If you've always been curious about how professionals choose the best soundbars, you should read our buying guide. We'll show you how to shop for a soundbar like a pro. Follow us closely as we explore the features that everyone should know before investing in any soundbar.
What are soundbars, and why choose them over home theatre systems?
Generally, you would find soundbars a lot easier to set up in your home compared to a complete home theatre system. The reason is that you won't need to deal with wires. If those wires irk you out, using a soundboard instead might be a solution you should look into. You only need to connect soundbars to your TV wirelessly.
Soundbars are also compact, and they look presentable. With soundbars, you'll get fantastic audio quality, especially when you pair it with a subwoofer. A home theatre speaker, on the other hand, is a lot more complex. Another difference is in the audio quality. It requires different parts of a speaker and wires to set up. You'll get surround and more immersive audio with a full home theatre than with only a soundbar.
What are the available soundbar types?
Soundbars come in different types. They look similar but are different in terms of the result they bring and the brand that created them. You should know that different kinds of Soundbars suit the taste of other customers.
They come in different styles, features, requirements, etc. Below, we go over some of these features and requirements. It prepares you, so you'll know what to expect.
Soundbars with subwoofer
Soundbars with subwoofers massively boost the audio quality of your audio system. It delivers surround audio. Some of the best soundbars with subwoofers always come with wireless subwoofers. These wireless subwoofers give you surround audio and deep bass that adds drama and depth to everything you watch and listen to.
Another benefit of soundbars that have subwoofers is that they are compatible with Alexa. It would help if you did almost everything, from reducing the volume of the music you're listening to, to turning off the music entirely. If you're looking to enjoy the bass details that your Soundbar can produce, you should opt for soundbars with subwoofers.
Soundbars without a subwoofer
There are soundbars without subwoofers, and they do well without them. These calibres of soundbars usually have fantastic technology that aids the production of audio while eliminating distortions. For instance, some soundboards without subwoofers deploy "QuietPort" technology to remove distortion in audio.
The "PhaseGuide" technology also ensures listeners enjoy the ranges of sound that the Soundbar can produce. However, Soundbars without subwoofers might not give you that deep bass that you're hoping to enjoy. You'll need a subwoofer to get deep bass details in songs, movies, etc. These types of soundbars are also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa.
Cinematic soundbars
From the name alone, you can already guess what this type of soundbar works for. They are strictly for recreating the cinematic audio experience in your home theatre that you get from cinemas. Cinematic soundbars boost the sound quality of the movies you watch, immersing you in fantastic surround sound. You'd feel like you're in the film. These types of speakers are perfect for watching movies and setting up your indoor or outdoor home theatre.
What you need to know regarding the connections
There are two significant ways to go about it when it comes to connecting your Soundbar to your TV. You can do it the old-fashioned way using a cable if you could establish a connection wirelessly. The connection to use depends on the method your TV is compatible with.
Optical output connection
This connection type is quite limited as it doesn't support many formats. It is a substitute for when your Soundbar lacks an HDMI connector. Although it supports very few formats, some people prefer this connection because they believe its electricity conversion reduces electrical interference. However, that seems to be a myth because there's no way to see if it reduces electrical interference. Regardless, before you get yourself an optical connector cable, confirm if your TV supports this connection type. More so, this kind of connection supports stereo, Dolby Digital, and DTS.
HDMI and HDMI ARC connection
Establishing a connection via HDMI cable is the best-wired connection for your Soundbar. The reason is it supports a wide range of sound formats. Also, the majority of TVs today have HDMI ports to establish an HDMI connection. In addition, HDMI cables are strong enough to withstand the majority of sound systems available today. This feature makes it a versatile form of wired connectivity. Some of the formats it supports include stereo, Dolby Digital, DTS, DTS:X, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby True HD. Before attempting an HDMI connection with your TV, ensure your TV supports HDMI-ARC that allows audio to travel in and out.
Wireless connectivity
Your Soundbar's ability to connect wirelessly to an external source makes it more convenient and easy to use.
Bluetooth
Connecting your Soundbar to your TV using Bluetooth is another great way to establish a soundbar-TV connection. For starters, if you don't like seeing cables lying around your house, connecting via Bluetooth is one of the connections you should explore. The only limitation to establishing a Bluetooth connection is that now all TVs come with Bluetooth. Also, there's a limit to the distance that your Bluetooth has after establishing your connection with a Bluetooth connection.
