The Best Dolby Atmos Soundbars of 2026

• Dimensions (HxWxD inches): 3.4 x 45 x 4.5
• Speaker configuration: 8 elliptical woofers, 3 tweeters
• Connections: HDMI eARC/ARC, digital optical (adapter), Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2

This powerful hunk of well-fashioned plastic is loaded with 11 individually powered drivers, including dual speakers pointed upward to bounce off your ceiling, creating an impressively potent example of the hemispheric immersion for which Dolby’s Atmos sound format is so highly praised. While it’s not the best soundbar for Dolby Atmos content, it does an impressive job for a singular bar.

Dolby Atmos is far from the only trick up the Arc’s sleeve. Its well-tuned drivers offer a balanced and natural sound signature that’s fantastic for anything you play, from sitcoms to streaming music. It also comes with a host of other features that make it among the most versatile soundbars on the market.

Like all Sonos speakers, the Arc offers Wi-Fi connection through the Sonos app, along with the ability to connect with other Sonos speakers, either in a group, or as part of a surround sound setup. This allows you to add dual surround speakers and a Sonos subwoofer if you want, though the Arc offers impressive bass response even without one. Like the Sonos Beam, it also sports built-in microphones and your choice of Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa support virtual assistants, making it both a soundbar and a powerful smart speaker.

One drawback is that although the bar includes an HDMI eARC port for seamless connection to your TV it doesn’t offer a secondary HDMI input for outboard devices like streamers and game consoles. This could limit its usability for older TVs (those without HDMI ARC) and it won't be the right choice for those who play a lot of physical media or those who want to plug in gaming consoles to their soundbar directly.

That said, since most folks get their Dolby Atmos from streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ these issues may not matter to you. With great performance and tons of features, the Sonos Arc is a good choice for those who want minimal hassle and a great experience in a single bar that can grow into a broader system.

See our full Sonos Arc review.

• Dimensions (HxWxD inches): 3.25 x 51.25 x 5.625
• Speaker configuration: 11 discrete channels including built-in woofers, dual upfiring speakers, side-firing beam drivers, and left/center/right channels
• Connections: HDMI eARC/ARC, HDMI in (2), digital optical, 3.5mm, USB, Wi-Fi, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth 5.0

Sony’s HT-A7000 is a magician of a soundbar, offering solid Dolby Atmos effects and some of the best virtual surround sound we’ve heard from a single bar in a slick and stylish design.

This system is loaded with drivers, including a pair aimed at your ceiling for effective Dolby Atmos effects, but it’s the virtual immersion that mixes with those upfiring drivers that really makes the bar sing. When paired with the right content, the A7000 offers spooky accuracy that places sound all around, and even behind you, all from its position at the front of the room.

The bar also brings tons of features to bear, from its full on-screen interface and a clear front display to multiple ways to connect over Wi-Fi (including Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2), and decoding for virtually every audio format under the sun. from uncompressed Dolby Atmos to DTS:X and Sony 360 Reality Audio.

HDMI eARC allows for versatility and simple connection, especially with HDMI eARC-ready TVs. For those without newer TVs, it can also accept up to two devices directly and passthrough video at up to 8K thanks to dual HDMI 2.1 inputs, making this among the most future-proofed soundbars we’ve tested.

This gives you a ton of freedom in how you connect outboard devices like a PS5 or Xbox Series X or S. It also offers Alexa and Google Assistant support (though you’ll need a separate speaker to use it), as well as automated room calibration mode.

With impressive performance, tons of features, and among the best Dolby Atmos and surround sound you can get from a singular bar, the A7000 is tough to beat. But there is a catch: it’s extremely expensive for a single bar, and if you want to add a subwoofer for more authoritative bass, you’ll be paying through the nose. If it's too rich for your blood, Sony's to HT-A5000 (also on this list), offers similar performance and features at a lower price.

See our full Sony HT-A7000 review.

