So you just got your brand new flat screen TV. You’ve gotten it mounted to the wall. It’s the perfect addition to your family room. Then you turn it on and realize those tiny little speakers built in just don’t sound as good as you would like them to. Sitting back on your sofa, it’s hard to hear the sound as it gets lost in your living room. What can you do to get sound that will match the quality of the picture? You can’t setup a surround system in your living room; and even if your spouse or significant other would let you, there’s no way you can hide all the cables necessary for all the speakers. What do you do?

Luckily, a number of manufacturers make a product for this very situation. They are commonly known as “surround bars.” Generally, these surround bars are about as wide as a 42” TV and house speaker drivers lined up in a row. There is typically one driver for the center channel, a pair for the left and right speakers, and a set for the rear.

So how does this technology work? It is important to first understand how our ears perceive sound and stereo effects. If a sound comes from the right, your right ear will hear the sound before the left ear. This sound will also be slightly louder than what the left ear hears. The surround bar will also bounce the rear signals off walls to aid in the delayed effect. These signals are also reproduced out of phase, similar to the technology used in noise cancelling headphones. Although here, it is used to trick the ear into thinking the sound is coming from behind.

Most surround bars are also very slim, about the same depth as a flat panel TV. They are also relatively easy to mount. If you were able to mount your flat panel on the wall, the surround bar should be no problem. If the thought of mounting your TV and surround bar makes you nervous, it is best to hire a professional.

Depending on the surround bar chosen, you might also need to run a separate receiver to power it. There are some out there that will have an amplifier built in. These models typically will cost more, so if you can stack a receiver with your DVD player, this would be the better route to go. You will most likely get a better amplifier with the receiver and more options for connecting other gear to it. It would also be wise to add a subwoofer to the system. Since the speakers in the surround bar are so small, they don’t reproduce bass very well. The best option is to find a small subwoofer to hide in the room to handle all the bass.

Now there is no excuse not to have high quality surround sound on every TV in your home. These surround bars prove that you don’t need to flank your entire room with speakers to enjoy your new HDTV in surround sound.

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