We test soundbars ranging in price from $150 to $3999 and, while some expensive models are standouts, there are plenty of reasonably priced soundbars that perform well in our testing.

Don’t make the assumption that more money buys you better audio: our experts were unimpressed by some expensive models but blown away by others that come in around the $400 mark. 

ÌÇÐÄVlog home entertainment expert Denis Gallagher shares his tips for finding the best soundbar for your money.

Plus, exclusively for ÌÇÐÄVlog members, we’ll reveal the best scoring soundbars at the lower, middle and upper end of the market. 

Why buy a soundbar?

For movie buffs and TV bingers, a full home theatre is the ideal. But they can be complicated, bulky and expensive. A soundbar is a much more streamlined alternative that’ll give you the next best thing, but without the big hit to your wallet. 

Essentially a slim box containing several speakers, a soundbar sits just below your TV screen and boosts your audio experience. It’s not a direct replacement for a professionally installed and calibrated home theatre system, but some do a pretty good job of mimicking the effect of surround sound. 

Best placement for your soundbar

Soundbars perform best in small, enclosed rooms, but not so well in large, open-plan areas. Ideally, they should be used in situations where you’re sitting a few metres away from the TV. 

They’re best placed just in front of, or below your TV screen, at around the same height as your ears when you’re sitting on the lounge. Some models can be wall-mounted but this is only ideal if your TV is attached to the wall as well.

If you have a model with a wireless subwoofer, you can place it anywhere in the room. Start with a corner and move it around until the lower frequencies (and rumble) sound and feel like they’re filling the room.

When you’re ready to set up, check out our article on connecting your soundbar to a TV for a step-by-step guide. 

How we test soundbars

Our rigorous testing means you can be confident in our reviews. They’ll help you buy the best soundbar for your needs. 

We use a panel of experts who have years of expertise testing audio equipment. They assess sound quality for film, music and spoken-word audio. We also take into account the ease of connecting and using the soundbar and remote, and how much energy the soundbar uses when in standby mode. 

Our experts score each soundbar on these metrics to calculate an overall score. All of the details are included in our soundbar reviews, and you can filter by price, brand, features and more to find exactly what you’re after. 

The best soundbars: Budget, mid-range and premium

For ÌÇÐÄVlog members only, we reveal our experts’ top soundbar picks for your budget. If you’re not yet a member, join ÌÇÐÄVlog to get instant access to all of our independent reviews.

Don’t waste your money on an expensive model that doesn’t deliver on performance or a budget soundbar that sounds worse than your TV speakers.

No matter your budget, there’s a high-performing soundbar for you.

These three models sit at different price points – low, medium and high – but they’re all recommended by ÌÇÐÄVlog experts.

The post The best soundbar at every price appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

A great soundbar will always sound so much better than the speakers in your TV. But the opposite is just as true – bad bars can turn an epic Hollywood blockbuster into a B-grade mess, or make your favourite sport sound like you’ve been sent to the sin bin.

As our tech expert Peter Zaluzny explains, “Inferior models with issues like limited bass, flat, unexciting sound and distortion can really ruin your movie night.”

To sort the best soundbars from the worst, our ÌÇÐÄVlog experts in our audio lab tested more than 50 popular models against key criteria including stereo and multi-channel listening, ease of use, remote usability and energy consumption. They cover a range of models that cost anywhere from $150 up to $3999.

To save you buying a dud and copping an earful, here are the models that scored worst in our test. Become a ÌÇÐÄVlog member to access our full reviews and see the best performers. 

Lowest rated soundbars

Meredo Wooden 2.1 Soundbar

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 49%
• Music quality score: 40%
• Multi-channel audio quality score: 40%
• Price: $150

Don’t get caught up in what appears to be a good deal. Even at $150, there’s no reason to buy Meredo’s appropriately named Wooden Soundbar (D47CH). None of the performance results (ease of use, remote usability and standby energy) rise above the lower end of OK and sound quality for music and movies is poor.

Voice quality is borderline, which may be enough if you’re only interested in watching the news. But there’s no way to adjust for audio delays, which means dialogue may not be in sync with the picture on screen.

The only silver lining is that this model isn’t consistently available and seems to come and go from local online retailers. If you do come across it, don’t be tempted by the low price (which also fluctuates).

Read our full Meredo Wooden 2.1 Soundbar review.

TV Voice Pro Air Plus TV Voice Pro Soundbar

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 59%
• Music quality score: 48%
• Multi-channel audio quality score: 60%
• Price: $879

While The TV Voice Pro didn’t perform very well overall, it is built for a very specific purpose. This soundbar is designed for the hard of hearing, particularly dialogue which gets a volume boost so consumers have an easier time understanding what’s being said.

In that regard, it works very well. We noticed that voice content is nicely amplified with good clarity while white noise (hiss, crackle or static) is reduced. But this enhancement exists at the expense of everything else. 

Audio quality for movies and music isn’t great. It may be good for watching the news, quiz shows or reality TV, you probably won’t be hosting any movie nights with the TV Voice Pro.

Read the full TV Voice Pro review. 

Sony HT-S2000

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 63%
• Music quality score: 58%
• Multi-channel audio quality score: 60%
• Price: $699

Sony’s HT-S2000 is pretty easy to use, but its performance leaves a lot to be desired. Sound quality for movies and music is only OK and voice quality just scrapes by with a good score. Standby energy consumption is also particularly poor.

There are some nice bells and whistles in this soundbar. HDMI ARC support, a built-in subwoofer and it can decode immersive audio formats including Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. But without top-firing speakers (speakers built into the top of the soundbar), you’re not going to get much of the all-encompassing sound effects that these options deliver.

