Stiftung Warentest tests 25 soundbars that cost no more than 500 euros. Only three of them deliver a good sound, but eight devices received a good overall rating. The price-performance winner costs only 300 euros.
After Stiftung Warentest tested 14 expensive top-class soundbars in the summer, it was now the turn of 25 cheaper devices that cost a maximum of 500 euros. According to the magazine “test”, only three of the external TV speakers offer a good sound. You need a separate bass box for this, without which the sound is at most satisfactory. Five other soundbars achieved a good overall rating with strong marks for handling.
The test winner is the LG DSP8YA, which received the quality rating of 2.1 and costs 500 euros on average online. The sound was rated 2.1, handling and power consumption of the soundbar are good.
An LG device also took second place. The LG DSPD7Y (quality rating 2.2) is 200 euros cheaper, which is why Stiftung Warentest also voted it the price-performance winner. It delivers the second best sound of the test candidates. The soundbar is also easy to use, and the testers rated its power consumption as very good.
With the LG DS75Q, which costs an average of 485 euros, another LG device landed on the podium. They got a grade of 2.5 for their sound, they are easy to handle, and their power consumption is low. The Samsung HW-Q610B/ZG (490 euros) achieved the same quality rating. It delivers the better sound (2.1) and also consumes very little power. However, it is a bit less easy to handle than the LG competition.
If you don’t have space for a separate subwoofer or are looking for a more compact solution for other reasons, the Nubert nuBoxx AS-225 max is the best choice. The soundplate, which costs 500 euros, scored a good quality rating of 2.3 and at least received a grade of 2.6 for its sound. The Soundplate is easy to use and consumes very little energy.
(This article was first published on Thursday, October 20, 2022.)
