The 6 BEST Soundbars NZ! (2023)

Price: $1,649
Key specs: 11.1.4 Ch Surround | Dolby Atmos/DTS:X | HDMI eARC

Experience the cinematic sound of True Dolby ATMOS and DTS:X audio content with Samsung’s HW-Q950A.

With front, rear, side- and up-firing speakers for a realistic and immersive experience, you’ll be surrounded by captivating sound. To put it simply, this is the best sounding soundbar on this list, the one issue we had with it is it’s also very expensive.

With 4x speakers included with this soundbar, surround side is incredible. Action takes place all around the living room and the result is fantastic.

While it does reply 4x seperate powerpoints, (due to the 4 speakers) it’s easy to setup. The HDMI eARC capability allows for easy connection to your TV with just one cable. From there the speakers all connect to each other wireless and it all feels too easy.

If you want the best in the business, you shouldn’t go past the Samsung HW-Q950A.

Buy now for $1,649 from Noel Leeming (via TheMarket.com)

Price: $829
Key specs: 200w output | DTS Virtual:X | 2x HDMI and 1x Optical

The Yamaha ATS-2090 soundbar is compact and easy to install, making it an ideal choice for the home cinema enthusiast.

The wireless subwoofer fires fat bass lines through your speakers while delivering a lifelike experience with unparalleled clarity.

Easy Alexa voice command means you have total control over the layout – just say what you want to hear!

The Yamaha: ATS-2090 is a fantastic, surround sound system. With DTS Virtual:X and immersive 3D sound coming from all angles, it’s like you are right inside the scene of your most watched movies!

And with the wireless subwoofer, you can finally experience explosive bass sounds without having any clutter lying around your expensive living room design!

Our favourite thing about this soundbar is it supports Clear Voice which makes the voices and vocals louder than the music. We have often found some soundbars don’t do a good job at this but the ATS-2090 does.

Buy now for $829 from MightyApe.co.nz

Price: $699
Key specs: 300w output | Comes with Wireless Subwwofer | Bluetooth/Optical/3.5mm stereo jack/RCA stereo jack

Truly stunning cinematic sound performance with a compact design the BAR M12’s beauty is in its versatility.

Featuring Airsound™ technology and a wireless subwoofer for movie-grade surround, the BAR M12 delivers a full Hi-Fi experience which fills your living room with sounds.

We loved how much sound this small soundbar could produce. It’s the smallest on this list but blasts a competitive sound. The only problem we had with this soundbar is in some instances vocals could be hard to hear. But for only $699 it’s well worth it.

This will give you an immersive theater experience from small to big screen TV’s or home cinema systems.

So go ahead and dive into vibrant 3D audio whether it be music, gaming, TV or movies – you won’t believe how crisp exceptionally detailed it all can be through our award winning technologies! 

Buy now for $699 from MightyApe.co.nz

Price: $499
Key specs: 300w output | Best for deep bass | 2x HDMI ports

The JBL Bar 2.1-Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer is a great way to enhance your TV’s sound experience, or add better sound to an existing system. If you’re looking for better bass frequency this is the soundbar for you.

With 165mm wireless subwoofer outputting deep and punchy bass, this speaker will have you experiencing immersive audio from your favourite tv shows to movies at home.

The HDMI support enables the installation of the soundbar in any setup – whether it be next to your TV or on its own across the room.

With tone control options that work with your existing tv remote handset, the dynamic power of this product won’t go unnoticed either!

We loved the capabilities of this soundbar and for only $500, it’s a great buy.

Buy now for $500 from MightyApe.co.nz

Price: $469
Key specs: 120w output | DTS Virtual:X | 2x HDMI and 1x Optical

The Yamaha YAS109 is a sound bar designed to immerse your senses with TV and movie viewing at the push of a button (or word) thanks to the built-in Amazon Alexa voice control function.

Combined with the ability to connect to Spotify or Bluetooth for even more immersive sound, it becomes clear: that YAS109 does not disappoint.

Similar to the superior ATS-2090 we loved the Clear Voice feature on this soundbar. It helps make vocals just as clear as explosions or gunshots in action films.

This is a no nonsense soundbar. It doesn’t come with a big subwoofer addon, everything’s included in the package. Simply plug it in and your sound experience will be significantly improved.

