11 Great TV and Soundbar Deals: OLED, 4K, Streaming Sticks

It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday, means a good time to consider upgrading your home theater setup. TVs and soundbars are on sale throughout the year, but Black Friday and now are when you can expect to see some of the biggest discounts. So if you missed out a few months ago, this is your best chance to make up. Our test Best TV and The best soundbar guide for more of our recommendations.

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TV deals under $1,000

Somehow, the 50-inch screen It doesn’t seem that big anymore, but if you don’t need something too big, this model from Samsung is a solid deal. It uses the company quantum dot panel, resulting in brighter, more saturated colors. It also comes with Google Assistant, Alexa, and — if you like that, Bixby — built-in so you have some voice control options. Deals at B&H are pretty good, but you can get the price down to $400 if you happen to live near Micro Center there is one in stock.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this 55-inch Samsung TV is a computer monitor, with a stand in the middle that’s surprisingly uncommon. But that can come in handy if you have smaller furniture that can’t accommodate some of the wide, sometimes awkward stands that come with most TVs these days.

Sony’s LED panel in this X85J model may not offer the best black levels or contrast compared to other LG panels, or even some Sony TVs, but the company’s treatment is still is top. This X85J model comes with a 120Hz refresh rate and Sony’s 4K X-Reality Pro engine, which can upscale HD content to 4K better than some of the competitors we’ve tried.

This model manages to crack under the $1,000 mark by its leather… bezels. Sony’s superb video processing capabilities are on full display in this LED panel, plus it has a 120 Hz refresh rate which makes it great for fast-paced gaming and sports. It also includes Google TV, bypassing the need for a dedicated Chromecast with an HDMI port. It has regularly dropped to this price for several weeks, but this is still the lowest price ever.

Premium TVs

LG C1 (8/10, Recommend with WIRED) is one of the nicest TVs we’ve used to play video games. It has a 120 Hz refresh rate, perfect black levels, and a point-and-click Wiimote-style remote. WIRED editorial contributor Parker Hall says it’s the best-looking monitor he’s seen for the price, and that’s even better now.

Samsung’s Mini LED panels are finally starting to come close to OLED’s brighter colors and higher contrast. And while it’s not quite the leap from previous OLEDs, Samsung’s QN90A (8/10, Recommend with WIRED) impressed us. Depending on your home theater setup and what you’re watching (especially if you’re gaming), it could be the best TV for you.

Combine Sony’s top-notch processing with an OLED panel and you’ll get one of the best-looking TVs money can buy. This A9S model is quite small for its price, but if you want a small but gorgeous TV, or Actually large, attractive screen, this is a great choice. It’s usually at this price point.

This Samsung TV, simply called The Frame, is designed to be sophisticated. When the TV is not in use, it can display art and the white trim allows it to blend into your home decor. At first glance, your guests might not even notice they’re watching TV until you start watching football — or Encanto.

Soundbar deals

When we reviewed Polk Audio React (8/10, Recommend with WIRED), WIRED editorial contributor Parker Hall likes its modular soundbar system. Initially, you can start with just the soundbar. You can later upgrade it with a subwoofer or surround speaker, making it a great or good starter option if you’re planning to move house at some point.

Sennheiser’s Ambeo is one of the most expensive soundbars we’ve tested, but it’s earned its spot in our guide, thanks to its impressive sound processing and audio projection capabilities. Even without surround speakers, it can project the sound around your living room to create an immersive space that can fool you into thinking you’re actually in a theater full of music. tiny speaker.

If you’re heavily invested in Amazon’s content ecosystem, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is one of our favorite streaming sticks. It supports the latest Standard Wi-Fi 6 and has faster processing speed and more memory than its predecessors. The Alexa-powered remote also works well. The main downside is that it serves a lot of content on Amazon first, but of course you can still access Netflix, HBO Max, and a lot more. other streaming services.

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