A soundbar is a convenient way to improve the sound from your TV, as well as giving you a way to play streaming music from other devices such as your smartphone.
Unlike home cinema systems, which place speakers all around the room, a soundbar is a compact solution, designed as a long narrow oblong – hence the name bar.
You might like the idea of a soundbar but not have a lot of money to spend and that’s where we can help, as we’ve rounded up some contenders for the best budget soundbar under £100.
Some are from brands you’ll know and others you may not have heard of yet.
Later on in this article we’ll explain a bit more about how soundbars work, and some of the features to look out for.
But first, let’s get down to the business of rounding up some of our top picks for the ‘best soundbar under £100’ title.
See Our Best Soundbars Under £100
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3 Sony HTSF150 Bluetooth Soundbar Under £100
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Best For Low Budgets
4 MEGACRA 34 Inch Wireless Soundbar Under £100
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Best For Higher Budgets
5 Creative Stage V2 2.1 Soundbar with Subwoofer
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1. Samsung HW-T400 Bluetooth 2 Soundbar Under £100
- Built-in speakers enhance bass performance
- Samsung ‘one remote’ allows control of multiple devices from one remote
- Bluetooth TV connection
- Good sound quality for a budget soundbar
The build quality of this soundbar is good, as you would expect given that Samsung is a market-leader in the world of electronics.
The sleek bar can be placed below your TV or wall-mounted and all the connections are in a recessed section at the back of the bar to keep them tidy and concealed.
Set up is simple, especially if you have a Samsung TV, as this soundbar has bluetooth connectivity.
You can also place a compatible smartphone directly on top of the bar to instantly pair it and play music, without spending time configuring any settings.
This soundbar is supplied with Samsung’s ‘one remote’ which conveniently allows you to control multiple devices from one remote control.
In terms of performance, we thought it was fair for a product at this price point, although it did seem to lack some power and we’d say this soundbar is better suited to smaller rooms.
There’s also no separate subwoofer. But, for a top brand at an entry level price, we felt this model did offer reasonable value.
Specifications
Pros
- Good build quality as you’d expect from Samsung
- Compatible mobile device can be plugged in via USB
- Compatible smartphone can be placed on soundbar to pair and play music
- Sleek, simple design
Cons
- No subwoofer
- Seems to lack power
2. LG SK1 Bluetooth 2 Soundbar Under £100
- Ideal if you have an LG TV as easy to sync
- Built-in Bluetooth
- Compact size
- Can stream music from compatible smartphones or other devices
LG is another electronics heavyweight and their SK1 soundbar is ideal to pair with a LG TV. The appearance is sleek and compact, and you can wall mount the bar or sit it beneath your TV.
You’ll need an optical cable to set this soundbar up and the cable isn’t provided, so if you want to get started quickly be sure to order one at the same time.
Set-up wasn’t too complex, though as there are no buttons on the unit yourself you’ll need to use the remote. There are two modes – Bass Blast which will enhance lower-end audio or standard (DRC).
The Bass Blast does give a fuller sound but it’s not as rich as a subwoofer, if that’s what you’re looking for.
We noticed some users couldn’t distinguish much improvement over their TV’s regular speakers in the standard mode, but we did notice that the sound was smoother and clearer, especially at low volumes.
The modes are set, so you can’t customise the bass or treble control.
You can also play music and one clever feature is that if the soundbar is in sleep mode, it will wake up if it detects music being played over Bluetooth.
Specifications
Pros
- Soundbar will wake from sleep mode when it detects music playing via Bluetooth
- Bass blast mode to provide low-end audio
- Optical input, USB port
- DRC (standard) mode improves clarity of sound at low volumes
Cons
- No optical cable included
- No bass or treble control
3. Sony HTSF150 Bluetooth Soundbar Under £100
- Two speaker setup delivers surround sound
- Simple HDMI connection to your TV
- Can play music streamed via Bluetooth
- Bass Reflex speaker
Sony have designed a well-priced soundbar with a slimline design that can sit neatly under your TV or be wall-mounted.
This soundbar has a two speaker setup to deliver surround sound.
We found that it works well to fill a room with audio, although sometimes the sound isn’t as clear as you might hope.
The bass in particular can sound muffled.
We found the soundbar easy to set up using a simple HDMI connection, although no HDMI cable is provided.
There’s also an optical input and a USB connection, and you can play music via Bluetooth for ease.
In summary, we thought the performance was fine for the price but unsurprisingly you won’t get quite the same optimum quality of sound you might expect from Sony’s more expensive models.
