Soundbars

Soundbars in Pakistan solve one problem: flat panel TVs have thin cabinets and no room for speakers that move air. A bar sits under or in front of the screen and takes over dialogue, music and film audio from one enclosure, so you get a wider sound stage without running speaker wire around the room. The buyers here are households upgrading a living room TV and people putting together a home cinema in a spare room.

Stock in this category comes from JBL and Philips. Both brands ship bars that pair with a wireless subwoofer, which means the bass unit only needs a power socket and can stand in a corner or beside the sofa. Philips also lists a bar with the subwoofer built into the body for rooms where a second box has nowhere to go, and JBL covers the other end with a bar that adds separate speakers alongside the wireless subwoofer. The price spread runs from entry level bars through to premium systems, so the same shelf serves a bedroom TV and a dedicated film room.

Three decisions settle most soundbar purchases.

• The first is the subwoofer question: a separate wireless subwoofer gives explosions and bass lines real weight, while a built in driver keeps the whole system to one object and one plug.
• The second is whether you want speakers behind the seating, which turns a front facing bar into a surround setup and asks for a room you can arrange around the TV.
• The third is width. Measure the TV stand before you order, because a bar longer than the furniture will overhang the edges or sit high enough to clip the bottom of the screen.

Which soundbar suits your room

A bedroom or a small lounge is served by a single piece Philips bar, where the built in subwoofer keeps floor clutter down. A family living room that gets used for films and cricket at volume is the case for a bar with a wireless subwoofer, since the sub carries the low end that a slim bar cannot. A dedicated viewing room with seating you can place freely is where the larger JBL system with extra speakers earns its cost.

Audio is worth hearing before you buy, and you can do that at the Mega Computer showroom in Karachi. Orders go out with nationwide delivery across Pakistan, and you can settle by cash on delivery or online payment.

Placement changes what a soundbar sounds like more than the specification list does. Keep the front face clear of a shelf lip or a row of set top boxes, because anything in front of the drivers dulls dialogue. A wireless subwoofer talks to the bar over its own link, so the only cable it needs is power, and moving it a foot along the wall changes how much bass the room gives back.