You’re standing in the electronics aisle at Walmart. It’s loud. The fluorescent lights are humming, and you’re staring at a wall of sleek black boxes. You just want your TV to sound better than a tin can. Honestly, the internal speakers on that new 4K set you bought are garbage. Manufacturers make them thin to look pretty, which means the speakers inside are basically the size of a dime. You need a walmart soundbar and subwoofer to actually feel the bass when something blows up on screen.
But here is the thing.
Most people just grab the cheapest Vizio or Onn system they see, toss it in the cart, and hope for the best. That’s a mistake. You’re either going to end up with a subwoofer that rattles like a loose trunk or a soundbar that makes dialogue sound like it’s coming from underwater. I’ve spent years testing home theater gear, from five-figure custom installs to the $99 specials you find near the checkout lane. There is a sweet spot at Walmart, but you have to know where to look.
Why the Subwoofer is Actually the Most Important Part
Let’s talk about physics for a second. High frequencies are easy. They’re small. You can make a tiny tweeter sound decent without much effort. Bass is different. Bass is about moving air. To get that low-end rumble that makes a movie feel "cinematic," you need a dedicated enclosure and a driver that can push enough volume to vibrate your floorboards.
When you buy a walmart soundbar and subwoofer combo, the sub is almost always the weak link.
A lot of the entry-level bundles come with "passive" subwoofers. This means the sub doesn't have its own power cord; it draws juice from the soundbar itself. Stay away from these if you can. They’re weak. You want an "active" or powered subwoofer—the kind that plugs into its own wall outlet. It has its own dedicated amplifier. This is why brands like Samsung and LG dominate this space at big-box retailers. Their wireless subwoofers are usually tuned much better than the off-brand alternatives.
The Wireless Connection Nightmare
Most subwoofers in these kits are wireless now. That’s great for aesthetics. No one wants a twenty-foot cable snaking across the living room rug. However, 2.4GHz interference is a real thing. If your router is sitting right next to your soundbar, your subwoofer might "pop" or cut out. It’s annoying. If that happens, move the sub a few feet away or try changing your Wi-Fi channel.
Vizio vs. Samsung: The Walmart Showdown
If you walk into any Walmart in the country, these are the two heavyweights. Vizio basically invented the affordable soundbar market. They realized people didn't want to wire up five speakers and a receiver anymore. Their "M-Series" is usually the gold standard for budget buyers. Why? Because they actually include dedicated tweeters and woofers in the bar.
Samsung, on the other hand, plays the ecosystem game. If you have a Samsung TV, getting a Samsung soundbar is a no-brainer because of "Q-Symphony." This tech lets the TV speakers and the soundbar work together instead of the TV shutting off. It makes the soundstage feel taller.
But don't get distracted by the marketing.
I’ve heard $200 Vizio systems that punch way above their weight class compared to $400 Samsung units that feel a bit hollow. It comes down to the driver size. Look at the box. If the subwoofer driver is less than 5 inches, you aren't going to feel it. Aim for 6.5 inches or larger if you actually want to enjoy action movies.
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Is the Onn Brand Actually Worth It?
This is the question everyone asks. Onn is Walmart’s house brand. It’s cheap. Sometimes, suspiciously cheap.
Here is the reality: Onn products are made by various OEM manufacturers (Original Equipment Manufacturers). Some years, they’re decent. Other years, they’re basically e-waste. If you are a casual viewer who just wants to hear the news clearly, a $50 Onn bar is fine. But if you’re trying to build a "home theater," you’re going to be disappointed. The subwoofers bundled with Onn systems tend to be very "boomy." They hit one note—usually around 60Hz to 80Hz—and they just muddy up the rest of the sound. It’s not "clean" bass. It’s just noise.
