Soundbar Buying Guide: Which soundbar is right for me?

Buying a soundbar is easier than ever today – and at the same time more confusing. The range extends from the compact bar for under 200 euros to the modular system with a subwoofer, rear speakers, and height channels. In between are terms like eARC, virtual Atmos, or 5.1.2, which are rarely explained by anyone.

The reason for buying is usually the same: The new TV delivers an excellent picture, but the sound lags behind. This is not a shortcoming of the manufacturers, but simply physics – in a two-centimeter-thin enclosure, there is no room for proper speakers.

This guide deliberately does not mention any specific models. Instead, we clarify the questions that come before choosing a model: What types are there? When is a subwoofer worth it? What distinguishes real Atmos from virtual Atmos? And which connection is the right one for your TV?

In the end, you will know what type of soundbar suits your room, your TV, and your listening habits. Once that is clarified, choosing the specific device becomes a minor matter.

Table of Contents

1. What a soundbar can do – and where the limits are
2. The three types: One-Body, Bar plus Subwoofer, modular system
3. Audio specialist or TV manufacturer?
4. Connection and connectivity: HDMI, ARC, eARC, and optical
5. Understanding surround and Dolby Atmos
6. Do I need a subwoofer?
7. Listening to music via the soundbar
8. Size, placement, and appearance
9. The details you only notice later
10. Typical mistakes when buying a soundbar
11. Decision aid: the path through exclusion criteria
12. FAQ

1. What a soundbar can do – and where the limits are

A soundbar is always a compromise between effort and result. This is not a criticism, but its actual purpose: one enclosure, one cable, minimal footprint – and yet significantly better sound.

However, the deciding factor is how large this compromise is. And in this regard, soundbars differ more dramatically than many expect:

• There are bars that are so well tuned for music that they come surprisingly close to a classic stereo system – with a cleanly staged soundstage and real tonality instead of stretched-out effect sound.
• There are systems with real rear speakers, a separate subwoofer, and additional height channels. They do not simulate surround sound, but create it – here the helicopter really comes from behind and really from above.
• And there are compact bars that do exactly what they are designed for: noticeably improve the TV sound without the claim of replacing a cinema.

What a soundbar setup actually has limits compared to a full-fledged system is rather: maximum level stability in very large rooms, the free placement of the speakers in the room, and the ability to replace and upgrade each component individually.

The core message: Not "soundbar means compromise", but "the expectation must match the chosen design". Anyone who buys a small one-body bar and expects real surround sound will be disappointed. Anyone who sets up a modular system with rears and a sub gets a home cinema – only without a rack full of devices and without speaker cables across the living room.

2. The three types: One-Body, Bar plus Subwoofer, modular system

This is the most important fork in the entire purchasing decision. Everything else falls into place.

One-Body Soundbar

A single enclosure, done. These bars are deliberately designed so that nothing can be added – no subwoofer, no rear speakers. The entire development effort goes into getting the maximum out of a single enclosure: many individual drivers, sophisticated signal processing, often automatic room calibration.

The result can be astonishing. Good representatives of this category produce a bass that you actually do not miss a subwoofer for, and a sense of space that extends far beyond the width of the enclosure.

Advantages: absolutely minimal effort, one power cable, one HDMI cable, nothing else. No devices in the room, no additional power outlets, living-room friendly.
Disadvantages: no expansion options at all. What you buy is the final result. The room sound remains simulated towards the back.
Suitable for: everyone for whom inconspicuousness and simplicity are more important than the last bit of surround effect. Living rooms where no rear speakers could stand anyway.

We have tested how far the best representatives of this class come in a direct comparison:

Soundbar plus Subwoofer

The most common configuration. The bar handles dialogue, music, and effects, the separate subwoofer handles the deep bass. It is connected wirelessly in most systems and only needs a power outlet – the placement is therefore flexible.

Advantages: significantly more bass foundation and dynamics, noticeably more "cinema in the belly". The sub is often already included in sets.
Disadvantages: an additional device in the room that needs a place and a power outlet.
Suitable for: the vast majority. Anyone who likes powerful movies but does not want speakers behind the sofa.

