Best soundbar for large room

A large spacious room deserves a nice big TV. But the problem with a big TV in a huge room is that it might not be able to fill it with the sound properly, at least not on stock speakers. For that, you need the best soundbar for a large room.

Soundbars are a significant improvement over the stock speakers that newer, aspiring to be “paper-thin” LED screens, come with. But if you are placing them in a large room, the audio quality that a sound bar offers isn’t the only thing you should go for. You should try and find something that’s either tailored for large spaces or can be customized to fill spacey rooms with sound, offering you an ecstatic surround sound experience.

Here are some of our top pics for the best soundbars designed for large spaces.

#1 JBL Bar 5.1 – Channel 4K Ultra HD Soundbar – Our Top Pick

Pros

• Reasonably priced and great audio quality.
• Multiple HDMI ports for 4K HD connectivity.
• Powerful enough for a spacey home theater.
• Truly wireless surround-sound experience.
• Switchable between 3.1 and 5.1 channel.

Cons

• A large subwoofer might be unwieldy and power-hungry for a rudimentary home entertainment system.
• Detachable speakers have to be re-charged.
• Detachable speaker charging issues start to arise after some time.

JBL can easily be considered one of the top-ten speaker companies in the world, so it should come as no surprise that they might snag our best soundbar for a large room position. This 5.1 comes with all the power needed to fill up large rooms.

The powerful 45-inch soundbar has two wireless detachable speakers and a 10-inch wireless subwoofer, complete for a true wireless surround experience. The detachable speakers need to be charged, and once they are all juiced up, they can run for 10-hours straight. They usually take at least three hours to properly charge, so make sure you plan accordingly.

The powerful wireless subwoofer included in the package offers deep bass, capable of producing sounds as low as 35 Hz.

The whole system requires 510 Watt of power, and it’s capable of a maximum Sound Pressure Level of 104 dB. While this doesn’t make it ideal or very large spaces per se, but most reviews endorse the fact that it’s not just adequate but a great soundbar for a large room and offers high-quality sound.

This JBL 5-1 channel soundbar comes with Dolby digital, making it a powerful surround sound system.

It also offers 4K connectivity, so your ultra HD video is accompanied by equally captivating HD sound. The 3 HDMI ports offer you more options for your home theater. And as for remote control options, the JBL shift allows you to switch from your TV to your handheld devices instantly.

If your TV has an HDMI arc, you need to connect it to one of the appropriate HDMI inputs on your soundbar, for the ultimate listening experience.

This well-designed soundbar is ideal for large rooms and taking your home theater sound quality to the next level.

In most cases, your TV’s remote control would be enough to operate the soundbar. It’s easy to set up and easy on the eyes. Even the large wireless subwoofer looks pretty awesome.

Check out the price of the JBL Bar 5.1 on Amazon.

#2 Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim TV Sound Bar -Editors Choice

Pros

• Beautiful and compact soundbar.
• Affordable.
• Three different voice levels.
• Decent sound quality.

Cons

• Low powered soundbar.
• Annoying Power-save feature.
• Remote control issue.

The “ultra-slim” in the Polk Audio Signa, while not misleading, is not very accurate as well. At 2.15″, it’s definitely on the slimmer end of similar soundbars, but not “ultra.”

It differs from the JBL in multiple areas, i.e., price tag, number of channels, and the subwoofer. The subwoofer is actually larger in size but covers less low-frequency range, i.e., it can reproduce sounds down to 45 Hz.

Despite the fact that it’s a 2-1 channel soundbar and a fraction of the cost, there is one thing that Signa 2 does nearly as well as our top pick, i.e., fill up the room.

The powerful subwoofer augments the sound quality, and the VoiceAdjust feature makes it ideal for watching TV shows (since it makes the sound crisp and clear). With the Signa S2’s Dolby digital decoding, you can improve the quality of TV sound way beyond what stock TV speakers can produce.

You can connect this soundbar to 4K and HD TVs through the HDMI link. Bluetooth connectivity helps you stream music directly from your handheld devices, and you can switch between music and movie mode to ensure the filters are set for the appropriate sound, i.e., dialogue or music. The night mode is another great feature. It aims to contain the room audio within the room.

