We’ve been installing wall-mounted TVs in Sydney for years now and offer reasonably priced packages. We’ll not only complete the installation of your TV, we’ll design and create your setup and neatly conceal the wiring too. We’ve put together a list of rules you can use to improve the sound from your wall mounted TV with a sound bar.
Can Sound Bars Emulate Surround Sound?
All sound bars have a ‘virtual surround’ mode which promise to give you surround sound without the inconvenience of rear speakers or wiring but in our experience, only $1,000+ Yamaha Digital Sound Projectors actually deliver the goods. At most, budget-priced sound bars deliver a ‘wider’ stereo sound which is to say that they produce a sound that seems as if it comes from something larger than a sound bar. If you don’t want our professional installation, follow our rules and we can still help you get the most out of your sound bar. Just be realistic about what you expect to achieve.
Screen Positioning Is Key
If you haven’t yet wall-mounted your TV, that’s great. Follow our advice and you’ll drastically improve the quality of the sound. Wherever you park your derriere – on the sofa, love seat or Barcalounger – make sure that the height of the TV accommodates this. Getting the best sound relies on the front-channel speakers being positioned to that their midrange drivers are at about ear height. For most sofas this means that the screen should be located about 3 feet off the floor so that when you’re sitting, you’re looking slightly upward towards the center of the picture. To receive the maximum effect of a sound bar’s ‘surround effect’, make sure the sofa is far enough away from the TV. The optimum viewing distance is three times the diagonal screen size. So, for a 50-inch set, that would be 12 ½ feet away.
Try Before You Buy
Sound bars are perfect if you aren’t prepared to spend serious money on a surround sound system. You MUST try them properly before purchasing or at least buy from a place that offers a no-hassle money-back guarantee. Some common problems that people experience are that most sound bars don’t come with remote controls or have a front display that tells you what volume they are at. Most bars only work is you disable the TV’s internal speakers which sounds quite a lot worse than you’d imagine. Imagine this; you can’t tell what volume the sound bar is at and you can’t use your TV’s remote control to adjust it because you’ve disabled the TV’s speakers! A final issue is that some bars block your TV’s IR sensor and only the high-end models have IR repeaters to relay the signal back to the TV. These problems are more common than you’d think, so check first!
How To Mount Your Sound Bar
If your TV is wall-mounted, it’s a great idea to buy a sound bar bracket that lets you mount your sound bar above or below the TV. If your sound bar is mountable, and if on the back of your TV the distance from the top or bottom VESA mounting holes are 15″ or less from the top or bottom edge of the TV then these brackets will work with your equipment. The brackets are attached directly to the back of the TV via the VESA mounting holes so they eliminate the need to drill further holes in your wall. This means that when you move the TV, the sound will also be pointed precisely in your direction.