DH Audio and Home Theater, (973) 428-9800, offers sound bars from Atlantic Technology, Boston Acoustics, KEF, Klipsch, Leon, PSB, Sonance, Sonos, Triad, and others.
(Need installation? Complete and neat installations are our specialty!)
Pros:
1. When compared with the sound quality that comes from a flat-panel TV’s built-in speakers, sound bars can be anywhere from a little better to night-and-day better, the latter improvement happening at the high-end of the product category and when paired with a separate woofer.
2. They take up little space and will sometimes be the only thing that fits in the only available space.
3. They start at a couple of hundred bucks.
With a recessed TV an external speaker, such as a soundbar, may be required.
Cons:
1. They prevent systems from being easier to use. The easiest systems require that you press just one button, with no aiming or holding of the remote, to watch TV or to listen to music. Most sound bars prohibit this. (Bluesound has one that doesn’t.)
2. They don’t sound nearly as good as well-chosen comparably priced bookshelf speakers (starting at $300/pair) or floor speakers (starting at $650/pair). This isn’t a subtle difference that only a connoisseur can detect—it’s obvious.
3. They require a separate woofer—often mistakenly referred to as a “subwoofer”– if they’re to have any richness to the sound at all. This woofer is a separate speaker, typically box shaped and starting at about 12” cubed, that sits on the floor and that requires a power outlet and sometimes an audio cable running to it.
4. Sound bars may prevent a clean looking wall mounted TV installation as there are now more wires to hide on the wall (e.g. power cord, audio and video cables)
5. Sound bars may have to be moved if the size of the TV should change, possibly requiring that the previous mounting holes have to be patched
6. They can make changing out other equipment—besides the TV—difficult if that equipment needs to connect to a sound bar that’s wall-mounted and if the connecting wires are to be run behind the wall.
DH Audio and Home Theater helps you plan your audio and video installation so that, in the end, you’re satisfied and eager to call on us for future projects. Figuring out the best way for you to get the quality sound you want is part of that. (973) 428-9800