Even though there is a digital optical audio input as well, but you are unlikely to get the same sound quality from it that you will get through your TV’s HDMI Arc. To ensure excellent sound from this great soundbar, you should connect it via HDMI.

A lot of people find its auto power safe feature annoying. But it’s only a problem if you haven’t enabled the HDMI-CEC on your TV.

To get the best bass impact, make sure to position your subwoofer according to the acoustics of your room.

For the price, this is one of the best soundbars you can get for a large living room or a home theater.

Check out the price of the Polk Audio Signa S2 on Amazon.

#3 VIZIO 2.1 Soundbar SB3821-C6 – Best value

Pros

• Great value for the price.
• Clear vocals and dialogues.
• Syncs up easily with most universal remotes.

Cons

• No HDMI input.
• Crackles when deep bass sounds are produced.

Vizio is making a name for itself in the affordable soundbar category, and its SB3821-C6, which can be an awesome soundbar to place in a large room and watch movies and TV shows with great sound, certainly fits the bill. It’s very affordable, and offers great value for the money, and packs quite a punch despite only being a 2-1 channel sound system.

The powerful speakers packed in the 38-inch soundbar are capable of producing 100 dB of “room-filling” audio, and the wireless subwoofer can take the frequency bar down to 50 Hz, enough for deep bass.

The speakers in the bar also boast Dolby Digital, Dolby TruSurround (for affordable virtual surround audio), and DTS TruVolume, which keeps you from constantly using your remote control to change the audio level. Combined, they automatically produce the best sound quality (that you might find in the same price range) and offer an amazing listening experience, despite not having any surround speakers.

Like most other vendors, Vizio makes its soundbars available for purchase on both Amazon and its own website, where you can also find helpful resources to set up and use your sound bar.

One blemish on this soundbar’s high-quality build and sound is that it doesn’t come with an HDMI connection. It has both Analog and digital inputs (including digital optical and analog 3.5), and it can also be connected via a USB port, but only for audios in the Wav format.

For the price and lacking an HDMI connection, the audio quality it apparently delivers is remarkable. Most users stand by its great sound for both dialogues and music. One consistent complaint we came across is that the sound “crackles” at certain frequencies. But other than that, it produces excellent sound quality and is loud enough to fill up a big large room.

Check out the price of the VIZIO 2.1 Soundbar on Amazon.

#4 Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro – Best for Customization

Pros

• Nine different sound modes.
• Spatial, Surround, Elevated sound processing engine for superior surround sound.
• Powerful speakers and great quality build.
• Amazing audio quality for a large room.

Cons

• Relatively expensive.
• Persistent firmware problems.

Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro is soundbar enough for a bat cave. It comes in three variants:

• 7.1 – One Subwoofer
• 7.2 – Two Subwoofers
• 9.2 – Two Subwoofers and two additional surround speakers.

There is more than half a grand price difference between 7.1 and 9.2, and since both are adequate for large rooms and even a multi-room setup, we would stick with the affordable option because a good listening experience doesn’t have to come with a heavy price-tag.

There is a lot of like about this particular soundbar. It comes with both Dolby Atmos and DTS X (not DTS virtual X and virtual surround sound). The Dolby Atmos augmented 360-degree surround sound, along with SSE (Spatial Surround Elevation), makes it perfect for a home theater and creating an amazing listening environment in large rooms.

A wide soundstage is another area where Shockwafe Pro wins. Thanks to its specially designed outward firing tweeters, it offers a wide soundstage (almost 35% wider compared to a conventional 2-1 channel soundbar).

Even though it’s not the most expensive soundbar out there, it definitely comes under the high-end category. It offers great sound and allows you to hear frequencies and subtleties that would have been impossible to detect in stock speakers or sub-par bars.

There are three HDMI inputs, co-axial and optical input. The maximum Sound Pressure Level its capable of producing (105 dB) is the highest on the list yet, making it one of the best soundbars for large rooms. The whole system consumes 600 Watts of power, and the 9.2 goes up to 1000 Watts and 110 dB.

