A Soundbar generates a rich stereo or surround sound effect that a flat screen TV simply cannot do by itself. Dependent on how much money you want to spend you can get up to 7.1 surround sound in a single enclosure without the stress and expense of rearranging your living room, pulling up carpets (or skirting boards!) to lay cables and deal with the clutter or five or six speakers and an amplifier.
So what is 'The Best Soundbar'? Well, as with so many things in life the answer is 'it depends'. The short answer is 'the one that does what you need it to do and that you can afford'. To try and figure what that means read on!
What do you want it for?
Give some thought to what your actually want the Soundbar for. Is it just to give your flat screen TV better sound or do you want to emulate that rich surround sound experience? Perhaps you also have an Xbox or game system you want to enrich? These factors will determine whether you will be happy with a simple entry level machine or a top of the range system with lots of connection options.
What's your budget?
Soundbars range from around 50 ($82) all the way up to 1400 ($2,300).
What do I want to connect?
Make a list of anything you want to connect and figure out if it's possible - common requirements are Xbox, Blu-Ray, MP3 Player,BlueTooth and of course TV.
How will I connect?
On most entry to mid range Soundbars you will attach all your gadgets (Wii, Xbox etc) to the TV and then the sound out from the TV to the Soundbar. On some high end Soundbars you can attach everything directly.
HDMI
Pay special attention to HDMI, particularly HDMI ARC. If both Soundbar and TV support this it can make the cabling much simpler.
Make sure the room youll be installing the Soundbar into is suitable.
You need walls that will reflect sound readily. (Some wall coverings can result in acoustic damping.) Make sure you don't have items of furniture which will block the sounds path. Check that the Soundbar you're interested in will either fit on your TV stand or can be easily wall mounted.
How loud do you want?
Sound varies from a wimpy 30watts RMS all the way up to 400 (Extraordinary!). 100 or above is probably about right for most people..
What manufacturer do you favour?
Most of the big electronics manufacturers produce Soundbars, so if you have a favourite then that might guide your choice. In our experience we hear the most positive reviews about Yamaha.
So what is 'The Best Soundbar'? Well, as with so many things in life the answer is 'it depends'. The short answer is 'the one that does what you need it to do and that you can afford'. To try and figure what that means read on!
What do you want it for?
Give some thought to what your actually want the Soundbar for. Is it just to give your flat screen TV better sound or do you want to emulate that rich surround sound experience? Perhaps you also have an Xbox or game system you want to enrich? These factors will determine whether you will be happy with a simple entry level machine or a top of the range system with lots of connection options.
What's your budget?
Soundbars range from around 50 ($82) all the way up to 1400 ($2,300).
What do I want to connect?
Make a list of anything you want to connect and figure out if it's possible - common requirements are Xbox, Blu-Ray, MP3 Player,BlueTooth and of course TV.
How will I connect?
On most entry to mid range Soundbars you will attach all your gadgets (Wii, Xbox etc) to the TV and then the sound out from the TV to the Soundbar. On some high end Soundbars you can attach everything directly.
HDMI
Pay special attention to HDMI, particularly HDMI ARC. If both Soundbar and TV support this it can make the cabling much simpler.
Make sure the room youll be installing the Soundbar into is suitable.
You need walls that will reflect sound readily. (Some wall coverings can result in acoustic damping.) Make sure you don't have items of furniture which will block the sounds path. Check that the Soundbar you're interested in will either fit on your TV stand or can be easily wall mounted.
How loud do you want?
Sound varies from a wimpy 30watts RMS all the way up to 400 (Extraordinary!). 100 or above is probably about right for most people..
What manufacturer do you favour?
Most of the big electronics manufacturers produce Soundbars, so if you have a favourite then that might guide your choice. In our experience we hear the most positive reviews about Yamaha.
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