There was a time — and it wasn’t all that long ago — when the consumer audio community looked down upon a burgeoning product category called soundbars.
Today many in that community are eating humble pie with the soundbar category growing and maturing through rapid advances in the areas of design, features, sound quality and processing.
Consumers who embrace these products are fueling the growth for many reasons, such as:
- Pricing
- Lifestyle
- Room aesthetics
- Space considerations
Loudspeaker manufacturers are responding to the public’s desire for soundbar options, including the choice of configurations.
Photo Gallery: 25 Soundbars That Kick Bass
New products on the market include:
- Pedestal-style soundbases that allow homeowners to place their televisions on top of their furniture and speakers
- Two- and three-channel soundbars, both passive and active (with built-in amplifiers) for installation flexibility
- Soundbars with LFE subwoofer output options
- Soundbars with wireless options to allow for the use of subwoofers, and access to music sources, without the constraints of traditional cabling
Narrowing down the vast field of soundbars and various features is a near-impossible task, but we've provided a cross-section of the market for integrators to see the myriad options available to customers.
Check out this roundup of soundbars from 25 well-respected audio manufacturers.
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