4 Costco Soundbars That Are Actually Worth The Money, According To Users

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Membership-only retailers like Costco are popular for offering competitive pricing and the option to buy in bulk, along with other subscriber perks. Costco also happens to be a great place to nab some of the best consumer tech devices, like laptops, tablets, TVs, and the focus of today's roundup — soundbars. An ideal way to replace your TV audio, soundbars provide a boost in volume and dialogue clarity. Some of the best bars on the market will even virtualize surround sound, without the need for additional speakers. 

Many companies that manufacture TVs — like Samsung and LG — also produce soundbars, though you can find units from dedicated audio companies like Sonos, Bose, and Polk Audio, as well. While Costco has a smaller soundbar inventory than e-commerce giants like Amazon, that doesn't mean the models available are any less desirable. In fact, we took a look at Costco's soundbar options and were able to track down four products that are well worth your money. Our selections were informed by user feedback, as well as hands-on reviews where applicable. 

Those looking for a solid boost in TV volume and dialogue clarity, look no further than the Bose Solo Soundbar 2. On Costco's site, the Solo 2 sells for $180 and earned a 4.2 out of 5-star rating, based on over 920 reviews. Buyers point to the impressive sound from a relatively small soundbar footprint. This is a 2.0-channel soundbar, with built-in Dolby decoding, that's designed to enhance stereo sound for movies, shows, games, and music. 

At 21.6 inches wide and 2.8 inches tall, it won't take up too much space on your TV stand, and the digital optical connection takes the guesswork out of setting everything up. Just plug it into the optical output on your TV, and you should be good to go. One of the main reasons for investing in a soundbar is to fix muffled or inaudible TV dialogue, an issue Bose addressed with the Solo 2's Dialogue Mode, which delivers exceptional clarity for voices and vocals. 

The bar also has a Bluetooth input if you want to stream music from a phone or laptop, as well as a Bass button on the remote for additional thump and rumble. The Solo 2 can be wall-mounted and comes with a bracket to do so. Currently, Costco and Sam's Club are two of the only retailers that still sell this soundbar brand-new (it also sells for $180 at Sam's).

Sonos cut its teeth on Wi-Fi-connectable home audio, but also produces home theater components. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a top-rated Costco soundbar that sells for $500, a price you'll find at other retailers like Best Buy. The soundbar scored a 4.5 out of 5 stars with buyers noting it eliminates the need for a separate subwoofer and surround-sound speakers. This was based on over 960 reviews, and nearly 75% of these were 5-star rankings. 

Powered by five Class-D amplifiers, three passive radiators, and one center tweeter, we said the Beam Gen 2 is a serious living room upgrade. And because it connects to your TV via HDMI eARC, the bar is able to decode surround-sound formats like Dolby Digital Plus and DTS Digital Surround. One thing to keep in mind: The Beam Gen 2 requires an internet connection and you'll need to install the latest version of the Sonos app on a mobile device. 

Some Costco customers weren't expecting this type of setup and gave the soundbar a poor review as a result. While it's not a true plug-and-play system, the Beam Gen 2 delivers exceptional sound quality and a robust set of network features, including multi-room audio if you own other Sonos devices, Alexa and Google Assistant support, and Trueplay audio calibration for iOS devices.

Samsung is renowned for its TVs, but the company also produces several soundbars that pair nicely with its QLED and OLED sets. The Samsung HW-B73CD is a 5.1-channel soundbar you'll be able to find at Costco, and it's one of two soundbars on our list that comes with a wireless subwoofer. Over 280 shoppers provided user feedback, and this Samsung system walked away with 4.2-star rating. Most reviewers were pleased with the bar's performance and simple setup. 

The HW-B73CD, which retails for $300, offers a few connectivity options, including HDMI ARC, digital optical, and Bluetooth. It also contains both center and side-firing speakers, which help to envelop you in immersive sound. Other noteworthy features include Samsung's Adaptive Sound Mode for room calibration, a Voice Enhanced preset for boosted dialogue, and a Night Mode for quieter listening once the sun goes down. The soundbar comes with everything you need to get it up and running, aside from an HDMI cable.

When it comes to the best cheap TV brand, Hisense is one of the most popular names on the market. And while you may not think of the company for audio systems, we'd be hard-pressed not to mention the Hisense AX700. This soundbar combo comes with two rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer. Classed as a 5.1.4 system, the AX700 can decode surround formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, thanks to the up-firing drivers built into the rear components. 

The system sells for $250, which is $150 less than the similar Hisense AX5140Q 5.1.4 bundle on Amazon. Connectivity-wise, the AX700 uses HDMI eARC, digital optical, and Bluetooth. It also has a dedicated HDMI input that supports 4K HDR pass-through, so you'll be able to hook up a game console or streaming device directly to the soundbar. 

This Samsung soundbar comes with everything you need to wall-mount it as well. The AX700 earned 4 out of 5 stars on Costco's site, with 44 shoppers providing feedback. Most praise was directed toward the AX700's sound quality and easy installation. That said, some users reported issues with subwoofer and rear speaker connectivity, as well as occasional audio dropouts.