Introduction to Soundbar Reviews

Soundbars are a subset of conventional speakers which are designed into very slim yet wide enclosures intended to be placed directly above or below a video display. Unlike center channel speakers, a single sound bar incorporate multiple speakers/channels of reproduction, most often Left, Center, and Right. Some models, through novel driver arrangement and DSP, will also attempt to reproduce the surround channels with marginal success. Soundbars are almost always self powered omitting the usual AV Receiver or Amplifier, and because their limited enclosure volume precludes satisfactory bass extension, many are accompanied by a sub-woofer.

Soundbars

Bluesound Pulse 2 All-In-One Streaming Music System

Bluesound Pulse 2 All-In-One Streaming Music System Review

Whole-house audio gets easier and better with each new product introduction. Today I’m looking at the Bluesound Pulse 2 All-In-One Streaming Music System. It combines a BluOS streaming player with a DirectDigital tri-amplifier, premium speakers, and support for nearly every music format including MQA. It’s the ultimate in convenience, quality sound, and high-end styling. The lifestyle audio product genre may have to shoot for a newly elevated benchmark.

Yamaha YAS-706 Sound Bar Review

The Yamaha YAS-706 is a high-end powered sound bar designed to provide a com-plete feature set including virtual surround sound, support for 4K video sources and a boatload of connectivity options. The YAS-706 is one of many soundbars offered by Yamaha, from low end to feature rich products that are aimed at people that don’t want a complicated speaker system with wires all over the room. We have reviewed several sounders at a variety of prices. Check out prior reviews so you can compare.

BlueSound PULSE Soundbar & Subwoofer

BlueSound PULSE Soundbar & Subwoofer Review

The Bluesound PULSE Soundbar and Subwoofer are the latest products from the Lenbrook Group’s wireless speaker company. With much of our media consumption coming from streaming services, cloud storage, or our own local digital storage, wireless streaming speakers have become quite popular. Bluesound and competitors like Sonos seek to provide an ecosystem in your home for consuming media via their wireless amplified speakers.

MartinLogan Cadence Soundbar

MartinLogan Cadence Soundbar and Dynamo 700w Subwoofer Review

Soundbars come in many different sizes and configurations, but the new MartinLogan Cadence offers many more features that set it apart from the competition. With assistance from the MartinLogan Dynamo 700w subwoofer, the Cadence offers excellent sound quality for both movies and music. Add to that wireless network connectivity, three HDMI inputs, one HDMI out, two optical, and two RCA inputs with a sub out and you have the fixings for a veritable “Swiss Army Knife” of soundbars.

Zvox Soundbar SB 500 Review

Zvox Soundbar SB 500 Review

The Zvox Soundbar SB 500 is a new attempt by the company that created the first soundbar to bring the promise of high performance surround sound to new levels in a single cabinet. The Zvox Soundbar SB 500 features new voice enhancing technology along with quality speaker drivers, a powerful amp, and an aluminum cabinet.

GoldenEar SuperCinema 3D Array XL Review

GoldenEar has just expanded their SuperCinema sound bar product line with the introduction of the new SuperCinema 3D Array XL. While perhaps a little imposing, at a shade over 62 inches long, it has a depth of barely 3 inches making it perfect for wall mounting under your flat panel display

Onkyo LS-B50 Soundbar

The "soundbar" business must be booming, or at least manufacturers are banking on it doing so, as just about everyone has come out with one if not several offerings. The gambit seems logical: jam a bunch of audio transducers into an enclosure which tucks in under the typical display panel, usually with a separate small subwoofer, offering better-than-built-in sound. Onkyo is a big name in consumer AV, best known perhaps for their much lauded Surround Sound Receivers. The subject of the current review is their latest take on this mass market soundbar segment: The LS-B50, part of their "EnvisionCinema" line of products.

Pinnacle T1 PBAR 2000 Powered Sound Bar

Don't you often wonder why expensive televisions are sold with speakers that sound like they're made of tissue paper and powered by a cell phone? No matter what the price of the set, it always seems that sound quality receives little of the design budget. This results in predictable audio quality – tinny, prone to distortion, and adequate only for the most basic of dialogue. The good news is that there ARE alternatives! Pinnacle Speakers offers an array of high quality powered sound bars, surround speakers, subwoofers, and in-wall/in-ceiling speakers that can bring your television's sound to life!