How do Soundbars fill a room with sound?

M

MrBoat

Audioholic Ninja
When did a headphone ever produce pounding in your chest bass or the feel of an electric guitar? They may feel it thumping in their heads but, isn't anything like being in front of 90 dbs of floor standing speakers/subs banging the air around a room. You think you could feel the effects of Saving Private Ryan with a Sound Bar or headphones?
No but they get convincing audio experience from using them and they are very tiny speakers, as are ear buds. Who would buy a sound bar for chest pounding anything? How to get that kind of performance is not a mystery anymore. A lot of people don't like loud entertainment but like better SQ. Heck, I am finding that someone my age that listens above 80db is quite rare. The internet is full of small speaker reviews that have nearly cliche'd the notion that "They sound like a much larger speaker." To me they sound like small speakers, but I mostly have owned large ones most of my audio life.

Ear buds and headphones are very popular now. That is what threshold many people are coming from and to them, a soundbar must sound huge.
 
rjharle

rjharle

Audioholic
No but they get convincing audio experience from using them and they are very tiny speakers, as are ear buds. Who would buy a sound bar for chest pounding anything? How to get that kind of performance is not a mystery anymore. A lot of people don't like loud entertainment but like better SQ. Heck, I am finding that someone my age that listens above 80db is quite rare. The internet is full of small speaker reviews that have nearly cliche'd the notion that "They sound like a much larger speaker." To me they sound like small speakers, but I mostly have owned large ones most of my audio life.

Ear buds and headphones are very popular now. That is what threshold many people are coming from and to them, a soundbar must sound huge.
Those same folks that wear buds and headphones still go to IMAX theaters, concerts and clubs to get their volume fix.

BTW they are more apt to damage their ears with those evil devices. They may not be bothering the neighbors, but ear infections, and injury to the inner ear are all too common. Haven't Cell Phones manufactures had to limit the bass and volume in their products, so they don't get sued by folks going deaf? I cannot remember a time when I would be standing in the same area as a head thumper and not being able to dance to what he/she was listening to.

Headphones, Earbuds, Soundbars --- I'm sure they have their place.
 
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squaleca

squaleca

Enthusiast
Maybe you have an active imagination. I have many at friends house, and they don't sound larger than they should, but small and dreadful. They are an improvement over the rear facing TV speakers, but that is not saying much.
stop with your justification of your system its a fact that high end soundbars sound as good as mid range avr's now high end avr's that a different story but so is setup and price stop with the f#$#$ ignorance just b/c you need to justify that you have a avr and not educate people on the differnce beacause your avr is so superior but hey im sure your someone has a $20,000 system that makes your system sound dreadfull.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
stop with your justification of your system its a fact that high end soundbars sound as good as mid range avr's now high end avr's that a different story but so is setup and price stop with the f#$#$ ignorance just b/c you need to justify that you have a avr and not educate people on the differnce beacause your avr is so superior but hey im sure your someone has a $20,000 system that makes your system sound dreadfull.
AVRs having nothing to do with this. It is all about speakers and not AVRs. In addition I use AVPs and not AVRs which is beside the point. Sound Bars are not suitable for high quality music listening, but are an upgrade to TV sound, as for one thing the speakers face in the right direction. Sound bars at their best are an upgrade to speech clarity and intelligibility, which I think he the intent. I'm not going to listen to a concert or recital on a sound bar. It is all about the speakers when all is said and done.
 
squaleca

squaleca

Enthusiast
high quality music listening you have a point to a degree but your way off with vocal clarity

Screenshot 2022-09-05 000113.jpg
 
Mikado463

Mikado463

Audioholic Spartan
high quality music listening you have a point to a degree but your way off with vocal clarity

View attachment 57669
compared to the built in speakers on a flat panel TV, yes but compared to a good LCR set up, no way.

the TV in my condo rental in Florida had an open stairwell behind it rendering the vocals almost unlistenable. I finally convince my landlord to at least add a sound bar, huge improvement but again a glorified band-aid IMO
 

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