A soundbar’s sleek design, virtual surround sound technology, and one-cable installation make them a popular and practical choice for those who prefer a simple audio setup. However, a complete surround sound system offers a better audio experience. With speakers placed throughout the room, it creates detailed sound that comes from different directions, making it easier for listeners to identify where sounds are coming from.
A great TV doesn’t guarantee a great viewing experience. It’s all about pairing those amazing visuals with the right audio system.
While any sound system will give you an audio upgrade, not every system will cater to your specific needs and space.
In this article, we’ll focus on comparing two specific audio systems – soundbars vs surround sound systems.
Both will give you that extra audio boost you’re craving, but there are some things to consider before deciding which is best for you.
Let’s compare the two and help you figure out which one can deliver the audio experience you’re looking for.
Quick Comparison of Soundbars vs Surround Sound
What is a Soundbar?
A soundbar is an all-in-one audio system that contains multiple drivers. These drivers include tweeters for high frequencies, mid-range speakers for balanced audio, and even mini subwoofers for deeper bass, all within a single compact unit.
Each driver works together with the others to produce a high-quality audio experience that immediately upgrades a TV’s built-in speakers. Since their breakthrough in the 1990s, soundbars have evolved into a mainstay in the common household.
Why are Soundbars So Popular? The Benefits
Soundbars provide casual TV watchers and music enthusiasts an opportunity to experience high-end audio. But this significant boost in audio is just scratching the surface. Here are some other advantages to using a soundbar:
They Save Space
Most soundbars are only around 2-3 inches tall, 2-3 inches deep, and range anywhere from 16 inches to 50 inches in length. They’re usually placed on a TV stand or mounted on a wall beneath the TV screen, aesthetically blending into any living space.
Soundbars are the Easiest Sound System to Install
They just need to be plugged into an outlet and then connected to a TV with . It’s a simple plug-and-play setup that makes high-quality audio accessible to a wider audience, including those who aren’t tech-savvy.
By bridging the gap between basic TV speakers and full surround sound systems, they’ve become a practical and appealing solution for homeowners.
A Flexible Option That Instantly Upgrades Audio from TV Speakers
They work well for different types of entertainment setups and immediately transform TV audio with a noticeable boost in clarity and depth.
They connect to modern smart TVs through HDMI ARC, eARC, or Optical cables and also work with older models using auxiliary or RCA inputs. They can also be connected to gaming systems, and most support Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming.
Modern Audio Formats and Big Sound
It used to be that the only way you could experience great audio was to buy an entire home theater system. But times have changed.
Now, with new technology, even the smallest soundbars are able to produce impressive sound with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, or Dolby Digital formats. Some models work like hybrid systems, combining front and upward-firing speakers to reflect sound off walls and ceilings to reflect sound in a way that virtually resembles surround sound.
High-end soundbars with more drivers, like the Sennheiser Ambeo Max, are capable of producing a 3D spherical audio experience that gives a more expansive and directional soundstage.
What are the Downsides of Soundbars?
While a soundbar will satisfy most, it won’t be the audio solution for everyone. Make sure you consider the following:
The Range of Control and Customization You Have Over the Audio Will be Limited
Soundbars typically have preset audio modes you can switch to for movies, sports, music, and to enhance dialogue, among others. For the most part, these content modes serve their purpose, but they don’t provide the option for detailed audio adjustments.
For example, in a situation where you’re watching a movie but can’t hear the dialogue clearly, you’ll be forced to sacrifice either clearer dialogue or the sound effects.
Some models will let you make basic bass and treble adjustments, but they lack equalization and fine-tuning capabilities.
This means you’re somewhat at the mercy of the preset configurations of the soundbar, and you won’t be able to get the sound exactly how you like it or for the specific content you’re using it for.
The Physical Limitations of a Soundbar will Directly Impact Its Audio Performance
Because all of the drivers are crammed into the soundbar itself, there’s not a ton of separation between them.
This lack of spacing restricts their ability to create distinct sound fields, meaning they can’t provide the same level of stereo imaging and spaciousness as speakers placed further apart.
This is most noticeable when you would expect to have a detailed and layered presentation of the sound, like when watching an action movie or listening to detailed musical arrangements.
