As a home cinema enthusiast, one of the things that has always bothered me the most is the poor sound of televisions. Although there are a few exceptions, the sound of modern televisions leaves much to be desired, as they are increasingly thinner and barely have interior space to house decent speakers inside. Even high-end televisions, those that cost several thousand euros, suffer from this problem.
If you hate listening to movies and series with such poor sound as much as I do, you might be interested in this article. I am going to explore five different types of audio products to improve the sound of our television.
A soundbar: the practical and convenient option
Of course, the first on the list had to be the soundbar, a product initially scorned by audiophiles and Home Cinema enthusiasts but which has gained followers as they improved in sound quality and functionality, being today the most practical, convenient, and intelligent option for 95% of people.
There are many soundbars, and more since Chinese manufacturers entered the market attracted by the growing popularity of this product, but truly good soundbars are not so many. I recommend you take a look at my soundbar recommendations to get an idea of which soundbars to buy.
The truth is that a good soundbar sounds fabulous, and the difference with the television sound is abysmal. Depending on the bar, you will also be able to experience more or less surround sound, and the dialogues will be much clearer and crisper. Additionally, they are aesthetic, look good in the living room, fit in the TV cabinet, and have connections that can make it a true multimedia hub in the living room.
A Home Cinema: the high-quality option but expensive and complicated to install
A home cinema, as you can imagine, is the ultimate when it comes to improving the sound of the television. This system offers impressive sound quality that makes you feel like you’re in a movie theater. But, of course, it doesn’t come without its drawbacks.
To start with, a home cinema is rarely cheap. The prices of these systems can range from a few hundred euros to several thousand. And that, of course, without counting the possible installation costs if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself. Is the expense worth it? Well, if you are a true home cinema enthusiast and have the budget, maybe yes.
Moreover, the installation can become a real challenge. It’s not the same as plugging in a soundbar as setting up a system with multiple speakers. A home cinema usually includes front, rear, central speakers, and a subwoofer. Not only do you have to find a place for the subwoofer, but also for the rest of the speakers.
And it’s not just about installing the speakers, you also need to configure everything correctly. You will need an AV receiver that functions as the brain of the system, managing all audio and video signals. This AV receiver must be compatible with your television and other devices like Blu-ray players or video game consoles.
That said, once you manage to set it all up, the experience will be incredible. Movies and series will come to life with surround sound that will leave you speechless. Additionally, some home cinema systems offer advanced features like automatic calibration and compatibility with high-resolution audio formats.
So, is a home cinema for you? If you seek the highest sound quality and don’t mind investing time, money, and effort in the installation, maybe yes. But if you prefer something simpler and more economical, perhaps a soundbar is a better option.
Headphones for TV, for when you don’t want to disturb your roommates or neighbors
Sometimes, watching TV at high volume can disturb others at home or the neighbors. And of course, you’re not always alone. This is where TV headphones become a great option.
Headphones allow you to enjoy sound without external interruptions. You won’t have to constantly turn the volume up and down. And if you buy good headphones, you will also notice a great improvement compared to the TV’s audio quality.
In my TV headphones guide you have some of my recommendations. The most convenient option is wireless headphones, giving you the freedom to sit and lie down as you wish, although some prefer wired headphones. In the guide, I also talk about another possibility, which is to use the headphones you already have by connecting them to the TV via a wireless receiver.
And indeed, connectivity is usually the biggest impediment to this option I propose, as most modern televisions do not have an analog audio output (the traditional headphone mini-jack) and even if they did, there would be the problem of having a cable long enough between the TV and the headphone.
Stereo speakers for your TV… Why not?
What if I told you there’s another option, one that probably hasn’t crossed your mind? Why not use bookshelf stereo speakers with your TV?
Although they are becoming a rare sight, a pair of stereo speakers is a great, and generally very cheap, way to improve the sound of the TV, expanding the soundstage and making the music and effects of movies and series sound much better. Perhaps the dialogues don’t improve as much with this option as with a home cinema or a good soundbar with its central channel, but if you don’t have high demands in this area, stereo speakers are a fantastic option.
The biggest problem you’ll have with this is the same one we already considered earlier when talking about headphones: the connection. Speakers usually work with analog connections that modern televisions have been phasing out, so you have to resort to analog to digital connection adapters.
It is true that almost all two-way speakers that come to market now do so with Bluetooth connectivity, and it would be possible to connect them wirelessly to the TV, but I am not in favor of using Bluetooth to connect speakers to the TV: the sound quality suffers – especially the bass – and the delay between image and audio can make the experience unbearable.
Use the TV’s equalizer or sound modes
This option should not be dismissed just because it’s obvious. And surely many people don’t know that their TV has sound modes that, while they won’t work miracles, can improve the sound in some circumstances.
These modes basically have pre-configured equalizations to sound good with different types of content, such as “Cinema,” “Music,” “Sports,” or “Dialogues.” Now, with the famous AI trend, many manufacturers also incorporate modes where AI automatically determines the best equalization based on the content.
There are also a few televisions that have a graphic equalizer among their settings. It is usually a very basic equalizer, with three or five bands, but enough to “play” a bit with it and try to improve the sound, considering that, depending on the acoustics of our living room, it may be beneficial to increase the high, mid, or low frequencies. It’s about trying until you find the right setting.
Some televisions that have this type of equalizer? The Sony Bravia or the LG. Also, all those with Android TV or Google TV as a Smart TV system. And note that in many televisions this equalizer may be in an app that the TV connects to via WiFi. For example, Samsung offers through its SmartThings app an equalizer in some of its televisions.