Did you purchase a smart TV recently? You may be looking to buy a soundbar but are confused whether to buy or not! Buying decision depends on your personal preferences and needs. You should understand if you really need a soundbar for smart TV because modern smart TVs come with built-in speakers that provide very good sound.
However, there is another side as well; modern TVs focus on thin design and in such TVs, it is impossible to include speakers that can provide robust sound like soundbars.
So, it depends on your smart TV’s design, its speakers’ quality, and your personal preferences (whether that sound is enough for you or not). If you never listen to music and don’t prefer bass, then buying a soundbar will not make a big difference for you.
A soundbar is the best alternative to speaker system. It is a complete sound system in a compact pack while in a speaker system you need multiple speakers, an amplifier, wires, etc. The most important thing about a soundbar is that it looks very beautiful when placed above or below the TV.
This was just an overview that briefly guides you if you need a soundbar for your smart TV or not. Moving forward, I will provide details on why to buy soundbar, who should buy, best brand, and how to choose the right soundbar for your smart TV. So, continue reading till the end and I will clear all your confusions.
Why you should add a soundbar to Smart TV?
Adding a soundbar to your smart TV will not only increase the loudness of sound but also create an immersive audio experience in your TV lounge. Suppose you purchase a large high-quality Smart TV that provides visuals in 4k on a large screen but the sound coming out is hardly audible, then think about your experience with it. Isn’t the whole experience ruined because of poor sound? Yes, definitely it is ruined.
You may be thinking of adding any existing speakers but you should not. Here is the reason; these speakers take up a lot of space and don’t look beautiful when placed with a TV. That’s where you need to buy a soundbar. A soundbar offers compact design and a complete sound system (like 5.1 surround sound). So, you can boost your audio experience without ruining the look of your TV setup.
Soundbars also come with surround speakers and external subwoofers and if you buy them it will be a mess again. You can buy a soundbar that provides everything in a single unit. Moving forward we will discuss it in detail.
Who should buy a soundbar for TV?
Adding a soundbar to your smart TV is not necessary. It’s because TV speakers are not totally useless. However, if you love listening to music or watching movies in an immersive and cinematic environment, then you must buy a soundbar. Here is the further detail on who should go for a soundbar.
Music and Movie Enthusiasts
Those who watch movies with cinematic effects must go for a soundbar. It’s because a soundbar offers surround sound and Dolby Atmos that built-in TV speakers don’t.
For listening to music, the soundbar has a built-in or external subwoofer that produces bass making the sound room-filling and enjoyable. Moreover, dialogue clarity is also better which strengthens movies and music experience.
People Having Large Rooms
Built-in TV speakers are not very powerful to fill a large room. A soundbar is a complete sound system and you can buy it according to the size of your room; the bigger the room the larger the soundbar. You can check my review of the best soundbars for large rooms.
Choosing the Best Brand of Soundbar for Smart TV
You already have purchased the Smart TV and now you should buy a soundbar that is best suitable for that TV. Choosing the correct brand can be a hard decision for you.
It is always recommended to choose the soundbar from the same brand as your TV. The reason for this is compatibility, ease of connectivity and accessibility, and most importantly the use of one remote to control both products.
When they are from the same brand, things will get easy for you. They will connect seamlessly, sync in many features, and complement each other in design.
But if a soundbar with your desired features and quality is not available, then you can switch to another brand. In such a case just make sure that both of them will connect. Check the connection options available on both devices and cross-match them for compatibility.
What to look for when buying a soundbar?
Buying a soundbar is not a straightforward process. Depending on your priorities there are certain things that you must check. Without considering these things, you may end up choosing the wrong soundbar.
Here are some most important things to consider:
Connectivity Options
You are buying the soundbar to connect it to your Smart TV. So you must confirm if the necessary connection options are available on both devices. Modern soundbars come with an HDMI option and it’s the best recommended connection method. If you have other devices as well, you may need a soundbar with the ability of passthrough to connect them. You can also check my review of the best soundbars with HDMI passthrough.
Subwoofer
Some soundbars come with a built-in subwoofer while others come with an external subwoofer. Some have both and some have none but the option is available to buy an external subwoofer separately and connect. So, you should decide which one you need before buying.
If you are a bass lover, you may want a soundbar with an external subwoofer for robust bass. It’s also possible that you currently don’t have enough budget to buy a soundbar with an external subwoofer, so in this case, you can opt to buy a soundbar that provides the option to connect an external subwoofer later. In this way, you can buy the subwoofer when you have money and enjoy your desired bass.
Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos
Surround sound provides you cinematic experience and Dolby Atmos gives 3D sound effects. You may love these technologies or want to see them in your home audio.
Soundbars that offer surround sound have dedicated surround speakers while virtual surround sound works without dedicated speakers. However, if you really love surround sound then going with a soundbar that offers dedicated surround speakers is recommended. Another thing here is that it will make the system bulky; I mean you will not have only a single unit soundbar to handle but the surround speakers and the subwoofer as well. These surround speakers and subwoofers can be either wired or wireless. So, decide it accordingly.
Soundbar Channels
Soundbars come in different channels that are named differently according to the number of speakers. Most common include 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1, etc. When it says 2.1, it means the soundbar has 2 speakers and 1 subwoofer. The same goes for 5.1 and 7.1 where are 5 and 7 speakers and a subwoofer respectively.
A soundbar with more channels will produce more immersive sound. It will also come at a higher price tag. So, decide it according to your room’s size. For a small room, a 2.1-channel soundbar will be perfect while for big rooms or open spaces, you may need to go for more channels.
Wrapping up
I provided all the possible details that can help you decide if you need a soundbar for your smart TV or not. It will clear your mind about certain things and you will be able to make a decision. If you decide to buy a soundbar, I have explained everything you should consider when buying one. I hope this guide will help you in deciding and choosing the right soundbar for your smart TV.
I’ve been an Audiophile since childhood. I specialize in troubleshooting speakers for any technical problem and I can help you choose the sound system that best matches your preferences. Stay tuned and continue reading my posts.