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Ty Pendlebury has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
ExpertiseTy has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast.Credentials
Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Despite what some people may think, bigger isn't always better. You don't have to spend a ton on a huge speaker setup to enjoy an exceptional audio experience. If you don't have the room or just don't feel like spending an arm and a leg on speakers, considering investing in a small soundbar makes perfect sense.
If you have a small TV or have only a tiny place to fit an external speaker, a small soundbar can still deliver exceptional sound quality. The best small soundbars can fit into cramped spaces and come with a surprising number of features. For example, the Roku Streambar isn't only a compact soundbar but also a capable video streamer, making it great for a bedroom setup. If making dialogue easier to understand is your aim, the Polk or Yamaha speakers below could be a great fit.
All the systems here feature single soundbars ranging between 1 and 2 feet long, while the Polk also includes a separate subwoofer.
If there was ever a solid gold bargain, it's undoubtedly the Roku Streambar, which combines both audio and streaming in one device. This is a two-channel soundbar with a fully-fledged 4K streamer onboard, and even if you don't use the streaming functions it works well as a standalone soundbar. As a smaller soundbar, it doesn't have the deepest bass, but it does offer an expressive midrange with a dedicated voice mode for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/dont-rely-on-subtitles-fix-your-tvs-speaker-settings-instead/">clearer dialog</a>. It's an unbeatable value and frequently on sale for under $100.</p>" dislike="" edition="us" imagealttext="Roku Streambar with remote" imagecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" imagegroup="{"uuid":"97ccad60-c6a9-4ee1-a296-656d9ddd908c","alt":"Roku Streambar with remote","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"97ccad60-c6a9-4ee1-a296-656d9ddd908c","filename":"019-roku-streambar-2020.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/57778256135f859baa1185a07ffb5cc61e1b929f/hub/2020/10/12/97ccad60-c6a9-4ee1-a296-656d9ddd908c/019-roku-streambar-2020.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2020-10-12 16:03:04.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/57778256135f859baa1185a07ffb5cc61e1b929f/hub/2020/10/12/97ccad60-c6a9-4ee1-a296-656d9ddd908c/019-roku-streambar-2020.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"Roku Streambar with remote","imageFilename":"019-roku-streambar-2020.jpg","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2667,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2020-10-12","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" index="1" isbestlistredesign="true" like="" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block="{"id":"wsdop1g8zmpibkf","type":"listicle"}" offer="{"id":"d1ef0136-4f4c-46a6-8785-3ec0e1dbba3c","label":"Roku Streambar","slug":"roku-streambar","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"97ccad60-c6a9-4ee1-a296-656d9ddd908c","imgUrl":"/content/image/redirect/97ccad60-c6a9-4ee1-a296-656d9ddd908c/resize/75x56","typeLabel":"Series","objectType":"content_product_series","icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product-series ct-small"}" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" superlative="Best overall" tagslugs="gap-project,yamaha,hv28,lg,roku" techobjectinfo="{"uuid":"d1ef0136-4f4c-46a6-8785-3ec0e1dbba3c","name":"Roku Streambar","slug":"roku-streambar","productType":"SERIES","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1643212253360,"displayDate":"Wed Jan 26 2022 10:50:53 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)"}" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">
If there was ever a solid gold bargain, it's undoubtedly the Roku Streambar, which combines both audio and streaming in one device. This is a two-channel soundbar with a fully-fledged 4K streamer onboard, and even if you don't use the streaming functions it works well as a standalone soundbar. As a smaller soundbar, it doesn't have the deepest bass, but it does offer an expressive midrange with a dedicated voice mode for clearer dialog. It's an unbeatable value and frequently on sale for under $100.
