As TV picture quality is improving, so are the built-in speakers they come with, but as TVs get thinner, so do their onboard speakers, which can only go so far in recreating immersive sound. Because of this, upgrading to an external speaker system can significantly improve sound quality in your home cinema, and there are generally two options here:
Firstly, upgrading to a surround sound or home stereo speaker setup can not only become incredibly expensive, but you’ll also need to consider cabling, amplification, and careful placement. The alternative is a soundbar, which provides a low-profile but distinct improvement to your TV’s current sonic capabilities that’s generally far cheaper (and easier) than setting up a surround sound system.
Even the loudest soundbar won’t bring you right into the center of the action in the way a surround sound system can, but it will make everything sound better coming out of your TV, from cleaner dialogue to more immersive sound effects and controlled volume levels, removing the need to constantly reach for the volume remote while watching your favorite shows.
Sonos Playbar
The Sonos Playbar is not only loud, but delivers excellent sound quality and the latest technological features.
Our Top Picks
Overall Top Pick
The Sonos Playbar brings the quality you’d expect from Sonos. What makes the Sonos Playbar stand out is the particularly good sound quality. It has a full sound that does well even without a sub-woofer, thanks to the 6-driver array of speakers that generate a lot of volume. While this isn’t the loudest of the bunch, it does offer the best balance of loudness and sound quality.
The Loudest Soundbar
The Bose SoundTouch 300 is an extremely loud soundbar that also offers very good sound quality, though, for critical listening, we’d recommend the Sonos Playbar. In addition to the immense sound of the Bose SoundTouch 300, this speaker also offers Alexa integration.
Loudest Soundbar With Sub-Woofer
Samsung’s 3.1ch A650 A Series soundbar brings the bass to the party with the addition of a dedicated subwoofer. While this isn’t a full surround sound system, it’s a great option if you want an impressive bass response to add more depth to your soundbar.
Loudest Soundbar With Surround Sound
The JBL Bar 9.1 is the ultimate surround sound soundbar combination. This 9.1-channel surround sound system has a loud soundbar, two detachable speakers to place around your seating location, and a dedicated sub-woofer. With over 800W output, this set of speakers will ensure loudness is never a problem for you.
Loudest Soundbar On A Budget
Polk Audio’s Signa S2 Ultra-Slim is a great budget soundbar combination with a subwoofer and soundbar for around $150. You’ll get a lot of sound from this affordable soundbar and the quality audio you’d expect from Polk products.
Warning: Loud Noise Can Damage Your Hearing
According to the Department of Health, sounds at or below 70 dBA are generally considered safe. Any sound at or above 85 dBA is more likely to damage your hearing over time. Be careful. Most of the soundbars on this list deliver above that threshold.
This article features some of the loudest soundbars available on the market, and because of that, we’re including this link to our Safe Music Listening Guide with tips on protecting your hearing. This should help you understand loudness, how it’s measured, and what to be aware of to enjoy your music for years.
Loud soundbars For TV Rooms And Home Entertainment
The soundbars below are perfect for TV room setups or home entertainment areas. They are all chosen because they are loud speakers yet deliver high-quality sound.
1. Sonos Playbar
79dB
Why we picked it:
The Sonos Playbar is a mountable soundbar that offers some of the best sound quality and is one of the loudest soundbars on the market. Fitted with six midrange woofers and three tweeters, the Sonos Playbar delivers full-range sound across a wide angle. It has an adaptive EQ feature to ensure the Playbar always sounds amazing in your room, and the bass and high-end can also be adjusted manually. The Sonos Playbar is Wi-Fi compatible, allowing you to link other speakers in your house to the same system or connect to a TV using an optical cable.
Notable Features:
- Adaptive EQ with manual control
- Wi-Fi streaming capabilities
- App-compatible or remote-controllable
- Mountable design
Our Thoughts
The Sonos Playbar is one of our favorite loud soundbars simply for its incredible sound quality, while the additional smart features make it a versatile and user-friendly item. The discreet design is lovely, and the wall-mountable feature is also a nice touch, though I would have liked to see alternative connectivity options. Sonos Playbar is a little expensive, but the quality is guaranteed.Â
2. Bose SoundTouch 300
93dB
Why we picked it:
The Bose SoundTouch is a loud soundbar with adaptive equalization technology to ensure it always sounds amazing, the low-end response and speech clarity here are stunning. The Bose SoundTouch can run on an impressive range of connections, such as Bluetooth, HDMI 4K passthrough, 3.5mm minijack, ethernet, or optical cables, making it an ideal loudest soundbar for not only film enthusiasts but also gamers and music lovers. The Bose SoundTouch can use its companion app to form larger speaker networks or act as a media player.
