Our Soundbar Sound Tests

Our stereo frequency response tests show how accurately the bar can reproduce sound at each frequency. Whether you like to listen to music, movies, or TV shows, getting a soundbar that can reproduce all of the frequencies found in your audio content, from the low-bass to the high-treble is important. For example, you'll want a soundbar with an extended low-bass if you like to feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music and action-packed movies.

The frequency response graph allows us to better understand the soundbar's sound profile in relation to our target curve. A more neutral, balanced sound profile is considered suitable for most types of audio content. However, depending on your preferences and the audio content you want to listen to, you may prefer a different sound. Some listeners prefer a more bass-heavy sound profile that adds extra thump and punch to the mix or a v-shaped sound that adds brightness and sparkle to instruments and vocals.

You can learn more about our stereo frequency response tests here.

Our stereo frequency response test is designed to test the soundbar with its default, out-of-the-box sound profile. However, many soundbars come with sound customization features like EQ presets or bass and treble adjustments that let you adjust its sound more to your liking. If you prefer a different sound, you may want to see how effective these features are at customizing the audio reproduction.

For this test, our testing team measures the bar's stereo frequency response after calibrating it. We use the bass and treble adjustments to try and get the bar's frequency response closer to our target curve if they're available. If not, we try to calibrate the bar using the subwoofer level adjustment feature. Our results show the settings that get the bar's slope closest to zero while also improving or matching the overall stereo frequency response score.

The soundstage is the imaginary three-dimensional area that makes up the height, width, and depth of your audio as the soundbar reproduces it. For example, if you were at a concert and closed your eyes, you could still pinpoint where each instrument was coming from in the space around you. A good soundstage performance allows you to feel immersed in your audio and helps you accurately locate where sound objects like voices, footsteps, and instruments are coming from in the sound image. However, if your soundbar struggles in this regard, sound may seem like it's coming from a more general area in front of you.

A group of testers subjectively evaluates our stereo soundstage score. We perform this test with the soundbar in a stereo setup, so if it's possible, surround channels aren't active for this test.

You can learn more about our stereo soundstage tests here.

Love to crank up the volume? You'll definitely want to take a look at our stereo dynamics test. First, we measure a soundbar's maximum volume. Then, we evaluate the audio reproduction quality at higher volumes using our dynamic range compression test. In this test, we compare the speaker's output at 80 dB with its output at both 90 dB and max volume. That way, we can see whether audio quality degrades at higher volumes through the introduction of compression and pumping artifacts. Not everyone will want to turn up the volume that much, but it's worth noting for audiophiles who love a loud sound.

You can learn more about our stereo dynamics tests here.

Total harmonic distortion, or THD, evaluates the number of unintended frequencies reproduced alongside the intended frequencies of your audio content. Essentially, this measurement compares the audio content as it's been mixed by the engineer to the output reproduced by the soundbar. It's important for listeners who want their soundbar to maintain the fidelity of sound reproduction so that their content sounds clear and pure. Ideally, your soundbar has a very low amount of THD at both normal listening volumes and max volume, as this means that your audio content is reproduced the way its creator intended it. Most soundbars see a jump in distortion when they're pushed to louder volumes, but this may not be very noticeable with real-life content.

You can learn more about our stereo total harmonic distortion tests here.

While our stereo sound quality tests are designed to test the bar's left and right channels, some soundbars come with an additional third channel known as the center channel. A discrete center channel can significantly improve the quality of dialogue in TV shows. We also test for the center channel's frequency response, dynamics, and total harmonic distortion performances.

That said, not all soundbars offer a discrete center channel. In these cases, the soundbar may use its left and right channels to simulate a phantom center channel. Unfortunately, this doesn't sound as clear or as real as the audio reproduced by a discrete center. A phantom center can be especially disappointing for listeners who like to listen to a lot of dialogue-centric content like TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks since it won't make the voices in your content sound very clear or crisp.

You can learn more about center channel sound here.

Surround sound is becoming increasingly popular for movies on Blu-ray discs, streaming platforms, and other content. Our surrounds test evaluates how accurately the soundbar reproduces audio on its fourth and fifth channels, also known as the surround channels. We also test for the surround channels' frequency response, dynamics, and total harmonic distortion performances.

Soundbars with a 5.1 setup and above come with discrete surround channels specifically designed to reproduce surround content clearly and accurately. These discrete channels may be built into the bar or located on satellite speakers that you can place anywhere in your room. Other bars have front-firing or side-firing speakers that create a phantom localization to represent surround objects in the soundstage. However, a phantom surround isn't going to sound as clear or as real as a discrete setup.

Unfortunately, soundbars with fewer than five channels don't offer a discrete surround localization. Instead, they may have to downmix surround content into stereo to play it. This doesn't offer a very immersive listening experience, as sound may seem like it's just coming from in front of you rather than from speakers placed all around you.

You can learn more about our surround 5.1 tests here.

Dolby Atmos is an object-based surround sound format often used for movies. It's considered a more immersive listening format, as it allows audio engineers to assign sound objects like voices and footsteps to a more specific place in the sound image. Not all soundbars we test are capable of decoding audio in this format. However, if a soundbar supports Atmos content, we test for it alongside its frequency response, dynamics, and total harmonic distortion performances.

For this test, we compare the soundbar's height channel performance to home theater setups, which often come with dedicated down-firing speakers that you can install in your ceiling to improve the listening experience. While soundbars don't come with down-firing speakers, they may come with up-firing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling and back down toward you to simulate height. Other soundbars may downmix Atmos content into surround or stereo formats, which unfortunately doesn't sound as immersive.

You can learn more about our height channel tests here.

Our sound quality tests are designed to test how the soundbar performs out-of-the-box. If you prefer a different sound, finding a soundbar with lots of sound enhancement features can be helpful. These tools allow you to customize a soundbar's sound more to your liking, so you can add more thump and punch in the bass or more brightness and sparkle in the treble. Depending on the type of audio content you like to listen to, you may want a soundbar with certain sound enhancement features. For example, a dialogue enhancement feature can make voices in TV shows and podcasts more clear and crisp, while a virtual surround mode can help expand the soundstage when you're watching movies.

You can learn more about sound enhancement features here.