If you own a Samsung TV, the best way to upgrade your home theater is with a Samsung soundbar. These two types of devices tend to play nicely together, allowing you to get up and running in minutes without having to worry about some of the issues that come with mixing two different brands. However, Samsung produces a vast array of soundbars – and that can make it challenging to find the right one for your needs.
To help you with your search, we've scoured the entire Samsung catalog to find the best soundbars for Samsung TVs. Keep in mind that most soundbars offer an improvement over your built-in TV speakers, but if you want to get the most value (and don’t want to run into compatibility issues), these five soundbars are the best for Samsung TVs.
Whether you need something premium, something affordable, or something compact, there's a soundbar for every occasion. Here's a look at our favorites. Once you're done browsing these, be sure to check out our round-up of the best soundbars of 2024.
The best overall soundbar for Samsung TV
Samsung HW-Q990B
- Excellent fidelity
- Impressive Dolby Atmos effects
- Solid bass performance
- Granular-level controls
- Handles large rooms easily
- Power cords are too short
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| Size | 5.4 x 2.7 x 48.5 inches |
| Voice Assistant | Alexa |
The Samsung HW-Q990B is an incredible soundbar that works perfectly with all Samsung TVs. Offering a simple setup process, incredible audio, and a reasonable price, it's ideal for movies, TV, and gaming. It's the predecessor to the also incredible Q990C – but if you want to save yourself a bundle of cash while still getting audiophile-quality sound, it deserves a closer look.
Samsung packed the Q990B with top-of-the-line specs. This includes true 11.1.4ch sound, support for Dolby Atmos, adaptive sound that changes based on the needs of each scene, and dozens of ways to optimize its performance for your specific space. The soundbar package also includes rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer, giving you everything you need to build a remarkable home theater around your Samsung TV.
If you want the latest and greatest, be sure to keep reading to learn more about the Q990C. But if you want the best combination of pricing and performance, it's hard to be the Q990B.
The best budget soundbar for Samsung TV
Samsung HW-B550
- Great price
- DTS Virtual: X
- Adaptive Sound Lite
- Not nearly as powerful as other Samsung soundbars
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | No |
| Size | 36.4 x 17.7 x 9.3 inches |
| Voice Assistant | N/A |
At less than $300, the HW-B550 is ridiculously cheap. It's also surprisingly great at pumping out soundwaves, with DTS Virtual: X helping to improve its surround sound capabilities. You won't confuse this with other, more premium soundbars on this list – but if you're a frugal shopper that needs an upgrade from your TV's built-in speakers, this is a great place to start.
Samsung built this soundbar with something known as Adaptive Sound Lite, which helps deliver enhanced sound depending on what's happening onscreen. It also supports Bluetooth connections and will sync with other wireless surround sound components, making it easy to upgrade your system over the years. And if you're a fan of rich bass, you'll love the Bass Boost feature that'll help explosions and thuds ring out like thunder.
Toss in an included wireless subwoofer, support for Bluetooth connections, and a compact footprint, and the B550 is a great option for shoppers on a budget. Your purchase even comes with a wallmount kit if you'd prefer to get it off your entertainment stand, which should help it look a bit more premium than its price tag suggests.
The best premium soundbar for Samsung TV
Samsung HW-Q990C
- Dolby Atmos
- Adaptive Voice Amplifier
- Alexa built-in
- Expensive
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| Size | 5.4 x 48.5 x 2.7 inches |
| Voice Assistant | Alexa |
If you want the best audio for your Samsung TV without compromise, the Samsung HW-Q990C is the soundbar for you. It's not cheap (regularly listed for a staggering $1,900), but it's about as robust as a soundbar can get. Featuring support for Dolby Atmos, it has no problem filling a room with directional audio, throwing sounds around better than nearly every other product on the market.
