If you are planning to buy the best soundbar for your small room/apartment, read this article till the end. We did comprehensive research to select the top 10 best soundbars that are ideal for a small room or apartment.
Soundbars are always preferable to ordinary speakers. Because they are more efficient, compact, budget-friendly, and elegant. A soundbar integrates multiple speakers to produce an exceptional sound quality.
There are different types of soundbars available in the market, depending on your need. Some are very compact and small while others are heavy with more features.
Many soundbars come with an external subwoofer while some brands integrate a subwoofer within a single unit soundbar.
Usually, soundbars are added with TVs to upgrade the audio effect. But, they can also be added to your computer, projector, or gaming consoles. Hence, it depends on you for what purpose you want to buy a soundbar.
What Type of Soundbar Do You Need for An Apartment?
You cannot use the same soundbar for a small and a larger apartment. Because the requirement for both places is different.
You need a slim and compact soundbar delivering well-balanced audio for your small room or apartment. An earthshaking soundbar will not only disturb you but also your neighbors.
So, it is recommended to choose a soundbar without an external subwoofer. Because the subwoofer adds extra bass that vibrates your apartment.
However, if you are buying a soundbar for your small room in a large home, you can go for a subwoofer also.
So, we will consider all the important elements to help you choose the perfect soundbar for your small room or apartment.
Guide To Choose Soundbars for A Small Room
There are many elements such as price, connectivity, size, audio quality, audio features, and placement you should consider while buying a soundbar for compact spaces.
Sound Quality
Your chosen soundbar should be capable of producing a room-filling sound. Each driver should give at least 20W power. A soundbar with upward-firing or multi-directional speakers delivers ideal sound quality.
The number of channels also affects the audio quality. A two-channel soundbar is the most basic one but is reasonable for an extra small room. While a 2.1 and 3 channel soundbar is ideal.
Another feature is Dolby Digital and DTS support, this technology takes the sound effect to the next level. A 5 channel soundbar gives an immersive sound experience but it is not preferable for a small room or apartment.
Subwoofer
Since you are buying a soundbar for a small room or apartment, it is better to choose one with an integrated subwoofer. It not only saves you cost but also space.
A soundbar with an external subwoofer is usually expensive. Moreover, it delivers extra thump and bass that can be disturbing for your neighbors.
A single-unit soundbar with an integrated subwoofer is ideal for small spaces. It produces a well-balanced and decent sound.
However, some soundbars alone cannot deliver exceptional audio. So, they include an external subwoofer at a reasonable price such as Polk Audio S2 soundbar.
Hence, you should consider such a soundbar for your small room or apartment.
Sound Modes and Voice Enhancement
Most of the soundbars come with a ‘voice enhancement’ or ‘dialogue clarity’ feature. They perform better within compact spaces by upgrading the sound.
So, they can turn your small room or apartment into a home theater. While choosing the best soundbar for you, look for this feature. EQ, bass, and treble adjustment are also good features.
Different sound modes such as movies, TV, gaming, music, news, and sports enable you to experience perfectly synchronized audio with the content.
So, you can use this soundbar for multi-purposes and with various media devices.
Size and Placement
A big-sized soundbar does not necessarily produce excellent sound. The main thing is powerful and multi-directional drivers. You should choose a slim and compact soundbar for a small room or apartment.
A soundbar measuring 24 to 36 inches is reasonable for your small room. It should also be light-weighted with a minimalist design so that you can place it easily under your TV.
Also, look for the wall-mounting option to save space. The size of the soundbar also depends on the size of your TV screen.
Connectivity and Control Options
Connectivity is the most important thing to consider while buying a soundbar for a small room or apartment. Almost all soundbars offer both wired and wireless connectivity options.
Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth, Wifi, NFC, and voice assistants. Bluetooth is a must option as it allows you to connect your soundbar to any smart device.
While Wifi allows you to stream live content from various channels and services. Voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are optional.
They allow you to control your soundbar by giving voice commands. While talking about physical connections, HDMI must be available on your soundbar.
Because it makes the most reliable connection delivering standard audio, 4K, HDR formats with no lag and distortion. Digital Optical input comes at the second number.
While control options include remote, physical, or touch control panels and mobile apps. Remote control comes with all the soundbars.
But, all are not supported by mobile apps. Most of the soundbars have an HDMI CEC feature that allows you to control both your TV and soundbar with a single remote. This is the most convenient option.
Cost of the Soundbar
The price of the soundbar depends on the feature. A soundbar equipped with the most advanced features costs you high.
Wifi and voice assistant support, multiple HDMIs, and additional drivers or subwoofers increase the cost of the soundbar.
Additionally, some soundbars are very stylish and beautiful but are not budget-friendly. You can choose an average-looking soundbar to cut the cost.
So, you should decide carefully which features you need in your soundbar. Do not pay for the extra features which are not helpful for you.
