In the era immediately preceding smart-phones – when the majority of electronic devices that could fit in your palm were still largely tethered, the audiophile’s pursuit of a more immersive listening experience typically involved the methodical positioning of multiple speaker boxes around the room and stripping the tips of wires with one’s own teeth to connect them. Soundbars were developed to bridge the gap between the limited capabilities of integrated speakers and the complexity of home theatre audio systems, so if you’re looking to transition from the diminutive speakers that came with your television, take a gander at our five favourite soundbars.
Image Credit: Edifier
With just about any relationship between two connected devices, there is a concern of incompatibility. However, Edifier’s CineSound B7 presents itself as a relatively inclusive device that will connect with just about anything else via Bluetooth 4.0, optical cable, coaxial cable, auxiliary, or even analog RCA audio cables. In order to present a spacious field of sound, the one-meter long body of the CineSound B7 integrates four individual 7-centimetre mid-range speakers and a pair of tweeters, with the accompaniment of a 20-centimetre diameter sub-woofer providing additional depth on the low end.
Image Credit: Pioneer Electronics
Pioneer is quite literally the embodiment of the word in the realm of audio – having grown from a humble radio repair store in 1938’s Tokyo, to the manufacture of the world’s first stereo systems, and contributing to the dominance of the Blu-ray optical disc format. Since almost every piece of music or movie soundtrack in the past half-century would have been recorded and processed on devices from Pioneer’s TAC (Technical Audio Devices) arm, a soundbar such as the SP-SB23W (designed by renowned maestro of sound Andrew Jones) would be appropriate for the discerning audiophile. If the composite wood enclosure does not already impress, it should also be noted that each of the six individual drivers in the soundbar comes with its own amplifier to produce surprisingly robust volume with extra headroom.
Image Credit: Sony
There is perhaps no other commercial entity that is as serious about the quality of our entertainment as Sony – which is understandable given that Sony was the originator of the Walkman, and is currently responsible for producing around one in five of the movies we see and nearly a third of all the music we hear. Anyone who is just as serious about the quality of their listening experience will not be disappointed by what Sony’s HT-ST5000 has to offer. This top-of-the-line soundbar combines both directional and conventional drivers to produce an immersive virtual 7.1 channel experience, and it includes multiple HDCP 2.2-compatible ports for those seeking to take in some of the more recent content.
Image Credit: Yamaha
While brands like Pioneer dominated the studio production section of the music industry pipeline, and Sony made its acquisitions in the publishing end, Yamaha made its mark in the performance realm with their extensive experience in the manufacture of musical instruments and speaker systems. The unbelievably slim YSP-5600 from Yamaha looks vastly different when compared with other soundbars, its narrow design enables it to be hung on a wall, and peeking behind the front grille of Yamaha’s YSP-5600 reveals an astonishing array of 44 individual speakers – 32 to project sound forward while 6 on either side direct sound upwards in a vertical beam to produce the equivalent of a 7.1 channel experience.
Image Credit: Zvox
Some reading this may recall having a pair of speakers from Cambridge SoundWorks or Creative Labs back in the day – and if you’re one of those wondering where they went, we should point you in the direction of Zvox. Founded relatively recently in 2003 by veterans of audio reproduction, Zvox is a disruptor of sorts in a landscape dominated by significantly larger entities. Some of the innovations that the other entries in this list have adopted can be traced back to Zvox, such as virtual surround sound, output levelling, and dialogue enhancement. The SB700 is the perfect example of Zvox’s philosophy – the extruded aluminium body contains an integrated subwoofer and a display that completely hides itself behind the mesh a few seconds after any interaction.
* Brands are listed alphabetically