Specifications
Pros
- Slimline design
- TV and soundbar can be controlled from one remote
- USB input to play music from other sources
- Can be wall-mounted
Cons
- No HDMI cable provided
- No bass and treble controls
4. MEGACRA 34 Inch Wireless Soundbar Under £100
- Both wired and wireless connectivity
- Enhanced bass
- 3 sound modes – Movie, Music or Dialog
- 2 full range speakers and 2 tweeters
MEGACRA is a brand you may not be familiar with, but their 34 inch wireless soundbar earned a place in our round-up.
This soundbar is well priced and easy to set up.
It can be wall mounted or freestanding depending on your preference, and wall mount brackets are supplied along with a handy template to guide you when drilling holes.
Within the bar are two full range speakers, two tweeters and two bass reflex tubes producing an 80 watt output to fill your room with sound.
There are three sound modes to choose from – movie, music or dialog – depending on what you’re watching or listening to.
You can set up a wired connection to your TV with the supplied optical lead (there are also RCA and AUX inputs) or pair via Bluetooth.
You can also use Bluetooth to stream from other devices.
Overall, the sound is quite good for a budget option (though there’s no subwoofer) and is a nice step up from your regular TV’s sound.
Specifications
Pros
- Good value option
- Easy set up
- Different sizes available
- Wall mount brackets and template supplied
Cons
- Light on the front of the soundbar can be distracting
- No subwoofer
5. Creative Stage V2 2.1 Soundbar with Subwoofer
- Separate tower subwoofer
- Choice of connection options – ARC, Optical, USB, Bluetooth 5.0, AUX-IN
- Powered by Sound Blaster with Clear Dialog and Surround
- Remote can switch input source and adjust other settings, in addition to volume
The inclusion of a separate tower subwoofer sets this soundbar apart from many of the options we looked at under £100.
It’s easy to get this set up straight out of the box, with a choice of connection options – ARC, Optical, USB, Bluetooth 5.0 and AUX-IN.
The subwoofer is connected with a cable rather than wirelessly, which would have been a great option, but for the price we can easily forgive that.
The soundbar is powered by Sound Blaster and has Clear Dialog, to enhance vocals, and Surround to give the cinema experience at home.
The sound quality is good, but we’d suggest this bar is best suited to small to medium rooms rather than large spaces.
An included remote can switch the input source and other settings as well as adjusting the volume, or you can use the buttons on the side of the bar.
Specifications
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Soundbar is wall mountable (subwoofer is freestanding)
- Best for smaller TVs and rooms
- Great sound quality
Cons
- ubwoofer is connected with a cable rather than wirelessly
- Glossy finish on the top of the bar attracts dust
6. TaoTronics 40-Inch Soundbar Under £100
- Optical, coaxial and RCA inputs
- Music can be streamed via Bluetooth
- Easy to read LED display
- Simple set up
The design of this TaoTronics soundbar is a little different to many we reviewed, with a squared shape and an angled front.
In the middle of the front panel is a simple LED display, which also has basic controls (mode, volume and mute) as an alternative to using the remote control.
One negative about the design was that the bar can’t be mounted flush against the wall (the cables stick out too much).
We found it unusual that this soundbar had optical, coaxial and RCA inputs but not HDMI, though one of the other options should work for most TVs.
There’s also Bluetooth 4.2 if you want to pair a compatible device such as your mobile phone and stream music.
There are four speakers, two full range and two woofers, but we found that the bass isn’t very evident in the audio output.
For the price however we felt that the audio quality was decent.
Specifications
Pros
- Angled front grill with basic controls
- Ideal for small rooms
- Good performance at this budget price
- Wall mounting brackets and screws provided
Cons
- Design means it can’t be mounted flush against the wall
- No HDMI inpu
7. Panasonic SC-HTB8EB-K Soundbar Under £100
- Suitable for use with 32 to 43 inch TVs
- Sound direction can be changed from 0° to 90° depending whether the unit is freestanding or wall mounted
- Bluetooth2 compatibility
- Slanted shape keeps a slim profile but accommodates a large speaker
This Panasonic soundbar has been designed for 32 to 43 inch TVs and we’d recommend it suits smaller rooms.
The slanted shape means that the bar retains a slim profile, so doesn’t block the view if you’re placing it under the TV, but accommodates a large speaker.
Depending whether you prefer to wall mount the bar or use it freestanding, you can change the sound direction from 0° to 90°.
There’s no HDMI input but you can connect to your TV with an optical cable – this isn’t included so you’ll need to purchase it separately.
There’s also Bluetooth compatibility allowing you to stream music from your phone.
The bass is limited but we found the soundbar did deliver improved sound compared with our TV’s regular speakers, and the price makes it great value.
Specifications
Pros
- Good sound quality
- Simple button operation on the bar
- 80W output
- Great value
Cons
- No cable to connect to TV provided
- Limited bass
Budget Soundbar Under £100 Buying Guide
Brands
There are lots of electronics brands offering soundbars and you might wonder whether it’s best to opt for a well-known manufacturer or if you’d get better value with a smaller brand.
