The picture quality of the current TV is incomparably better than that of the past, but it is a pity that the sound quality of the speakers has not kept up with the picture quality of the screen. It often sounds dull or dull, which greatly reduces the viewing effect. So, why is there such a common phenomenon now? What can we do (and at what cost) to improve the situation a little bit?
Why do the sound effects of TV speakers sound frowning?
Modern TV speakers rarely face forward
If you take a close look at most of the TVs on the market today, the reasons for their poor sound are pretty obvious. The modern TV trend towards narrower bezels and thinner designs means that most designs don’t have room for front speakers, so if you don’t see any speakers or sound vents on the front of your TV, then Indicates that the horn is not forward. On the contrary, manufacturers’ designs are mostly designed to be broadcast from the bottom of the display panel, or the speaker configuration is radiated from the rear of the TV, which means that the sound will first flow from the TV cabinet, entertainment equipment (game console) before reaching your ears. , set-top box, etc.) or bounce off the wall behind the TV, there are all kinds of variables.
For downward radiating speakers, the distance between the TV and the entertainment equipment can greatly affect the sound, if you have no entertainment equipment and instead wall mount the TV with nothing underneath, the sound will be emitted directly to the floor. Soft furniture will dampen the sound, and if the sound from the TV’s rear speakers hits the curtains, or fires down and is sent directly to the bed or rug, textiles will absorb a lot of the sound, leaving less of it to actually reach your ears There are very few of them. You can use the above effect to suppress reverb, but it is not ideal for many modern TV speaker configurations.
TV speakers are too small to produce loud sound
Speakers not facing you directly can significantly affect the clarity of the listening sound, but the size of the speakers found in most TV models is also an issue. This is especially noticeable in the lack of bass, which requires a larger driver to be effective. Larger speakers mean bigger sounds, while smaller speakers often lack the depth associated with tiny sounds, and also compromise presence. All of these reasons for your disappointment with the sound effect make the audio experience you hear is neither clear nor powerful.
Even if your TV has better bass, you may still have problems with the TV humming, which presents another problem for the manufacturer, who must use higher quality materials and increase the price.
How to fix poor sound from TV speakers?
The most cost-effective solution is to use your existing stereo equipment. Connecting to proper home stereo speakers will almost certainly work better than the TV’s built-in speakers, which you can position so that they are directly facing you. Note that many modern TVs lack an analog audio output, so your external speakers will need to correspond to the TV’s digital input, such as S/PDIF or optical output, etc.
If you’re in the market for a more affordable solution designed specifically for your TV, consider the Sound Bar. At present, there are quite a few similar products available on the market, with prices ranging from 2,3000 yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. You can choose according to your personal budget, and they can definitely provide a better listening experience than most TV speakers. For best results, make sure the Sound Bar you choose can be connected to your TV using an HDMI cable, ARC on older models or the newer eARC standard on newer TVs.
If you have the budget, space and time, a true surround sound setup like a 7.1 or 5.1 channel system is definitely worth the investment. You’ll need a receiver compatible with whatever standard you want to take advantage of (e.g. Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS:X, etc.), and you should also make sure your TV supports the same standard, or at least “pass-through” the audio (e.g. LG OLED does not pass DTS).
Software can only slightly solve the problem
Many TV makers use software tricks to enhance disappointing audio, in everything from equalizer settings that add clarity to dialogue to virtual surround sound effects that try to mimic a home theater setup. You should be looking at the various sound modes in the TV settings to see if they improve your experience, but don’t expect magical miracles. There is only so much that software can do, and effective improvement still depends on investment in hardware.
