With the arrival of all the flood of streaming content, coupled with the fact that televisions with 4K resolution are becoming more affordable, the standard we now have for playing multimedia content has risen a lot. The problem with all this is that not everything is the image, the sound is equally important if we want to enjoy series and movies at the highest quality. Therefore, today we want to tell you everything you need to know about sound bars, so that cinema quality is transported to your living room in the form of image and sound.
What is a sound bar for?
Maybe if we talk about the teams home cinema that became popular many years ago, be very clear about its use and operation. Well, a sound bar does exactly the same thing but, yes, everything included in a single bar, or at least almost everything. Therefore, thanks to these devices we can enjoy a more powerful, higher quality sound andAlso more enveloping than what we hear through our television.
But how do they manage to make surround sound in a single bar? The key is that the different speakers are located with different orientations to get it. Added to this, there are different technologies that allow you to achieve that 3D sound to these sound bars. For example, the most popular technique is the use of algorithms that generate virtual 3D positioning through audio.
Using this type of technique, sound bars, as in home cinemas, they can be 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1 equipment depending on the number of speakers they contain and their orientation. Based on this, the greater the number of speakers, the further apart the audio channels will be and the greater number of nuances we will be able to hear. Therefore, the quality will be higher and, therefore, the price will also go up.
These teams are usually placed in front of the television or just below it, either hanging on the wall or on the furniture in which we have it. This placement is due to the layout of its speakers, which are usually aimed directly at the front, which is where the viewer will normally be listening.
Additionally, some sound bars include a subwoofer, which is nothing more than a more or less large speaker, with a large resonance box for play bass correctly, which is usually placed on the floor next to the TV. Due to their aesthetics / design, sound bars fail to achieve basses with a good punch, which is why the subwoofer is added to those that want to provide the highest sound quality.
Important details before buying
As with many other equipment, especially those dedicated to image and sound, there are different very important sections before opting for one model or another. Below we list all those characteristics that you should know to choose the best sound bar for you:
- Number of loudspeakers: This is, perhaps, one of the fundamental aspects when choosing one or the other. As we have mentioned before, this directly affects the sound quality and, of course, that enveloping sensation that we all like to feel when we watch a good movie. Therefore, if you want the best of the best, you should think about buying a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker.
- Sound power: this parameter will surely sound familiar to you, it is the one that is measured in watts (W) and represents how "loud" or "soft" our speaker will sound. The power is a value that we must pay attention to depending on how far we are from the sound bar. The manufacturer's recommendation for this product is usually specified on the product box itself. distance to place the product. So, if we want the sound to be heard well and punchy, the power must be high enough.
- Connection type: These products have different ways to connect to the TV and other equipment to play content. The most typical are HDMI, optical cable, jack o, in the case of being wireless Bluetooth. The alternative that will give us the highest quality according to the manufacturers will be HDMI, but if we want to use other equipment such as Blu-ray players or a console, it would be important that both the television and the bar be compatible with HDMI ARC. This technology allows the use of a single cable to transmit and receive audio. On the other hand, in the case of the wireless signal, you should know that it may be the most comfortable but the one with the least quality.
- Audio Formats / Codecs: Another interesting parameter to take into account is that of the formats or codecs. It is very important that you check that the codecs of the content you usually play are compatible with the bar before buying it. Currently you can find from the Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, DTS And a long etcetera.
- Subwoofer: as we mentioned before, the presence of this added speaker is vital if you want to enjoy some good bass. So, despite the fact that it is "one more piece of junk", it is something that you should value depending on the importance you give to the audio.
Best sound bars to take home
Having said all this, now that you know all the relevant information when buying one of these devices, it is time to choose. which one are you going to buy. There are many different types of equipment on the market, so to make your task a little easier, we have made a selection of the more interesting models that you can find on Amazon.
