Important Considerations When Buying A Soundbar for TV
Our readers have requested to compile a list of the best soundbars in India as they want to buy a soundbar for an LED TV or a soundbar for an LCD TV. As a result, we agreed to write an article about the factors to consider when buying soundbars.
When purchasing a television, everyone pays careful attention to the video quality. Many people purchase a new television for between Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh. However, for your TV viewing experience to be complete, your video shows must have adequate sound experience.
The speakers on many modern models of televisions are insufficient for delivering sound in the home hall, for example.
When TVs get smaller and thinner, there is less room in the bezels to accommodate speakers. As a result, built-in speakers have been smaller and less impressive-sounding. Some modern televisions lack built-in speakers entirely.
We can’t blame the TV manufacturers in this situation. Because of space limitations, big-size speakers cannot be accommodated in TVs as they get smaller and thinner. A wafer-thin television can only have a wafer-thin speaker.
When we are unable to obtain high-quality sound from our television, we will consider buying additional speakers, which will ultimately lead to the acquisition of a soundbar.
And if you were unable to invest a significant amount of money and time in installing a complete stereo system, TV audio was already blurry and of low quality. Installing a soundbar, on the other hand, will quickly and reliably improve TV audio these days.
We’ll go into the advantages of using a soundbar. We’ll even give you some guidance on how to find the right soundbar for your needs.
There are a lot of soundbars on the market right now, and while some are fantastic, others aren’t worth the bubble wrap. This soundbar buying guide was designed to help you pick the right one for you, your TV, and your home.
This article discusses the different important factors to consider when you buy a soundbar in India. In addition, we have compiled a list of the best soundbars in India.
So let’s get started.
What is a Soundbar?
A soundbar is a long, thin rectangular-shaped bar that contains speakers as well as a substantial number of sound processing circuitry. Voices coming from a soundbar are crisp and distinct, to the point that even whispered speech can be heard.
Soundbars now have an impressive listening environment while having fewer wires and configurations. A soundbar is a set of speakers that project sound into space from the same location as the television.
They’re also getting better at dispersing sound to the sides, allowing you to hear it clearly from everywhere in the room.
Is a Normal External Speaker Enough?
Old-fashioned speakers are also adequate for audio in several respects. However, you can not rely on your TV’s built-in speakers for audio because they normally provide poor-quality sound.
Alternatively, you can attach your TV to external speakers. They ignore the sleek look of a soundbar and take up more room. Speakers, on the other hand, have the advantage of almost everyone seeing one lying around their house. They can also locate used speakers at a reasonable price.
Another choice for a portable speaker is to use a Bluetooth speaker for your television. When not watching TV, you can use the speaker for your smartphone to play games. You can even bring it along with you to outdoor events or picnics.
Bluetooth speakers, on the whole, do not deliver the same level of sound as a soundbar. They are, though, a significant improvement over the television’s built-in speakers. They’re all inexpensive, so they’re a decent place to start with your TV audio solution without breaking the bank.
But do you even need a soundbar for this? Will we meet our needs by using a standard external speaker setup? Here are a few things to consider before buying a soundbar.
Why Do We Want a Soundbar with a TV?
Soundbars are primarily designed to operate in combination with televisions. Some people buy soundbars because they don’t have enough room for a true home theater surround sound system.
True home theater sound can take several forms, but it typically needs a separate amplifier and at least five speakers. Much of this normally costs more than a soundbar. If you have space and the funds, you should think about investing in an authentic home theater setup, which is amazing in so many respects.
If a good soundbar improves your TV audio by a factor of 100 times, a real home theater improves both the TV audio and the overall experience by a factor of 10,000 times.
However, if you just need a quick and simple solution, a soundbar will be a significant improvement over the audio on your TV. Soundbars project sound further out (to the left and right) and, to some degree (though somewhat insignificantly), get you closer to a true home theater experience.
Normally, the voice from the television is packed with background music, and the actors’ dialogue is submerged in it. Soundbars outperform standard Bluetooth speakers or stereo speakers in this application.
The majority of speakers available in India reproduce base sound very well. Most people like ‘boom, boom’ speakers with a higher base influence because they feel that the base is a good sound.
Soundbars, in general, do not work as these speakers do with televisions. Their primary concern is not noise, but rather voice clarity. The aim is to enhance the clarity of the actors’ dialogue. Such a faint sound can be easily heard if the soundbar is of high quality.
Soundbars with a lot of basses and a large volume range are suitable for big action movies. Clear audio is beneficial to dramas because it makes it easy to understand the dialogue.
Before making a decision, head to an electronics store and test out any soundbars. Since the speakers are farther apart, soundbars work better in terms of stereo channel separation.
Soundbars, like televisions, are becoming thinner. Furthermore, although being slim is appealing, it is not needed for successful audio quality.
