Budget 2.1 Soundbar Showdown: TCL S55H vs. Hisense HS2100

Can a cheap soundbar actually sound good? The TCL S55H S Class 2.1 and the Hisense HS2100 2.1 soundbars prove the answer is yes — both pack Dolby Atmos (and/or DTS Virtual:X) and a wireless subwoofer, features you’d normally expect to pay twice as much for.

They’re not perfect, though. Hundreds of Amazon and Reddit reviews reveal the classic budget trade-off: impressive performance for the price, but occasional bugs and reliability quirks you have to live with.

We’ve sifted through the real-user feedback so you don’t have to. Here’s everything you need to decide which one deserves a spot under your TV.

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What Are Budget Soundbars Best For? (Ideal Use Cases)

Both the TCL S55H and Hisense HS2100 shine when cost and space matter most. They deliver a huge leap over built-in TV speakers without breaking the bank or turning your living room into a wiring nightmare.

Perfect for:

Small apartments, bedrooms, RVs, patios, or garages — the sound easily fills compact spaces
Secondary TVs in guest rooms, kids’ rooms, home offices, gyms, or man caves
Renters, college students, or anyone who might move soon
Elderly or non-tech-savvy users who just want something simple that works with their existing TV remote
Anyone saving up for a high-end setup — these give you surprisingly good sound (and even Atmos on the TCL) while you wait

Performance: Loudness, Bass, and Dialogue Clarity

Overall Volume & Soundstage

TCL: Comfortably fills 250–300 sq ft rooms; virtual Atmos creates believable overhead effects for movies and shows.
Hisense: 240 W total power pushes slightly louder — great for open-plan homes — but the soundstage feels narrower and less immersive.

Both are dramatically louder and clearer than any flat-panel TV, but the TCL pulls ahead in the category most people care about: dialogue.

Feature	TCL S55H	Hisense HS2100	Winner
Overall Value	Exceptional sound for the price. Praised as “unreal” value.	Great entry-level performance. Provides powerful loudness.	Tie
Dialogue Clarity	Features an effective Voice Enhancement mode. Highly praised for making words clear over loud effects.	Weak. Several users find voice clarity “terrible” and rely on subtitles.	TCL S55H
Bass Impact	Surprising bass. “More than adequate” thump for apartment living.	Deep & Rumbly. Many users note they had to turn down the bass.	Hisense HS2100
Advanced Sound	Features AI Sonic Room Calibration via app (once setup works).	Its Dynamic Range Compression (DRC) is praised for preventing sudden loud commercials.	TCL S55H (Due to the customization via calibration)

Bottom line on sound: If you mainly want to hear dialogue clearly without cranking the volume, choose the TCL S55H. If you crave deep, chest-thumping bass for music or action scenes, the Hisense HS2100 hits harder.

Who Are These Soundbars For? (Customer Profiles)

Customer Profile	Best Fit	Why?
The TCL TV Owner	TCL S55H	The seamless setup via HDMI eARC and the ability to use one remote for both devices is a major usability win, especially for non-tech-savvy users.
The Movie & Dialogue Focused	TCL S55H	The Voice Enhancement feature is effective at solving the core problem of loud music drowning out conversation.
The Apartment Dweller	TCL S55H	Needs a unit that won’t wake the neighbors (avoiding the Hisense’s loud announcements) but still provides clear sound.
The Bass Head on a Budget	Hisense HS2100	If you are purely after the biggest, rumbliest bass possible at the absolute lowest price, the Hisense sub delivers.
The Secondary TV/Office	TCL S55H	The S55H is less disruptive for a bedroom or office. Avoid the Hisense in any quiet space.

The Deal-Breaker Flaws: Usability and Reliability

This is where the budget reality bites.

No visible display or useful LED feedback — you’re adjusting volume completely blind from the couch.
Volume steps are erratic; it often jumps from whisper-quiet to way-too-loud.
The TCL Home app (needed for room calibration) confuses some users during setup.

Hisense HS2100: The Yelling Soundbar

Every power-on loudly announces: “POWER ON! HDMI! SUBWOOFER CONNECTED!”
There is no way to disable or lower these voice prompts (confirmed by Hisense support).
For late-night viewing, bedrooms, or apartments with thin walls, this is an instant deal-breaker.
A noticeable number of users also report persistent audio-video lag that makes movies unwatchable.

The Reliability Lottery

Both models suffer from higher-than-average failure rates — most commonly the wireless subwoofer dropping connection or dying within the first year. Hisense owners additionally complain that replacement parts are unavailable, leaving them stuck buying a whole new unit.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?

Winner: TCL S55H

The TCL S55H is the safer, more enjoyable daily driver. Superior dialogue clarity solves the #1 reason people buy a soundbar in the first place, and its flaws (while annoying) are far less disruptive than the Hisense’s shouting voice prompts and higher risk of A/V lag.

Unless you live in a constantly noisy environment and never watch TV quietly, the Hisense HS2100’s unavoidable announcements make it impossible to recommend for most people.

Quick Specs Comparison

Feature	TCL S55H (2.1 ch)	Hisense HS2100 (2.1 ch)
Current Price	See price on Amazon	See price on Amazon
Channels	2.1 + wireless sub	2.1 + wireless sub
Power	220 W (bar + sub)	240 W (bar + sub)
Dimensions (bar)	31.89″(W) x 3.86″(D) x 2.36″(H)	31.5″(W) x 3.54″(D) x 2.36″(H)
Subwoofer	12.87″(W) x 34.45″(D) x 10.12″(H)	4.33″(W) x 11.81″(D) x 13.78″(H)
Audio Formats	Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X	Dolby Audio, DTS Virtual:X
Connections	HDMI eARC, Optical, AUX, USB, Bluetooth 5.3	HDMI ARC, Optical, AUX, USB, Bluetooth 5.3
Remote	Full IR + batteries	Full IR + batteries
Wall-mount kit	Yes	Yes

SOUNDS AND VIBE