Are bookshelf speakers better than soundbars?

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Are you considering investing in an audio system? We applaud your aspiration, but now it’s time to take a look at the dizzying number of sound-emitting devices you’ll have to choose from. Two of the most common options for the average home are bookshelf speakers and soundbars. The former is usually combined with an AV receiver or amplifier, while the latter is more of an all-in-one solution, complete with inputs, outputs and power. Bookshelf speakers have been around much longer than soundbars, so you may be wondering if buying a well-rated set is a better choice than buying a single soundbar that plugs into your TV.

Unfortunately, there’s not really a simple answer, as a lot will depend on what you like to listen to and the types of components you plan to route through your new system. If you usually watch movies and TV shows or play video games, a soundbar might be the most logical solution. Most bars are designed to sit below or above your TV and often contain a number of ports for connecting AV components such as Blu-ray players and gaming consoles. Many soundbars also include a dedicated center speaker for enhanced dialogue and vocals.

A single pair of bookshelf speakers can actually sound quite impressive, especially for listening focused on music and hi-fi sources, but most of these speakers are passive, meaning you’ll need to connect them to an amplifier with speaker wire. Fortunately, this also means you’ll have more control over where your speakers ultimately sit, whereas a soundbar is limited to the width and height of its chassis.

Further complicating the bookshelf speaker versus soundbar debate is the design and engineering of each product. Speakers, woofers, and tweeters are the individual audio producers you’ll find in a bookshelf speaker or soundbar, and they are not created equal. A higher price for a pair of speakers or bar may mean that the product uses higher quality components, but it may also simply mean that the manufacturer has decided on a higher price while using cheaper materials. And remember: your bookshelf speakers will still need an AV receiver or amplifier to power them.

You also need to think about the scalability of your audio. If you’re considering adding additional channels, such as for a 5.1 or higher surround sound setup, it’s much easier to build your system with bookshelf (or smaller) speakers than with a soundbar. There are a handful of bars that give you the option to add rear channels or a subwoofer down the line (the Samsung HW-Q900H is a good example), but most soundbars are limited to the channels they support out of the box.

There’s also aesthetics to consider: bookshelf speakers are often much bulkier than soundbars, so you may not be able to place them on a TV stand without blocking the TV screen; thus, you may need to invest in speaker stands or mounting hardware for your walls and ceilings. Generally speaking, soundbars often have a sleeker appearance, and most systems are designed to fit directly underneath your TV.

“Why not try the best of both worlds?” you may be wondering. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but combining passive speakers and a soundbar isn’t usually an option, at least not for a traditional home theater system. Part of the reason is that an AV receiver and a soundbar typically plug into the same port on your TV: HDMI ARC/eARC. The problem is that ARC/eARC is only designed to output audio to a single source; this means you can either connect an AV receiver with speakers Or a soundbar.

It was a little easier to get around this problem in the past, as older soundbars sometimes included traditional speaker terminals. Theoretically, this meant you could connect both a soundbar and a set of bookshelf speakers to the same AV receiver, but we’re willing to bet that manufacturers weren’t that keen on this open-ended approach; after all, Brand A doesn’t want you to buy both Brand A and Brand B. This also explains why modern soundbars opt for the walled garden approach; companies want you to buy their own additional speakers, not a pair of Klipsch or Polk ones.

But what if you just want to connect your soundbar digitally optically to your TV, while also connecting an AV receiver via HDMI ARC/eARC? Yes, that’s literally an option, but even if you somehow manage to get everything working at once, there’s a good chance you’ll run into some sort of sync issue. We like the idea of ​​combining multiple audio products, but for best results, it’s best to keep traditional speakers and soundbars separate.