Plus, you can pick up Sony’s HT-S400, which earned good scores for voice and music quality and a very good result in our movie audio test. It also costs $250 less and even comes with an external subwoofer that delivers better quality bass.

Read the full Sony HT-S2000 review.

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On this page:

• Does your soundbar brand need to match your TV?
• Should I buy the same brand of soundbar as my TV?
• Misleading information about pairing soundbars
• Buying brand bundles to save money

TV picture quality may have improved over the years, but the built-in speakers still leave a lot to be desired. Even the best sounding models still can’t match a good soundbar. You’ll hear improvements in depth (bass), vocal clarity, warmth and a sense of room-filling expansiveness in all but the worst performing soundbars in our test.

The major TV manufacturers also make soundbars – LG, Samsung, Sony, Hisense and TCL. Sometimes their advertising suggests that you need to buy both products from the same brand to get the best experience.

But this isn’t true, you don’t need to match your soundbar brand to the TV. However, these manufacturers do offer a few special features if you keep things in the family.

Does your soundbar brand need to match your TV?

No. If the TV can connect to your soundbar, then you’re going to hear sound, it’s as simple as that. Almost all soundbars can connect via a physical cable – e.g. HDMI, optical (aka TOSLINK) or RCA (red and white cables).

You can also pair via Bluetooth, regardless of brands. However, Wi-Fi connectivity does require using a soundbar and TV from the same brand.

Regardless of which method you go with, you’ll probably need to change some sound settings in your TV, so it sends audio to the soundbar instead of the built-in speakers. This varies between brands but it’s usually called sound out, audio out or something similar.

For example, to find the setting in an LG TV, go to All settings > Sound > Sound Out > Use Wired Speaker and select the connection that the soundbar is plugged into. If you’re not sure what each one means, just rotate through them until you hear audio coming out of the soundbar.

Should I buy the same brand of soundbar as my TV?

LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL and Hisense offer a couple of extra features if you pair their TVs and soundbars.

Special surround sound

LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL and Hisense allow you to unlock special sound settings when you pair their TVs and soundbars. Each follow the same basic idea – instead of only sending audio to the soundbar or TV speakers, these pairings combine the soundbar and TV into a larger speaker array.

You can find TVs and soundbars that support these features on their websites or by reading the product specifications.

It’s a little tricky to explain but it’s best to think of it in terms of the total number of speakers. Let’s say your soundbar has 10 speakers and the TV has two. If you turn the TV speakers and soundbar on at the same time, they would simply play the same audio signal (such as the sound from a movie) at the same time. The 10 speakers in the soundbar and two in the TV operate independently of one another in this case.

But the special settings that you can only access by pairing supported soundbars and TVs within the same brand essentially integrate the TV speakers into the soundbar. The 10 soundbar speakers and two TV speakers work together to play audio from a total of 12 speakers.

How are they different? Humans hear sounds across a range of frequencies, which are commonly referred to as bass, mid-range and highs (or treble) in home entertainment products. When the soundbar and TV are working as a cohesive unit, certain frequencies are sent out via TV speakers while the rest go to the soundbar (and subwoofer if you have one).

This aims to deliver a more expansive, spacious, immersive sound that feels like it’s filling the room, closer to what you’d expect from a home cinema. Whether it actually works like that in practice is still debatable because, like most things audio, good sound quality is subjective.

Brand names and links to compatible TVs and soundbars are:

• TCL Tutti Choral (ask for details instore)

Sony’s Acoustic Centre Sync operates a little differently to the others. The TV is used to enhance and amplify dialogue alone (aka the centre channel).

Wire-free connectivity

Soundbars and TVs with Bluetooth support can connect to one another, even if the brands don’t match. Wi-Fi is a different story.

But why bother with Wi-Fi when you can just use Bluetooth? Bandwidth, that’s why.

Bluetooth doesn’t have anywhere near as much data capacity as Wi-Fi. It often reduces audio quality as a result and is typically limited to stereo audio (left and right speakers).

This means a surround sound capable soundbar will default to stereo if you use a Bluetooth connection. Essentially, you won’t be able to use all the features you paid for.

Wi-Fi, meanwhile, has plenty of bandwidth. LG claims that its products support up to 10 surround sound channels (7.1.2) viaÌý Wi-Fi connection. This also allows you to place additional speakers around the room without any cable clutter.Ìý

At the time of writing, Sony, Hisense and TCL soundbars and TVs don’t support Wi-Fi pairing.

Improved ease of use

Though soundbars aren’t too tricky to get your head around, manufacturers mostly make sure that their products play nice with one another. For example, they can often detect that you’ve plugged in one of their soundbars into one of their TVs and will streamline the setup process accordingly.

You may also be able to access the soundbar settings on your TV screen. This is much easier than using an app or the tiny monitors built into some soundbars.

Hisense, for example offers this with soundbars paired with their TVs released from 2022 onwards. Once connected via HDMI, a ‘soundbar’ option will appear in the TVs sound settings. Here, you can adjust EQ, surround settings and so on with the TV remote. LG has a similar feature on some TVs and soundbars.

Aesthetics

Manufacturers usually follow a fairly consistent design across their home entertainment products. For many, the TV is a central feature of the loungeroom so you may want to buy the same brand of soundbar to match the look and feel of your room.

What about Kogan?

Kogan also makes soundbars and TVs but there doesn’t seem to be any specific benefit to pairing them.

Misleading information about pairing soundbars

TV and soundbar manufacturers would have you believe that you need to pair their products to control both with the same remote. This is misleading, because all they’ve done is re-badge a feature that works across all brands.

Consumer Electronics Control – or CEC for short – is a widely available feature that lets you control supported devices with one remote. It also automatically turns on/off connected devices when prompted – e.g. if you switch on your TV then flick over to the PS5 input, CEC will turn on your PS5 as well.

