I Tested the Budget-Friendly Hisense HS2100 Soundbar – Its Room-Filling Audio Far Exceeded My Expectations

Hisense is known for producing strong, well-reviewed, and reasonably priced soundbars, so I was excited to have the opportunity to test the HS2100 soundbar, one of their most budget-friendly systems, to see if it matches the hype.

The Hisense HS2100, available at Amazon, is a soundbar and an external subwoofer, making it more of a dynamic setup than a single soundbar setup, as the bass is driven by its own separate speaker.

I was highly impressed by the sound quality on offer at such a low price, with deep, powerful audio that fills the room without distortion. It's easily one of the best soundbars I've tested if you're on a budget.

My One-Minute Verdict After Testing

Considering its incredibly low price point of $119.99 [at Amazon], the Hisense HS2100 offers powerful, impactful sound that thunderously fills the room. The external subwoofer is slim and a useful addition that ensures a deep undercurrent to every movie or song you listen to, leaving the soundbar to focus on the lush-sounding mids and highs, marking a significant upgrade to regular TV speakers.

But while it punches above its weight, it isn't perfect. Clarity is lost when the audio has lots of layers, and in general, there is a lack of 'crispness' across the board. The dialogue volume can also be inconsistent, with characters on-screen becoming quieter and louder at random moments.

These drawbacks can easily be overlooked at this price point, though. In almost every way, it sounds better than the Sonos Ray that costs $100 more. It has deeper bass, stronger impact, and the audio fills the room without becoming distorted.

But if you're happy to spend a little extra, the Fire TV Soundbar Plus ($249.99) and the Yamaha True X Bar 40A ($399.95) offer directional sound, which the HS2100 doesn't have, and can take up less space as they don't require an external subwoofer.

Hisense HS2100: Specifications

Hisense HS2100: Setup

Setting up a soundbar with an external subwoofer might sound fiddly if you're not too tech-savvy, but the Hisense HS2100 setup couldn't be simpler.

It's a plug-and-play soundbar, so the only steps involved are connecting the HDMI and power cables, and then it'll automatically play your TV's audio. There's no app to connect to, so you don't have to worry about adding it to your smart home setup.

My normal TV remote could control the volume straight away without having to configure any settings, unlike other models I've tested, like the Bose Smart Soundbar.

The subwoofer connects wirelessly – and instantly. After I plugged in the power cord, it paired with the soundbar in two seconds.

Hisense HS2100: Design and Features

The Hisense HS2100 feels lighter and less premium than other soundbars I've tested – but this is to be expected when you're paying under $150 for a full sound setup.

It has a fabric speaker cover that brings a soft, warm aesthetic to your living room TV setup, but at the same time, this design is a magnet for dust and dirt. The sample I had been sent had a fair amount of dirt trapped in the fabric, but it's worth noting that test samples are sent to multiple product reviewers like myself, and units you'd buy wouldn't have this issue.

If you're buying yours brand new, just remember to keep it clean and avoid letting dust build up.

The HS2100 has a 2.1 configuration, with two horizontal speakers in the soundbar and an external subwoofer that drives the bass and low-end frequencies. This gives the setup somewhat of a strong range – the $219 Sonos Ray, for comparison, only has three horizontal speakers and no subwoofer, so there's a distinct lack of bass, and on test it felt like the soundbar was simply pushing louder sound forward.

But as the Hisense HS2100 has a subwoofer, you still get the improved clarity and volume from the soundbar, that's also underpinned by a deep boom.

You can adjust the EQ settings using Hisense's preset modes: Movie, Sports, Music, Game, News, and Night. This is another useful addition for the non-tech-savvy people who haven't had experience playing around with equalizers, doing the guesswork for you.

And having a dedicated 'Night Mode' is a huge win if you have roommates, family members, or neighbors on different schedules, as a subwoofer's bass easily carries through walls and floors.

As this soundbar doesn't connect to your Wi-Fi, you can't cast using Apple AirPlay or Spotify Connect, but there's Bluetooth connectivity to stream music from your devices.

Similar to other budget soundbars I've tested, such as the Fire TV Soundbar Plus, the HS2100 plays voice prompts when you change the settings, which can be a little irritating if you're adjusting the sound mid-movie.

But overall, it's incredibly easy to wrap your head around everything this soundbar offers, and it packs in some great features at its low price point.

Hisense HS2100: Sound (TV and Movies)

I was pleasantly surprised by the overall clarity and depth of the Hisense HS2100. After testing the global flagships like the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, I intentionally manage expectations when it comes to budget alternatives, so that I'm reviewing their performance in relation to the price.

But the Hisense HS2100 has greater clarity and impact, and a full-bodied sound that surpasses what I've heard in models that are more expensive, such as the Sonos Ray and the Fire TV Soundbar Plus.

Of course, this is largely owed to the external subwoofer, which many householders try to avoid if they're limited on space. But this subwoofer is slimmer than most, and if you can sacrifice just 4.3 x 11.8 x 13.8 inches from your living room floor, you can improve your sound quality at a steal price.

During the pilot episode of Arrested Development, I felt a light, airy sound quality. Trebles are strong at all times, but the bass isn’t as pronounced as it could be, and is mostly only present when there’s music playing or when there are loud sound effects.

I wasn’t expecting it to be this clear at all, but while there isn’t any tinniness or distortion, it’s still somewhat lacking impact. It isn’t the most dynamically exciting or commanding sound, but it’s a stark upgrade from TV speakers.

