But what does a soundbar do, what difference do they make, and how do you incorporate them into your setup? In this guide to soundbars, we'll cover everything you need to know.
What is a Soundbar?
A soundbar is a horizontal speaker system containing multidirectional speakers for surround sound and clear left/right separation. This includes tweeters for high frequency sounds and midrange drivers for excellently reproduced dialogue and soundtracks.
How Does a Soundbar Work?
A soundbar’s speakers direct sound to your listening area from all angles for an immersive surround sound experience. Truly feel the tension in a thriller as sounds seem to come from behind, hear dialogue between actors from left to right as though you’re sitting with them, or feel the zoom of a vehicle hit one ear and then the other as it speeds across the screen.
Why Choose a Soundbar?
Soundbars provide superior audio quality when compared to inbuilt TV speakers. Modern televisions are thin and flat for excellent visuals, but this leaves little room for quality speakers within the TV itself. These speakers are often backward-facing too, further hindering the audio. Adding the front-facing soundbar makes the audio clearer and ensures the finer details aren’t lost to obstruction.
The multiple speakers in a soundbar create surround sound, putting you right into the action of your movie or game scene. While rear and side speakers can be installed for surround sound, the soundbar is a more compact all-in-one solution and can be simply placed in front of your television.
The KEF XIO Soundbar
The KEF XIO soundbar brings everything you expect from soundbar technology, with added KEF magic. Including the Uni-Q® MX driver array for even sound dispersion, plus Velocity Control Technology (VECO) for precise bass. Supporting Dolby Atmos and 5.1.2 spatial audio, it delivers an immersive three-dimensional soundstage that puts you at the heart of your favourite films, music, and games.
We’ve all felt the frustration of missing crucial dialogue in a scene and having to rewind. That’s why we’ve created Dialogue Mode for the clearest reproduction of every actor’s lines, which you can enable via the KEF Connect app or the remote control.
Not to mention, our innovative soundbar adapts to your room acoustics with our Intelligent Placement Technology (IPT).
How to Set Up a Soundbar
Soundbars are simple to set up. Just connect them to your television using an HDMI cable or, if you prefer, an optical cable or an AV adapter.
How to Position a Soundbar
For optimal placement, we recommend positioning your soundbar in front of and below your screen, near the edge of the shelf or unit, ensuring there are no obstacles blocking sound. The KEF XIO soundbar also includes wall brackets, allowing you to mount it beneath the TV. It automatically detects its orientation, whether on a shelf, on a cabinet, or wall-mounted, and adjusts its internal speaker configuration for the clearest sound performance.
Our blog on the ideal TV height can give you further advice on creating your optimal home entertainment setup.
Complete your home cinema with the final puzzle piece - the KEF XIO soundbar.
For more expert advice on home audio enhancement, visit our blog.
