I've tested loads of soundbars by now. Sometimes I spend whole weeks locked away in Tom's Guide's testing room, emerging only to make cups of coffee and take snacks from the office kitchen. So surely I know how to separate the best soundbars from the chaff, right?
Yeah, in a way. Unfortunately, though, a lot of the best budget soundbars often fall into the "chaff" category. Budget soundbars aren't intended to be cinematic, immersive setups like the 11.1.4 channel JBL Bar 1300X (the best soundbar I've ever tested).
Budget soundbars know what they are: TV speaker upgrades. For the most part, that's it. These are the budget soundbar mistakes you've been making, so hopefully you'll be able to squeeze the most out of your cheap soundbar.
Mistake #1: Not adjusting default settings
Let's take the Sony HT-S100F for example. This is the best budget soundbar on the market, no questions asked. I love this soundbar. But right out of the box? You might think I'm a crazy person.
This is by far the easiest fix. Soundbars will all come with a remote or a companion app, so you can adjust the default settings.
On this remote, you'll want to cycle through the playback modes (EQs) until you find the one that suits your movie or TV show. Sony's options are: 'Auto sound', 'Cinema', 'Night', 'Voice', and 'Standard'. When I tested this soundbar, I mostly used 'Voice' with TV shows and movies with less bass in the soundtrack. For blockbusters, I watched with 'Cinema' which upped the bass.
You should also go into your TV settings and have a play around. I can't recommend one setting, because different TV brands have different settings. Just keep clicking through until you find something that suits your eardrums.
Mistake #2: Expecting Dolby Atmos
Seeing as most Dolby Atmos soundbars (with 5.1.2 channel, or minimum 3.1.2) start from around $500, getting a budget soundbar and expecting 360° audio is just setting yourself up for failure.
There's nothing inherently wrong with lacking Dolby Atmos, so don't be disheartened. While, yes, it definitely provides some of the best audio experiences, not everyone needs Dolby Atmos.
I recently tested the $67 Majority Naga 60 soundbar, and while, no, a $67 soundbar is never going to rival Sonos, it was actually really impressive for the money. When I was watching Stranger Things, I could feel the radioed dialogue all around me.
Another budget option with quasi-immersive audio is the $249 Samsung HW-B650. I thought this was one of the cheapest ways to get (imitation) surround sound, thanks to the powerful DTS Virtual:X DSP and high-quality channel speakers. These are great budget options that don't have Dolby Atmos, but won't let you down.
Mistake #3: Not getting a dedicated subwoofer (if your soundbar has a sub out)
Now, this is a funny one. Firstly, you have to make sure your budget soundbar has a subwoofer out in the first place. The Majority Naga 60 soundbar I mentioned earlier actually does have a subwoofer line-out.
You'll need to get a wired, powered subwoofer to go with it. I asked Majority for recommendations, but it just said any wired and powered subwoofer would do the trick.
You can see the "SW out" on the top right of the soundbar. While, yes, this will increase the price of your setup, it will provide a much stronger sound system. Ideally, you'd get a soundbar setup with a wireless subwoofer, but those go for at least $400 on a good day.
If you follow my tips, you should be well on your way to making the most of your soundbar, even though it's cheap! Let me know if you try any of these tips in the comments. Also, if you have any budget soundbar recommendations I haven't mentioned here, do tell me about them.
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