Three Different Types of Soundbars

Purpose and Applications of Soundbars

There are three different types of soundbars. Improving the sound experience while watching television is the main objective of a soundbar. A soundbar can also be used to listen to music, but it is not a 1-to-1 replacement for a set of stereo speakers.

For the most part, a soundbar is fairly easy to use and usually has a number of convenient inputs. Bluetooth, for example, to stream Spotify directly.

Most manufacturers today also equip soundbars with their respective streaming platforms and services:

✔️ For Yamaha, it's the "MusicCast platform."
✔️ Denon features "Heos."
✔️ And "Formation" belongs to Bowers & Wilkins.

We summarize more information about the three different types of soundbars for you below.

3 Types of Soundbars

1 - (Expandable) Stereo Soundbars

Stereo soundbars are equipped with all kinds of connectivity options and built-in streaming services. The stereo setup can be expanded by adding additional streaming speakers and subwoofers to create a surround system. Such an extended setup is suitable for any room and delivers an excellent surround effect, provided enough (and the right) devices are provided.

Our advice?

When purchasing your soundbar, always check for the desired connection options and streaming services.
Also keep in mind any future expansion of your system.

Our opinion?

Personally, we find that Yamaha's MusicCast provides the most flexibility.
On the other hand, for us, Bowers & Wilkins' Formation is the soundbar that sounds best.
B&W's Formation does not feature an HDMI connection, which is not a deal breaker for us. After all, an optical connection always works, HDMI is "nice touch." HDMI (especially ARC) does dare to cause problems in very rare cases.
A stereo soundbar properly combined with streaming speakers provides better surround results than surround emulating or surround projecting soundbars.

2 - Surround Emulating or Surround Projecting Soundbars

These systems provide a surround effect through reflection. An additional subwoofer controls the bass. Conditions for a good result are a (rectangular) room with sound reflecting surfaces (walls, ...) and some symmetry.

Point of interest?

The sweet spot (money seat) is much smaller than for stereo soundbars with combined streaming speakers. In fact, reflection is more difficult to tune for all the seating in a corner parlor, for example.

Big advantage?

The easy and simple application! 1 soundbar and 1 wireless subwoofer and ready! Yamaha's YSP-5600 combined with a powerful subwoofer manages to amaze many a movie fan.

Product on sale

Demo in The Shop

Yamaha YSP-2700 - Silver - Soundbar and Subwoofer - MusicCast

€599,00

3 - Hybrid or Combined Soundbar Systems.

Klipsch Cinema 1200 Soundbar

Hybrid systems combine principles of classic stereo soundbars with application of reflection.

The experience with a soundbar system remains difficult to compare with the combination of a separate surround amplifier and a separate set of surround speakers.

But the Cinema 1200 from Klipsch, on the other hand, comes very close:

The 2 wireless surround speakers of this set add "height info" (3D audio) to the soundstage.
The soundbar, subwoofer and 2 wireless surround speakers provide the 5.1 experience.
The "height info" (3D audio) for Dolby Atmos provides this system by reflection.

Helpful Knowles

Dolby Atmos always uses HDMI. An optical connection is not suitable for Dolby Atmos!
Setting up a wireless surround system via bluetooth is never an option! (Given latency, which is peculiar to bluetooth.)
Looking for another wireless solution? Wouldn't prefer a soundbar anyway? In our store and webshop you will find plenty of other solutions, including the ACE series from Swiss Piega, to name just one.