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How to choose a soundbar in 2026

The Mars Score for soundbars weights audio quality (35%), channel configuration (25%), connectivity (20%) and features (20%). The soundbar replaced the AV receiver + bookshelf-speaker stack for most living rooms — and the gap between a great soundbar and a budget one is enormous.

Channels: 2.0 vs 3.1 vs 5.1.2 vs 7.1.4

A 2.0 soundbar (channel_layout) is a TV-speaker upgrade but no more. 3.1 adds a center channel for clearer dialogue + a wireless sub. 5.1.2 (Sonos Arc Ultra, Sony HT-A7000, Samsung Q990D) adds rear surrounds + height channels for true Atmos. 7.1.4 is reference-class. Match channel count to room size and content type.

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X

has_atmos and has_dts_x deliver height information — either via upward-firing drivers or via psychoacoustic processing. Real upward-firing height channels (Sonos Arc, Samsung Q990D, LG SC9S) sound noticeably more immersive than virtualization-only bars (Sonos Beam, Bose Smart Soundbar).

eARC: the must-have port

eARC (has_earc) carries full lossless Atmos / DTS:X bitstreams from TV to soundbar over one HDMI cable. Without eARC, you fall back to Dolby Digital+ — fine but not reference. Confirm both your TV and your soundbar support eARC, not just legacy ARC.

Wireless sub and rears

A bundled wireless subwoofer (has_wireless_sub) is the biggest single perceptual upgrade. Add wireless rears and you have a real 5.1.2 system without running cables. Most premium bars sell rears as add-ons.

Room calibration

Sonos Trueplay, Samsung SpaceFit, Sony 360 Spatial Sound — all use the phone mic (or built-in mics) to tune output to room acoustics. Effect is real, particularly in untreated rooms.

How vsMars scores soundbars

Audio quality and channel configuration weight highest because both define what content the bar can actually do justice to. See the formula on the methodology page, curated picks on best soundbars, and TV pairing advice in our TVs category.