Not all TVs have great speakers, and that can seriously hinder your viewing experience. On top of that, sometimes you can barely hear the dialogue in shows or movies, with the volume cranked up only for music and sound effects. If you constantly find yourself adjusting the volume while watching your favorite shows, investing in a soundbar makes sense. There are plenty of other helpful tips and tricks to get better TV sound, but nothing works as well as adding a proper soundbar to your TV.
If you're looking for a soundbar that offers plenty of bass as well as crisp dialogue without using a subwoofer, the Zvox SB500 is a great buy. Even better, the company has added more levels of sound enhancement since I reviewed the SB500, which should make it even easier to dial in the dialogue the way you want it.
Pros
- The Zvox SB500 sound bar offers great sound quality and a simple setup process. Bass is plentiful despite the lack of a subwoofer. Styling is chic and the unit seems well put together.
Cons
- It doesn't include a wireless subwoofer, or subwoofer output jack. Deep bass can cause the soundfield to collapse into mono. The bar is taller than most and may block your TV's IR sensor if you're not wall-mounting.
The Polk React is a follow-up to the Command Bar -- the first soundbar that had Amazon Alexa on board -- and it offers an excellent mix of features and performance. Polk's VoiceAdjust is one of the better dialogue enhancement systems, and it's put to good use on this speaker. It's end of life right now, but that also means it's a great value at the sale price of $159.
Pros
- Amazon Alexa onboard works well
- Excellent sound quality for the price
- Smart looking design
Cons
- Only one HDMI input
- Optional sub and surrounds are costly
The Zvox soundbars are great, but they lack HDMI connectivity. The compact Yamaha SR-C20A not only offers the ease of HDMI ARC hookup -- which is found on most newer TVs -- but also has a dedicated Clear Voice mode to make dialogue a little easier to understand. It's also the second-least expensive option on this list.
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Sound great with movies and music
- Plenty of connection options
Cons
- No ability to add a subwoofer or rears
- No DTS playback limits DVD watching options
- Vizio V21 beats it for home theater use
BLUETOOTH SPEAKER DEALS OF THE WEEK
Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.
Seriously improve speech clarity with a soundbar
Along with providing more immersive sound and better audio quality overall, many soundbars have a dedicated speech mode to improve dialogue clarity (although some do it better than others). One company that stands out is Zvox. It specializes in dialogue, and most of its products have at least one voice enhancement mode (and some as many as 12). Another brand that has a focus on voice is Polk, with its excellent VoiceAdjust feature. Yamaha makes an affordable soundbar with similar options, too.
A soundbar can cost a lot less than some other home theater systems but can improve your TV's sound just as much. Whether you're looking for a budget speaker or something a little more premium, these are the best soundbars for dialogue.
Pros
- The Zvox SB500 sound bar offers great sound quality and a simple setup process. Bass is plentiful despite the lack of a subwoofer. Styling is chic and the unit seems well put together.
Cons
- It doesn't include a wireless subwoofer, or subwoofer output jack. Deep bass can cause the soundfield to collapse into mono. The bar is taller than most and may block your TV's IR sensor if you're not wall-mounting.
If you're looking for a soundbar that offers plenty of bass as well as crisp dialogue without using a subwoofer, the Zvox SB500 is a great buy. Even better, the company has added more levels of sound enhancement since I reviewed the SB500, which should make it even easier to dial in the dialogue the way you want it.
Pros
- Amazon Alexa onboard works well
- Excellent sound quality for the price
- Smart looking design
Cons
- Only one HDMI input
- Optional sub and surrounds are costly
The Polk React is a follow-up to the Command Bar -- the first soundbar that had Amazon Alexa on board -- and it offers an excellent mix of features and performance. Polk's VoiceAdjust is one of the better dialogue enhancement systems, and it's put to good use on this speaker. It's end of life right now, but that also means it's a great value at the sale price of $159.
The Bose Smart Soundbar is a compact Dolby Atmos speaker with dedicated height speakers in a compact soundbar, and its sound quality is top-notch. Especially for dialogue-heavy movies and TV shows. The soundbar also adds features such as multiroom music and the Alexa voice assistant.
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Sound great with movies and music
- Plenty of connection options
Cons
- No ability to add a subwoofer or rears
- No DTS playback limits DVD watching options
- Vizio V21 beats it for home theater use
The Zvox soundbars are great, but they lack HDMI connectivity. The compact Yamaha SR-C20A not only offers the ease of HDMI ARC hookup -- which is found on most newer TVs -- but also has a dedicated Clear Voice mode to make dialogue a little easier to understand. It's also the second-least expensive option on this list.