All the major manufacturers have adopted CEC, and included it with pretty well all TVs, soundbars, receivers, games consoles etc released in the last few years. However, LG, Samsung, TCL and Sony advertise it under a different name. These are:

• LG: Simplink
• Samsung: Anynet+
• Sony: BRAVIA Sync/Bravia Link or CONTROL for HDMI
• TCL: Control other devices

These special names may imply that these functions only work if the TV and soundbar brands are the same, but that’s not true. They’re just CEC rebranded, which means a Simplink-enabled LG TV will activate the CEC functions in an Anynet+ supported Samsung soundbar. Rather than rebrand, Hisense has stuck with CEC.Ìý

Buying brand bundles to save money

It’s not uncommon for manufacturers to bundle their TVs and soundbars to sell at a discount. This can be an easy and affordable way to set up a new system from scratch.

Though these are available at retailers, manufacturers often sell these bundles from their own websites as well. It’s worth signing up to mailing lists or periodically checking their websites for these bundles, especially during common sales periods like Black Friday, Boxing Day and End of Financial Year.

Just bear in mind that while these products are from the same brand, they may not offer the pairing advantages outlined above (enhanced audio, Wi-Fi connectivity etc). Double check the specifications before buying if you want these features as well.

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The easiest way to connect your home entertainment devices is via HDMI – but it’s not the only option. And there’s more to understand when it comes to connecting your soundbar to your TV. For example, did you know that Dolby Atmos only works with a specific HDMI port on your TV? Or that Bluetooth, while convenient, has many limitations?

Things can get a bit more technical if you want the best possible audio experience, or if you’re using older equipment. It’s important to understand the different connections, what they offer and how to adjust the settings in your TV.

Our guide will show you how connect your soundbar to your TV and get the best audio quality. We also cover whether it’s better to use cables, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Do the soundbar and TV brands need to match?

No. you can use different TV and soundbar brands together if they’re connected with audio cables or Bluetooth. The brands do need to match if you want to use Wi-Fi, but this option is limited to a handful of soundbars and TVs released in the last few years.

Connecting your soundbar to your TV with a cable

HDMI is the most common way to connect a soundbar to a TV, but you can also find plenty of models that support alternative, or older, audio options. These including optical (aka TOSLINK or digital RCA), RCA (red and white stereo cables) and coaxial (a single pin plug). Almost all soundbars have at least one HDMI port and often include an additional, alternative port such as TOSLINK.

Plenty of soundbars can can replicate the feeling of being in a cinema, but you need the right cables to get the full surround sound effect. This comes down to bandwidth.

Bandwidth is kind of like a data pipeline. In this case, audio inputs (and wireless options like Bluetooth) are the pipeline, but they only have a certain amount of bandwidth available. As surround sound adds more speakers, it needs to send out more data. Similarly, higher quality audio uses larger amounts of data as well.

This is why you need to pick a connection type with enough bandwidth for your soundbar. If the cable doesn’t have enough bandwidth for the audio data, it will automatically reduce quality or the number of surround sound speakers in use.

The best way to connect

HDMI is the best option as it has enough bandwidth to support the highest quality audio currently available. This covers all the major codecs – Dolby, DTS and PCM, including the Dolby Atmos and DTS-X object-based surround formats.

Optical is the next best bet, but it has less bandwidth, which reduces the audio quality. Surround sound output is also limited to standard 5.1 so you won’t experience the added level of immersion offered 7.1, Atmos and DTS-X soundbars.

RCA and coaxial can do the job, but will only output in the stereo configuration (left and right speakers). You won’t get a full surround sound effect so it’s best to avoid these options if you can.

Even if your soundbar doesn’t offer more advanced surround sound, it’s still best to go with HDMI. Optical, RCA and coaxial may still compress audio due to limited bandwidth, which reduces sound quality. This isn’t an issue with HDMI.

This is why it’s important to buy the correct cables. Otherwise you won’t be using the soundbar to its full potential.

Getting connected with cables

These steps are basically the same regardless of whether you own a Samsung, LG, Sony, JBL or Bose TV and/or soundbar. However, some settings may have slightly different names depending on the brand and model.

Look for HDMI ARC support on your TV and soundbar. This option will deliver the best available audio quality, compared to optical, RCA and so on. There should be at least one HDMI port on the TV and soundbar labeled “ARC” or “eARC”. These are:

• Audio Return Channel (ARC): The original version of ARC that can deliver 5.1 surround including older versions of Dolby and DTS, which don’t sound quite as good.
• Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC): The latest version of ARC with additional bandwidth, which supports uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 surround called Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD Master Audio, as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS-X object based surround.

Both the TV and the soundbar need ARC/eARC in order for the handshake to work. If you have a newer TV that supports eARC but the soundbar only offers ARC (or vice versa) don’t worry, the connection will still work. It will just default to the lower-quality ARC option.

If your TV is older or doesn’t support ARC, you’ll need to use the optical port. This is often called TOSLINK. Like HDMI, all you need to do is plug it in. If neither option is available you can use RCA, but you if this is the case you should probably start looking for a new TV as it’s probably time for an upgrade.

1. Turn on CEC

Consumer Electronics Control or “CEC” for short is a home entertainment feature that allows supported devices, like TVs and soundbars, to communicate with each other in specific ways. For example a CEC-enabled soundbar will automatically turn on and off with the TV and you can even use the TV remote to adjust the soundbar volume.

Most TVs need CEC enabled in order for HDMI ARC or eARC audio to work. It’s generally turned on by default, but if not, you can activate it in your TV settings.

