Best Soundbars for Philips TVs (2023)

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Philips TVs are no doubt among the best options on the market. But as with virtually all other models, they aren’t anywhere near impressive when it comes to audio output — no thanks to the flattened-out built-in speakers that can only do so much with deeper sounds.

So, to get a complete home entertainment experience from your Philips TV, you’d have to invest in a good soundbar. In this post, we’d be looking at some of the best soundbars for Philips TVs. Read on to learn more.

Soundbars for Philips TV: Our Top Recommendations

While the market abounds with soundbars that are touted as being suitable for any TV, the truth is, not all soundbars would work perfectly with your Philips TV. Now, to help you make a buying decision that you won’t regret, we have checked the bestselling soundbars on the market and compared them in terms of compatibility with Philips TVs, audio quality, durability, brand trust, and buyer reviews. Now, let’s look at our top contenders.

1. Polk Audio Signa S2

Designed to elevate your home theater experience, the Polk Audio Signa S2 is a decent soundbar that you can afford even after forking out a chunk of change on your new flat TV. A direct successor to the previous Signa 1, the S2 is a combination of functionality and fantastic sound quality.

Design

Polk Audio soundbars all have one thing in common – a premium appearance. The Signa S2 doesn’t deviate from the norm except that it looks a lot like the S1 so much so that you may find it difficult to tell them apart. The body is completely made of plastic with a glassy finish to give it a premium feel. With dimensions measuring 6 x 80 x 8 cm, the Signa S2 should fit beneath your TV without obscuring the IR remote sensor. It is notably light, allowing you to carry it around and install it with ease.

On the back of the soundbar is a small number of connectors, which are pretty much what the S1 featured. You’d find ports for optical, HDMI ARC, and a jack of axillary output. There’s nothing on the front face of the bar except its logo and LED display to indicate the number of inputs being used. Setting up the soundbar is quite straightforward as you can install it in minutes – just unpack, connect, and listen.

Features

There’s a dearth of features on the Signa S2, which is good news for people who want to get straight to enjoying their soundbar without worrying about too many audio components. Among the few features available is the Polk Adjust Technology for customizing voice levels and reproducing crisp dialogue so you never miss a single word of your favorite movie, TV show, or sporting event.

Additionally, there are primarily two modes for music and movie. The Night mode is perfect for those who want to enjoy their late-night shows and movies without disturbing anyone. Plus, there’s the wireless Bluetooth feature that lets you stream audio to it from your mobile device. As for the remote, the buttons are well-spaced even though they do require some hard pressing.

Performance

The Polk Audio Signa S2 lives up to expectations as it offers an excellent sound that’s on par with any mid-to-high-range soundbars available on the market. It delivers an incredible, room-filling home theater experience such that you can feel the deep bass impact immerse your room, Also, the Signa S2 has one of the best frequency ranges of bass you can find among its rivals.

Going further, the Polk Adjust Technology helps to improve the audio experience of the soundbar as it reproduces clear, crisp dialogue so you don’t have to ever miss a word of your favorite movie, TV show, or sporting event. Overall, the sound quality is a fine example of great value for money as it surprisingly delivers rich bass tones despite its sounds while the clarity is nothing short of excellent.

Pros

• Elegant look.
• Amazing front soundstage.
• Solid bass performance.
• Very easy to set up.
• Affordable.

Cons

• No surround depth.
• Audio adjustments are limited.
• Average remote.
• Limited features.

2. JBL 5.1

The JBL 5.1 soundbar has a lot of things going for it including an elegant design, superb sound quality, and tons of features – a combination that makes it one of the biggest and boldest sound gears from the brand at the time of launch. It comes in a smart design and a powerful sound output to make your movie nights perfect.

Design

Most JBL soundbars don’t have a fancy design but the 5.1 rocks an elegant design. From the chrome metallic trims to the drilled black metal body, the bar is probably the most decorative model in the brand’s lineup, but it somehow manages to remain undistracted.

The bar itself is 58mm tall and can comfortably sit beneath most TVs without obstructing the view of an area of the screen. Basic controls are found on the top for power, volume, and source selection (i.e. Bluetooth and HDMI.) In contrast, the accompanying subwoofer is large and heavy with a matte black finish.

Flip the soundbar around, and you will find the panel housing the ports. The inputs include three HDMI ports, one USB, one UAX, and one optical port. Behind the subwoofer, there’s only one single button for wireless syncing up the subwoofer to the soundbar. Once you’re able to get the soundbar out of the box (a step that comes with instructions), you should have no trouble setting it up.

