Michael Bizzaco is a seasoned consumer tech writer with over five years of experience contributing to major publications like Digital Trends, How-To Geek, Android Police, and SPY. Specializing in product reviews, buying guides, and streaming device breakdowns, he's built a career simplifying complex specs and demystifying pesky acronyms.
Brand-new TVs are mind-blowing in more ways than one, but most sets struggle with sound quality. TV speakers just aren't very big, and it's a sacrifice that must be made if we don't want to go back to the cathode-ray era.
Fortunately, soundbars are a go-to saving grace for lackluster sound, and some of the best models on the market are tailor-made for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts.can start to feel like finding a needle in a haystack. But that's why our friends at Consumer Reports are still around after 90 years of service; they vet, test, and rate all the tech so you don't have to. We've been covering CR's top recommendations across a number of product categories , which brings us to today's focus: CR-approved soundbars for audiophiles. We decided to highlight five bars from CR's archives, and we did our best to stick with reliable brand names most speaker fans will be familiar with. Considering the"premium" nature of most systems, we also didn't pay much attention to price .and DTS:X. But if you're not interested in dropping boatloads of cash on a complete Atmos configuration, a good alternative for small to medium-sized rooms is a soundbar that can virtualize object-based sound. Enter the, a CR-recommended bar that comes with two rear speakers and a subwoofer. It also has up-firing speakers that auto-rotate into position when Atmos or DTS:X content is detected, which earned the bar top marks for audio immersion. Connectivity-wise, you'll be working with HDMI eARC, and in lieu of a remote, you control and customize the system using the Vizio app.immersive as older generations of the Vizio product the publication tested, but dialogue-focused audiophiles will appreciate the dedicated center speaker and dialogue enhancement mode.What if we told you there was a soundbar that measured less than 15 inches wide that could virtualize Dolby Atmos and DTS:? You might call us crazy, but it does indeed exist. It's the. A tiny titan, the Mini AX ditches rear channels and up-firing drivers in favor of a 3D audio mode with virtualized height capabilities. While it's not the same type of immersion a system like the Vizio Elevate SE delivers, it's still dang good. CR applauded the Mini AX's ease of use, and we're guessing a lot of that has to do with the compact size, but also its simple HDMI eARC connectivity . The bar even comes with an HDMI cable, so all you need to provide is a TV or projector with an ARC/eARC port. Better yet, the Mini AX will even let you stream music via Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, or Chromecast when you connect the bar to Wi-Fi, and there's a Bluetooth mode too. The Mini AX is also compatible with Polk's SR2 wireless speakers, which can be added to the system as dedicated rears., and our list is no exception. CR classes the Arc Ultra as a"premium soundbar," a designation we wholeheartedly agree with. The beefy system has 14 built-in speakers, including side- and up-firing drivers for the kind of immersive audio you'd expect to hear in a movie theater. CR praised the Arc Ultra's sound quality, and we also know for a fact that it packs a mean punch for movies and music. Speaking of which, the Arc Ultra can be integrated into an existing Sonos ecosystem. The company makes several Wi-Fi speakers that can be grouped and customized using the intuitive Sonos app, including the Ultra. Some supported platforms include AirPlay 2, Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, and a few others. You'll also be able to use Sonos' Trueplay feature to calibrate the Ultra's sound based on your listening space . Yet again, HDMI ARC/eARC is the A to B connection between the bar and your TV. This time around, it's also the only connection, so those of us with non-ARC TVs will needis an absolute beast of a home theater soundbar, and it's one that CR singled out both for sound quality and ease of use. Classed as a 7.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos system, the HW-Q900F contains a dedicated center, side- and up-firing drivers, and a wireless subwoofer. It's great for medium to large-sized rooms, and thanks to Samsung's SpaceFit Sound Pro Plus feature, you can even calibrate the bar to match your room acoustics. Many Samsung soundbars have a feature called Q-Symphony that lets you use the bar and Samsung TV speakers simultaneously, and the HW-Q900F is a supported model. We're also pleased to report that the Q900F has twoof an HDMI ARC/eARC output. That means you'll be able to connect a modern game console or 4K Blu-ray player directly to the soundbar, while still being able to use 2.1 features like Quick Media Switching and Quick Frame Transport . The HW-Q900F also has a handful of audio presets to choose from, including a dialogue enhancement mode for cranking up the spoken word and vocals. And if you feel the need to, you can even add Samsung's SWA-9500S wireless rear speakers for true, front-to-back surround sound.is a solid 2.1-channel bar with built-in woofers. It's the most basic soundbar on our list, a fact that CR agrees with. Surprisingly, the DHT-S218 can virtualize Dolby Atmos when it's connected via HDMI ARC/eARC to a TV, but lacks support for DTS:X. CR claimed the DHT-S218 delivers"decent sound quality," and there are four audio presets to choose from: Movie, Music, Night Mode, and Pure. There's also a dialogue enhancement feature for zeroing in on whispered lines, as well as a Bluetooth input for those looking to stream music wirelessly. Speaking of which, the bar also supports Bluetooth Multipoint, so you'll be able to have more than one device paired to the bar simultaneously. Beyond HDMI eARC, the S218 also has an HDMI input, as well as digital optical, USB, 3.5mm auxiliary, and a woofer pre-out if you'd like to add a separate sub down the line.Audiophiles can be a tough crowd to please. That's why each of our CR-approved soundbar selections is packed to the brim with top-shelf audio features — especially Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. We also did our best to highlight systems with numerous inputs and outputs, multiple audio presets, room calibration tools, and Wi-Fi connectivity. You also won't find any"mom and pop" soundbars on our roundup, as all of our selections are systems designed by recognizable and reliable brands.
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