Checkout our Soundbar Buying guide, Everything that you need to know about soundbars before buying one.
Many people are fed up with their low sound quality TV speakers, and they need a classy up-gradation for their perfect TV viewing experience. Buying a soundbar could bring an end to this problem. In the modern era of the electronic gadget revolution, soundbars were able to hold a specific position in the market.
Soundbars are an excellent choice for replacing expensive speakers that can deliver amazing Surround sound quality and other features. You can get the same quality sound by spending a lesser amount on a soundbar.
These all-in-one speaker systems will make the audiophiles pleased with its high-quality TV sound without requiring the space, complexity, and expense of a home theater receiver and surround sound speaker setup.
But buying a soundbar is not an easy task, especially when you are buying it for the first time. The buyer should have a thorough idea about the areas to consider in a soundbar before finalizing a product. This hectic problem can be solved simply by reading our Buyer’s Guide for Soundbars in India.
Our aim through this guide is to make your job much easier and guides our readers through the correct pathway to reach the Best soundbar for your television.
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Why a Soundbar in your home?
First of all, movie and music lovers never compromise for the sound quality and smoothness. For those kinds of people, the soundbar will do a much better job than ordinary speakers.
Secondly, for those who are bored with their normal TV speakers that come inbuilt in it, soundbars will be a suitable option for the up-gradation rather than a high-expensive speaker or space consuming home theatres.
The third reason for this choice is the quality of sound delivery, immersive experience, crystal clear dialogues, the inclusion of the latest sound techs like DOLBY Digital, DOLBY Atmos, etc.
And last but not the least, you can save a lot of money that you spend on expensive TV for obtaining high-quality sound or buying Home theaters or speakers of huge amount for satisfying your audiophilic mind.
With the decreasing size of the TV, manufacturers are not able to include louder speakers inside it. So, we need to rely on this kind of external device.
Jazz up your entertainment life by bringing a soundbar to your TV. Let’s move on to the important factors to consider before buying a Soundbar.
Sound Quality
Every customer who is going to buy a soundbar gives priority to the quality of sound it delivers. It is the most important factor to check into before buying one. A good soundbar will please your ears with smooth and crystal clear quality sound output.
Bass reproduction is maintained in a soundbar with the help of subwoofers. Mid-frequency response should be exceptional for understanding dialogues and lyrics clearly.
Audio Technology
Soundbars generally use two types of Audio technology – Dolby and DTS. Although both these technologies are well-known for delivering better sound output, DTS is thought to be more likable while considering its high bitrates.
The audio compression technology is the basic principle behind the DOLBY system, with a bitrate of 640 Kbps and a 5.1 channel. Dolby TrueHD has a bitrate of 18 Mbps with a 7.1 channel.
DTS stands for Digital Theatre System which is mainly incorporated in home theatre sound systems. DTS Digital Surround has a bitrate of 1.5 Mbps with 5.1 channels. DTS HD High Resolution has a bitrate of 6 Mbps with 7.1 channels.
Size
Never forget to check the dimensions of a soundbar before buying it. The size of the soundbar matters a lot. Consider if you are buying a lengthy soundbar for a fairly less lengthy TV, it may not give a complete look to your house or anywhere else you set up that. Also, huge sizes may cause hectic problems during installation.
Buy the soundbar according to your television screen size. The aesthetics of a room will be based on the products we put inside it. It feels like an unusual combination when large-sized TV is combined with a small-sized soundbar.
For the TV size is small, you can buy a 12-inch soundbar. But for 40 inches television, it’s ideal to buy a soundbar of that 40-50 inches size. Buy your soundbar in comparison with your TV size.
Installation Place
For obtaining maximum output from your soundbar, Centre-align the gadget right under the TV. Thus you can ensure that the traveling of sound waves will be through the correct direction that gives the audience complete experience while watching movies or playing games.
The speakers of the soundbar must be aligned in such a way that it is in the line with your ears. This allows you to hear more detail, especially at high frequencies. Adjust it according to the height of your television.
Between the soundbar and both sidewalls leave atleast 1 meter of space in order for the proper reflection and dispersion of sound waves.
The display of television should not be blocked by the placement of a soundbar. Wall mounting the TV or placing it in a higher position can avoid this problem. When wall-mounted, there must be a gap of atleast 10 to 15 cms between the soundbar and TV.
The environment of the room is also a key feature for experiencing good sound quality. Curtains and carpets will help in reducing the noise reflections for a more authentic sound.
Connectivity
Connectivity options available in your soundbar for connecting with TV is a key factor to consider. All types of modern-day connectivity options should be available with your new gadget. HDMI port is the easiest way for linking the soundbar with your TV.