Subwoofer

Modularly Expandable System

Here the soundbar becomes the center of a real surround system: subwoofer plus two rear speakers, in some systems additionally with their own upward-firing drivers for height channels. The rears are driven wirelessly and only need power – no speaker cable through the room.

And this is the deciding point: Here surround sound is no longer simulated, but actually created. The sound really comes from behind, because there really are speakers standing there.

Advantages: real all-around experience, often expandable in stages – first the bar, later the sub, even later the rears. It comes close to a classic home cinema setup, without an AV receiver and without cable laying.
Disadvantages: more devices, more power outlets, more planning. The most demanding class in terms of price.
Suitable for: everyone who really wants to experience movies and is willing to place two small speakers behind the seating position.

Some systems go one step further and can be configured so that the soundbar only takes over the center channel, while full-fledged stereo speakers stand on the left and right. This merges HiFi and home cinema in one system. A highly exciting option for ambitious users.

What the large systems can do in a direct comparison, we show here:

Soundbars

3. Audio specialist or TV manufacturer?

A fork in the road that is rarely discussed, but decides a lot about the result. Roughly, there are two camps.

Soundbars from audio manufacturers – i.e., from companies that have been building speakers, headphones, or microphones for decades and do not have TVs in their product range.

• Usually higher sound quality, especially with music
• More solid enclosures and materials, often longer-lasting quality
• Greater connection variety, so that even unusual configurations work
• Often part of a multiroom ecosystem, so that additional rooms can be connected
• Brand neutral: works with every TV, survives the next TV change without problems
• Usually more expensive, and the subwoofer often has to be bought separately

Soundbars from TV manufacturers – from companies that deliver TVs and soundbars from a single source.

• Synergies with their own TV: wireless sound transmission without an HDMI cable, or joint playback of TV speakers and soundbar
• Visually often perfectly matched to specific TV series, partly exactly the same width
• Very attractive prices, often with a subwoofer in the set
• For that, usually simpler enclosures and fewer connections
• Generally less convincing with music
• The additional functions often only work with the matching TV of the same brand – with the next TV change, the added value may disappear

Important, because many people believe: You do not have to buy the soundbar from the same manufacturer as your TV. Every soundbar works via HDMI or optical on every modern TV. Brand equality brings convenience extras – nothing more, and it is never a requirement.

Rule of thumb: Pure TV sound and a tight budget speak for the TV manufacturers. As soon as music plays a role, you want long-term use, or you have special connection situations, it is worth looking at the audio specialists.

How the brands of both camps perform in a direct comparison, we have listened through in two parts:

4. Connection and connectivity: HDMI, ARC, eARC, and optical

This is where most initial setups fail – although the matter can be understood in five minutes.

HDMI ARC and eARC – the normal case

ARC stands for Audio Return Channel: an HDMI socket on your TV that not only receives sound, but also sends it back to the soundbar. One cable, both directions. The advantage: volume and switching on/off are controlled via the TV remote control, regardless of which source you are currently using.

eARC is the newer, broader bandwidth version. It also transmits the high-quality, uncompressed sound formats including Dolby Atmos in full quality. Over simple ARC, Atmos signals only run in compressed form.

Practically, this means: Look on the TV for which HDMI socket is labeled with ARC or eARC – only this one works for that. And use a high-quality HDMI cable; with eARC and high data rates, this is not esoteric, but simply a requirement. HDMI cable

Optical – the emergency exit

Older TVs without ARC usually offer an optical digital output (Toslink). It works reliably, but has two limitations: It does not transmit high-resolution sound formats and no Dolby Atmos, and the volume control via the TV remote control has to be learned first – which sometimes glitches with modern Bluetooth remote controls.

Optical is the right choice for older devices, but no equivalent replacement.

Additional HDMI inputs – when they really count

Many soundbars have only the one HDMI socket to the TV. Others offer two to four additional inputs and work with them like a small AV receiver: source devices go into the bar, from there a cable goes to the screen.

