The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 (see image) takes a giant leap at the top because of its versatile features and phenomenal soundstage, allowing for a 360° cinematic experience.
In summary, below are my top picks for the best soundbar without subwoofers:
- Among my three picks, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 takes a giant leap at the top because of its versatile features and phenomenal soundstage, allowing for a 360° cinematic experience.
- My second favorite is the Sonos Beam Gen 2 because of its unmatched portability and excellent voice enhancement control. It also has a bass and treble adjustment feature to give you more control over your audio.
- Finally, the Yamaha YAS-108 produces well-defined voices and mid-ranges but poorer bass and treble. It also has a darker sound profile than its Bose and Sonos soundbar rivals.
Now, let's take a look at my top 3 best soundbars without subwoofers and their defining features.
Sound Quality
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
Room acoustics, particularly room dimensions and speaker positioning, will have an immense effect on sound quality.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is why I'd hiiiiiiighly recommend you to check out this simple, 2D, online speaker placement calculator.
It's GOOOOLLLDDDDD. I've had an Acoustics & Audio PhD build this tool specifically for this purpose:
Default values:
- Ceiling height: 106 inches or 8 feet 10 inches or 2.70 meters
- Most standard ceiling height
- Listener's height: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Average height of a sitting person
Central heights of speakers (measured from the ground) and examples to them:
- Soundbars: 30 inches or 2 feet 6 inches or 0.75 meters
- 8", 10" or 12" Subwoofers: 8 inches or 0.20 meters
- 360 degree speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Horizontal speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Floor standing speakers: 20 inches or 1 feet 8 inches or 0.50 meters
- Bookshelf speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
- Center speakers: 32 inches or 2 feet 8 inches or 0.80 meters
Side note: This tool can and will return inaccurate results for small, portable Bluetooth speakers such as JBL's Go Series. It will, however, deliver just fine for more powerful, packed bluetooth speakers such as this one.
ASAP Science made a video on the loudest and quietest rooms in the world. A mind blowing example of the importance of acoustics (time adjusted video).
Other parameters such as the age/materials of the building, the furniture & carpets in place, etc can and will, of course, have an effect on room acoustics, too. But much less.
Also...
Did you know you could also virtually hear any speaker online?
Crutchfield had recently created a tool that virtually simulates the sounds of many different speakers; such as those of SVS, Klipsch, KEF and B&W. Nothing will, of course, beat hearing the speakers in reality. But I'd still recommend you to give it a shot.
While you're at it, blast my Hidden Electronic Gems list to test them:
Anyways...
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 (see image) has an ADAPTiQ room correction feature to modify your audio depending on your room's environment and mood.
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 2.29" x 41.14" x 4.21"
- Weight: 12.68 lbs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, AirPlay, Spotify Connect
- What I liked: Phenomenal soundstage, supports Dolby Atmos content, versatile features
- What I didn't: Lacks bass power, short on bar controls, no extra HDMI port
Bose has done an exceptional job redesigning their earlier soundbar to the Smart Soundbar 900. It's my top pick for the best soundbar without a subwoofer because it has the sweetest and most immersive soundstage compared to the Sonos Beam Gen 2 and the Yamaha YAS-108. That's all thanks to its seven drivers and PhaseGuide technology.
I also had a blast listening to my music playlist and watching my favorite action and thriller movies because of this soundbar's clean and decent sound profile. It delivered premium and crisp sounds even for the tiniest details. It also supports Dolby Atmos content to give you more listening options.
Additionally, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 has an ADAPTiQ room correction feature to modify your audio depending on your room's environment and mood. It also supports Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls for better functionality.
The only significant downside I found with this bar is that it lacks a bass thump and low register in your audio. However, it wasn't noticeable because of its sweet and expansive soundstage. Another minor con I discovered is its limited HDMI port. Again, it isn't much of a big deal because of its Bluetooth compatibility.
You may check out the Owner’s Guide for Bose Smart Soundbar 900.
Another feature of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 (see image) that I liked is its voice enhancement feature to localize voices and instruments in my audio.
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 2.72" x 25.63" x 3.94"
- Weight: 6.2 lbs
- Connectivity: WiFi, AirPlay
- What I liked: Adjustable bass and treble control, supports Dolby Atmos content, dialogue enhancement feature
- What I didn't: Room correction feature is for iOS only, cannot go very loud, short on low-bass
Coming close to the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is the Sonos Beam Gen 2. Although it's another Dolby Atmos-compatible soundbar, its features are less versatile than Bose's compact bar. Nonetheless, I appreciated its richer treble, broader dynamic range, and more varied listening experience. It also produces a neutral and clear sound profile.
The most defining difference of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 from the Bose and Yamaha soundbars is its portability. I noticed that it has shorter dimensions and takes up less space. However, I had limited connectivity options because it doesn't support Bluetooth and Spotify Connect.
Another feature of the Sonos Beam Gen 2 that I liked is its voice enhancement feature to localize voices and instruments in my audio. I also appreciated its bass and treble adjustment component since this soundbar sometimes struggles with its bass thump and rumble.
Learn how to set up, use, and care for Sonos Beam (Gen 2), and get a comprehensive look at all the product’s features.
Yamaha YAS-108 (see image) has more connectivity options because it offers Bluetooth and HDMI support.
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 2.125" x 35" x 5.125"
- Weight: 7.1 lbs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, AirPlay
- What I liked: Wide connectivity options, supports Dolby Atmos content, good sounds at high volume
- What I didn't: Short on sub-bass, produces stereo sound, lacking design and style
Lastly, the Yamaha YAS-108 doesn't fall much behind the Sonos Beam Gen 2 because of its similar voice enhancement feature. Because of that, I didn't have trouble getting accurate voices and mid-ranges from my audio. It also has more connectivity options because it offers Bluetooth and HDMI support.
However, the Yamaha YAS-108 has poorer bass, treble, and overall sound profile than the Bose and Sonos soundbars. I also had less control over it because it didn't have an integrated mobile app.
You may also check the Yamaha YAS-108 manual on their website.
Conclusion
So, with their defining features, my top 3 soundbars without subwoofers are as follows:
- Among my three picks, the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 takes a giant leap at the top because of its versatile features and phenomenal soundstage, allowing for a 360° cinematic experience.
- My second favorite is the Sonos Beam Gen 2 because of its unmatched portability and excellent voice enhancement control. It also has a bass and treble adjustment feature to give you more control over your audio.
- Finally, the Yamaha YAS-108 produces well-defined voices and mid-ranges but poorer bass and treble. It also has a darker sound profile than its Bose and Sonos soundbar rivals.