Have you had a soundbar on your wish list for a while, but aren’t sure if it’s really worth placing in front of (or below) your TV? After all, televisions TO DO have speakers, right?
The thing is, the drivers and amplifier modules got scattered throughout the very thin bezels of the best tvs for sound can’t handle your movie soundtracks, action scenes, and whispered moments of intense dialogue up close, as well as a standalone speaker product. They can be good, they just aren’t This good – look at the only difference in size between a slim TV and a beefy soundbar.
A simple and easy way to increase the level of sound coming from your TV is to select the best soundbars we tested – don’t worry, there are budget models in the list. But note that not all of them support Dolby Atmos. And Atmos is here to stay, folks…
Dolby Atmos Bars are a simple way to invite more cinematic magic into your home without a bunch of dust-gathering speakers cluttering it. We tested some of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars on the market too, and although you have to pay a bit more for those just-missed bullet effects, it’s well worth it.
Oh do you need more? Here’s why a Dolby Atmos soundbar should be on your wishlist.
1. A soundbar is by far the easiest path to Dolby Atmos
Unlike a set of surround sound speakers which requires an AV receiver, a load of wiring, a bit of concentration and careful positioning for the ideal setup… the whole setup of a soundbar is not really just two cables into the two correct ports, and you’re off with spatial sound. An HDMI port handles Dolby Atmos sound, and you’ll need power. It really is that simple – and for all other tweaks a companion app is usually at hand. Even if you have a subwoofer or rear speakers, they’re usually wireless and pair automatically.
So it’s the simplest, but is it the best? It depends. We’re not going to water it down: if you want it all best in Dolby Atmos home theater sound, you really need to consider those aforementioned Dolby Atmos surround sound packages with up-firing speakers, as well as one of best av receivers. But that’s another level in terms of price and effort – and these days there are myriad excellent one-piece soundbar solutions carrying the coveted Dolby Atmos certification.
2. …And also the cheapest
Soundbars are almost always cheaper than surround sound speaker sets, and they generally reduce the best stereo speakers on price too – see AV-focused stereo speaker options from Cabasse, audio professional And Elac for reference.
Even Dolby Atmos soundbars don’t have to cost a bundle either. Two options for you: the slightly older but still excellent Sony HT-8500 and the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 (photo above) – but there are many more in our best Dolby Atmos soundbars roundup.
OK, so soundbars (which sometimes come with their own subwoofer, but often are just that – a speaker ‘bar’ housing two, three, five or seven speakers inside, some of which may facing backwards or upwards to get that immersive Dolby Atmos audio) can’t compete with stereo speakers in some regions – see our article on 5 things speakers can do better than Dolby Atmos soundbars for more information.
But that’s why stereo speakers are considered the improve. And I’m here to tell you that if you primarily need Dolby Atmos and vastly improved sound from your TV, a soundbar should be your first port of call.
3. You probably already have some Dolby Atmos movies you miss – and you shouldn’t!
Dolby Atmos content is everywhere right now! In all likelihood, you’re already paying for Dolby Atmos content anyway – so why not take advantage of it?
The movie streaming service you care about most almost certainly has an extensive catalog of movies with Dolby Atmos audio. Disney+, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Sky, and more all feature Atmos titles within their lineup.
As long as you subscribe to one of the above services and your Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar is physically connected to your TV using an HDMI ARC (via Dolby Digital Plus) or eARC (via Dolby Digital Plus) connection TrueHD), you are ready!
4. Your TV just can’t do it on its own
Although most televisions these days are capable of support Dolby Atmos passthrough, few can do it natively (i.e. no additional hardware) and those that can will cost you at least a four figure fee – our choice here would be the Panasonic LZ2000 picture above, which are truly exhilarating speakers.
And remember, not all Dolby Atmos is created equal… Example: the otherwise excellent LG C2 OLED. It is listed as a Dolby Atmos compatible TV on Dolby’s own website (opens in a new tab)but what you actually get is the company’s a9 Gen 5 AI processor, capable of mixing stereo audio into virtual 7.1.2-channel surround sound – something LG calls AI Sound Pro.
In reality and in terms of hardware (and as we said in our LG C2 OLED review) “the TV houses a 2.2 channel system, with 40W of power behind them – they’re nowhere near as powerful as a separate soundbar, or as immersive as a true surround sound system, but the LG C2 OLED does a good job of providing a clear and quite spacious listening experience.”
Now consider how much manufacturers can spend on the audio components built into your flat screen TV when they make a product readily available in the budget sector. Ultra-thin bezels, OLED (or LED) panels, processors, operating systems and HDMI eARC connectivity all have to come in at the price…so sonic brilliance may not have been a top priority . In a soundbar, all the money is spent on sound quality.
5. Soundbars are a better solution than speakers if your space is smaller
How big is your planned home theater room? We ask because the center channels, subwoofers, rear speakers, etc. may require some space to operate depending on model. If your pair of pedestal or floorstanding speakers have a rear-firing bass port, this may be even a little more difficult, as these beasts need to be towed lightly and placed some distance from a back wall. , to boost bass (so putting one on the shelf and hoping for the best isn’t the best decision).
A quick look at our guide to how to set up stereo speakers for the best sound proves that in any case, simply placing a soundbar in front of your TV (or below, if your screen is wall-mounted) is a much simpler option – and ideal if space is limited.
And the smaller Dolby Atmos soundbar solutions also tend to be a bit cheaper – if not a lot. Our choice here might be the Bose Smart Soundbar 600 or the Sonos Beam (2nd Gen). Essentially, for small rooms, a soundbar sounds like a big shout. I mean go ahead and buy JBL Dolby Atmos soundbar with removable rear speakers if you prefer (photo above). But this thing hits like a hammer…