It’s important to note that the major brands (except Hisense and Kogan) give CEC a different name, even though the function is the same. Look for one of these on your TV settings to activate CEC:

• LG: Simplink
• Samsung: Anynet+
• Sony: BRAVIA Sync/Bravia Link or CONTROL for HDMI
• TCL: Control Other Devices
• Hisense and Kogan: CEC

You may need to activate CEC on the soundbar as well, which should be explained in the product instructions. Optical, RCA and coaxial don’t need CEC to connect.

2. Plug in

Now you can plug the soundbar into your TV. HDMI ARC/eARC may detect the soundbar and automatically adjust the TV settings for you once everything is turned on. How can you tell? If there’s audio coming out of the soundbar, then the TV has done the work for you.

If not, or if you’re using another connection method, then you’ll need to adjust the settings yourself.

3. Adjust the settings

A few settings need to be changed so your TV knows to send audio out to the soundbar rather than the the built-in speakers. You can usually find them in the sound settings menu.

1. Change the audio output from “TV speaker” to the cable type you used to connect the soundbar. This will be labelled “ARC”, “eARC” or “optical”, for example.
2. Look for a setting called “pass through” and turn it on or select it as the default audio option. This tells the TV to send audio signals down to the soundbar for processing. Without pass through switched on, the TV will try to process the audio and it won’t reach the soundbar.

You should be able to hear audio coming from the soundbar once you have the correct settings in place. If not, double check that you selected the correct output option, that CEC is enabled (HDMI ARC/eARC only) and that the soundbar is turned up.

Some TVs give you the option to play audio through the TV speaker and soundbar at the same time. This can be handy if you only want to use the soundbar for things like movies, as audio will still come through the TV speakers even if the soundbar is turned off when you’re watching the news for example.

It’s really a matter of personal preference, so try watching your favourite movies and shows with the TV speaker on and off and go with whatever suits your ears.

Directly connecting a device

Some soundbars have one or two HDMI inputs that let you connect an external device (streaming dongle, games console etc) rather than going via the TV. This can be useful if your TV has HDMI but doesn’t support ARC/eARC.

Let’s say you’re watching a movie on a 4K player. The 4K player will send the audio directly to the soundbar for processing while the image is passed through to the TV via regular HDMI. The audio quality, meanwhile, remains the same as it hasn’t been compressed before getting to the soundbar for processing.

Connecting a soundbar with Bluetooth

Bluetooth-enabled TVs and soundbars can connect to one another but it’s not worth the effort. This connection doesn’t have much bandwidth, which reduces audio quality and limit surround sound options. For example, Bluetooth can only output mono and stereo (left and right speaker) sound so you won’t get the full surround experience (e.g. 5.1), even if your soundbar supports it.

It’s best to use the Bluetooth input to turn your soundbar into a wireless speaker for your smartphone so you can listen to music or podcasts in your living room.
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If you do want to connect your TV to your soundbar via Bluetooth, the steps are below.

How to connect via Bluetooth.

Though the specific steps will vary depending on the brand and model, the pairing process is basically the same. First, switch over to Bluetooth mode on your soundbar, then find the speaker/audio output options in your TV’s sound settings.

There should be an option to scan for nearby Bluetooth devices. Start the scan, then go back to your soundbar and turn on pairing mode as per the instructions. This will send out the signal that your TV is looking for in order to connect.

The soundbar should appear in the list of nearby devices after a few seconds. Select it to pair the two. Once you’ve done this once, they should automatically connect in the future, as long as the soundbar is in Bluetooth mode.

Connecting a soundbar with Wi-Fi

A growing number of TVs and soundbars can connect via Wi-Fi, which is a much better option than Bluetooth. The main advantage is that Wi-Fi has ample bandwidth, enough for all but the most advanced surround sound systems. LG, for example, claims that its products support up to 10 surround sound channels (7.1.2) via Wi-Fi.

But the TV and soundbar need to be from the same manufacturer for this to work. Even then, Wi-Fi connectivity is only available on some models.

So far, only LG, Samsung and Sony support Wi-Fi connection from their TVs to soundbars. Each has a unique name for this feature which are listed below, along with links to compatible devices:

Setup is very different across brands so it’s best to look up Wi-Fi connectivity in the TV and soundbar manuals. Keep your smartphone handy too as you’ll most likely need to adjust some network settings in the soundbar’s app.

Understanding surround sound

Most movies, TV shows, games and concerts support Dolby, DTS or PCM multi-channel sound. There are different versions of Dolby and DTS, such as Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio, which offers increased quality and additional surround channels.

Soundbars can decode one or more of these, and you can find this information on the box or in the spec sheet. However, manufactures don’t tell you that you need specific cables to make the most of these options.

• Older versions of Dolby and DTS require less bandwidth, and can run through RCA, optical (TOSLINK), coaxial and HDMI cables.
• High-quality versions such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio need HDMI (version 1.3 or later).

What about Dolby Atmos and DTS-X?

Many soundbars can decode object-based surround technologies that add a sense of height to the mix. These need even more bandwidth than 5.1 and 7.1 so HDMI via eARC is your only option. The TV, soundbar and HDMI cable also needs to support HDMI version 2.1.

Buying the right version of HDMI

The HDMI 1.3 standard has been around for so long at this point, the odds of you buying a cable that doesn’t support it are slim to none. But if you need an HDMI 2.1 cable for Dolby Atmos or DTS-X, double check the package/online information before buying.Ìý

The post How to connect your soundbar to your TV appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Control your soundbar with the TV remote
• Explore the different audio modes
• Voice control your smart devices
• Enjoy surround sound without extra speakers
• Use automatic room calibration
• Play music without the TV on
• Connect other devices to the soundbar (HDMI)

But the default settings rarely deliver the best possible performance, especially when it comes to soundbars. There are always some tools to play with that can unlock fancy features, improve ease of use and optimise audio quality for your room.

