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What are the best soundbars for a 4K TV?

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Samsung HW-K950 vs Vizio SB3821-D6 vs Yamaha YSP-5600

Specs

Weight

6.7 kg

Frequency Response

50 Hz - 20 kHz

Connections

2 x HDMI 2.0 in; 1 x HDMI ARC out; 1 x Optical in; 1 x Analogue in; 1 x USB (for updates only)

Wall mountable

Yes

Surround audio formats supported

Dolby Atmos; Dolby True HD; Dolby Digital Plus; DTS 2.0

Wireless connections

Bluetooth; Wi-Fi

Power RMS

200 W (main unit) + 2 x 35 W (rear speakers)

Sound modes

Dolby Atmos; Music; Movie; Voice; Sports; Night

Number of channels (standard channels.low frequency channels.vertical sound channels)

5.1.4 Ch

Subwoofer size

203.9 x 3990 x 414.3 mm

Subwoofer weight

9.6 kg

Power subwoofer RMS

162 W

Soundbar size

1210.2 x 81.7 x 131.4 mm

Dimensions

-

Weight

2.6 kg

Frequency Response

50 Hz - 20 kHz

Connections

1 x Optical; 1 x Coaxial; 2 x Analogue; 1 x Ethernet; 1 x USB (waw audio playback)

Wall mountable

Yes

Surround audio formats supported

Dolby Digital; DTS; TruSurround

Wireless connections

Bluetooth; Wi-Fi

Power RMS

N/A

Sound modes

Music; Movie

Number of channels (standard channels.low frequency channels.vertical sound channels)

2.1 Ch

Subwoofer size

212 x 233 x 212 mm

Subwoofer weight

3.2 kg

Power subwoofer RMS

N/A

Soundbar size

-

Dimensions

965 x 76 x 76 mm

Weight

25.8 lbs

Frequency Response

20 Hz - 150 Hz

Connections

4 x HDMI in (Input 1: HDCP 2.2); 1 x HDMI out (HDCP 2.2, ARC); 2 x Digital Optical in; 1 x Digital Coaxial in; 1 x Analog Audio in

Wall mountable

Yes

Surround audio formats supported

Dolby Atmos; Dolby True HD; Dolby Digital Plus; DTS 2.0

Wireless connections

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

Power RMS

128 W total power: 88 W beam speakers + 40 W woofers

Sound modes

3D Surround, Surround, Stereo, Target Playback Mode, My Surround

Number of channels (standard channels.low frequency channels.vertical sound channels)

7.1.2 Ch

Subwoofer size

-

Subwoofer weight

-

Power subwoofer RMS

-

Soundbar size

43-1/4” x 8-3/8” x 3-5/8”

Dimensions

-

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Amazing surround capabilities with an extra vertical dimension

This soundbar can produce cinema-like surround sound using the latest Dolby Atmos standard. Aside from the rear speakers, it also adds height by producing sound above the listener’s head, through extra speakers that reflect it from the ceiling. The ceiling needs to be flat and relatively shallow for this to work best, though. The sheer number of speakers together creates a more realistic sound bubble around the listener, as opposed to soundbars that can only emulate it with limited speakers. While only Dolby Atmos content takes full advantage of these extra speakers, even standard Stereo or Dolby Digital can benefit from this extra dimension.
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Pro
 Dolby Atmos support

This soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, which has been becoming more popular in streaming services and new Blu-ray releases.
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Pro
 Powerful, high quality speakers for a great audio experience

It has 16 speakers that combine to deliver the best audio experience for watching and listening to music. Combined, they have a power rating of 500W for a system that consists of a center channel, two front channels, two rear channels, four vertical channels and a low frequency channel. The highs and mids sound clean and clear, without being flat. Movie dialogue is clear and distinguishable thanks to the added central channel.
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Pro
 Audio enhancement mode

There are dedicated digital sound processing modes that can be used to enhance audio from movies, sports or music.
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Pro
 Multi-room audio streaming

Samsung has included an application that you can use to stream music from your phone, online streaming services and even media servers in your home network to the soundbar via Wi-Fi. It’s also possible to set up a multi-room system with other Samsung audio products that are compatible with the app.
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Pro
 Supports wireless connectivity

The HW-K950 has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, for wireless media streaming from external devices. It also supports connecting wirelessly to Samsung TVs that support it.
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Pro
 OLED conveniently displays status information

The easy-to-read front OLED display gives you all the relevant status information.
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Pro
 Stylish look

This soundbar has a classic black look with a steel mesh around the unit with brushed aluminum ends. The screen is hidden behind the mesh and illuminates only when there is a change in input or a button is pressed. A blue LED indicates Dolby Atmos signal input.
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Pro
 Conveniently sized rear speakers

The rear speakers are approximately the size of average desktop speakers.
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Pro
 Main unit can be wall mounted

The main unit can be wall mounted, using the included bracket, but you need to buy separate wall mounts for the rear speakers if you wish to mount them.
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Pro
 Powerful subwoofer

The 8-inch driver of the subwoofer outputs 165W and is powerful enough to make windows shake. Since this can be overkill in some use cases, like music listening, you can easily control the subwoofer levels through the soundbar.
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Pro
 Easy to update

