2024 Black Friday soundbar deals are now live, and while being a major home theater advocate means that I'll always remind people that a set of full speakers and a projector will get you the ultimate cinema-like experience, we can't all actually make that happen in our homes – and a great soundbar with your TV is still a seriously impressive upgrade.
We're seeing big sales on the best soundbars, from basic two-channel all-in-one models to elaborate 11.1.4-channel systems with wireless subwoofers and surround sound speakers. If you’re looking to upgrade your TV’s built-in audio, now is the time to do it, and to help you out, I'm tracking the best Black Friday soundbar deals right here on this page as they arrive in both the US and the UK.
Black Friday officially kicks off on November 29, 2024, but we’re already seeing early discounts on soundbars among the Black Friday deals. How good are the deals? How about $1,100 for Samsung's 11.1.4-channel HW-Q990D at Walmart in the US, and £299 for Sony's 3.1-channel HT-S2000 at Currys in the UK? And those are just a few of the early sales that we've come across.
We'll be updating this page with new deals, as well as general soundbar advice, as Black Friday continues, so come back for more offers as we roll towards the day itself.
Black Friday soundbar deals – US Quick Links
- Amazon: sensational soundbar sales
- Best Buy: Sony, Samsung, Sonos & more
- Target: big sound for less than $150
- Walmart: big home theater savings
- Samsung: $500 off the HW-Q990D
My top 3 Black Friday soundbar deals in the US
More great Black Friday soundbar deals
Black Friday soundbar deals – UK Quick Links
- Amazon: soundbars starting from under £32
- Argos: 5.1-channel Hisense soundbar for £179
- Currys: save £50 on the Sonos Beam Gen 2
- John Lewis: save £400 on the Sony Theatre Bar 9
- Very: Sony HT-S2000 Dolby Atmos soundbar for £298
My top 3 Black Friday soundbar deals in the UK
More great Black Friday soundbar deals
I've been working in AV product testing and tech journalism for nearly 30 years, and I've had my eyes on basically every flagship TV and my ears tuned to many top soundbars available today. I'm always looking to cover as many bases as possible for different budget or viewing needs in my reviewing and have been covering Black Friday and other high-profile sales events since 2022.
The most common connection for high-quality soundbars today is HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC. This means they connect to your TV over an HDMI port, and take all your TV's sound over this connection.
What are the advantages and what are the differences between them? We have a guide to explain all, my friend. Read our in-depth HDMI ARC and HDMI eARC explainer.
Getting a small soundbar doesn't have to mean missing out on mod cons such as real upfiring speakers for Dolby Atmos height channels and Wi-Fi music streaming – the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 proves that.
And it's pretty inexpensive to begin with, and is even better value in today's deals. Small size, high features – it's very impressive, and got a glowing write-up in our Bose Smart Soundbar 600 review.
Bose Smart Soundbar 600: was $499 now $399 at Best Buy
Want the option of big, cinematic surround sound, but can't have speakers set up behind you the whole time due to space or aesthetic preferences? Let me introduce you to the JBL Bar 1300X.
It's a great-sounding, very powerful soundbar that's extremely wide… because the ends detach to become battery powered wireless rear speakers. Just put them behind you when you want surround sound, and attach them to the bar to recharge or when you don't want them floating around. They form part of the bar's sound profile when attached.
JBL Bar 1300X US deal: was $1,699.99 now $899.99 at Amazon
JBL Bar 1300 UK deal: was £1,299.99 now £999.99 at Amazon
A key thing that people don't always think about before buying a soundbar is whether the dimensions are a good fit for your TV. Really, I'd love to see soundbar manufacturers put suggested TV sizes on the descriptions of the soundbars.
Smaller soundbars, like the Sonos Beam Gen 2 or the Ultimea Poseidon D50 are good for TVs from 32 inches to 55 inches. They won't quite match the scale of the pictures beyond that size.
There are mid-size soundbars, like the Sony HT-S2000 or the Samsung HW-Q800C that will work from 48 inches to 65 inches nicely – probably just about to 75 inches in the Samsung's case.
And then the premium soundbars – the Sonos Arc Ultra, Samsung HW-Q990D or Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar – are all designed for TVs of 55 inches and up. They'll stick out well beyond anything smaller, which will just look odd.
For those who want a huge, all-encompassing Dolby Atmos sound, the Samsung HW-Q990D is the five-star soundbar system to beat. It gives you 11.1.4 channels of sound spread over a big bar, two rear speakers and a meaty subwoofer – and it's so impressive.
It's also practical – it has two HDMI 2.1 inputs, as well as a connection to your TV, so it can pass 4K 120Hz video through. That means it actually adds an HDMI port to your setup.
When anyone asks what the ultimate soundbar home theater system is for a realistic price, we go straight to the Q990D.
Samsung HW-Q990D US deal: was $1,997 now $1,100 at Walmart
Samsung HW-Q990D UK deal: was £1,699 now £985 at Amazon
The first thing you might be wondering when shopping for a soundbar: do I need one with a subwoofer, or will one that's just the bar itself work for me?
Basically, it comes down to the cinematic power you want. A single bar obviously takes up much less space in the room and so might be preferable for your setup overall. You can expect a soundbar like this to add more range to the sound overall, more clarity to speech because the mid-range will stand out more from other frequencies, and better width to the sound so it feels big has a difference from left to right. Some expensive models can produce pretty impressive bass.
But adding a subwoofer will add far more bass, and this means you'll get the impact of explosions, the hum of an ominous soundtrack, or the tone of a musical score all coming through much more like was intended for the movie.
It's really just about what you want from a soundbar – clarity in a compact frame, or a much bigger and more cinematic sound.
