Today we are looking for the best soundbars under $400. We are starting to get into the more premium world of soundbars now and at this price range, you have to be very careful about what you are spending your money on. The soundbar business has been booming as more and more people want better sound that their TVs are giving them. The thing is, there are so many on the market it can be hard to know what is the right one for you. Well, do not worry as I have narrowed it down for you with some of the best soundbars that can be had for under 400 bucks.
I Just Got A New TV, Do I Need A Soundbar?
Modern TVs are awesome! More and more companies are managing to offer very good 4K picture quality at an incredibly affordable price. I got my first HDTV (was only 720P) over a decade ago and it cost a ton of money. So, modern TVs are great, but the one area where many of them are not so great, even the very expensive models is the speakers. As these TVs are made to be so thin and light, speakers often have to be sacrificed so that they can fit in the casing of the TV and not make it too bulky.
What Can I Get For 400 Bucks?
You may think that 400 bucks is a lot of money to spend on a soundbar and it is. Especially if your TV did not even cost that. At this end of the pricing spectrum, we are not talking about your average Joe. Heck, my parents have a cheap LG soundbar that they paid 80 bucks for at Walmart, and for them it is great. At 400 bucks, you are looking at more higher-end products.
The 5 Best Soundbars Under $400 Reviews
Full disclosure here folks, as I write this and as we take this long walk to find the best soundbar under $400. There are not many currently in stock on Amazon so I had to use various sellers on eBay.
- Sony 2.1 Channel Soundbar
- SAMSUNG HW-Q60T HW-Q60T/ZA
- JBL Bar DeepBass 2.1 Channel Soundbar
- Polk MagniFi Mini Home Theater Sound Bar
- LG SN5Y 2.1 ch 400W High Res Audio Sound Bar
Sony 2.1 Channel Soundbar
I wanted to start with this Sony 2.1 Channel Soundbar as it is a soundbar that I have actually used. You are looking at right around the 400 bucks mark for this so it is at the top end of our pricing spectrum. However, in over 30 years I have never been disappointed with a piece of Sony audio equipment and that rings true for this too. It looks super sleek and it is far more compact than the images suggest. It is very easy to connect, you can connect it to your TV via Bluetooth, HDMI, and Optical as well.
This thing rocks! I say that because the first movie I tested out with this was Rock of Ages and I had this thing cranked up. It has two speakers at the side of it and then in the center is a dual subwoofer that kicks some serious ass. I put it in the cinema mode and just left it like that and was more than happy with the sound for everything, but it does have other settings that you can play around with if you wish.
What Other People Are Saying
I found a tremendous video review over at YouTube that showcases this soundbar in a very positive way. You get a really solid idea of just how good this thing is here and if you read through the comments sections, you can see that there are many people who have this that have piped in with their thoughts on this as well.
I love this Sony 2.1 Channel Soundbar and think it is one of the best standalone soundbars on the market right now. I know that it is close to our 400 bucks limit, but without a doubt, this has to be in consideration for the best soundbar under $400. I legit do not see how anyone could be disappointed with what this is offering.
Pros:
- It sounds amazing
- The two subwoofers really do give it some kick!
- It has different sound options
- The design is sleek and cool
Cons:
- It may be a tad long for some people
- It is close to our price limit
SAMSUNG HW-Q60T HW-Q60T/ZA
While the SAMSUNG HW-Q60T HW-Q60T/ZA is super close to our 400 bucks price limit I still think it needs to be in consideration for our best soundbar under $400 list. This one I have had a play around with as a good buddy of mine has this and swears by it. I like the design, it may be 38 inches long, but it has a very slender kind of look to it. It does have Bluetooth connectivity, but I know my friend has his hooked up by HDMI.
This one here is offering as close to surround sound as possible with a soundbar, well that is the aim. My friend and I watched a few episodes of The Flash through this and it was quite spectacular. This does also come with a subwoofer and I thought this would have been a cheap one that they just threw in, but it actually has way more power than I thought it would. It has different sound presets that you can select so having a play around to see what one suits you is a lot of fun.
What Other People Are Saying
While they do not have this in stock over at Amazon, it is still listed and there are lots of customer reviews for this. Currently, as I write this over 80 percent of the reviews for this are 4 or 5 star reviews. One review had this to say, “Loved watching an action movie today and feeling like I was sitting in the theater” You cannot get a better quote than that if you ask me!
I have watched a lot of movies, TV shows, and sporting events at my buddy’s house through the SAMSUNG HW-Q60T HW-Q60T/ZA, and never once have I had an issue. This thing when you crank it up is amazing and it offers as close to surround sound as you can get from a soundbar. The included subwoofer is way higher-quality than you would think, making this a fantastic package.
Pros:
- It has that Samsung quality
- I liked the design of it
- This thing has fantastic sound
- This package does come with a subwoofer
Cons:
- When in stock, Amazon also gives you rear speakers!
- You do need to have the sound cranked up to get the best out of it
JBL Bar DeepBass 2.1 Channel Soundbar
Next up we have this JBL Bar DeepBass 2.1 Channel Soundbar. I have not used this one personally, but I had a really good look at this and thought that it was well worth considering as we try and find the best soundbar under $400. This one is brought to us from JBL and it is priced right around 400 bucks so again, it is close to the price limit we have set. I love the design of this thing and by the way it has an LCD, but it is blue and not red is something I do like. It has HDMI and optical connectivity to your TV, but you can connect your phone via Bluetooth and stream music to it.
