Soundbars offer an easy and practical way to improve a home entertainment system, especially when Dolby Atmos is included. Since all the speakers are housed in one soundbar, there’s no hassle of placing or installing them around the room and then connecting them all with a web of cables.
Nevertheless, soundbars are still a relatively new technology, and choosing the best soundbar can take some thought, especially with so many options available. This guide will explain how soundbars can enhance your sound system, what the main features are, and why you should consider getting one, so that when you’re ready to upgrade, you’ll feel confident that you’re choosing the best soundbar for you.
Built-in TV speakers typically use a two-speaker stereo setup, with one left and one right speaker. Generally, these offer poor sound — especially on today’s ever-thinning TVs — and require external speakers to achieve a quality soundscape. Traditionally, this meant incorporating a surround sound system, often called 5.1 or 7.1, depending on the number of speakers, but setting up this kind of system can take a lot of work and may even require installations in the ceiling.
A soundbar replicates the experience of surround sound speakers without the technical fuss. Inside are a number of speakers performing different jobs. The center channel is typically dedicated to dialogue, while the left and right speakers capture the ambience of a scene, such as the sounds of a cityscape or jungle.
Controlling your soundbar is made easy with Bluetooth technology, which connects your phone, tablet, or other Bluetooth-enabled devices to the soundbar. Through the Bose Music app, you can operate the soundbar and connect it to streaming audio platforms and your digital library. Bose SimpleSync also lets you pair it with compatible Bose headphones for private listening, or with other Bose SimpleSync-enabled portable speakers to enhance the soundscape further. Learn more about SimpleSync and compatible headphones and speakers.
By far the most exciting addition to the latest generation of soundbars — including the Bose Soundbar 900 and the Bose Soundbar 600 — is Dolby Atmos. Soundbars that support Dolby Atmos have side-firing and upward-firing speakers that bounce and place sounds around the room, enhancing the sense of immersion and giving you the impression of sound coming from places where there are no physical speakers. In fact, many streaming services, films, games, and music albums are now mixing the soundscape specifically for Atmos. If you’re upgrading to a Dolby Atmos soundbar, check that your TV has an HDMI eARC port on the back, as you’ll need that connection to uncompress and project the Dolby Atmos signal fully.
Significantly less expensive and smaller than a Bose soundbar, the Bose TV Speaker delivers many of the same features. That includes Bluetooth, extra bass, and elevated vocals when Dialogue Mode is engaged, clarifying all the action on the screen. The formidable audio power comes thanks to two angled, full-range drivers in the center. The Bose TV Speaker also supports Roku and only takes a simple HDMI connection to connect and stream.
The latest edition of soundbars, especially those with Dolby Atmos, will transform the soundscape from 2D to 3D, creating a new level of immersion in your favorite shows, films, games, and albums, and doing so this with ease and practicality. Knowing more about how they work, what size to buy, what connection to use, and what additional features are available can help you find the best soundbar for you.
