How I upgraded my soundbar audio quality for free - and 4 other methods to give it a boost

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Soundbars are gaining successful popularity due to the fact that of their sleek plan and quality to supply an ample boost successful audio prime compared to built-in TV speakers. Even with their plug-and-play nature, you tin marque a fewer modifications to assistance unleash the champion imaginable dependable quality.

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Whether you're caller to soundbar setups oregon a self-proclaimed audiophile, familiarizing yourself with immoderate cardinal settings tin instrumentality your viewing and listening acquisition to caller heights. Read connected for 5 pointers connected however to optimize your soundbar's performance.

1. Placement and acoustics

It whitethorn dependable evident (because it is), but wherever you spot your soundbar is simply a large factor. For the astir balanced sound, presumption the soundbar straight beneath your TV, centered and parallel to the screen. Mounting a soundbar above your surface is besides an option, but the perfect tallness placement for eventual clarity is astatine oregon adjacent receptor level. Make definite your soundbar isn't obstructed by furnishings oregon adjacent decorative items that tin artifact soundwaves.

Each country has unsocial acoustics. Does your country person precocious ceilings oregon ample windows? Are your floors hardwood oregon tile? If so, see adding brushed furnishings specified arsenic rugs and curtains to trim reflections. Or, you could instrumentality it a measurement further by adding acoustic panels to your area. Acoustic panels oregon diffusers tin assistance negociate dependable reflections and make a much balanced audio environment.

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As noted by ZDNET contributor Artie Beaty, precocious soundbars similar LG's S95TR spell done a tuning process circumstantial to the layout of your viewing country by utilizing an AI country calibration feature. If your soundbar lacks specified a feature, bash immoderate experimenting to find the saccharine spot.

Remember that astir soundbars are designed to task dependable straight toward the audience, truthful marque definite the instrumentality is angled for optimal dependable dispersion crossed each seating positions. Moving the soundbar a ft oregon truthful from your listening country oregon adjusting the space conscionable a fewer inches tin noticeably amended oregon degrade the output.

2. What astir a subwoofer?

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

If your soundbar has a subwoofer, spot it connected the floor, preferably successful a country oregon on a wall, to heighten bass response. The purpose is to make a seamless blend betwixt low-frequency effects and the remainder of the audio spectrum.

I've work astir a euphony shaper who would bash a "crawling test" to pinpoint the champion location. This involves playing immoderate bass-heavy contented and virtually crawling astir the country to find the spot with the astir balanced bass output. Voilà -- there's the champion spot to enactment your subwoofer.

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Some soundbars travel with a built-in subwoofer, and others let you to link an outer subwoofer wirelessly oregon via a wired connection. (More connected this later.)

In the lack of a subwoofer, and if it's successful your budget, see adding a portion similar the SVS SB-1000 Pro. A much affordable enactment is the Klipsch Reference R-120SW. Hooking up a subwoofer tin importantly heighten your audio acquisition with deeper, much impactful low-frequency effects, making you consciousness similar you're portion of the onscreen action.

3. Customizing your soundbar's equalizer and audio settings

As I mentioned earlier, immoderate soundbars diagnostic automatic calibration systems that usage a microphone to measurement and set dependable settings for your circumstantial room. Many much of them travel with assorted audio presets oregon EQ settings that you tin set according to your tastes. Certain soundbars connection the flexibility to tailor audio settings for idiosyncratic inputs, allowing you to fine-tune the dependable prime based connected whether you're watching shows, listening to music, oregon gaming.

In immoderate case, adjusting bass, treble, and different parameters tin greatly amended audio prime based connected your room's acoustics and your listening habits. Also, marque definite to experimentation with immoderate precocious features, specified arsenic Virtual Surround Sound, Dialogue Enhancement, oregon Bass Boost, if available.

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Increasing the bass tin adhd extent and powerfulness to enactment scenes, making explosions and different aggravated moments much melodramatic and engaging. Raising the dialog levels puts a absorption connected the halfway transmission and mid-frequencies, making vocals much chiseled and easier to comprehend -- truthful you tin really recognize what Yennefer of Vengerberg is whispering successful The Witcher.

Along those lines, cheque to spot if your soundbar has a measurement leveler. This diagnostic (which tin beryllium turned connected and off) lets you perceive to contented with greater consistency. You'll beryllium reaching for the measurement fastener connected your distant overmuch little often with measurement leveling.

4. Check your (HDMI) connection

Michael Gariffo/ZDNET

Your soundbar is apt connected to your TV via an HDMI ARC (audio instrumentality channel) oregon eARC (enhanced audio instrumentality channel) port. This exertion supports precocious 3D audio formats similar Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Sony 360 Reality Audio for a super-immersive situation dependable experience.

Ideally, your soundbar volition enactment HDMI-CEC (consumer electronics control) connectivity, which lets you bid devices connected done HDMI by utilizing lone 1 distant control. In this scenario, you tin usage your TV's distant to power the soundbar and, for instance, an added Blu-ray player.

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Integrating the cognition of aggregate devices into 1 is surely my preference. Who wants 3 abstracted remotes sitting connected their java table? Having each your devices plugged into the soundbar reduces clutter and avoids having to instal a power box. You tin past easy power betwixt audio sources by changing the soundbar's input mode utilizing your azygous remote.

Okay, this doesn't pertain to maximizing audio quality, but here's thing that does. Compared with connecting your soundbar via Bluetooth, a wired transportation remains the champion method for transferring sound. Opting for a wired connection, specified arsenic HDMI oregon optical cables, guarantees a unchangeable and lossless audio transmission. 

This allows the audio contented to beryllium heard arsenic it was intended, without immoderate degradation oregon disruptions caused by wireless awesome interference oregon compression. Also, support successful caput that not each cables are created equal. Be definite to usage a cablegram that supports high-res formats and has a higher bandwidth that tin process much channels to enactment other bass and tweeter speakers.

5. Updates are essential

This 1 is abbreviated and sweet: cheque for bundle and firmware updates! (This, by the way, is indispensable for immoderate device.) Manufacturers often merchandise updates that tin amended your soundbar's show and adhd caller features. Regularly installing updates ensures your soundbar benefits from the latest enhancements and fixes and squashes bugs that tin corrupt dependable quality.

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With these elemental tips, you tin maximize your soundbar's show and bask a richer, much immersive audio experience. Proper placement, country acoustics optimization, and thoughtfully adjusting your settings volition surely elevate your listening acquisition for streaming. Whether you're watching action-packed blockbusters oregon rocking retired to your favourite tunes, your soundbar volition beryllium acceptable to present exceptional audio quality.