• Dimensions (HxWxD, inches): 2.7 x 48.5 x 5.4 (soundbar), 16.3 x 8.7 x 16.1 (subwoofer), 7.9 x 5.1 x 5.5 (surrounds)
• Speaker configuration: 22 speakers total; 15 in the bar, three in each surround speaker, one 8-inch subwoofer cone
• Connections: HDMI eARC/ARC, HDMI in (x2), digital optical in, Wi-Fi, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth

Like its predecessor, the HW-Q950A, Samsung’s HW-Q990B is a fully decked-out Atmos solution, offering 22 drivers, multiple components, and 11.1.4-channel audio for incredibly immersive sound. The system slots upfiring and side-firing drivers not only in the bar, but also in the wireless surround speakers for room-filling Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X) expansion.

The latest flagship bar from Samsung continues the tradition of its older sibling, offering a one-stop solution that is easier to use and set up than a traditional surround system, and comes about as close as we’ve heard when it comes to surround sound performance. The system also offers impressive musicality for such a thin device. While we’d still take a pair of good bookshelves for music over any soundbar, the Q990B does a great job as a centerpiece for your favorite tunes.

As you’d expect for the price, it also packs great features, including HDMI eARC and dual HDMI inputs with 4K HDR passthrough for your Atmos-ready devices. It supports high-resolution audio at up to 24bit/92kHz and all major surround formats, AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect, and built-in Amazon Alexa. There are also a few Samsung-only features, like wireless Dolby Atmos support, but that only works if you’ve got one of a few newer Samsung TVs (2021/2022).

We did note a few quirks with Samsung’s SmartThings app. While it’s easy to use and offers impressive control over settings like channel levels and a 7-band EQ, it sometimes takes a while to connect to Wi-Fi, and Spotify Connect is a little clunky. The Q990B also leaves out HDMI 2.1 features, meaning it won’t support next-gen gaming at 120Hz (not a huge deal for most). As noted, this bar will cost you, though it actually comes in lower per component than options like Sony’s HT-A7000, which charges a high markup to add a subwoofer and surrounds.

If you’re looking for the mother of all Atmos soundbars, and you have the money to invest, Samsung's latest monster flagship is the pick of the litter.

See our full Samsung HW-Q990B review.

• Dimensions (HxWxD inches): ‎2.75 x 47.75 x 5.625
• Speaker configuration: Dual upfiring drivers, left, center, right channel speakers, dual built-in woofers
• Connections: HDMI eARC/ARC, Wi-Fi streaming via Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast.

If the Sonos Arc’s lack of a spare HDMI input is a problem for you, the HT-A5000 could be the solution. Sony’s follow-up to its mondo-sized HT-A7000 is a powerful, single-piece Dolby Atmos tool in its own right. While the HT-A5000 loses some of the performance chops and aesthetic luster of the beautifully sculpted A7000, it brings a lot of the same assets, including excellent virtual surround sound, hi-res audio support, tons of A/V features, and future-proofing tech—all at a lower price.

The A5000 isn’t quite as rich or immersive sounding as its pricier sibling. It does a solid job with your standard sitcoms and newscasts for its price point, offering much better clarity and gobs more power than your TV alone. Feed it some high-octane surround sound or Dolby Atmos videos and this system really takes flight, blasting sound around the room for impressive immersion.

When compared to the Sonos Arc (and even Samsung’s HW-Q950A), the A5000 takes a bit of effort for setup and daily use. Its HDMI eARC/ARC connection assures you can control it with your TV remote for most scenarios, but you’ll need the included remote to switch inputs (they don’t always switch automatically). You'll also be trading a simplified app for a more traditional on-screen A/V interface and an onboard display.

But those willing to shed some simplicity will be rewarded with rich A/V options like hi-res audio support for multiple file types and a spare HDMI input with support up to 4K/HDR at 120Hz, making this a great choice for gamers. The A5000 also supports not only Dolby Atmos, but also DTS:X for Blu-ray collectors, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. There's also built-in auto-calibration, making it easy to tune the system to your room, and other modern features like the ability to add on wireless speakers, and Wi-Fi streaming via Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast.

