While Netflix and other streaming services now offer movies and TV shows with Atmos soundtracks, the number of titles is still dwarfed by the number of titles with surround audio. Look for dedicated height speakers to be sure. In the last few years we've seen an explosion in the number of Atmos soundbars released, with the price finally dipping under $500, though be careful as some only simulate Atmos. Typically they use Wi-Fi to connect to standalone wireless speakers, but as this can add $300 to $400 to the cost, it can be an expensive option. This ability to add surround speakers to existing bars is now supported by many midrange soundbars, across brands such as Polk, ![]() Adding the Ikea Symfonisks to the Arc for example, adds a tremendous sense of immersion when playing movies. Also, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is able to convincingly emulate a sense of height.Īdding optional surrounds does help most bars achieve better surround. Both were able to produce near-surround-sound without the use of rear speakers. We were impressed by the sound of two models in particular: the Sonos Arc and the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar. In the past, two-channel soundbars typically didn't sound much different between stereo and surround modes, but the arrival of technologies such as Dolby Virtual:X and beamforming have really improved the immersion you get from single bars. It's also worth mentioning that the Amazon Echo Link or Echo Dot (Gen 4 and under) will let you add Alexa capability and music to any soundbar with an analog input, but in the case of the Link you'll need to turn to that input to hear its responses. It's likely that as a result of this issue there have been fewer soundbar models which still sport voice assistants onboard. Both Echo and Google Assistant devices are smart enough to work with lots of background noise. It's much easier to have a second device in the same room which can also control the soundbar - you can ask a question and your show goes on uninterrupted. However, if this is too much, you can either turn the microphone off - with a hardware switch - or simply opt for a model without the feature.Īpart from privacy implications there is one other, more benign problem with smart soundbars: If you utter the voice assistant's wake word (eg "Hey Google") the sound of your program goes away, or mutes, until you ask it something. The voice assistant apps even let you read back everything the soundbar records if you're concerned about privacy. If you're uncomfortable with the idea of an onboard microphone, think of it like a web browser: The assistant just sits there waiting for you to say the wake word and responds (which is the vocal equivalent of a web search). ![]() Do I need Alexa or Google Assistant built-in? 's Chromecast built-in which also allows multi-room playback and control with the Google Assistant. The most cost-effective system right now is With so many options it's worth investigating Wi-Fi music options before you buy. There are two main "open" standards, AirPlay and Chromecast built-in, plus a number of specific ones such as Spotify Connect, Sonos and Yamaha MusicCast. Wi-Fi offers several upgrades to Bluetooth including the ability to listen in multiple rooms and even control it with Google Assistant or Alexa. ![]() Likewise, almost every soundbar on the market features Bluetooth, and if it doesn't you can buy an adapter like those made by Belkin or Logitech. It works with the music stored on your device and any music app (for example Pandora or Spotify), plus it's platform-agnostic - virtually all iOS, Android and Windows For the sake of future-proofing, look for at least three inputs and try to make sure they can pass 4K and HDR signals - especially if you already have a 4K TV.īluetooth is the easiest way to wirelessly stream audio from your phone or tablet. ![]() Inputs, which you'll need if you want to connect AV devices directly to the soundbar, rather than route them through the TV. Many newer soundbars, usually at the $200-and-over mark, do include multiple Most bars are stereo-only, and surround-capable bars work best with a surround input. Another issue is that unless it offers eARC some TVs downgrade incoming audio to stereo, rather than a true surround-sound signal. You could get around this using an HDMI switcher, but then you start adding complexity you were probably hoping to avoid by getting a soundbar in the first place. If your TV only has three inputs, you can only connect three devices. For one, you're limited by how many inputs your TV has. There are some drawbacks to this configuration, though. Given the ease of use, using the TV as a switcher is the way to go for most people. Most TVs these days have both an optical audio output and HDMI ARC.
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