Whether you’re watching a movie, listening to music, or playing video games, sound is a key part of the experience. A soundbar—a long speaker that mounts under a television or stands independently—provides excellent sound in a small package. It also saves space and eliminates the need for multiple speakers and wires. But what if you want even better sound? Can you add speakers to a soundbar? The answer to this question is yes! You can add speakers to a soundbar by using an audio receiver with an auxiliary input and paired speakers. Here are some tips on how to do it and some advantages of adding speakers to your soundbar!
Can You Add Speakers To A Sound Bar?
Yes, you can add speakers to a soundbar. Sound bars are designed to be the sole audio source for your TV. However, if you feel that the sound from your sound bar is not good enough, you can add speakers to improve the quality.
Why Add Speakers To A Soundbar?
Add a “woofer” or “subwoofer” for better bass
The most common add-on is a subwoofer. It is a small box that sits beneath your TV and connects to the subwoofer output on your soundbar. The subwoofer reduces the low frequencies of the music signal, which makes the bass sound more realistic.
Add another set of speakers to increase sound quality
You can also add another set of speakers, either in front of your TV or at the sides, to increase the quality of your sound bar’s output by adding more speakers and amplifying them with a separate amplifier.
Save space by mounting it under your TV
A sound bar needs space under your TV for its cables and speakers. Mounting it under the TV saves you from having to run cables all around your room or having to place it where you can’t easily access them when you need them!
It’s not just a sound bar, it’s a smart TV
A sound bar is not just an audio system, but also an integrated media player with smart features that allow you to stream your favorite apps like Netflix and YouTube. Amazon Prime Video, browse the web or watch your favorite shows on Netflix.
It’s wireless
A sound bar is wireless and can connect to your TV wirelessly with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This allows you to stream music from your smartphone or tablet without having to run wires around the room. Amazon Video, and watch the latest movies and TV shows.
How To Add Speakers To A Soundbar?
Connect your soundbar to the receiver
Connect your soundbar’s audio input to an auxiliary input on the receiver. This will allow you to play music from it or listen to radio or TV through your sound bar. You can also connect a Bluetooth speaker for wireless audio. Once done, press “Playback” on your remote control and select “Audio” from the list of available sources. If you have added speakers at the sides of your TV, be sure that they are connected using optical cables instead of RCA cables!
Connect additional speakers to the receiver
If you have speakers at both sides, it is best to connect them using an optical cable so that they can be controlled individually by one remote control instead of having two separate remotes for both sets of speakers! If you have speakers at the front, connect them using an RCA cable.
Assign remote control functions to different sources
If you have more than one source connected, go to the “Source” tab and assign your remote control to each source individually. This will allow you to control each source separately with a single remote control. In this case, it is best if you set up separate remotes for each source so that you can keep all your remotes in a single place!
Set up a separate volume for each source
If there are several sources connected to your receiver, be sure that their volumes are set up separately so that one cannot be too loud or too soft and all can be played at their optimum volume as per their respective volume settings! If there are several speakers in the room, it is best to use different volumes for different speakers as well so that they do not compete with each other and cause distortion!
Adjust the sound quality of the soundbar
If you have used a soundbar with an optical input, you can adjust its audio settings by going to “Settings” in your remote. If you have used a digital connection, you can set up your receiver to provide better quality audio by going to “Setup” option and adjusting the settings there.
Set up parental controls
You can set up parental controls on your receiver so that it will allow only certain channels for viewing! For example, if you have a child with sensitive hearing and wants to watch only educational channels or shows on TV, enable them using parental controls!
Play music from Bluetooth devices using the receiver
You can play music from Bluetooth devices such as smartphones or tablets using your receiver! You should first install apps such as TuneIn Radio and Pandora on your smartphone or tablet (iOS) or Android). You can then connect these devices via Bluetooth and play music through the receiver (you and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.
Play music from the soundbar
If you have used an optical connection to connect your soundbar, you can play your music through it by pressing “Playback” on your remote control and selecting “Music” from the list of available sources. If you have used a digital connection, press “Source” on your remote and select “HDMI 1” if that is what you have connected, or select “Digital Optical (COAX)” if that is what you have connected.
Advantages Of Adding Speakers To A Soundbar
- The sound bar is connected to the TV via HDMI input. All of the speakers in a soundbar are connected to the sound bar via HDMI input. This means that all of the speakers will be affected by what’s playing on the TV.
- If you connect an external speaker to a soundbar, it will cancel out any internal speakers in a soundbar, thus canceling out any surround effect that would be generated from the internal speakers.
- Soundbars are typically less expensive than external speakers for two reasons: 1) They do not need their own separate power source, and 2) They do not require separate amplifiers or pre-amps.
- Many people prefer to use their TV’s built-in speakers rather than add external speakers because they can’t hear as well when they are sitting at a distance from them and because they don’t want an extra set of wires running across their floor or table and/or around their backsides while they’re watching TV.
- Connecting a soundbar to an external speaker system does not require an additional HDMI cable to be purchased. This is because all of the speakers in the soundbar are connected via HDMI input.
Disadvantages Of Adding Speakers To A Soundbar
- The soundbar’s speakers are not able to produce the same high-quality sound as a full-size surround sound system.
- The speaker placement may be limited and you may have to compromise on the placement of your speakers.
- In some cases you might have to connect an additional set of speakers to the soundbar if they are not already built in and if they produce different frequencies than the main speaker(s) on the soundbar. There is no way to tell what frequencies each speaker produces or how much power they generate, so this is a risk factor when making your decision.
- If the manufacturer does not include a wireless subwoofer or other wireless device, it can be difficult to integrate with an existing wireless home theater setup, especially if all of your components are already connected wirelessly together via HDMI and/or optical digital audio outputs.
- Most soundbars are not able to play a wide range of audio formats. If the soundbar does not support DTS or Dolby Digital, then you may need to purchase an external receiver for the non-supported format or connect your soundbar via optical digital audio outputs and use an external receiver.
Wrapping Up
The soundbar is a great device for TV sound, but if you want to fully immerse yourself in your favorite music and movies, you’ll need more than just the soundbar. Computer speakers are a convenient and inexpensive option if you want to try adding speakers to a soundbar for the first time. For a more powerful sound, you can add bookshelf speakers. Regardless of which type of speakers you choose, adding speakers to a soundbar is an easy and affordable way to get even better sound.