These Are the Soundbar and Subwoofer Combos You Need for Your Home

What are audio channels, and how many do I need?

The sound-channel numbers indicate how many different places the sound is coming from. It’s like the 21st-century version of mono versus stereo. Each bar and sub has multiple speakers, each sometimes serving up audio on multiple channels. When you see a number like 5.1.4 or 11.1.4 (sometimes with the last .4 omitted), it’s referring to the number of channels. The first digit is the important one, with 5 and 7 being the most common. The more channels your audio setup has, the more sound it can produce.

Now you know why we say, for example, that Samsung’s 11-channel soundbar is going above and beyond. For most people, a 5.1.4-capable surround system with a subwoofer will be plenty, regardless of if they’re are a sports fan, gamer, hip-hop head, or cinephile.

What even is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos (and DTS:X, Sony 360 Reality, and Eclipsa—among others) is basically just a branded buzzword for a new immersive 3D audio technology. Surround sound without the need for extra speakers. It doesn’t use traditional audio channels. Any speaker can attempt to play this format, but the soundbars and subwoofers we picked are designed with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X in mind.