Depending on your preferences, you might be able to live without some of these. When it comes to WiFi, that connectivity affords you luxuries like voice control (either built-in or with a separate device), Chromecast, Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2. Most soundbars these days offer either Bluetooth, WiFi or both. Not all Atmos-enabled units have them, but if they do, the third number will tell you how many are in play. The third numeral is up-firing speakers, important for the immersive effect of Dolby Atmos. The second number refers to the subwoofer, so if your new soundbar comes with one or has them built in, you’ll see a one here. A two would just be left and right while a more robust Atmos system, especially one with rear satellite speakers, could be five or seven (left, right, center and upward). The first figure corresponds to the number of channels. That’s the 2.1, 7.1.2 or other decimal number that companies include in product descriptions.
ChannelsĪnother big thing you’ll want to pay attention to when looking for the best soundbar is channels. And with the HDMI 2.1 spec, soundbars can support HDR, 8K and 4K/120 passthrough to make these speaker systems an even better companion for a game console. HDMI connections are essential for things like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and other high-res and immersive audio formats. If you want to connect your set-top box, gaming console and more directly to your soundbar for the best possible audio, you'll likely want to look for an option with at least two HDMI (eARC) inputs. The Sonos Beam, for example, is $449, but only has a single HDMI port. Things get slightly better in the mid-range section, but that's not always the case. They either offer an optical port or one HDMI jack and, if you're lucky, both. A lot of the more affordable soundbars have limited options when it comes to connectivity.
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