My TV forced me to care about my audio

I was very excited to get a TV for my PS5 and Xbox Series X because I wanted something with VRR and Dolby Vision. My Sony X90J checked both of those boxes for me, and I’ve been happy with the TV for years now. Yes, there are better TVs available today, and with the news that Sony is shifting its TV manufacturing to TCL, I’m not certain my next TV will be from Sony.

No matter what I pick, I’m sure it’ll be something with the modern features I mentioned earlier, but I’ll also make sure I pair it with good audio. I know TVs aren’t known for their sound today, and we’re very far removed from the time when TVs launched with stereo speakers built right into them.

Everybody knows you need to take an extra step to improve your TV’s audio, and it’s something I don’t think you should skip if you have a good TV. Imagine that you sat down to watch a movie on your fancy new OLED TV, only to not be able to hear the people talking. It feels like that’s a problem that keeps on growing, and that’s why I won’t ever be pairing my TV without an audio system of some sort. I mean, even a cheap soundbar will be better than what your TV offers. If you’re already spending the money on a new TV, you might as well pair it with something that helps you hear what’s coming out of it. Trust me, it’s worth the investment.

My TV made me care about my audio

It should make you care, too

TV audio is arguably more important than picture quality. I could never imagine putting on a new movie and having to watch it with subtitles if I already spoke the language. That would ruin the entire experience for me, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that sentiment. Speakers are very important, and if TV manufacturers aren’t going to make sure the audio sounds good, I have to do it myself.

What I ended up doing was buying a receiver and a set of speakers. For a little while, I was using a stereo setup, and I was perfectly happy. It wasn’t until I started picking up 4K Blu-rays that I realized I wanted more. There’s a whole Dolby Atmos-filled world out there that I wanted to be part of. Fortunately, the receiver I had was a 7.1 one, even though I never had any intention of using it as such.

I completed my 5.1 system, and then I added a pair of height speakers to complete the 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup. I’m very happy with it, and while I can still make plenty of improvements, it’ll be a while before I actually do it. I’m just glad I have audio that matches the quality of my TV, and I can’t imagine going back to a world without it.

In late 2025, I reviewed an Amazon Fire TV, and while the speakers on the TV weren’t dreadful, it wasn’t long until I made an upgrade. I ended up grabbing a cheap receiver and a pair of bookshelf speakers. This TV is set up in a spare bedroom, and I still couldn’t deal with the sound. It’s actually not that expensive to upgrade your audio, even if you don’t get a cheap soundbar. If you go down the budget path, you’ll want to keep your eye out for deep sales or be open to buying used products.

For your main setup, I think you should allocate a bigger budget because it’s still nice to keep that premium feel with your expensive TV. Other rooms are fine to cut corners in, and you can find solid setups for quite cheap if you take that route. I’m not personally a big fan of soundbars since you can usually find comparable systems for the same price, but even a soundbar is a big upgrade.

What I wish would happen is for TV manufacturers to start putting more care into their audio. It’s baffling that I have to buy something else on top of my TV just to get something acceptable to me. Unfortunately, I’ve seen no sign of those tides shifting in the coming years, and it feels like manufacturers are just looking for the best way to cut costs. Even the user interfaces of these TVs leave a lot to be desired, and the sluggishness of them has forced me to look toward devices such as the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K.

Spend as little or as much as you want

But you should do something

With manufacturers essentially punting on improved audio in their TVs, it’s up to you to do something about it. The good thing is that there are plenty of choices you can make. Soundbars are solid picks here, honestly, and while they aren’t for me, I can see the value of them for many others. Even a basic 2.0 soundbar would be a big upgrade over TV audio, and that’s not something that’ll break the bank. Of course, there are other paths to take. A more expensive soundbar would be a lot better than a cheap one, but I’d still point people toward a proper stereo setup with room to grow into surround sound.

You have more control over a stereo setup, and at the very least, you’d get the proper spacing between the speakers. I don’t want to tell people how to spend their money, but speaking for myself, I’d like to have more flexibility with how I do things, and that’s what a surround system provides. The nice thing is that you don’t have to start big if you don’t want to. I found a 7.1 receiver from Goodwill for just $15, and if you pair that with a solid set of speakers, you can get some good performance going for under $100. It doesn’t really get much cheaper than that, and you can stop there if you want to. If you want to keep on adding to your system, a receiver allows you to do that slowly over time. Keep in mind that used receivers often won’t have modern features like Dolby Atmos or even HDMI hookups, so keep an eye out for that.

If you’re patient, you can find anything to fit your needs, and while it’s sad that it’s come to this, you really have to take matters into your own hands if you care about your audio. When you’re setting up your new TV, do yourself a favor and address the audio as well. Imagine how boring a movie theater would be without the proper sound to go with it. The same thing should apply to your living room, and for as little or as lot as you want to spend, it can.