Soundbar Info

So far we have discussed what a soundbar is, room layout and some buyers tips but one question which keeps cropping up is; ‘What is the Best Soundbar?’

Well, just like plenty of things in daily life the reply is ‘it depends’. The quick response is ‘the one that really does what you need it to do and that you may afford’. To try and figure exactly what that means please read on!

Which do you need it for?
Keep in mind exactly what your truly want the Soundbar for. Will it be just to give your flat screen Television set improved audio or do you wish to imitate that rich surround sound experience? Perhaps you also have an Xbox console or game system you wish to enhance? These aspects will determine whether you will be happy having a straightforward entry level device or a top of the line system many different connection options.

What do you want to spend?
Soundbars range between around £50 ($82) all the way up to £1400 ($2,300). The low end will just give your TV sound a boost, the high end will shake your teeth and give you an amazing range of connection and configuration options.

What do you want to hook up?
Create a list of anything you need to connect and find out whether it’s feasible - general requirements are Xbox 360 console, Blu-Ray, MP3 Player,Wireless bluetooth and naturally Tv set.

What connections do you need?
On most entry to mid range Soundbars you may attach all your various gadgets (Wii, Xbox and so forth) to the Television and then the audio out from the TV to the Soundbar. For some high end Soundbars you may connect almost everything directly.

HDMI
Pay special attention to HDMI, particularly HDMI ARC. Whenever both Soundbar and TV support this it should make the cabling more simple.

Ensure the room where you will be be installing the Soundbar into is suitable
You need wall surfaces that can reflect audio readily. (A few wall coverings can result in acoustic damping.) Ensure you do not have pieces of furniture that could obstruct the sounds route. Verify that the Soundbar you have in mind will either fit on your TV stand or perhaps can be simply wall mounted.

How loud would you like?
Sound can vary from a rather half hearted 30watts RMS right up to 400! 100 or higher is most likely about right for most people..

What manufacturer do you prefer?
All the big consumer tech and audio companies produces soundbars so you should be able to pick one from your favourite manufacturer or to match existing equipment.

Configuring up a Soundbar is fairly straightforward, nonetheless as with any sort of hi-tech audio setup there is a lot to consider if you would like get the most out of your choice. (For sure, it is easy to just throw it in and hope for the best, however lets face it, having spent some money you want your brand-new system to ROCK!) To help with this I’ve prepared the following Soundbar Information about the room layout aspects of setting up a Soundbar.

All Soundbars have somewhat different setup considerations so do be sure you look at the handbook that is included with yours after you purchase it. The following guide ought to provide you adequate typical information to help you to be sure that your room is suited for a Soundbar.

Before we get in to the specifics we will have a very short refresher on how a Soundbar really works. That streamlined wide system that you want sat below or above your TV is full of compact speakers which beam the sound at numerous angles. The number of speakers relies on whether or not you have a 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1 system as well as the make and model which you have. The impact is finished by all the high-tech trickery such as SRS WOW, DTS, and Dolby etc.

If you visualize those sounds exiting the Soundbar at set angles you very soon realise that you will need to make sure they all meet at the same spot - you!

You now need make sure that the lines have an continuous path and that the length of each type of line is comparable. That’s less difficult as it appears, just make sure there aren’t any lumps of furniture getting in the sounds way!

Now as you have probably read in the technical guide some Soundbars do have onboard calibration techniques. What this means is they are able to project a sound and then configure itself influenced by just what it gets back with the onboard microphone. Such systems are wonderful. Other systems enable you to manually regulate the output which again is an valuable feature to achieve the same goal. However, although you may possess have such a system you are likely to strengthen audio quality by endeavouring to observe the following tips;

Set up the system in the middle of the left and right wall

Listening point is required to be in front of the device

Pieces of home furniture should not hinder the travel of sound

Listening position shouldn’t be too close to the walls

Your listening position should be around 6ft or greater from the Soundbar

Walls need to be solid enough to be able to reflect sound beams

Look at the width of your Television set rack and make certain the Soundbar will be able to fit without things blocking the path

When you purchase your Soundbar investigate the manual very carefully to get advice specific to your model in advance of commencing the setup process!

When you’re researching what the best Soundbar is to meet your requirements there are a number of tips to help make sure you pick the right unit for you!

Make sure your room will be ok for a Soundbar. As a general rule to make a Soundbar system work properly does require some planning as to where the viewer/listener will be sat relative to the Soundbar. Typically its considered best to be sat about 6ft in front on the unit.

Make sure the Soundbar that you want will fit the space you have available!

Make sure you don’t have absorbent type walls. (Woodchip wall paper anyone?!)

Count the number of devices that you’re going to want to plug in and make a list of what type of connections they need. Then make sure you can connect them all! (There are typically two approaches here - either connect them to the TV and then connect the TV to the Soundbar or connect them all to the Soundbar. There is a much fuller discussion of this on our website.

Choose a Soundbar with a subwoofer or the option to add one later. It makes a big difference.

HDMI is the best connection option but more expensive. Consider what HDMI connectivity requirements you have and whether the Soundbar that you want has enough HDMI inputs. Also check if it has at least one HDMI ARC output which simplifies cabling.

So, do your homework and check the specs of the Soundbars that interest you, (and read the manual before connecting anything!)and in next to no time you may find yourself ducking in the middle of the next action film you watch!

The Soundbar is a special sort of speaker system which creates a stereo or surround sound effect from a single enclosure. It is wider than it is tall which helps them to be positioned either on a shelf underneath the TV or wall mounted above. Some Soundbars come with the option of an additional subwoofer to give a really satisfying depth to the sound.

The need for Soundbars was driven by advances in TV screen technology. As screens got progressively thinner the lack of bulk meant that onboard speakers simply couldn’t produce a really satisfying depth of sound.

When Yamaha created the YSP-1 in 2005 they effectively created a whole new product category overnight!

So Soundbars we developed for people who wanted full stereo or surround sound without the inconvenience and expense of having to install an amplifier and multiple speakers. (And lets face it running cables all round the living room, under carpets and maybe behind skirting boards isn’t for the faint hearted!)

The ‘Surround Sound’ effect (sometimes called a 3D sound field) is achieved by housing multiple speakers within the Soundbar and then bouncing the sound of the walls. Onboard technology such as DTS and SRS WOW complete the effect. Its surround sound that you want for getting that ‘in the middle of the action’ feeling whilst watching movies or playing computer games!