Things you should keep in mind before buying a soundbar for your home – Times of India

Although it is quite difficult to enhance the video quality of a television, but the audio quality can be enhanced by using various gadgets. One of these is the soundbar. Soundbars can be used to boost the overall audio experience of a television. It is a long bar with speakers that can be connected to the television. These gadgets require less space to pair, use and than a traditional home theater system. If you are planning to buy one of sound For your home, here are some things you should keep in mind.
First things first: Identify if you need a soundbar or soundbase
Soundbar: A soundbar is a narrow bar that can be mounted on the wall or it can be placed on a shelf above or below your television. Some soundbars are designed to fit in the middle of a TV stand. Soundbars are usually packed with subwoofers that can be placed in the room to enhance the listening experience.
sound base: If you don’t have space to mount a soundbar, you can buy a soundbase. A soundbase is placed under the television, but make sure the device is strong enough to support the weight of the TV. Since soundbases tend to be larger in size as compared to soundbars, most of them come with built-in subwoofers. Users can still connect multiple speakers and subwoofers to them.
Check if it offers surround sound
Soundbars work best when connected to multiple speakers and channels. The device can assign speakers to a particular channel and when these speakers are placed around the room, the soundbar provides an immersive surround sound experience. When buying a soundbar, you should check the number of channels and subwoofers it can support. The number of channels and subwoofer is directly proportional to the overall sound quality.
Go through the connectivity options it offers
Before finalizing on a soundbar, you should make sure that it has connectivity options to pair with your TV or other gadgets such as set-top box, DVD player, Blu-ray player, media player, gaming console and more. If the soundbar is connected to the TV via an HDMI cable, you can connect any other device to the TV and the sound will be played through the soundbar. If you want to pair different devices directly with the soundbar, you need multiple ports like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Optical, HDMI, AUX and more.
When it comes to connectivity, there are two major categories of soundbars – active soundbars and passive soundbars.
Passive Soundbar: Passive soundbars are devices that do not have a built-in amplifier, so they must be paired with an external amplifier or home theater receiver. A passive soundbar usually costs less because it lacks connectivity options as other devices are hooked up to the main amplifier. But the overall setup of a passive soundbar can be quite expensive.
Active Soundbar: Active soundbars have an in-built amplifier and can be connected directly to a television or any other gadget. These are usually more expensive than passive soundbars but they provide full value for money.
how to control soundbar
You should always look at the options available to control the soundbar. Most soundbars sold in the market today come with a separate remote control. You can also program most TVs and cable remotes to control your soundbar. There are also soundbars from different brands that can be controlled via a dedicated smartphone application. Some soundbars can also be controlled through various voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. You should consider your preferred control options before buying a soundbar.
If you are planning to buy a soundbar for your home, then here are some options that you can consider:-
Sony HT-S20R 400 Watt Real 5.1 Channel Wireless Bluetooth Soundbar
The Sony HT-S20R is a 5.1 channel wireless Bluetooth soundbar. It is equipped with surround sound technology and comes with Dolby Digital support. The soundbar can deliver 400 watts of audio output and comes with HDMI arc and optical connectivity.
JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass, Dolby Digital Soundbar
The JBL Bar 2.1 soundbar comes with a 300-watt maximum output power. It delivers surround sound from a 2.1 channel soundbar with wireless subwoofer. The device offers HDMI ARC and optical cable connectivity.
Infinity (JBL) Sonic B200WL Soundbar
The Infinity (JBL) Sonic B200WL soundbar is a 2.1 channel system that also includes a wireless subwoofer. It can give a maximum output of 160 watts. Connectivity options are Bluetooth, optical input, USB and AUX cable.
F&D E200 Soundbar Speaker System
The F&D E200 Soundbar is a 2.0 channel soundbar with a power output of 3W. The soundbar is not very loud considering the power output but it has a balanced sound output. Connectivity options are USB and 3.5mm audio jack. It has an LED on the side of the volume knob.
Zebronics Jeb-Juke Bar 5
The Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 5 includes a 2.1 channel setup with a 5-inch subwoofer. Its total power output is 45 watts. The soundbar comes with an LED display.

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