The Sound You Get is Highly Dependent on the Room Acoustics
Soundbars rely heavily on room acoustics to deliver virtual surround sound. They use walls and ceilings to reflect audio, but their effectiveness depends a lot on the layout of the room and their ability to use natural acoustics.
If you have an open floor plan, you may not get the enveloping sound you’re looking for from a soundbar.
What is a Surround Sound System?
A surround sound system is a multi-speaker setup that can create a 3D audio experience. This experience is made through a combination of strategically placed speakers around your viewing area.
When sound is dispersed from these speakers, they form a spatial and multidirectional sound that immerses you in whatever you’re watching on screen.
The Components in Surround Sound Speaker Systems
A complete surround sound system consists of multiple speakers, each with its own purpose:
Surround sound systems provide an immersive audio experience by using multiple speakers positioned around the listener for rich, multi-dimensional sound. This setup enhances on-screen action with precise sound localization.
Front Speakers
These are the workhorses of the audio system. They deliver the majority of the sound and are typically placed in front of the viewing area. These can be bookshelf speakers or floor-standing speakers.
Center Speaker
This speaker is responsible for dialogue and is placed above or below your TV screen for clear, crisp speech.
Satellite Speakers and Rear Speakers
Positioned either beside or behind you, these speakers create the sensation of sound coming from all directions, giving you a spatial audio experience.
Subwoofer
The subwoofer adds deep, powerful bass to the mix, providing that rumbling sensation during explosions and intense action sequences.
AV Receiver (AVR)
This is the brains of the surround sound system. It’s responsible for processing audio signals and distributing them to the speakers with built-in amps.
The Advantages of Surround Sound Systems
A Personalized Listening Experience
Surround sound systems give you more ways to customize the sound to your liking. You can adjust the speaker positions in the room according to your room’s acoustics and change how each speaker produces sound.
Many systems also include adjustable equalization, letting you fine-tune the frequency response to match your personal preferences. This level of control helps you create a soundstage that matches how you want to experience movies, music, or games.
Modern systems often include a receiver with automatic room correction. This feature uses microphones to analyze your space and adjusts the audio to address harsh reflections, uneven bass, or dead zones, delivering consistent sound quality across the room.
Every room is different, and surround sound systems let you adapt to those differences while still creating a listening experience that feels like it’s designed just for you.
What Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Audio Formats Were Built For
These formats are designed for multi-speaker environments and provide a more three-dimensional audio experience. DTS:X offers flexibility in speaker placement, allowing for a more customized and realistic soundstage.
Dolby Atmos enhances this experience by utilizing height channels, adding an overhead dimension to the soundscape for increased immersion. Both formats are versatile, giving individuals the option to have more advanced setups like 7.1.2 or 9.1.2 systems.
You Decide What Speakers and Amplifier to Use
With surround sound systems, you choose the specific speakers, subwoofer, and amplifier, giving you control over how advanced your setup becomes.
Materials play a big role in audio performance. Cones made from kevlar or aluminum, tweeters crafted from silk or titanium, and cabinets built from dense woods or MDF reduce distortion and preserve clarity, even at high volumes.
These materials improve the accuracy of sound, producing a wider and more detailed soundstage across the full range of frequencies. Subtle details, like footsteps or distant echoes, become more pronounced, while shifts in sound feel natural and immersive.
With this level of customization, you can fine-tune the system to improve sound quality and decide just how engaging and immersive your audio experience becomes.
A Future-Proof Home Entertainment Setup
Surround sound systems remain compatible with evolving audio formats and can be upgraded as new technologies become available. New speakers can be added or interchanged in an existing system without replacing the entire thing.
This means you can start with something like a 2.0 channel configuration and work up to a 7.2 surround sound system that includes seven channels and two subwoofers over time.
The Disadvantages of Surround Sound Systems
You Need Enough Space for the Best Experience
How the speakers are positioned, and the distance between them play a huge role in how well a surround sound system performs.
Positioning surround sound speakers correctly can be difficult in smaller rooms or in a living room with limited space, especially when the goal is to create a truly immersive experience.
