We have tested a sound bar and a ‘home cinema’ system. And no, they don’t serve the same purpose.

When you want to improve the sound of the television (something not unreasonable, taking into account that in their thin designs there is no space for speakers capable of offering quality sound) the most common is to install a system home theater or opt for a sound bar. And although for a long time they have been considered as alternative or similar solutions, the truth is that they are not. And to verify this and verify the benefits (and limitations) of both systems, we have installed and tested both options: on the one hand, a set consisting of a DENON AVR-S660 AV receiver and Jamo S 803 HCS 5.0 speakers with the Jamo Sub subwoofer 210 (which has an approximate cost of about 1,300 euros); on the other, the Bose Soundbar 900 soundbar accompanied by two Bose Surround Speakers rear speakers and a Bose Mass Module 500 subwoofer (with a total price of 1,800 euros).

The best sound

with systems home theater A very curious thing has happened. Until a few years ago, everyone wanted to have one of these devices capable of turning the living room into a real movie theater. For this reason, audio companies offered a thousand and one alternatives in their catalogs with packs for all tastes, needs and budgets. But today, the situation has changed, they are no longer so widespread and it is really difficult to find those all-in-one ‘packs’ that were so common in the past: instead, the most widespread trend among lovers of good sound is to choose the AV receiver (the nerve center that distributes the sound from each source) on the one hand and the speakers on the other. And they don’t even have to be from the same brand. For this test, when selecting the set, I took into account that the total price was not very high but, at the same time, it offered everything necessary to enjoy audio with an immersive sensation from multiple sources and that it allowed playback in streaming from the main music content apps.

The installation of the system made up of the DENON and Jamo equipment has been quite simple in my case, since I have a pre-installation at home for the speakers that hides the cables: I place them on some supports, connect and everything is ready (you don’t have to forget that there are also wireless options on the market). Connecting all the components to the receiver is an equally simple task —although laborious—, because each one is perfectly identified on the back: where each speaker goes, the Blu-ray, the television, the console… This information is important, because it is It is possible to connect several devices simultaneously to improve the sound of any of them and control them individually later from the remote control. In this case, the DENON receiver also has a menu that guides you step by step through the configuration and includes a sound calibration function to adapt it to the room by placing a microphone in different locations.

Personally, the differential aspect with respect to sound bars, in addition to higher quality, is that it is possible to decide how to listen to what content (and from what source) at all times. If you are watching a movie or a series you can choose to do it with surround sound, but if you are watching a television program with the touch of a button, the center and side speakers will sound exclusively (ideal for dialogues to be heard loud and clear), in the In the case of music, what experts recommend is that it sound in stereo format… In addition, its compatibility with 3D sound formats is very wide (they are not only compatible with Dolby Atmos), which helps to improve the quality of the content on video (scaling to 8K) and even facilitate system configuration multiroomthat is, that the sound can be expanded to other rooms.

The “easy” solution

Sound bars are, however, the most popular solution today: they are easier to install, take up less space, and are generally much cheaper than home theater systems. However, it must be borne in mind that in order to have a good sound experience it is essential that they meet minimum quality standards; and then the price begins to rise. For the test I have selected the best Bose sound bar, a model that is not exactly cheap but that shines in the reproduction of different frequencies and that, in addition, is capable of adapting the sound to the room where it is installed. Still, I’ve completed it with rear speakers and a subwoofer to give it a greater sense of immersion and to make the setup as close to the “racing” team as possible.

It is a product specially designed to connect to the television (although it also plays streaming from the mobile) and is suitable for all those who wish to improve their sound quality but do not need to do it from other sources or seek so much customization. It has only two connections: an HDMI ARC and a digital cable. It is best to use the first one, since, in this way, every time ‘TV’ is turned on, the bar will also turn on and we will always enjoy its combination. The change is brutal with respect to using the speakers of the television itself: much clearer dialogues even at low volume, rich sound and full of nuances… Of course, we must bear in mind that the surround effect is not as successful as with the home cinema and that we will only really get the most out of the additional speakers when we see content compatible with Dolby Atmos (it already has them, for example, Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV +). In the rest (even in music), the content is heard but at a low volume and without generating that feeling of being in the center of the action.

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