The subwoofer rattled a little as Princess Mononoke began, but as soon as the voiceover came in, there was a deep undercurrent to his tone. And while there's no spatiality here (as the soundbar has no up-firing speakers), you still get somewhat of a soundstage as the bass actually feels like it's coming from the floor. It isn't just projected from the screen.

Further into the movie, the score sounded lush, the sound effects were clear, and at no point were sounds drowned out by vocals or music.

The vocal volume isn’t always consistent, though. Occasionally, a character’s voice will become slightly louder or quieter again, but it was minor and largely only noticeable if you're listening out for it.

The bass-y rumbles during fight scenes were present and strong, but as scenes become louder, that vocal inconsistency becomes more noticeable. Naturally, the sound balance won’t be up to scratch compared to premium models like the Sony BRAVIA Theater Bar 8, and it is far beyond what I expected from such a cheap model, but you'll be able to hear it at points.

During John Wick Chapter 2, the vocals were deep and full-bodied, and I could feel strong resonance, particularly when male characters spoke with low-timbre voices.

But frustratingly, there’s no sound balance to stop loud scenes from being too loud. That’s one of my favorite parts of a good sound system: Not having to reach for the remote during movies that switch between intimate dialogue and crashing action.

As soon as the gunshots started, they pierced through my ears and sounded 2-3x as loud as the scene that came before it. But once I’d turned the volume down, I was very much impressed by the tight hits, the punchy effects, and the overall impact of it all. I heard worse in the Sonos Ray that costs more.

And Our Planet confirmed what I'd heard during Arrested Development: That there's an overall pleasant airiness to the sound. There’s no direction (sound is simply pushed forward), not the best sound balance (sometimes subtle sound effects overpower focal points), but regardless, everything sounds nice.

The orchestral music sounds pleasantly playful, the sound effects are authentic (whether Foley or real), and David’s voice sounds as comforting and commanding as you'd hope.

Hisense HS2100: Sound (Music)

The Hisense HS2100 has a strong impact, transforming songs into thunderous, room-filling experiences with deeper bass and more pronounced highs than many TV speakers can handle. But it doesn't have the clarity or crispness that you'll find in more expensive models.

Led Zeppelin's Ramble On demonstrated this best. Typically, one of the clearest, most high-fidelity songs to test for percussion clarity and guitar tones – it sounded crashy, hazy, and a little muddied, even though the overall sound delivery roared through the room.

Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know revealed the same, that the room was quickly filled with loud, impressive sound, but subtle details like hand drums and guitar plucks aren't as delicate as you'd hear in pricier models like the Yamaha True X Bar 40A.

Cocteau Twins' Pitch the Baby showed the beauty of having an external subwoofer that handles the bass. It leaves the soundbar to focus on the mids and highs, and without them being drowned out by internal subwoofers, this track sounded floaty and gorgeous.

When it comes to music, this soundbar's biggest weakness is busy tracks. When lots of layers are involved, such as during Morcheeba's The Sea, and All Day Breakfast Cafe's What If Nile Rodgers and Fela Kuti Were Friends, clarity is lost.

But I want to make clear: Clarity may not be the HS2100's strong suit, but it compensates with depth and sheer impact. This is an incredibly loud soundbar, and even when playing at inhumanly loud volumes, there's hardly any distortion. It's perfect for truly immersing yourself in the music, or if you're a frequent party host.

The Weather Station's Robber showed this off beautifully. It's a delicate song, but one that builds into a layered symphony of strings, brass, percussion, and vocals. With this soundbar, it sounded more sonorous and invigorating than I'm used to.

Brass, strings, and other mid-to-high sounds are all presented lushly. Even during busy songs where it can sound messy, these sounds come through prominently.

And while it may be no surprise that the bass is strong, listening to Massive Attack's Angel showed that the soundbar's built-in speakers actually have impressive bass, too, even without the subwoofer. And when paired together, you never have to worry about insufficient bass.

Something to consider if, like me, you get distracted when music is too loud, is that the increments between volume levels when connected via Bluetooth are huge. Just raising the volume by one level can take it from background music to wall-thumping booms that you'll struggle to hear a conversation over.

Hisense HS2100: Price

The Hisense HS2100 costs $119.99 at Amazon, making it the most affordable soundbar we've tested to date.

The subwoofer gives the HS2100 stronger bass than the other budget soundbars we've tested, but it requires extra space that smaller rooms may not be able to sacrifice. The Sonos Ray is the perfect space-saving soundbar, but its clarity, impact, depth, and bass are all weaker than the Hisense HS2100. The Sonos Ray is $219 at full price.

The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is a step-up, though, with more directional sound and built-in bass drivers that don't require an external subwoofer (you can also add on a subwoofer later). Its clarity and impact are similar to the HS2100, but you're given greater control over adjusting the trebles and bass to fine-tune your sound. It costs $249.99 at Amazon at full price, but is often discounted to as low as $149.99.

But if you spend a bit more on the Yamaha True X Bar 40A, for $399.95 at Amazon, you'll get more of a surround sound experience, and an improvement on dialogue clarity, bass, and all-around sound performance compared to the HS2100. It also looks and feels more stylish.

How I Tested the Hisense HS2100

I tested the Hisense HS2100 in the largest room in my home, with a mix of smooth surfaces and soft furnishings that are typical of household living rooms.

I tested a set list of scenes and songs to understand the soundbar's ability to produce audio spanning different genres, effects, textures, and eras. I also tested every sound setting available and assessed how easy it was to set up.

Next, learn how to highlight a soundbar in your living room to blend into your interior.