Features

The JBL 5.1 packs a variety of features. For instance, it has Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect your mobile device to it while the AirPlay 2 feature is suitable for Apple users who want to stream content to it. Android users will find the Chromecast feature helpful for streaming too.

Perhaps, the biggest attraction to the JBL 5.1 is the transformation between a 2.1 and 5.1 sound system. The battery-powered speakers are able to go into a 5.1 mode as soon as you detach them so you don’t have to do anything else.

SoundShift is yet another feature that allows you to play music from any device or the TV so you can swap backward and forwards simultaneously between a wired and Bluetooth connection. If you find yourself regularly jumping between your mobile device and TV, the JBL 5.1 is the real deal. There are also a number of modes that are suitable for games as well as music and movie playback.

Performance

The sound output of the bar is quite impressive, especially since it is loud. Thanks to its 510W of power, you can expect loud, clear, and bassy musical production without any loss of clarity. The problem here is that you might find some difficulty getting some balance at lower levels, but you can fix this by switching to voice mode. Overall, the sound system is capable of producing room-filling sounds that make action movies more intense and sports more immersive.

Pros

• User-friendly.
• Strong-powerful bass.
• Gorgeous design.
• Feature-rich.

Cons

• Lack of EQ settings.
• Lacks quiet listening performance.
• Intelligent switching could be smoother.

3. Sony HT-G700

If you don’t have space for a full surround sound system, a compact soundbar like the Sony HT-G700 is just what you need to get the cinematic experience that you love. It is perfect for rooms with smaller footprints, achieving a decent sound output at a reasonably affordable price point.

Design

Measuring 64 x980 x 108 mm, the HT-G700 is most suited to TVs 55 inches and bigger. Sony keeps things simple in the design department with a minimalist matte finish on the top surface and the edges while a metal grille punched through with a host of holes covering the three full-range drivers in the soundbar. Not only is the soundbar more classy than others in its range, but its subwoofer is also large and smart-looking.

Along the top of the bar is a range of touch-sensitive buttons for power, input selection, volume, and Bluetooth. It also comes with a blue LED display at the front of the unit. Inputs on the back include an HDMI, a separate HDMI ARC/eARC output, digital optical, and USB. Surprisingly, there’s no Wi-Fi connection as the only way to go wireless is to use Bluetooth.

Features

The HT-G700 boasts a number of selling points, one of which is the ability of this 3.1 system to do Dolby Atmos sound (DTS:X is also supported). Turns out the secret is the Vertical Surround Engine technology, which enables the soundbar to deliver a 7.1.2 surround sound experience. It is complemented by another technology called ‘S-Force Pro Front Sound.’

The major responsibility of the S-Force Pro-tech is to create the illusion of surround speakers so it seems the sound is coming from all around you while equally giving a sense of height to the audio so it matches that of the screen. Thankfully, setting up the system is straightforward and requires little effort.

Like most soundbars, the HT-G700 comes with a variety of sound modes so you can optimize your listening experience. You get cinematic, standard, music, and immersive AE mode. Additionally, there’s a dedicated night mode, which temporarily reduces bass and dynamics so you don’t disturb other members of your household.

Performance

The HT-G700 promises a lot, especially with the addition of the Vertical Surround Engine and the S-Force Pro technology. While Sony’s claim of a surround sound experience is overstated, this bar offers a clean and accurate delivery of an expansive soundstage in nearly all circumstances.

With an output of 400W, the HT-G700 can get really loud to fill a small room with earth-shaking sounds. It manages to knock off loud sounds while maintaining clarity even when the volume is released to the max, and there’s some noticeable thumping and compression.

While this unit isn’t totally immersive or punchy as expected of a soundbar with up-firing speakers, it is still a pleasant experience to watch TV with it, thanks to the digital processing. You may not find it perfect (which is okay considering its pricing), but this bar will give you something close to the cinematic experience you desire.

Pros

• Compact.
• Solid and stylish design.
• Tight, punchy bass.
• Great overall audio quality.

Cons

• Can’t create true Atmos effects.
• No Wi-Fi.
• Remote is tricking to use.

4. LG SN6Y

If you’re looking to update your home audio experience without breaking the bank, look no further than the LG SN6Y. It is one of the brand’s recent addition to its budget-friendly collection, packing a punch and delivering dimensional, virtual surround sound.

