The short answer: because perception lags reality during periods of change. Five years ago, if you took any soundbar and compared it to any equally priced AVR setup, I doubt a single soundbar would win the comparison. In fact, only one soundbar - the incredibly expensive Sennheiser Ambeo - would eve...

This is a budget issue. Optical is limited to DD+ 5.1 channel sound. HDMI allows higher bitrate 7.1 channel audio and Atmos streams, as far as that difference is concerned. However at this price point you aren't going to use that capacity. If you want a significant improvement in sound quality you'r...

I’m looking at upgrading my current JBL soundbar. Preferably I want an AVR with proper 5.1 setup but the wife doesn’t approve the looks of traditional speakers unfortunately (I’m still trying to convince her but I don’t have any hope he he). So it will be a soundbar system with rears.

Living room s...

I have the JBL Bar 300, the first version. Paid 250€ for it. It’s an amazing soundbar for the price. It’s perfect for small to medium rooms. Be aware that there is no subwoofer so it will not have those overwhelming basses I personnaly don’t like at all but many people seem to love. However sound qu...

I got the Samsung B750F today, for about $360 total. I was using the TV speakers before, and I'm really happy with how much better the sound is. I've used an Apple TV 4k to stream Netflix and Spotify, and both music and TV put a smile on my face. Like you, I know pretty much nothing about sound syst...

If you're looking at a budget all in one soundbar with reasonable phantom Atmos effects see if you can find a Sonos Beam Gen2 for $250. I feel like for the budget price class it's the biggest bang for the buck. As much as I hate Sonos in general.

Sonos Arc Ultra and the Flexus. Budget? Can find used Sonos Beam Gen2 on marketplace which is a great buy and produces excellent low end.

Sonos Beam Gen2 - high price but the audio quality is awesome. Set it up once and never have to think about it again.