The best company that our television can have today is, without a doubt, a decent sound system. And it is that with the great advances in last generation panels, there is little room left for a good section of decent audio. That is why in the vast majority of cases, users resort to sound bars, being the perfect complement to add to our TVs.
In this article we talk about some aspects to take into account to choose the ideal sound bar for our television. Because although there is a large market within this sector, it is not advisable to pay more for features that our TV will not be able to take advantage of.
Types of sound bars
A sound bar is nothing more than a set of speakers connected to each other and coupled in a compact and elongated system that we generally place under the screen of our television. Depending on the number of speakers and other parameters that we will mention below, we will achieve a more precise and clear sound.
Depending on the distribution of the speakers, we can find 2.1, 3.1, 7.1, or 5.1.4 systems, among others. To understand these numbers, you also have to talk about the subwoofer, a loudspeaker with a powerful sounding board that reinforces low frequencies and it makes action scenes, explosions, etc. more forceful. Normally it is usually placed resting on the ground, or in the lower part of our setup.
Knowing this, we can understand that, the first number refers to the number of speakers, and the second to the subwoofer. That is why if we talk about a 2.1 channel system, we would be counting on two speakers in the sound bar and a separate subwoofer. On the other hand, if our system is 5.1.4, the third and last figure refers to the four additional speakers that point to the ceiling for greater immersion.
Another key feature when we are going to buy a sound bar is the power in watts. The more power a sound bar has, the greater difference we can feel between channels, and therefore, we will obtain a greater immersion. In addition, also it is necessary to know how far we will be from the sound barsince depending on it, we should opt for a bar with a greater or lesser power.
As users, we can choose which configuration suits us in our living room. If our consumption is going to be exclusively to watch television and listen to some music, it will be worth it with a 2.1 system. However, in case we want to add an extra immersion to our movies, series or video games, It will be advisable to choose a sound bar with a greater number of channels.
Multichannel audio formats
Today, formats such as Dolby Atmos or DTS: X are the ones that reign in the world of multichannel sound at home. However, we have to ask ourselves if we consume content that has this type of formatsince if we are only going to use it to watch TV channels or play music, it may not be entirely appropriate to pay more for compatibility with these formats.
Virtually any streaming platform offers a list of movies and series compatible with Dolby Atmos, although not all content is available in these formats. So we will have to pay special attention to ensure that our sound bar and the content that we see is compatible with these multichannel audio technologies.
connections
HDMI
To connect a sound bar to the television, in addition to the cable that feeds the bar, we have several ways to do it, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. The vast majority of bars today incorporate HDMI, so the sound signal that is sent from the TV to our bar can be transferred through this cable. However, if we have a television that offers HDMI ARC input (or its successor eARC), the signal transfer can happen in both directions, eliminating the intermediary of connecting another HDMI cable to an external console or player and sending the signal at the highest possible quality.
To benefit from ARC or eARC, both the soundbar and the TV must be compatible with this technology. That is why if our television does not have this type of input, we can save money and choose a bar that does not have this function. However, if you find yourself in this situation, it would also be advisable to keep an eye on the future in case at some point you plan to change your television.
optical cable
Another way of connection is to connect the television to the bar using an optical cable. In this case we do not have the HDMI CEC functions that allow us to control the bar with the TV remote, nor can we opt for the Dolby Atmos or DTS: X multichannel formats due to bandwidth limitation, although thanks to the transmission through fiber optics, the signal is less susceptible to interference. If you have been wanting to know more, in this article we make a more complete comparison of all types of audio connection on our television.
Coaxial and 3.5mm jack
We also have the option to connect the soundbar by coaxial cable or 3.5mm jack cable. It all depends on the additional equipment that we have, although if what we want is to see content with high resolution audio and compatible with multichannel audio signals, it is best to rely on HDMI (ARC or eARC if possible) due to the possibility of having a higher bandwidth.
wireless networks
There are sound bars that are also compatible with Bluetooth, WiFi, and even have an Ethernet port. A Bluetooth sound bar will provide us with greater versatility when it comes to connecting devices to it. Although we are losing audio quality if we connect our television via Bluetooth, It can be a great idea if we want to get rid of cables in the middle. However, we recommend this connection for external devices, be it a mobile phone, or another speaker.
It is worth mentioning that, on many occasions, we find sound bars that connect to their corresponding subwoofer via Bluetooth, and even to other speakers to create a multi-room sound. As well is the perfect connection to listen to music via streaming platforms usual, as well as WiFi.
These wireless connections also benefit the use of smart voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. And it is that today, even with a sound bar we can control the multiple smart devices we have at home.