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Not all TVs have great speakers, and that can seriously hinder your viewing experience. On top of that, sometimes you can barely hear the dialogue in shows or movies, with the volume cranked up only for music and sound effects. If you constantly find yourself adjusting the volume while watching your favorite shows, investing in a soundbar makes sense. There are plenty of other helpful tips and tricks to get better TV sound, but nothing works as well as adding a proper soundbar to your TV.
Seriously improve speech clarity with a soundbar
Along with providing more immersive sound and better audio quality overall, many soundbars have a dedicated speech mode to improve dialogue clarity (although some do it better than others). One company that stands out is Zvox. It specializes in dialogue, and most of its products have at least one voice enhancement mode (and some as many as 12). Another brand that has a focus on voice is Polk, with its excellent VoiceAdjust feature. Yamaha makes an affordable soundbar with similar options, too.
A soundbar can cost a lot less than some other home theater systems but can improve your TV's sound just as much. Whether you're looking for a budget speaker or something a little more premium, these are the best soundbars for dialogue.
Sarah Tew/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Sarah Tew/CNET Best soundbar for TV dialogue Zvox SB500 8.0 /10 SCORE Pros The Zvox SB500 sound bar offers great sound quality and a simple setup process. Bass is plentiful despite the lack of a subwoofer. Styling is chic and the unit seems well put together. Cons It doesn't include a wireless subwoofer, or subwoofer output jack. Deep bass can cause the soundfield to collapse into mono. The bar is taller than most and may block your TV's IR sensor if you're not wall-mounting. If you're looking for a soundbar that offers plenty of bass as well as crisp dialogue without using a subwoofer, the Zvox SB500 is a great buy. Even better, the company has added more levels of sound enhancement since I reviewed the SB500, which should make it even easier to dial in the dialogue the way you want it. ... Show more Get it now $400 at Amazon $400 at Walmart
Ty Pendlebury/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Ty Pendlebury/CNET Best for features, including Alexa Polk React 8.0 /10 SCORE Pros Amazon Alexa onboard works well
Excellent sound quality for the price
Smart looking design Cons Only one HDMI input
Optional sub and surrounds are costly The Polk React is a follow-up to the Command Bar -- the first soundbar that had Amazon Alexa on board -- and it offers an excellent mix of features and performance. Polk's VoiceAdjust is one of the better dialogue enhancement systems, and it's put to good use on this speaker. It's end of life right now, but that also means it's a great value at the sale price of $159. ... Show more Get it now $159 at Polk
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