2024 Popular Soundbar Shopping Guide & Recommendation
In the past, the best way to enjoy real cinema sound quality at home was to plan a system before you moved in. Otherwise, it becomes a hassle to assemble, connect and place a surround sound speaker system afterwards. In other words, the threshold to the world of incredible audio sound is high. But with a soundbar, you don’t have to worry about this any more. Now you can simply put a soundbar in front of the TV to share more space for gadgets in the living room and enjoy great shows!
Here's a list of reasons and benefits for buying a soundbar so you can take one home!
How a soundbar works
Before you convince anyone to let you buy one, it's important to understand what a soundbar is. It's a long, slim cube full of technology and usually contains multi speakers with channels from all angles to satisfy different listening desires.
Benefit 1: Low entry cost but packed with features
Take the most basic two-channel model as an example. You can get one for less than $1,000. It's a great deal! Many models also support Google assistant or Alexa, so if you're thinking of affordability and adding a smart audio assistant to your home, buying a soundbar instead is a great way to get two birds with one stone. In fact, many soundbars can also be connected via Bluetooth, replacing the Bluetooth speaker in your desk, so you can listen to Podcasts, Audiobooks or stream music easily without any problems.
Benefit 2: Lightweight and compact design for easy installation
The Soundbar is slim and stylish and can be hung on the wall or placed on a TV stand. Some models come with an additional wireless subwoofer to complete the bass sound, making it ideal for watching movies or playing video games. This still saves a lot of space compared to traditional audio systems. Because they are wirelessly connected, these subwoofers also offer more placement flexibility.
Benefit 3: It’s easy to get great sound
Being affordable and space-saving, of itself, is no use if the sound quality is poor. In addition to having multi channels in one unit, some soundbars support technologies such as DTS X and Dolby Atmos, or you can use a sky channel unit to create a surround sound effect. The cost and effectiveness of the two methods vary, but both are less hassle than adding a traditional cinematic sound system.
▾Virtual surround sound models▾
Even in the absence of a complete sound system and ceiling speakers, a soundbar gives an illusion of hearing stereo sound by instantly remixing the sound using psycho-acoustic principles. Although the virtual sound and positioning is not as good as real speakers, it is the simplest, most affordable way to enjoy surround sound.
Recommended brands: YAMAHA，JBL，Razer，Polk Audio，SONY，DENON，SAMSUNG，LG
▾Reflective surround sound▾
Soundbars that use a sky channel unit send sound up to the ceiling through a diagonal upward-facing driver, which is then reflected back to our ears, creating a surround sound that is closer to that of traditional ceiling speakers, but with a more realistic, wider and live sound. These models are generally equipped with more channels and audio dynamics for finer sound definition for a superior overall listening experience.
Recommended brands: SENNHEISER，SAMSUNG，LG，SONY