These days, the ever-growing number of streaming services and external HDMI devices makes finding your favorite TV shows or movies on demand an easy feat. So, why do cinema fans continue to make their way to the theater on a regular basis? It’s not just the size of the screen — a larger, advanced sound system often provides patrons with a level of immersion that standard television speakers simply can’t match.
As many Sweetwater film fanatics have discovered, adding a soundbar to your current TV setup may be the solution to injecting industry-grade sound directly into your living room. Enhanced audio quality, formidable surround sound technology, and boosted volume levels are all ripe for the taking, giving you the same spatial captivation as large-scale viewing venues but in a home environment. After careful consideration, we’ve compiled a list of 2023’s best soundbars for TV, from economical, compact models to all-in-one entertainment centers. Let’s take a look!
To kick off our list, we’ve chosen the JBL Lifestyle Bar 2.0 All-in-One MK2 soundbar. This model’s compact size, ergonomic form factor, and single-cable installation make it an easy integration into any setup. Likewise, the included bracket and hardware offer endless positioning possibilities, making it an excellent pairing for your television as well as a powerful audio streaming option with built-in Bluetooth compatibility. Looking for a little extra bass? The Bar 2.0 All-in-One has got it. Despite its compact size, this audial beast packs low-end projection of up to 70Hz, ensuring wall-rattling bass, deep effects, and powerful rhythms never go unheard.
If you’re an avid user of music and video streaming, then the JBL Lifestyle Bar 300 soundbar is exactly what you need. With AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music, and Chromecast built-in for the soundbar’s architecture, you’ll have instant access to more than 300 different streaming services. It’s packed with Dolby Atmos and MultiBeam technology. Additionally, the onboard PureVoice technology enhances dialogue quality to ensure you won’t miss a word during your favorite shows and movies. Best of all, the Bar 300’s best features are easily controlled by way of the compatible JBL ONE app, including voice-assistant services, setup options, and much more. Simple controls, knockout performance, and versatile use are all within your grasp with a Bar 300 in your arsenal.
If booming bass is your jam, then you’re in for a treat. The Klipsch Cinema 400 2.1 soundbar packs all of the same sonic performance as other high-end devices but with a twist: it also includes an 8-inch wireless subwoofer for extremely powerful low end. Cutting-edge stereo technology with Tractrix horns and fiber-composite woofers allows the Cinema 400 to produce authentic film-quality projection with crystal clear quality. As a result, this soundbar is a choice option for home theaters and entertainment stations. Best of all, a simple single-cable HDMI connection provides immediate control over your audio with the included wireless remote, keeping fumbled, complex multi-remote systems out of the equation.
Users looking to build onto their existing speaker system will want to check out the Bose Smart Soundbar 600. Courtesy of its simple HDMI plug-in procedure, the Soundbar 600 can pair itself with a range of other Bose speakers and headphones, enabling a range of setups, from home-theater arrangements to individual in-ear outputs with zero additional cabling required. In terms of sound, this soundbar’s TrueSpace and Atmos-governed speaker system represent every detail of high-definition Bose audio. Best of all, your speaker’s settings are available for adjustment within Bose’s Music app, making quick changes a cinch without having to travel between the couch and your device.
The flagship of the company’s Smart Soundbar series, the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar is ideal for users seeking the highest definition in their entertainment spaces. Loaded with Bose TrueSpace technology and a modernized sound circuit, the Smart Ultra Soundbar reaches both ends of the audial spectrum with ease, from high-end effects to the booming bass of action sequences. For clarity, an onboard AI Dialogue mode automatically enhances the quality of spoken word in your movie or show, making it easier to hear without adding or subtracting from other on-screen noise. Best of all, though, the Smart Ultra Soundbar is rigged with Dolby Atmos compatibility and ADAPTiQ audio, ensuring you’ll get a fully immersive output that’s optimized directly for your specific listening space.
With the JBL Lifestyle Bar 1000 7.1.4 soundbar with wireless subwoofer in your arsenal, you’ll bring true surround sound movie magic directly into your home. The package comes with a soundbar, a subwoofer, and detachable surround speakers for limitless placement options in any room. A whopping 880 watts of output power and Dolby Atmos compatibility ensure the Bar 1000’s up-firing drivers deliver pristine sound at even the highest volume levels. Likewise, onboard PureVoice technology ensures dialogue is recognizable, even during music- and effects-heavy scenes. It’s all topped off with the required power cords, an HDMI cable, four wall mounting brackets, and a remote control.
Sporting nine top-shelf speakers with seven aluminum-cone drivers, the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus is among the widest-reaching single-unit soundbars available. Even without a subwoofer, the Ambeo can extend to an extremely low 38Hz, making it a suitable bass-heavy option for users who want all the power of a contemporary system packed into one device. It has full support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, MPEG-H, and 360 Reality Audio formats, and it sports a collection of EQ options, allowing you to fine-tune your system to match your room’s acoustics to a T. Need to keep volume to a minimum? No problem: the Ambeo’s built-in night mode makes discreet listening and mic-free operation a cinch.
The JBL Lifestyle Bar 1300X 11.1.4 soundbar with wireless subwoofer is the same as the previously mentioned JBL Lifestyle Bar 1000 7.1.4 soundbar and wireless subwoofer but with one big upgrade in sound. This 1,170-watt beast pumps out crystal clear 11.1.4-channel audio, making it a perfect option for home theaters and medium-sized viewing venues. Courtesy of its 10-inch wireless subwoofer, you’ll also have access to incredible low end, which sounds great in combination with the Bar 1300X’s additional surround sound speakers. Like the Bar 1000, you’ll also get voice-assistant compatibility, easy setup, and customizable sound adjustments to ensure your system is exactly where you need it to be.
Last but not least is the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max, the big brother of the aforementioned Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Plus. Packed with 13 drivers and authentic 5.1.4 audio, it has top-notch sound quality all the way down to 30Hz for supreme bass punch and sound dynamics. The same support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and MPEG-H formats is included, as well as built-in 4K pass-through, Bluetooth, and Chromecast for highly detailed streaming audio connections. To top everything off, the Soundbar Max comes with onboard room calibration, which captures the acoustics of your current setup to produce an output specifically tailored to your listening environment. Take it from Sweetwater film fans: when it comes to deluxe movie-style sound, it doesn’t get much better than the Soundbar Max.
Published by: sweetwater.com, Jan 5, 2024, 8:00 AM