Sony HTSF150
The first model that is part of this collection, and the cheapest, is this sound bar Sony HTSF150. It is a compact model from this manufacturer that we are used to great sound quality. We can connect it to the TV via HDMI ARC, optical cable or Bluetooth connectivity. It is a 2.1 device, with a power of 30 W, which might not be too much, but for less than 100 euros, little more can be asked for.
See offer on AmazonSamsung HW-T430/ZF
Within the economic models of these devices we also find this Samsung HW-T430/ZF. A 2.1 W 100 sound bar that also includes its own subwoofer to enhance the bass. It has Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, but forget about the HDMI ARC port. Its price is about 159 euros.
See offer on AmazonLG SN6Y
We continue to raise the price a bit, although at the moment it has not skyrocketed, and we find ourselves at the sound bar of LG. This is the model SN6Y, a 3.1 unit with a power of 420 W and its own subwoofer. This model is compatible with DTS Virtual:X to take advantage of that surround sound. It has optical input, Bluetooth 4.0 and HDMI. If you want to buy this sound bar you will have to pay something less than 300 euros.
See offer on AmazonPhilips B8405/10
In this case, Philips is another of those manufacturers that are committed to good sound quality and we can verify it with this Philips B8405/10. It is a 240 W sound bar, compatible with Solby Atmos, DTS Play-Fi and a 2.1 sound system with the accompanying subwoofer. As an added bonus, this bar is compatible with Amazon's voice assistant: Alexa. Although it also works with AirPlay 2. As for connectivity, you can rest easy because you can use it with HDMI ARC. Its price revolves around 400 euros.
See offer on AmazonSonos Beam Gen 2
This is the second generation of the Sonos Beam, and its main characteristic is the incorporation of technology Dolby Atmos. Thanks to its compact design, it can be placed under many Smart TV models, although we can also purchase the wall bracket to hang it if we need it. Its connectivity with other Sonos speakers allows us to set up a multiroom system in an extremely simple way, in addition to the fact that we can also use two Sonos One speakers as rear speakers, which multiplies the capabilities of the system.
See offer on AmazonBose Smart Soundbar 300
About us Angry You don't need too many introductions in terms of sound equipment. This is my bar Smart Soundbar 300, a team that also has the intelligent assistants of Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant. It has Bluetooth connectivity, optical port and HDMI ARC. The cost of this device reaches 424 euros.
See offer on AmazonSonos Beam
The bar Sonos Beam It is one of the most popular on the market if you want an alternative with good sound and that is compact. This model is compatible with AirPlay and also incorporates Alexa as a smart assistant. It has HDMI ARC and optical ports. It is a 5.1 sound bar that offers a total of 8 speakers to make the content more enveloping.
See offer on AmazonJBL Bar 5.1
Another of the well-known brands in this sector is JBL. This is the model Bar 5.1 which, as its name suggests, is a 5.1 speaker system with its own subwoofer for bass enhancement. Although there is a model that reaches 9.1 from the same manufacturer, but it would go from the 600 euros that we are talking about to 999 euros. Its power is 550W and it has HDMI, auxiliary and optical port, Bluetooth and AirPlay.
See offer on AmazonSamsung HW-Q950T
Finally, and being the most expensive model of all that we have shown you in this collection, there is the Samsung HW-Q950T, which reaches a price of 850 euros. This sound bar has a 9.1 audio system, with its own subwoofer for bass and two more speakers to place behind us. Of course, it is compatible with Dolby Atmos and DTS: X, in addition to having a power of 546 W. It incorporates compatibility with Amazon and Bixby assistants, Samsung's own. It also adds Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, Ethernet, WiFi and NFC. Very complete but, yes, at a high cost.
See offer on AmazonThe links you see in the article could earn us a small commission with their sales, since they belong to the Amazon affiliate program. Of course, this would not affect the price you pay for them. Even so, the decision to publish them responds to a purely editorial criterion on the part of El Output, without responding to suggestions or requests from the mentioned brands.