Imagine a scenario where you’re watching the movie, let’s say, Jurassic World, and Indominus Rex is letting out an earth-shattering roar. Instead of being thrilling, however, this prehistoric beast sounds like he is merely clearing his throat. Disappointing, right?
Alternatively, think of the last time you were watching a game at an enjoyable volume, only to be blasted to the high heavens when an advertisement comes on. You scramble for the remote to turn down this uncomfortably high volume, only to have to turn it back up when your team comes back onto the pitch.
Sound familiar? If so, you’re probably encountering the frustrations of watching TV without a soundbar.
What Is a Soundbar & Why Do I Need One?
A soundbar is a compact multi-speaker system that, when connected to your TV, improves the quality of the sound exponentially. It usually comes in the shape of a slim rectangular bar that can nestle inconspicuously beneath your TV.
Back when big boxy TV sets were the norm, these TVs had plenty of room in them to house large speakers which produced fairly high-quality sound. While speaker technology has undoubtedly improved over the years, as TVs have become thinner, so have the speakers inside.
In fact, many LCD TVs today have speakers that are only as big as a Twix candy bar. So, while the picture quality has improved vastly, audio quality hasn’t been able to keep up. This is why Indominus Rex sounds like he doesn’t believe in himself.
How a Soundbar Can Enhance Your TV Experience
Ready to upgrade your sound system? Here are the top 3 ways a soundbar can make movie night more enjoyable.
1. Get the Movie-Theatre Feel
Along with being too small, TV speakers are also positioned in such a way that drives sound towards the wall rather than towards you. Inversely, a typical soundbar contains two or more speakers, along with a built-in amplifier, that always faces you resulting in a better audio experience. Additionally, almost all soundbars also come with a wireless subwoofer that can be kept anywhere in the room. The subwoofer produces the low bass and surround sounds that are such an integral part of the movie-theatre experience.
2. Hear All the Highs and the Lows
Like everything in life, sound comes with its highs and lows. To get an immersive sound experience, you should be able to hear high-frequency sounds, like a scream, as clearly as a low-frequency sound, like the rumble of thunder.
Many standard TV speakers are midrange drivers that specialize only in audio from the middle of the sound spectrum. This means they just cannot capture the nuances of sound and make you feel like you are part of the scene.
However, soundbars come with separate tweeters and woofers. The tweeters produce high-frequency sounds, while the woofers produce lower-frequency sounds. This ensures you’ll be able to enjoy the full range of sound required for a realistic feel.
3. Enjoy a Comfortable and Customizable Audio Experience
The reason advertisements are louder than the rest of the show you are watching is that they are broadcast at the maximum permissible volume levels.
Many soundbars now come with features that do not allow the volume to go beyond a certain level. Therefore, there is no need for you to watch TV tensed up and remote at the ready, for when an obscenely loud advertisement comes on.
The fact that you can adjust everything from the treble to the bass, to the dialogue sound also makes for a very customizable audio experience. For example, if you are watching a horror movie, increase the treble to make the scary moments sound louder. You’ll be leaping behind the sofa in no time!