While it requires a slight learning curve, Sony's HT-A5000 offers excellent performance and a lot of the goodies we love about Sony’s flagship bar at a more approachable price. For A/V enthusiasts and gamers alike, this future-proofed single bar is a great choice.

See our full Sony HT-A5000 review.

• Dimensions (HxWxD inches): 3.7 x 41.2 x 2.4 (bar), 12.9 x 7.9 x 11 (sub)
• Speaker configuration: 2 tweeters, 2 mid-woofers, 1 full-range center, 2 upfiring drivers (bar), 6-inch cone (sub)
• Connections: HDMI ARC/eARC, optical, 3.5mm, Bluetooth

Leave it to Polk Audio to deliver quality sound—with legitimate Dolby Atmos—in a budget-minded soundbar package. The value-packed Signa S4 is an impressive 3.1.2-channel system that makes up for a lack of extras by consistently producing great sound.

The Signa S4 is a plug-and-play package that takes 10 minutes or less to set up and start listening. It features a compact, simple remote that streamlines important functions, such as adjusting bass level and picking between sound modes. Regardless of the mode you choose, the Signa S4 provides a wide, detailed soundstage that meshes well with nearly everything you toss its way. The system’s toaster-sized subwoofer won’t shake any pictures off the wall, but it delivers adequate bass that rounds out the bar’s overall sound nicely.

The S4’s upfiring height channels also do a solid job of adding three-dimensional Atmos immersion into the movie-watching experience. While it can’t compete with the best Dolby Atmos bars we’ve tested, it’s an exceptionally stellar option for those who want to experience Atmos immersion on a budget.

The Signa S4 has its faults. Polk somehow omitted controls for vital settings like treble, individual channel levels, and height channel adjustment in the main interface, and unlike most bars we see these days, there’s no app for supplemental adjustments. The soundbar is also without Wi-Fi, meaning Bluetooth is the only way to stream music and you won’t get any advanced features like multi-room audio. That’s in stark contrast to the Sonos Beam, which offers easy integration with multiple speakers, letting you easily build a full surround system or whole-home audio system as you go.

If you can get by without Wi-Fi and a few key controls, Polk Audio’s Signa S4 is the best Dolby Atmos option we’ve tested at its price point. It’s meant to be an instant upgrade in sound quality, and by those measures, this soundbar checks off every box. There are certainly other soundbars available that offer more complete systems with deeper lineups of features. But you will be hard-pressed to find quality sound on a budget that lines up with the latest from Polk.

See our full Polk Signa S4 review.

• Dimensions (HxWxD inches): 2.29 x 41.14 x 4.21
• Speaker configuration: 7 total drivers, including 2 beam drivers, 2 upfiring drivers
• Connections: Ethernet, HDMI ARC/eARC, digital optical input, proprietary subwoofer output, Adaptiq input, IR repeater, Data port, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2

Bose’s Smart Soundbar 900 offers clear sound, stylish design, and a slice of pristine Dolby Atmos in a minimalist package. Though this single-piece soundbar is fashioned very similarly to the Sonos Arc in both features and functionality, Bose’s solution is both smaller and sleeker, with a plush glass top that makes it among the most stylish bars on the market.

It’s not just about aesthetics, though. The 900 provides premium sound, especially for dialogue and effects, alongside expansive virtualized effects thanks to its laser-sharp upfiring drivers and beam speakers. It also offers all the network features you could ask for in a modern smart bar, from built-in Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to Wi-Fi streaming over Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2 (with plenty more options in the Bose Music app).

As with rival bars from Sonos and others, the 900 makes it simple to build from a single speaker to a full surround Dolby Atmos system with a Bose wireless subwoofer and surround speakers (at a considerable cost), or you can create a whole-home sound system by linking Bose speakers through the home via the Bose Music app. The 900 also comes with some extras Sonos bars don’t include, such as a separate remote, Bluetooth streaming, and a built-in room calibration system to tailor the sound to your space (Sonos requires an iPhone).

