Best Black Friday Soundbar Deals 2021

It’s soon Black Friday 2019 and you are well prepared with the list of thing you are going to buy that time. But have you included a Soundbar in it?

Some of you would be like why do you need a soundbar when you already have speakers. I agree it’s just an extra expense, but trust me soundbar is much better than the normal speakers.

When you wish to upgrade your TV sound, you have many options available in the market, and it becomes quite difficult to choose a perfect fit for your needs. And so you need to first decide on how much are you willing to spend and how much of your living space you are willing to give up for the same. As you must be already aware that when compared to multi-speaker, soundbars actually require less money and space.

There are tons of soundbars in the market right now, and among them, some are excellent, while some are just a waste of money. And when it comes to knowing the features each soundbar is different from each other.

Is Investing in soundbars worth it?

The soundbar is usually slim, low-profile space-savers. Whereas a real home theatre sound comes in many variations, typically a home theatre requires a separate amplifier and at least 5 speakers (one centre, one left, one right, two rear) and a subwoofer, and the cost of everything is almost way beyond the soundbar.

I agree that the authentic home theatre sounds more amazing and gives you almost 1000 times better results, but if you are looking for a simple solution to upgrade the audio quality of your gadgets mostly TV, a soundbar is definitely a good choice.

Now, before you decide what you will buy, just list down the followings:

• How much do you want to spend?
• How much space are you willing to give?
• How much durability would you consider?
• What’s your actual intended use?

Best Black Friday Soundbar Deals Buying Guide

Below I have listed a buying guide you should consider while deciding which soundbar to buy:

• Get a soundbar with a minimum of 3 channels. Because the 2 channel soundbars just sound like a glorified mini-stereos. The 3 or more channels, you are able to easily simulate surround sound for an immersive experience.
• Choose an active soundbar as they with built-in amplifiers and hence is worth it, especially as it comes as a 2-for- 1 solution and does not require much space.
• Consider the place where you would place the soundbar because that would help to decide which size you have to buy. I recommend placing it on a centred beneath or above the TV.
• Pay attention to connectivity, as soundbars come with different connectivity options. Most soundbars come to Wi-Fi and/ or Bluetooth so that you can easily stream videos and music from any smartphone, computer, laptop or tablet. And make sure to check for the HDMI-switching, as it makes it easy to switch audio sources without having to re-route HDMI cables.
• Buy the new soundbar only from an authorized dealer. That will definitely get you the manufacturer's warranty, service and support.

When you go for buying a Sound Bar you get to choose from the two types i.e.

Sound Bar and Sound Bases, both comes with speakers inside and serve the same purpose of making your TV’s audio distinctly better, as in clearer dialogue, richer sound, crisper details, more immersive, more cinematic, and etc.

But there are some differences. And what exactly are the differences?

Soundbar – a soundbar is a long, thin rectangular-shaped bar filled with speakers and a lot of technical stuff and gives you results like voices come through crisp and distinct and so even a whispered dialogue can be heard clearly.

And furthermore, soundbars are wider than sound bases, hence they can throw sound further afield and to a degree that you get effects somewhat the same as a home theatre. You can either mount a soundbar to the wall under your TV or just let it sit in front of your TV if your TV is on a table, or simply let it sit on a shelf below or above your TV if your TV is kept in a shelving system.

Sound base – if we see the purpose, it is exactly the same as a soundbar, but they do differ in size and power. Sound bases are deeper than soundbars but generally shorter in width and they are principally designed to sit under the TV or on a shelf directly below the TV.

Furthermore, a sound base typically has more room inside than soundbars, and so the result is, they come with better built-in amplification and bigger bass drivers, lessening the need for a subwoofer.

Usually, people come only one question to me and i.e. what to consider when buying a soundbar?

And hence to make the task of buying soundbar easier I have listed below some important details you need to always consider before buying a soundbar.

Where will the soundbar live, i.e. where will you put the soundbar?

It’s important for you to predetermine the place where you are going to put the soundbar, usually, it is kept where you put your TV and how much space you have around your TV helps you decide which type will work best for you and further the type will influence where you can place it.

When it comes to a soundbar, you can say it is quite versatile when it comes to its installation, you can either hang it on the wall or sit it under or in front of your TV.

For more better sound quality, simply put the soundbar on the same table as of your TV, directly below the screen or mount the soundbar directly below your TV. A soundbar is specifically designed to be kept beneath your TV and hence they are so heavy.

What size soundbar should you get?

That’s the question you come up every time, right?

Relax, the best size of your new soundbar should not be any wider than your TV.

Most people prefer a soundbar having the same width as your TV so that your entire set up looks quite cool. However, you can technically pair a soundbar with just about any size TV.

And hence when it comes to size, use your best judgement and just make sure that your TV has the right connectivity to hook up your new soundbar, especially if you have an older model of the TV set-up.

What are active or passive soundbars, and why is that important?

Passive means the soundbar does not have a built-in power amp and thus such soundbars require a receiver or amplifier to work. However, they do have better speakers that mean better sound.

As it requires a receiver or an amplifier, a passive soundbar will cost you a little more, and you will also have to connect more components together.

You will also definitely need a traditional subwoofer connection if you desire to have extra bass.

On the other hand, Active means the soundbar comes with built-in amplifiers that power everything, including the channel processors that separate left, right and centre speakers in the soundbar. And hence, you require no extra receiver to plug in to.

I recommend an active soundbar when you are looking for a simple upgrade to your TV’s audio, as the passive soundbars are better suited for custom installations.

What are soundbar “channels” and how many do you need?

Think that the channel I am talking about right now as sound sources or individual speakers as most shows and movies these days offer 5 different audio channels embedded digitally: centre, left, right, plus two in the rear.

In a soundbar, all the channels and speakers are contained in one unit and hence it is different from a typical home theatre setup. So what does the channel number indicates?

• 2-channel soundbar: 2 speakers: left and right.
• 3-channel soundbar: 3 speakers: centre, right and left.
• 5-channel soundbar: all 5 speakers mentioned above: centre, right, left, and two rear speakers.
• 7-channel soundbar: 7 speakers, is the same as 5-channels with a bonus of a splitting surround and rear channel information in 4 channels, you get 7 total.

What connections do you need?

The latest and newest soundbars come with a variety of connectivity options. The key connections you should consider are:

• HDMI ARC – it helps to connect the soundbar to your TV’s audio return channel (ARC) input with an HDMI cable. HDMI is especially good for multi-channel soundbars.
• Wireless Connectivity – as it gives the ability to stream audio on directly from your soundbar or via your phone or tablet. It comes either with a Bluetooth option or the Wi-Fi option. The built-in Bluetooth makes it easy to stream music from your computer, smartphone, and tablet. Whereas the Wi-Fi option gives you the ability to use the internet network and stream directly online.
• Optical Port – an optical patch cord gives a solid, best-case scenario connection between the TV and soundbar. It's also one of the easiest, simplest and most reliable connections available.
• USB Inputs – it’s usually only included for firmware updates, but most soundbar updates these days are done through software updates. You need it when you are planning to plug in a thumb drive with the songs on it.

How will you control the soundbar?

The soundbar does come with its own remote control, but you can also program the existing TV remote to also work control the soundbar