sound bars

Typically, sound bars are horizontal speakers that are designed to be placed below your TV.

Samsung's upcoming HW-E550 Surround Sound Bar is just that--but with a twist. Not only can you place it horizontally below your TV (the speaker weighs 4 pounds), but you can split it in two and turn it into a traditional 2.1-channel floor-standing system using the included bases.

Yes, there's also a subwoofer, but the sound bar (or speakers if you split it in two) connects to it wirelessly using Samsung's proprietary dual-band 5.2/5.8GHz wireless technology. Samsung says the … Read more

At first glance, the Unity Home Theater is a T-shaped speaker system that looks like a Jenga tower of home theater equipment.

The setup aims to give consumers a Swiss Army Knife of entertainment with the inclusion of a 5.1 surround sound bar, subwoofer, Blu-ray/DVD player, HDMI pass-through, surge protector, and TV stand (up to 60 inches) in a single package. A power cord to Unity and a HDMI connection to the HDTV would be the only wires you would need to get started.

A home theater system without a jungle of cords that uses only one remote is enticing, but is Unity the end-all accessory for someone buying a first HDTV? I recently had a chance to speak with the co-founders of the company behind the product, In2Technologies. … Read more

CNET reader John asks:

I am a senior. My hearing abilities are deteriorating and I expect there are a lot of others with the same problem. Background music in a lot of programming drowns out the voice. Higher frequency and soft voices are more difficult to understand.

I would like to know if there is any way to control the audio portion of a HD cable TV signal? Would a home theater sound system give you any control?

I know I may require hearing aids eventually but was wondering about an interim solution. If control is not an option, would headphones work?

Thanks for your help, John

I can't speak to the question of hearing aids, but as far as TV audio is concerned, it's not entirely your ears.

The problem is: all TV speakers are crap. Many people can't hear dialogue from their TV speakers. Fortunately, there are several solutions.… Read more

MonoPrice's speakers and subwoofers may be priced at the extreme low end, but they offer respectable performance for very little money. I wrote about the company's subs a few days ago, today we'll look at two MonoPrice "bookshelf" speakers: the 8250 ($28 per pair) and the 8251 ($54 a pair). When the speakers and subs are used together they can serve as a viable alternative to a sound bar home theater system, for buyers who already have a receiver.

The 8250 is a small two-way bookshelf speaker with a 6.5-inch polypropylene woofer and a .… Read more

Just about every home audio manufacturer is getting into the sound bar business, and Bose is no exception. Bose has released two sound bar home theater systems, the Lifestyle 135 and CineMate 1 SR, each sporting a wireless subwoofer and programmable universal remote. They're the first sound bars ever released by Bose, and prices are entirely Bose-like: $2,500 for the Lifestyle 135 and $1,500 for the CineMate 1 SR.… Read more

Note: This is an update of a deal I wrote about a few months back.

If you own an HDTV, I'll wager you've discovered an almost universal truth: built-in speakers blow. Unfortunately, with rare exception, you can't just plug in a set of external speakers; usually you need a receiver to act as the go-between, and that gets expensive.

Note that I said "usually." Another option is a sound bar, a speaker/receiver combo that sits above or below the screen and does the work of two or more standalone speakers. Of course, these can … Read more

Sound bars are often thought of as replacements for full 5.1 home theater systems, but the Vizio VHT510 is a sound bar that is a 5.1 home theater system. Its unique design includes two rear speakers that connect directly to the wireless sub, which means you can stash the sub in the back of your home theater along with the rear speaker--no need to run cables from the front of the room to the back. More importantly, it has outstanding sound quality for a sound bar in this price range.

The VHT510 isn't perfect, as its connectivity … Read more

I remember the sound of the very first Zvox sound bar, the 325, for one really good reason: it sounded amazing. Zvox still sells it for just $249. The "secret" to the Zvox sound isn't radical new technology or wildly innovative design; no, Zvox speakers are just a lot bigger than most of the competition's sound bars. The 325 is 17 inches wide, 16 inches deep and 4.8 inches high. Yes, folks, when it comes to sound quality, size is a biggie. Zvox speakers always sounded great, but were light on features, the new models … Read more

I view the rising popularity of sound bar speakers as proof positive that more and more people are rejecting the notion of deploying five or more speakers in their home theaters. It's not just the number of speakers, people are also not thrilled by the idea of running wires to the far corners of their home theaters. Truly "wireless" surround speakers are a recurring fantasy, but I've yet to see a wireless surround speaker that doesn't have at least one wire; most have two (one for signal, one for power), which as far as I … Read more