In this article, we’re going to discuss whether soundbars are good for music, and why soundbars may not be the best option when it comes to listening to music.
Think about it, have speakers ever delivered a valuable music experience, and made an impact on you? The answer is most likely no, and that’s the problem with TV speakers, they suck.
Not many people watch movies or TV shows, and that can alienate people looking for soundbars for a very specific purpose. Well, soundbars are pretty good for music compared to standard TV speakers, they get louder, and they can deliver deep bass.
Why People Want Soundbars For Music
You’re likely interested in a soundbar for music because they’re pretty small and compact, they don’t require much setup, and they deliver a superior listening experience compared to standard TV speakers.
And you’re probably aware that music tends to have bass, especially if you listen to a lot of hip-hop, so a soundbar and its subwoofer will definitely enhance the listening experience in that regard.
Soundbars also get louder than many speakers, so this can be a huge benefit for those using their soundbar as their source of music at parties, and other gatherings with many people.
Also with soundbars supporting Apple Music, and Spotify, it makes streaming your music to the soundbar easy and user-friendly, so there’s no way a soundbar won’t improve upon your listening experience.
Are Soundbars Good For Music?
Soundbars are definitely good for music, they will outperform your standard TV speakers easily, so if you already have a soundbar, you technically already have a decent music setup.
If you are stuck with your decision to get a soundbar for music, the combo I’d go for is the Sonos Arc and a subwoofer, this is an amazing setup for music for its decent soundstage.
If you have concerns about the soundbar sounding bad in your specific room, it has room-correcting capabilities that will automatically adjust the soundbar to work best in your specific room.
Keep in mind, the Sonos Arc does not come with a subwoofer, so you will need to purchase a standalone one so it can play low-frequency sounds perfectly.
Or if you want a soundbar that’s pretty similar to the Sonos Arc, and it already comes with a subwoofer, then I’d recommend the LG SP9YA, they’re both 48 inches, and both support Dolby Atmos.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy A Soundbar For Music
Soundbars are great for music, but there are better options if your intentions are to purely listen to music. Although they work great for music, they weren’t made with the intention to be good for music.
If you already have a soundbar, and you want to use it for music then that would be perfectly fine, and almost always better than using your standard TV speakers, but we don’t recommend wasting your money on soundbars purely for the music.
If you don’t mind investing more time into setting up Bluetooth or Bookshelf speakers, they will almost always produce better sound than your soundbar can.
Or if you have intentions of using your soundbar for more than just music, then a soundbar is better.
Soundbars Vs Bookshelf Speakers – What’s Best For Music?
Bookshelf speakers sound better than soundbars therefore that could be a reason why you would choose one over a typical soundbar. However, soundbars are easier to set up, and they’re arguably more user friendly.
Down to the specifications, bookshelf speakers perform better and have more powerful sound because they come with larger drivers, this creates a more high quality sound which can be beneficial for music.
Soundbars on the other hand won’t perform as well as a bookshelf speaker, as a music lover, having high quality sound is of utmost importance, so this is a huge downside to a soundbar.
So if I was looking for the best performing speakers because I want the most out of my listening experience, I’d forget a soundbar, and pick up some bookshelf speakers.
But if I were you, I would most definitely pick up a subwoofer, you don’t want to leave this performance missing as your bookshelf speakers won’t be able to accurately reproduce low frequency noises as a subwoofer can.
However, if I was looking for something that can perform well in most scenarios, I’d definitely pick up a soundbar. It’s unlikely that you’re purely going to use a soundbar for music, so the fact that the soundbar can also improve upon watching TV, I’d get it for this reason.
And many soundbars will come with a subwoofer that perfectly compliments the performance of the soundbar, so you won’t have to spend time finding the right subwoofer.
Best Performing Speakers For Music
For those looking for the best of the best for listening to music, then I’d rank floorstanding speakers the highest, and standard TV speakers the lowest.
But their size profile can be attractive especially if you live in a small apartment, so while floorstanding speakers are the best performing, they do take up a lot of space and require more time to set up.
If you have the space, or maybe you have a large living room, then you have the option to use floorstanding speakers, and with correct placements, you can make them aesthetically pleasing.
However, if you live in a small apartment, or you need speakers for your bedroom, then I personally would go for bookshelf speakers as they are more space friendly, and they’re powerful enough to handle a bedroom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, soundbars are good for music, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to purchase a soundbar purely for music as soundbars specialize more for movies and TV shows rather than music.
For music, you have options such as bookshelf speakers that will undoubtedly outperform a soundbar in terms of raw sound quality, but you will need to purchase a standalone subwoofer.
Or if you want the best sound performance possible, then a floorstanding speaker is your way to go, keep in mind that they will require setting up which is more intense than setting up a soundbar.
