Best Soundbars Sub Wirecutter Picks for Deep Bass and Movies (2026)

A soundbar without a subwoofer can sound thin on movies and music, so this guide focuses on systems that include one in the box. It rounds up seven best soundbars sub wirecutter readers often compare, from a complete 11.1.4 surround system to a budget 5.1 package, and explains the subwoofer size, channels and connections behind each pick.

Quick verdict: the best soundbars sub wirecutter readers look for

If you want one short answer, start with the Samsung HW-Q990F for a complete home theater in a single purchase, or the JBL Bar 1000 for deep bass with rear speakers that detach. The other five picks cover a step-down flagship, a large-room Polk system, a Sony package, an LG bar with height effects and a budget Samsung 5.1 set.

The Samsung HW-Q990F leads because it is the only pick here that ships as a complete surround package with wireless rear speakers and a dual-driver subwoofer. If your room is smaller or your budget is tighter, the Samsung HW-B750F still gives you a real subwoofer and a centre channel, while the JBL Bar 1000 suits viewers who want surround only on movie night.

Quick comparison table

The table below puts the seven systems side by side so you can compare channel layout, subwoofer size and what ships in the box before reading the detail. Every pick here includes a subwoofer, so the differences that matter are the number of channels, whether rear speakers are included, and which sound formats each system supports.

Use the table to narrow the list to two or three systems, then read their sections below. A system with rear speakers in the box suits a dedicated movie room, while a bar-and-subwoofer pair is the simpler choice for a living room where extra boxes are unwelcome.

How we selected the soundbars in this guide

Every model in this guide is a real product sold in the United States, with published specifications from its manufacturer or a retailer listing, and every one includes a subwoofer in the box. We compared channel layout, subwoofer size and connection, included rear speakers, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, and HDMI connections.

This guide does not quote, score or repeat a verdict from Wirecutter or any other review outlet, because review scores use different methods and change with each update. Instead it applies the kind of checks independent reviewers use: what is in the box, what the subwoofer actually adds, which formats the system supports, and where each system falls short. No hands-on testing of our own is claimed anywhere in this guide.

The best soundbars with a subwoofer for every room

Seven systems cover very different rooms and budgets, so the order below follows the decision most buyers face first: a complete surround system, a flexible bass-heavy system, or a simpler bar-and-subwoofer pair. Each section states what is in the box, what the subwoofer contributes, and what the system gives up.

Samsung HW-Q990F: complete surround for a home theater

The Samsung HW-Q990F is the most complete system in this guide, and that is why it leads the list for movies. It ships as an 11.1.4-channel system with 23 speakers: a bar with 15 drivers, a wireless subwoofer with dual 8-inch drivers, and two wireless rear speakers with up-firing drivers.

For a home theater, a system with real rear and height speakers has a structural advantage over a single bar, and the HW-Q990F is the only pick here that provides both in the box. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are both supported, and the two HDMI 2.1 inputs pass 4K at 120Hz. Q-Symphony can play the soundbar together with the speakers of a compatible Samsung TV from 2022 to 2025. The bar is 48.5 inches wide, so it suits larger TVs, and the rear speakers and subwoofer each need a power outlet, even though no audio cable runs to them.

Buy it if you want a full surround system in one purchase and you have room for four boxes. Skip it if your room is small, you do not want rear speakers, or your TV has no HDMI eARC port, since the highest-quality audio formats need that connection.

JBL Bar 1000: detachable rears and deep bass

The JBL Bar 1000 solves the most common complaint about surround systems: rear speakers that stay in place all week and get in the way. Its two detachable surround speakers run on batteries, so they dock on the bar for everyday TV and move behind the sofa for movie night.

The 10-inch wireless subwoofer is the largest in this guide, and it gives action movies and music a weight that the single bars cannot match without an add-on subwoofer. JBL lists a 7.1.4-channel system with 880 watts of total power as a manufacturer maximum rating, four up-firing drivers and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. The trade-off is battery life: the rears must return to the bar to recharge, so the system is not always ready for surround without a little planning.

Buy it if you want real surround and deep bass but you cannot place permanent rear speakers. Skip it if you want a system that is always ready with no charging to think about, or if your room is small enough that a single bar and a subwoofer would be enough.

Samsung HW-Q930F: the step-down flagship with wireless rears

The Samsung HW-Q930F is the step-down flagship for buyers who want the HW-Q990F formula in a smaller, less expensive package. Samsung lists a 9.1.4-channel system with 17 speakers, a wireless subwoofer with a 6.5-inch active driver and an 8-inch passive radiator, and wireless rear speakers with up-firing drivers.