But the best part is its room size optimization feature, which can help you optimize the sound system for near-perfect home entertainment and true 3D surround audio. No matter your room size, you can create the perfect auditory experience with this high-quality sound system, with a touch of the button (given that you place the wireless subwoofer(s) and speakers in the right positions).

Check out the price of the Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro on Amazon.

#5 Samsung Harman Kardon 7.1.4 HW-Q90R– Best for Heavy Spenders

Pros

• Samsung’s characteristic build quality.
• Multiple sound modes.
• 4K video pass

Cons

• The price tag.
• Low bass.
• You would only get ideal connectivity with newer Samsung screens.

If you want your soundbar to rival the cost of a premium TV, this might be it. Even though its affordable versions are also available, this one comes with 17 speakers, including four that are oriented to fire upwards and two that project sounds on the side, creating the perfect surround experience (albeit with a heavy price tag).

It also comes with Dolby Atmos, which, in conjunction with DTS X (better than DTS virtual X), takes you on an exhilarating audio journey.

Besides the build and audio quality, there are other features that justify the heavy price tag. You can hear frequencies down to 34 Hz within this soundbar, it can be connected to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and has two HDMI inputs so you can connect it with HDMI Arc, and the total power of the system is 514 Watts. All of which combine to make it one of the best soundbars for a large living room or other spacier rooms.

Besides Wi-Fi, it also features voice control through Amazon Alexa integration. All of this, combined with the heavy price-tag, make it a high-end soundbar. Despite a higher number of speakers compared to others on this list, it’s pretty easy to set up.

It’s well-designed, has tonnes of helpful features, and offers great audio. But what really makes it different from the Shockwafe soundbar, which would fall in the same category, is that it relies more on hardware and less on audio processing for its audio quality.

This 7.1.4 channel soundbar might be worth the hefty price tag, even if it doesn’t come with Google Assistant.

Check out the price of the Samsung Harman Kardon 7.1.4 HW-Q90R on Amazon.

#6 Wohome TV Soundbar with Built-in Subwoofer and Bluetooth – Best Stand-Alone Soundbar

Pros

• Great audio quality for music.
• Multiple input options.
• Very easy to set up.
• Great value for the price.

Cons

• The surround feature is not great.
• Build quality is not great.

The sound bar from Wohome is another affordable pick and comes with a built-in subwoofer, and even stand-alone is powerful enough to be effective in a large room. It offers a powerful 105 dB SPL, and the built-in subwoofers can reproduce frequencies as low as 40 Hz, which is quite an achievement, especially for the low price tag.

The soundbar is 38-inches long, making it compatible with larger screens. There are two subwoofers built-in (3-inch each), and it offers multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth, but no HDMI.

The bar comes with four modes (News, Music, Movie, and Default), each with its own strength. But overall, this bar offers more power and loudness and less finesse when it comes to surround sound. Neither the hardware nor the software features are equipped to deliver high-quality surround sound.

But if its power and loudness you seek, coupled with affordability, you may consider this bar a try.

Check out the price of the Wohome TV Soundbar on Amazon.

Honorable Mentions

Sonos Arc

Sonos Arc is an amazing soundbar you can get without a subwoofer. It’s a huge improvement over Sonos Beam, but if you are going for affordability and still want to stick with a Sonos sound system, Sonos Beam might not be too bad an option.

If you want a soundbar for a sizable space, Sonos Arc might be the right pick. It packs enough punch and power. Plus, the soundbar offers powerful surround quality, thanks to Dolby Atmos.

You can check out the Sonos Arc here on Amazon.

Yamaha YAS 209BL

Yamaha YAS 209BL soundbar comes with a wireless subwoofer, Alexa voice control feature (and Google assistant), and about enough power to be a good fit in a spacious room.

Its surround is virtual, not physical, but it still offers great quality. If you want true surround engines, you may consider a more expensive alternative, the Sony HT here on Amazon.

Check out the price of the Yamaha YAS 209BL here on Amazon.

