November 2008
Sound bar speakers make listening easy
streamlined The Sony HT-CT100 sound bar provides three speakers in one small package.
Watching a good big-screen TV is a treat for the eyes, but even the priciest set can’t fully convey the digital multichannel
sound that adds so much to DVD movies and HDTV shows. That takes a surround-sound system, which usually means hooking up a
receiver and multiple speakers, and running wires all over the room.
There's an easier compromise: "sound bar" speakers, which house an array of small speakers in one enclosure that sits unobtrusively above or below a television. Most sound bars have all the audio and video connections you'll need, plus amplification, so you don't need a receiver. Here are two that did well in our recent tests and Ratings of speakers (available to subscribers):
High style, high price
The Marantz ES7001 SSX simulates surround sound, with six speakers, digital amplifiers, and sophisticated processing circuitry in a stylish aluminum enclosure 42.5 inches wide by 6 inches high. You can attach a Blu-ray player or cable or satellite box via the unit’s HDMI inputs and use a separate audio output if you want to add a powered subwoofer. But it costs $1,300.
Dollar-efficient decibels
To get more bang for the buck, consider the Sony HT-CT100, $300. That two-piece package combines an ultracompact sound bar (31.5 inches wide by 2.7 inches high) equipped with three sound bar speakers and a separate powered subwoofer for the lowest frequencies. While not full surround sound, those 3.1 channels can improve on your TV’s audio. All electronics and connections, including three HDMI inputs, are in the subwoofer, which can be connected to the sound bar with a 10-foot cable.
There's an easier compromise: "sound bar" speakers, which house an array of small speakers in one enclosure that sits unobtrusively above or below a television. Most sound bars have all the audio and video connections you'll need, plus amplification, so you don't need a receiver. Here are two that did well in our recent tests and Ratings of speakers (available to subscribers):
High style, high price
The Marantz ES7001 SSX simulates surround sound, with six speakers, digital amplifiers, and sophisticated processing circuitry in a stylish aluminum enclosure 42.5 inches wide by 6 inches high. You can attach a Blu-ray player or cable or satellite box via the unit’s HDMI inputs and use a separate audio output if you want to add a powered subwoofer. But it costs $1,300.
Dollar-efficient decibels
To get more bang for the buck, consider the Sony HT-CT100, $300. That two-piece package combines an ultracompact sound bar (31.5 inches wide by 2.7 inches high) equipped with three sound bar speakers and a separate powered subwoofer for the lowest frequencies. While not full surround sound, those 3.1 channels can improve on your TV’s audio. All electronics and connections, including three HDMI inputs, are in the subwoofer, which can be connected to the sound bar with a 10-foot cable.
Posted: October 2008 — Consumer Reports Magazine issue: November 2008
