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Vizio S4251w-B4 Soundbar and Wireless Sub Reviewed
Vizio claims to offer products that perform as well, if not better, than their more expensive counterparts for a much lower price. Darryl Wilkinson tests that idea out with this review of the Vizio S4251w-B4 soundbar. Read More
Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 2 Soundbar Reviewed
The soundbars is a product category that requires compromise by its very nature. Andrew Robinson tests out the Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 2 to see how much or how little has been compromised. Read More
Definitive Technology SoloCinema XTR 5.1 Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer
Soundbars continue to evolve, bringing better performance and more features, but there are still reasons to be skeptical. For those reason's Alex Lezcano approached his review of the Definitive Technology SoloCinema XTR soundbar with skepticism. Read More
Outlaw Audio OSB-1 Powered Soundbar with H-PAS Reviewed
Outlaw Audio has made the company's first step into the world that is soundbars with the OSB-1 soundbar. HomeTheaterReview.com reviewer Andrew Robinson puts the OSB-1 to the test. Read More
Home Theater Review's Best of 2012 Awards
It's that time of year again. The Home Theater Review staff has looked over all of the year's impressive offerings - of which there were many - and narrowed it down to what they believe to be the best of 2012. Read More
Vizio M-Series, 40-inch, 2.1 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer Reviewed
Vizio is a company that makes products for many different parts of the home theater. Lately, the company has been taking great strides in performance. Does the 40-inch M-series 2.1 soundbar benefit from this? Read More
LG NB3520A 2.1 Channel Soundbar Reviewed
LG's NB3420A 2.1-channel soundbar was put to the test by Home Theater Review Managing Editor Andrew Robinson. During his review, he discovered the LG soundbar can be quite the bargain. Read More
Libratone Lounge AirPlay Loudspeaker Reviewed
A new player by the name of Libratone is entering the fray, bringing with them the Lounge wireless loudspeaker. With AirPlay compatibility and modern looks, the Lounge promises a lot. How does it deliver? Read on to find out. Read More
Samsung HT-E6500W Tube Home Theater System Reviewed
Home Theater in a Box systems often seem like a one stop shop for a meaningful system. Often times they are serviceable, but there are systems out there that show why such ire is levied against the HTiBs. This is one of those systems. Read More
Panasonic SC-HTB20 Home Theater Soundbar Reviewed
Panasonic's HTB20 soundbar system with its affordable price point may lead you to believe its performance is suspect. However, Andrew Robinson's time with the soundbar revealed it to be anything but. Read More
MartinLogan Motion Vision Soundbar Reviewed
MartinLogan has been venturing into soundbars for the last few years, which may have seemed puzzling at the time. But after listening to the MartinLogan Motion Vision soundbar, Andrew Robinson has no doubt about the results. Read More
Sound Bar Wiki
1.0 What is a Sound Bar?2.0 What Does a Sound Bar Do?
1.0 What is a Sound Bar?
• A sound bar is a relatively new audio/video component designed to be an all-in-one speaker system that compliments the audio needs of today's flat HDTVs. Sound bars are normally placed below or directly in front of an HDTV. They are also frequently mounted on a wall, often using included mounting hardware.
• A sound bar can include three speakers (left, center and right), a built-in receiver complete with surround sound and DSP features. Sometimes sound bars come complete with a DVD player installed in the chassis.
2.0 What Does a Sound Bar Do?
• Sound bars can reproduce relatively convincing discrete or matrixed surround sound for both music and movies.
• Sound bars often use DSP (digital signal processing) to add the sonic effect of surround from just three speakers.
• It's not uncommon for sound bars to be connected to a subwoofer to add low-frequency performance to a modest home theater system.
• Some users install rear and/or side channel speakers to allow for discrete surround sound.
• Many full-feature sound bars include many or all of the functionalities of an AV receiver, including HDMI switching, signal processing, satellite radio and terrestrial radio receivers.
