Amazon Prime Day hasn’t delivered on soundbar deals — thankfully, other Australian retailers have filled the void

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Every time there’s an Amazon Prime Day sale, the first product category I check for discounts is TV and home cinema. I’m my own worst enemy, really, because rarely does Amazon Australia actually deliver any worthwhile discounts. Part of the reason is the fact that the retail giant isn’t exactly overflowing with TVs, soundbars or other home theatre systems.

And that’s the case once again during the current Prime Big Deal Days. Yes, there are the usual discounts on a couple of Bose soundbars and even a 48-inch LG B6 OLED, otherwise, it’s pretty much products from unrecognisable brands or accessories — I do love an HDMI cable upgrade though.

Thankfully, many of Australia’s biggest retailers have stepped up to the plate with a number of tempting deals on soundbars that all promise huge boosts to your TV’s audio, and that will bring the cinema experience into your living room.

The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi have even revived an offer that nabs you a 20% saving on the total price of a TV and soundbar package when you buy the same brand. For example, you can get a 65-inch LG G6 OLED, add the budget-friendly S60T soundbar for a total of AU$3,551.20 — that’s a total saving of over AU$820.

I’m mainly here to talk about soundbars, though, so if your home setup could use a sonic boost, the models below all promise major improvements. Whether it’s a single-bar model or a complete surround-sound package with Dolby Atmos support, each soundbar I’ve picked gets my expert seal of approval.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is one of the best one-box Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy. It offers a raft of improvements over its predecessor, including some clever speaker driver technology, resulting in spectacular sound. We do wish for more HDMI inputs and DTS:X support, but otherwise, it's fantastic.

Also available in black for the same price.View Deal

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a fantastic, compact soundbar that delivers a sound that belies its size. It produces convincing virtual Dolby Atmos surround effects, and, being a Sonos product, works wonderfully with music. View Deal

HW-Q990H: was $1999 now $1486
This Samsung soundbar package is the real bee’s knees. The company has been at the top of its game for the last few years, and this latest iteration produces stunningly effective Atmos height and surround effects, married with crystal-clear dialogue. You’ll be wanting to rewatch all your favourites all over again. Enter code SAVENOW for the full saving.View Deal

HW-Q930H: was $1699 now $699
We’ve not reviewed this Samsung soundbar, but it’s essentially a slight step-down compared to the Q990H above, but it gets a huge discount. By that, I mean the channel count drops from 11.1.4 to 9.1.4 — so you’re still getting genuine Dolby Atmos channels — and it loses out on full 4K/120Hz passthrough. Otherwise, this is a similar speaker package that’s sure to have your living room rumbling. Enter code SAVENOW for the best price.View Deal

Bar 1300MK2: was $2299.95 now $1998
Yes, this one is on Amazon, but it’s not technically a Prime Day deal, so I’m allowed to include it. This uber-powerful JBL Dolby Atmos soundbar can be set up as a single bar and subwoofer, or you can remove the speakers on either end and position them as rear surrounds. It’s rather genius, and it works incredibly well. Plus, they can also be used independently as Bluetooth speakers. Also available from JBL AU for AU$1,999.95.View Deal

Bravia Theatre System 6: was $1199 now $885
This Sony soundbar package also features dedicated rear surrounds. It’s a little different in its design, in that all connections are found on the subwoofer. You do need to connect the soundbar to the sub, but the rear surrounds only need power and will receive audio information wirelessly. Our colleagues at What Hi-Fi? loved it in their review, claiming it to be “a huge, deep, room-filling performer” that “combines that scale with control and nuance”. Hit the Price Beat button for the best deal. Also available at Amazon for AU$899.View Deal

This budget-friendly 2.1 soundbar is ideal for anyone looking to upgrade their TV or computer audio without spending much money. We were pleasantly surprised by how it performed in our Creative Stage Pro review, finding it delivered impressive bass and excellent volume. Given its size and price, expectations should be tempered, but for a cost-effective audio upgrade, it's ace.View Deal

Soundbars, Televisions