Good quality sound is essential to enjoy an exceptional experience whether on your computer or on your TV!
For this reason, we are going to tell you about the most powerful soundbars to dress up your living room and enjoy breathtaking audio!
What is the point of a soundbar?
A soundbar is a long speaker that is not very high so that it can be placed under a television.
- Delivering unrivaled audio power!
- Space-saving, easy to place under the TV
- Aesthetic
Comparison of the most powerful soundbars
Generally, the power of a soundbar ranges between approximately 100 and 500 watts depending on the model. Therefore, it is important to choose your soundbar by considering the dimensions of the room in which it will be installed . For this comparison, we have therefore classified the most powerful models according to the size of the room in which they can be used!
Models from 500 to 300 watts ideal for rooms measuring 40 m² and more…
1. JBL 5.1: The best soundbar with subwoofer and wireless speaker
Features and Reviews
The JBL 5.1 soundbar offers you a total immersive experience thanks to the two wireless rear speakers it has. It is powered by rechargeable batteries offering 10 hours of battery life and has a 10-inch wireless subwoofer that gives you high-quality audio performance.
Dolby Digital technology and a surround sound system that can be controlled via a smartphone or tablet. Its remote control has a microphone which allows you to easily calibrate the sound in the room where the sound projector is installed.
Furthermore, the maximum output power of the speaker is 550 watts, which justifies its somewhat high price! In terms of connectivity, the JBL 5.1 soundbar has three HDMI inputs and has 4K Bluetooth compatibility; WIRELESS.
2. Sonos Arc: The best high-end Smart Soundbar on the market
Features and Reviews
Sonos Arc is the latest high-end soundbar from the Sonos brand! Just like the old models, the Arc has a multi-room audio system, which is what the brand is known for. On the soundbar, we see 11 class D amplifiers, 8 elliptical woofers and 3 silk dome tweeters .
All of these elements allow the Arc to provide native compatibility with Dolby Atmos tracks. These will trigger realistic and immersive sound reproduction in 3 dimensions ( 3D )! The Sonos Arc's speakers are upward-firing, creating multi-directional sound that covers the entire room you're in and sometimes beyond. For information, this soundbar has a sound power of 512 watts.
The connectivity offered on the Sonos Arc is quite simple: an HDMI eARC (ARC compatible) port for use with the included adapter and an optional Ethernet port – it's possible for the soundbar to be connected via Wi-Fi . Unfortunately, we note the absence of Bluetooth compatibility…
Sonos multiroom products due to its native compatibility with Chromecast, Airplay and Spotify Connect ! The Sonos Arc comes with a microphone that allows it to interact with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa to play music or provide the same interaction as Google Home or Amazon Echo.
3. JBL Bar 3.1: The best sound projector offering an immersive sound experience
Features and Reviews
The JBL Bar 3.1 has a total power of 450 watts which provides good sound. And like most of the brand's other models, this sound projector is equipped with Dolby Digital technology and a surround sound system. It has a 10-inch wireless subwoofer compatible with any device equipped with Bluetooth technology, which is very practical.
In addition, the soundbar is equipped with the JBL SoundShift function which allows you to instantly change the sound between that emitted by your smartphone or your television. In addition, you can control the JBL Bar 3.1 using your TV remote control.
In terms of connectivity, this soundbar has three HDMI inputs and one HDMI ARC output. It is compatible with all your 4K devices, which allows you to obtain an Ultra HD system!
4. LG QP5: The compact soundbar with 320 W power
Features and Reviews
The LG QP5 bar is very compact, but has 5 speakers, including two vertical speakers providing 3D Atmos or DTS:X effects. High Resolution rendering . Maximized by Meridian Sound Music technology, the sound is of very good quality despite the very small size of the device.
The design of the soundbar and wireless subwoofer is very distinguished and pleasant. We simply deplore the absence of a screen which allows the name of current readings to be displayed for example, the controls which are not easily accessible, the non-backlit remote control or the inability to connect to Wi-Fi.
