What do you need for excellent music playback?
Most soundbars are not all-round wonders that are equally well suited for any content. Therefore, you should really think about what is important to you in a soundbar. Just because a soundbar is excellent for movies doesn’t necessarily mean that music is played back great.
The most important thing is probably that the sound is reproduced as cleanly as possible. On the one hand, this means that the degree of distortion must be kept low so that audio signals can be output from the speakers as unaltered as possible, and on the other hand, that the speakers must also be able to play back the entire frequency range as intended. In other words, the sound profile should be as balanced as possible and the distortion factor as low as possible.
But other factors also play a not insignificant role for us if we want to use the sound system mainly for music. The support of streaming services via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, as well as the maximum volume, a graphic equalizer or strong basses are not negligible for one or the other.
Best Soundbar for Music: Samsung HW-Q950A
- 616W total power
- 160W Subwoofer (Max)
- 140W Rear Kit
- Dolby Atmos & DTS:X
- Upfiring Speakers
- SpaceFit Sound+ & Q-Symphony
- Auto EQ
- High Volume
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Apple Airplay2
- Built-In Amazon Alexa
In our opinion, Samsungs 11.1.4 setup is the best choice if you’re looking for a soundbar to playback music. The HW-Q950A has a crystal clear sound with a balanced sound profile and can get very loud without distorting. Its advantage is that the sound can be flexibly adjusted with a graphic equalizer, so the soundbar can be used perfectly for just about any genre.
The subwoofer is really powerful and acts precisely. In combination with the separate satellite speakers, it creates an immersive listening experience. However, the low-bass could be a bit stronger, but this can be easily remedied using the equalizer.
As for wireless connectivity and using streaming services, the Samsung soundbar also has everything you need. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the Samsung SmartThings app are also present, but that’s not surprising for such a high-end product. Besides the excellent music playback, the Q950A is also very versatile and cuts an impressive figure in movies with up-firingThese speakers are positioned diagonally upwards so that the reflection of the sound from the ceiling reaches the viewers from above. They are mainly used for 3D sound formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. Dolby AtmosDolby Atmos is a 3D sound format that adds sounds from above to surround sound systems and can also assign additional information to sounds so that they can be reproduced even more realistically. speakers.
Space Saving with good Performance: Bose Soundbar 700
- Compact
- Easily expandable
- Room Correction
- Less bass
- No Dolby Atmos
- No graphic Equalizer
If you don’t have as much space at home to put the Samsung 9.1.4 system, the Bose 700 is an excellent choice. Despite the lack of a subwoofer, the soundbar has a very pleasant sound profile and distortion is almost non-existent even at higher volumes. Therefore, the soundbar produces a very neutral, clean sound that is unparalleled among many manufacturers – in other words, the typical Bose sound quality.
A big advantage over the Samsung soundbar is the Room Correction feature, which allows you to adjust the soundbar to the acoustics of the room. However, there is no graphic equalizer, but only presets with which you can adjust the sound profile. With Wi-Fi and the Bose Music app, the soundbar can be controlled via smartphone and streaming services are also supported.
Of course, the lack of an external subwoofer has one drawback. As expected, the bass is a bit weaker. However, it is surprisingly strong and can also be expanded very easily with the corresponding Bose Bass Module 700.
Best affordable music soundbar: Polk SIGNA S2
- Strong bass
- Max. Volume
- Cheaper appearance
- No mobile app
- Less clean sound profile
The 2.1 soundbar with wireless subwoofer is a good option if you want to get a soundbar for music, but still want to watch your wallet. The sound profile seems a bit agitated, making it seem a bit boomy or garish on some content. However, it performs quite well in most genres and can also be customized with predefined equalizer modes so that the agitated sound profile is somewhat mitigated.
The soundbar can get quite loud and thus has no problems even in larger rooms filled with people. But at maximum volume, distortions become audible and the subwoofer no longer works quite as precisely.
The Polk Audio Signa 2 does not have Wi-Fi, but you can still stream your favorite songs from your smartphone via Bluetooth.
Soundbars for Music in comparison
 Samsung HW-Q950A |  Bose Soundbar 700 |  Polk SIGNA S2 | |
| Channels | 11.1.4 | 3 | 2.1 |
| Dolby Atmos | |||
| DTS | DTS HD-Master + DTS:X | ||
| HDMI 2.1 | 2x In + 1x Out | ||
| eARC | |||
| WLAN | |||
| Room size | above 40 m2 | up to 25 m2 | up to 15 m2 |
| Subwoofer | External | External | |
| Satellites | |||
| Dimensions Height x Width x Depth HxWxD | 69,5 x 1232 x 138 mm | 57 x 980 x 108 mm | 50 x 899 x 79 mm |
Frequently asked questions about Soundbars for Music
Are soundbars good for playing music?
A soundbar is a great way to improve your music listening experience, especially if you do not have enough space for a full setup.
Is a soundbar betten than speakers?
A soundbar is a compact way to improve your TV’s sound. However, if you want true surround sound, you should invest in a setup with satellite speakers.