In normal TV operation, you do not need that – all sources run through the TV anyway.

But: If you are working with a projector, it becomes crucial. Projectors usually do not master ARC, so they cannot send the sound back. A streaming box or a Blu-ray player must then go into the soundbar, which passes the picture to the projector. With a bar that only has one HDMI socket, this can hardly be solved sensibly.

Also practical: analog inputs, if you want to connect a turntable or another analog device.

Mnemonic: Connections are checked before the purchase – they are the most common exclusion criterion that you only notice too late.

5. Understanding surround and Dolby Atmos

On every packaging, it says Atmos. Nevertheless, not every Atmos bar sounds like a cinema. The reason lies in the difference between real and virtual.

The numbers decoded

Specifications like 3.1.2 or 5.1.2 follow a simple scheme:

• The first number states the main channels at ear level (left, center, right, possibly surround)
• The second number stands for the subwoofer channel
• The third number states the height channels for Dolby Atmos

Attention: These numbers state how many channels are processed – not necessarily how many real speakers radiate in which direction. Exactly here lies the marketing leeway.

Real Atmos versus virtual Atmos

Real Atmos means: In the soundbar are additional drivers that actually radiate upwards. The sound goes to the ceiling, is reflected there, and reaches you from above. The effect is clearly audible – rain, helicopters, airplanes really come from above you.

Virtual Atmos means: The bar decodes the signal and tries to create a height effect through signal processing and delay tricks, without speakers radiating upwards. This works differently well, but is basically subtler.

Both are legitimate, both may be called "Dolby Atmos". But if the effect is important to you, check explicitly whether physical height speakers are built in.

The room decides too – more than any data sheet

With virtual or reflected surround, the result depends heavily on the room, because the technology works with reflections on the walls and ceiling:

• Well suited: somewhat closed, rather rectangular or square rooms with limited ceiling height. The seating position ideally in the center.
• Difficult: open living-dining areas without side walls, sloped roofs, very high ceilings, highly sound-absorbing ceilings.

If your room is open, you will hardly be happy with simulated surround – then it is worth thinking directly in the direction of a system with real rear speakers. They work independently of the room geometry, because the sound is created where it should go.

The most common Atmos trap: the placement

A soundbar with upward-firing speakers may not be pushed into a shelf. The sound hits the board above, the reflection over the ceiling does not take place – the expensive height channel is ineffective. Also a TV that is mounted directly above can block the path.

These bars belong standing freely on a sideboard, with as free a path upwards as possible. If your furniture provides a closed compartment, then a bar without height channels is the more honest choice – it can easily go into the shelf.

Dolby Atmos Speakers

6. Do I need a subwoofer?

The most common follow-up question ever – and the answer depends largely on the size of the bar.

Probably no, if:

• You have a large, voluminous soundbar with a decent enclosure volume. Such bars produce surprisingly much bass themselves
• You live in an apartment with thin-walled neighbors
• You mostly watch news, series, and talk formats
• The space for another device simply lacks

Probably yes, if:

• You have chosen a compact or flat soundbar. A small enclosure means physically little deep bass – here the sub is no luxury, but makes the difference
• You love action movies, concert recordings, or games
• Your room is larger than about 25 square meters
• Music over the system is important to you

Experience shows that about half of the buyers operate a large bar without a subwoofer and are completely satisfied with that. With smaller bars, the ratio is reversed.

Good tip: With most systems, you can always upgrade the subwoofer. Start without it, listen for a few weeks – and add it if something is missing. That is more relaxed than a decision in the store that you have never heard.

Regarding placement: A subwoofer does not have to stand next to the soundbar. Deep tones are hardly locatable for the ear, so it can also stand sideways or behind a piece of furniture. Corner placement increases the level, but often makes the bass muddier. A few centimeters of distance from the wall usually work wonders. Set up speakers correctly

7. Listening to music via the soundbar

A soundbar is rarely just a TV speaker today. Almost all offer streaming functions – and for many, it replaces the radio in the kitchen and the old system in the living room at the same time.

