Watching movies and listening to the sound through great speakers puts you right in the middle of the action. Hear the roar of a dinosaur, the footsteps of an intruder or the whizzing of bullets flying through the air as if you were there. At Abt Electronics, we provide consumers with a vast array of speakers and subwoofers. One of the newest members of the speaker family is called the "Digital Sound Projector," commonly referred to as a Soundbar.

Single Speaker Solution
Unlike a stereo surround-sound system, the soundbar does not require you to set up several speakers around the room to receive optimum sound performance. Soundbars are designed to be placed directly under your television screen. Behind the grille of a soundbar is a series of speakers aimed in different directions. This design uses the walls of your room to reflect the sound toward the listeners, simulating surround sound.

The ability to have many smaller speakers working from one source allows for easier setup. For smaller areas, such as a dorm room, condominium or even a bedroom, the soundbar allows the sound to travel around the room without the need for running wires to various speakers.

Below is a diagram of the physics of how a soundbar works:

As you can see, the speakers angled at the room's walls allow for sound to reverberate around the room, settling at the listeners' front, side and rear. The "C" represents the sound coming from the soundbar's main center channel speakers. The "L" and "R" reflect the sound for the left and right ears. The "Ls" and "Rs" represent the left and right surround sound you experience as the sound bounces off the walls. If your room is oblong, or if your setup is done in a non-traditional manner, the soundbar will adjust to your room. After hooking it up, a setup menu is available on your television screen. Simply choose the shape of the room, the size, and the location of the seating and the speakers in the soundbar will automatically adjust to your listening situation.

Plug and Play
Connecting a soundbar to your television is extremely easy. Different soundbars have different audio and video functionalities to provide the best fit for your needs. The hookup is simple: connect the sound bar directly to your television using a coax cable and audio cables. Turn on the soundbar and your television and follow the basic menu setup. Once you are done, start playing your favorite movie and get ready to immerse yourself in a world of new sound.

Some soundbars can be connected to your television with an HDMI cable. From there you can hook up components (video game console, DVR, Blu-ray player, etc.) directly to your TV and the soundbar, thus maximizing your sound experience for all components.

Good Looking Speaker
Outside of the audio benefits, the aesthetic qualities of soundbars are hard to compete with. Designed in sleek black or silver finishes, they are made to complement almost any television. Soundbars can be wall mounted or placed on a shelf or rack, allowing for minimal setup. The simple design allows you to avoid the hassle of speaker wire filling your room along with obtrusive speakers.

Get that Extra Rumble
The soundbar alone does a great job of replicating sound from your movies or video games, but to get the full sonic experience, a soundbar works best with a subwoofer. A subwoofer is used to amplify the bass sound of your movies, TV shows, music or video games. Some of the higher end soundbars come with a subwoofer and some operate wirelessly. However, subwoofers purchased separately will also work well with a soundbar.

Click here to see all the Soundbars available at Abt..
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