My favorite soundbars under 1000 euros and is Soundbar or Full Surround System best for you?

So you want to take your movie-watching experience more seriously, and you want that cinematic experience with great sound. Yet you're at a crossroads: should you get a full audio-video receiver experience a with full set of speakers? Or you are limited by budget and space, and want soundbars?

 Soundbars vs full surround system

Regarding whatever you choose, I want to go through the pros and cons of a full surround system versus a soundbar, and my opinion on that.

I think this conversation always should start with these two things: how much money are you ready to invest, and how much space do you have in your listening room?

To be honest, there are cases where I see a soundbar as a better choice than a full audio system.

When you should consider Soundbars

Soundbars are not as punishing in small rooms, or less-treated rooms, like full 5.1 system. They can sound clearer and more precise; therefore, if your listening room is not big, or is strangely constructed with a lot of room for sound reflections and bass buildup.

But sonically, there is one more pro for soundbars, and that is its physical size. It is one thing to buy five speakers and a subwoofer and place them around the room. To buy stands or carriers to place your surround speakers, find a suitable place in the room for the subwoofer. Keep the center speaker in the center, but the right and left speakers at enough distance to not have problems with crossovers, etc.

Soundbars need to be placed under your TV, and that's it. Of course, it is best to have some separation from walls and not to be obstructed by nearby objects, but that is so much easier to do than placing a 5.1 system around your room. It requires less expertise and knowledge, etc.

And when we're at that, synergy. You don't have to care about synergy with soundbars. They are perfectly adjusted and equalized in the factory. With a 5.1 system, you have to think about what kind of AVR you want and how well it works with a certain set of speakers. And unless you buy sets of speakers, you have to care about how individual components work together, etc.

And lastly, a final pro for soundbars is the price. It's no secret that buying an AVR plus six speakers will cost you—even if you go cheap—as much as most costly soundbars. You can get a decent soundbar for a price that you cannot get any 5.1 system for, and don't let me start if you want Atmos with 7.1. So if you are just starting and don't know anything about sound, soundbars might be a better option for you, as you don't have to cash out a lot to get a glimpse of this phenomenal hobby.

When you should consider full surround system

But this is where the pros end.

The biggest pro for a full 5.1 system is the sound, and most importantly, what most people want and expect from something like this: surround and spatial effects.

While soundbars can emulate the sound of surround effects, of Atmos, etc., it can never sound like speakers creating that sound dome. That every speaker exists for the singular purpose of creating that soundstage around you. It is bigger, it is more detailed, it creates more objects in space for your ears and brain to follow.

Something else important to cinephiles besides the surround sound? It is the weight and presence of the sound, its authority. Nothing like dedicated woofer cones and subwoofers to do that. But not just that; those subwoofers open the soundstage so much more, and when the table moves, swords clash, or a pin drops, it is more impactful, more dramatic, more real.

Regarding clarity and voices, while a really good 5.1 system is a win, I think really good subwoofers also a a great job here. To hear voices and dialogue among all the sound effects, a dedicated center speaker is better. It is also about precise positioning and direction. Sometimes, when it is a greatly produced movie, you can feel the direction of two people speaking, their distance, and they feel clear and concise. But great soundbars also have great clarity and a center speaker for voices, but nothing like a full dedicated center speaker.

In conclusion, while sonic superiority certainly exists among full surround speakers, there is a lot of practicality and value that soundbars can have. Soundbars have gotten better with every new generation. I would even recommend buying a great soundbar (up to €600-€800) rather than an AVR + 2.1 or 3.1 system in that price range, as the quality will favor soundbars, not to mention features and versatility. But if you add more money, it becomes more obvious that soundbars start lagging behind full systems.

But there is always a scenario where a soundbar might satisfy your needs more than a full surround system, and that person might even be you. And yes, one more thing: I have never used a soundbar to listen to music; I never liked that and never listened to music via a soundbar. I believe even 400e stereo system kills every soundbar, but that is my opinion.

In that regard, I would love to explain a bit about my favorite soundbars that I have experience with. I will try to order them from lowest to highest price.

Sonos Beam Gen 2

To me, the tiny Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar is a pinnacle of great value. It is not the best budget option, but for 400 euros, you cannot go wrong. It delivers excellent sonics and surround properties. It has a very nice sense of weight, even though it is not as effective as the accompanying Sonos subwoofer, so do not expect groundbreaking sound. But its warmer characteristics bring out smoother-sounding vocals very effectively, though there could be a bit more clarity.

