Soundbars vs Surround Sound Speakers: Which is Best for You?
Soundbars vs Surround Sound Speakers: Which is Best for You?
People constantly argue whether or not soundbars are a good alternative to a traditional surround sound system. Some will say that soundbars are absolutely terrible and some will live by soundbars and want nothing to do with traditional sound systems.
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Sound-bar? Like the poors ?
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I bought a 2.1 soundbar a year or so ago before I knew anything about soundbars/sound systems, while I’m extremely happy with the sound it produces (I almost get a surround sound effect with the way my small room is set out), knowing what I know now I wish I got at least a more higher end soundbar and if I ever get a place with enough space for a proper sound system I’ll definitely be looking into it.
any advice for a lot of interference? Tall room with an open floorplan. I have a vizio system now and the rear speakers are always cutting in and out. Orbi wifi 6 system and my entire house is basically on wifi. All appliances and more.
Just gotta say a have a Sony HT-Z9F Atmos sounbar. It was $800 bucks and an additional $300 bucks for the 2 rear speakers. Yes, I heard a difference versus the 2000 dollar speaker system but…I wasn’t quite enough.
My first soundbar was great quality but just stereo. My second was surround but sounded like craps. I SWEAR this Sony, at $1100 combined, WOULD satisfy and audiofile…As long as it’s used in a SMALL room (It’s in my bedroom so it sounds PERFECT)
Awesome explanation, clear pros vs cons…..thanks for that!
Great video…this is the same info i tell my friends…unless they are in an apartment i always tell them to go with a traditional setup and work your way up if need be.
Soundbars are a downgrade from the 5.1 channel or higher speakers. It’s just a way to repackage speakers and sell them at a high price for those people that doesn’t know much. The only advantage is it saves room, but the quality of the sounds are trash compared to the traditional speakers.
A really old surround set is difficult to install, but a new one is very easy. You only need long enough cabels to get around. I know for i tried both ways and ended up with a 7.1 reciever wich works really well;) I already owned the speakers from my first attempt wich failed(i bougt it second hand).
Hello Jonah, I’m the recent addition to your followers list. Could you please help me to decide which one to buy either sound bar or a surround system as my room is very big to install (keeping in mind about the length of cable, like what if the length is not adequate to reach till the receiver. The reason for asking is, same scenario happned in one of my friend’s room.) 7.1 or 5.1 channel but I do need to get a decent audio quality while playing play station or watching movies. what’s is your suggestion in this scenario. Anyway a nice video and surely a thumbs up.
Starting out, always buy the best speakers you can first. A cheap receiver will be fine on good speakers. A $3,000 receiver won’t make crap speakers sound better. Luckily, decent speakers on a budget are readily available these days. Paradigm Atoms have started more audiophile journeys than you can imagine.
Love soundbars but hate that most come with bluetooth connected subwoofer and surrounds. It ALWAYS end up with issues because of interference. Wish more brands would give you the option to connect via cables as well.
I really hate how soundbars look and how simple they are to set up, contrary to most people. Nice speakers are like sports cars to me, beautiful and you can tinker. A good pair of powered bookshelf speakers will outperform a soundbar at equal price points.
This is what I’m struggling with right now don’t know what to do
Just go to a cinema and see if u like it then decide if u wanna upgrade or not
I’ve had both types of systems. I have a 9.1 surround sound system in my bedroom and a 5.1 in my living room. I’ve had soundbars before too. Despite the time and work it takes to get a surround sound system set up, a surround sound set up is so worth it to me. I have Polk TSX and Signature series speakers in both set ups and I absolutely love the sound from my denon 9.1 receiver and even my old pioneer 7.1 receiver.
Sounbars is are rubbish.
ALL of them (price/worthyness)
Poove me wrong.
ANYone challenge?
Can a fox eat a chicken?
That level……
Its a chicken thing. Have fun….
I got a $150 soundbar with a wired sub off Amazon. Thing is amazing and I’d bet would be sufficient for many budget conscious consumers. If you’re an AV junkie yeah, you need to spend significantly more to be satisfied.
Good video brother
Very helpful video. Thanks!
Which would be the best option, Logitech Z906 (500w RMS) or Samsung HW-Q60T (360w RMS) soundbar or JBL Bar 5.1 (550w RMS) soundbar. Will use for tv in my room (9×9) for movies and music and will also be use for parties. Great video keep it up. New subscriber obtained as well❤️
I didn’t even know this debate existed….
not even gunna watch it everyone knows sound bars suck. unless they have a high power amp and rms speakers which they probably never will. a dedicated stero system with high specs. will always be better. and from what i hear if u want even better audio you have to get a hifi system.
so the average Joe cant run a super thin sound cable behind him, but he has no problem to run the super thick power cable from the nearest outlet across the room? you dont make any sense man. you still run cables with both systems.
