Streaming speakers with HDMI are the Soundbar alternative we’ve been waiting on

 Modern speakers are catching up with the smarts of soundbars

Speakers that operate wirelessly without the need for external gear like an amplifier, disc player, and, most important, wires, have been with us for some time. Many are familiar with Sonos, perhaps the company that can most strongly claim to have started the trend of all-in-one powered streaming speakers. 

Models like the Sonos One, Sonos One SL, and Sonos Five connect to your home’s Wi-Fi and operate solo to stream tunes directly from Spotify, Apple Music, and other services, and they can also be paired with other Sonos speakers to go stereo or to add surround sound.

Knowing a good thing when they saw it, big tech companies followed in Sonos’ footsteps with the likes of the Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini, Amazon Echo, and Google Nest Audio.

As that gold rush unfolded, British speaker maker KEF was busy claiming the space for high-end audio with its LS50 Wireless and LS50 Wireless II speakers ($2,500/pair), active models that provide built-in streaming of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz music services, along with wireless casting via Google Chromecast and AirPlay 2. The LS50s are impressively well-built speakers that use an innovative coaxial driver arrangement to optimize sound quality over a wide listening area. They may be a good deal pricier than a pair of HomePod Minis, but when you hear the difference in sound quality, the extra cost is worth it.

One thing KEF added to the  LS50 Wireless II that isn’t found on non-soundbar Sonos speakers and the company’s big-tech followers is an HDMI eARC port for connection to a smart TV. This feature, in effect, makes a pair of LS50 Wireless II speakers a fancy, higher-performance alternative to a soundbar.

KEF recently expanded the LS50 Wireless II concept to tower speakers with the addition of its LS60 Wireless ($7,000/pair), a floor-standing speaker with the same feature set as the previous model, but with extended bass reproduction capability.

Another high-end maker, Dynaudio, presented its own take on the streaming speaker at the recent Munich High-End show. The company’s new Focus range (opening image) includes bookshelf and floor standing models ranging from $5,500-$11,000. These have built-in support for Spotify Connect and TIDAL Connect, along with Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast, and they feature the sleek Danish design chops listeners expect from the brand. 

Unlike the KEFs there’s no HDMI eARC port, but the new Focus speakers do have an optical digital input for a TV connection plus WiSA wireless connectivity for linking with a compatible wireless surround sound TV from LG or Hisense. As if all that weren't enough to pack in, Focus models also feature onboard Dirac Live room correction processing - a first for a streaming speaker.

A similar option shown at Munich, though it premiered earlier this year at CES 2022, is the Prime Wireless Pro from US-based SVS. A gen-2 version of the company’s Prime Wireless speakers, the new model promises deeper bass via a larger 5.25-inch woofer (paired in this case with a 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter), while a powerful 200-watt (50 watts x 4) built-in amplifier should yield more than sufficient sound output.

The Pro supports Spotify Connect and DTS-Play Fi along with Chromecast built-in and AirPlay 2. Another key feature is an HDMI eARC port for a smart TV connection. At just $799 pair, the Prime Wireless Pro, which is expected to ship in June, presents a more budget-friendly option than the KEFs and Dynaudio's, though one that’s still firmly rooted in the high-performance camp

Are stereo speakers better than soundbars?

There’s no denying the advantages of soundbars, which take TV audio to the next level by increasing dialogue clarity, expanding the dynamic range of soundtracks, and in some cases adding Dolby Atmos overhead effects. And many provide all of that at a very affordable price. But if you also want to stream music on the same system, you may find soundbars fall short in comparison to stereo speakers.

While the three options discussed above are generally pricier than an average soundbar system (though the SVS comes close), they should all excel when it comes to music listening too. And with connectivity options for linking to a smart TV, you’ll be covered when it comes to streaming movies and the latest shows.

What makes a good Dolby Atmos Soundbar?

Take your home cinema sound to a whole new level with truly immersive audio

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Do you remember when you went from SD to HD, or from HD to 4K? Upgrading to one of the best soundbars with Dolby Atmos is like that, but for your ears. It adds a whole new level of immersion to your movies and TV shows, and with the right kit, it can do some amazing things with music too. It’s one of our very favorite home entertainment upgrades and we’d recommend it for any TV.

While Dolby Atmos is available in a wide selection of the best AV receivers, a Dolby Atmos soundbar is, without doubt, the simplest and most hassle-free way to improve your home cinema sound. It’s often the cheapest way too. Here are the answers to the questions you may have.

What is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos takes surround sound to a new level by enabling sound mixers to position objects vertically as well as horizontally. We’re all familiar with stereo and surround sound, where objects appear to be coming from either side (and with surround setups, from behind us too). With Dolby Atmos, objects can also be positioned above you. So when that helicopter flies overhead, it sounds like it’s actually there.

Although Dolby Atmos is most noticeable in action scenes, it’s also very effective in the quiet bits. Outdoor spaces sound airier than before, and public spaces like transport hubs sound so much more lifelike.

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Do you want dedicated Dolby Atmos speaker drivers?

Dolby Atmos soundbars can deliver immersive audio in two ways: through virtualization, and through the use of upward-firing speaker drivers. 

Virtualization is a software solution. It uses advanced audio processing to create the impression of height, using height-cue filters to mimic the cues that tell our ears something’s happening at a certain elevation. You might have encountered similar processing in some gaming or spatial audio headphones. 