Design

Frankly, the SN6Y won’t wow you, and you can probably tell this right from the moment you set your eyes on it. What Sony presents is a simple soundbar with a simple design and traditional style that’s unobtrusive. A metal grille covers the front of the bar while the rest of its body is made of plastic.

To give it a faux-leather look, the top of the bar is embossed while the company’s logo sits in the right-hand corner. On the right side of the bar, you will find a silicone button pad that houses the controls for volume, source selection, and power while an easy-to-read display behind the metal grille on the front shows information about the bar.

As far as connectivity goes, there’s actually no difference between the SN6Y and the SL6Y. You get the HDMI ARC in and out, optical audio, and USB. There’s no 3.5mm aux port but to compensate, the bar provides both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The accompanying remote is small, but the icons on the buttons are large enough to spot.

Features

The feature set of the SN6Y is unimpressive, but this may be good news if you don’t really care about the features of your soundbars. It does come with the Adaptive Sound Control tech, which automatically detects what’s on-screen and adjusts the audio settings for optimized sound reproduction. In other words, it analyzes incoming sounds to project clearer voices, enhanced background sound, and increased volume so you can listen better.

Furthermore, the SN6Y is compatible with DTS Virtual:X, which is a psychoacoustic processing technology that creates multi-dimensional sound to deliver an acceptable immersive surround sound experience. Watching action movies, sports, or wildlife documentaries will never be the same again as you’re immersed in the action.

Performance

Despite its size, this soundbar knocks out some really loud sounds sufficient to fill a small room, thanks to its 420W power. It does give a decent dose of punch and thump in music. Add to the adaptive sound control tech, and you can expect your home entertainment to be more enjoyable.

Regarding the audio quality, the SN6Y provides crisp and clean sounds so you can hear everything being said on your TV. While it provides amazing clarity, it lacks any kind of surround activity as it feels the sound is coming from you, but you can get that fixed by adding a rear speaker kit (which is available separately) to enhance the depth and create an immersive soundstage.

Pros

• Compact size.
• Excellent center channel performance.
• Good stereo dynamics.
• Premium design.

Cons

• The companion app lacks some functionalities on iOS.
• No surround sound.

5. Sony S100F

Unlike many soundbars that come with a lot of fancy words and marketing propositions, the Sony S100F cuts out the fluff by focusing on just one thing that soundbars are expected to do – elevate your TV sound. It’s a particularly great choice for those looking to upgrade their TV sound quality by investing in a soundbar with a simple setup.

Design

Like most budget-friendly soundbars, the S100F doesn’t achieve much in terms of design. It is basically a fairly wide soundbar with a 35.5 x 1.5 x 3. 5-inch build that weighs roughly 5.3 pounds without cabling, making it light should you want to wall-mount it in your room. Alternatively, you could even drop it on a table or right underneath your TV.

Aesthetically, the soundbar is all black and has a metal grille that covers the front and half of the sides while the rest is made of solid plastic. The faux-leather texture on the top gives the bar a slightly premium feel, and this is where the touch-sensitive controls are positioned.

All its connection inputs are located on the recessed area of the S100F. For a low-priced soundbar, it’s no surprise that what you have here are basic wired connections including one HDMI ARC port, one USB port, and optical input. While this is disappointing, there’s some consolation that you won’t be worried about compatibility issues or connectivity problems since these are manufactured by Sony. For wireless connectivity, there’s Bluetooth.

Features

The S100F uses what Sony calls the Front Surround technology, which is designed to help simulate a surround sound experience on a 2.0 channel system. In other words, you get to hear sounds from all around you, whether you fire up the soundbar for music or movies. Although it doesn’t come with a separate subwoofer, the Front Surround feature does provide a reasonably strong illusion of surround sound.

You can also optimize the sound output via the movies and music mode so you can hear dialogue and music clearly. The power output of the amplifier is 120W, but you’re only looking at 30 watts of power consumption under standard use. The package ships with a relatively intuitive remote that let you control the soundbar from anywhere in the room.

Performance

The sound frequencies that often suffer in most soundbars are the bass tones but the X9000F performs well in this regard. The soundbar may have only two channels, but it sounds like a complete multi-channel system due to its Front Surround feature.

It also comes with a voice enhancement feature that subtly enhances conversations so you hear clear and distinct voices. Plus, it gets decently loud enough to fill a small room but doesn’t expect to get deep rumbling sounds.

Pros

• Great for dialogue content.
• Performs well at max volume.
• Budget-friendly.

Cons

• It can get too loud.
• Doesn’t support DTS.