I stopped telling people to buy the Sonos Beam (mostly)

TV speakers are garbage. I don’t care if you have a $2,000 OLED — the audio still sounds like a phone speaker in a tin can. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to spend $800 on a flagship soundbar to fix it. I’ve been testing budget boxes in Shenzhen for months, and the market has shifted hard.

先说结论: The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is still the king, but it’s $399. That’s over your budget. So what do you actually buy under $300? You buy a pair of powered speakers instead of a soundbar. Let me explain.

Why a soundbar is usually the wrong answer

A soundbar is a compromise. It’s a single box trying to fake stereo separation with DSP trickery. It works, but it never sounds as wide or as clear as two physical speakers sitting on either side of your TV.

Reddit上有个老外说: “I replaced my $500 Vizio soundbar with $300 Edifiers and the soundstage tripled.” He’s right. For under $300, a good pair of powered bookshelf speakers will obliterate any soundbar at the same price.

The exception: You need HDMI ARC

If your TV only has one HDMI port and you hate switching inputs, a soundbar with HDMI ARC is easier. You get one cable, CEC control, and your TV remote just works. Powered speakers usually need an optical or 3.5mm cable, and you might need a separate remote for volume.

That convenience costs money. The cheapest soundbar worth buying with HDMI ARC is the Sonos Beam Gen 2 at $399. If you’re strictly under $300, you’re in the land of Vizio and TCL soundbars — and honestly, I’ve returned two of those because the subwoofer rattled at low volume.

The best “soundbar” under $300 isn’t a soundbar

Get the Edifier S880DB ($299). These are powered bookshelf speakers with a remote, optical input, and a subwoofer output. They sound massive for the size.

What I love: The ribbon tweeter produces highs that don’t hurt my ears. Most budget speakers get shrill at loud volumes, but these stay smooth. The bass is punchy enough for action movies without a separate sub.

What I hate: The remote is cheap plastic and the Bluetooth pairing takes 3 seconds longer than it should. Also, they’re not actually a soundbar, so you need space on either side of your TV. If you’re wall-mounting the TV, these won’t work.

The compact option that fits anywhere

The Audioengine A2+ Wireless ($269) are tiny. Like, 6 inches tall tiny. They fit on a bookshelf, a desk, or a narrow media console. I use a pair on my desk in Shenzhen and they fill a 20-square-meter room easily.

What surprised me: The bass. I didn’t expect these little cubes to produce any low-end, but they do. Not earth-shaking, but enough for dialogue and music. The built-in DAC handles optical from your TV cleanly.

What annoys me: No subwoofer output. If you want more bass later, you can’t add a sub. You’re stuck. Also, the power switch is on the back, which is annoying if your TV stand is against a wall.

The budget king that isn’t for audiophiles

If you absolutely need a soundbar shape and can’t do speakers, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the one to stretch for. It’s $399, not under $300, but it’s the only soundbar I’ve tested that doesn’t sound like a toy.

It has HDMI ARC, AirPlay 2, and it’s a Sonos speaker, so it works with the rest of your system. The center channel clarity for dialogue is the best I’ve heard in this price tier. Speech is crisp even at low volume.

The flaw: It needs a Sonos account and the Sonos app to set up. The app is a nightmare — it crashes, it forgets devices, and it forces updates at the worst times. Reddit has 200+ threads about this. The hardware is great; the software is a headache.

What about the Audio-Technica turntable?

The Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT ($149) is not a soundbar. But if you’re building a living room audio setup, you might want to play records. This is the turntable I recommend to everyone who asks.

It’s automatic, so you don’t need to learn counterweights. It has Bluetooth, so it pairs with the Edifier speakers wirelessly. It’s $149, which leaves room in your budget for the S880DB.

The catch: The built-in phono preamp is mediocre. It works, but a $50 external preamp improves the sound noticeably. Also, the plastic base feels cheap. It’s a starter deck, not a forever deck.

FAQ

Do I need a subwoofer for TV?

For movies, yes. For dialogue-heavy shows, no. If you watch mostly Netflix dramas, skip the sub. If you watch action movies, get the Edifier S880DB and add the Edifier T5 sub later.

Is Sonos worth the extra $100?

The Beam Gen 2 is worth it if you want HDMI ARC and a single-cable setup. It’s not worth it if you care about raw sound quality. The Edifiers sound better for $100 less.

Buy this, skip that

Buy the Edifier S880DB if you have space on a media console. Buy the Audioengine A2+ Wireless if you’re cramped. Stretch for the Sonos Beam Gen 2 if you want the cleanest setup and can tolerate Sonos’s app. Grab the AT-LP60XBT if you want records too. Skip the cheap Vizio soundbars. I’ve returned two. 省下这笔钱吧.

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