Notable Features:
- Adaptive EQ Function
- 3.5mm, Optical, HDMI, Bluetooth, Ethernet Audio Inputs
- Wi-Fi Connectivity
- Alexa Voice Control
Our Thoughts
Fitted with several smart features and incredibly useful connectivity options, the Bose SoundTouch 300 is a loud soundbar you can’t go wrong with. It’s loud, powerful, and sounds as great as all Bose products in a surprisingly low-profile enclosure. The Bose SoundTouch 300 can be used for a wide variety of media aside from film and TV.
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3. JBL 9.1 Atmos Soundbar
103db
Why we picked it:
JBL’s home audio products are becoming increasingly impressive, and their 9.1 Atmos soundbar is one of the best-sounding loudest soundbars on the market, with nine audio channels and a 300W 10-inch subwoofer included. The JBL 9.1 Atmos Soundbar comprises the main segment containing seven channels and an additional battery-powered pair that can be detached from the main bar to form a left and right surround sound image. Various connectivity methods are supported, with cables included in the box along with mounting brackets and tools.
Notable Features:
- Incredibly loud
- Stunning sound quality
- 9.1 Atmos surround sound
- Modular design
Our Thoughts
This is a great soundbar if you enjoy action-packed films and are looking for intense, lifelike audio to fill your room. The included subwoofer dramatically improves low-end response, while the main center-channel soundbar handles the rest well. This JBL Soundbar also sounds amazing for music playback, and the ease of connecting directly to your smartphone makes it that much more versatile.Â
4. Klipsch Cinema 600 Soundbar
103dB
Why we picked it:
Made from high-quality wood and internal components, the Klipsch Cinema 600 soundbar delivers thrilling high-definition sound that makes anything on TV come to life. The Cinema 600 system comes as a loud 45-inch long soundbar with a long center channel, two separate left and right channels, and a 10-inch wireless subwoofer for enhanced low-end, while the high frequencies are extremely well-defined. At a total power rating of 600W, this Klipsch Cinema 600 is one of the loudest soundbars on the market.
Notable Features:
- Included subwoofer
- Remote controllable
- The largest wireless subwoofer on the market
Our Thoughts
If you’re somewhat of an audiophile, you’ll appreciate the definition, depth, and honest representation of sound presented by the Klipsch Cinema 600 soundbar. It’s also one of the most attractive soundbars on our list that’s incredibly simple to use with its ‘plug and play’ operating style.Â
5. LG SL5Y HD Soundbar
96dB
Why we picked it:
On the more affordable spectrum, LG’s SL5Y HD Soundbar is a 2.1-channel system that delivers clear speech, detailed ambiance, and thundering low end in a single soundbar unit paired with a separate subwoofer. The LG SL5Y HD soundbar functions at a high sample rate for crystal-clear audio reproduction. It has a built-in limiter to say goodbye to unbalanced volumes between your favorite TV show and the commercials that blast your ears off in between. The LG SL5Y HD soundbar offers incredible natural sound on a budget, available just above $150.00 or as a package with an LG portable Bluetooth speaker.
Notable Features:
- Compact soundbar with woofer combo
- DTS Virtual X surround sound technology
- Built-in limiter function
- Bluetooth 4.2 compatible
Our Thoughts
The LG SL5Y HD soundbar is loud, powerful, and incredible due to its modern adaptive limiting and tone-shaping abilities. We like it because it offers high-class features and sound at an amazingly affordable price point, far outperforming its competitors in the same price bracket. Â
6. Samsung A650 A-Series Soundbar
88dB
Why we picked it:
The Samsung A650 A-Series soundbar streams using a low-latency Bluetooth codec to deliver warm and colorful sound to fill any room. The 3.1 channel system consists of a soundbar and separate subwoofer to enhance the low-end energy, with an optional bass boost feature if you want extra punchiness. The remaining frequency range adapts to the speaker’s surroundings using modern spectrum analyzation features, and DTS virtual surround sound technology fills any room with detailed and immersive sounds.
