You don't need to be a surround sound expert to get a big boost from the SR-C30A. Thanks to HDMI eARC, all you need to get up and running is an HDMI connection to the television, and power for both the soundbar and the subwoofer. Everything else, including matching volume and turning off the TV's speakers, is handled instantly and automatically.
The first thing I noticed about the QS90H is its impressive bass performance. Most of the time when a company claims its soundbar doesn't need a subwoofer, that proves to be untrue. But even in the chaos of a noisy demo area, I could clearly hear the bassy thump coming from the QS90H's built-in subwoofers. For once, I think would-be buyers could get by without a sub, especially in smaller living rooms.
You can't really enjoy an immersive viewing experience without great sound to match the visuals. If you're looking to make holiday movie nights better but your current TV doesn't have solid built-in speakers, adding a soundbar to the setup can be a smart move. And thanks to Amazon, picking one up doesn't break the bank today. The Sony S100F 2.0ch soundbar is currently going for just $98 at Amazon, after the retailer took a whopping 39% off its usual price of $160.
Those who prefer a cleaner setup can mount it on the wall just as well. It connects to your display (or other devices) using Bluetooth, so there are no cables or complicated steps to worry about. Once connected, it pushes bold, room-filling sound that surrounds you. It won't feel like the audio is just being blasted from the speaker, but instead, coming from all corners and every direction.
Although this system lacks Wi-Fi wireless streaming, Sony fitted it with its Digital Sound Enhancement Engine to enhance the sound quality of compressed audio via Bluetooth streaming. The System 6 is compatible with wireless streaming via Bluetooth, and the main soundbar includes an optical input for a host of Dolby Digital audio formats. The soundbar's HDMI eARC input is responsible for accessing Dolby Digital audio formats, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X spatial audio formats.
The best thing about the JBL Bar 1000MK2 is its versatile design. The design makes it easy for those with smaller living rooms to get a surround sound setup without permanently mounted, wired surround speakers. It's kind of a genius concept. The two surround speakers simply look like part of the soundbar itself when they're attached to the sides, and they charge when they're attached.
It's hard to convince anyone to spend over a thousand dollars on a soundbar system. Ask a home theater nerd or Redditor, and they'll say spending real cash on anything other than a receiver and dedicated speakers and subwoofer is a fool's errand. As an A/V reviewer, I see this as a hilariously case of gatekeeping. These arguments are predicated on the fact that everyone has the room, know-how, and desire to deal with cables, speakers, and the associated setup.
