Soundbar vs Home Theater | Soundbars vs Surround Sound Systems | Are Soundbars Worth It?
Soundbar vs Home Theater | Soundbars vs Surround Sound Systems | Are Soundbars Worth It?
#movies #sounddesign #soundtheory #homeentertainment #hometheater
Are surround sound systems worth they hype? Can you just get a sound bar and call it a day? In this video, senior manager of professional audio at DTS explains why you shouldn’t settle for a soundbar.
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I love my Bose Solo system. I have two. Got rid of surround speakers. That’s just me 🤷🏻♂️👍🏼👊🏼
I’ve had several soundbars and surround sound package but it was only when I purchased a budget AVR and a pair of budget speakers that I realised what I was missing, (stereo imaging, thumping bass, fully enveloping soundstage imaging etc) besides going down this route one can always add to it overtime… surround speakers, subwoofers one can even get height speakers and have the full non virtual Dolby Atmos experience. Nowadays AVRs has so simple to setup they even walk you through the process.
Remember movies are made up of 50% visuals and 50% audio and there are occasions when the audio out does the visuals.
I only use a surround sound system with 6 speakers plus sub through my receiver. 360 surround sound. It’s like being in the movie.
I remember a time when I had a decent audio system, a receiver, DvD player, Tape player, Reel to Reel and 4.1 channels with mid range towers and bookshelves.
The reality is that I can’t justify rebuilding a similar system because it is space, labor and cost intensive. I don’t want to drill holes and run cables. Secondly, I don’t consume as much television content as I used to. I’m almost exclusively on Neflix and Prime. Lastly I’m not a console gamer so that one more thing that de-incentivizes me from going all out.
I had an older entry level Bose sound bar interconnect it had was optical. I replaced my TV recently and it had all kinds of Dolby, HDR, EArc and 4k features which I did not have in the past. I realized that my single soundbar was insufficient to create an immersive experience. I grabbed a Samsung Q60c 3.1 and wow was it a huge improvement. I want 5.1 but I just can’t justify that extra expense.
I have a traditional home theater set up. And I love it. The sound is more full than my sound bar I have. And i can upgrade individual speakers as I get the money to upgrade it. I recommend a traditional home theater system.
I used to have a soundbar and got rid of it. I’m now happy with the Denon Stereo.
A cheap 5.1 is still better than an expensive sound bar.
Had a Sony HT 5000 sound bar and sub but was not happy with the overall sound and it did not make the sound travel overhead or behind like it was supposed to. Switched to the Sony HT A9 and SW3 sub; Much better for what I wanted but still not perfect. However, before all the above, I had the Sony DAV DZ820KW 5.1 system which gave me the best sound travel across the room (Not Dolby Atmos), and regret getting rid of it. Maybe using a Sony TV upgrade will provide me with the center speaker option with the HT A9 making it better, as I believe there is no substitute for individual speakers for the best sound.
sound bars are for pussy betas they were invented to cut production costs and ripoff idiots
This is a pretty biased comparison… they only talk about why soundbars suck.
I’m looking to build a dolby atmos theatre in my new home build but it will be a dual use space. It will be office + PC gaming and then plex media home theatre with stadium seating. I’m trying to decide if its worth the extra cost to go with a full system over a high end soundbar.
I believe a quality soundbar paired with surround speakers and a subwoofer is good enough for most folks. By adding surrounds and a sub to the soundbar – you get some of the best of each option. The simplicity & cost saving of soundbars *with* some additional channels to provide heft and a true surround experience. Sure, a 7.1 system with dedicated speakers for each channel will still be better, but most folks don’t want to deal with the extra expense and space/wires that requires. Just my two cents.
I currently have a Samsung HW-Q600C soundbar with the optional SWA-9200S rear speakers. Price versus a traditional AVR setup was one consideration for sure, but I also wanted something with minimal wiring and an overall smaller footprint. The sound I get from this system is way, way better than TV speakers and I’m quite happy with the experience.
Great video, well done Sir, i myself feel a bit bias to actual surround systems. However,
if you consider bugdet, space, wiring. a good soundbar with subwoofer and wireless satellite rear speaker is a very good choice, as you save the money for the reciever and you have way less cables to deal with. BUT there is a big twist in this. the market is filled out with those cheap once, so be aware you got exactly what you paid money for. so no real bargain in soundbars world, the cheaper the price is, the worse your speakers are. the industry know that and the market know that and every soundbar will end up in someone’s house, because they are modern, easier and cheaper. so the demands on them is higher comparing to actual sound systems.