Notable Features:
- Subwoofer included
- Bass boost feature
- Remote controllable
- Adaptive sound signature
Our Thoughts
The Samsung A650 A-Series is one of the loudest soundbars you’ll find in its price range (just below $250.00), and its modern features and simplicity make it a great starting point for those looking to enhance their home theater’s sound system.Â
7. Polk Signa S2 Soundbar
94dB
Why we picked it:
The Polk Signa S2 is another soundbar and subwoofer combo that offers an excellent simple upgrade to your TV’s current built-in or basic stereo sound system. This incredibly affordable high-grade audio solution is available at just above $150.00. The Polk Signa S2 is based on a 5.1 surround system and connects to your TV or media system using HDMI, Optical, or Bluetooth data transfer.
Notable Features:
- Included subwoofer
- HDMI, Optical, and Bluetooth connections
- Built-in speech enhancement
- Remote controllable
Our Thoughts
We like the Polk Signa S2 soundbar with subwoofer because it’s an excellent budget-friendly audio upgrade to any home theater system. The connectivity options are versatile, the sound quality is surprisingly detailed and natural for the price, and the built-in voice enhancement feature dramatically improves speech intelligibility, removing the need to adjust volume levels while watching constantly. Â
8. Sonos Arc Smart Soundbar
96dB
Why we picked it:
The Sonos Arc is the only smart-enabled loud soundbar on this list, capable of responding to voice commands, synchronizing with your smartphone, or cooperating with the companion app to control other smart devices within your home network. Aside from its smart features, the Sonos Arc sounds incredible and constantly analyses its surroundings to craft its tonal signature to sound as best as possible at all times.
Notable Features:
- Smart features
- Acoustic tuning
- Voice or app controllable
Our Thoughts
As far as smart devices go, we feel it’s great to have a smart soundbar or home theater system that you can control from your couch/home cinema area, and for this, the Sonos Arc is our favorite option of the lot. It’s a little expensive, but since it offers far more than sound for your TV, we feel it’s worth the money.Â
Which Soundbar Is Best For Me?
While we’ve created a list of some of the best and loudest soundbars on the market, we also realize that not all of our selections would work for what you’re after. The products selected were chosen for the combination of their loudness, along with other features we believe cater to your requirements.
Before buying a soundbar, consider reading through our guide below on finding the loudest soundbar for your entertainment setup.
Surround Sound
If you’re looking for an immersive sound that best caters to a wide frequency response, surround sound soundbars will be able to give you that extra definition with a dedicated subwoofer in most cases, along with additional dedicated tweeters in 5.1, 7.1, or 9.1 surround sound. While surround sound doesn’t automatically mean more volume, it makes sense that more speakers would equal more volume.
There are trade-offs, however. Surround sound systems typically cost more and can become difficult to work with when room space is limited, especially wired options. I’d say to only opt for wireless surround sound options.
The JBL 9.1 Atmos Soundbar is the most impressive surround sound choice, with detachable wireless speakers and an impressive subwoofer. If you want a better bass response, the Klipsch Cinema 600, LG SL5Y, Samsung A650, and Polk Signa S2 will achieve this with included subwoofers. These systems are often referred to as 3.1 surround sound.
Size
Similar to how one needs to consider space requirements when considering surround sound. Even with a standard soundbar, you should measure your available space and then purchase a soundbar that works for your setup. Both length and width should be measured and then referenced with the product measurements.
Budget
Soundbars can be expensive, and the loudest soundbars are even more expensive. You can expect to pay between $150 and $200 for cheaper options, while high-end surround sound options cost more than $1000. If you’re on a budget, you can still find great deals like the Polk Signa 2, which includes a dedicated sub-woofer for under $200.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to place the subwoofer with a soundbar?
Subwoofers are best placed around the same distance from the viewer as the soundbar. Anywhere next to your soundbar on the floor is the best location. Because sub-woofers are not very directional, you can even place them in the corner near your TV.
How to mount a soundbar?
While some soundbar packages may include a mount, you may need to purchase an additional mount for your soundbar if you want it mounted on the wall under your TV. Each soundbar mount will vary in how it should be installed, so we recommend following the product manual.
What are the benefits of a soundbar?
A soundbar’s biggest benefit is the space it saves and the aesthetic it brings to your entertainment area. They also don’t require an additional amplifier, as high-quality home audio setups tend to.
How to hide soundbar wires?
Unsightly wiring can be resolved using cable ties, hook cable holders, or wireless Bluetooth options. These are a few of the methods you can use.
