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Why you should (and shouldn’t) match your TV and soundbar brand
Slim TVs might look attractive, but it's often at the expense of audio quality. So when budgeting for a new TV, it's worth factoring in the cost of a soundbar, otherwise you risk ending up with a TV that looks great, but sounds awful. The major TV brands all make their own soundbars, so should you stick to the same brand or shop around? We reveal what you need to know.
Top TV brands like Samsung and LG increasingly tout the benefits of pairing up their own TVs and soundbars for the best experience – but they would do, wouldn’t they?
A TV and soundbar upgrade doesn’t come cheap, so it’s important not to limit your options to get the most for your money. Below we explain the benefits of sticking to the same brand for your soundbar – plus when it’s good to do so, and when not.
Best soundbars – our professional audio lab has tested more than 120 soundbars currently available to buy, so you'll know which are the very best on the market, and those to avoid.
Pros of matching your TV and soundbar brand
1) Enhanced audio
In most cases, when you connect a soundbar your TV’s speakers go silent and all the sound comes from the soundbar instead. But if you’ve paid good money for those TV speakers, particularly if you have a higher-end TV, isn't it better to put them to some use?
That’s why brands like Samsung and LG now offer what's called combined audio on their higher-end TVs and soundbars. This makes use of both the soundbar and your TV’s speakers together for even more enhanced sound. And as we explain later, the difference is noticeable.
2) Aesthetics and wall-mounting
Choosing your TV brand’s recommended soundbar often means the designs perfectly match. In some cases, they could be the exact same length.
The biggest benefits, however, are likely for those who want to wall-mount their TV. Soundbars are rarely super-slender, so they can pack in more power. But pairing a TV with a recommended soundbar can often mean they look the part together – rather than a soundbar jutting much further out into the room.
3) Ease of use
While most soundbars now support CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), which allows them to be controlled with the same remote as your TV, choosing the same brand TV and soundbar can provide a more streamlined experience, particularly for more feature-rich models.
The remotes and menus for your TV and soundbar are likely to be designed in a similar fashion, meaning you won't have to learn two separate systems.
Cons of matching your TV and soundbar brand
1) Limited choice
Soundbars may look similar at first glance, but our in-depth testing reveals there are actually a lot of differences, such as:
- A greater stereo effect with wider soundbars compared to more compact models.
- Ultra slim soundbars that don’t stick out into the room as much when wall-mounted.
- Soundbars with screens and illuminated buttons, versus those that rely on the remote or a mobile app.
Every room is different, and the ideal soundbar to fit your space isn’t necessarily one that’s made by the same brand as your TV. Plus while Samsung and LG have huge soundbar ranges, for different TV brands you might only have a handful of models to choose from.
2) Value for money
There aren’t many TV brands to choose from, but that's not the case with soundbars. Not only do most TV brands make soundbars, but audio specialists, such as JBL and Denon, do too.
By mixing and matching your TV and soundbar brand, you get greater choice and opportunity to grab a bargain.
3) Audio quality gains might be minimal
Our tests show that in many cases there’s noticeable improvement in audio quality when you have a soundbar from the same brand as your TV. However, the improvement can be small.
The fact is, no matter what brand it's from, a great soundbar will sound superb with any TV, which is why it's important to make sure you get a Best Buy soundbar that's excelled in all our tests.
Which brands offer audio matching TVs and soundbars?
While most TV brands offer soundbars that will look the part with their TVs, there are a few that promise to offer something extra with their higher-end models.
Samsung Q-Symphony
Instead of all the sound switching solely to the soundbar when you connect it to your TV, Samsung soundbars with Q-Symphony use all your TV’s speakers as well.
The effect is most noticeable with higher frequencies, which can feel 'lifted' (since the TV speakers are physically higher than the soundbar) and with extra detail. Since voices tend to be higher-frequency sounds, this tech makes them even clearer.
Q-Symphony is available on most Samsung soundbars with a Q in the product name, such as the Samsung HW-Q800C, but you can see the full list on Samsung's site.
LG Wow Orchestra
This is very similar to Samsung’s Q-Symphony approach, but you have a smaller selection of soundbars to choose from.
