#The wirecutter soundbar movie
#The wirecutter soundbar drivers
#The wirecutter soundbar series
#The wirecutter soundbar tv

#The wirecutter soundbar movie

With its balanced mids, dialogue in movies is clear and detailed, and its dedicated subwoofer ensures that you feel the rumble in bass-heavy movie scores and action scenes.

#The wirecutter soundbar tv

Out-of-the-box, this soundbar offers a neutral, balanced sound profile suitable for listening to many different types of audio content, from 5.1 movies to music to dialogue-centric TV shows. Still, when listening to 5.1 content, the bar represents a clear and real performance, so the sounds you hear around you mirror the action on your screen for an immersive sound.

#The wirecutter soundbar drivers

For example, its soundstage isn't as wide and immersive-sounding, especially since it lacks the Vizio Elevate's rotating sides, and there aren't any up-firing drivers on its satellites like with the Elevate. Naturally, the bar doesn't perform as well as our top picks. This well-built 5.1.2 setup offers an impressive price-to-performance ratio, with two discrete satellite speakers that offer good surround sound.

#The wirecutter soundbar series

The Vizio M Series M512a-H6 is the best 5.1 soundbar in the mid-range that we've tested. Still, it's a really versatile pick that's more affordable than the top-of-the-line models.

Without room correction, for example, it sounds a bit different depending on the acoustics of your space. You have some customization tools on hand, but not as many as the most premium setups like the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module. There's a little extra boom in the bass, in fact, though voices are still clear and present in the mix thanks to its balanced mids. With its dedicated subwoofer, this soundbar has no trouble reproducing the deep thump and rumble in action-heavy scenes or powerful movie scores. Unfortunately, you have to wire these satellites to the bar to get them to work, which can clutter your living space. Thanks to its two discrete satellites, it offers a clear and real representation of surround sound, and the action seems like it's happening all around you, with sound effects coming from distinct locations. You can also turn this feature on when you watch 5.1 content, like Dolby Digital or DTS. It's a premium 5.1.4 bar with a really unique design, as the sides of the bar actually rotate upwards when you watch Dolby Atmos or DTS:X content, which helps create a wider, more immersive soundstage. The Vizio Elevate is the best 5.1 soundbar in the upper mid-range that we've tested. Its soundstage performance isn't quite as good as the Bose's, but it still does a good job overall. If you watch a lot of Blu-rays, or if you already have a Sonos ecosystem in your home, the Sonos Arc with Sub + One SL Speakers is a good alternative. This format is pretty rare on its own, but it's often the fallback for higher quality DTS-HD MA formatted Blu-rays. That said, it doesn't support DTS content. If you watch a lot of movies on streaming platforms, you've likely come across 5.1 surround sound formats like Dolby Digital as well as object-based formats like Dolby Atmos, and the bar plays back both with ease. This bar supports lots of different audio formats. Thanks to its sub, there's plenty of rumble in the bass, too, providing a cinematic feel for action-packed scenes and intense movie scores. With it on, its sound profile is very neutral, so you don't have any trouble following the dialogue in your favorite movies. While it's not currently available as a package deal, you can still buy the bar, the sub, and the satellites from the manufacturer separately and pair them together for a truly immersive sound. Like most premium bars, it has a room correction feature to optimize audio reproduction based on your room's unique acoustics, which Bose calls ADAPTiQ.

It's a premium Dolby Atmos soundbar that's a really great choice for watching movies. The best 5.1 soundbar we've tested is the Bose Smart Soundbar 900 with Speakers + Bass Module.