There are many users who during these dates will buy a brand new television. However, when you get home and watch a movie, you will surely miss a good sound system. As we always say, the ideal is to mount a good 5.1 system with three front speakers, a subwoofer and two rear speakers, but this is not always possible. We may not have space or we just don't want to have the entire room flooded with cables. For those users looking for maximum sound quality without having to fill the room with speakers, there are sound bars. Many times when we talk about sound bars we think of those elongated speakers that are worth very little money and produce a horrible sound. However, in the soundbar market there are also high-end models that can compete with a full speaker system. We have selected the 5 best sound bars of the year 2016 . We have placed them in no particular order.
SONOS Playbar
We started our selection with the SONOS Playbar , a sound bar designed to accompany the television, but also to play music as if it were another wireless speaker of the brand. PLAYBAR includes nine speakers designed as a progressive speaker array that enables "directionality" , creating a wider sound spectrum. These nine speakers (six midrange and treble three) get a powerful sound with deep bass and crisp dialogue . A sound that will be adjusted automatically using the Trueplay software , included in the Sonos app for smartphones.
The SONOS Playbar is part of the company's wireless speaker system, which means that we can easily add a SONOS Sub subwoofer and rear speakers (PLAY: 1, PLAY: 3 or PLAY: 5), thus forming a perfect 5.1 set without cables. The SONOS Playbar has an official price of 750 euros .
LG SH7B
The LG SH7B is the cheapest model that you will find in our selection. Although the level of this soundbar falls short of its rivals, it is fair to say that it offers great performance for users on a lower budget . A sound bar with ASC technology , which adapts the power of the bass and treble to achieve clearer voices, and an Auto Sound Engine system , which provides a correct balance of sound regardless of the volume.
A sound bar that offers WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity , thus being able to transmit the audio directly from our smartphone to the bar. It comes with a wireless subwoofer and can be paired with up to two more speakers to form a 5.1 system. The LG SH7B is priced at 320 euros .
Bose SoundTouch 300
The Bose SoundTouch 300 is one of the most desired high-end soundbars by users. It is expensive, so that we are going to fool ourselves, but when we hear it in operation we immediately verify the reason. The sound it produces is highly detailed and the speaker system built into the bar provides a highly successful surround sound effect. Its sides bounce sound against the walls to simulate the position of side speakers . In this way, only one bar achieves a surround effect similar to the sound of a home theater.
Still, it is possible to combine the SoundTouch 300 with the Acoustimass 300 bass module and Virtually Invisible 300 surround back speakers , thus forming a powerful 5.1 wireless ensemble. Regarding connectivity, we have WiFi connection , Bluetooth , HDMI input port and one output with ARC return channel , Ethernet port , NFC technology , two Jack ports (one for the calibration microphone and one for the subwoofer) and a micro USB connector . It supports DTS and Dolby Digital sound . All this for a price of800 euros .
Yamaha YSP-5600
The Yamaha YSP-5600 sound bar is one of the highest range of sound projectors from the Japanese company. And it is not surprising, as behind the front grille we find 44 precisely adjusted and positioned speakers . In order to create the 7-channel sound beams, each of the speakers is controlled with an individual delay and has its own amplification circuit. These beams are projected onto the walls and ceiling and then accurately reflected back to the listening position. Height channel sound is obtained by placing six array speakers at each end of the unit. For these speakers, 28 millimeter diameter units are used. In order to maximize the effect of the sound beams, the speakers are mounted on a screen at an angle and the vertical control of the beams is adapted. The resulting sound field is comparable to that obtained with ceiling-mounted speakers , so you can enjoy excellent sound without having to mount speakers or pull cables. This creates true 3D surround sound , providing Dolby Atmos or DTS: X reproduction equivalent to that of a 7.1.2-channel system .
In addition, the Yamaha YSP-5600 soundbar is part of the MusicCast family , which means that it will be able to receive and transmit music wirelessly, as well as connect to other company speakers. It also includes Bluetooth connectivity and even compatibility with Apple's AirPlay system . And something very important if we opt for a high-end device, the YSP-5600 is compatible with the latest HDMI standards , that is, 4K video at 60 fps and HDCP 2.2 . The Yamaha YSP-5600It is currently one of the highest-end sound bars that we can find on the market, so its price is in line. It has a cost of 1,700 euros .
Samsung HW-K950
We finish our selection with another soundbar capable of dealing with Dolby Atmos sound . More than a soundbar, the Samsung HW-K950 is a complete wireless home theater sound system . A system made up of 15 speakers , each one with its own amplifier, which achieves 5.1.4-channel surround sound . At the front of the bar we find 9 speakers , in addition to two more that are located in the upper part of the bar. Each of the rear satellites includes a main speaker that emits from the front and an upfiring speaker located at the top, which will take care of the soundDolby Atmos . The Samsung HW-K950 soundbar includes three wide-range twitters and Surround Sound Expansion Plus technology , which will turn any sound into surround sound.
The Samsung HW-K950 is part of the company's family of Multiroom devices , which means that we can access various music streaming systems, such as Spotify , and send the audio to the sound bar wirelessly . In addition, this Samsung bar also incorporates Bluetooth connectivity .
As you can imagine, it is a sound bar located in the highest range of these devices, so its price is not exactly cheap. The Samsung HW-K950 system has an official price of 1,500 euros , but yes, we must bear in mind that with this price we will have the complete system , that is, the sound bar, the subwoofer and the rear speakers.
