Soundbar Buying Guide

What’s a soundbar?

Soundbars explained – how they create a cinematic sound experience.

A soundbar is the last piece of the puzzle to complete your TV audio experience. Its ability to deliver the ultimate surround sound experience from multi-directional speakers achieve a totally immersive sound scape. Plus, there are stylish options, compact form factors and they are easy to set up with your TV.

Which soundbar should you go for?

You can opt for a compact all-in-one unit or choose to add in a subwoofer for extra bass. You can even go for a set up that comes with rear speakers to deepen the cinematic surround sound effect. Let's sort through your options.

Three soundbar types

You have three main choices. You can go for a one-body soundbar with built-in woofers, a soundbar with a separate subwoofer, or a complete cinematic soundbar system with a subwoofer and rear speakers.

Soundbar + subwoofer

Boost your bass

A soundbar with a subwoofer might be all your space needs to create a dynamic audio experience. Subwoofers boost your bass, which is great for soundtracks and low-frequency sound effects like explosions. Plus, they are non-directional so you can put one wherever you want in your room for a balanced and powerful audio experience.

There is an illustration of a soundbar setup, including a main soundbar unit placed on a console and a subwoofer next to the console with sound waves coming from the bottom. There is an illustration of a soundbar setup, including a main soundbar unit placed on a console and a subwoofer next to the console with sound waves coming from the bottom.

Soundbar + subwoofer + rear speakers

Cinematic sound experience

A soundbar with separate rear speakers delivers cinematic experiences at home. Placed just behind and to the left and right of the listener, rear speakers work in concert with the soundbar to enhance the spatial positioning of sound effects, creating a three-dimensional surround sound that envelops you and makes you feel like you’re in the middle of your content. It’s the ultimate home entertainment experience.

There is an illustration of a soundbar setup, including a main soundbar unit placed on a console, a subwoofer next to the console, and two rear speakers behind the couch. There are sound waves going above and to the sides from the rear speakers. There is an illustration of a soundbar setup, including a main soundbar unit placed on a console, a subwoofer next to the console, and two rear speakers behind the couch. There are sound waves going above and to the sides from the rear speakers.

All-in-one soundbar

Space-saving sound excellence

How about a simpler option? Featuring a built-in woofer, the one-body soundbar occupies minimal space while delivering an exceptional sound experience. If you're looking for an even more powerful audio encounter, we recommend you consider a soundbar with a subwoofer. You can actually purchase a separate subwoofer or rear speakers as standalone items to build your perfect package.¹

There is an illustration of a main soundbar unit placed on a console right below a TV. There are sound waves coming out from the bottom. There is an illustration of a main soundbar unit placed on a console right below a TV. There are sound waves coming out from the bottom.

Soundbar options

Find out more about the different soundbar configurations.

A soundbar can take your TV audio to the next level. Whether you prefer a simple all-in-one unit or a setup with a subwoofer and extra rear speakers, pick the soundbar that fits your space best.

Help me choose a soundbar

Discover the ideal sound device that will elevate your space

 
  1. Some soundbar models may not be compatible with subwoofers and rear speakers.