After an extensive informative and practical investigation, we have chosen the SONOS PLAYBASE Wireless Home Cinema Sound Base as the best soundbase on the market. It doubles as a home cinema sound device and a streamer of music (when a TV is on and off respectively). It can be connected wirelessly with other devices to play music from various music services, including using voice controls with virtual assistants.
Music has always been an important part of people’s lives. At first, music was played only live. With the development of technology, people started listening to music on radio and TV, vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and computers. With these inventions, it was necessary not only to make a device that would produce the sound somehow, but also to incorporate emitting the sound so that it can be listened to comfortably – and so loudspeakers were born.
Nowadays, there are many types of speakers, soundbars, and soundbases. Their quality, which is mirrored in the quality of the sound they reproduce, has been getting better and better with each year. In the following text, you will read about several of these devices that represent some of the best products on the market today. We hope that you will find useful information and choose the product that fits your needs and wishes perfectly.
Types of Soundbars
A soundbar is a sound device that is compact and simple enough to connect to a TV for a better listening experience. It is usually used with flat-screen television sets as the sound quality of these sets is not as high as their picture quality. The soundbar consists of a couple of individual speakers that are set side by side to produce a virtual surround sound.
They do not come with many cables, so setup is simple. They can be put on the wall, on the TV stand, or under the TV, depending on their type and design. They are perfect for small rooms. In the following parts of this article we will present several models of soundbars and several models of soundbases that we found give a great listening experience.
Soundbar Systems
A soundbar is a loudspeaker that is wide but not tall. This shape is chosen for two reasons: the first is for acoustics, as it is important for the loudspeaker to produce high-quality sound; the second is the need to be practical in placement. Soundbars can be positioned above or below a display device such as a TV or a computer monitor.
A soundbar typically has several smaller speakers, and they are there to create a surround sound effect or a stereo effect. These speakers are left, center and right (like a stereo) and hence the stereo effect. Since the basic design does not normally include a subwoofer, most soundbars have added this for a good bass sound as well. Some models have extra detachable rear-left and rear-right speakers.
Majority Snowdon II Soundbar
Majority is a company based in Cambridge and has 20 years of experience in electronics. They take pride in their high-quality audio products and have a surplus of satisfied customers. To ensure the customer’s satisfaction, their highly-trained team offers full technical support for every product.
The Snowdon II Soundbar is a versatile product that you can tailor to your own home and preferences. For easy navigation, this model has a larger remote with intuitive buttons. The dimensions of the soundbar are 81 x 8.3 x 8.3 cm and its weight is 1.2 kg. It is suitable for hanging on a wall. The output wattage is 120 watts.
Features
The Majority Snowdon II Soundbar has a number of useful features that will enhance the quality of sound from a TV or any other device. It has a built-in subwoofer surround sound that enables low bass frequencies. The treble and bass settings are adjustable, so you can manage the sound and adapt it to your needs.
The set includes an RCA stereo audio cable with an adapter and a 3.5mm audio cable. The 5.0 Bluetooth device enables wireless streaming of music from other devices. The soundbar can be connected to another device via an optical cable, as it is equipped with an optical port (though an optical audio cable is not included in the set). A large remote control is there for simple navigation and setting of the sound.
Advantages
ConClusion
The Majority Snowdon II Soundbar is designed to make sound control as effortless as possible. Its large remote control has treble and bass buttons for easier manipulation of sounds. The quality of the bass is enhanced by equipping the soundbar with the subwoofer. Also, in addition to the cable connection, music can be streamed via Bluetooth.
Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar System
Bose Corporation is based in Massachusetts, USA, and sells audio products such as home audio systems, noise-cancelling headphones, and automobile sound systems. The majority owner of this corporation is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a piece of information which can give buyers a sense of security that they will be getting a high-quality product.
The dimensions of the Solo 5 TV Soundbar System are 7.11 x 54.86 x 8.64 cm, and it weighs 1.6 kg. It was first released for purchase at the beginning of 2015 and got many positive reviews. The output wattage is 30 watts.
Features
The Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar System is of one-piece construction, plus it has the remote control. It is designed to be used for your television set, as many of the flat-screen TVs nowadays do not have space for a good speaker. The Solo 5 TV Soundbar is designed to reproduce TV dialog clearly and sharply, for your best experience.
The soundbar’s dimensions make it suitable to be put anywhere, safely and comfortably. It can be put next to the TV set or even mounted on the wall. It requires two lithium metal batteries (a pair is included in the set). It connects wirelessly to other devices via Bluetooth. There is the option of connecting it with an optical coaxial or analog audio cable, according to your preference.
Advantages
ConClusion
The Bose Solo 5 TV Soundbar System is one you may trust as the majority owner of the company is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The model is designed to achieve clear sound and reproduce dialog that is easy to hear and understand. It comes with a universal remote and, in addition to the cable connection, Bluetooth connectivity.
Yamaha Front Surround Soundbar System YAS93
Yamaha is a renowned Japanese corporation with many associated companies that produce a wide range of products. One of these companies makes top-notch classic HiFi and audio-video components as well as modern digital sound projectors that are perfect for ultimate home enjoyment.
This Front Surround Soundbar System has dimensions of 89 x 12.1 x 10.9 cm and a weight of 4 kg. The output wattage is 162 watts. It comes with dual built-in subwoofers. The model dates back to 2014.