Another cool feature is Adaptive Voice Amplifier, which helps to optimize dialog so it's not muted out by louder noises in the background. Toss in plenty of ports for all your other devices, support for Wi-Fi and Apple AirPlay 2, and Alexa built-in, and you've got a premium soundbar that'll mesh perfectly with your Samsung TV.
All told, its 11 front-facing speakers do an incredible job of enhacing the quality of your home theater. Its performance is optimized to your space thanks to a unqiue SpaceFit Sound Pro feature, which lets the soundbar analyze your layout and determine how to best enhance its acoustic properties – so whether you're in a cramped studio or sprawling basement, the Q990C is up to the task of improving your audio.
The best compact soundbar for Samsung TV
Samsung HW-S60D
- Compact design
- Dolby Atmos
- Alexa support
- Not ideal for large TVs
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| Size | 4.1 x 26.3 x 2.4 inches |
| Voice Assistant | Alexa |
Working with limited space or need a soundbar for a small room? Then check out the Samsung HW-S60D, which clocks in under 30-inches long and is perfect for compact setups. Despite its small size, you'll still get a premium product that hits many of the same notes as its larger siblings.
The big draw of this little soundbar is Dolby Atmos, allowing it to produce room-filling sound with directional audio. Like most other Samsung soundbars, this one uses adaptive sound to improve each scene and includes a variety of listening modes – along with one built specifically for gaming. Pairing it with a Samsung TV is a hassle-free process, and with support for Alexa, you can quickly dish out voice commands or sync it with other gear.
Best of all, it uses the same SpaceFit Sound Pro feature avaialble on the expensive Q990C. That means you'll benefit from sound optimization features tpyically reserved for soundbars in a much higher price bracket, allowing the S60D to pump out audio that's more impressive than its size would suggest.
The best Sonos soundbar for Samsung TV
Sonos Arc
- Excellent surround sound
- Easy and simple setup
- Decent Dolby Atmos from a single speaker
- Choice of Alexa or Google Assistant
- No HDMI inputs
- Not ideal for all music genres
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Dolby Atmos | Yes |
| Size | 3.4 x 45 x 4.6 inches |
| Voice Assistant | Alexa and Google Assistant |
Not afraid to venture outside the Samsung catalog? Then be sure to look at the Sonos Arc. At less than $1,000 it's a feature-rich soundbar that works well with Samsung TV and is packed with premium hardware.
The star of the show is Dolby Atmos, which makes full use of its 11 high-peformance drivers to pump out theater-quality sound. The device also benefits from support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for easy control and links with other Sonos speakers so you can weave a complex web of speakers throughout your home theater. It's also reasonably priced compared to the Q990C and Q990B, so don't write it off just because it's not a Samsung.
Thanks to its combination of voice AI and Dolby Atmos, our review called it the "Swiss Army knife of soundbars." So if you need something that sounds great and is loaded with versatility, be sure to give it a closer look.
How we chose the best soundbars for Samsung TV
There are a lot of soundbars to choose from, and many of them look the same or offer similar specs. To sift through all the products, here's a look at everything we considered.
Audio quality
Above all else, a soundbar needs to sound good. Whether it's connected to a Samsung TV or not, a soundbar needs to be packed with premium hardware that'll churn out impressive audio regardless of what you're watching. From booming explosions to delicate conversations, a soundbar should be able to pick all of it up.
Pricing
Soundbars can be had for as little as $100 or well over $1,000. Pricing was factored into the equation, ensuring that you get value for your money and aren't overpaying for features that won't be used.
Compatibility
Soundbars that work seamlessly with Samsung TVs were prioritized over all others, and that largely means the items we picked were developed by Samsung. Samsung products play nicely with other Samsung products, and getting a Samsung soundbar synced with a Samsung TV is a breeze.
Expandability
Decide you want to add additional speakers to your home theater? We considered whether or not products could be linked to other audio gear to build a robust audio experience. While the soundbars on this list are great on their own, many can be bundled into larger systems if you decide to expand your setup down the line.
This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.