Some of the best features may not be immediately obvious or easy to use, especially if this is your first time exploring the world of home audio.Ìý

Have a play in the settings and look for some of the features listed below in your soundbar. You may find that not all of them are available in the model you have, but you’ll definitely find something that can enhance your home entertainment experience.

Control your soundbar with the TV remote

There’s a useful technology that has been adopted by all the major manufacturers called Consumer Electronics Control – or CEC for short. You can use it to control your soundbar using your TV remote, even if they are made by different brands. Though it’s limited to basic controls such as volume or switching through audio modes, CEC saves you the trouble of constantly having to switch remotes.

CEC is deactivated by default on most TVs. You can activate it in the settings, but for some reason, most TV brands give CEC a different name (except for Hisense). The major manufacturers call it:

• LG: Simplink
• Samsung: Anynet+
• Sony: BRAVIA Sync/Bravia Link or CONTROL for HDMI
• TCL: Control Other Devices
• Hisense: CEC

The CEC settings will be in a different location depending on the brand and operating system that your TV is running. For example, to turn on CEC on LG TVs running WebOS 22, go to All Setting > General (cog icon) > Devices > HDMI Settings and turn on SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC). You may also need to activate it on your soundbar.

ÌÇÐÄVlog tip:ÌýOnce activated, CEC-enabled devices will automatically activate when you turn on your TV. This feature is not exclusive to soundbars, many home entertainment devices support CEC.

Explore the different audio modes

It’s worth cycling through the sound settings on your soundbar. The different presets adjust the equaliser (EQ for short) to suit the content – whether that be music, movies or games for example.

The remote or associated app will have a dedicated ‘sound mode’ or ‘EQ’ button. Some higher-end soundbars may have a ‘custom EQ’ slot so you can manually adjust the audio frequencies to your liking.

Most modes are self-explanatory but you may also want to try:

• Night mode:ÌýThis limits the dynamic range (difference between the softest and loudest sounds) so the entire audio mix is about the same volume. In other words, an unexpected explosion won’t wake a sleeping spouse if you’ve turned the sound up to hear the dialogue.
• Voice boost mode:ÌýThis amplifies speech so dialogue is easier to understand. However, this usually makes the rest of the audio sound a bit flat and dull.

Audio modes are optional. You can always flick back to a different setting or turn it off if something doesn’t sound quite right.

Voice control your smart devices

Can your soundbar connect to the internet? Does it have built-in support for digital assistants such as Google Home or Alexa? If so, you can probably use it to control other smart devices in your home.

Instead of spending money on a smart speaker or reaching for your phone, you can just tell your soundbar “Hey Google, turn off the bedroom lights” or “Alexa, change the TV to Channel 10”. The microphone is usually in the remote, though a few fancy models have one built into the soundbar.

This feature is usually turned off by default for privacy reasons. You can activate it in the settings and log into your Google Home or Alexa account, usually in the associated app (steps vary between brands). Some will let you choose from a selection of digital assistants, but you can only run one at a time.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that the soundbar will work with all the smart devices in your home. But if they can already communicate with Google Home or Alexa via your smartphone, then the soundbar should be fine.

Enjoy surround sound without extra speakers

While they can’t quite match the quality of a proper home cinema, good quality soundbars do a pretty decent job of replicating surround sound. And they can pull it off without requiring speakers and cables all over your room. You just need to know what to buy and where to get the content.

Soundbars that advertise 5.1 or 7.1 surround, for example, simulate the cinema experience by directing sound towards the walls. The audio bounces off the walls and back towards your seating position to replicate the feeling of actual speakers placed around the room.Ìý

Some higher-end models take this one step further by pointing speakers at the ceiling to give the sound a sense of height. These models utilise the Dolby Atmos and DTS-X immersive audio formats and may also be advertised as 5.1.2 or 7.1.4 surround, for example.

All of the major streaming services support surround sound for the bulk of their content. Compatible formats are usually adjacent to the episode summary. For example, if a movie on Netflix supports surround sound it will say ‘5.1’, and if it also supports height speakers, it will say ‘Atmos.’

Use automatic room calibration

Some soundbars can assess the size of your room then adjust the volume and equaliser to deliver the best possible audio quality. They can also accommodate objects like furniture, shelves, display units and other materials that may affect the sound, such as echoing caused by windows or tiles.

This either takes place in the soundbar using a built-in/detachable microphone or through your smartphone via an app. The process only takes a few minutes and can make a huge difference. Check our test results to find the models that support automatic room calibration.

Play music without the TV on

We tend to associate soundbars with shows and movies, so it’s easy to forget that they also function as a standard set of speakers that work independently of the TV. Most have at least one way to connect, the most common being Bluetooth or the good old AUX port (physical cable).

It’s also not uncommon for soundbars to support casting from Android devices and Wi-Fi direct. Some also offer Apple AirPlay, but this isn’t as common. All three options can deliver higher quality audio streaming compared to Bluetooth.

A couple of brands, such as Sonos, can even integrate their soundbars into a home speaker network. This feature, which is sometimes called ‘party mode’, can play the same audio from a single source (such as a smartphone) across a series of speakers on the same internet connection.

It’s handy when you’re hosting a get together or frequently moving between rooms throughout the day. There’s no need to carry a Bluetooth speaker between rooms or wear headphones.

Note: you will need to turn off CEC if you want to use your soundbar independent of the TV. The soundbar will tell the TV to turn on and off if CEC is active and vice versa.

Connect other devices to the soundbar (HDMI)

Though soundbars are only designed for audio, some models come with one or two additional HDMI inputs. These support just about any device with HDMI and can actually improve sound quality.

