What sound bar should i get

Special Features. Special modes — designed to specifically enhance your movie, gaming or music experiences. Volume-leveling technology — makes all sound consistent for quieter ads and sound effects. Distortion-cancelling technology — helps prevent distortion for deep, detailed-sounding bass.

Surround Sound Expansion technology — helps extend sound sideways and upwards so you feel immersed in the action. Google Assistant compatible — can connect to a compatible Google Assistant device for voice-controlled music on the soundbar. Alexa compatible — can connect to an Amazon Echo smart speaker for voice-controlled music on the soundbar. SmartThings compatible — can connect to Wi-Fi for convenient soundbar control using the SmartThings app.

Dolby Atmos technology — reproduces audio created in Dolby-Atmos with impressive clarity, richness, detail and depth for immersive entertainment. Dts-X sound technology — reproduces the audio carefully crafted by TV and film makers in Dts-X for an immersive surround-sound experience. Harman Kardon sound technology — produces rich, refined audio for lifelike sound. Meridian sound technology — produces clear, heart-stopping, high fidelity sound. Whole House Entertainment System. Shop Multiroom Speakers.

Yamaha 7. Compare Add more to compare Added. Some newer sound bars come with Dolby Atmos technology , which bounces audio off ceilings to simulate a surround sound effect. Reality: All that does is add a little digital delay, sort of like a fractional echo think reverb. Admittedly, some are amazing, but you have to pay extra. Technically speaking, though a passive sound bar could potentially be used as a center channel speaker, it's not designed for that purpose.

It's like asking a baseball pitcher to also catch and play second base, instead of sticking to the one position he's stellar at. There are plenty of brands that build quality sound bars including greats like Bose , Sony , Sonos , Klipsch , and Yamaha.

When you buy from an authorized dealer, your new sound bar will come with the full manufacturer's warranty. No problem. Seriously, we live for helping customers make great choices, whatever the budget or situation. And probably more than once. Life is good. Thank you for reading — and enjoy your awesome new sound bar! Aug 7, PM. Too much helpful this was. Few days ago i am finding the right way to select the best soundbar and now i got this one. Thanks for sharing the info.

Jan 25, AM. Oct 27, PM. Good Article but does not address room size vs watts. Does a small 12x16 room need high wattage in order to get good sound at a normal listening level? Feb 27, PM.

Best article i have read on this subject. Very helpful, now have a sound understanding of the various numbers and what to look for, Many thanks! You must be logged in to write a comment. Log In. Sign up to receive exclusive offers and recommendations from our experts!

World Wide Stereo. Navigation Search Help Cart. Home Audio Home Audio. Learn More. See what outdoor TVs were voted Best of See what our experts are saying are the top wireless earbuds of Check out what our experts think are the best car stereos of Our Services.

Holiday Deals. Shop now. Filed Under: articles home entertainment buying guides. About sound bars. And fixing the one thing your TV fails at: sound. And as for features, every sound bar is different — and some features you need to pay attention to. Are there enough HDMI inputs to handle all your devices? What about Bluetooth for streaming music? Yes, there are a lot of options.

And yes, we are here to help. What size should you get? Active vs. Passive Sound bar channels What connections do you need? How will you control the sound bar? Here are the most important things to know or do before buying a sound bar, in bitesize form: Choose a sound bar with 3 or more channels — at a minimum.

With 3 or more channels, you can simulate surround sound for a more immersive experience. Go with an active sound bar. Active sound bars come with built-in amplifiers passive sound bars do not. If you or someone you love is having a hard time hearing what the voices are saying on screen, consider this awesome little soundbar from lesser-known but long-standing brand Zvox. The company has perfected what it calls "AccuVoice" technology, which uses digital signal processing to make voices sound clearer.

It does this better than any other bar with a similar feature that I've tested. It's a fantastic-sounding option for larger TVs, thanks to its ability to fire sound around your room. We also consider it the brainiest of all soundbars. Thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant integrations plus Siri, if you're using an Apple device with AirPlay to control it , you can use the Sonos Arc—and its optional subwoofer —as the centerpiece of your home's smart speaker system.

It connects to your other Sonos speakers, which can be virtually grouped together or used individually. You can use your voice to do everything from play Taylor Swift to check the weather. It also sounds better than it has any right to at this price. Audio comes through crisp and clear, with impressive width and depth, and the included subwoofer bolsters explosions, footsteps, and your favorite bass-heavy tunes. The acclaimed audio brand Sennheiser waited decades to launch its first home soundbar.

Even without the addition of satellite speakers for surround, the Ambeo uses its tech to throw sound around your space with full Dolby Atmos immersion. It sounds so good at times, you might think there are little tiny speakers flying around your room. It doesn't matter if you're watching Netflix Originals or listening to your favorite music, the Ambeo just offers rich, detailed sound.

Much like LG, Samsung, and Sony use exceptional image quality to convince people to shell out thousands of dollars for their flagship televisions, Sennheiser can bank on the Ambeo's superior audio to attract discerning buyers. WIRED reviewer Jess Grey has spent a little more than a year with this massive dual-subwoofer soundbar system from Japan, which provides earth-shattering bass courtesy of two huge subwoofers, and Jess has great things to say.

A pair of side speakers and rear speakers provide more lifelike reproduction than soundbars that bounce sound off the walls for side and rear noises. It's a super-large system for most spaces, but if you have a big room, the extra bass response helps things feel more cinematic, and those side and rear drivers make it great for playing online video games, where hearing footsteps behind you often comes in handy. For one, the 5. Thanks to clever use of the WiSA a new-ish wireless surround sound protocol, all you have to do is find a power outlet for each speaker and plug in a small Roku-size box to your TV's ARC port.

Bada bing, bada boom: THX-certified surround sound! While it's worth considering an Atmos bar for some future proofing, it's still not an essential buy. A surprising number of soundbars don't have a true front-panel display, so you don't get much or any visual feedback as to how loud the volume is or what input you're on.

A front-panel display is certainly nice -- especially if it's well-hidden, like on the Zvox SB -- but we don't think they're essential. Generally, you just turn the volume up to a comfortable level and it doesn't matter much if you're at "20" or " That about covers it. For more in-depth info, head over to our latest reviews of the best soundbars and dig in.

Get CNET's comprehensive coverage of home entertainment tech delivered to your inbox. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission.

Ty Pendlebury. March 24, a. Vizio V Best soundbar with Alexa. Yamaha YAS Best Atmos soundbar for the money. Vizio SBF6. Speaker length in inches Recommended TV screen size 12 Any 38 to 45 inch to inch 50 inch to inch 60 inch and larger. Discuss: How to buy a soundbar in Recommended TV screen size.