Features
The Yamaha Front Surround Soundbar System is comprised of dual front speakers as well as dual subwoofers. A wide range of bass sounds can be reproduced with this device, thanks to the dual-driver subwoofer. The surround mode is provided by AIR SURROUND XTREME, giving powerful performance.
The UniVolume feature enables you to maintain the same volume of sounds when you switch between channels and even when ads start. Its design is suitable to be positioned in various places, such as in front of a TV, on a TV stand, or mounted on the wall. An IR Flasher transmits the signal from the TV remote control to the TV in case the soundbar system has to be installed in front of the TV sensor.
Advantages
ConClusion
The Yamaha Front Surround Soundbar System reproduces excellent sound thanks to its dual front speakers and dual-driver subwoofers. Its UniVolume feature adjusts the volume to the same level regardless of the channel, program, or even ad volume. One more useful feature of this model is that it can be turned on and off, and the volume can be turned up and down, by the TV’s remote control. And the device has the TV Remote Repeater that makes it suitable to put the soundbar in front of the TV without loss of signal.
Soundbases
A soundbase shares many characteristics with soundbars. They both consist of one cabinet and are designed to produce as good a stereo effect as is possible from such a device. The shape of a soundbase is somewhat different from a soundbar – it is not as wide but it is deeper, so that the television can be set on top. Also, since it’s larger than a soundbar, larger speakers can fit inside it.
The soundbase was created as a substitute for the notoriously low-quality loudspeakers that come with flat-screen TVs, since they do not have the space to fit in high-quality loudspeakers. The soundbase’s shape allows for integrated subwoofers and so they are quite compact. However, despite all the advantages of a soundbase we have not found that this kind of device is superior to a soundbar. They both produce high-quality sounds, and are equally, though not in the same way, practical.
Q Acoustics M2 Soundbar with Built-in Subwoofer
Q Acoustics is a young company (founded in the UK in 2006) that specializes in producing loudspeakers and it manufactures these exclusively. They claim to have a team of businessmen and experts from the field of acoustics and that their aim is to make the best loudspeaker brand.
The M2 Soundbar Base is a model from 2017. It contains a soundbar with a subwoofer. The dimensions of this model are 34 x 55 x 9.5 cm and it weighs 5.8 kg. The output wattage is 80 watts. It comes with 7 pieces: a QM2 Bluetooth soundbar base, a remote control, a lithium battery, an HDMI lead (2 meters), a UK mains cable, a quick start guide, and a safety warning guide.
Features
This soundbar uses the 180 sound speaker technology in its integrated speakers, together with the built-in subwoofer for powerful bass. Not only is the reproduced sound excellent for use with a TV, but the MoviEQ function optimizes it for the best movie-watching experience. This music system can stream music via technologies such as Bluetooth APTX or NFC for Android devices.
This model can be put in a TV cabinet, but it can also support the TV by being positioned directly under it. The two devices can be joined via HDMI connectivity, and the sound is then controlled through the TV remote control. There is also an optical input for Google Chromecast audio (though this device is not included in the set), which enables the user to connect the soundbar system with any other device via WiFi.
Advantages
ConClusion
The Q Acoustics M2 Soundbar is very flexible when it comes to connecting it with other devices – it has 4 ways to do this. It is equipped with BMR technology that gives equally clear sound wherever the device is positioned. The MoviEQ function is there for focused enhancement of movie sounds. If you enjoy watching movies, this may be a good choice for you.
SONOS PLAYBASE Wireless Home Cinema Sound Base
Sonos is an American electronics company founded in 2002. It is well known for its smart speakers. The feature that makes this brand special is that their speakers are designed to play music simultaneously in more than one room. The company collaborates with a number of companies that offer music services, such as Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify, MOG, QQ Music, and Amazon Music. Their products can be connected with voice assistants – Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri.
The Sonos Playbase was first launched in 2017 and received excellent reviews from customers. Its dimensions are 72 x 38 x 5.8 cm and its weight is 8.6 kg. It can be connected to devices via an optical cable or wirelessly.
Features
The Sonos Playbase emits a pulsating, cinema-like sound from the movies and shows that are broadcast on TV. It has a speech enhancement setting and also works with any TV remote control. It can stream music wirelessly from other devices. In addition to this, users can take advantage of virtual assistants. Being a product of Sonos, it also has the capability of playing in multiple rooms for even more enjoyment.
It has a practical physical design that looks like a TV stand and blends perfectly with the interior design of most rooms. Though it is a virtually invisible speaker, it emits full and clear surround sound. The setup is very simple, as it has only two cables – one to be connected with the power source and the other to be plugged in the TV.
Advantages
ConClusion
If you need a device to stream music and also to reproduce the sound from TV equally well, you may want to consider the Sonos Playbase. When it comes to playing music, you can connect it with any music service from any device you have. This product is also useful if you want to broadcast the same sound to multiple rooms, as all Sonos products have this feature
What to Look for in a Good Soundbar
In this last part of our article you will find some advice on what to pay attention to if you want to buy a soundbar. Actually, some of these tips will help you choose whether you want a soundbar or a soundbase. These two are quite similar, and we cannot say that either is better than the other. It will be your needs and preferences that will contribute to this decision. Both will enhance the sound that comes from your television set, and many are enabled not only to reproduce excellent dialog but to also play music with high-quality sound.
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