Wireless connectivity options like Bluetooth should be available for ease of connection setup.
Your TV may not support all types of connections or may lack some ports. So check the compatibility of the TV before buying a soundbar. Connectivity options like HDMI, Optical, AUX, are commonly compatible with all the TV and are available with soundbars too.
Some of these gadgets also come with wifi connectivity which helps you easily connect the soundbar with devices by means of the internet. Only one USB port is normally included in a soundbar and that is enough for the purpose.
Bluetooth connectivity is not an ideal one for getting good quality sound. Wired connections will give you rich sound quality.
Active Soundbar Vs Passive Soundbar
You should choose one between active and passive soundbars. For that, you must know the difference between them.
Active soundbars are self-amplified devices that are powered via plugging and making use of the standard cables. But passive soundbars depend on some external amplifier to run. An external AV receiver is needed for the passive soundbars to work.
For customized installations and all, passive soundbars would make more sense. But for simple up-gradation for your TV speakers, active soundbars are a good choice.
List of Best Soundbar Brands to Consider
Brand names play an important role in the purchase of a soundbar. People love to buy highly reputed brand products which they trust completely. Indian customers have the habit of buying products from a particular brand which they use for long years.
That’s how many brands flourish in Indian markets by developing trust with the customers by proving quality products.
Here are some of the best brands in the Soundbar category:
- Samsung
- JBL
- Sony
- SENNHEISER
- LG
- Yamaha
- Boat
- Mi
- Bose
- Philips
Warranty
When you buy from an authorized dealer, your new soundbar will come with the full manufacturer’s warranty. Make sure: it’s an authorized dealer, you also get support from the dealer, in addition, to get support from the manufacturer.
The warranty only applies to the original purchaser; it is not transferable. To take full advantage of your Definitive Technology Warranty, and to avoid any confusion in the future, it is best to register your new Definitive Technology loudspeaker online and retain your original purchase receipt.
Extended Warranty
- Extends your warranty to make your soundbar last longer.
- Covers malfunctions and Breakdowns.
- Repair or replacement guaranteed, If no repair is possible there will be a free replacement.
- Extended warranty does not exceed 3years with the total term of the manufacturer’s warranty.
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER
These are some factors which you should be aware of before buying a perfect soundbar for your TV :
Subwoofers: Subwoofers are speaker drivers made to produce low-frequency audio. A soundbar with a subwoofer will add more effect and growl to TV shows and movies. It will also create a brimming sound effect throughout the room. Some soundbars come with subwoofers. Nowadays most subwoofers can be connected wirelessly, though some require a direct-wired connection.
Wireless connections: Some most familiar connectors like HDMI and optical fibers are very fine for TV. Most of the time you may want to use a soundbar with your phone, in such situations WiFi and Bluetooth connectivities will be helpful.
DOLBY and Channels: The number of subwoofers and drivers are represented numerically with the name tag of every soundbar like 3.1, 5.1, etc. The first digit represents the number of speaker drivers and the digit after the decimal represents the number of subwoofers. In some cases, the last digit is also present which represents the DOLBY drivers.
Front-panel Display: It’s not much important to have a front panel or any other type of display on your soundbar. But it is good if you buy a soundbar with a display that helps you with connectivity options which will show in the display.
Streaming connections: Some of the modern soundbars are now available with the option to stream movies, music (from Amazon, Netflix, etc.), internet radio stations, and social networks with streaming connections.
Universal Remote Support: No one loves to have different remotes for TV viewing. So selecting a soundbar with Universal Remote Support can help you get out of this problem. Thus you can easily use your TV remote to function the soundbar.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which soundbar is best in India?
Favorite brand may vary according to the customer’s point of view. But while doing an analysis on the sell report and people choice, Samsung and Sony have an upward graph in Indian markets. Samsung and Sony have been consistent in this race for longer years.
2. Which one is better – a soundbar or a speaker?
Soundbars are actually an alternative for speakers. From that itself we can understand that Soundbar is far better than normal speakers. Soundbars are cheap, less space-consuming, and easy to connect devices. Also, these gadgets never compromise in sound quality.
3. Does a high-watt soundbar provide better sound quality?
Sound quality is a watt independent factor. You may experience the best sound quality with a low-watt soundbar than a high-watt soundbar.
Verdict
In this article, we have provided all the necessary points to check before buying a Soundbar for your TV. We have given all the details required for a new customer that is easily understandable with simple writing language.
We have also provided our readers a list of the best brands that they can rely on while in search of a soundbar. Hope this article was helpful for all our readers.