The purchase of soundbar has become a need for many users, both for their design, but also and above all for the quality of sound diffusion. When we talk about soundbar (or audio bars), we refer to those devices for televisions capable of significantly improving the quality of audio reproduction. They are practical, elegant and extremely simple to install and configure; let’s see why it is better to choose them and how to do it thanks to our guide to buying a soundbar.
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Why choose a soundbar
Over the years, the sector of audio diffusion systems has known many innovations and as many points of reference. If until a few years ago the home theater systems represented the top of the range, today the soundbar purchase has in many ways changed the cards on the table. The reason? As we could already analyze talking about the best sound to buy online and the best LG soundbar, these devices are much more practical also from the dimensional point of view. Very often it is difficult to have a suitable space in your home to arrange an articulated sound system like that of the home theater, and in this sense, the soundbars offer a huge advantage. The advantage that inevitably expresses itself also at a qualitative level: technological evolution has dramatically improved the connection and reproduction capacities.
With a soundbar, then, you can get a sound surround sound system, without the use of cables or special connections, but all are taking advantage of the convenience and advantages of wireless technologies (WiFi and Bluetooth on all). With these devices, you have the opportunity to follow their TV programs (sports, music, TV series, etc.) and play their favorite video games, with an enveloping and realistic sound, very high definition.
Finally, when evaluating the purchase of soundbars, we must also consider how often the latest generation televisions, if on the one hand have improved in a crazy way the resolution of the image with an even smaller size of the panels, it is equally true that they have a little ‘overlooked the quality of the audio. In this sense, the soundbar can fill this “gap” and offer an overall video and audio system of the highest level.
How to choose a soundbar
Let’s now go to the heart of this guide to buying the best soundbar, going to understand what are the technical characteristics to pay attention when you decide to buy one of these devices and to review the models present in both online stores and physical stores.
The type of use
To those who have already tried to evaluate the soundbar purchase will certainly have noticed that there are many models on the market, even with significant price differences. because goes from less than € 100 to more than € 1500, and it is also important to understand the differences and evaluate which model is best suited to your needs. A first quick approach to this topic, which will also allow us to make a clear classification, is to distinguish the soundbar in active and passive.
The active soundbar are those that integrate an amplifier and work independently; vice versa passive soundbars are those without an amplifier and to work they need to be connected to a sound card or another external amplifier. It is not so much a question of considering this or that type of soundbar better, but of understanding which one best responds to the use made of it. The active soundbars are preferable for practicality, being operating independently; passive ones, on the other hand, are excellent for the versatility they offer, as they allow also depends, connecting them to other speakers.
Structure
How are the soundbars made? Behind the apparent simplicity (and elegance) aesthetics, there are both the elements of the structure (the weight and the dimensions), but also the more technical elements of the components inside the soundbar. But let’s go in order. As for the dimensions (not only in width but also in depth), they must be evaluated having clear where they will be installed; the furniture of one’s own house and the interior spaces of one’s own homes justify the choice, both from an aesthetic point of view but also a functional one, of this or that model. Likewise, the question of weight must also be addressed – if the soundbar is to be installed in a vertical position, it is good to evaluate the choice of a supportable to support its weight; same speech even if the soundbar is placed in a horizontal position.
Instead of entering more on the merits of the technical elements that make up a soundbar you have to talk about the number of speakers. Usually, the soundbars have at least two speakers, so as to spread the sound engagingly. In this context, there is a value, expressed in a pair of numbers, which indicates the number of speakers and that of the subwoofer. So we have soundbar 2.0 (two speakers and no subwoofers), 2.1 (two speakers and one subwoofer), 5.1 (five speakers and one subwoofer) and 7.1 (seven speakers and one subwoofer). The number of the speakers is not so much a matter of power, but of diversification of the signal, able therefore to make the audio experience extremely more realistic, engaging and immersive. As for the subwoofer, it is good to evaluate if it is integrated or not if it was not it must also consider its positioning.
The performances
To evaluate the performance of a soundbar is not enough to choose the one with the power (expressed in watts) greater. This is due to the fact that the performance of audio reproduction depends also and above all on the size of the environmet in which it is used and on the type of use it is made of (as we have seen in the previous points). On average, the advice is to orientate towards models with a maximum power of about 200-300 watts; even if it can happen to use less, it is certainly preferable compared to a model of lower power forced to work constantly at the limit, returning a result certainly not optimal.
Connectivity
The question of connectivity must also be assessed in the purchase of soundbars. Each model has one or more communication systems, which can be wireless (WLAN, Bluetooth, NFC) or physical (3.5mm jack, coaxial cable, optical cable, USB, HDMI). Each type of entry offers its advantages and its peculiarities, much in this case also depends on the type of use that is made of the soundbar and the need that you have to connect this or that device. It is good to carefully evaluate this aspect so as not to be unable to do what we decided to buy an audio bar.
Special features
In addition to all the technical and structural aspects, the soundbar scene is particularly varied also due to the many features that each model offers. In many cases, you can be happily surprised by the opportunities offered. Generally among the most common features are those of remote control (to manage the audio via remote control or via app on the smartphone), the display (can provide useful information) and direct playback (which allows you to use the soundbar also independently, without having to turn on other devices to make it work.
Conclusion
As we have seen in our long journey within this varied sector, the soundbar purchase requires the careful evaluation of different aspects, not just those that are properly technical. One last element that is good to consider, though it may seem marginal, is that of design and aesthetics. The type of material used, the color and the shapes make these devices real furnishing and design elements and are an aspect not to be underestimated for an overall evaluation of the best model to buy.
