Best 2025 Soundbars for On-device controls

#1

Physical controls on the bar are simple, accessible, and useful for quick adjustments without reaching for the remote.

#2

Physical controls on the main bar and detachable speakers are effective and provide a useful fallback to app control.

#3

Physical controls are responsive and provide useful tactile feedback for quick operation. They complement the remote and on-screen interface rather than forcing app-only control.

#4

The top-panel controls are tactile, clearly labeled and intuitive, giving useful access to core functions without opening the app.

#5

On-device controls are useful as backup basics, with reviewers appreciating physical buttons, though fuller control still depends on the remote.

#6

On-bar controls range from intuitive and nicely backlit to frustratingly hidden in horizontal placement. Physical usability depends heavily on orientation.

#7

On-device controls are useful and accessible, though the strongest control praise tends to shift toward the app.

#8

On-device controls are minimal but functional. Reviewers note the clean touch layout, while most deeper control still happens in the BluOS app.

#9

On-device controls received limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer calling the touch controls nice.

#10

The controls are easy to learn through the remote, but there are no physical controls on the soundbar itself.

#11

On-device controls drew a usability complaint from one reviewer who disliked that any button could turn the unit on.