Soundbar or system: what the living room really needs

The sound from the television is the weak spot of every living room. The question is not whether to help it along, but with what. Two routes are open: the soundbar below the picture or a system of amplifier and speakers. Both have their justification.

The soundbar: the normal case

A good soundbar is a speaker with many drivers, its own electronics and an HDMI port. It connects to the television via eARC and can be controlled with the television's remote. The better models create, with drivers firing upwards and sideways, a surround sound that surprises – especially with an additional subwoofer and two small rear speakers.

Brands we install frequently: Sonos (Arc Ultra, Beam), Samsung (Q series with rear speakers), Sony (Bravia Theater), Bose (Smart Ultra), Sennheiser (Ambeo as a large single solution) and Bang & Olufsen for design. The advantage lies in simplicity: one device, one cable, one app, plus music streaming throughout the house.

The system: sound without compromise

An AV receiver from Denon, Marantz, Yamaha or Sony drives five, seven or more speakers plus subwoofer. Ceiling speakers provide the height for Dolby Atmos. The difference from a soundbar is no nuance: voices come from the centre of the picture, effects from the direction they are meant to come from, and the bass has body instead of boom. A system also plays music in stereo at a level no soundbar reaches.

The price: speakers in the room or in wall and ceiling, cables, one more device in the furniture and a control setup that needs configuring. In a new build or renovation, when cables are being pulled anyway, that is the right moment.

The middle way

Two active stereo speakers – from KEF, Dali, Bowers & Wilkins or Piega, say – with HDMI input replace soundbar and amplifier. For music they sound clearly better than any soundbar; for films the centre channel and the height are missing. For households where more music than film is played, often the loveliest solution.

The decision

What is often forgotten

The television has to support eARC, otherwise the sound only arrives compressed. The soundbar needs room to breathe, not a closed compartment. And anyone planning ceiling speakers should know the plasterer beforehand. We listen to the candidates together – with your film, not ours.