Check LG’s website to confirm individual TV and soundbar models that support Wow Orchestra, such as the LG USC9S soundbar.
Sony Bravia Acoustic Center Sync
This audio setting from Sony isn’t as sophisticated as Samsung or LG’s offering, but like those it also concentrates on improving higher-frequency sounds – the types of sound TV speakers are good at.
A soundbar’s centre speaker is often used for clearer dialogue. This Sony setting (called TV Centre Speaker or S-Centre Speaker mode, depending on your model) lets you add your TV’s speakers to this centre channel, for even clearer high-frequency sounds.
Sony has a smaller range of soundbars, but this feature is available on higher-end models such as the HT-A5000, HT-A7000 and HT-A9. You'll also need a compatible Sony TV, but good news is that this feature is available on a huge range of Sony models launched from 2021 onwards. Sony also provides a list of compatible TVs on its website – see Sony's support page for the full list.
Matching TV and soundbar pairings to consider
These support the brands’ sound-pairing Q-Symphony and Wow Orchestra modes respectively, so the full benefits of choosing the same-brand soundbar as your TV are on offer with the models selected below.
We've also picked an alternative similar soundbar in each case from a different brand that you could pair with the TV instead, so you can see how the features and prices compare, and decide whether the extras from staying with the same brand are worth it.
Mid-range TV: Samsung QE55Q80C
This is a mid-range 55-inch QLED TV from Samsung in its 2023 range, with the price having come down drastically from more than £1,000 at launch.
It offers 4k resolution, an easy-to-use remote and of course Q-Symphony audio mode when paired with a compatible Samsung soundbar with this feature.
See whether this is a great TV to choose all-round, or if it’s worth spending more, in our expert Samsung QE55Q80C review.
Matching soundbar: Samsung HW-Q600C
This is one of the more affordable soundbars to feature the technology, and is a 3.1.2 channel model – three speakers across the bar, a separate subwoofer for bass, and two up-firing speakers that are used particularly to give a sense of ‘height’ in Dolby Atmos film material.
Is this the perfect price of bang for your buck with a soundbar? Find out in our Samsung HW-Q600C review.
Alternative soundbar: Denon DHT-S517
Soundbars aren’t cheap, but if you look around you can find similarly featured soundbars for considerably less than some.
This model from hi-fi specialist brand Denon is also a 3.1.2 soundbar, supporting Dolby Atmos.
Its 105cm length is best-sized to match smaller TVs around 50”, just like the Samsung above, and it can be wall-mounted too.
Is this a wiser choice than sticking with Samsung for your soundbar? We reveal the truth in our Denon DHT-S517 review.
High-end TV: LG OLED65C34LA
This is a 65” 4k OLED TV from LG’s high-end lineup. It comes with LG’s famously easy-to-use Magic Remote, and there’s a surprising range of features, including a single-tuner PVR built-in, so you can record one channel onto a USB hard drive.
The screen is certainly something to behold – we see if lower-resolution HD and SD content stacks up just as well in our review, too.
See if this TV is worth its higher price or if better options are available in our comprehensive LG OLED65C34LA review.
Matching soundbar: LG USC9S
This soundbar is specifically designed for LG’s 2023 C2/C3 TVs like the model above, with a wall-mounting bracket specially for seamlessly connecting them together.
Wow Orchestra is, of course, available with this soundbar, which is 3.1.3 channel for an even greater sense of surround sound.
The LG Sound Bar app also makes adjusting advanced settings easy.
Discover if this soundbar is worth the money in our full LG USC9S review.
Alternative soundbar: JBL Bar 800
The big TV brands may be juggernauts, but JBL is certainly a heavyweight in audio products, and this soundbar is case in point.
It’s an even more surround-sound focussed soundbar than LG’s out of the box, despite the lower price, offering 5.1.2 channels. The soundbar has detachable ends which you can put behind you as rear speakers – that’ll deliver a more immersive surround-sound experience than LG’s Wow Orchestra will be able to do with the 3.1.3 LG soundbar above.
So is there a catch or is this the better soundbar to choose? We give the full lowdown in our definitive JBL Bar 800 review.
To see our full range of more than 120 tested soundbars, see our soundbar reviews.