Where the bar falls a bit short is in its overall power and bass response. Due to its small size, the 900 simply isn’t able to reproduce big and booming frequencies with much authority. Its soundstage also isn’t quite as expansive as larger Dolby Atmos bars, simply due to physical restrictions. It also offers no extra HDMI input or DTS decoding, so it won’t be the best choice for those with a large Blu-ray collection.

That said, though it’s not cheap, this bar offers impressive detail and precision for everything from your favorite Dolby Atmos TV shows to an episode of Friends. If you value clear sound and minimalist design first and foremost, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is a quality choice.

See our full Bose Smart Soundbar 900 review.

• Dimensions (HxWxD, inches): 2.2 x 27.3 x 4.1
• Speaker configuration: Five speakers; two side-firing, one center, two upfiring
• Connections: HDMI eARC/ARC, digital optical in, subwoofer out, Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, Chromcast, Bluetooth v4.2

Don’t be fooled by the size of the Bose Smart Soundbar 600. This bar packs a punch, with plenty of oomph to fill a moderate-sized space with power to spare. It also has upfiring speakers for Atmos, a distinct advantage over our previous favorite—the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

The 600 has a wider and higher soundstage than the Beam, lending it a more immersive experience as effects like helicopters and debris from explosions encircle the TV with accurate placement. Dialogue is clear at all times. Even with more difficult movie mixes where voices can sound buried beneath the action, the dialogue rides along top so you never miss the story.

The excellent Bose Music app makes setup fast and easy, and you'll be up and running in minutes. You can incorporate Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, or even wirelessly pair select Bose headphones for late-night viewing without disturbing housemates or neighbors. In addition to HDMI eARC for a wired connection, the soundbar supports Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Wi-Fi streaming over multiple services in the app.

While the bass response isn't bad for its size, the Soundbar 600 could benefit from the rumble of one of Bose's subwoofers, like the Bass Module 500 (though that will cost you). It’s also missing any room correction software to fine-tune it to your space, or an HDMI input for sources other than a TV. Still, at just under $500, you're getting a lot for your money.

See our full Bose Smart Soundbar 600 review.

• Dimensions (HxWxD inches): 2.7 x 25.6 x 3.9
• Speaker configuration: One central tweeter, four elliptical midwoofers, and three passive bass radiators
• Connections: HDMI eARC/ARC, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2

We’ve adored the compact-but-powerful Sonos Beam since it launched, and the Gen 2 upgrade brings even more to love. With this update, Sonos kept everything we liked about the original Beam—a minimalist form factor, powerfully tuned speakers, and versatile features—and added virtualized Dolby Atmos. It’s not the best in the book by any means, but if you’re looking for light Dolby Atmos plus tons of other features in a versatile, expandable package, the Beam gen 2 is a fine choice.

Despite lacking the upfiring drivers of most Dolby Atmos soundbars we test, the Beam Gen 2 is surprisingly adept at creating an immersive soundstage. The sounds of cars screeching around corners or footfalls onto rainy pavement boast a convincing level of aural placement. The clarity that Dolby Atmos brings to just about every sound effect and musical swell is well worth the price of admission here, even if the bar struggles to create the full overhead impact you’ll get from bars with dedicated height speakers.

But the value really comes in the overall package. Like all Sonos products, you’ll get more than just a standalone speaker here: the Beam Gen 2 connects over the Sonos app for access to the full ecosystem, which integrates excellent Wi-Fi connectivity, Sonos Radio, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, and more. Tasks like adding additional Sonos speakers for surround sound, or syncing up multi-room audio are a snap. Admittedly, starting with the Beam Gen 2 alone and upgrading with additional Sonos products is an expensive task, but the built-in flexibility is still a big boon—especially if you’ve already got a Sonos One smart speaker or other components.

The Beam Gen 2 isn’t perfect. It lacks a spare HDMI input, meaning it’ll hog your TV’s HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC port and may introduce some format-based headaches on older TVs. But ultimately, the list of pros handily outweigh the cons, and the new Beam stands out as one of the most fetching soundbar buys in its price range. It was a real triple-play even without Dolby Atmos compatibility: with it, it’s a home run.

See our full Sonos Beam Gen 2 review.