Here are some of the brands you could consider.
Panasonic
Panasonic already has a good reputation for TVs and their soundbars offer the same great build quality.
That is typically reflected in the price point, so they can be at the higher end of the budget range.
Majority
Majority offer low-priced soundbars if your budget is tight.
The build quality may not be as high as better-known brands but their decent performance makes their range good value.
Samsung
As Samsung is known for high-quality electronics, you can expect a well-designed and well-built soundbar, although you can expect to pay a premium for the brand name.
LG
With LG you can expect not only a good build quality but also an advanced range of connectivity options. There aren’t many LG models in this price range but look out for good deals!
Sony
Sony is another electronics heavyweight and you can rely on them for a great build quality and high performance.
They have a good range of options including some for lower budgets.
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is a sound technology rather than a soundbar manufacturer, and you’ll find the technology in soundbars produced by companies such as Sonos or Samsung.
This technology is likely to push a soundbar beyond the £100 budget, but it’s a good feature to look out for.
Type
The different types of soundbar can be confusing when you’re searching for the best buy. Here’s a quick overview to help.
Passive
A quick explanation is that a passive soundbar is similar to a regular one, except that it also needs an amplifier to work.
The sound quality is better for it, but the installation is more complicated and expensive which makes it a pricer option.
Active
An active soundbar has multiple speakers, the same as a passive soundbar, but includes the amplifier as well, so you have a single piece of equipment that does the job rather than multiple speakers around the room.
2-channel Sound Bar
A 2-channel soundbar has two channels – a left and a right speaker.
These are less popular as they’re not as immersive as options with a greater number of channels.
3-channel Sound Bar
A step up, a 3-channel soundbar has left, right and centre channels or speakers.
This is the minimum we’d recommend for an improvement on your TV’s sound quality rather than just an amplification.
5-channel Sound Bar
A 5-channel soundbar has five multi-directional speakers.
They’re more expensive, but you’ll enjoy better sound and a cinema-like experience.
7-channel Sound Bar
A 7-channel soundbar gives an optimum sound quality, but comes at a price.
With additional channels, they will suit larger spaces to give a truly immersive viewing experience.
Features
Don’t know whether you should be looking out for deep bass or a wireless subwoofer? Here’s a quick round-up of some of the features you’ll find when looking for a soundbar:
Remote Control
Just as you rely on your remote control to change TV channels or adjust the volume, a soundbar with a remote control means you won’t need to get up and make manual adjustments.
Some soundbars can be controlled through a universal remote so you won’t end up with numerous controls for different technology.
Wireless Subwoofer
If your soundbar has a separate subwoofer, this could be connected with a cable or wirelessly. A wireless subwoofer can be a preferred option as it means there are fewer trailing cables.
Deep Bass
Deep bass helps create a more dynamic sound, as the low frequency can add drama and impact.
A soundbar with deep bass can enrich your listening experience when listening to music or watching television or films.
Compactness
Although soundbars have a fairly compact design, not all soundbars are equal.
Some are more slimline than others, and if the aesthetic is important to you, you might want to consider the look of the bar as well as the performance.
Connectivity options
How best to connect your TV to your soundbar will depend on the type and age of TV you have.
An option that works for many older TVs is an HDMI ARC cable, but many newer televisions don’t need a cable at all and can simply use a wireless connection.
Bluetooth connectivity is worth looking out for, as it’s an easy way to connect other devices such as your mobile so you can stream music to play through the soundbar.
Sound Quality
The price you pay for a soundbar doesn’t always guarantee good sound quality.
The soundbars which offer the best quality offer a full range, with bass for impact and clear dialog.
If you can spend a little over £100, we have a review for best soundbars under £200.
Size
The size of soundbar to choose should be proportionate to both the size of your TV and the size of the room the sound needs to fill.
A small soundbar of around 28” to 34” suits TVs of around 40” and should fill small to medium-size rooms with rich sound. If you want something smaller, check out our sounbases!
Pricing range
We’ve focused here on the cheap end of the soundbar pricing range, with all of our options coming in at less than £100.
It’s possible to spend over 10 times this amount on some of the more premium brands with the most sophisticated technology.
Our Verdict
A great budget option from our round up and our Best Entry Level choice is the MEGACRA 34 Inch Wireless Soundbar. It has both wired and wireless connectivity and three sound modes, and is easy to set up.
Our Best Value pick is the Sony HT F150 Bluetooth Soundbar, with Sony’s build quality, bass reflex speaker and a USB input as well as Bluetooth for streaming music.
Finally, the Best Top of the Range title goes to the Creative Stage V2 2.1 Soundbar with Subwoofer which has great sound quality, a separate tower subwoofer and a choice of connection options including Bluetooth 5.0.