YOU CAN DO BOTH . WE HAVE THE SONY A95L 77’’ TV THE SENNHEISER AMBEO MAX SOUNDBAR. A DENNON AVR 6700H RECEIVER, 2 AMPS FROM 2000 A YAMAHA AND NACAMEACHI , A PANASONIC DPU 9000 4K UHD BLU RAY PLAYER , PLAYSTATION 5 WITH VR AND 10 TRI SPEAKER JBL SPEAKERS.
THESE ARE CONNECTED IN 4 DIFFERENT WAYS TO DOLBY ATMOS LIKE WITH IMAX SURROUND SOUND . THIS SYSTEM IN TOTAL COSTS IS AROND $18,000
FRIENDS COME OVER TO WATCH TOP GUN2 ON 4K UHD BLU RAY AND THE PIC FROM THE SONY A95L WITH THIS SOUND SYSTEM BLOWS PEOPLE AWAY.
Awesome. Thank you. 🙏
Great video! I totally agree. A discrete system would always sound better. But the reality is, that sound bars are here to stay and with good reason. I’d say if you have a dedicated room for your theater go discrete. If your wife allows you to wire 5.1 in your living area , go discrete , but if you are like me and are happily married get a sound bar!
A soundbar sure beats TV speakers. But a discrete speaker system definitely beats a soundbar, assuming the sound quality is the same. The separation and imaging is key. I’ve tried both and prefer a discrete system by far.
The only thing worse than bouncy Atmos speakers are soundbars.
The klipsch flexus core 200 soundbar is pretty nice it can get loud and it has a sub out input which i like about it, my klipsch reference premiere subwoofer hooked up to it sounds nice.
I like it
I have a 40 square meter living room. What do you think about Samsung Q990D soundbar or home theater system?
I’m sure that a full home theatre would sound much better than my basic JBL SB190 soundbar, but I live in a 1 bedroom apartment and I plan to move to a different country every few years. My 2.1 channel soundbar works fine and I didn’t spend too much on it, so I’m a happy camper.
I’m currently using a Denon 1912 av reciver with 5.1 sonodyne speakers and a sub. The system is almost 11 years old. Now, I want to upgrade to a new atmos + dts vertual x system kindly suggest wheather a JBL, or LG sounndbars with addditional surround speakers will be a good option or not?
soundbar lg sl8 + surrounds space mony cables
I recommend a traditional home theater. The sorround sound iz awsome which comes from my samsung 7,1 home theater with two wireless rear speakers and is in the lounge. Itz a 1400watts output better than a Sony 5.1 channel i use in my bedroom
i have technics sc dv 290 and still is better than best soundbars on this time ! 🙂
I have both. My main living room has a receiver and speaker set up (floor standing and in-wall/ceiling) and in a rec room I have a 3.1 soundbar set up. While a soundbar is significantly better than TV speakers (especially a soundbar with centre channel) there really is no comparison to a decent receiver and speaker set-up. Even an entry level set-up blows a soundbar away.
Get a 5.2/7.2 receiver (you can find them for $250-350 during the holidays), get a 10-inch subwoofer, and a set of bookshelf speakers that blend into the room nicely. Find a way to hide the wires so it looks sleek and organized. There ya go. You’ll get much better sound than a soundbar. Later you can add to it if you want. Often you’ll spend less than you would on a decent soundbar if you’re a bit strategic with your purchases.
Home theatre market going drastically down difference between home theatre and high end sounbars very thin now
It’s a universal fact that there is always something better. If it’s not here today, give another week. My Sennheiser Ambeo is great to listen to but give me another year and I’ll be digging out the stud finder to install discrete speakers.
Great video! Looking for this as I’m moving to an apartment and thinking on downsizing from a home theater with Atmos to a soundbar with Atmos.
The two front and left channel speakers are paradigm studio monitors, matching with the paradigm sonic sphere center channel speaker and the rear Onkyo speakers and to power at all is a Morant SR5009 Dolby Atmos 4K resolution AVR receiver. If I were to compare a sound bar to the system, all the other TVs in our house, have Vizio sound bars and none of them have anything on these guys not even the Bose system my brother has in his room has anything on these guys I would say an actual Home Theater surroundsound system with physical speakers is 1,000,000% the way to go because not only is it an understatement to say that the movie experiences more immersive, but just so is the sound detail in everything that you are watching is some thing that sound bars will never be able to fully re-create without all the necessary physical speakers. It’s just not possible virtual listening, has nothing on the actual physical sound that you get from a surroundsound system. The only downside is that if you want to get a system like this it’s gunna cost around the $3K range not accounting for the receiver, and the subwoofer. Still overall hands-down I would tell anybody to go with the physical Surround sound system versus just going with the cheaper alternative, which is a sandbar.