Say you connect your Xbox or PlayStation to the HDMI input in your soundbar. The soundbar grabs and decodes the audio then sends the video signal to the TV. This process is called ‘passthrough’ and can improve audio quality, depending on the age of your TV.

Older TVs that don’t have HDMI ARC or eARC rely on other connections for the soundbar, such as Optical (aka TOSLINK), RCA (red and white stereo inputs) or even Bluetooth. These may not be able to decode certain formats or they could compress quality due to lack of bandwidth.

So, if you’re going from games console to TV to soundbar, you may not be getting the best audio output. But an HDMI enabled device plugged directly into the soundbar will provide the best possible audio that your equipment is capable of, before passing the video signal through to the TV.

ÌÇÐÄVlog tip: the extra HDMI ports on your soundbar can be a lifesaver if you’ve run out of inputs on your TV and want to plug in more devices.

The post Seven interesting things you can do with your soundbar appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• What is a soundbar?
• Why you might want a soundbar
• Why you might not want a soundbar
• How to connect your soundbar

If you want to improve your TV’s audio quality without a multi-speaker set-up, a soundbar offers an instant plug-and-play improvement.Ìý

You can even enjoy your soundbar when the TV is off, using it as a home wireless speaker.ÌýBut there are some things to consider if you want to get the best out of your home entertainment system.

What is a soundbar?

A soundbar is basically a single long box containing several speakers, designed to sit just below your TV screen and give your home viewing experience an audio boost.

Most soundbars can’t deliver the same sound quality as a dedicated multi-speaker set-up, but many get close enough for the average set of ears. They also take up less room than a multi-speaker set-up, and there’s a lot of choice in size and price points.

The good news for owners of TVs with poor sound is that you’ll love the improvement in audio you get for a reasonable price.

If you have a TV with OK sound but lacking that extra punch you want when watching movies, then adding a soundbar to the mix will give you a better home cinema experience without the hassle and cost of installing a dedicated home theatre system.

Cost

So, what do we mean by ‘reasonable price’? In our latest review, soundbars range in price from $159 up to $3999.Ìý

ÌÇÐÄVlog members can check our soundbar reviews to see which models actually perform well, but rest assured, there are recommended models for under $300.

Why you might want a soundbar

1. Your TV has crummy sound

Director George Lucas once said, “Sound is 50% of the moviegoing experience”. But sometimes TV manufacturers treat sound as an afterthought.Ìý

If you have a TV with OK video but horrible audio quality, adding a soundbar will make all the difference to your complete watching experience.Ìý

Also, most TVs when connected to the soundbar will turn off the TV speaker by default, making it even easier to switch to better sound.

2. You own a projector

Projectors are really the only way to get a display size greater than 90 inches, but most of these devices require separate audio, or the audio provided with the projector is in no way cinema quality.Ìý

If you have the projector as part of a big installation, then it may be worth investing in a dedicated multi-speaker set-up.Ìý

But if your projector’s display can be wound up and put away so you can use the room for other activities, then a good quality soundbar would be the perfect discreet audio solution. And as a bonus, when the projector is off and the display put away, you have a great wireless speaker to fill the room with music (see next point).

3. You’ll also enjoy using the soundbar as a wireless speaker

Soundbars can be a versatile home entertainment device to have in your home. Not only will they improve the audio quality of your TV, they can also be used as a powerful wireless home speaker.

Most soundbars have support for Bluetooth, allowing you to stream whatever music you listen to on your smartphone directly to the soundbar.Ìý

Built-in streaming services such as Spotify and Tidal can be handy to stream directly from the cloud via Wi-Fi. This can improve audio quality and allow you to listen to music using the remote control without the need for a smart device.

ÌÇÐÄVlog tip: If you’ve decided to upgrade your TV’s soundbar to something more powerful, your old soundbar might find a second life as a speaker in the kids’ playroom or study.

Why you might not want a soundbar

While a soundbar will improve the audio experience in most cases with little hassle and not much extra expense, there are times when it’s not the automatic choice.

1. You need true cinema audio

Sometimes a TV can be too large for a soundbar to be a good option, particularly if you have a high quality TV situated in a room that serves as a dedicated ‘movie room’.

Although some soundbars support the latest immersive audio technologies, such as Dolby Atmos and DTS-X, you won’t get the best out of these audio formats without true speaker separation throughout the room.

If you have a large area and want the full cinema experience, it may be worth considering a multi-speaker set-up.

2. Audio quality just isn’t that important to you

At the other end of the scale, a small TV in the study, kitchen or other area of the house where audio is not a high priority would not require a soundbar as it would only get in the way.Ìý

If the audio is particularly bad, it may be worth the effort to make the adjustments on the TV’s audio settings to get the best possible sound reproduction for voice, as this is most likely what you’ll be wanting to hear clearly in the background while going about your day-to-day tasks.

3. You’re hard of hearing

ÌÇÐÄVlog members often ask about the settings for closed captions (CC) on a TV. This feature provides onscreen text for the spoken words and to describe the audio. For example, along with the dialogue, CC will also indicate someone scoffing in the background, a siren going in the distance or the cheering or a murmur of dissent in a crowd.

These textual elements are crucial for hard of hearing or deaf viewers to fully enjoy the video experience.

If you find you like to have CC on by default when you’re watching a movie, then a soundbar may not be for you, unless there are other people in your household who would benefit from one.

How to connect your soundbar

Most soundbars support these common cable formats for connecting to your TV:

• HDMI
• Optical (aka TOSLINK or digital RCA)
• RCA (the red and white stereo cables).

HDMI is the best cable option as it has enough bandwidth to support the highest quality audio currently available.

