Soundbar or home theater - which is better?

Musical equipment was always held in high esteem, but home cinemas began to “evolve” only now. Soundbars were born that allow you to achieve the best surround sound, spreading sound throughout the room. Soundbar or home theater - which is better? To answer this question, you will have to carefully understand their differences.

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Which technique is better?

To identify the winner, you should consider in detail each representative. Soundbars come in three types:

• 2.1.
• 3.1.
• 5.1.

Here, most likely, there is nothing new for the consumer, because everyone knows these numbers from childhood. But not all users know the basics, so companies manipulate numbers in order to confuse the buyer. There are modern 5.1 systems that are provided with integrated speakers for the front, center and rear. All components are integrated into a single configuration panel with separately distributed amplifiers used for each channel. It is this technology that provides the highest quality sound distribution. In other words, all devices work independently of each other, but merge their sound together. You can find such a technique that can activate the subwoofer through a special wireless module.

Important! How do these installations work? The whole point is that engineering solutions allow you to deceive the human ear, providing a qualitative illusion of volume. Sound waves bounce off the wall and give the impression that the sound source is at the back. Many manufacturers have long developed personal reproduction methods, but some still use technologies that were developed a long time ago.

What to choose - a soundbar or a home theater? Perhaps an explanation of the configurations will help give an answer.

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Configurations

Consider some features of the device and the functionality of such a technique to understand whether a soundbar or a home theater is better in a particular situation.

Paragraph 1

At the heart of each soundbar there is a special speaker, which is the “driver”. Such a device is located in the design of the entire model. Home cinemas use multi-colored speakers that can be of any size.

Important! Obviously, sounding in soundbars is unlikely to achieve the same effect that a home theater can provide.

Point 2

The panel has a slightly different purpose and is used only in small rooms. The design of such devices pursues minimalism and aesthetics, so all the wires and blocks are hidden inside the case.

Important! Even if we make a comparison with the same home theater, the latter can be called a permanent resident of a bachelor’s apartment.

Important! Want to watch a movie with quality sound? Connect the speakers from the home theater to the video source using our instructions:

• How to connect speakers from a home theater to a computer?
• How to connect speakers from a home theater to a TV?

Point 3

There are such panels that manage with a minimal configuration with the simplest functionality. We described them in detail in our review. "What is the best inexpensive soundbar?".

Representatives of the “premium class” are equipped with support for modern models of mobile devices and are equipped with various players, ranging from Blu-ray discs to FM radio.

Important! Also, remote controls are often included in the kit. Many users consider this a huge plus, since the remote greatly simplifies the operation of the device.

For home theaters, the selection criteria and other features look completely different, and also depend on a huge number of factors:

• Special coaxial inputs that are designed for 5.1 systems, DVD players and Blu-ray players can be included.
• It also has a receiver that can decode the most common formats, for example, Dolby Digital EX and DTS not-ES.
• Modern devices can support even newer versions, which should completely change your idea of ​​surround sound.

You can find all the necessary information about this technique on our portal of useful tips in another publication “Which home theater is better?”.

Important! You will not be able to find a single soundbar that would have the same wide functionality. The sound bar is rather based on the virtual environment and Cp-formats of sound. Models of such devices can have analog left or right inputs. The sound of any connected equipment at the output will turn into the promised surround sound, similar to the sound of many modern playback technologies.

Point 4

Many sound systems are equipped with digital converters. These gadgets are capable of playing in discrete DD or DTS format. Also, do not forget about the equipment that works through the HDMI interface.

Soundbar or home theater - which is better? To complete the acquaintance, you need to look at the shortcomings of the systems, let's pay attention to the cons.

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Disadvantages:

• The soundbar often includes a decoder, which still does not look very convincing for working with systems like 5.1. Decoding data can only effectively show itself if separate rear speakers are used, in other cases it will be very difficult to achieve good sound. In this regard, many models of sound bars often fail.
• Everyone has heard sound systems of type 2.1, which boast an extensive sound range. A wireless subwoofer is a very interesting solution for such cases. Such models fit very well indoors without the use of any wires. But, unfortunately, pitfalls can be here. The bottom line is that in reality the size of the speakers in the soundbar is so small that the “roll” can easily reproduce high frequencies, significantly exceeding 40 Hz. And this value is just the symbol of bass.

Important! Soundbar with separate components requires an optimal solution for the correct placement of the sound system. If the buffer has a cable that connects directly, then you need to know the length of this cable in advance.

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Stock footage

What to choose - a soundbar or a home theater? It is best to look for that system that fits perfectly into your interior and will delight you with its sound quality. If you do not need to listen to music with your neighbors, then give preference to acoustics such as Soundbar, and for those who like louder, home cinema systems are suitable. Also, one should not forget about the acoustic properties of the room. It is based on this knowledge that you should choose the location of the devices.