STACK #189 Jul 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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RAISING THE BAR

Soundbars are certainly not a new addition to home theatre, but with more performance developments in this space, the unobtrusive soundbar is fast becoming the perfect audio solution for many households.

Did You Know? Lee De Forest formulated an early design for an audio amplifier in 1906, but it was the years following the Second World War that saw big developments in amps. Pivoting off the technological advancements made during the war, the vacuum tube Williamson amplifier, released in 1946 was cutting edge, delivering unsurpassable high quality sound and setting the benchmark for audio amplification.

How do they connect? It’s easy. If the TV you’re connecting to is an older model without a HDMI port, then you can connect via an optical cable (generally supplied). TVs with HDMI ports will get better sound quality, but even better, if the TV has HDMI ARC or even HDMI eARC, an improved version found on newTVs, you’ll be able to control the volume using your remote. In the channels You would’ve heard of 3.1, 5.1 and even 7.1. Confused? Think of channels as individual speakers, so a 5.1 would be a right and left front speaker, a right and left rear speaker, a centre speaker making the 5, and a subwoofer which is represented by the 1. For the best sound, you’ll want to look for a soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos or DTS-X, audio formats that are quite new in this space. These provide upward facing speakers that bounce the sound off the ceiling giving full, enveloping audio. Thus if you see Dolby Atmos/DTS:X 5.1.2, the final number refers to the quantity of upward speakers. Music lovers Soundbars can provide a great alternative to a dedicated Bluetooth movie player, too. Smarts Yes, some soundbars support voice control for Google Assistant and Alexa.

What is a soundbar? In short, a soundbar is a tube or a box that contains a series of speakers and is designed to either sit under your television or be wall- mounted. While TV screens are increasing in size, the units themselves are getting thinner and thinner. Consequently, in-built TV speakers are reducing in size and this is where the humble soundbar comes into play. They are easy to install, simple to connect and offer an extensive range of choices for all budgets. Why would I need one? While we all appreciate a banging audio accompaniment to our favourite movies or games, setting up a convoluted surround sound system may not be practical for the space you live in and buying multiple speakers can be an expensive exercise. Soundbars are inconspicuous, will fit in most home spaces, and produce great sound. your purchase. If you intend to set up your soundbar in a large room, opt for one with more grunt. Conversely, if you’re pitching it for a bedroom, you won’t want to blow the door off! Soundbars are often complemented with a subwoofer as part of a package. These subwoofers – a speaker that delivers low end so all the punch and rumble in a film reverberate through your sternum - are generally wireless so can be positioned anywhere around the house. OK, I’m in. What’s next? Consider the size of your room. This will dictate

SONOS ARC Compensating for consumer preference for larger TVs in 2020, the brand new Arc is a longer soundbar at 55 inches and comes with voice control for Google Assistant, Alexa and AirPlay 2, for seamless integration into your smart home ecosystem of choice. A stylish, curved design, the Arc can be wall-mounted or sit beneath a TV. Support for high bandwidth sees the company introducing Dolby Atmos for the first time, and with Arc’s whopping 11 high performance drivers for upwards, forwards and sideways audio, the true cinema sonic experience here is astounding. ARC/ eARC, a port most TVs now ship with as standard, allows the Arc to talk directly to the TV, eliminating the need for multiple remotes, but if you have an older TV, Sonos include an optical cable. Connect a Sonos One and add a Sonos Sub for the complete surround sound set-up that’s at the top of its class.

18 JULY 2020

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