Amazon Alexa holds the largest market share in the voice-assistant space, even shadowing other big fish such as Google and Apple Siri. It is evident that Alexa is present in almost every gadget that integrates a voice-assistant feature. That goes the same for Sound Bars which have become more and more accessible by incorporating voice assistants in them. If you are already heavily invested in the Alexa ecosystems and are looking for the Best Soundbars that Work with Alexa 2022, this post will elaborate on the latest and greatest that the soundbar industry has to offer. Here are the Best Soundbars With Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Top 7 Best Soundbars with Google Assistant & Alexa
1. Sonos Arc Soundbar Review
The Sonos Arc belongs to the premium segment of soundbars that begins at €999. Surely, the asking price is way steeper than you would expect from a smart soundbar, but that doesn’t suppress the fact that it offers a truly enthralling aural experience. Sonos Arc supports both Alexa and Google voice assistants, which is great as you can use it as a better-sounding Alexa smart speaker that has Dolby Atmos support. The best feature of Sonos Arc is the TruePlay technology that balances the sound output as per your room acoustics. Thus, you can tailor the soundbar to your position inside the room and always hear crisp and balanced audio.
You can control the Sonos Arc with your TV remote, smartphone, Alexa, and Google voice assistant, and the Sonos App which offers much better control over the audio output and EQ settings. The Sonos Arc also supports AirPlay 2 which means it can play the music which is already running on your iPhone or any other iOS device. Sonos Arc connects with your TV via HDMI and features a wall mount option in case you want to mount it up on the wall. This smart soundbar can catch voice commands pretty well due to its far-field microphone array and you wouldn’t even need to use the touch controls, since it works like a charm with Alexa. Do remember that Sonos raised the Arc’s price recently, in which case you can choose from the other options on our list.
2. Sony HT-A5000 Soundbar Review
The Sony HT-A5000 is a top-tier product like the Sonos Arc, with an almost identical price tag but there’s something different about it. It supports almost all audio formats available today, a characteristic that no other soundbar can boast about. Be it Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Hi-Res, or any other format, the Sony HT-A5000 will play it without an issue. The second-best thing is that multiple new-gen connectivity options, both wired and wireless are available. You can connect the soundbar via HDMI eARC, HDMI 2.1, and can use Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB to play audio.
Sony HT-A5000 supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi which allows you to stream high-quality audio via it. Alexa integration adds more flexibility to stream content, and give commands to other smart devices. This best smart soundbar also supports Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2, thus being in sync with the music playing on your other devices. With all these features with a new speaker’s layout that fires audio in both horizontal and vertical planes, you can experience the true meaning of 5.1.2 surround sound. Sony HT-A5000 lacks an EQ controlling component which can be a bit jarring considering the number of other features you get with this soundbar. Nevertheless, the Sony HT-A5000 is an exceptional product that rivals the Sonos Arc for the title of the Best Soundbars that Work with Alexa 2022.
3. Yamaha Audio YAS-209 Wireless Bluetooth Soundbar
Yamaha YAS-209 is truly a budget smart soundbar that checks out all the parameters of an avant-garde audio product. Not only do you get a soundbar but also a subwoofer to further improve the aural experience while watching movies. The Yamaha YAS-209 supports Alexa voice commands and can double up as your smart speaker to stream music, set alarms, and control other smart devices in the home. It comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so you can pick either of them and play music wirelessly. This smart soundbar connects to the TV via the HDMI TV ARC and does not have any analog input ports.
Surprisingly, you also get an Ethernet port for better internet connectivity which is useful if you want to stream high-quality music or podcasts from Spotify, which is also supported on the Yamaha YAS-209. The remote isn’t as aesthetic as you would expect from a smart soundbar but it gets the job done. Yamaha YAS-209 uses two high-quality far-field microphones which capture voice commands even if you are viewing content at a very high volume. This soundbar only supports Alexa and can be controlled using the companion app, the bundled remote, voice command, and even via the TV remote. As far as the audio experience goes, you get a thumpy bass experience because of the soundbar and subwoofer duo. It doesn’t sound clean like the Sonos Arc but considering the consumer-appealing pricing, superb connectivity features, and Alexa control, it deserves a try.
Buy Yamaha Audio YAS-290 soundbar on Amazon
4. Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Review
If you thought Sonos Arc and Sony HT-A5000 were pricey, wait till you see the hefty tag on Sennheiser Ambeo. It retails north of USD 2000 and comes loaded with all the features that you need and expect from the best brand in the industry. Sennheiser Ambeo can deliver acoustic-balanced audio output which can feel surreal to the users inside the room. You get both analog and digital input ports on the Sennheiser Ambeo, including the latest HDMI eARC port and an ethernet port for robust connectivity. There is one problem, however, a latency issue with the HDMI connection that sometimes delays the audio output and ruins the complete theater experience.