What you should pay attention to:

• Streaming standards: AirPlay for Apple devices, Google Cast for Android, Spotify Connect, partly direct integration of high-resolution services. Check whether your preferred service and your smartphone ecosystem are supported.
• Bluetooth: practical as a universal solution for guests – but sonically the weakest way. Some manufacturers deliberately do not include it because they rely on WLAN. Relevant for you if guests want to quickly play something.
• The app: underrated and crucial in everyday use. It controls sources, sound settings, updates, and on some systems, room measurement. A mature, stable app is worth more than an extra feature on the box.
• Multiroom: If the soundbar is part of an ecosystem, you can add more rooms later and play sound in them synchronously. If you plan this, you should consider the system choice from the outset. Multiroom

For sound quality: With music, the wheat is separated from the chaff more clearly than with movie sound. Movie sound lives on effects and dynamics, music on tonality, soundstage, and timing. This is exactly where the bars of the audio specialists show their strength – and exactly here a test listen is most worthwhile.

If music is your main purpose and TV sound is just a side effect, by the way, the question is also justified whether a pair of active speakers would not be the better solution. Active speakers

8. Size, placement, and appearance

Sober points that weigh more in everyday use than any data sheet.

Width: As a guideline, the soundbar should be approximately as wide as the TV or slightly narrower. Significantly wider looks restless, significantly narrower loses soundstage width. Rough guidelines: around 1 meter fits well with 50 to 60 inches, 1.20 to 1.30 meters with 65 inches and above, compact bars under 90 centimeters with dual TVs in the bedroom or guest room.

Height: The often overlooked point. If the bar stands in front of the TV, it must not protrude into the picture or cover the TV's infrared sensor. Measure how much space remains between the top edge of the sideboard and the bottom edge of the TV.

The TV stand: Many TVs stand on a centered or far-forward stand – the bar then cannot fit close enough. Some manufacturers offer mounts where the TV is screwed to the soundbar. With a central stand, wall mounting is often the cleanest solution. Wall mounts

Wall mounting: Most bars can be hung on the wall; the build height determines how inconspicuous it looks. Very flat bars almost disappear under the TV. Think about cable management – power and HDMI need to go somewhere.

Color: Not every model is available in white. Sounds trivial, but in practice it is a hard exclusion criterion and quickly shrinks the selection.

And once again: Bars with height channels need a clear path upwards. Shelf compartment means: do not buy height channels.

9. The details you only notice later

Remote control or only app? Some manufacturers include their own remote control, others consistently rely on smartphone control. Both have their logic – but honestly think about who operates the system. In households with children or elderly relatives, a physical remote control is worth its weight in gold. In normal TV operation, the TV remote control usually controls it anyway.

Stability and compatibility: In a networked setup of TV, soundbar, streaming box, and Wi-Fi, there is no one hundred percent compatibility. An occasional dropout, after which a short power cycle helps, is normal – everyone knows that. If a device however acts up daily, something is wrong. Experience shows that some manufacturers run noticeably more stably than others, especially in the interplay via HDMI. A point where asking in the specialist trade is worth it, because we know this from customer feedback.

Product cycles and updates: Manufacturers with long product cycles of several years and regular software updates are more pleasant to own: The device stays up to date longer, loses value more slowly, and new features come via update instead of a new purchase. Bars, on the other hand, that are closely coupled to a specific TV generation often age with the TV.

Service in case of emergency: How quickly and generously a manufacturer reacts in case of a defect, you only notice when it happens – and then it is very important. This is also an argument to buy in the specialist trade instead of anonymously.

Room measurement: Some bars measure the room via microphone or integrated sensors and correct the playback. This is no gimmick, but can make the biggest single difference in difficult rooms – and is never carried out by many owners. If your bar can do it: definitely use it.

