Electronics
Sound bars
Introduction
Electronic surround sound without all the cables is here - but can a sound bar replace a traditional setup?
Sound bars "trick" your ears into believing that sound is coming from all around you, eliminating the need for all the annoying speakers and cables of a home theatre surround-sound systems.
But our test of 5 models found that things don't always go according to plan.
Models we tested
What's a sound bar?
Sound bars look like one long speaker in front of your TV. Within this are a number of individual speakers. The sound bar uses a complicated process to "trick" your ears into believing that sound is coming from all around.
The idea is you get surround sound (aka 5.1 stereo) without five speakers and a lot of wiring.
How they work
Sound bars use a number of techniques to emulate surround sound. The models in our test fall under one of two broad categories.
Beam-forming technologies
These create narrow beams of sound that bounce off your walls and ceiling. You hear these sounds only after they have "bounced" and this gives you the impression of noises coming from various parts of your room.
Best results are heard in rooms with hard surfaces - too many noise-absorbing furnishings (such as curtains, wall hangings, and carpet) can result in the sound beams not appearing in the right places. Sound bars with this technology usually have a large number of small speakers.
The two Yamaha models in our test use beam-forming technology.
Head-related transfer function (HRTF)
HRTF sound bars have comparatively fewer speakers. These models use digital filtering to create noises that we associate with different sound locations. This tricks our ears into thinking, for example, that a certain sound is coming from behind us. HRTF sound bars are also less reliant on the surfaces of your room for a better surround-sound experience.
The Denon and Samsung models use HRTF.
What we found
None of the sound bars we tested were effective in large open-plan rooms. Even in a typical small lounge, our listening panel found only a small "sweet spot" (the ideal position to sit in that yields the best sound results) for all models.
When it came to faking surround sound, the Yahama YSP-4000 ($2999, pictured) scored highest, but was let down by very poor energy use. The cheaper YSP-600 ($1299) was a close second to the YSP-4000 in most respects.
Both the Denon DHT-FS3 ($1999) and the Denon FS5 ($899) produced sounds that were biased to the right. We couldn't find a way of compensating for this - Denon couldn't either, when we asked them. The FS5 was easy to set up and use; but it doesn't come with a subwoofer, which limits the amount of bass it can output.
The Samsung HT-X810 ($1299) had the worst overall surround-sound experience yet some of the best technical audio quality. It also has a built-in DVD player and a wireless subwoofer.
We can't recommend any of these models - although some may be worth considering. We suggest you wait and see whether the technology improves ...
How we tested
The sound bars were set up in a typical small "lounge" with furnishings and were calibrated to the manufacturer's specifications. A panel of three expert listeners judged each model's ability to accurately output stereo music, 5.1 music, and 5.1 movie audio. Particular attention was paid to each model's rendition of an immersive surround-sound experience; and this rendition was immediately compared with the sound from a standard 5.1 stereo setup.
The technical quality of the sound was tested in an echo-free sound chamber. We measured each sound bar's frequency response, total harmonic distortion, subwoofer (bass) integration, and channel separation.
We recommend
None of the models we tested met our criteria for recommending. But the following models are worth considering:
Consumer Recommends-
$2,999
Yamaha YSP-4000 Good points
Good listening-panel experience. Good technical audio quality. Good ease of use. Comes with a TOSLINK audio cable. Can output to HDMI. Includes an iPod dock and FM radio.
But
Expensive. Very poor standby-energy efficiency.
User Reviews 0 -
$1,299Yamaha YSP-600 Good points
Good listening-panel experience. Good technical audio quality. Good ease of use. Comes with a TOSLINK audio cable. Can output to HDMI.
But
Very poor standby-energy efficiency. Not wall mountable.
User Reviews 0
Where can I get one?
While a few of the bigger retail outlets might have a limited quantity of sound bars, your best bet is to find a specialist audio/visual shop. See if they have a demo model you can take home and play in your listening area.