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Yamaha is one of the most consistent makers of soundbars, but this also means its designs tend to cost a little more than competitors. The SR-C20A, on the other hand, is affordable and also manages to sound great when paired with your TV. It can connect to any of your Bluetooth-compatible devices easily, as well. </p>" dislike="" edition="us" imagealttext="A side view of a gray Yamaha soundbar on a wooden TV stand." imagecredit="Ty Pendlebury/CNET" imagegroup="{"uuid":"37d7bfae-16e0-4fb7-87a4-7762c355dde8","alt":"A side view of a gray Yamaha soundbar on a wooden TV stand.","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Ty Pendlebury/CNET","imageData":{"id":"37d7bfae-16e0-4fb7-87a4-7762c355dde8","filename":"sr-20a-5.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/c1abe23420920d0a45d986496310b3f4c24e0820/hub/2020/10/21/37d7bfae-16e0-4fb7-87a4-7762c355dde8/sr-20a-5.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2020-10-21 18:22:52.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/c1abe23420920d0a45d986496310b3f4c24e0820/hub/2020/10/21/37d7bfae-16e0-4fb7-87a4-7762c355dde8/sr-20a-5.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Ty Pendlebury/CNET","imageAltText":"A side view of a gray Yamaha soundbar on a wooden TV stand.","imageFilename":"sr-20a-5.jpg","imageWidth":4266,"imageHeight":3126,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2020-10-21","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" index="2" isbestlistredesign="true" like="" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block="{"id":"c6045lhwmcgto76","type":"listicle"}" offer="{"id":"50a611f2-65ec-4806-afdf-1478802c6da2","label":"Yamaha SR-C20A","slug":"yamaha-sr-c20a","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"3fed36b9-7b24-4ef2-ad83-0da03b5587de","imgUrl":"/content/image/redirect/3fed36b9-7b24-4ef2-ad83-0da03b5587de/resize/75x56","typeLabel":"Series","objectType":"content_product_series","icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product-series ct-small"}" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Ty Pendlebury/CNET" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" superlative="Best for dialogue" tagslugs="gap-project,yamaha,hv28,lg,roku" techobjectinfo="{"uuid":"50a611f2-65ec-4806-afdf-1478802c6da2","slug":"yamaha-sr-c20a","name":"Yamaha SR-C20A","productType":"SERIES","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1722731578133}" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">
Yamaha is one of the most consistent makers of soundbars, but this also means its designs tend to cost a little more than competitors. The SR-C20A, on the other hand, is affordable and also manages to sound great when paired with your TV. It can connect to any of your Bluetooth-compatible devices easily, as well.
At 13 inches wide, the soundbar part of the Mini fits the moniker, even if you do need somewhere to put the gallon-sized subwoofer. The inclusion of the sub is worthwhile, as the system punches well above its weight with great sound in movies and with music. In addition, having Google's <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/try-this-simple-chromecast-trick-for-playing-music-in-every-room-of-your-house/">Chromecast built-in</a> enables a wealth of streaming and multiroom capabilities.</p>" dislike="" edition="us" imagealttext="polk-magnifi-mini-03.jpg" imagecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" imagegroup="{"uuid":"b1bf9fbb-c1ff-492b-83ec-9b975d607f7c","alt":"polk-magnifi-mini-03.jpg","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"b1bf9fbb-c1ff-492b-83ec-9b975d607f7c","filename":"polk-magnifi-mini-03.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/15aba9352fd3b647198f23c9317e000b66451c8d/hub/2016/11/15/b1bf9fbb-c1ff-492b-83ec-9b975d607f7c/polk-magnifi-mini-03.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2016-11-15 00:16:14.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/15aba9352fd3b647198f23c9317e000b66451c8d/hub/2016/11/15/b1bf9fbb-c1ff-492b-83ec-9b975d607f7c/polk-magnifi-mini-03.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"polk-magnifi-mini-03.jpg","imageFilename":"polk-magnifi-mini-03.jpg","imageWidth":3840,"imageHeight":2560,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2016-11-15","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" index="3" isbestlistredesign="true" like="" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block="{"id":"9wbz7qo28lkaf4t","type":"listicle"}" offer="{"id":"09e95a97-a563-469b-b2f9-625eb9edd030","label":"Polk MagniFi Mini","slug":"polk-magnifi-mini","edition":["US","ES"],"imageId":"b1bf9fbb-c1ff-492b-83ec-9b975d607f7c","imgUrl":"/content/image/redirect/b1bf9fbb-c1ff-492b-83ec-9b975d607f7c/resize/75x56","typeLabel":"Series","objectType":"content_product_series","icon":"type-icon ct-cmg-tech-product-series ct-small"}" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" superlative="Best for music" tagslugs="gap-project,yamaha,hv28,lg,roku" techobjectinfo="{"uuid":"09e95a97-a563-469b-b2f9-625eb9edd030","slug":"polk-magnifi-mini","name":"Polk MagniFi Mini","productType":"SERIES","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1722730587547}" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="false">
At 13 inches wide, the soundbar part of the Mini fits the moniker, even if you do need somewhere to put the gallon-sized subwoofer. The inclusion of the sub is worthwhile, as the system punches well above its weight with great sound in movies and with music. In addition, having Google's Chromecast built-in enables a wealth of streaming and multiroom capabilities.