That’s the software solution. The hardware solution is to have dedicated speaker drivers for the vertical channels, and in a soundbar, that means having upwards-firing speakers that bounce sound waves off your ceiling. To our ears, it’s much more natural, convincing, and immersive.

Do you want a one-box solution or full surround sound?

Some Dolby Atmos soundbars are designed to be used solo. But others include, or can be part of a system that includes subwoofers for low-end thump, upward-firing speakers for better vertical positioning, and rear speakers for 360-degree surround sound. 

Our current best soundbar pick, the Sonos Arc, can be used in multiple ways: it’s powerful and detailed enough to work really well as a stand-alone system, but you can also upgrade it to make it even punchier and more immersive with a pair of Sonos One SL or Sonos Five speakers as rear channels, and/or a Sonos Sub. 

Make sure you get the right fit

Soundbars are generally designed to sit immediately underneath and slightly in front of your TV, although some can also be wall mounted. But not all TVs have stands that are soundbar-friendly, and there’s a lot of variety in soundbar shapes and sizes too – so for example while the Sony HT-G700 is 6.4cm (2.5”) high the Sonos Arc is 8.5cm (3.35”), making the latter too tall for your writer’s Samsung TV.

Width is a factor too. The Arc is 45 inches wide, so it’ll dwarf smaller TVs; if you’ve got a 32-inch to 40-something TV you’d be better with the small Sonos Beam 2nd Gen or a similarly small rival such as the LG Eclair. 

Do you want a soundbar that also listens?

Some soundbars don’t just produce sound. They listen too, either in the form of personal digital assistants (Alexa and Google Assistant are the most common options) or by having room optimization features when you first install them that play a test signal, analyze how it bounces around your room, and adjust the soundbar’s audio output to deliver the best possible audio. 

That’s overkill if you’re not seriously into sound, but if you’ve dropped big money on one of the best TVs you’ll want the sound to be as accurate as the picture.

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More speaker drivers usually mean better Atmos

Every soundbar contains multiple speakers, so for example a Sonos Arc contains eleven including two upwards-firing speakers, the Sony HT-G700 has three plus a subwoofer and the Samsung HW-Q950A has 22 built-in speakers when you include the two satellite speakers and a sub.

As with other surround sound systems, you’ll see the full system configuration described with numbers: X.Y.Z, where X is the number of surrounds audio channels, Y is the number of bass speakers (usually a subwoofer) and Z is the number of height speakers. So a 3.1 system would have stereo and center speakers plus a subwoofer; 3.1.2 would have the same plus two height speakers. 

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You often have multiple speakers combined into different channels, so a soundbar might have eight or nine speakers, but delivered in five channels. This helps give each channel clarity and dynamic range.

In soundbars designed as stand-alone models, you’ll often find one or more bass radiators. These aren’t speakers; rather, they’re a way of getting much more low-end thump out of relatively small speaker drivers. To do that they funnel the air pressure from those speakers through an enclosure containing a diaphragm, which vibrates just like a speaker cone does and produces more boom without requiring any additional speaker components or electricity. 

What connectivity options does it have?

Soundbars typically connect via HDMI to your TV’s ARC or eARC HDMI port, with the TV sending the soundbar the audio signal. eARC is the newer and better standard because it allows for lossless audio. ARC can still take Dolby Atmos, but not at the highest possible quality – if you're not buying a high-end speaker, this won't matter so much.

Some Samsung soundbars and Samsung TVs can recognize one another when connected over HDMI and work together, with the TV acting as the dialogue speaker while the soundbar handles the rest of the audio.

eARC isn’t the only way to connect. Some soundbars have additional wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, enabling them to receive streamed audio from other devices via AirPlay 2 or Google Cast or via the manufacturer’s own app. And some have optical inputs enabling you to connect to other audio sources.

How does it handle other audio formats?

Dolby Atmos isn’t the only audio format or codec you’ll encounter, so it’s important to check the specs to ensure that your potential purchase will play nicely with your other audio sources. 

On DVDs, there’s Stereo PCM for two-channel audio or Dolby Digital for 5.1 surround, and with Blu-ray discs and movie downloads you’re likely to encounter Dolby TrueHD and DTS/DTS: X/DTS-HD Master Audio.

For gamers, the PlayStation 5 outputs stereo or surround PCM sound over ARC, but Sony’s console doesn’t support Dolby Atmos in games. The Xbox Series X does, and it also supports DTS: X. 

Some gamers say the latter is a little less abrasive at higher volumes and that it’s better at upsampling audio; others say that Atmos is more immersive and more precise.

Both consoles can pass Dolby Atmos sound through to a TV when playing 4K Blu-rays.

If you have a Roku streaming device, you can control your Soundbar using your Roku TV remote.

If you have a Roku streaming device, you can control your Soundbar using your Roku TV remote.

Soundbars are becoming an increasingly popular solution to poor TV speakers or adding surround sound, creating a home theater. But who wants to add another remote control just to turn up the volume? If you have a Roku TV or Roku player, you can use the Roku remote to control your soundbar.

In many cases, soundbars provide fuller and richer sounds than a TV set can. Plus, you don't have to spend a fortune on top-end models; there are plenty of mid-range and value soundbars for any budget. Soundbars can be stereo with two speakers and a subwoofer (2.1 system).