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The soundbar is getting popular not only for TV but for many other home entertainment activities. After getting so many Emails about this matter.
I wanted to write an in-depth article about it. In this article, you will know how soundbar can bring changes to your home entertainment.
You will also know the pros and cons of it too. Keep reading or just read your desired topics from this article.
Don’t forget to read the final verdict for each type. You will know whether it is worth it for that type or not.
Soundbar For Music: Is it worth it?
A soundbar for music is the best option for those who live in a small apartment or are fond of a small TV and audio setup that doesn’t take up much space.
Are soundbars better than speakers for music?
In-Short: Soundbars are better than speakers when it comes to convenience but speakers can throw them out of the water when it comes to sound quality.
In-Depth: The soundbar is equipped with built-in speakers. These small speakers are wired already and powered by the soundbar circuitry. You don’t need to run wires and arrange a suitable amplifier for it.
The soundbar can be set up within minutes and doesn’t need sound calibration. It can be connected to the TV with the help of one wire. You don’t need processors or receivers as a bridge between the TV and the soundbar.
You can connect your mobile via Bluetooth with the soundbar and can stream your favorite music to it remotely. Also, many soundbars support internet radio and many music streaming services. So, you never run off the music content. This is the convenience that soundbars bring.
But when it comes to the sound quality, speakers have a visible upper hand.
The drivers of the speakers are bigger than the soundbar’s speakers’ drivers. That’s why the music of the speakers feels deeper and tighter and even more accurate.
Also, the speakers can be placed all around you and can provide a wide range of sound ambiance. Also, you can re-arrange speakers for better placements where sound will hit you better. With soundbars, you can’t do this. Because all of the speakers are built into the bar.
You feel many more sounds in the same music when played by speakers. But a soundbar with a subwoofer and two rear speakers can compete with a speakers setup. I have reviewed a soundbar that provides a subwoofer and two separate speakers in this guide. Best soundbars under $300. I have reviewed the top 7 in this guide.
You can read this guide for more detail. Speakers Vs Soundbar. Which one is worth it? I have compared them for every purpose in this guide with ratings.
Keep reading the FAQs for this type to know more critical facts.
Are soundbars as good as stereo?
Soundbars can’t be as good as stereo speakers. The stereo speakers have the quality of better stereo separations than the soundbars.
The soundbar is placed there in front of the listener and all of the speakers are packed closely in it. The soundbar can only cover the TV in length.
The speakers can be placed much far than the TV and this contributes to better stereo separations. Stereo separation is much needed for a better music experience.
Also, stereo setups usually have a better subwoofer than the soundbar. This subwoofer boosts the music experience even more.
But the soundbar can win again in the convenience department from the speakers.
Read this guide, on ported Vs sealed subwoofers. You will know which one sub is better for music. I have compared them both in many fields and music is one of them.
Is it worth getting a soundbar for music? (Final Verdict)
In-Short: The soundbar for music is worth it if you love its convenience, different music streaming services, and internet radio, and you live in a space where you don’t want to annoy your neighbors with huge speakers and subwoofer sound.
In these cases, it is worth it. I have talked about the soundbar convenience in detail at the start of this guide.
Soundbar For Gaming: Is it worth it?
Many are using their home theater system for gaming. Many soundbars are introduced for gamers. But this article is dedicated to those soundbars that are for home theater purposes. Because we need a soundbar that can be good for movies, TV shows, and games.
A good quality soundbar can perform all these duties. So, don’t worry.
Is a soundbar or speakers better for gaming?
In-Short: A soundbar with a surround sound feature can sound better than stereo speakers but it can’t be better than a real surround sound speakers setup.
In-Depth: When you are playing games at a distance of at least 10 feet away from the soundbar and the TV then the soundbar can sound better than stereo speakers. Because Many newer soundbars have virtual surround sound features.
This feature expands the sound canvas that can be gathered all around you better. Not the best but better. Whereas the stereo speakers can’t achieve this magic.
In music, the stereo won but in gaming, the soundbar is the winner. Because in gaming you need to feel the situation of the game. You need to feel like you are in the game.
For this feeling, you need a surround sound feature. This feature of the soundbar can better scatter the sound around you when you are away from the soundbar at a distance of 10 feet and there is no solid thing placed between you and the soundbar.
But expect too much from this feature. Because it can’t beat a real surround sound with 5-7 speakers all around you. Because those speakers can bring the situation of the game right into your room.
You can read in detail about it from this guide. Do soundbars provide surround sound? I have discussed it in-depth.
Do soundbars lag?
In-Short: The soundbar lags if it is connected to the media source or the display via Bluetooth or soundbar or the TV is still relying on HDMI ARC for the connectivity.
In-Depth: You can solve this lag issue. You can try to connect the soundbar to the TV through HDMI. But make sure the HDMI cable is modern and you have connected to the ARC-labeled ports at both ends. This will solve the lags for sure.
If this doesn’t solve the issue then go with the eARC connectivity option. You will have to update the firmware of the soundbar or TV if the brand is providing eARC on upgrade. But if it doesn’t then you have to buy another modern device.
Read this guide, Do you need an eARC soundbar? I have discussed this in detail here.
Do soundbars are compatible with Playstation?
In-Short: The play station’s newer versions after 2 are all compatible with soundbars because they have HDMI connectivity options and you can use this port to connect the PlayStation to the soundbar.
How to connect the PlayStation to the soundbar?
- Get two HDMI cables for the connectivity
- Connect one HDMI cable to the ARC port of the soundbar and the ARC port of the TV
- Now, connect another HDMI cable to the PlayStation out HDMI port
- Connect the same HDMI cable’s other end to the ARC port of the TV
- Now, select the correct input option in both the soundbar & TV settings. The input option to which the PlayStation is connected.