Hidden Gems in the Aisle
Sometimes you’ll find Philips or Sony gear tucked away. Sony is interesting because they focus heavily on DSP (Digital Signal Processing). Their "Vertical Surround Engine" tries to trick your ears into thinking sound is coming from the ceiling, even without upward-firing speakers. It’s hit or miss depending on your room shape. If you have high, vaulted ceilings, save your money. It won't work. If you have a standard 8-foot ceiling, it’s actually pretty impressive for the price.
The Dolby Atmos Lie
You’ll see "Dolby Atmos" printed on boxes for $150 walmart soundbar and subwoofer sets. Be careful.
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Real Atmos requires height channels. Some bars have speakers on top that bounce sound off your ceiling. Others use "virtualization." Virtual Atmos is basically a software trick. It’s better than standard stereo, but it’s not the "sound coming from everywhere" experience you get in a theater. If the bar doesn't have physical speakers pointing upward, you're paying for a sticker and a software license, not a hardware upgrade.
Setting Up for Success
You got the box home. You ripped it open. Now what?
- Use HDMI ARC/eARC. Do not use the optical cable (the one with the red light) unless your TV is ancient. HDMI ARC allows your TV remote to control the soundbar volume. It also supports higher-quality audio formats.
- Placement Matters. Do not put your subwoofer inside a cabinet. It will rattle the wood and sound terrible. Put it on the floor, ideally near a corner to "load" the room with more bass, or right next to the couch for a more tactile feel.
- Update the Firmware. I know, it’s a soundbar, not a PC. But companies like Vizio and Samsung release updates that fix subwoofer sync issues and EQ bugs. Check the manual for a USB port or a smartphone app.
Beyond the Basics: Understanding the "Channels"
You'll see numbers like 2.1, 3.1, or 5.1.2 on the packaging.
- 2.1: Two speakers in the bar (left/right) and one subwoofer.
- 3.1: This adds a center channel. This is the "magic" number for anyone who struggles to hear dialogue over background music.
- 5.1: This includes two extra rear speakers. Walmart carries several Vizio sets that include these. They plug into the subwoofer, so you still have to run some wires, but it creates a true surround bubble.
If you can afford the extra $50, always go for a 3.1 system over a 2.1. Having that dedicated center channel for voices changes everything. You’ll stop riding the volume button during every movie.
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Real-World Expectations
Don't expect a $200 walmart soundbar and subwoofer to sound like a $2,000 SVS or Klipsch setup. It won't. The goal here is "better than the TV." You want clarity. You want a bit of a kick when a car door slams or a grenade goes off.
The biggest complaint people have after six months is that the subwoofer starts to "chuff." That’s the sound of air moving through the port hole awkwardly. It usually happens when you push a cheap sub too hard. If you find yourself cranking the bass to the max just to feel it, you bought a system that’s too small for your room.
Actionable Steps for Your Purchase
Before you head to the store or click "add to cart," do these three things:
- Measure your TV stand. There is nothing more annoying than a soundbar that is wider than the furniture it’s sitting on, or so tall that it blocks the bottom of your TV screen and the remote sensor.
- Check your TV’s HDMI ports. Make sure you have one labeled "ARC" or "eARC." If you don’t, you’ll be stuck using an optical cable, and you’ll have to use two remotes. No one wants that.
- Look for "Open Box" deals. Walmart often has returns on soundbars because people couldn't figure out the setup. You can sometimes snag a $300 Samsung system for $180 just because the box is taped up. Just make sure the remote and the power bricks are in there.
Decide if you care more about "smart" features (like built-in Alexa or Google Assistant) or raw sound quality. Generally, the more "smart" features a cheap bar has, the less they spent on the actual speakers inside. If you already have a Roku or Fire Stick, you don't need a "smart" soundbar. You just need a loud one.
Focus on the 3.1 systems from Vizio or the "B-Series" from Samsung for the most reliable performance-to-dollar ratio. Avoid the ultra-slim subwoofers that are designed to slide under a couch; they rarely have the displacement needed for a satisfying thud. Stick to a traditional box-shaped sub for the best results.