Verdict

It would be hard to pick one as the best soundbar from so many decent quality options, but we think you won’t regret your choice if you stick with the top four picks.

They are not just good options for large spacious rooms and or a home theater sound system but can be a great fit for any size room.

Even though I would recommend that instead of experimenting with a cheap and subpar unit, you should go for a decent quality item right away, you may not need to get way out of your comfort zone.

For a price tag in the early three digits, you can score an amazing soundbar to fill your large space with beautiful sounds without emptying your wallet first.

Soundbar for Large Room Buying Guide

How a Soundbar Works

Soundbars consist of several speakers (usually somewhere between five and seven) and sometimes built-in subwoofers for additional bass. Through the combination of speakers (mid, rear, sides) and different “firing” orientations (complicated way of saying that they produce sound in different directions), most soundbars aim to replicate a full surround system.

It saves space, and thanks to technologies like Dolby Atmos, many soundbars do work as an adequate replacement to a full surround system.

Types of Soundbar

We can differentiate the types of soundbars in two different areas: Their shape and channels.

Shape-wise, there are Soundbars and Soundbases. The difference is that Soundbases are structured to sit under the screen.

Another way to classify different types of soundbars is based on the number of channels.

• 2-Channel: Just two side speakers (they might simply be more powerful than stock TV speakers).
• 3-Channel: Two sides and one mid (improves sound clarity and is good for dialogues).
• 5-Channel: Adds two rear speakers to 3-channel. It mimics a typical home theater system.
• 7-Channel: The two rear speakers in a 5-channel are split into four, making the soundbar truly powerful when it comes to surround.

Design

Soundbars are usually elongated cuboids or circles. Despite their bodies’ length, they typically complement a TV screen (if placed aesthetically) and are rarely quite unwieldy. In most cases, a soundbar would be designed for both tabletop and wall mounting.

Size of Room

There are a few things you might consider when it comes to the size of your room:

• Sound Pressure Level: There are charts available that can tell you what should the ideal SPL be for your room size.
• Distance From The Soundbar: That’s probably more important (for clarity, not necessarily for surround) compared to the size of the room.
• Room size optimization feature in the soundbar.

Channels

The “two” in the 2.1 channel refers to the number of speakers, and the “one” is for a stand-alone subwoofer. Some soundbars, like the Shockwafe are 7.2.4, which means they have seven speakers inside the soundbar, two stand-alone subwoofers, and four separate speakers (probably with tweeters).

Sound

The quality of the sound you hear from a sound bar depends on both the hardware and the software that is powering the soundbar. The best soundbar would have both in perfect harmony and both of good quality. But remember that even something as simple as using an HDMI connection instead of a digital or analog one can drastically impact the quality of sound.

Subwoofer

A subwoofer, whether inside the soundbar or stand-alone, don’t augment the surround system. But it would impact the quality you hear by reproducing lower frequencies more accurately. But it typically comes with a bigger price tag.

Placement

If you are getting a stand-alone soundbar, it would be placed under or mounted over the screen. Make sure that you orient it the right way, so you get the best out of the firing angles of your soundbar speakers. If it comes with a subwoofer, follow vendor guidelines for placement.

Controls

Most bars are created to be controlled by universal remotes that come with TVs. But for some features, you may need to use the remote control that comes with the soundbar. There are physical button controls as well, but they are not as thorough and don’t allow you to control the range of functions that remote controls would.

Connection

Before you start hunting down the perfect soundbar for your large rooms, check the outputs of your TV screen. Even if the soundbar doesn’t come with the sound input that your TV offers output for, there might be an inter-connector for it, but that might distort the quality a bit. Ideally, both your TV and soundbar should have HDMI connections.

FAQ’s

Do soundbars work in large rooms?

Yes. The right soundbar would work well in large rooms.

How big should my soundbar be?

The physical size of the soundbar typically only impacts the aesthetic appeal and placement options. If you want a soundbar for a big room, you should consider its power, i.e., Wattage and SPL, and the quality of surround.

What is the loudest soundbar?

On this list, the Shockwafe Pro and the Wohome soundbar tie for the loudest since both offer 105 dB SPL.