A subwoofer is what turns a soundbar from a clarity upgrade into a cinematic one. But not everyone needs a separate box. This guide explains when the extra bass is worth it, when a built-in sub is enough, and how to place a subwoofer for clean, even low end.
| Model | Price | Channels | Size | Connectivity | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Sonos Beam Gen 2 | £429.00 | 5.0 with virtual Dolby Atmos | 65 cm — fits under most TVs | HDMI eARC, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | ★ 4.7 | View → |
 | Sony HT-S2000 | £399.00 | 3.1ch Dolby Atmos / DTS:X | — | HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth | ★ 4.5 | View → |
 | Yamaha SR-C20A | £169.00 | 2.1 with built-in subwoofer | 60 cm, desk and bedroom friendly | HDMI ARC, optical ×2, Bluetooth | ★ 4.4 | View → |
 | Samsung HW-Q800C | £379.00 | 5.1.2 — real upward-firing drivers | — | — | ★ 4.5 | View → |
 | Bose Smart Soundbar 600 | £549.99 | 5.0 with upward-firing Atmos | 69 cm, low profile | — | ★ 4.6 | View → |
 | JBL Bar 1000 | £799.00 | 7.1.4 true surround | — | — | ★ 4.6 | View → |
£429.00
5.0 with virtual Dolby Atmos · 65 cm — fits under most TVs · HDMI eARC, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2
£399.00
3.1ch Dolby Atmos / DTS:X · Built-in dual subs · HDMI eARC, optical, Bluetooth
£169.00
2.1 with built-in subwoofer · 60 cm, desk and bedroom friendly · HDMI ARC, optical ×2, Bluetooth
£379.00
5.1.2 — real upward-firing drivers · Wireless 8" included · SpaceFit auto room tuning
£549.99
5.0 with upward-firing Atmos · 69 cm, low profile · Alexa built-in, AirPlay 2, Chromecast
£799.00
7.1.4 true surround · Detachable, battery-powered wireless · 10" wireless included
Bass is the part of the sound you feel as much as hear: the rumble of an engine, the impact of an explosion, the weight under a film score. Thin TV speakers produce almost none of it, which is why action films and music can sound flat and lifeless on a television. A soundbar with good low end restores that physical sense of scale, making films more immersive and music fuller. The deepest, most cinematic bass usually comes from a dedicated subwoofer, a separate speaker built solely to reproduce the lowest frequencies.
That said, more bass is not automatically better. Boomy, overpowering bass that drowns out dialogue is worse than a balanced, tighter low end. The goal is bass that is present and weighty but stays in proportion with the rest of the sound, so films feel powerful without becoming muddy. How much subwoofer you need depends on your room size and what you watch.
There are two ways a soundbar delivers bass. Some bars build the subwoofers into the bar itself, as the Sony HT-S2000 does with its dual built-in subs, or the compact Yamaha SR-C20A with a single one. This keeps everything in one tidy box and produces genuine low end with no extra clutter, which is ideal for a small room or where floor space is tight. The trade-off is that a bar-sized driver cannot move as much air as a large standalone sub, so the very deepest bass is more limited.
A separate subwoofer, included with bars like the Samsung HW-Q800C and the JBL Bar 1000, gives the deepest, most cinematic bass because a dedicated box has the size to reproduce the lowest frequencies properly. The cost is space: you need somewhere to put it. As a rule, if you have a small room or value tidiness, a bar with a built-in sub is often the better fit; if you have a larger room and watch a lot of film, a separate subwoofer is worth the floor space.
If you do go for a separate subwoofer, you want a wireless one, and happily almost all current soundbar subs are. A wireless subwoofer only needs a power socket; it connects to the bar over a wireless link, so there is no audio cable to run across the room. That makes placement far more flexible and setup far simpler. The subwoofers on the Samsung HW-Q800C and the JBL Bar 1000 pair automatically with the bar, so in practice you just plug the sub in and place it. Wired subwoofers exist on cheaper systems but are far less convenient, and the freedom of a wireless sub is a genuine, everyday benefit.
A subwoofer is more forgiving to place than other speakers because very deep bass is hard to locate by ear, but position still affects the result. A common, effective spot is on the floor near the front wall, roughly in line with the bar, where the bass blends naturally with the sound from the soundbar. Avoid wedging it tightly into a corner: corners reinforce bass and can make it boom and lose definition. If the bass sounds heavy or one-note, try moving the sub a little out from the wall or to a different position along it. Try two or three spots and choose the one where the bass sounds tight and even rather than overpowering. A few minutes of experimenting makes a real difference.
Not always. A separate subwoofer gives the deepest, most cinematic bass, which is great for films and action. But many one-box bars, such as the Sony HT-S2000, build subwoofers into the bar and produce real low end on their own. If you watch a lot of film and have the space, a separate sub is worth it; for a small room a bar with built-in bass is often plenty.
For a soundbar, a wireless subwoofer is far more practical. It only needs a power socket and connects to the bar over a wireless link, so you can place it anywhere in the room without trailing cable. Almost all current soundbar subwoofers, including those on the Samsung HW-Q800C and JBL Bar 1000, are wireless.
A subwoofer is fairly flexible because deep bass is hard to locate by ear. A common, effective spot is on the floor near the front wall, ideally not tucked tightly into a corner, which can make the bass boom. Try a couple of positions and pick the one where the bass sounds tight and even rather than overpowering.
A separate subwoofer gives the deepest, most cinematic bass and is worth the floor space if you have a larger room and watch a lot of film — choose a bar that includes a wireless sub, such as the Samsung HW-Q800C or the JBL Bar 1000. For a small room or where tidiness matters, a bar with built-in subwoofers like the Sony HT-S2000 produces real low end with no extra clutter. Whatever you choose, place a separate sub near the front wall and out of tight corners for clean, even bass. To round out your decision, read our buying guide and our Dolby Atmos soundbar guide.