A 2.0 sound system beats a soundbar every time and it’s not even close

You have many options when it comes to upgrading TV audio. It feels like people have finally woken up to the fact that TV speakers aren’t up to par. We’re far removed from the days when TVs had true speakers built right into them. Nowadays, it feels like the speakers are an afterthought, and you’re almost expected to buy something else to get quality sound.

While that’s annoying, I’m glad there are many options available for people who like to tinker with their setups. If you want to keep it as simple as possible, you can just grab a regular stereo soundbar for cheap, and it’ll be a big upgrade over what your TV offers. If you want something a bit more, you can put together an entire sound system. However, that’s going to cost you a lot more than a basic soundbar. Speaking for myself, I still think going for a 2.0 stereo setup is far more worthwhile than settling for a soundbar. It’s how I started, and now that I have another receiver set up in another room, it’s something I repeated. In fact, I have two stereo setups in my house, and I haven’t considered grabbing a soundbar.

I fully understand why you’d want to get a soundbar, but it’s just not in the cards for me. I have plenty of room for a set of speakers, so space constraints are not a thing for me. I know there are high-end soundbars that sound great, but I’m just not interested in something with no upgrade path like that. I like the idea of being able to add more speakers to my setup if I want to.

This typically means I need to take some extra steps. The first thing you need is a receiver, and there are many ways you can go about that. If you aren’t worried about having any fancy bells and whistles, and you only plan on sticking with a 2.0 stereo sound system, then you can actually get some receivers for cheap if you look for used options. A stereo setup doesn’t particularly benefit from Dolby Atmos sound, so that’s something you don’t have to worry about. In my opinion, a pair of bookshelf speakers still sounds better than a soundbar, and you have room to grow from that setup.

I like having flexibility in my setup

Soundbars don’t offer that

I won’t deny that soundbars are the safe option, and for most people, they are probably the correct option. Soundbars don’t require a lot of work to set up, as they are largely just plug-and-play. For that reason, I won’t fault anybody for opting for one. For me, however, I like to have more control over how I set things up. Going with just a basic set of stereo speakers gives me quite a bit of control. I can space them properly to ensure I’m getting true left and right channels, something that’s not always possible in soundbars, depending on the size.

It’s also nice to be able to spend what I want on a good setup. The thing with speakers is that they haven’t changed a whole lot over the years, so if you want cheap speakers that still sound good, that’s perfectly doable. I found a $40 pair of Elac speakers on eBay that I use with my record player, and I have no complaints. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I haven’t found it difficult to track down speakers. For music, it’s really no question that a set of good speakers is better than a soundbar.

When it comes to TVs, the answer gets murkier. I’d still prefer having a stereo setup, but soundbars do bring some nice value to the table. A set of stereo speakers doesn’t benefit from Dolby Atmos, but a nice soundbar does. While it’s not true Dolby Atmos coming from a soundbar, it’s still nice to have a simulated experience. Many soundbars have upfiring Atmos, so you can still feel that upgrade, even if it’s not as good as it could be.

The main thing for me is that having a set of stereo speakers to start leaves plenty of room to grow. For example, a 2.0 setup is just a pair of speakers, but if I get a receiver, I can add a subwoofer to make it a 2.1 system, and give it that much-loved thump. I also have the power to keep growing to a 5.1 or even 7.1 setup if I desire. That doesn’t happen if I opt for a soundbar. It’s never a good feeling to know that I’m locked into a specific setup, and I always like to have control over things.

With all that said, I can’t deny the positives that soundbars bring to the table. There was a time that I used them with my TV, so believe me, I get it.

Soundbars are still good in the right situation

Not my cup of tea, but I won’t judge

One thing that soundbars do that you might not notice is offer better dialogue clarity. Home theater systems benefit greatly from a center speaker, but that means you go from a 2.0 to a 3.0 setup, and it means you need to make space for said speaker. My center channel speaker is rather large, and I actually had to mount my TV to fit it on my entertainment stand. Still, it does an excellent job at letting me hear what people are saying — a problem that many people run into these days.

Without that center channel speaker, you might find it harder to hear voices than you would expect. Toeing the speakers in to point toward the main listening area can help solve this problem, but it still might be noticeable. Soundbars don’t tend to have problems like that if you buy one that has at least three channels. If I ever found myself in the market for a soundbar again, I would certainly be avoiding the regular stereo ones and have my eyes set on one that’s at least equipped with a center channel. Sure, the separation between speakers still leaves a lot to be desired, but I’d rather have more speakers than fewer.

It’s also cool that many soundbars get access to modern audio formats such as DTS: X and Dolby Atmos. A nice entry point into that world is nice, but my bigger worry is people hearing those formats through a soundbar and thinking that they’re nothing special. Atmos is one of the best audio formats available today, but it really shines when you have a proper setup. A soundbar claims to have Atmos audio, but it’s nothing compared to a proper system with speakers placed correctly. However, that’s a rant for a different day.