Why You Can Trust CNET Best soundbar deals for the big game
From full surround sound to discrete single speakers, these are the best deals on high-performance soundbars -- just bring hot dogs.
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
There are plenty of TVs on sale for a certain important football game on Sunday, Feb. 2, but what if you're already set for the TV portion of your party? Or what if you just picked up a new TV last-minute and you want the perfect accessory to go with it?
The most-effective upgrade for a TV is a soundbar. TV sound is terrible and even an inexpensive soundbar can improve your viewing experience and up your game long after football season ends. We checked out list of best soundbars and scoured the sales to find four affordable options, from the smaller Yamaha YAS-109 to the full Atmos surround of the Vizio SB36512. Enjoy.
Dolby Atmos for under $300? The SB36512-F6 was even a great deal at its original $500. It offers excellent sound quality with dedicated surround speakers and HDMI connectivity. Tell everybody!
The Yamaha YAS-109 offers many of the features of the YAS-209 -- Alexa, HDMI -- but in a more compact, affordable package. It may lack a subwoofer, but for smaller setups this system sounds great. There's also an audio output to add your own sub if you want more bass.
Though the brand is better known for its receivers, Yamaha has produced a long line of excellent soundbars, and the YAS-209 is another exemplary product. It offers both HDMI and the Amazon Alexa voice assistant onboard, and at its $300 sale price it's a great value.
Best for Google fans
Polk MagniFi Mini $209 (save $90)
The Polk MagniFi Mini is one of our favorite soundbars -- it offers a discrete table-top speaker paired with a big sound. It also includes Chromecast built-in which pairs well with a Google Home smart speaker. Just ask Google to play a song and it can play straight away on the MagniFi Mini.
The Klipsch Bar 48 offers the company's newest design, which features exposed, horn-driven tweeters. Gone are the plastic housings of before, replaced with solid MDF cabinets.