Soundbar every day, unless you’re watching movies in something bigger than 20×20. It is all about the size of the room.
I have just replaced my 1990’s VSX-AX3 receiver + floor standing speakers fronts + large mid and rear system to go to a sonos arc bar. The manual for the receiver is 100 pages and you need to read it to set up, configure, equalize, digital delay sound – and it was amazing for the last 20 years.
So why replace it – well I had 4 remote controls (receiver, PVR, TV, Streamer for netflix etc), 50 meters of cabling, optical connections, RCA connection, HDMI connection – and the written notes for my wife to turn on Netflix etc. Then there was the problem that the speakers were so large my I had to "hide" them most of the time – so most of the time things were in stereo.
I now have a nice sound bar (Sonos Arc) and a new OLED TV (to replace plasma) and it is good enough – and 1 remote control to do 95% of things (I have a Blue-ray player – yep lots of DVD’s as well), and you turn it on, turn it up and enjoy. So – it is not as good, but it is good enough and more likely to be used in anger.
Very good summary you gave, but you missed a important point with speaker placement. Mounting them within a timber/dry-wall (for US – that is all your houses) is a really really bad thing todo unless you do it properly. The rear of a speak needs to breath freely, and not be in an enclosed resonant space – so will ONLY work and sound good if you have masonry walls; If you have surface mounted your speakers then a sound-bar will be an upgrade in sound quality.
Aren’t there any wireless surround sound systems ?
Never can any sound bar equal the quality of a AV system with full range speakers unless you have a nagging nightmare in the house and have no choice but to lose 50% of your assets.
Sonos Arc or Klipsch The Fives Powered Speaker for 85% TV use can only get 1 this year and the sub next year…which is better for a big LV?
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It always depends on space and budget for small spaces a soundbar is good enough. Also If you have a large tv 65 and above you definitely need a good surround sound. If you’re going to invest on a receiver start with something good like Onkyo or a Emotiva system that’s a plus! A big no on Bose or Sonos set too expensive and not really worth the price.
Bro im looking to buy 5.1 surround sound, my room is perfect ly rectangular and the lcd screen in in the centre of the room, i can do little bit of wiring work my self, i want the feeling of watching film like im in there, so u think it will be good to get 5.1 on normal price? Im not rich so cant spend lot,
Great video, thank you!
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There is no substitute for a real audio system. A soundbar at best is just something you might want to use in a bedroom, or anywhere it’s not practical to have a real home theatre system.
Simple..
– Less cables but way more expensive for Dolby 5.1/7.1, atmos, etc audio sound, more virtualization, … A lot of compatibility issues
– A lot of cables, cheeper, for Dolby 5.1/7.1 atmos, etc, more real source of the sound…. Not easy to set-up
If you have a small room buy 2 bookshelf speakers and that’s way better than a soundbar.
Actually soundbars provides a flat tone for listening experience nd traditional 2.1 or 5.1 creates a nice sounding environment overall so I would always go for 2.1 or other depending on the type of room.
soundbar are just big center channel speaker… nothing can beat 5.1 speaker
Was hoping for a mention of the number one reason why I picked a soundbar over a speaker pack, no HDMI 2.1. oh well.
The basics of speaker placement hold true for both separates and sound bars. Get the front speakers at eye/ear level as best as possible. Keeping them at least as high as the bottom of your screen will also ensure a proper soundstage or placement of the audio where it looks like it’s coming from on screen.
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If you want the best audio Speaker are the move but if you prioritize aesthetics and size a good soundbar is what you need.
Appreciate this video and tips while I’m shopping for upgrading my entertainment area!
Great video, just subscribed. I am looking to upgrade my TV setup with a sound system at a budget of around 500 euros. I know that this is an extreme entry point for a surround sound system and I am in a dilemma of whether I should buy a soundbar at this price point or a LG LHB655NW home cinema setup. I do not mind the cables, I am just wondering if at this low price point, a home theater setup would be better than the soundbar options.
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Soundbar suck 100% of the time and are not worth the money. They are better than TV speakers but that’s about all that can be said for them.
7:16 That’s the exact receiver I have (Denon AVR-2112CI) Owned it for 4yrs now and no complaints whatsoever.
Wish list LG CX, vizio 5.1 system, and xbox series x.
Thank you. Now i know what i need! I understood what im am and what i exactly looking for!