What to Know Before Buying a Soundbar
Okay, so before you decide to plunk down your money on a soundbar, there are a few things to know. If you're just looking for an upgrade from your TV speakers, it is extremely likely a soundbar will sound better than your TV speakers. I say extremely likely just in case there is one TV out there that I've never heard of that has amazing speakers. In the old days of CRT TVs, you could get some decent speakers in that big housing, but this is now, and TVs are super thin, and TV speakers are not the best.
If you're looking to replicate a surround sound experience with a soundbar, that is more difficult for cheaper bars but not impossible. Some soundbars over $300 come with surround speakers, while others may offer them as an optional accessory (they usually cost an extra $200). If not, no need to worry—some simulated sound technologies can actually be quite convincing. Take a look at this Sony video showing how one of its soundbars' technology works. Essentially, the audio would be fired in different directions and then bounce off of surfaces to make it sound like the audio is coming from above, next to, and behind you. Sony says this particular soundbar has built-in microphones that it uses to measure where surfaces are to optimize sound.
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HDMI ARC Explained
You may see a feature called HDMI ARC when you're looking at soundbars. So, let's explain that. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel. It uses a single HDMI cable to send audio from a TV back to a receiver or soundbar. Your television and the soundbar would both have to have the ARC feature for this to work. Take a look at the ports of your TV—if it has ARC, it will likely be labeled. If your TV does not have ARC, you'll have to use another cable to get the sound from your TV to the soundbar. That could be an optical cable or a 3.5-millimeter analog cable, which you can connect to the TV's headphone output. Whatever way you attach the soundbar to your TV, you'll also need to get into your TV settings to turn off your TV speakers and push the audio out.
Oh, and one small consideration about soundbars: while most are two inches tall, it's worth checking the dimensions of the actual device. The last thing you want is a soundbar blocking your view of your TV because it's too tall, right? Okay, on to the recommendations.
Top Soundbar Recommendations
Sennheiser Ambeo
If price is no object, take a look at the Sennheiser Ambeo. This is the best Dolby Atmos soundbar available. The Ambeo provides the most realistic surround sound from a single soundbar. Take a quick look at this video from Dolby—with Dolby Atmos, audio can be coming from above and below your ears.
Let's talk about more specs: you get three HDMI inputs, eARC audio, and the Ambeo has Chromecast built-in, so you can beam stuff from your phone to this soundbar. You also get a 2-foot-tall microphone so you can calibrate your sound. What do you do with the microphone after? Hang on to it for later in case stuff changes in your room—you may have to recalibrate. The Ambeo is not a small device. Here, you can see it on its side next to CNET's Thai Pendleberry. The Ambeo is about 1.2 meters in width (or over 4 feet), and its height is over 5 inches. You will probably need to prop up your TV for an unobstructed view.
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Downsides: It does not come with a subwoofer, so you're not getting truly deep bass. Also, music doesn't sound great. Oh, and then there's the price—I hope you're sitting down: $2,500.
Sonos Arc
The best all-in-one soundbar for under a grand is the Sonos Arc. It's got some nice styling with the tubular look, comes in black or white, and it retails for around $900.
The Arc does not come with a subwoofer, but it does deliver surprisingly deep bass. Sonos gives you the option to wirelessly add a subwoofer and rear speakers if you want. The Sonos also has some smarts—it has support for both Amazon and Google's voice assistants. I won't say they're wakeboards because that would be cruel.
Vizio V21
While the Ambeo and Arc are great, if you're looking to spend less, check out the Vizio V21. It is the best soundbar for the money and retails for around $190.
The Vizio V21 also includes a wireless subwoofer, so you can enjoy some bass. One small gripe is that you cannot add rear speakers to the V21. If you want a good soundbar with rear speakers and Atmos, check out the Vizio M512a-H6 (great name). It comes with a subwoofer and two wired rear speakers—the rear speakers plug into the subwoofer. The Vizio M512a-H6 costs around $500.
Anyway, back to the Vizio V21. It has HDMI ARC, optical audio, an aux jack, and a jack labeled "AUX VA." The VA stands for voice-activated. You connect your smart speaker to this port, and the soundbar switches to the input automatically when it hears a command. Most people are probably better off using a separate smart speaker, as it doesn't mute the TV when you ask it something.
Roku Stream Bar
Lastly, let's talk about the Roku Stream Bar. This is a two-channel soundbar with side-firing wide speakers. It's not just a soundbar—it's also a streaming device, which explains the name "Stream Bar."
Anyway, Roku says its onboard streaming capabilities are about the same as the Roku Streaming Stick Plus. The Stream Bar is pretty compact at only 14 inches in width, so it should be able to find a space in your home easily. The Roku Stream Bar costs around $130. You can also upgrade the Stream Bar with a wireless subwoofer and surround speakers if you'd like.
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