Plenty of TVs on the
market have dazzling picture quality, but sound quality has suffered as TVs
have become ever slimmer. There’s simply very little room for speakers inside a
1-to 2-inch-deep cabinet.
There’s a quick, easy way to upgrade
your TV sound without investing in a lot of equipment or a complicated
installation: a sound bar.
There’s a quick, easy
way to upgrade your TV sound without investing in a lot of equipment or a
complicated installation: a sound bar. The slim enclosures, about 40 inches
long, connect directly to an audio source (a TV, cable or satellite box, or
disc player). You don’t need a receiver, and few wires are involved. That’s
because the speakers, and often the amplifiers and electronics, are housed
within the bar, which can be mounted on a wall or placed above or below a TV. A
handful of models on the market incorporate a Blu-ray or DVD player.
Vizio VHT510
Many sound bars are
two-channel systems that provide stereo sound; 2.1 systems add a separate
subwoofer, often a wireless unites that you can tuck away in an inconspicuous corner.
2 Sony, $300, and 3 Vizio, $260, are 2.1 systems that have a wireless subwoofer.
Sony HT CT-260
Models with rear
speakers and a subwoofer can provide 5.1-channel surround sound. 1 Vizio, $280,
has a wireless subwoofer and two rear speakers that you can connect to the
subwoofer instead of running wires to the sound bar in the front of the room.
Vizio VHT215
The vast majority of
sound bars we tested offer better sound than most TVs provide, but some sound
bars are superior to others. The three in our Ratings of recommended models
have very good sound quality, a big step up from the sound you’ll get from most
TVs. All are CR Best Buys. If you want to spend less, consider a model not
listed here: the Vizio VSB211, $150, which has good sound, an improvement over
the audio on most TVs.
If you want to spend less, consider a
model not listed here: the Vizio VSB211, $150, which has good sound, an
improvement over the audio on most TVs.
Ratings Sound bars recommended models
only From 33 tested