Buy now for $469 from MightyApe.co.nz

Price: $249
Key specs: 120w output | Dolby Atmos support | Optical, HDMI, AUX and USB

The Kogan 120W Dolby Atmos Soundbar fills your room with a premium quality sound that takes you deep into the action. And all that for only $249.

If your looking for value for money, then this is the best option on our list. It punches well above it’s price which is great.

The one downside is it does lack bass capabilities. With no subwoofer included or built-in we did notice the bass wasn’t as good as other soundbars on this list.

Featuring HDMI and HDMI ARC connectivity, this well-designed unit offers a wide array of entertainment choices from movies to home theatre shows and music at the forefront of trendsetting audio technologies.

Buy now for $249 from MightyApe.co.nz

Soundbar Buyer’s Guide

If you’re looking to find the right soundbar for your needs, then this guide is perfect for you. We will cover all of the basics that potential buyers should consider before making a purchase. Questions like these are important because they can help you make an informed decision about what type of soundbar would be best for your individual needs.

Where are you going to put the soundbar?

You need to consider the space you have available and make sure the soundbar will fit in your desired location.

A great place for a new soundbar, if you haven’t had one before, is under your TV. This can be either on top of or below the television itself depending on how much room you have available that would not block any overhead lights or viewers’ views from other angles – just remember that this won’t work with all TVs so check first!

If there’s enough room between where you’re going to put your TV and where people typically sit while watching movies then a good option may be mounting it atop your set instead of placing it right underneath as long as its weight doesn’t cause problems over time. That’s a good tip for any soundbar, but especially those that are going to be mounted as it can help avoid the pratfalls of having your device fall from its perch and crack your screen.

If you’re looking at smaller models or don’t have enough space on either side of where you plan to put your TV then there’s always the option to mount these devices below screens instead which is great if unnoticed even though it will require some sort-of setup – we’ll go into this more in our buying advice section just ahead!

Check out other areas like behind couches and chairs too: many people place their speakers here and while they may not look all that bad no one ever said anything about aesthetics until soundbars came along!

What kind of TV do you have?

The answer to this question can be crucial, because different types come with their own set of benefits and caveats. Generally speaking the more features your television has then the better off that device will work in tandem with any speaker system like a soundbar – but how well it works is another story entirely!

It’s important to know what type of TV you’re dealing with before making any soundbar purchase; especially if its not too recent, as there are many TVs out on the market today which only support older connections which prevents newer devices from functioning properly. Even buying a new soundbar there may still be compatibility issues so make sure everything lines up first instead of finding yourself stuck due to incompatibility.

For anyone with a smart TV make sure to look into the soundbar compatibility before making your purchase as some models don’t support these features at all while others only partially work.

What size soundbar is right for you?

Soundbars come in all different shapes, sizes and wattages but it’s not always about getting the biggest one you can afford; like any purchase size does matter after all!

For larger rooms you’re going to want to get something that has more than enough oomph behind its audio capabilities so we do recommend taking your measurements before buying anything too small as this could lead to frustration if people aren’t able to hear what they want clearly. Generally speaking most models will be plenty loud at peak volume even when placed further away from users’ ears but certain types of soundbars are better off closer which brings us right into our next section.

What does the soundbar’s speaker design look like?

This may not seem important at first but it can be a deciding factor between one device and another especially if you’re looking for something that will blend into your room or surroundings better than others – pretty much every manufacturer has their own way of doing things here!

There are three main types on the market today: those with speakers built-in, those which have some sort of surround effect as well as some additional space to allow for this feature and finally there are some models out there which do away with any special features entirely in lieu of offering more traditional audio quality instead. While all these different approaches work they each come with their own set of pros and cons so it’s up to you which way makes the most sense for your needs!

What kind of connection options does the soundbar have?

This may not be a pressing concern if all your devices are near each other but sometimes that isn’t always the case – especially with older TVs.

Don’t forget about running cables through walls or under floors either as these can often become problematic across longer distances no matter what type is being used, so having a device which has multiple connectivity types helps to alleviate any potential issues along those lines. For instance HDMI connections tend to offer more bandwidth compared to optical ones where differences in quality can happen depending on who made them; this goes double for DTS versus Dolby Digital audio.