Should you buy a soundbar on Black Friday 2021?

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but you probably don’t have as many holiday shopping days left as you thought. Ongoing problems with global supply chains are playing havoc with the availability and shipping times of thousands of products, including soundbars. The good news is that manufactures and retailers are aware of the problem and they’re providing much earlier access to Black Friday discounts than in previous years.

As tempting as it may be to wait a few more weeks to see if prices go down even further, we recommend going with the best price you can find right now — saving a few dollars probably won’t be worth it if the product doesn’t get to you until January 2022 or later — a real risk at the moment.

Think it’s too early to score a great deal? It’s not. We’ve already found some great Black Friday soundbar discounts like these:

   1. Samsung HW-Q60T 5.1 Channel Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer (reg. $558, now $318)
   2. Samsung HW-Q600A 3.1. Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar (2021) (reg. $600, now $328)
   3. LG SP9YA 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos & DTS:X Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer (reg. $1,000, now $700)
   4. Samsung HW-S50A 3.0 Soundbar with Dolby Digital 5.1 (reg. $250, now $150)

We expect that the first two weeks of November will reveal even more great soundbar deals, but keep a close eye on shipping dates. We’re already seeing evidence that popular products are facing supply constraints. For instance, Sonos’ website indicates that its excellent Arc soundbar is backordered and won't ship until December 17 if you want it in black. That’s cutting it very close for holiday giving.

If you’re seeking better sound than your TV can provide on its own and you crave an effortless and simple setup with the fewest amount of wires, you need a soundbar.

Soundbars might look like very long speakers, but there’s much more going inside these specialized audio products. First, they’re fully independent — they have their own power supply and don’t require a separate A/V receiver or amplifier. Simply plug them into wall power and then into your TV and you’re basically done.

Second, even though they look like one speaker, they can contain anywhere from two to 13 individual drivers, including tweeters, midrange drivers, woofers, and subwoofers. This combination of drivers along with specialized digital signal processing (DSP) can convincingly recreate anything from a good ol’ stereo setup to a full-fledged 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos surround sound home theater system.

You’ll also find that today’s soundbars do more than just act as a bigger speaker for your TV. Most have Bluetooth, so you can stream audio to them from your smartphone, tablet, or PC. Some also feature Apple AirPlay 2 or Chromecast for higher-quality direct streaming. Higher-end models will also come with Wi-Fi connections so you can stream from your favorite music services like Apple Music and Spotify without a phone.

That same Wi-Fi connection usually lets these soundbars act as part of a multiroom audio system, where the same song can be played everywhere in sync, or a different song in each room. Other models are also capable of acting as smart speakers, with your choice of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

And because of the massive popularity of soundbars as a category, there are a huge number of models to choose from, guaranteeing you’ll be able to find one that meets your needs as well as your budget.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.

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