, all attended Savannah State University, [a] historically Black university.”
While these issues might seem local, they have a national political charge; and former President Trump has weighed in on the campaign trail, praising Republicans on Georgia’s election board. “They’re on fire,” he said. “They’re doing a great job. Three members. Three people are all pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory. They’re fighting.”
“Sunday Morning” reached out to the members of Georgia’s election board praised by Trump. They have long defended their work, and one member told us the controversy over their efforts is “manufactured to suit some other agenda.”
What’s happening in Georgia is just one example of how challenges to the vote are roiling the nation. And the question remains: Are recent changes to state election laws addressing real problems? Or, is it just politics?
David Becker, a CBS News contributor who directs the non-partisan Center for Election Innovation and Research in Washington, D.C., said, “I’ve been looking and researching the quality of our voter lists for about 25 years now, and there’s no question that, right now, our voter lists are as accurate as they’ve ever been.”
So, what is fueling suspicion of voter rolls? “We see a lot of their claims about the elections driven just by outcomes,” said Becker. “They’re not about the actual process.
“The voter lists are public. They could have challenged these things in 2023 or 2021 or 2019. They’re waiting until right before the election, which tells you that they’re not actually interested in cleaning up the lists. What they’re really trying to do is to set the stage for claims that an election was stolen after, presumably, their candidate loses.”
The 2020 election still casts a long shadow. State officials like Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, are bracing themselves for another contsted election.
On January 2, 2021, Raffensperger got an infamous call from then-President Trump asking if he’d “find” votes so Trump could win. “All I want to do is this: I just want to find, uh, 11,780 votes, which is one more that we have, because we won the state,” Trump said in a recorded conversation.
Raffensperger resisted pressure to not certify the 2020 election in Georgia. Asked if he would resist pressure again, he said, “I’ll do my job. I’ll follow the law, and I’ll follow the Constitution.”
Raffensperger will once again oversee and certify Georgia’s elections. Asked whether he believes any of the changes put forth by the election board are necessary, Raffensperger replied, “No. Not one.”
Raffensperger says voting is safe and secure in Georgia. Asked why the election board members keeps making changes to the rules, he said, “I think that many of them are living in the past, and they can’t accept what happened in 2020.”
Bloomsbury
Carol Anderson, an author and voting rights activist who teaches at Emory University, said, “One of the things about voter suppression is that it always looks innocuous, it always looks reasonable, except it’s not. What’s happening in Georgia with voting rights is that, you have a massive change of demography happening. So, you have a growing African-American population. You have a sizable Latino population. You have a sizable and engaged Asian-American population.
“And so, it is a power clash between a vision of a new Georgia and … the vision of the old Georgia, our old ways,” she said.
Chatham County’s Sabrina German said, because of the pressures on election workers, she thinks about leaving every day. German may be weary, but she and Colin McRae say their experience in 2020 has prepared them for whatever comes next.
McRae said he took it personally when Donald Trump asked the secretary of state to “find” 11,000 votes to put him over Joe Biden. “Of course, we took it personally; any criticism of the system is a criticism of the individuals who make up that system,” said McRae. “Again, the truth will come out. The truth will win out.”
For more info:
Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: Carol Ross.
CBS News
Tajikistan nationals with alleged ISIS ties removed in immigration proceedings, U.S. officials say
When federal agents arrested eight Tajikistan nationals with alleged ties to the Islamic State terror group on immigration charges back in June, U.S. officials reasoned that coordinated raids in Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia would prove the fastest way to disrupt a potential terrorist plot in its earliest stages. Four months later, after being detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, three of the men have already been returned to Tajikistan and Russia, U.S. officials tell CBS News, following removals by immigration court judges.
Four more Tajik nationals – also held in ICE detention facilities – are awaiting removal flights to Central Asia, and U.S. officials anticipate they’ll be returned in the coming few weeks. Only one of the arrested men still awaits his legal proceeding, following a medical issue, though U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive proceedings indicated that he remains detained and is likely to face a similar outcome.
The men face no additional charges – including terrorism-related offenses – with the decision to immediately arrest and remove them through deportation proceedings, rather than orchestrate a hard-fought terrorism trial in Article III courts, born out of a pressing short-term concern about public safety.
Soon after the eight foreign nationals crossed into the United States, the FBI learned of the potential ties to the Islamic State, CBS News previously reported. The FBI identified early-stage terrorist plotting, triggering their immediate arrests, in part, through a wiretap after the individuals had already been vetted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, law enforcement sources confirmed to CBS News in June.
