Any television you buy today will have onboard speakers, but every single one can be improved with the addition of a great-sounding soundbar. With the right model, you get the benefits of a home theater system or AV receiver without having to run messy wires or take up much space. I've tested hundreds of products from big-name brands to help you discover the best soundbar for improving the sound from sports, surround sound from console games or the latest season of Pluribus. From cheap and cheerful models to those packed with features like Dolby Atmos, Bluetooth, built-in streaming and multiroom audio, here are my picks for the best soundbars of 2026. CNET provides expert, unbiased reviews of products and services. When we assign a score, we use a scale of 1-10. Each product we score is evaluated by criteria specific to its category with most assessing pricing, quality, features and performance. What makes it stand out: The Vizio 2.1 Soundbar (SV210M) is a great soundbar for the money.…