Running Wires for Multiple Speakers Can Be Difficult for Some
Having a bunch of wires running to speakers in separate parts of the room means you’ll need to find a way to hide them. If you don’t run the wires in the walls, there’s a good chance they’ll be noticeable.
Even though there are wireless bookshelf and floor-standing speakers available, you risk sacrificing some audio quality with these, and they still need individual power sources, in addition to being a bit pricier than passive speakers.
The back of a YAMAHA RX-V385 AV Receiver.
Surround Sounds Systems Aren’t a Portable Option
With the amount of components and the complexity of setup, it’s best to keep them in one place. If you do need to move the system to a new location, you’ll need to recalibrate it and readjust the settings.
Alright, now that you know the basics, let’s directly compare soundbars and surround sound systems.
Which is Better, a Home Theater with Surround Sound or a Soundbar?
To help you decide which system is best for you, let’s analyze and compare the overall performance you can expect from soundbars and surround sound systems.
Sound Quality
- Surround Sound
Soundbar
Soundbars bridge the gap between regular TV speakers and full surround sound systems. They enhance sound quality with tech that can create the illusion of a more expansive sound field, often using forward-facing and upward-firing speakers to mimic a surround sound experience.
Some advanced soundbars even include satellite speakers and external subwoofers as part of a hybrid approach to improve this effect further.
While they’re a good option for casual viewing and provide a simple, straightforward way to upgrade audio, they still don’t quite match the depth and overall audio performance you’ll get with a true surround sound system.
Surround sound systems have multiple speakers that are placed in strategic locations to create a layered and cohesive sound field.
They deliver a more dynamic and enveloping sound, providing a level of immersion that even soundbars with satellite speakers can’t fully replicate. They use forward, upward, and downward-firing speakers for a full-range, three-dimensional soundstage.
The superior audio quality in surround sound systems comes from the ability to produce a true three-dimensional soundstage, making you feel like you’re completely inside the audio environment.
Our take: If you’re just looking to boost your audio, a soundbar is an easy, quick solution. But if you’re looking to dip your feet into true audiophile territory, a true surround sound system will give you the customization and high-fidelity sound you’re looking for.
Ease of Use and Installation
Surround Sound
- Soundbar
Soundbars are very easy to install and are designed to be user-friendly with simple controls and features like preset sound modes. This allows users to easily optimize audio for different types of content with the push of a button.
They can be set on a TV stand or mounted on a wall underneath a TV. They come out of the box ready to be used, only requiring a couple of simple connections to your TV and power source.
Surround sound systems take more time to install, and it can be a complex installation process, especially if you don’t have much experience in audio setups. You’ll need to place multiple speakers in specific optimal locations, run wires, and configure an AV receiver.
While the end result of a surround sound system gives a superior audio experience, the complexity of its installation and setup makes it less user-friendly compared to the plug-and-play simplicity of soundbars.
Our take: Considering their plug-and-play installation, soundbars have a strong advantage here.
Considering Space and Room Size
For Small Spaces
Surround Sound
- Soundbar
For small viewing areas like apartments and bedrooms, soundbars are the best solution. They’re compact and can use the walls to reflect and enhance sound, providing balanced audio in these spaces, which is a key advantage.
In these areas, setting up surround sound systems can be tricky and sometimes impossible because they rely on strategic speaker placement to distribute sound precisely.
If the space can’t accommodate the specific distances and angles between each speaker, the sound quality will suffer.
Additionally, the walls and furniture in a smaller room can absorb or unevenly reflect sound waves, making the audio quality even worse.
For Larger Areas
- Surround Sound
Soundbar
Even though they’re versatile, soundbars struggle to fill larger areas with evenly distributed sound. Instead, the sound seems more localized to the soundbar itself, creating a “dead zone” in the back of the room where it’s muffled or absent altogether.
They also won’t be able to produce the same level of bass or volume as a full-fledged surround sound system, making the sound less impactful and immersive.
Our take: To fill a larger space, there’s no question that a surround sound system is what you want here. However, if you’re limited in space, a soundbar will provide a good audio experience.
Audio Customization and Upgrade Potential
- Surround Sound
Soundbar
Most soundbars are all-in-one units with a set number of built-in speakers, limiting them in customization and expansion. You can find some models that allow you to add external speakers or subwoofers, but they’re brand-specific.
