5.1 sound bars are one of the most interesting accessories you can buy to improve the audio quality of your television. They take up little space and will allow you to enjoy series, movies and video games with first-class surround sound.
Why a sound bar?
The evolution that televisions have experienced in recent years is nothing new and anyone can see it. From the lowest to the highest range, all new generation smart TVs are becoming thinner, more stylish and with better image quality.
However, this has its buts. The biggest of all is that to minimize the size and thickness of these devices, the sound is usually trimmed. If we think about it from the manufacturer’s point of view, it is quite logical.
On the one hand, they can offer thinner televisions, with more up-to-date profiles, lower weight and a wider screen diagonal. A priori everything are advantages to sell your products as new and sophisticated.
On the other hand, the same manufacturers are exploring the sound market, offering an alternative to improve the poor performance of their TV speakers. And this is where soundbars come into play.
Devices that have several speakers, a subwoofer to increase the bass frequencies and, as in the case at hand, satellites to make the experience even more enveloping and immersive.
What should you look for in a surround sound bar?
The first thing you should know is that for a sound bar to be considered fully 5.1 , it must have 5 speakers and a subwoofer . There are surround audio options, such as one of the ones we will see below, which equip even more speakers inside the bar, but these examples are the least.
The normal thing is that they integrate three front speakers in the bar that would be the front, left and right channels. In addition to two satellites that you will have to place behind your head, which would be the rear left and rear right channels. And then the .1 which is the subwoofer, a speaker that only reproduces bass and sub-bass frequencies.
Low-end 5.1 soundbars
Once you know the basics of 5.1 soundbars , we start with the cheapest models you can find. Despite its price, its manufacturers have poured all their know-how into offering you a good surround experience.
Sony HT-S20R: economical and functional
Sony is one of the biggest brands of high-end televisions and also has its own sound systems. Specifically, the HT-S20R is the entry range for their 5.1 soundbars . A device that will allow you to experience the authentic sound with two wired rear speakers, a 3-channel sound bar and a subwoofer.
In total, it is capable of reaching a total output power of 400 watts, more than enough for any domestic use you want to give it (before the neighbor downstairs starts complaining). For the rest, it has simple bluetooth connectivity and HDMI ARC, optical and analog input.
Creative Sound BlasterX Katana: with RGB light
If you are already a few years old, surely you remember the mythical Sound Blaster sound cards, the best of the best for recording or playing audio in the 2000s. Now, Creative uses all its accumulated knowledge in audio equipment to present its Sound BlasterX Katana.
A sound bar with a design reminiscent of the Japanese sword and that includes the Aurora Reactive lighting system: a set of 49 programmable LED lights to offer you a design bonus. But the best is in its five-driver audio system, which separates the speakers by frequency, to achieve superior sound quality.
Vizio M-Series: with 11 speakers
Although it is not well known in Spain, Vizio has one of the cheapest and most efficient 5.1 sound bars on the market. Its M range has 11 two-way speakers to separate high and low frequencies through independent tweeters and woofers.
In addition, it includes Dolby Atmos and DTS technology, two standards that will allow you to reproduce surround sound with most compatible movies and series. An affordable alternative to complement your television and provide it with a more realistic and precise sound.
In the mid range is the best sound
At the next level of performance are the mid-range 5.1 soundbars . Its main advantage is that the rear satellites include wireless functions, which will give you much more freedom when placing them. In addition to a better quality of materials, which has a positive impact on the quality of the audio.
Samsung HW-K950: a wireless soundbar
With this Samsung model we are faced with a sound bar with real 5.1 technology, that is, it has a front bar with three speakers and two rear satellites. But their great advantage is that they connect with wireless technology, which is always a plus.
It offers a combined power of 500 watts, has Dolby Atmos technology and best of all, a special mode for 4K movies. This type of content contains even more sound data, so you can enjoy first-class image and audio quality.
JBL Bar 5.1: legendary bass
JBL is arguably the best known speaker manufacturer in the world alongside Bose and it’s all thanks to their legendary bass. The reproduction of these frequencies is also very present in the JBL Bar 5.1 , which has 510 watts of power so that your whole house shakes during action scenes.
However, we cannot understand how a model with these characteristics has battery-powered satellite speakers! This serious drawback means that you can only enjoy 10 hours of playback before having to change them. If this does not matter to you, the rest makes up for it with the rest of the functionalities and bluetooth connectivity.
Philips Fidelio: a 5.1.2 bar
Within the 5.1 sound bars we find the Philips Fidelio that claims to be one of the few 5.1.2. In other words, its surround sound is achieved thanks to the five speakers located in the bar itself and a powerful subwoofer that raises the maximum output power to 808 watts.
A handicap that does not tarnish the good work of the rest of the team, which has Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced and DTS Play-Fi technologies for compatible content. In addition, it is capable of connecting with the main voice assistants on the market to complete your ecosystem.
Bose Smart Soundbar 900: a world of possibilities
The range of Bose smart speakers and soundbars has a wide variety of models and the possibility of including the subwoofer and the two rear satellites in the package for a true surround audio experience.
Specifically, the Soundbar 900 offers you voice control compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and AirPlay 2 so that setting it up with your devices is as simple as possible.
LG SP9YA: a smart sound bar
LG’s 5.1 model reaches a total power of 520 watts, surround sound technology with Dolby Atmos and DTS X standards and extensive connectivity, either by HDMI eARC, Bluetooth 5.0 or USB. In addition, you can link your content with AirPlay 2, Spotify, Alexa, Google Assistant and Chromecast.
But the icing on the cake is its speaker system made by Meridian . The iconic high-end sound signature is present in the highest-end vehicles from Audi, among others, and is always a guarantee that what you play on them will sound good.
High-end 5.1 sound bars
Lastly, we didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to show you some of the best 5.1 sound bar models on the market. The high-end has exorbitant prices, but also features that are worth what they cost.
Sennheiser Ambeo: a sound legend
If you are dedicated to something related to sound, you will surely have heard of Sennheiser . The German brand is a legend in the manufacture of speakers and headphones, where it holds the record (which probably will never be broken) of selling the most expensive and luxurious headphones in the world.
This demonstration of the highest quality can also be seen in its
Ambeo. A sound bar with 13 speakers that is capable of achieving surround sound despite dispensing with satellites and a subwoofer. But the truth is that you don’t need it to achieve bass down to 30 Hz, almost at the threshold of human hearing. If you are looking for sound quality at all costs, you have already found it.
Sonos Beam: a movie sound
We end with the soundbar from Sonos , one of the best-known brands of wireless speakers. On this occasion, its sound system has all the elements you need to reproduce the audio with the best quality and is compatible with voice commands from Alexa and Google Assistant.
A system that gives up nothing, with an elegant and minimalist design, Trueplay technology that dynamically adjusts the speakers based on the acoustics of each room, and touch controls to make the final experience even more pleasing.
The best surround sound for your living room
There are many ways to go in order to achieve a surround sound experience in your living room. In fact, some high-end options have technology so precise that they don’t require satellites or subwoofers to achieve the most faithful audio reproduction on the market, as is the case with the Sennheiser Ambeo .
However, if you’re looking for something more standard, most low-end and mid-range soundbars come with a manual 5.1 system. This may or may not be an advantage, because as you have seen some systems include battery-powered wireless satellites, which can cause more discomfort than anything else.
But as that wise man said, virtue lies in the middle ground. And that’s why our recommendation is LG ‘s 5.1 soundbar . A model that has intelligent functions, connectivity to spare and sound reproduction endorsed by a prestigious brand.
