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If you’ve ever wanted fuller, richer sound from your TV, you’ve probably considered buying a soundbar. The sound will be better than what your TV offers, but does everyone really need it? And can they even compete with a proper home theater sound system?
Televisions are getting wider and thinner at the same time, leaving little room for the kind of speakers you need for full sound. Sound bars are the best option for really rich audio for movies and TV shows.
“Because no matter how good the picture is, the sound leaves something to be desired on almost all televisions,” says hi-fi specialist Sebastien Bonset.
Compared to a home theater setup, a soundbar doesn’t need as many cables and boxes. Instead, it has three speakers (left, right, and center) in one housing, which sits directly below the TV.
Television expert Klaus Laumann, who reviews new units for trade publications, sees this simplicity as the main reason for the popularity of sound bars.
Even if there are other boxes and a subwoofer involved, they usually connect to each other via WiFi and only need a power cord. The connection between the soundbar and the television is via HDMI.
Sound bars are also typically cheaper than home theater systems. Entry-level models range from roughly US $ 100 (RM404) to US $ 500 (RM2,020). However, you shouldn’t expect too much from cheaper devices. Very high-quality solutions cost US $ 1,000 (RM4,041) or more.
The conventional soundbar is called a 2.1 system: it has left and right speakers and a subwoofer for the bass. With a 3.1 system, a center speaker is also added.
A 3.0 or 2.0 system, on the other hand, doesn’t have a subwoofer. A 2.0 system is ideal for linear television and can also reproduce music well, Laumann says. “You can also place two stereos next to the TV.”
Bonset advises purchasing a system with an external subwoofer if you want surround sound. A sound bar with a digital signal processor will also help the sound appear more spatial.
Some manufacturers are already trying to bring even more surround sound to soundbars and offer 4.1, 5.1 or even so-called 3D systems.
Some of them project sound onto ceilings and walls or come with additional boxes that are placed at the back of the room. This is to reinforce the spatial impression.
“The individual sound waves are sent against the walls or ceiling, and the reflection creates the impression that the sound is also coming from behind or above,” explains hifi expert Nico Jurran.
In general, square rooms are better suited for this than elongated ones. Ideally, the soundbar is positioned in such a way that the distance to the left and right wall is the same.
However, these systems do not work as well in open-plan rooms where it is difficult to obtain a clean sound reflection.
“With speakers, on the other hand, it shouldn’t be a problem to get decent 3D sound,” says Jurran.
If you can, you should try a soundbar before buying it, as it may sound completely different when you try it out later in your own home. It is also important to check what connection options both the soundbar and the TV have.
Finally, the width of the soundbar should match the width of the television “so that the sound extends to the outer edge of the picture,” says Jurran. – dpa
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