Reviewing Top Soundbars for A Small Room
After reading the buying guide, now you have basic knowledge about the best soundbars. This article is listing the top 10 best soundbars that are perfect for your small room or apartment.
They include all the essential features you need. Moreover, we have selected cost-effective but premium-quality soundbars. So, let us review each soundbar to help you buy the best one for you.
1. Polk Audio Signa S2 Soundbar
Related: Best Soundbars With Wireless Rear Speakers
2. Roku 4K/HDR Streambar
3. Sonos Beam Soundbar
Audio Performance
Sonos is a name of trust in the acoustic industry. Sonos Beam is one of the most popular soundbars. It is an ideal sound solution for compact spaces like small rooms or apartments.
In fact, Sonos Beam is an all-in-one compact soundbar. This compact soundbar gives an incredibly deep bass and rich sound effect.
Because, it is a 3.1 channel soundbar and has integrated four full-range drivers, a dedicated center tweeter, and 3 passive radiators.
Although Sonos Beam does not come with an external subwoofer yet it gives impressive sound quality. The audio performance is no less than the expensive soundbars.
The lows and mids are well-balanced and vivid. High ends are also great with negligible distortion. Moreover, the soundstage is pretty wide and ideal for movies and music.
As compared to TV speakers, Sonos Beam provides you outclass listening experience. Thanks to its speech enhancement feature, dialogue clarity, and audio flow are really impressive.
It also features a Night Mode to avoid disturbance. An HDMI connection ensures smooth audio transmission without any lag.
Design
This soundbar is quite slim and smart to fit ideally in your home. Moreover, it gives a very decent and elegant look. This soundbar is versatile in terms of placement.
It sits perfectly under your TV or you can also mount it on the wall. With a 25.6 inches body, Sonos Beam does not block your view when placed in front of the TV.
The design is expandable and you can form a 5.1 channel surround system. Despite such a compact size, Sonos Beam is packed with all the modern features.
The most amazing thing is that it is available in both white and black colors. The white model is really pretty and adds aesthetic beauty to your room. This soundbar is protected by a fabric mesh and it’s not too heavy.
The purchase includes all the essential accessories like a power cord, HDMI and Ethernet cable, Optical adapter, and quick start guide.
Connectivity and Control
The top panel of the Sonos Beam soundbar is equipped with touch controls. All the basic controls options like play/pause, volume adjustment, next/previous, and mute are available on it.
Further, it also has an LED light to indicate status and voice feedback. Some physical buttons are present on the rear panel of the soundbar. It includes pairing and a power button.
The connectivity ports are also located on the back. In addition to HDMI, there is an Ethernet port. So, you can connect this soundbar to Wifi. This feature allows streaming from various apps and services.
An amazing feature of this soundbar is TruePlay. This software functions to synchronize the audio according to the room settings.
It detects the dimensions of your room or apartment and sitting arrangement to customize the audio. So, it can turn your small room into a home theater.
But, this feature is compatible only with iPhones not with Android devices. However, this soundbar is capable of producing a wonderful sound even without this feature.
The great news about this soundbar is that it supports voice assistants. Sonos Beam works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and Apple Airplay 2.
So, you can control and stream media on this soundbar by giving voice commands. Additionally, it also comes with remote control and is supported by the Sonos app.
Hence, you have a lot of control options with this smart and advanced soundbar. Further, this soundbar is equipped with multi-room technology.
You can connect it to other Sonos products in your home. If all soundbars are sharing the same Wifi connection, you can send voice commands to either one.
PROS
- A 3.1 channel sound system
- Excellent audio performance with slim design
- Various control options including popular voice assistants, touch panel, remote and Sonos app
- Wifi supported and features TruePlay
- Flexible design, ideal for small rooms and apartments
- Decent and elegant soundbar available in two colors
- Quick and easy setup
CONS
- Does not support surround sound technology; DTS, Dolby Atmos
- Lacks Bluetooth functionality
- Patience is required to set up with TVs lacking HDMI ARC
Related: Best SoundBars with Multiple HDMI Inputs
4. Yamaha YAS-108 Soundbar
5. TCL Alto 5+ 2.1 Channel Soundbar
Related: Best SoundBars Over $1000
6. Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar
7. Bose Smart Soundbar 300
Related: Top Soundbars For PS5
8. Sony S200F 2.1ch Soundbar
9. VIZIO M21D-H8R Soundbar
Related: SoundBars for Open Floor Plans
10. JBL 2.0 – All-in-One Soundbar
Final Words
Soundbars are crucial to enjoying movies, TV shows, and music with realistic sound effects. You can turn your small room or apartment into a home theater by adding a soundbar to it.
All the soundbars we reviewed in this article are capable of turning your room into a home cinema. In terms of sound performance, they are a premium choice.
We have considered all the essential features while selecting the best soundbars for a small room or apartment. So, you can select any of them depending on your requirement.
