What Do You Look For In A Soundbar

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A soundbar has become attractive for those with a smaller home and a desire for neatness.
However it's also a compromise, because most modern homes are not built to look like a prison cell with square walls and hard reflective surfaces all round.

It's hard to come to a compromise, but with a limited budget and a need for neatness, a full surround system with all the cables to be laid and connected can be very hard to do.

For a real Atmos experience, you'll need speakers on top or at least, bounce off your ceiling.
And reflections are tricky at best, since you need to have walls on the sides and a flat ceiling for maximum effectivity. 
Then there's the auto -EQ or calibration, which is absent from most budget systems.

So if the budget is limited, eg for under 1k, I'll suggest looking at the major brands, such as HK, JBL, Yamaha etc and audition for yourself to see what's out there.
Don't just look at the paper specs. Furthermore, be realistic about what kind of surround envelop we can create.
The modern TV has wafer thin speakers with poor bass and the ability to reproduce dialogue is limited.

However, features like Airplay, or the number of inputs and system integration into an entire home system like Bose, Sonus, Yamaha Soundcast might be important for some.

Every year there are new models, so it's important to filter out the specs / features, then listen to see if it suits your needs.
These days, there are showrooms, so it's not too hard to listen and decide if the sound suits your needs.

With a limited budget, IMO, I'll want good dialogue first, then good bass and surround effects will be after I get these two.

If you're willing to pay more, then music reproduction becomes important, and the added features like auto-EQ plus detachable surround speakers and the ability to do Atmos can be nice.

Other features include the number and types of inputs, especially if you have a lot of devices. 






Try to get one with HDMI 2.0 as a minimum, and the ability to decode both DTS and DD as well as eARC. But again, sound comes first, and I will bring along some movie tracks to test the system.

For example the opening scene of Transformers I, when Optimus speaks in his baritone voice is a good litmus test of voice reproduction.

As for bass, the scene when the base is destroyed has some good bass too.

The same movie has a moment in the final battle when a young lady screams whilst a missile flies over her. There's some serious bass there. 

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 I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.

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