Like the flagship, the HW-Q930F supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and it can play wireless Dolby Atmos with compatible Samsung TVs from 2022 to 2025. The smaller subwoofer and the lower speaker count are the main trade-offs against the HW-Q990F, but the system still ships as a complete surround package with no extra purchases needed for rear effects. That makes it a strong fit for a medium living room where the flagship would be more system than the room needs.

Buy it if you want a complete surround system with wireless rears but the flagship is more than your room or budget calls for. Skip it if you want the deepest bass in this guide, since the 10-inch subwoofers on the JBL and Polk systems move more air, or if you prefer a simpler two-box setup.

Polk MagniFi Max AX SR: a 7.1.2 system for large rooms

The Polk MagniFi Max AX SR is the pick for a large room where a smaller system would struggle to fill the space. Polk lists a 7.1.2-channel system with an 11-driver bar, a 10-inch down-firing wireless subwoofer and wireless rear speakers, with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The system is built around scale: the bar is 45 inches wide, the subwoofer is a substantial box, and the three HDMI inputs plus an eARC output give plenty of room for a console, a streaming box and a Blu-ray player. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast cover music streaming, and the wireless rears mean no speaker cable has to cross the room. The trade-off is footprint: this is a system for a room with space for a large subwoofer and rear speakers, not for a bedroom or a small apartment.

Buy it if your room is large, you have several sources to connect, and you want a full 7.1.2 system with a big subwoofer. Skip it if your room is small, if you want the widest channel count in this guide, or if a simpler bar-and-subwoofer pair would already fill the space.

Sony Bravia Theatre System 6: a 5.1 package for Sony TVs

The Sony Bravia Theatre System 6, model HT-S60, is the simplest complete system in this guide, and it suits a Sony TV owner who wants surround sound without a complicated setup. Sony lists a 5.1-channel system with 10 speakers, a wired subwoofer that acts as the hub for the system, and rear speakers connected through a wireless amplifier box.

The subwoofer is wired to the bar, which is a different arrangement from the wireless subwoofers on the other picks, but it keeps the setup simple: the rears connect to the amplifier box rather than needing a cable run across the room. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are supported through virtualised height processing, since there are no up-firing drivers, and the S-Force PRO surround engine widens the soundfield. Voice Zoom 3 helps dialogue stay clear. The system has an HDMI eARC connection only, with no HDMI input, so every source must connect to the TV first.

Buy it if you own a Sony TV, you want a complete 5.1 system with a straightforward setup, and you do not need physical height speakers. Skip it if you want a wireless subwoofer you can place freely, if you need an HDMI input on the bar, or if you want true up-firing height drivers.

LG S90TY: height effects with a wireless 8-inch subwoofer

The LG S90TY is the mid-tier pick for buyers who want height effects and a real subwoofer without buying a full surround system. LG lists a 5.1.3-channel system with 11 speakers, three up-firing drivers, a wireless 8-inch subwoofer and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The three up-firing drivers are the point of this system: they bounce height effects off the ceiling, which a plain 5.1 bar cannot do, while the 8-inch subwoofer handles the low end that a bar alone cannot produce. The total power is listed at 570 watts, split between the bar and the subwoofer. Rear speakers are sold separately, so the system can grow into fuller surround later, but it does not ship with them. The bar connects through HDMI eARC, with Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast for music.

Buy it if you want Dolby Atmos height effects and a wireless subwoofer in a mid-tier package, and you may add rear speakers later. Skip it if you want rear speakers in the box, since they are an extra purchase here, or if your ceiling is very high or vaulted, which weakens the reflected height effect.

Samsung HW-B750F: budget bass without Dolby Atmos

The Samsung HW-B750F is the affordable pick in this guide, and it earns that place by including the two things that matter most at its tier: a dedicated centre channel and a real wireless subwoofer. Samsung lists a 5.1-channel system with six speakers and a 6-inch wireless subwoofer.

For a budget system, the HW-B750F is a practical step up from TV speakers without the cost or the boxes of a premium system. The centre channel keeps dialogue clear, the subwoofer adds the low end that a bar alone cannot produce, and optional SWA-9250S rear speakers can be added later for true surround. There is no Dolby Atmos and no HDMI eARC port, so this is a 5.1 system that plays surround sound well rather than a height-effects system. The bar is 40.6 inches wide, and it connects through HDMI ARC or optical, with Bluetooth for music.

