Boost your TV’s audio with a soundbar
If you’re struggling to hear dialogue in TV shows and films, a soundbar can help. Robert Irvine explains how they work and recommends the best models
Why do I need a soundbar?
The ultra-slim designs of modern TVs leave little room for powerful built-in speakers, and manufacturers often limit audio quality to keep costs down. Your TV’s screen may be Full HD or 4K, but with lacklustre sound you won’t hear films and TV shows as they were intended.
A soundbar will significantly improve the audio output of your TV, delivering clearer, richer and room-filling sound without you having to turn up the volume. This is particularly useful when viewing programmes with muffled dialogue, because you won’t jump out of your skin when a quiet scene cuts to a loud one or an advert break.
Many soundbars include surround-sound features to provide an immersive audio experience, so that – for example – on-screen helicopters sound as if they’re flying over your head. Even the cheapest devices strike a better balance between speech, music and background noise than the speakers in your TV. Some also come with subwoofers, which boost bass and low-frequency sounds.
Do soundbars only work with TVs?