The price of the QP5 Eclair is still high, these shortcomings are even more difficult to accept. Notwithstanding the presence of all these small flaws, it is undoubtedly the best soundbar for anyone who wants a quality speaker in a small living room or small office.
5. Bose Soundbar 700: The soundbar with built-in Amazon Alexa
Features and Reviews
Bose Soundbar 700 is intelligent sound projection that makes your TV sound better in a room. The sound system is not super powerful for large spaces, but can be synchronized with a bass module for more performance.
The Bose Soundebar has WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity and wired connectivity thanks to its HDMI ARC port and Ethernet input. Through the brand's own Bose Home app, the bar can be configured with most Android and iOS compatible devices.
With a refined design, the Soundbar 700 can contribute to the refinement and elegance of an interior decor. Furthermore, to use it properly, you can use the manual button on the bar, use a universal remote control, or use Google Assistant or Alexa.
For information, Bose does not under any circumstances communicate powers in watts. However, we should not blacklist the exceptional quality of finish that the brand installs on its sound projectors... Therefore, the presence of this bar in this category is well justified!
Models from 300 to 120 watts ideal for rooms of 20 – 40 m²
Soundbars with a power between 300 and 120 watts are best suited to rooms measuring between 20 and 40 m²!
6. LG SJ3: The sound projector to slide under your TV
Features and Reviews
The LG SJ3 is equipped with Dolby Atmos Sound technology, which helps deliver incredibly realistic sound. It has a total power of 300 watts and a wireless subwoofer ensuring perfect sound quality! The LG SJ3 2.1 soundbar also features LG Auto Sound Engine technology which ensures harmonious sound stability, regardless of the volume of your TV.
It supports WAV, FLAC, ALAC formats and has integrated Chromecast audio software. The latter allows you to listen to millions of songs or podcasts directly on the sound projector. You can also use your smartphone instead of the main remote control to search for your favorite music, play or adjust the volume. On the connectivity side, it has an HDMI input, an HDMI output and an optical input.
7. Samsung HW-T420: The powerful soundbar at a low price!
Features and Reviews
The Samsung HW-T420 is a soundbar that features a wireless subwoofer to provide 2.1 sound reproduction. Design-wise, it doesn't offer anything extraordinary, but it nonetheless remains effective and powerful! Indeed, it is one of the rare less expensive soundbars that offers better sound reproduction.
Apart from the Surrond Sound Expansion function which it is equipped with, the Samsung HW-T420 soundbar has 150 W of power. It emits 360-degree sound, allowing you to enjoy your favorite movies or relive famous concerts and shows.
On the connectivity side, it is equipped with an HDMI ARC port and a second HDMI port that can transmit 1080p/60 signals to the television. There is no Chromecast or AirPlay compatibility in the program, but it can connect to any device thanks to its Bluetooth compatibility. On top of all this, the Samsung HW-T420 soundbar comes with a remote control that makes it easy to pair via Bluetooth, change audio sources and control the tracks currently playing.
How to choose a powerful soundbar?
Here are some purchasing criteria to help you choose the soundbar that suits your needs!
The quality of the speakers
The first criterion to take into account when selecting a powerful soundbar is of course the quality of the speakers. These are capable of making a lot of noise at high volume but the sound quality can still be poor. To avoid this, check that your bar contains these 3 elements :
- Tweeters : these speakers retransmit the high frequencies of a sound. If in an orchestra there is a triangle, you will hear it.
- Woofers : these speakers allow mid-amplitude frequencies to be retransmitted.
- Subwoofers : these speakers allow bass to be transmitted, very popular for certain types of music such as rap.
If your powerful soundbar combines these 3 elements, it will already be able to retransmit the entire sound spectrum, which will already be better than 80% of speakers on the market.
