If you’re looking to upgrade your TV sound, there’s no denying the simple appeal of a soundbar. This all-in-one solution will instantly sound better than your TV’s speakers, and it doesn’t require much space. Most soundbars can fit snugly beneath your TV. And despite their front-facing position, many premium soundbars are engineered to fire sound in all directions around the room, giving you an affordable alternative to a multi-speaker setup.

But speakers have their place, too. Though soundbars like Arc Ultra are more than capable of incredible surround sound, a multi-speaker system benefits from the simple fact that there are more speakers placed around the listener. This lends itself to a more powerful and tailored solution, especially for larger rooms or multiroom audio setups.

Before we wade further into the speakers vs. soundbars debate, we’ll let you in on a little secret: You don’t have to choose. In fact, you’ll get the best home-theater experience by combining both. But you have to start somewhere, so let’s explore which of the two sound solutions is the best fit for your current needs.

Speakers vs. soundbars: General differences

Though a soundbar may look like a single elongated speaker, it actually houses multiple speaker drivers that work together to create an immersive sound experience.

In some cases, the sheer amount of speakers that can fit inside a single soundbar is truly impressive. Arc Ultra, for example, features 14 Sonos-engineered speaker drivers, including seven tweeters, six midwoofers, and a subwoofer to cover every frequency on the sonic spectrum.

This differs from a typical surround-sound speaker system, which includes multiple speaker components placed at different spots around the room. Some of these speakers may be more specialized than others. A premium smart speaker like Era 300 can faithfully reproduce low to high frequencies, while a standalone subwoofer like Sub 4 is specifically engineered to generate deep, dynamic low end.

So, when we’re comparing soundbars with speakers, we’re really comparing a single do-it-all device with a multi-component system. Thinking of things this way, the relative advantages of each become more clear:

• A soundbar is a better choice if you want a single device that can combine the benefits of multiple speakers. If you’re interested in an easy upgrade to your home theater or TV sound, it’s likely the best way to go.
• Speakers are a more flexible solution, as you can mix and match different speakers to create a system that’s precisely tailored to your space and listening needs. And if you listen to music throughout your home, a multiroom speaker setup makes more sense than a single soundbar.

Now, let’s compare the two options based on factors like size, ease of installation, and sound quality.

Size and placement

Soundbars typically require less space than a multi-speaker setup. Most soundbars have a low-profile design that fits squarely beneath your TV. If you don’t like the look of speakers, you may prefer the relatively unobtrusive design of a soundbar.

(Of course, this isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker when it comes to speakers. Though they require more time, energy, and forethought to install, in-ceiling or in-wall architectural speakers are another discreet option to consider.)

Speakers are generally placed throughout the listening space, with different speakers designated as the front, rear, surround, or height channels. This is in contrast to a premium soundbar like Arc Ultra, which actually does the work of nine ear-level speakers, one subwoofer, and four overhead speakers.

So, if you’re looking for the most efficient solution, a great soundbar will almost always win out. This is especially true if you’re mostly interested in watching TV and only have the budget for front-channel speakers.

But if you’re craving the most powerful and precise surround sound experience, you may consider investing in a multi-speaker setup.

Installation

Between soundbars and speakers, the ease of installation comes down to simple math. It’s usually faster to set up a single soundbar than it is to set up multiple speakers — especially if you need to think about where to position the speakers around the room.

With that said, setting up a multi-speaker system doesn’t have to be labor-intensive. Many of the premium speakers from Sonos can be fully installed within minutes of opening the box, and detailed product guides can help with placement decisions.

Sound quality

When comparing a single soundbar to a single speaker, the soundbar will typically have a more impressive all-around output.

Remember, soundbars are really multiple speakers in one. The acoustic architecture of Arc Ultra contains seven precisely angled tweeters to create crisp high frequencies and clear dialogue, six moodwoofers to handle mid-range frequencies, and a dual-membrane woofer to deliver exceptional bass. Such a wide range of specialized drivers would be difficult to find in any single speaker enclosure.

However, if you looked into the Era 300 speaker you’d find four tweeters ensuring faithful playback of high and mid-range frequencies and two woofers that maximize low-end output and are angled left and right to support stereo playback. So, both the Arc Ultra and speakers like Era 300 provide great quality and can support Dolby Atmos spatial audio. However, your decision depends on the circumstances you want to use them in.

Speakers vs. soundbars for home theater setups

A soundbar — especially one outfitted with Dolby Atmos spatial audio technology — is the best standalone option for a home theater setup.

Not only does a Dolby Atmos-equipped soundbar like Arc Ultra provide the all-important front channels; it also creates a massive soundstage with side-firing drivers and adds the dimension of height with upward-firing drivers.

Interested in an even more immersive home theater experience? Start with the soundbar to cover your front channels, then add two additional speakers to cover your rear left and rear right channels, and a subwoofer to handle the low end. (Sonos does not currently support speakers as front channels for TVs.)

So, you see, we don’t really need to put soundbars against speakers in a winner-takes-all battle. The best solution from a sound perspective is to combine them both to create the ultimate surround-sound system.

Listening to music

Because they’re such a great solution for a home theater setup, we don’t often think of soundbars as an option for listening to music. But a premium soundbar can certainly do justice to your favorite songs, given its spatial audio capabilities and the diverse range of frequencies it can reproduce.

With that said, if your only desire is to create a hi-fi music experience at home and you don’t have much use for a home theater setup, you’ll get better mileage by combining separate speaker components rather than relying solely on a soundbar. Take the Era 300 into consideration, which features six optimally positioned drivers all around the front, sides, and top to support Dolby Atmos Music—immersing you in every dimension of the song.

Even if you start with speakers, you can always add a soundbar to cover your front channels if you eventually decide to convert to a more cinematic setup.

Start your Sonos system today

A soundbar stands out as the best and simplest solution to upgrade your TV’s sound. The best soundbars combine remarkable ease of use with performance that’s truly cinema-quality, thanks to Dolby Atmos spatial audio technology.

But the choice between a soundbar and speakers isn’t as black-and-white it may appear. It’s easy to combine both options in a Sonos sound system that delivers a premium audio and home theater experience in one. And thanks to the Sonos app, you can control every component of your system and stream your favorite music from the palm of your hand.

If you’re interested in bringing a new dimension to your sound experience, get in touch with a Sonos expert by phone or chat.