Soundbars

Soundbars and Subwoofers

A soundbar solves the thin, tinny sound built into almost every modern flatscreen TV without the complexity of a full surround system. The reason modern sets sound poor is physical rather than electronic: a panel under two centimetres thick has nowhere to put a speaker that moves any air, so the drivers fire downward or backward into the wall. A bar sitting in front of the screen fixes that in one step.

Channel notation is the specification to read, and it works left to right. The first digit counts horizontal channels, so 2.0 is stereo, 3.1 adds a centre channel and 5.1 adds surround. The second digit is the subwoofer, where 1 means one is included and 0 means none. A third digit, as in 5.1.2, counts upward-firing height channels that bounce sound off the ceiling for Dolby Atmos. For most Irish sitting rooms the centre channel is the single biggest improvement, because that is what separates dialogue from the soundtrack and stops you reaching for the remote during a film. A subwoofer is the second, and a wireless one needs only a power socket rather than a cable run across the room.

Practical checks: measure the width of the bar against the TV stand and the screen, since a bar wider than the screen looks wrong and one that blocks the TV's own remote sensor is a daily annoyance. Check the connection, where HDMI eARC carries the best audio and lets the TV remote control the bar volume, while optical works with any set. And check wall mount brackets are included if it is going under a mounted screen.

Samsung and LG lead the range, spanning the Samsung B Series 2.0ch and 2.1ch models, the 5.1 channel B750F and the S800D Ultra Slim with Dolby Atmos, and LG's 2.1ch and 3.1ch cinematic bars with wireless subwoofer. Sharp and Hisense complete it. See Samsung soundbars and LG soundbars, and pair with a TV of any brand.

Prices are live all year, so see what is reduced now on TVs on sale, or the Black Friday soundbar deals.