Soundbars: Sonos Arc Ultra, Samsung Q990F and More (2026)

AI Life / TV and Audio

A soundbar is the cheapest big upgrade to TV sound. These guides cover the best overall picks, a head-to-head of the two top systems, a fix for hard-to-hear dialogue and a budget list. Every page is researched from named reviews with sources linked, and I have not tested the soundbars myself. I own Sonos speakers but have not tested these soundbars, and the pages say so. Sources include What Hi-Fi’s budget soundbar picks and WIRED.

Start with the roundup. Black Friday is Friday, November 27, 2026, and Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30, 2026.

Guides in this category

• Best Soundbar 2026: Sonos Arc Ultra, Samsung Q990F, Beam, Ray and Hisense Picks: The best soundbars for 2026 from WIRED, Wirecutter, PCMag and What Hi-Fi: Sonos Arc Ultra, Samsung Q990F, Beam Gen 2, Ray and Hisense AX5125H, with buying tips.
• Sonos Arc Ultra vs Samsung HW-Q990F: Which Soundbar Should You Buy?: Sonos Arc Ultra vs Samsung HW-Q990F compared from WIRED, PCMag, Business Insider and Wirecutter: sound, surround, setup, HDMI and which room each suits.
• Best Soundbar for Dialogue 2026: Fix Hard-to-Hear TV Speech: The best soundbars for clear dialogue in 2026 from What Hi-Fi, WIRED and Wirecutter: Sonos Ray, Beam Gen 2 and Arc Ultra, with speech settings and test steps.
• Best Budget Soundbar 2026: Sonos Beam, Ray and Hisense Picks: The best budget soundbars for 2026 from What Hi-Fi and Wirecutter: Sonos Beam Gen 2, Sonos Ray and Hisense AX5125H, with what to give up and how to choose.

Related categories

• AI-Upscaling TVs guides
• Noise-Cancelling Headphones guides
• Hearing Aids guides
• Black Friday AI gadget deals

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FAQ

Do I need a soundbar?

Probably. What Hi-Fi says even an average soundbar usually beats the built-in speakers on most TVs.

What is the best soundbar?

The Sonos Arc Ultra for a single bar, per WIRED and Business Insider, and the Samsung HW-Q990F for full surround, per PCMag.