Optical is fine, but it can’t transmit high-quality audio like HDMI. It also caps out at 5.1 surround channels (for the standard set-up of five speakers and one subwoofer), so you won’t hear the added surround effects offered by 7.1, Atmos and DTS-X soundbars.Ìý

RCA does the job but soundbars only support it in the stereo configuration, so no surround sound. For most cases it should only be used as a last resort, but it may be better for listening to voice and less complex audio.

If you have other devices that play audio, such as a game console or Blu-ray player, for most situations you’re best off plugging these directly into the TV, so that all audio goes into the TV and out through the soundbar.

Read more about how to get the best sound out of a soundbar.

Working with ARC

The audio return channel (ARC) is a handy two-way communication of audio between your TV and soundbar.

While it looks like any other HDMI connection, it can play any audio being shown on the TV, whether it be live TV, video from a game console, or streaming audio from Spotify or Netflix.Ìý

ARC also allows the user to control multiple devices connected to the TV via one remote control.Ìý

The original version of ARC delivers 5.1 surround sound, including compressed Dolby and DTS.

The newer enhanced audio return channel (eARC) supports additional bandwidth for uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS-X object-based surround sound.

Both the TV and the soundbar need ARC or eARC in order for the ‘handshake’ to work. If this is available on your TV and soundbar then we recommend you use it, as you’ll get the best audio experience.

If your TV is older or doesn’t support ARC, you’ll need to use the optical port if you want audio from your other devices (such as the game console or Blu-ray) to come through the soundbar. This is often called TOSLINK, depending on the manufacturer.Ìý

Like HDMI, all you need to do is plug it in. If neither option is available, you can use RCA – and start looking for a new TV, as it’s probably time for an upgrade.

The post Is it worth getting a soundbar? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• How we choose what we test
• Our expert testers
• How we test soundbars
• Scoring

How we choose what we test

Soundbars are one of the fastest-growing audio categories due to the limited sound quality delivered by many flat panel TVs. So, we look for as wide a range of products as possible. Our testing is carried out over some time and continues to grow as we add more models.

If you’re thinking about buying a soundbar, consider the quality of your existing TV sound first – don’t expect a cheap soundbar to automatically give you a better audio experience compared to your TV speakers. Generally speaking though, a soundbar will improve audio quality.

We mostly test mid-range soundbars, as these fit the budgets of average consumers looking for better audio. But we also look at a few high-end models to determine whether upmarket options are as good as the price tag suggests.

Our expert testers

Our testers have many years of expertise testing audio equipment and, unlike other reviews or comparison sites, we don’t rely on one individual’s perception to rank products.Ìý

Instead we use a listening panelÌýwhere each participant has experience in sound appraisal and has consistently ranked audio products for their sound quality over many years.

How we test soundbars

Sound quality

A panel of experienced ÌÇÐÄVlog staff assesses how each soundbar handles multi-channel and stereo surround, using film, music and spoken-word audio.ÌýThe speaker is positioned about two metres away from the listener, with the panel reviewing overall quality.

• We use excerpts from Blu-ray movies, including chapters from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (such as the podracing sequence), to assess 5.1 multi-channel surround and dialogue clarity.
• We further test dialogue clarity by listening to a newscast in stereo mode.
• We use “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman and “New Dorp. New York.” by SBTRKT to assess music quality in stereo mode.

The 5.1 test results make up our multi-channel listening score, while average results across newscast and music tests create our stereo listening score.

Ease of use

We check how easy it is to use the:

• connections
• calibration options
• on-screen and front panel displays
• manual and any other instructions that come with the soundbar.

Remote control

We assess the remote control to determine how easy it is to use for common functions.Ìý

While not as crucial as with other home entertainment devices like a Blu-ray player or PVR, the remote is still an important part of the functionality of any home entertainment unit.

We look at button size, shape, colour and grouping for ease of understanding.

Standby energy

We measure the amount of power the soundbar uses when in standby mode.

Annual standby energy cost

We determine how much the soundbar costs to run per year based on 40c/kWh with the soundbar in standby mode for 19 hours per day.

Scoring

The panel consists of music and voice assessments which are used to create the stereo listening score. We provide separate music and voice results which contribute to the ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating (or overall score).

The ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating is based on the following criteria:

• music quality (30%)
• multi-channel (movie) quality (30%)
• ease of use (20%)
• voice quality (10%)
• remote control (5%)
• standby energy (5%).

The Polk Magnifi Mini and Panasonic SC-HTB688 were not assessed for voice performance. Weighting for these models is as follows:

• music quality (35%)
• multi-channel (movie) quality (35%)
• ease of use (20%)
• remote control (5%)
• standby energy (5%).

Models discontinued before October 2022 have not been re-scored.

The post How we test soundbars appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Hearing dialogue when watching TV
• TV Voice Pro soundbar: first impressions
• Soundbar performance
• TV Voice Pro Air earphones
• Customer service experience

Hearing dialogue when watching TV

The inability to hear the speech or voice parts of a TV show or movie is a real issue for many people and becomes moreÌýcomplicated when two people with different levels of hearing loss live under the same roof.Ìý

The TV Voice Pro soundbar is aimed at helping people hear speech audio more clearly on their TVs, and it can also be packaged withÌýeither the TV Voice Pro Original or TV Voice Pro Air wireless earphones, allowing two people to set individual volumes for whatever they’re watching.

The soundbar and earphones can be used in the same room to listen to the same movie or show, or you can use the earphones independently and connect them to a different TV or another audio source like a smartphone or speaker with Bluetooth support.

