Are Soundbars Seriously Worth it?
If you haven’t already realized, almost everything is online today. Whether it’s a book, a cooking tutorial, a workout class, a movie, a music video, live rockets launching, presidential debates, etc., it’s all being given to us online! What a shame it would be if you could not hear everything in decent to great quality. Sound bars are especially necessary because you don’t need a fancy or new tv to get good sound. Yes, adding a sound bar to a tv that is 5 to 10 years old can improve the audio significantly. But what exactly is a sound bar, you’re wondering? In simple terms, a soundbar is a wide speaker that projects high quality audio. Soundbars range in price anywhere from under $100 to over $1000. And yes, the $100 one will make a difference! If you feel you are ready to invest in a sound bar, I have listed the things you should look out for below as well as explained the pros and cons of a couple popular brands (and their options) in order to get you closer to making your decision.
What to Look for When Buying a Soundbar
Soundbar placement – what room will it go in?
Depending on whether you plan to mount the soundbar onto a wall or place it on your media console, considering the placement of the soundbar is important because you’ll want to make sure there is enough room. You’ll also want to make sure you are not blocking the connection between the remote and tv with the soundbar.
Number of channels you’ll want
Depending on the type of sound you want, you’re going to want to keep in mind the number of channels when looking into a sound bar. If you’re just looking to amplify the sound, you should be good with 2.1 channels. 2.1 just means 2 front channels and a separate subwoofer. A subwoofer is a speaker that delivers low frequencies. If you’re looking for a sound system that’s going to feel like sound is coming from every corner of the room, then you’re going to want to buy a sound bar with a subwoofer and rear speakers. This will give you that multichannel sound you’re looking for.
Go and try them out in the store before buying
Not only is it your better bet to go and see/hear the soundbar in person, but you’re probably going to have questions that require professional advice. You should ask about warranties between soundbars, most should have you covered for 12 months but I would make sure of it. You should also ask about their return/exchange policy in case you get home, install the soundbar, and realize you would prefer a different one.
TV size to soundbar size
A soundbar does not need to be the exact size of your tv but it should be similar.
For a 32 inch tv, a soundbar between 20-30 inches should be fine.
For a 40 inch tv, a soundbar between 30-40 inches should be fine.
For a 55 inch tv, a soundbar between 40-50 inches should be fine.
For a 70 inch tv (and larger), a soundbar of 60 inches should be fine.
Options
Bose Soundbars
Bose Soundbar 700
Pros: Newer model, includes a voice assistant, can be controlled by your phone, remote, or just your voice. The soundbar comes with Spotify and audible. Bluetooth/wifi capabilities.
Cons: Pricy, requires a high end compatible subwoofer, and you must buy the speakers separately.
Bose Solo 5
Pros: great sound for a great price. Capable of Bluetooth.
Cons: Does not come with mounting kit. You also have to adjust the bass, volume, and dialog from music to tv mode which can be a bother.
Bose Soundtouch 300
Pros: compatible with Alexa, Bluetooth capable, 4k HDMI, newer technology
Cons: Pricy, bass isn’t as good as intended to be, highest volume is not loud enough, subwoofer issues, difficult set up, connectivity issues
Bose Soundbar 500
Pros: voice assistance, Bluetooth/wifi capable
Cons: pricy, only comes with basic remote
Samsung Soundbars
Samsung HW-T550
Pros: Great price, wireless subwoofer, decent deep bass, gets loud
Cons: does not support atmos content, the bar downmixes which affects the audio experience, no aux port
Samsung HW-Q950T
Pros: comes with a bar, two satellite speakers, and wireless subwoofer
Cons: very wide (will not fit between 55” tv legs), no room correction or auto-volume feature
Samsung HW-Q900T
Pros: extended bass (good for action movies or heavy bass music), dialogue enhancement feature, gets loud, supports atmos
Cons: compression at maximum volume, very wide (will not fit between 55” tv legs), no satellite speakers making the sound less dedicated
Sonos Soundbars
Sonos Beam
Pros: great sound, great for apartments, offers smart features, good price, Alexa, airplay and google assistant, Bluetooth capable
Cons: pricy, needs a subwoofer for full effect and the subwoofer is extremely expensive, does not support atmos
Sonos Arc
Pros: good/powerful sound, great for home theaters, supports atmos, feels like you have surround setup, deep bass, longer (45”)
Cons: pricy, longer (45″)
Vizio Soundbars
Vizio SB36512-F6
Pros: great sound (you can tweak sound based on your liking), various connectivity options, supports atmos and DTS
Cons: look cheap, speakers need to be wired to subwoofer
Vizio SB3220n-F6
Pros: good for dialogue-heavy content, Bluetooth capability, gets loud (sound is customizable through EQ presets)
Cons: no subwoofer, low-bass is lacking (sound doesn’t sound as dedicated), no HDMI port, does not support atmos
Vizio SB2020n-G6
Pros: affordable, decent with dialogue-heavy content, decent with music
Cons: not very loud, does not support atmos, compresses at lower volumes, no HDMI port, not wall mountable
Sony Soundbars
Sony HT-ST5000
Pros: good stereo frequency, EQ presets to adjust the sound to your liking, supports atmos and eARC, HDMI ports, Bluetooth/wifi capabilities
Cons: unable to tune the bass/treble, no surround speakers so the sound performance is not as dedicated, compression at maximum volume
Sony HT-Z9F
Pros: clear/accurate dialogue, supports DTS and atmos, balanced sound profile, EQ presets to adjust sound to your liking, gets loud, Bluetooth/wifi capabilities
Cons: unable to tune bass/treble, no room correction, uses sony to simulate atmos which changes the experience (less immersive), lacks a little amount of low-bass
Sony HT-S100F
Pros: affordable, metal grill (interesting appearance), decent dialogue content
Cons: No dedicated subwoofer so bass is off, unable to customize sound profile, does not support DTS or atmos
LG Soundbars
LG SN11RG
Pros: good subwoofer, two satellite speakers, supports DTS and atmos, HDMI port, room correction feature, gets loud
Cons: no EQ presets to customize sound, compression at maximum volume, bar is quite wide (make sure it fits into your set up before purchasing)
LG GX Soundbar
Pros: wireless subwoofer, EQ presents to customize sound to your liking, auto-volume mode, support atmos, gets loud
Cons: compression at maximum volume, soundbar has to downmix to support atmos which makes for a different experience, lacks good low bass (if you’re into heavy bass, this is probably not your best bet), pricy
JBL Soundbar
JBL Bar 9.1
Pros: wireless subwoofer, two wireless satellite speakers, great center channel, multiple physical inputs, supports eArc, 4k passthrough and atmos, Bluetooth/wifi capabilities
Cons: lacks dialogue enhancement feature, limited EQ preset selection (only 3)
Yamaha Soundbar
Yamaha YAS-209
Pros: comes with Alexa, supports DTS, wireless subwoofer, good command bar
Cons: will not sync with other Yamaha speakers