This means you can’t mix and match them with higher-quality speakers or components to change the sound profile like you can with surround sound systems.
This also limits their repairability. If a driver fails, it won’t be an easy fix. And if you install the wrong one, it will affect the driver’s response, giving you inconsistent sound.
Because surround sound systems work with external speakers and an AV receiver, there’s more opportunity for expansion. You’ll also have more freedom to choose the speaker set you want, provided they are compatible with your system.
This flexibility lets you add and upgrade speakers over time so you can improve and personalize your audio experience as technology evolves and your preferences change.
Our take: Surround sound systems offer more flexibility than soundbars when it comes to creating an audio environment that you personally enjoy and one that works well in your specific space.
Comparing the Costs of Soundbars and Surround Sound Systems
Surround Sound
- Soundbar
Soundbars: The Budget-Friendly Choice
Soundbars are generally the more budget-friendly option compared to surround sound systems. Their affordability is reflected by their all-in-one design that doesn’t require multiple components.
Entry-level soundbars, like these that are priced under $200, provide a noticeable audio upgrade at a low price, making them a good option for people on a budget. Even higher-end models with more channels and wireless speakers can be less expensive than a full surround sound system.
Surround Sound Systems: A Customizable Price Point
An effective surround sound system consists of a set of speakers, an AV receiver, and possibly additional equipment such as speaker stands, wiring, or acoustic treatments for the room.
You can buy a packaged system, but many people prefer to build their own custom setups. They combine different components from different brands to build the system they want.
In these custom systems, the cost will ultimately depend on the number and quality of the speakers used, the capabilities of the AV receiver, and any additional audio processing equipment you desire.
Factoring in Installation
You’ll also want to consider installation costs. Anyone can install a soundbar, but the same can’t be said about surround systems.
If you’re able to install all the components yourself, you’ll save a good amount of money, but if not, you should consider the additional cost of hiring professional help.
Our Take: If you want a simple and affordable option, choose a soundbar. If you want depth in audio and the option to upgrade over time, a surround sound system is a valuable long-term investment.
Top Consumer Picks: Best Soundbars and Home Surround Sound Systems
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Best Soundbars
To give you an idea of what other users like, here are some of the best soundbars you’ll find on the market today:
Samsung HW Q990c
- Dolby Atmos
- 11.1.4 Channel
- SpaceFit Optimization
- Game Mode for Gamers
Sennheiser Ambeo Max
- Dolby Atmos
- 5.1.4 Channel
- Upmix Technology
- Excellent Room Calibration
Polk Audio Signa S4
- Dolby Atmos
- 3.1.2 Channel
- Voice Adjust Technology
- 8K Compatibility
For those looking for popular budget options, check out our picks for the best soundbars priced under $200.
Best Surround Sound Setups
Depending on your audio preferences, budget, and level of audio expertise, surround sound systems can be pre-packaged or custom-built. Some brands are even starting to use their soundbars as a part of their home theater systems.
Here are some of the most popular packaged systems and the best speaker brands you can look at to start building a customized surround sound:
Klipsch Reference 5.2 Home Theater System
- Dolby Atmos
- High-Frequency Tweeters
- Copper Spun Woofers
- Denon S970H Receiver
Yamaha Audio YHT-4950U 5.1 Home Theater System
- Flexible Speaker Placement
- 5.1 Channel
- Room Optimization
- Value Package
Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 Soundbar Surround Sound
- Dolby Atmos
- 9.2.4 Channel
- 4K HDR Pass-through
- 360° Surround Sound
High Quality Surround Sound Speaker Brands
You can also check out our picks for the best bookshelf speakers under $1,000 for more ideas.
Making Your Decision
When choosing between a soundbar vs. home theater system with surround sound, remember there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
Your choice should reflect your unique needs, preferences, and room dynamics. Prioritize what matters most to you: simplicity, space-saving, or audio immersion.
With a better understanding of soundbars and surround sound systems, you now know exactly what to look for.
Explore the options, read reviews, and make an informed decision that aligns with your audio expectations and enhances your audio experience.
