Do you ever get sick of your TV spitting out unclear, thin-sounding, potentially even tinny audio? I certainly used to. Whether I was trying to watch a newly added movie on Netflix or a gripping series like The Boys on Amazon Prime Video, I would thirst for more cinematic audio to take my viewing experiences to the next level. Thankfully, those days are behind me now.
But if you’re still feeling that pain, I’m here to tell you that overcoming your TV audio woes is easy, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg either. Yep, I’ve tested a huge number of the best cheap soundbars, and I’ve got to say, there are some great options that can whip up clearer and more expansive sound than most TVs could ever manage alone.
And during my time reviewing budget-friendly soundbars, I’ve got to say one really stands out among the crowd. Oh, I should mention that it’s an offering from Sony, no less. I’m of course referring to the Sony HT-SF150 (or HT-S100F if you’re in the US and Australia). It’s a sub-$130 / £100 soundbar that harnesses the power of virtual surround sound processing to take movie nights to the next level. Curious? Good, because I’m gonna gush a little more about this amazingly affordable audio companion.
No Atmos? No problem
So, I’ll get one thing out of the way. If you’re looking for a soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X or other surround sound formats, the Sony HT-SF150 ain’t it.
But is that a problem? Well, in my view, no. I’ve tried a few budget soundbars that attempt Dolby Atmos, and they’ve ended up sounding…pretty underwhelming. The Ultimea Nova S50 and Majority Elias spring to mind. Both struggled to recreate Atmos effects faithfully, and more importantly, each served up sometimes muddy, unrefined sound.
Thankfully, the Sony HT-SF150 is under no illusions. It understands that – at this price point – Atmos isn’t necessary. Instead, it makes use of Sony’s S-Force Front Surround virtual processing. This helps it unleash surprising width and sync on-screen movements decently.
If you want Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, you can stretch your budget a little further and grab the Sony HT-S2000, but the HT-SF150 delivers impressive virtual surround sound for a bar that’s firmly in the budget bracket.
Super-clear, amazingly versatile
More importantly, the general audio quality from the HT-SF150 surpassed my expectations. When testing, I watched the movie Smile and, when two women were speaking in an isolated room, dialogue sounded super clear, with each character’s tone remaining natural. Even when it comes to low-end sound – an area where most cheap bars fall flat – the HT-SF150 supplies significant depth, thanks to its built-in bass reflex speaker.
You can also tailor audio to your liking thanks to a range of sound modes. If you’re listening to a podcast, for example, you can put the soundbar into Voice mode and unlock pleasingly crisp, clear-cut speech.
After turning this on, voices were brought to the forefront, something that impressed me, given that sound modes often lack distinction on cheaper soundbars. But that’s not the case here. You’ll find a good degree of variety across the different calibrations, which include: Cinema, Music, Night, and Auto Sound.
And there are a number of ways to listen with the Sony HT-SF150. It uses HDMI ARC, which makes for a quick and easy setup, and even lets you use your main TV remote to adjust volume levels. But there’s also digital optical if all of your HDMI ports are in use. Crucially, there’s Bluetooth connectivity here, so you can seamlessly play music from your phone.
When you also consider the soundbar’s slim build (which means it can easily fit into most setups), as well as its fantastic build quality, you’re looking at phenomenal value for money.
Sure, there are some strong rivals out there – the Hisense HS214 is an unbelievably compact alternative, while the Panasonic SC-HTB100 is typically even cheaper yet still offers clear, well-positioned dialogue.
But for me, the Sony bar offers both superior performance and build quality over those two rivals. If you want more full-sounding audio at a temptingly low price, this is my number one recommendation.