TV Voice Pro soundbar: first impressions

The TV Voice Pro soundbar is a small bar design at around 80cm wide and less than 7cm high, so it shouldn’t interfere with your viewing when it’s placed below the TV on a table. It can also be wall mounted, but the mounting solution is just brackets screwed into the back of the unit and seems to be more of an afterthought than part of the initial design.ÌýÌý

The soundbar includes six individual speaker drivers and an array of inputs that should enable easy connection to just about any TV. HDMI ARC is the best and simplest connection method for almost all modern TVs, but you can also connect via an optical (TOSLINK) connection or analog audio. Cables for all of the supported types of connection are provided.

There’s no subwoofer built-in or separately supplied, nor is there the option to connect one. The focus of this device is to bring the speech part of the audio out into the room.Ìý

The soundbar has on-board controls on one end, but the labelling is not easy to read. There’s also no informative display, just four coloured LEDs on the same surface as the controls.

When using the supplied remote control you get a series of spoken responses (which are very clearly spoken and intelligible) from the soundbar, but spoken confirmation is only given for some commands, like power on/off and when you select the input source. There’s no confirmation for commands like volume or tone adjustments.

Remote control

The remote is simple yet functional, although the buttons are quite small and closely spaced. Unlike the latest Bluetooth remotes, this one is very directional, meaning it needs to be pointed directly at the middle of the soundbar.

Soundbar performance

Once set up, we tested the soundbar by listening to a range of content including live TV news, a TV documentary, stereo music and a movie on DVD, with two of our audio experts providing feedback on general audio quality, particularly speech and clarity.Ìý

The ‘Movie’ and ‘Music’ modes made voices sound a bit harsh, but this may be a reasonable trade-off as the voices were very clear and distinct. The dialogue setting seemed to make the voices softer while also reducing background sounds. Overall, the sound was nice and clear, with good stereo separation for stereo music and the DVD movie.

The soundbar delivered a noticeable improvement on the audio produced by the 50-inch TV used in our test. On the downside, the panel felt the unit lacked a strong bass response for sound effects to be heard in the movie scenes.Ìý

While listening to live TV, our testers heard an occasional high-frequency vibration/sound, like a brief ‘ZEEEP!’ noise. This would be annoying for the average listener and we felt it may have been an issue with the unit we bought. The noise didn’t occur when listening to music or movie footage delivered to the TV over HDMI.

TV Voice Pro Air earphones

The TV Voice Pro bundle includes the TV Voice Pro Air earphones, which can be used in conjunction with the soundbar, as a separate TV audio solution using a Bluetooth transmitter connected to the TV, or as a standalone set of earphones you can use with any music player or smartphone that has Bluetooth support.

The Air earphones are model TVP03 and are rechargeable via the supplied USB power supply. The standard connection option is through a Bluetooth transmitter, which in turn connects to the TV via TOSLINK or analog audio IN. The transmitter is also connected to a second USB power supply.Ìý

The in-ear earphones are supplied with small, medium and large caps so that the buds suit different ears. While not truly wireless (the left and right buds are wired), you do get a small control on the connection wire to adjust the volume, but the controls have poor labelling.

The earbuds are a solid performer and work well in conjunction with the soundbar or as standalone headphones.

Customer service experience

When purchasing the TV Voice Pro bundle online (just as any regular customer would), our ÌÇÐÄVlog buyer found the experience to be clear and simple. The unit arrived within days and was in good condition. But as our listening panel wanted to rule out the potential for a faulty product with the background noise when delivering broadcast speech in isolation, we decided to order a replacement.

The customer service person we spoke to asked a series of sensible questions to check that it wasn’t a poor connection process or set-up error and then sent out another unit which arrived the next day, together with a return label to send the original unit back to the factory. While the second unit still exhibited this occasional introduced sound or hiss when listening to TV commentary, we decided not to continue our tests with a third unit.Ìý Ìý

The post TV Voice Pro soundbar and wireless Air earphones review appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Will a soundbar help the hard of hearing?

I am planning to upgrade my TV. A high priority for me is sound quality, in particular in relation to the spoken word. I suffer from hearing loss in the higher sound reaches. While I wear hearing aids these are only partially successful in helping me to distinguish conversation, particularly in wordy programs or where there is background noise.

I have a TV Dex which has a TOS Link connection to the TV and relays the sound direct to my hearing aids. This helps, but only partially. I have also tried using good quality over-ear earphones plugged directly into the TV. This is much more effective but it means having a cable dragging across the floor from the TV, and the earphones also become hot and uncomfortable after wearing them for very long.

I am wondering whether the addition of a soundbar would be helpful for me?

Members can log in below to read how ÌÇÐÄVlog TV & soundbar expert Denis Gallagher answers this reader’s question.

Not a member? There’s plenty of free information available in our buying guides and other articles.

The post Ask the expert about soundbars appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

This year we added TV sound systems to our reliability survey. More than 6000 members took part in our 2020 survey and, of them, 46% said they had bought a TV sound system brand new. We asked them:

• about what kind of equipment they own
• which manufacturer made it
• whether they were satisfied with their purchase
• if the product broke down.

We conduct these surveys to find out how certain products and brands perform over time, which is something we can’t test in our labs. You can use this alongside our home audio tests, such as soundbars, to find reliable products that perform well and suit your needs.

Note, this survey is in the context of audio equipment connected to a TV. It does not look at products like music hi-fi, Bluetooth speakers and so on.

Brand reliability results are for ÌÇÐÄVlog members only.

Our guide toÌýbuying the best soundbarsÌýis free and has lots of great information and advice.

Our brand reliability scores helps guide you when choosing a product – with the knowledge that the brand is well regarded by ÌÇÐÄVlog members for customer satisfaction and reliability.

The post ÌýAustralia’s most reliable TV sound systems appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.