Speaker Bar Buying Guide
One-piece Speaker Bars are an exciting breakthrough in home theater technology. Now you can experience exciting, room-filling sound from just one easily installed component. No more multiple speakers, no more clutter, no more hiding wires…just the pure excitement of bringing your movies and music to life.
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Just One Speaker: One-piece speaker bars eliminate the need for multiple satellites
Less Clutter: Without satellites, there are no wires strung around the room
No-hassle Install: Plug in a few wires and setup your bar above or below your TV
Stylish Design: Sound bars are designed to complement today’s flat panel displays
Virtual Surround: Some systems are capable of creating the effect of surround sound from one speaker bar
Three Main Types of Speaker Bars
Receiver-powered Speaker Bars
Receiver-powered speaker bars do not have an amplifier built-in and need a surround receiver to work. Many of these speaker bars can be configured to three, five, or even seven channels leaving the option to add additional surround speakers at a later date. Choosing a separate receiver allows the flexibility to choose the right features and power. Many surround receivers offer WiFi, AirPlay, internet radio, Zone 2, and plenty of auxiliary inputs. Receiver-powered speaker bars combine the latest driver and cabinet design with cutting edge surround technology for a custom solution. For the best possible sound, a separate subwoofer is recommended to complete the experience.
Self-Powered Speaker Bars
This type of Speaker Bar has a built-in amplifier so a seperate surround receiver is not necessary. This type of system is easy to connect and its design makes it pratically clutter free. Most models can easily be hung on the wall or placed on a TV stand. Virtual surround processing tricks your ear into thinking surround sound effects are coming from the sides and behind your seating position. While they cannot quite match the channel separation of a true 5.1 surround system these speaker bars are capable of producing high quality, realistic surround effects with a very large sound stage. Once again, a subwoofer is recommended to complete the experience.
Digital Sound Projectors
Currently produced only by Yamaha, digital sound projectors use a multitude of tiny drivers to literally bounce sound waves off your walls to create a truly enveloping surround experience. Including their own amplification and automated system calibration, this type of speaker bar is capable of producing the most realistic surround effects of any speaker bar. Unlike the other two types of speaker bars, digital sound projectors are affected by the position of your walls and room furnishings. For the system to be able to bounce the sound waves correctly it helps if your room is rectangular or square with similar treatments on each wall. Since this system includes its own digital amplification and processing a separate receiver is not needed. As with all speaker bars a subwoofer is recommended to complete the experience.
Whichever type of speaker bar you choose you're sure to be pleased by the realistic, lifelike sound these systems are capable of producing. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses so it's good to assess your needs and desires before you start shopping.
