As a veteran of more Black Fridays than I can count, I’ve learned that the best way to get a real good deal on something like one of the best soundbars is to plan ahead. That’s partly because a good deal on something you didn’t really want isn’t really a good deal. But it’s more because if you choose your shortlist carefully, there’s a very good chance you’ll get what you want for the price you want to pay.
So how do you do this?
Sony HT-2000: a Sonos alternative with surprisingly powerful sound
In our Sony HT-2000 soundbar review, we gave this excellent soundbar four and a half stars out of five: it’s reasonably priced and its compact chassis delivers surprisingly powerful sound. It’s particularly good at handling dialogue in movies, and the bass is much better than many similarly priced competitors.
The main features here are impressive Dolby Atmos and DTS: And this Sony delivers on both fronts.
I’m pretty sure you’ll see Black Friday deals on this model, because they’ve already started: at the time of writing, Amazon UK has it for £299, down from £449, and Amazon US has it for $298, down from $499.
Sonos Ray: the smallest Sonos soundbar packs a punch
We think the Sonos Ray is the perfect affordable soundbar for older or smaller TVs: it’s perfect for TVs between 24 and 50 inches. This is a great upgrade for the audio systems on these TVs, and is particularly suited to cinematic dialogue. With four speakers and bass ports, it adds the low-frequency thump as well as overall clarity that so many small TVs lack.
In our Sonos Ray review, we said it was a “massive, massive upgrade over TV speakers” with decent bass and very clear speech. It’s really good for music – we thought it was best in class in its price category – and offers “top-notch” wireless streaming over Wi-Fi.
At full price – it launched at £279 / $279 / AU$399 – we felt it was a very solid buy, if not a bargain. But the street price has dropped significantly since then and I would expect it to drop this month.
Ultimea Poseidon D50: surround sound at an ultra-low price
I’m already seeing several discount offers on this ultra-affordable soundbar, so this is shaping up to be a huge Black Friday bargain: The D50 originally launched at £169/$219, but the official price has since dropped to £149/$119 (around AU$180) and deals have pushed the price down further.
Even at its original price, this soundbar system was extremely cheap – and cheap in this case doesn’t mean cheap. In our review of the Ultimea Poseidon D50, we gave it four stars and said it was a refreshing product: it doesn’t particularly care about looking pretty or wowing you with a list of features you’ll never use; it just gives you a solid overall package including a main soundbar, a subwoofer, and two surround satellite speakers.
The D50 doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, but it’s much louder and bassier than most TV speakers and makes watching movies and games much more fun. We enjoyed his performances in live sports and loved the whistling fighter jets in Top Gun: Maverickand he does a decent job at music as well. If you want to improve the sound on your TV without breaking the bank, this is one of the most affordable ways to do it.
More Black Friday deals in the US
- Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers and vacuum cleaners
- Apple: iPads, AirPods and MacBooks starting at $119
- Best buy: $1,000 Off TVs, Laptops, and Headphones
- Home deposit: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills and tools
- Lenovo: 45% off laptops and tablets
- Lowe: up to 30% off holiday appliances, decor and tools
- Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing and furniture
- Walmart: Cheap furniture, TVs and vacuum cleaners starting at $69
- Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture and decor