WiFi
You can also choose to connect speakers too. It would help if you choose a soundbar with a WiFi connection because it allows you to connect multiple soundbars to your audio outlet. It also establishes a wireless connection over a vast distance. More so, when compared to Bluetooth connections, WiFi connections are faster. The downside is that you'd experience lag if the internet connection isn't stable.
Channels of the soundbars - what do 2.0, 3.1, and 5.2 mean?
A peculiar feature about Soundbars is that they work with channel numbers. These numbers depict the number of speakers direction your Soundbar had with or without a subwoofer. Manufacturers represent the channel numbers as 2.0 and 5.1.
Soundbars that are marked as 2.0 have two speaker directions. One speaker faces the right, and the other faces the left, but it lacks a subwoofer.
A 3.1 soundbar channel means that the subwoofer has three speakers and a subwoofer. In essence, one of the speakers faces right, the other faces left, and the third is in the middle.
The same reading goes for a Soundbar with a 5.1 channel. That would mean that your Soundbar has five speakers and a single subwoofer. The direction of the speakers would be one speaker in the middle, two at the back, one on the left, and the last speaker facing the right.
When your Soundbar is a 5.1.4, it means that it has five speakers, one subwoofer, and four extra speakers for the above listener sound generation.
Active and passive speakers - which one should I go for? 
There are two forms of soundbars which are passive speakers and active speakers. These speakers differ in terms of their features and functions. Manufacturers build passive speakers without a built-in power amplifier. In essence, you won't fully enjoy your passive soundbars as they lack amplifiers. You'll need to purchase external amplifiers that would improve the sound signal that your Soundbar generates. Passive soundbars are pretty expensive. The reason is, they are of higher quality compared to active soundbars.
For passive Soundbars, you'll need an elaborate setup. You'd also probably require the help of a third party to install it in your room. But one of its benefits is that you'll enjoy high-quality audio when you play your music or watch a movie.
Active speakers are powered. They come with built-in amplifiers to strengthen sound signals. Unlike passive soundbars, they are easy to set up. You do not need the extra gadgets to set it up fully. But it lacks certain features.
For instance, active soundbars are not flexible enough. You can't precisely connect it to other systems in the home. Also, it is difficult for active soundbars to adjust to other speakers because of their built-in amplifiers.
Both active and passive speakers are good but fit different contexts and interests. For instance, if you'd love to have your setup, it's best to invest in a passive speaker. Otherwise, an active speaker would do
Additional features
Below we have provided you with some additional features you should look out for when purchasing a soundbar.
Alexa
Soundbars with subwoofers and soundbars without subwoofers offer voice-control features. With the ability to synchronize Alexa, you can control your music with your voice. Not every Soundbar comes with this feature. However, a great way to get soundbars with the Alexa feature is to buy soundbars from innovative brands. They always deploy Alexa in their soundbars. With this feature, you can directly stream music from your other devices.
Google assistant
Quite a lot of soundbars offer the Google Assistant feature. But some brands offer this feature better than others. Perhaps it is a result of their partnership with Google. Some of the best soundbars with Google Assistant are from Sonos, LG, Boss, and VIZIO.
While there are other brands, these highlighted brands offer excellent sync with Google Assistant. Like Alexa, Google assistant comes through for you when you need to stream music from your laptop, mobile phone, and other audio devices.
Innovative features in the Soundbar
In this age of IoT, it would be weird not to find soundbars and other home gadget with intelligent features. Devices with smart features make your life easier. You would easily control your TV and other devices connected to your Soundbar. You'll transform the way you make your video call, the quality of your music, etc.
Soundbar Remote control
Some soundbar brands include a remote control with their Soundbar. Although it looks like the remote control might be helpful at first, you'd notice it isn't after connecting the Soundbar to your TV. You'll control the volume and other functions of the Soundbar with the TV remote. On this note, it's safe to say that the Soundbar remote is not very useful.
Front panel display
While not many soundbars come with a front panel display, this feature is essential. It gives you visual feedback about the status of your Soundbar. For instance, if there's an error message, a front panel display could display the problem. You'll also quickly know how high or low your volume can go.