- You need ARC or eARC port for this connectivity to work fine
This will help you enjoy the play station with a soundbar.
Soundbar For Karaoke: Is it worth it?
For the karaoke, you will need two extra devices. Like a mic and mixer. You will need these devices because the soundbar is not designed to accept karaoke directly.
You need a bridge to connect the karaoke to the soundbar. The mixer works as a bridge. The mixer comes with a mic.
So, how can the connection be set up?
How to connect a karaoke mixer to the soundbar?
- Get two HDMI cables for this connectivity
- Connect the TV output HDMI port to the input HDMI of the mixer
- Connect another HDMI to the mixer output and its another end to the soundbar HDMI in
- Connect the mic to the mixer
- Choose output at the TV audio settings instead of TV speakers
- Turn on everything and test the mic.
- Try my favorite song city of stars from LA LA LAND.
The music audio from the TV will be sent to the mixer and the voice audio from the mic will be sent to the mixer. The mixer will mix both of them and will send it as one signal to the soundbar.
Is Soundbar Worth It For Karaoke?
In-Short: The soundbar is worth it for karaoke because it can be set up with less effort and pretty quickly. Also, it sounds so sweet.
In-Depth: I set it up for my daughter’s friends. They loved it and they were happy. That’s why it made my day.
I didn’t want the hustle it took to connect it to my home theater. That’s why I connected to the soundbar and the connection was swift.
For more connectivity options. Read this guide. How to connect karaoke to home theater? I have included at least 5 other options in this guide.
Soundbar For TV: Is it worth it?
It is the most common combination with the soundbar. Let’s analyze how good it is.
Will a soundbar make voices clearer?
In-Short: The soundbar can make voices clearer, deeper, and more accurate. The speakers built in the soundbar have bigger drivers than the TV speaker’s driver. That’s why it can go deeper and give that needed depth to voices.
In-Depth: The TV speaker’s driver has an area of at least half of an inch. This much smaller speaker can’t bring the depths to the voices that they need.
The voices need a certain frequency to hit. The men’s voice frequency is 85-155Hz and the women’s voice frequency is 165-255Hz.
To achieve this frequency you need a speaker’s driver that can go deep into the lower-end frequencies. This can be achieved by bigger driver speakers.
The soundbar built-in speakers have bigger speaker drivers than the TV speakers. The soundbar’s speakers’ drivers are usually 1-2 inches and the TV’s speakers’ drivers are ½ inches.
Will a soundbar improve audio?
In-Short: The soundbar can improve audio because the TV speakers are good only at the higher end of the frequencies but soundbars can be better than them in all ranges of the frequencies. This ability can produce better audio.
In-Depth: The TV speakers’ drivers are very small and can only be good at the higher end of the frequencies. But soundbar built-in speakers are bigger than TV speakers.
The soundbar speakers can go deeper in frequencies. This can produce better lower-range, mid-range, and high-range frequencies.
The bigger driver can cover all of the frequencies better than the TV speaker’s ½ inches driver.
Read this guide. How to improve home theater audio in 5 steps. I have included those steps that I have applied by myself.
Do smart TVs need a soundbar?
In-Short: You need a soundbar for a Smart TV. In fact, it is a better idea to have a soundbar with a smart TV. Because smart TV has access to many kinds of music streaming services. You can play any music with the push of a button.
In-Depth: The Smart TV and soundbar are the best combinations to have. Smart TV has many streaming services for music, TV shows, and movies. And the soundbar has better speakers to enjoy this content with.
Did you get something out of this soundbar guide? Hold On We Have Something Exciting To Share.
[the_ad id=”4771″]FAQs
Is the soundbar good for movies?
A soundbar is good for movies. Because you need speakers that are good at the high and mid-range of the frequencies and just right at the lower end to pump dialogues and other sounds better. The soundbar can fulfill this requirement better than the TV.
To spice up the performance even better. You can install a subwoofer and go for a soundbar that provides two separate speakers for the rear positions. After this, the movie experience will be at the next level.
For the movie, I will recommend a soundbar that has a sub and two separate speakers for the rear positions.
Is a soundbar good for a turntable?
The soundbar is good for a turntable but the complete home theater setup is better for it. But it is enjoyable for those who love the small audio and low-budget setup.
I have connected my turntable to the surround sound and I love it there. But one of my friends has connected it to a soundbar and it sounds good. I like that setup too. I love it with surround sound but I like it with a soundbar. Feel the difference.
Are soundbars a waste of money?
The soundbar is a waste of money only when you want Dolby Atmos or surrounding sound from an expensive soundbar. Otherwise, it is worth every dollar when you want to just upgrade the audio of the TV to the next level.
Let me explain it to you. The brands that claim that their soundbar can provide Dolby Atmos or surround sound. These soundbars cost a lot. With this much cost. You can set up a real surround sound or Dolby Atmos that can sound a hundred times better than the soundbar.
But if you want to upgrade the audio of the TV for under $300 and with a soundbar. Then it is worth every penny of yours. But if you got a soundbar that has two separate speakers in this budget with a subwoofer then you have hit the ball out of the park.
Are soundbars better than home theater?
There is no competition between a soundbar and a home theater when it comes to sound quality and immersive experience. However, the soundbar can win from the home theater at the convenience part.
The home theater consists of pro-level speakers with better audio processing equipment and better speaker placements. I can’t think of comparing a soundbar with such a combination. You should stop comparing them too.
Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More
- This was my opinion, read more about it in Forbes Blog. (Resource for the third answer)
- This was my opinion, read more about it from SVsound Blog. (Resource for the fourth answer)