However, to have mock surround, mock atmosphere, to have many inputs and outputs, to have a nice warm sound with nice separation among voices, effects, and other sound objects—this is why it is the best soundbar for 400 euros. It gives you a glimpse of everything, and it is up to you whether you want to explore this world further.

Polk Magnifi MAX AX SR

If you want to add around 200 euros more, I recommend this very underrated soundbar. It offers everything a soundbar at this price level should have: 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound. It is an 11-speaker bar with real Atmos speakers that fire upward. It also has an additional subwoofer and two more speakers for surround sound.

It is easy to say that this delivers a more realistic and bigger sound and surround than the Sonos. It also creates many more objects on the soundstage, creating the perception of a bigger soundstage and surround. With the addition of the subwoofer, it has far more grounded and commanding bass. It is really good and maybe even the best in this price range.

They have very good control of the central speakers for voices; they have SDA technology for separation, but I did notice that they sometimes sound too bright or artificial, as the soundbar tries too hard to make it feel like the sound is coming from a real dedicated central speaker.

Clarity is good, but not at the level of some more expensive soundbars on the market. All in all, for 600 euros, you get the most complete soundbar in this price range, with all the inputs and sonics, but with the drawback of additional speakers and a subwoofer.

The question remains: will the Sonos Beam + Sonos Sub + Sonos Surround sound better? Maybe, but it is a much more expensive combination. the So Polk is an absolute recommendation.

Cheaper Alternative Hisense ax5125H

A quick additional shout-out for the Hisense 5125H, which, similar to the Polk, has two additional speakers and a subwoofer. And it costs only 350 euros, much less than the 600 euros for the Polk. It is not as detailed, and the bass is not as commanding as the Polk's, but it does muster some great spatial effects and is a bit better than the Sonos Beam. The reason I like the Beam more is that it has a more balanced sound, with more clarity and detail, but with less bass and surround properties. It depends on your preferences. But the Hisense could be a great alternative.

Sonos Arc

Now, for the last three, I wanted to be less obvious and cliché, but I just could not, in a list of five soundbars, be more original and alternative. It is just that I tested these soundbars, and they all had certain strengths that I liked. And one of those is the Sonos Arc. Under € 1000, it is my second favorite all-in-one box, right next to… well, I will not spoil it; you will hear about it later.

The Sonos Arc costs between €700 and €800 depending on where you look. It is an all-in-one box that has nice, convincing surround properties and Atmos. Great separation of every effect, every voice, every sound property. It is that soundbar that brings peak value.

What surprised me, even with decent bass, voices were clear, and objects on the soundstage have presence and lane. Which, sometimes coming from one box, is never the case. I think the Arc is proof that soundbars have come a long way since they were first introduced.

There are a lot of inputs and software features, and many audio codecs. It brings a lot of Sonos value with it.

You get close to what movie magic is, and with additional Sonos surround speakers and bass, you get a great experience. It is truly a recommendation on my side.

More expensive recommendation Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9

My more expensive recommendation is actually my favorite soundbar that does not go into the extravagant price range. And that is the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 9. I love this soundbar, but it is above €1000; it is around €1200, so I would not call it good value or anything.

But I had so much fun with it! It has really great surround sound and great bass, but besides that, it provides a lot of clarity, focus, and detail. It is an immersive experience that brings the all-in-one box solution to great heights.

It also has great inputs and outputs and great synergy between gaming needs and synergy with Bravia TVs and the Sony ecosystem.

I love this bar so much, and I know you will love it too.

Samsung HW-Q800C

But the best value up to €1000 has to go to the Samsung HW-Q800C—just call it 800C; it is easier.

It just does everything that the Sonos Arc does but a bit better, mostly in the bass, where it is really noticeable. And noticeable it is with the addition of a separate subwoofer. As the old saying goes, nothing beats a good old additional subwoofer.

But usually, in cheaper soundbars that come with a sub, it is usually overwhelming and completely cuts the clarity and presence of other dynamics on the soundstage. But here we have a very palpable presentation that is very easy to follow on the soundstage.

It also decently centralizes the vocals and gives them weight and presence. It is just a very nice all-rounder that does everything great for its price level. Great recommendation.

The reason I would give this one a slight edge over the Arc is purely bass reproduction and width of the soundstage. It just makes everything bigger and more realistic. Its minus is definitely that it is not a one-box solution; it is more tricky to position and place in a room, but for that extra oomph and scope, it is worth it.

I hope you enjoyed these recommendations, and if you enjoy my content please like and subscribe