Buy it if you want a complete bar-and-subwoofer package at the lowest tier in this guide and you can live without Dolby Atmos. Skip it if you need Dolby Atmos, DTS:X or an eARC connection, or if your TV is small enough that a 40-inch bar will overhang the stand.

Buying guide: choose by room, connections and bass

A soundbar with a subwoofer is a room purchase as much as an electronics purchase, so the checks below matter more than the channel count on the box. Measure the TV stand, find the HDMI port on the TV, and think about where a subwoofer and any rear speakers will sit before you decide.

Best soundbars sub wirecutter searches: what the subwoofer really adds

A separate subwoofer is the single most noticeable upgrade in this guide, because a slim bar cannot move enough air for deep bass on its own. The subwoofer handles explosions, kick drums and the low rumble of a movie score, which frees the bar to focus on dialogue and midrange detail instead of straining for bass it cannot produce.

Subwoofer size is a useful guide but not the whole story: a 10-inch driver on the JBL Bar 1000 and the Polk system moves more air than the 6-inch driver on the budget Samsung, yet a smaller subwoofer in a small room can still sound full. Room size decides the match, so a large subwoofer in a bedroom can overwhelm dialogue, while a small subwoofer in an open living room can sound thin.

Subwoofer placement, size and wireless range

A wireless subwoofer still needs a power outlet, so placement starts with the nearest socket rather than the ideal acoustic spot. Most buyers put the subwoofer near the TV or beside the sofa, and a corner placement tends to reinforce the bass, which can be too much in a small room or just right in a large one.

The subwoofers in this guide range from a compact 6-inch budget unit to a 10-inch driver, and the larger boxes need more floor space and a clear path for the wireless signal. The Sony system is the exception, with a wired subwoofer that acts as the hub, so its placement is tied to the bar by a cable. If the household rents or moves often, a wireless subwoofer is easier to reposition than a wired one.

Connections, formats and TV compatibility

The connection on the back of the TV decides which sound formats the soundbar can receive, so check it before you buy. HDMI eARC carries the highest-quality audio, including Dolby Atmos from Dolby TrueHD, while standard HDMI ARC carries compressed Atmos and Dolby Digital 5.1, which is all the budget Samsung needs.

Optical carries Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, but it cannot carry Dolby Atmos at all. The Samsung HW-Q990F offers two HDMI 2.1 inputs with 4K at 120Hz passthrough, which matters for a console, while the Sony system has no HDMI input at all, so every source connects to the TV first. Check the TV for an eARC port before choosing any Atmos system in this guide.

Frequently asked questions

The questions below cover the doubts that come up most often before a purchase, from whether a subwoofer is worth the extra box to which size fits a common TV. Each answer follows the same rule as the rest of this guide: it states what the specifications support, and it names the case where the answer changes.

Do I need rear speakers as well as a subwoofer?

No, not for most buyers, because the subwoofer and the rear speakers solve different problems. The subwoofer adds bass that no slim bar can produce, while rear speakers add surround effects that place sound behind the listener, so a bar-and-subwoofer pair already fixes the two biggest weaknesses of TV speakers.

Is a wireless subwoofer really wireless?

Almost, but not completely, because a wireless subwoofer still needs a power cable. The wireless part is the audio signal, which travels from the bar to the subwoofer without a cable, so you can place the subwoofer anywhere within range of a power outlet instead of running a cable across the room.

Can I add a subwoofer to a soundbar that does not include one?

Sometimes, but only with a subwoofer made for that exact soundbar, and the match is usually limited to the same brand and product family. A bar that ships with a subwoofer, like every pick in this guide, avoids the problem entirely, since the bar and the subwoofer are already paired and tuned to work together.

Will a soundbar with a subwoofer work with any TV?

Mostly yes, as long as the TV has an HDMI ARC or eARC port or an optical output, which nearly every modern TV does. The exception is Dolby Atmos, which needs HDMI eARC for its highest-quality form, so check the TV port first if Atmos is the reason you are buying.

Conclusion

Start with the Samsung HW-Q990F for a complete home theater in one box, or the JBL Bar 1000 for deep bass with rear speakers that detach. If the budget is tighter, the Samsung HW-B750F still gives you a real subwoofer and a centre channel. Measure your room, check the HDMI connection, and choose the system you will enjoy every day.