This article might interest you if you are a gamer: The Best RGB Speakers for PC !
RMS power
Another criterion to take into account: RMS power . However, this is neglected even though it is essential. For what ? RMS power characterizes the power of the audio amplifier. In other words, this is what will determine whether your sound will saturate or not. Therefore, a powerful soundbar does not necessarily mean an overpowering amplifier, because without a compressor, the sound risks saturating at high volume.
The size of your soundbar
Choose a soundbar size less than or equal to the length of your television! A long soundbar is often more expensive, but size does not influence sound quality.
The Dolby channel
The channel characterizes the number of audio outputs from your soundbar. Today, all soundbars are stereo, which means that they have two distinct outputs unlike mono bars. In any case, the fashion today is for Dolby 5.1 for all homes, even if you will have to invest in several speakers. We will come back to this later. Dolby is today the preferred audio channel for all films, video on demand sites like Netflix or Amazon Prime but also video games. Generally, all powerful soundbars come with Dolby.
The DTS channel
However, unlike Dolby, the DTS channel is not necessarily included in your soundbar even though it is increasingly so. This is a multi-channel sound allowing optimal quality. Widely used in the film industry, the DTS channel does not show many differences and advantages over a well-established Dolby simply because the two complement each other wonderfully.
FAQs
Although the buying guide above is very comprehensive and tells you everything you need to know about the most powerful soundbars, we understand that some questions remain unanswered. Whether these relate to the installation, price or connectivity of a soundbar, we invite you to answer them just below in an FAQ.
Does my soundbar require other devices to operate?
Technically no but it will depend on the quality of the bar you buy. If you buy a high-end soundbar, there's usually no problem because it's all in one. However, this is not the case for low-end soundbars which may lack subwoofers for example. It's all the more unfortunate when you realize that the audio quality of the bar you have just purchased is worse than the TV speaker. However, there are a few devices that can make up for it.
The basis of its
The sound base is often accompanied by a sound bar when it cannot fully handle the bass. Thus, this rectangular and very discreet device acts as a subwoofer and allows you to give deeper bass to the sound of your television. Count on a little less than €100 for a decent sound base. Furthermore, you will surely come across such an object if you go into a store to buy a soundbar since sellers often offer one to complement your existing audio devices. Please note, we repeat, but the sound base is not an additional speaker.
Home cinema
If you want to invest in an exceptional experience, it's a safe bet that you'll love home theater, especially when it's accompanied by a powerful soundbar. However, this is not the only audio device since if you go with a Dolby 5.1 or Dolby 7.1 , you will have to go with several speakers in order to have absolutely exceptional 3D sound. Certain devices also have a better reputation than cinema.
How do I install my soundbar on my television?
Now that you have purchased a powerful soundbar for your TV, you need to be able to install it. If you were smart, you looked at what connections your screen had. The main ones are the optical cable and the HDMI cable. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage of the HDMI cable is that it is more affordable, but increases compatibility and display problems.
For the optical cable, you will not have these problems and the sound quality will be optimal. On the other hand, not all TVs are equipped and it is a little more expensive than HDMI connectivity.
My soundbar is plugged in, but not working, what should I do?
If your soundbar is properly connected to your television but does not work, several options are available to you:
- The soundbar has a manufacturing defect and you must take it back to the store so that they can test it for you. Of course, this kind of case is extremely rare.
- Your connection is not good: for example, your TV does not support the latest generation HDMI, or the HDMI cable is not the latest generation or is not compatible with your soundbar.
- The optical cable is poorly connected: unfortunately, this is something that is recurrent because the optical cables are fragile at the end, which sometimes causes breakage
- You have not set the correct device on the TV: this is easier to set for smart TVs but if the sound comes out of the speakers of your TV even though you have correctly connected the soundbar, it is because you must switch the TV audio output to your bar.
Chances are one of your problems is in the list above. If this is not the case, we invite you to contact technical support.