Today I changed from a SoundBar 7.1.2 to my old AV Recever 7.1 sistem. The reason is that I can get sound without virtualization and leakages that soundbars have.😊
I do not like soundbars anymore because they lack the true discrete movie theater surround sound quality of a traditional home theater surround sound system I am a huge fan of both movie theater surround sound & Dolby Atmos and I am both an audiophile and love traditional Dolby Atmos home theater surround sound systems that are not too expensive In fact I use to own a Sony HTZ9F 3.1 Channel Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar System with a Wireless Subwoofer and without upward-firing height speakers then added Sony SAZ9R 2.0 Channel Wireless Surround Rear Speakers for my Sony Dolby Atmos Wireless Soundbar and Subwoofer Combo for a complete surround sound system for watching listening and enjoying many films tv shows and music even though it both gets loud sounds a lot better than my television I have owned in my house: LG 55-Inch B6 OLED 4K Multi HDR with Dolby Vision Smart Flat Big Screen Television (2016 Model) it does not sound as awesome cinematic premium powerful state of the art atmospheric three-dimensional dynamic room-filling impactful immersive punchy as a Dolby Atmos Premium Home Theater Surround Sound System with REAL Upward-Firing Height Elevation Speakers originally I wanted one of the two Nakamichi Shockwafe Spatial Surround Elevation Dolby Atmos Premium Home Theater Surround Soundbar System Series with a Soundbar with High Quality/Performance Full-Range Woofers and Two High Quality/Performance Tweeters that bounce sound off walls & ceiling Two Big Subwoofers Two or Four 2-Way Surround Speakers w/ High-Quality Tweeters Full-Range Woofer Drivers that sounds the same as both a real life commercial Dolby Atmos/IMAX movie theater & a traditional Dolby Atmos home theater surround sound system but since I already owned a 5-year-old solid good Onkyo TXSR444 7-Channel Dolby Atmos Premium Home Theater Surround Audio/Video Receiver (2015 Model) since April 2016 I got a Traditional Klipsch 5.1.2 Channel Dolby Atmos Premium Home Theater Surround Sound Loudspeaker System that includes Two Front Tower Floorstanding Loudspeakers with Two REAL Dolby Atmos Upward-Firing Height Elevation Loudspeaker Two Bipolar Surround Loudspeakers One Center Loudspeaker and One Big 12-Inch Subwoofer all with High-Quality/Performance Woofers & Tweeters for nearly $2,500 with additional speaker wires I bought for the money then hooked it up to my Onkyo TXSR444 Dolby Atmos 4K Premium Home Theater Surround Audio/Video Receiver (2015 Model) calibrated the loudspeakers with the included eq room correction calibration microphone I got on eBay and while enjoying watching and listening to films tv shows and music it felt & sounded a lot much better greater and more awesome cinematic premium powerful dynamic room-filling impactful immersive punchy in which it very much sounded like a real life commercial movie theater and changes the way I’m how I enjoy and listen to films tv shows and music I gave my Sony HTZ9F/SAZ9R 5.1 Channel Dolby Atmos Surround Soundbar & Subwoofer Combo System to my twin sister and boyfriend’s condo where their new TV is located in their bedroom LG C1 55-Inch 4K UHD Multi-HDR with Dolby Vision Smart OLED TV with Dolby Atmos/eARC is located in order to vastly improve their tv watching experience and they both liked there new 5.1 Ch. Dolby Atmos Sony Surround Soundbar/Subwoofer Combo System Later in June 2023 I got a much more newer state of the art advanced better immersive premium cinematic advanced critically acclaimed Denon AVRS970H 7.2 Channel Dolby Atmos Premium Home Theater Surround Audio/Video Receiver with a Highly Advanced Greater Powerful Robust Cinematic Premium Rich Punchy 32-Bit/192kHz Digital-to-Analogue Converter/Discrete High Power Amplification Technology/Room Correction Calibration Software Technology Audyssey MultEQ with Dynamic Volume & Dynamic EQ and 8K-60/4K-120 Passthrough/Upscaling Multi-HDR with Dolby Vision for nearly $800 w/ tax hooked it up to my one year old Klipsch 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos Home Theater Surround Sound System calibrated the loudspeakers with Audyssey and after getting everything working flawlessly correctly and perfectly adjusting the sound quality via Audyssey MultEQ Editor app and enjoying watching and listening to many films tv shows sports and music it sounded a lot much better greater and more advanced awesome cinematic premium powerful dynamic room-filling impactful immersive richer punchy three dimensional atmospheric advanced realistic detailed nuanced cleaner