Whether in theaters or at home, audio is a big part of movie watching experience. With ability to stream movies at will in HD quality, just a big screen TV is not enough. You might choose the best sound quality TV, but its Surround Sound simulation can be nowhere near an actual 5.1 surround speaker system. A good Soundbar can help you bridge this gap and be a compromise by if you are not ready to buy an expensive component speaker system.
What is a Soundbar?
A sound bar is a sleek audio attachment that can easily connect with your TV and provide you with rich audio. Better speakers and better audio configurations ensure that you get theatrical sound effects while watching movies at home.
With TV getting thinner, manufacturers have no choice other than compromising on the kind of speakers they use. A small cramped space cannot give you the kind of low frequency bass effect that you get out of a speaker in a box. Soundbar often come with a sub-woofer that corrects this problem. With a soundbar and sub-woofer, you can experience both – clear dialogues and the boom of onscreen actions scenes.
Soundbar Vs. Surround Sound Speaker
Can the same quality Soundbar be better than a multiple speaker surround sound system? Maybe not. But if you live in an apartment with limited space and a smaller living room, a Soundbar is the best way to go. You don’t need to make expensive adjustment to mount the speakers. Moreover, a decent quality soundbar is cheaper than a full blown surround sound component speaker system – usually at half the price.
Soundbar Configurations
There are various things that you need to think of before you take the plunge. The most important being the kind of connections your TV supports. Old flatscreen HD Tvs do not have Optical connector while some soundbars do not have HDMI connections. Make sure that you have the right match before making the final choice.
New Soundbars come with multiple connections options including Bluetooth and wireless. Wireless options are better as they can support higher data transmission speeds and can be easily included in the Home network to play music off of your mobile devices.
If deep bass is not something you are too keen on, a standalone Soundbar is a good option and cheaper as well. Some Soundbar configurations come with a Subwoofer too.
Which Soundbar Should Buy?
As always, take into account your specific needs. The kind of sound you like and the dimensions of your room. You can buy a Philips soundbar for under Rs. 5000, but personally, I am not a fan of Phillips audio systems.
But if you are ready to spend a bit more on the quality of sound, options like JBL Cinema, Sony, or Yamaha Front System are the options that you must evaluate.
I recommend that you go with the Yamaha Sound bar. At Rs. 17,000 it is still half the price and comes with 7.1 configuration.
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