If you are in the market for a new TV or have recently purchased a new TV, you are perhaps the happiest shopper around. Your TV is most likely the primary screen you use to consume content, and a brand new one with all its bells and whistles will enhance your viewing experience unlike anything else.
However, there is a catch. Your new TV most likely needs a soundbar or surround sound system.
Why? Let’s find out.
Why Your New TV Needs a Soundbar
If you haven’t bought a TV in recent times, the thought of buying a separate sound system for it may seem absurd. Why on Earth would you need something like a soundbar for your brand new TV?!
You see, unlike your old TV, modern TVs are wafer-thin and often bezel-less, leaving no space for powerful or high-quality speakers. Your old TV likely had plenty of room underneath the display or on the sides (fat bezels) and didn’t look like something that came out of a machine press.
Are you upgrading from an old box TV? You can’t compare its sound quality with a soundbar’s superior output. Older TVs had plenty of space to house multiple internal speakers that were relatively large and could accurately produce the full spectrum of sounds.
Modern TVs have gotten slimmer, with the screen practically touching the edges. Hence, they can only house small speakers that are usually firing out the back of the TV into the wall on which they are hung.
You also need to consider that true audio for content is recorded in five separate channels, while TVs usually have only two speakers for playback. These two speakers have to combine all five channels and reproduce the audio to the best of their abilities.
You might be having difficulty understanding dialogues on your new TV or hearing sound for movies and sports broadcasts due to the reasons mentioned above. You might have even remarked that your older TV was louder, clearer, and sounded better.
They are also the reasons why your new TV needs a soundbar.
Why a Soundbar Is Better
Since your new TV is not good with audio, you need a separate sound system. This leaves you with two viable options, a soundbar or a surround sound system. You can set up a surround sound system with multiple speakers around the room, running plenty of wires, and perhaps a complex receiver.
You will get the best possible sound experience from this system. Or, you could opt for a pre-packaged, space-saving, awesome-sounding soundbar that will cost a fraction of the price of a surround sound system.
A soundbar is a wide, long-shaped, single “box” that looks like a square tube. It is designed to sit below your TV or in front of it typically. Some soundbars are bigger than others, but they are mostly quite slim, sleek, and compact.
Many come with a wireless subwoofer, which you can discretely place anywhere in the room without worrying about wires. The subwoofer helps produce better low frequency sounds like deep bass, which you cannot get from the small soundbar alone.
The soundbar itself houses multiple speakers, and depending on its model, the speakers may fire sounds in multiple directions. Some soundbars have built-in subwoofers, but they are not as powerful or effective as external ones.
Most quality soundbars will produce the full spectrum of sounds giving you the full five audio channel experience. They are loud, crisp, and clear, especially when compared to your new TV speakers. Dialogues are clear, and all content, including your movies and sports experience, is elevated immensely.
However, unlike an expensive surround sound system, all the sound will come from the front. Some high-quality soundbars can replicate surround sound in two directions – front and back – but it’s not the same, and none can produce true surround sound.
Conclusion
Soundbars are not as good as surround sound systems. However, considering the audio quality and experience you get at a fraction of the price, they make the perfect fit for your new TV. However, you should understand that some inexpensive soundbars, typically the ones without a wireless subwoofer, may make your TV audio experience louder, but they likely won’t make it clearer.
Always opt for soundbars from trusted brands that offer features and sound quality that lives up to your expectations.