Sennheiser Ambeo is a massive soundbar, once that canvasses a significant portion of your TV. It is double the size of any other soundbar on the list which is because of the bigger tweeters and subwoofer system embedded in it. The audio quality is phenomenal and if it weren’t for the latency and the ludicrous price tag, we would have made it a priority recommendation for audiophiles. It supports Chromecast and uses Wi-Fi 5 to connect and stream music wirelessly. The product does lack Alexa integration, but for optimum sound experience, it is a small sacrifice to make.
Buy Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar on Amazon
5. Polk Audio React Soundbar Review
The Polk Audio React Soundbar belongs to the budget segment of the smart soundbar line-up that packs Alexa integration. Polk Audio React Soundbar looks like someone flattened Amazon echo and made a soundbar with it. You get the same charcoal fabric wrapping and circular control module on the soundbar. There’s a dedicated microphone mute button which is handy in case you don’t need Alexa always on. Polk Audio React Soundbar is easy to pair with Alexa. Just a simple QR code brings the soundbar into your device list, after which you can control the soundbar using the app or voice commands. You also get Alexa calls and messages functionality, but it is confined to a few countries only.
The Polk Audio React Soundbar uses HDMI and supports both Bluetooth and WIFI connectivity. It supports multiple audio modes and sounds surprisingly balanced for a budget soundbar. Virtual surround sound experience is a bit bland unless you use the subwoofer or the other speaker set that makes it a complete 5.1 surround sound setup. You can stream music from Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, and groove to the sound. However, the 5.1 surround sound experience requires you to purchase additional speakers from the brand, which suddenly makes the Yamaha soundbar a befitting solution for budget-conscious consumers.
Buy Polk Audio React on Amazon
6. Bose Smart Soundbar 900
The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 rivals the Sonos Arc, mostly in terms of price and aesthetics. This sleek and suave soundbar from Bose is designed to impress and offers an array of front-firing speakers with two top-firing ones. The design hides the two touch-sensitive buttons, which offer voice assistant and microphone muting functions. The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 supports both the Amazon Alexa and Google voice assistant, which makes it very convenient to access and toggle music playback on the soundbar.
Coming to the I/O features, this best smart soundbar has HDMI eARC and optical inputs along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity in the wireless options. The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 does support Apple AirPlay 2, which means you can sync all your speakers and play single audio across them. Bose smart soundbar makes use of the ADAPTiQ technology that calibrates the audio output as per the room acoustics. It does require you to wear a headband and mics to perfectly calibrate the soundbar, which feels extra effort in the name of the automation. Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is surprisingly mild on bass, which makes it sound inferior against the similarly priced Sonos Arc.
Buy Bose Smart Soundbar 900 on Amazon
7. Roku Streambar Stereo Soundbar
The Roku Streambar is a compact soundbar with streaming-ready hardware. Unlike most smart soundbars mentioned in the list, this is a streaming device with surprisingly good audio quality. The Roku Streambar can deliver 4K content streaming to your TV along with stellar audio output while watching your favorite shows and movies. Design-wise, there’s nothing exemplary about the Roku Streambar but its four-speaker array can deliver audio that fills a medium-sized room. There is no smart sound calibration option available but you can tweak the sound settings in the OS to improve speech clarity and volume modes.
This best budget smart soundbar focuses on wireless connectivity more and comes with HDMI ports only. No eARC port like you get on the premium devices. The upside is that Roku Streambar supports a lot of streaming services, which let you access your favorite music from your preferred platform. The Roku Streambar can integrate with Alexa and thus can be controlled using your smartphone, smart speaker, etc. It doesn’t have a microphone built-in, so you cannot make requests like you do with Sonos Arc or the Yamaha soundbar. Overall, at 150 USD, the Roku Streambar isn’t a bad deal at all.
Conclusion
These were the best smart soundbar that works with Alexa in 2022. If we had to pick one, it would be the Sonos Arc because it offers a perfect balance of audio and smart calibration features. If you need something budget-friendly, then the Yamaha soundbar or the Polk soundbar is the aptest choice for you. Lastly, the Roku Streambar is perfect for users who want to upgrade their audio as well as content streaming quality of their TV.
FAQ
Can Alexa be used as a soundbar for TV?
Yes, but the audio output from an echo device will be quite average in comparison to a full-fledged soundbar. The echo device sounds good but cannot match the audio output of premium soundbars like Sonos Arc and Sennheiser Ambeo.
Is JBL soundbar compatible with Alexa?
Yes, the JBL soundbar supports Alexa and can be used to invoke Alexa and stream audio content on it.
Is Alexa built into Sonos?
The premium tier speakers and soundbar from Sonos have Alexa built-in. Sonos Arc mentioned in our list is one of the few smart soundbars with Alexa built-in.