Several months later, their removals following immigration proceedings mark a departure from the post-9/11 intelligence-sharing architecture of the U.S. government.
Now facing a more diverse migrant population at the U.S.-Mexico border, a new effort is underway by the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and the Intelligence Community to normalize the direct sharing of classified information – including some marked top-secret – with U.S. immigration judges.
The more routine intelligence sharing with immigration judges is aimed at allowing U.S. immigration courts to more regularly incorporate derogatory information into their decisions. The endeavor has led to the creation of more safes and sensitive compartmented information facilities – also known as SCIFs – to help facilitate the sharing of classified materials. Once considered a last resort for the department, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has sought to use immigration tools, in recent months, to mitigate and disrupt threat activity.
The immigration raids, back in June, underscore the spate of terrorism concerns from the U.S. government this year, as national security agencies point to a system now blinking red in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, with emerging terrorism hot spots in Central Asia.
A joint intelligence bulletin released this month, and obtained by CBS News, warns that foreign terrorist organizations have exploited the attack nearly one year ago and its aftermath to try to recruit radicalized followers, creating media that compares the October 7 and 9/11 attacks and encouraging “lone attackers to use simple tactics like firearms, knives, Molotov cocktails, and vehicle ramming against Western targets in retaliation for deaths in Gaza.”
In May, ICE arrested an Uzbek man in Baltimore with alleged ISIS ties after he had been living inside the U.S. for more than two years, NBC News first reported.
In the past year, Tajik nationals have engaged in foiled terrorism plots in Russia, Iran and Turkey, as well as Europe, with several Tajik men arrested following March’s deadly attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow that left at least 133 people dead and hundreds more injured.
The attack has been linked to ISIS-K, or the Islamic State Khorasan Province, an off-shoot of ISIS that emerged in 2015, founded by disillusioned members of Pakistani militant groups, including Taliban fighters. In August 2021, during the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, ISIS-K launched a suicide attack in Kabul, killing 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians.
In a recent change to ICE policy, the agency now recurrently vets foreign nationals arriving from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries, detaining them while they await removal proceedings or immigration hearings.
Only 0.007% of migrant arrivals are flagged by the FBI’s watchlist, and an even smaller number of those asylum seekers are ultimately removed. But with migrants arriving at the Southwest border from conflict zones in the Eastern Hemisphere, posing potential links to extremist or terrorist groups, the White House is now exploring ways to expedite the removal of asylum seekers viewed as a possible threat to the American public.
“Encounters with migrants from Eastern Hemisphere countries—such as China, India, Russia, and western African countries—in FY 2024 have decreased slightly from about 10 to 9 percent of overall encounters, but remain a higher proportion of encounters than before FY 2023,” according to the Homeland Threat Assessment, a public intelligence document released earlier this month.
A senior homeland security official told reporters in a briefing Wednesday, that the U.S. is engaged in an “ongoing effort to try to make sure that we can use every bit of available information that the U.S. government has classified and unclassified, and make sure that the best possible picture about a person seeking to enter the United States is available to frontline personnel who are encountering that person.”
Approximately 139 individuals flagged by the FBI’s terror watchlist have been encountered at the U.S.‑Mexico border through July of fiscal year 2024. That number decreased from 216 during the same timeframe in 2023. CBP encountered 283 watchlisted individuals at the U.S.-Canada border through July of fiscal year 2024, down from 375 encountered during the same timeframe in 2023.
“I think one of the features of the surge in migration over recent years is that our border personnel are encountering a much more diverse and global population of individuals trying to enter the United States or seeking to enter the United States,” a senior DHS official said. “So, at some point in the past, it might have been primarily a Western Hemisphere phenomenon. Now, our border personnel encounter individuals from around the world, from all parts of the world, to include conflict zones and other areas where individuals may have links or can support ties to extremist or terrorist organizations that we have long-standing concerns about.”
In April, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that human smuggling operations at the southern border were trafficking in people with possible connections to terror groups.
“Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a time when so many different threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once, but that is the case as I sit here today,” Wray, told Congress in June, just days before most of the Tajik men were arrested.
The expedited return of three Tajiks to Central Asia required tremendous diplomatic communication, facilitated by the State Department, U.S. officials said.
Returns to Central Asia routinely encounter operational and diplomatic hurdles, though regular channels for removal do exist. According to agency data, in 2023, ICE deported only four migrants to Tajikistan.
Robert Legare and
contributed to this report.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
