I can dive into the deep tech specs of soundbars with subwoofers, but many of them either make a minuscule impact or are the same across the board. However, when choosing the best soundbar with subwoofer, look for these important features.
Subwoofer: Subwoofers are an important part of the sonic experience because they deliver the bass. That low rumble or thumping beat you feel in your bones is because of a powerful sub. Subwoofer speakers range from six inches to 16 inches. For most mid-sized rooms, eight inches is optimal.
Surround Speakers: Some soundbars come with two extra small speakers that are called surround speakers. You usually place these behind your couch or sitting area to the left and the right in order to get the most immersive sound possible. Before Dolby Atmos, this was the only way to do surround sound. Many audiophiles still consider this “true” surround sound superior.
Channels: Sound channel numbers are an indicator of how many different places sound is coming from on the device. We are talking Mono versus Stereo but in 21st century terms. Each bar and sub has multiple speakers in it, sometimes each serving up audio on multiple channels. When you see numbers like 5.1.4 or 11.1.4 (sometimes with the last .4 omitted), listed after a soundbar it is referring to the number of channels. The first digit is the important one to pay attention to, with five and seven being the most common. The more channels your audio set-up has, the more sound it can produce. Now you know why we say, for example, Samsung’s 11 channel soundbar is going above and beyond.
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X: These are basically just branded buzzwords for immersive 3D audio technology. Surround sound without the need for extra speakers. It doesn’t use traditional audio channels. Any speaker can attempt to play this audio format, but the soundbars and subwoofers we picked are designed with Dolby Atmos or DTS: X in mind.
Wireless Streaming: We get it. Speakers aren’t just for watching Top Gun: Maverick for the seventh time. Music matters too, and the ability to wirelessly stream your music from your phone or computer directly to your soundbar and subwoofer matters a whole lot to some people. I won’t lie, I love it too. it makes putting on a party playlist a breeze.
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