crystal clearer and didn’t just change the way how I enjoy watch and listen to films music sports and tv shows it honestly extremely much sounds and feels a lot like a real life commercial Dolby Atmos/IMAX Laser movie theater that I can clearly hear 3D surround sound objects above around through behind and everywhere in the room with my newer Denon AVRS970H Dolby Atmos Receiver than my older Onkyo TXSR444 Dolby Atmos Receiver even though with my older Onkyo Dolby Atmos Receiver I can clearly hear surround sound objects above around through behind and everywhere in the room my newer Denon AVRS970H Dolby Atmos Receiver is much much better than my older Onkyo Dolby Atmos Receiver in which it not only rivals my nearby Dolby Atmos commercial movie theaters commercial IMAX Laser movie theaters or even commercial movie theaters with 4K RGB HDR Laser Projection & Dolby Atmos but I am enjoying the content in which the filmmakers sound team & music team intended them to experience it as it was originally mixed in the recording studio that is unmatched by a lot of soundbars
I have a sounder because I can’t afford a home theater system (I can afford to buy bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer but not a receiver), going for the soundbar made sense at least for now, currently im using a JBL bar 2.1.
Sony makes great entry level stuff. The STR-DH790 is outstanding. You can spend far less and get a massive bang for your buck by going a full Best Buy Sony home theater system than any soundbar. Soundbars suck.
Are large 200 watt monitor speakers in the 2.0 system better than a 40 watt soundbar with "surround" option for watching movies from the Dune media player?
No contest full surround sound system. You know right away its a soundbar because of the sound it’s not big. Also, so limited media player you can connect on a soundbar, for a receiver you can connect at least 6 media box or gaming console. Soundbar is only good for small room.
I have both. The AV receiver is dedicated to the projector and the sound bar to my TV. The receiver offers richer, more immersive sound experience than the soundbar.
I bought a soundbar with surround Bluetooth speakers because I was renting a house at the time so couldn’t run wires through the wall. My setup cost me a fortune. All together it’s was close to $2k. The sound is mediocre compared to a traditional 5.1 receiver. I’ve even had beginner receivers that sounded better.
As I have a next room neighbour, my lounge is my media room, and a q600b soundbar with rear speakers is by far enough for my needs. I can’t have the volume past 25 in the evening so it is never going to be totally immersive, but at the same time it gives a very enhanced soundstage especially with dtsX blurays, which sound warmer and fuller than Dolby digital. Atmos doesn’t interest me, as I don’t want ceiling speakers, and don’t want to compromise with upfiring, as that defeats the main desire of having height channels, if I was to get really involved. It’s great people have the choice now, but 5.1 will do for me 🙃
5.1 surround sound be free kit. I see soundbars as inferior to traditional surroundsound
If you have a small apartment like I do and want something close to a home theater system I’d suggest to anyone to get a soundbar, I had a LG soundbar with a subwoofer that I just replaced with a JBL Deep base 2.1 soundbar and I had the LG soundbar for almost 9 years. It served me well and I enjoyed watching tv with and playing games on it too, it was my first soundbar and it did the job as my home speaker system.
I Upgraded From Soundbar to Dali Oberon 7 and onkyo, But i waiting now…. Well Sub is outsaled in Swiss, Maybe aviiable again 2023.
My tannoy speakers are like 25 years old m3 as front m1 as surround i was thinking its time to change but these speakers are so good its a war going on in my head i dont think a sound bar can provide the sound they do my center output on my onkyo 607 stopped working awhile ago i did have 7.1 but amp terminals are now not working so i have 4.1 i cannot find a 5.1 system its all sound bars now
I have both but wanna connect them if possible
I got a 5.1 system. I’m 54 so my hearing is not too good, so I needed surround sound. Nice video.
Edifier s3000 pro are the best speakers. They are so versatile as well and no receiver needed
I just got a Vizio m series 5.1 system with surround speakers . Is that any good? I set it up and audio sounds muffled ? Sound bar sounds good tho
Problem today is that soundbars are more $ then very good/basic 5.1 H.T systems. Samsung,Bose,Sonos,LG all want like $2,000 for a "11.2.4" systems GTFOH 🤣. Actual physical present speakers always wins 100%