I am sure this thing sounds great; it actually has deep bass in the name and I am sure that has to do with the included subwoofer. It is only a 6.5-inch subwoofer, but from what I have read about this it does appear that it has way more power than you would think. It is a 2.1 system and I am sure these will hit you right in the right spot when you are trying to kick back and watch an epic movie.
What Other People Are Saying
There are more than a few reviews for this soundbar on eBay and they are all very, very positive. I also found a video review which is very well done. Here you can see the design of the soundbar, but the reviewer also gives you a very good idea of what you can expect from the actual sound too.
I have messed around with various JBL products before and always found them to offer excellent value for money. So, I am very interested to see what a higher end soundbar/speaker from them is going to offer. It has a very cool design and I like how the subwoofer is small in stature, but still offers some nice and deep bass.
Pros:
- I liked the design of this soundbar
- It comes with a subwoofer
- It has a great reputation when you look online
- The sound seems like it is going to have some real kick!
Cons:
- The Wireless is for music only
- Could the LCD be distracting in a dark room?
Polk MagniFi Mini Home Theater Sound Bar
Here we have the Polk MagniFi Mini Home Theater Sound Bar which is one of the strangest looking soundbars that I have ever seen! At £399 it is very close to our budget, but even though I have not personally used this I do think this looks like a lot of fun. What grabs your attention is the very compact size of the soundbar. Not only this, but the shape and design of it is very different from what a soundbar usually looks like. This does also come with a subwoofer and that has a nice curvy look to it. It comes with an optical and HDMI cable and you can even stream music via Bluetooth.
I really wish I could have gotten my hands on this! It may be small in stature, but after reading what is inside this, I am very impressed. The goal Polk has with this is to fill the room with sound and I am sure the 150 watts of power it has is more than up to the task of doing this. Even if the speaker is lacking in power a tad, that subwoofer is going to help make up for it.
What Other People Are Saying
Over the pond at the UK Amazon site, 200 customer reviews are currently written for this. 80 percent of the reviews are positive. One of the first reviews had this to say “So if you are looking for a very good sound system that will take up a lot less space, give that added bass, allow you to control the dialogue levels, and is easy to use- look no further” I was very impressed by this and most of the other reviews that I read.
If you want the best soundbar under $400 that is not going to take up a ton of space you have to take a closer look at the Polk MagniFi Mini Home Theater Sound Bar. I love the style of this thing and think it is perfect if you are a little short in space, but still want room-filling sound that is going to make any movie you watch so much better.
Pros:
- I love the design
- It is great if you do not have a ton of space
- It has various sound modes to play with
- The subwoofer helps give the sound a deeper feel
Cons:
- The design may not suit you
- It could lack the raw power you desire
LG SN5Y 2.1 ch 400W High Res Audio Sound Bar
I really wanted an LG one on our best soundbar under $400 list so I found this LG SN5Y 2.1 ch 400W High Res Audio Sound Bar on eBay. As of writing, this is priced at around 330 bucks so it is the cheapest one, we have on our list. I like the look of the design, it has these curvy edges which I think gives it a very sleek and contemporary kind of vibe. The included subwoofer has that same style so they look great together. Connectivity-wise you have Bluetooth, HDMI, and optical.
This says that it is 400 watts so it must have some real power to the sound. LG is a company that I am very familiar with and their cheaper soundbars are great so I am sure this one here will be too. It has what they call high resolution audio which means vocals sound great and loud action scenes and musical numbers will really knock you off from your seat. While I have not got my hands on this personally, I am pretty confident that it is going to sound great.
What Other People Are Saying
As of writing, they may have none in stock, but Amazon does have close to 300 customer reviews for this soundbar. In typical LG fashion, most of them are positive with 83 percent of them being for 4 and 5 stars. “I have severe hearing loss and grew tired of being totally dependent on CC. The sound bar provides significantly better clarity and depth of sound.” This is what one happy customer had to say about this! Most of the people who have left positive reviews all say they were blown away by the vocal clarity this provided.
Out of the three soundbars we have looked at that I do not have personal experience with, this one here from LG is the most interesting to me. I love the design of it, the asking price is great and there are many great reviews for this floating around online so it is well worth considering.
Pros:
- It is being sold for a good price
- I liked how the soundbar and subwoofer had a similar design to each other
- Very easy to setup
- There are many positive reviews for this
Cons:
- The design may not suit everyone
- Due to its popularity, it goes out of stock very quickly
What Is The Best Soundbar Under $400?
We have looked at some great soundbars today, but the one that I feel is the best soundbar under $400 has to be the Sony 2.1 Channel Soundbar that we looked at right at the start. I freaking love this thing! It has that amazing Sony quality and the fact it has the subwoofers built into the actual soundbar is great if you do not want a subwoofer or even if you do not have the space for one. I have used this many times and have always been happy with the sound.
If I had to pick a second place soundbar, I am going for the LG SN5Y 2.1 ch 400W High Res Audio Sound Bar. Even though I may not have had the pleasure of using this myself, it ticks all of the boxes for what I personally would be looking for in a soundbar at this price point.