10. Typical mistakes when buying a soundbar

• Connections not checked beforehand. The classic. Especially painful with projector setups or if analog sources are to be connected.
• Atmos bar placed in a closed shelf compartment. The most expensive part of the bar then works into thin air.
• Height of the sideboard ignored. The bar covers the lower third of the picture or the TV sensor.
• Believed that the soundbar must match the TV brand. It does not have to. It then just brings a few less comfort features.
• Expectations tied to the wrong design. A compact one-body bar does not deliver real surround – that is not a weakness of the product, but a question of expectation.
• Saved too early on the subwoofer, although the bar is small. With compact bars, the sub is the biggest sound jump ever.
• Looked at the number of channels instead of the built-in speakers. 5.1.2 on the box says little about what actually radiates in which direction.
• Waived room measurement. Costs five minutes and often changes more than any upgrade.
• Bought too cheap to "have something better for now". The frustration comes after three months, and then you buy twice.

11. Decision aid: the way via exclusion criteria

With the abundance of the offer, you get ahead fastest if you do not look for the best soundbar, but systematically exclude everything that does not fit. Work through this list in order:

Step 1 – Dimensions. How wide can it be? How high? Does it stand free or in a compartment? That often eliminates half the market already.

Step 2 – Budget. A realistic framework, including the question whether the subwoofer and rears are already included or come extra.

Step 3 – Appearance. Color, material feel, wall mounting possible? A device that bothers in the living room will never be well liked – no matter how it sounds.

Step 4 – Connections. Does your TV have ARC or eARC? Do you need additional HDMI inputs, for example for a projector? Do you want to connect analog sources?

Step 5 – What type of user are you?

• Only TV: Even the bars of the TV manufacturers are a very good choice, often with a strong price-performance ratio
• Half TV, half music: Clearly look towards the audio specialists
• Above all music: Audio specialists, good app, high-resolution streaming – and honestly check whether active speakers would not be better

Step 6 – How far do you want to go?

• As simple as possible: One-body bar, one cable, done
• Movies with punch: Bar plus subwoofer
• Real cinema experience: modular system with rears, sub, and height channels

Step 7 – Expansion plan. Do you want to expand later? Then the bar must already provide for that now. A system that is retrofittable gives you time to buy in stages.

If you go through these seven points, typically two to three candidates remain. And then only one thing helps: listen. Sound is subjective, and with two equally good devices, your own taste decides – not the data sheet.

Exactly at this point we are happy to be there for you: Come visit us in our store near Hamburg and listen to your favorites in peace. If that is not possible, we will advise you just as extensively by phone or email – simply describe your room, your TV, and what you intend to do with it.

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Directly into the range: Soundbars · Subwoofers · Home theater speaker sets

FAQ

Do I absolutely need HDMI, or is an optical cable enough?

Optical works and is the right solution for older TVs. But for Dolby Atmos and high-resolution audio formats, you need HDMI with eARC. If your TV has it, use it.

Does the soundbar have to be from the same brand as my TV?

No. Every soundbar works with every modern TV. Same brands sometimes offer comfort extras like wireless transmission or joint play with the TV speakers – it is never necessary.

Is "Dolby Atmos" on the box always real Atmos?

No. Some devices only decode Atmos and simulate the height effect without upward-radiating speakers. If the effect is important to you, specifically look for physical height chassis – and then place the bar freely.

Can a soundbar replace a stereo system or a home theater?

It remains a compromise between effort and result – but how large it falls, the choice decides. Good bars go surprisingly far in stereo, and modular systems with real rears and subwoofers deliver real surround. Limits remain rather with very large rooms, maximum levels, and the free placement of individual speakers.

Can I retrofit subwoofers and rear speakers later?

With modular systems yes, and that is a very sensible way. With one-body bars basically no – they are deliberately designed as a complete unit. If you want to keep a later expansion open to yourself, you must decide that at the time of purchase.

How loud can a soundbar be in a rented apartment?

The problem is rarely the bar, but the subwoofer: Low tones travel through walls and ceilings. Decoupling the subwoofer from the floor helps noticeably, as does a placement outside the room corners. Dampers / Decouplers

Author: Fidelity