Sonos' entry-level <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/best-soundbar/">soundbar</a> features the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/best-sonos-speakers/">company's excellent multiroom music system</a> onboard while being smaller than the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/sonos-beam-gen-2-review-atmos-alexa-and-the-best-music-streaming-get-even-better/">Sonos Beam</a>. We were impressed with the sound quality for both music and movies. It delivers a surprisingly wide soundstage through the use of proprietary waveguides. Connection is simple with a single optical connection, while users seeking HDMI or Atmos should look to the step-up <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/sonos-beam-gen-2-review-atmos-alexa-and-the-best-music-streaming-get-even-better/">Beam Gen 2</a>.</p>" dislike="" edition="us" imagealttext="sonos-ray-hero-black-on-green" imagecredit="Sonos" imagegroup="{"uuid":"5b9e55b0-07f5-4c2b-b2a9-35755a906d86","alt":"sonos ray","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sonos","imageData":{"id":"5b9e55b0-07f5-4c2b-b2a9-35755a906d86","filename":"sonos-ray-blue-white.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/7c920a1df25ff303e704d0f12278759aed59636c/hub/2022/05/26/5b9e55b0-07f5-4c2b-b2a9-35755a906d86/sonos-ray-blue-white.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-05-26 20:33:52.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/7c920a1df25ff303e704d0f12278759aed59636c/hub/2022/05/26/5b9e55b0-07f5-4c2b-b2a9-35755a906d86/sonos-ray-blue-white.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sonos","imageAltText":"sonos ray","imageFilename":"sonos-ray-blue-white.jpg","imageWidth":6000,"imageHeight":3375,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-05-26","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" isbestlistredesign="true" like="" linktext="Read our Sonos Ray review" linkurl="https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/sonos-ray-soundbar-review-great-tv-sound-even-better-for-music/" ng-block="{"id":"a89txae5n3kadtv","type":"cross-content-listicle"}" offer="{"id":"a57070d3-62fb-4447-97c0-a2b65f76c489","label":"Sonos Ray","slug":"sonos-ray","edition":["us"],"imageId":"ccafb457-da2d-4ed1-94a4-0d5e41e45247","imgUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/69c31825021d830f778c8a527795ba99f61187c2/hub/2022/05/20/ccafb457-da2d-4ed1-94a4-0d5e41e45247/6506475-sa.jpg?auto=webp&width=300&height=300&fit=crop","imageHeight":0,"imageWidth":0,"typeLabel":"Series","objectType":"content_product_series","icon":""}" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Sonos" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" superlative="Best for Sonos fans" tagslugs="gap-project,yamaha,hv28,lg,roku" techobjectinfo="{"uuid":"a57070d3-62fb-4447-97c0-a2b65f76c489","slug":"sonos-ray","name":"Sonos Ray","productType":"SERIES","updateType":"EZMONEY","mod":1722797915700}" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">
Sonos' entry-level soundbar features the company's excellent multiroom music system onboard while being smaller than the Sonos Beam. We were impressed with the sound quality for both music and movies. It delivers a surprisingly wide soundstage through the use of proprietary waveguides. Connection is simple with a single optical connection, while users seeking HDMI or Atmos should look to the step-up Beam Gen 2.
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