Software updates can be done automatically over Wi-Fi, using a dedicated Samsung app.
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Pro
 Can be controlled with an HDMI-CEC device

If you have an HDMI-CEC compatible device, you can use it to control the soundbar.
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Pro
 Detects Atmos automatically

The soundbar notifies you and switches automatically to Atmos mode when it detects a Dolby Atmos signal.
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Pro
 Good wired connectivity

There are two HDMI 2.0 inputs and an HDMI ARC output with 4K HDR passthrough capabilities, as well as an optical and an analog input.
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Con
 Large and heavy

The device is rather large and is best suited to pair with large TV sets, that are at least 50 inches. The subwoofer is also large and heavy, demanding a lot of space.
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Con
 DTS formats are downmixed to stereo

The K950 downmixes DTS formats down to stereo, which may be an issue for people with film collections in these formats. On the other hand, a lot of Blu-ray players can convert DTS to DD.
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Con
 Issues with 4K HDR passthrough

This soundbar's HDMI inputs support 4K HDR passthrough, but some devices have issues regarding this, like broken HDR or periodic cut offs. As of Spring 2017, Samsung is working on adding additional support for devices, by releasing new software updates.
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Con
 Remote control can be confusing to use

The remote control only has a few large buttons, and using them can be confusing, given that some functions are accessed via long presses of these buttons.
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Con
 Rear speakers need an external power source

This soundbar's rear speakers need an external power source, so they can’t be placed anywhere without access to power.
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Con
 No info output to the TV screen via HDMI

There is no information output on the TV screen when using the HDMI output.
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Pro
 Amazing sound quality for its price

When compared to other soundbars within the same price range, the Vizio does an excellent job in generating detailed sound and a wide sound stage.
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Pro
 Improved music listening experience with built-in sound processing

Built-in sound processing in music mode widens the soundstage for a greater stereo effect. It makes each instrument individually distinguishable.
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Pro
 Capable of filling a large room with clear sound

This soundbar can easily fill a large room with crystal clear sound and clearly distinguishable left and right channels, improving the cinematic experience.
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Pro
 Cables included

The Vizio ships with various connection cables, so there's no need to purchase additional input cables.
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Pro
 Good sound processing for movies

Built-in sound processing in movie mode does an excellent job expanding the sound and leveling the volume of dialogue and action scenes.
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Pro
 Simple to understand remote control

The remote control is intuitive and easy to understand.
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Pro
 Compact and unobtrusive size

Both the soundbar and the subwoofer are compact, so the main unit doesn't require a large stand and the subwoofer can be hidden easily.
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Pro
 Easy to set up media streaming via Wi-Fi

This soundbar has integrated Chromecast support. Its allows streaming media over Wi-Fi and is easy to set up and use.
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Pro
 Comes with a companion app

This soundbar comes with a Vizio companion app.
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Pro
 Varied options for wired connectivity

The Visio has an optical, a coaxial and two analog sound inputs and also an Ethernet input to connect it to your home network.
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Pro
 Prepared to be wall mounted

This soundbar can be wall mounted using the included mounts.
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Pro
 Supports wireless connectivity

You can connect to this soundbar via Wi-Fi, for media streaming, a feature that is usually only available on soundbards in more expensive price ranges. Bluetooth is also supported.
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Con
 Sound is only in stereo

There are no extra speakers for virtual surround modes, so the sound only comes in stereo.
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Con
 No HDMI inputs or outputs

This soundbar has no HDMI support.
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Con
 Subwoofer can feel quieter than other available options

Even though this soundbar's subwoofer extends bass response quite well, it can sometimes seem quiet compared to its competitors.
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Con
 Surface finish looks cheap

The system has a plastic and black cloth finish that's similar to the one found on most cheap soundbars.
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Con
 Confusing LED lights for information display

There is no front display on the soundbar, instead it has LED lights that give out information by blinking. They are not easy to understand and you may have to refer to the user manual to decipher them.
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Pro
 Good surround effect emulation

Yamaha has implemented Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support in this soundbar, meaning that the audio not only has width and depth, but also added height. It has 44 built-in speakers that help achieve the surround effect.
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Pro
 Wide variety of connection ports

The soundbar has four 4K HDMI inputs, an HDMI ARC output, one coaxial, two optical inputs, an infrared in/out, an analog input and a subwoofer output. Even the most demanding customers with lots of equipment will be able to connect virtually anything.
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Pro
 Easy to setup

This soundbar has a full on-screen menu via HDMI. With the included Intellibeam microphone, the setup is a breeze: just follow the walk-through instructions, mount the microphone and the soundbar will do the rest.
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Pro
 Wireless support

The YSP-5600 supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so you can stream music wirelessly. Wi-FI can also be used for a multi-room setup.
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Con
 Needs an external subwoofer to reach full potential

Since the soundbar itself lacks decent bass, you will also need to connect it to an external subwoofer to get its full impact.
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Con
 Surround is not as good as with a system with actual rear speakers

Even though this soundbar does fairly well at emulating surround sound, it still falls behind proper surround systems with actual rear speakers.
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Con
 It's not slide-proof

There are no rubber stoppers under the soundbar, so you have to take caution to keep it from sliding along the surface it's placed on.
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