The holidays are a great time to upgrade one’s home audio and theatre setup. That’s why sound bars make excellent gifts. Unlike tower speakers, sound bars take up little space. Furthermore, they have wired and wireless connections. Use it with the TV to watch movies with the family or connect it to your smartphone or tablet to listen to music during parties. Soundbars transform living rooms with crystal-clear audio inside a sleek, compact design. It’s the perfect collective gift for everyone in the family. With so many options to choose from, here are the 5 best soundbars for gifting to family.
Sony HT-350 sound bar
The Sony HT-350 is a 2.1-channel sound bar with Sony’s S-Force Pro Front Surround technology. This delivers a wider soundscape through virtual surround sound. Through digital processing techniques, it simulates a complete 5-channel surround system. The end result is a deep, wide soundscape. With 320W out power, the HT-350 also comes with a wireless subwoofer. Place it anywhere in a room to deliver extra bass for movie nights, gaming sessions, or music listening.
Users can connect a TV to the soundbar with a single HDMI cable. Bluetooth connectivity allows users to pair other devices like smartphones and tablets as well. With 7 different sound modes and voice enhancements for audio dialog, the Sony HT-350 is perfect for movie and music lovers. Its versatile soundscapes ensure you can customize your entertainment experience.
This is a great gift for families who already have a Sony television. Together, it provides a seamless experience from the TV controller. It comes with a wall mount for permanent installation and its low-profile design matches any interior space.
JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass sound bar
We all know bass enhances any TV or music experience. Designed for bass enthusiasts, the JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass produces a lot of low-end. Powered by 300 watts, this sound bar has a separate 6.5” wireless subwoofer. The bass is thumping, and impactful. It simulates the audio experience inside movie theatres.
The sound bar itself can be placed on an entertainment cabinet or wall-mounted. Each sound bar channel has two 2.25-inch drivers along with a 1-inch tweeter. It’s able to reproduce a wide spectrum with a frequency response of 40Hz – 20kHz. Connection options include optical cable, HDMI, or Bluetooth. An included remote ensures the volume and bass settings can be controlled from the couch. Overall, it’s a great choice for families who want to replicate the movie theatre experience at home.
Samsung HW-Q990B sound bar
If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line sound bar system, the Samsung HW-Q990B is sure to impress. It provides 11.1.4 channels that are powered by 22 drivers. The main sound bar uses 15 drivers while the two rear speakers add four surround drivers and two up-firing drivers. The wireless sub features an “acoustic lens “ design to deliver a deeper low-frequency response.
This is a good choice for families who need multiple connection options. It has a total of three HDMI ports including one HDMI-eARC connector. This allows the TV to forward audio from any of its HDMI-connected video sources to the sound bar. Since it has an optical (Toslink) input, it works with older TVs as well.
The Samsung HW-Q990B features Q-Symphony, Samsung’s high-end audio technology. This makes it suitable for families with a compatible Samsung TV. With Q-Symphony, the sound bar syncs with your Samsung TV’s built-in speaker. Together in sync, this creates a superior audio experience, especially during movies. It keeps families immersed in the action with a full, rich audio experience.
Sonos Arc sound bar
For families looking for a minimalist surround sound, the Sonos Arc is the perfect gift. It’s a self-contained unit with eight elliptical woofers and three silk-dome tweeters. It also has four far-field microphones to pick up voice commands. That’s right, it has built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Families can stream music with voice commands without turning the TV on. It also supports Apple AirPlay 2. Families with iOS devices can wirelessly stream from iPhones, iPad, and MacBooks. No matter the ecosystem, this sound bar has every family covered.
What distinguishes the Sonos Arc from other sound bars is the software-based tuning features. The Arc tunes to a room by ensuring audio waves reach all walls at the same time. This even works in rooms that have higher ceilings or off-center entertainment setups. It’s the ultimate audiophile experience for movie nights.
Bose TV Speaker soundbar
A compact sound bar like the Bose TV Speaker is designed for small entertainment spaces. It’s particularly suited for families that watch a lot of TV shows. The setup is simple and it doesn’t take up much space. The TV Speaker from Bose uses a three-channel speaker system. There are two full-range angled drivers that deliver a wide, spatial sound while the centre speaker focuses on speech and spoken word dialogue.
The Bose TV Speaker features a dialogue mode that analyses the TV content. It uses that information to elevate the centre vocals. The result is a crisp and clear vocal dialogue that cuts through the mix. Outside of TV and movies, dialogue mode works great for podcasts, YouTube videos, audiobooks, and other spoken word media.
It’s the perfect gift for families with a small home theatre setup. It works great in apartments, condos, or even with bedroom TV. Its small size and black exterior let it fade into the background. Nevertheless, it provides a richer, more immersive sound experience than your regular, built-in television speakers provide.
Sound bars make great family gifts
The best gifts are shared with people we love. Sound bars bring surround sound experiences to family movie nights. Some soundbars come with wireless subwoofers to deliver the full cinema theatre experience at home. Remember, movies and TV shows are mixed for surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Internal speakers inside most televisions don’t support these formats. Conversely, sound bars bring that designed soundscape to life, without taking up much space in your setup. And with wireless Bluetooth connectivity and built-in voice assistant access, the right sound bar can be a gift everyone in the family can enjoy.
Head to bestbuy.ca to find the perfect sound bar to gift your family, or any family, this holiday season.