You should certainly consider installing a subwoofer to get the best audio from your soundbar. That’s where soundbars, which can be used in place of standard speakers, come in handy. It’s better to listen to movies in the same manner that the sound is embedded in the original track.
Where Should a Soundbar Be Placed?
Figure out where you want to position the soundbar first, and then look for a style that would fit in the available space. What kind of soundbar is best for you is determined by where you place your TV and how much area you have around it. The soundbar cannot be taken somewhere and put out so it must be placed near the television.
Soundbars are more adaptable in terms of installation. They’re supposed to be hung on the wall or located under (and in front of) the television. The trick to choosing where to position a soundbar is to target it so that it fills the room with as much sound as possible.
You want the sound to come from the same direction as the TV because you don’t want books or other things to obstruct the soundbar. You don’t want the soundbar to block your view of the TV as well. There should be a suitable power plug available for the soundbar.
If you’re going to install the soundbar in a cabinet, place it as far forward as practicable so that it doesn’t get obstructed from projecting sound out the sides. Avoid placing a soundbar with surround sound features like Dolby Atmos in a cabinet because the best effects require vertical space.
Related: What Shall Be a TV Soundbar Placement for the Best Listening Experience?
Connectivity Options of Soundbar
If you want to purchase a soundbar, make sure it has all of the connectivity solutions you need. Just make sure your TV has the required connectivity to connect your new soundbar, especially if it’s more than eight years old.
The most recent soundbars provide a variety of connectivity options as well as several ways to use them. It is preferable to buy a soundbar with all of the connectivity options. Otherwise, you will be required to change your soundbar when you upgrade to a new TV in the future.
Most models today will be able to support Bluetooth, HDMI, or HDMI with ARC, USB, and Wi-Fi connectivity.
You may want to stream content to your soundbar from your phone, tablet, or computer. Then the Soundbar Bluetooth connectivity feature would come in handy.
Wireless Soundbar with Wi-Fi connectivity can connect to your home’s Internet network and access almost everything from various entertainment platforms such as JioSaavan music or Gaana.
An optical patch cable provides a solid, best-case-scenario connection between your TV and the soundbar. It’s also one of the easiest, most transparent, and most reliable connections available. It does not, though, have the bandwidth to transfer over a 5.1-channel bandwidth.
Some soundbars have USB inputs, which are usually used for firmware updates. Most soundbar updates, though, are now done via web-based software updates. So, unless you want to attach a USB drive storing your music, you don’t need a USB port.
What Shall Be the Size of a Soundbar?
In terms of aesthetics, the new soundbar should not be larger than your TV, and in a perfect environment, it will be the same width for a clean look. Technically, a soundbar may be used or matched with practically every television.
As a result, when it comes to design, keep an eye out for one that is aligned with the size of your television.
Active and Passive Soundbars
Another thing to keep in mind for soundbars is that they come in both active and passive models.
Passive Soundbars
Passive soundbars are absent from built-in amplifiers. As a result, they may need an external receiver or amplifier. They do, though, have better speakers. A subwoofer can be needed if you want a smoother bass sound.
As a result, assembling a passive soundbar system is more costly, and you’ll still need to attach more components. However, the sound quality from these will be much greater. This is the way to go if you want to fully configure the audio setup.
Active Soundbars
However, if you believe you don’t have time for it or are unfamiliar with it, invest in active models. These versions come with an amplifier. It will be outfitted with channel processors as well as all of the required components.
So there’s no need to buy (or plugin) a separate receiver, and an all-in-one unit has fewer wires. However, the audio quality may be inferior to that of passive models.
If you simply want to improve the sound on your television, an active soundbar is a way to go. Passive soundbars are better adapted for custom installations.
Buy a Model with at Least Three Sound Channels
Some soundbars are nothing more than stereo systems. There will be two speakers in each of these. However, if you want to buy a flawless soundbar, make sure it has at least three channels.
They are made up of three different speakers. If you want something more solid, look for 5-channel and 7-channel soundbars.
Technically, it should get better sound from the 7-channel soundbar. But if the products are not from good companies 7 channel quality be only available in papers.
There is another option for a good theater sound experience is to buy a soundbar with Dolby Atmos. Dolby Atmos systems include the numbers 5.1.2 and 7.1.2 in their specifications. The first digit 5 or 7 shows how many speakers are included.
The second digit represents the subwoofer. The third digit refers to the number of speakers that send the sound upwards.
It is hoped that the sound pushing upwards of the room will present you with more like a theater sound experience. Always go with a soundbar having more sound channels. The more, the better, and the more immersive the experience will be.
Conclusion
We hope we have addressed all of the important factors to consider when choosing a soundbar. If you believe we have overlooked some important points to discuss, please leave a comment below.
Related: 11 Best Soundbars in India
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