Why There’s Simply No Need To Match Your Soundbar Brand To Your Smart TV

Modern TVs don’t have the best audio compared to older models, partly because manufacturers keep optimizing them to be thinner than ever, making it hard to pack in meaningful speakers. Even if you get the best television from one of the major smart TV brands, you’ll certainly need to pair it with an external sound system for the best audio. Soundbars are the most sensible option for most people due to their compact size, affordable price, and easy setup process relative to home theater systems. 

Various TV manufacturers, such as Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL, make and sell soundbars that you can pair with one of their sets for better sound quality. But does your soundbar need to be the same brand as your smart TV? Absolutely not. This is because any soundbar can work with just about any TV as long as it can connect to it. And, fortunately, you can connect a soundbar to a TV in various ways, including wirelessly via Bluetooth or through wired connection options like optical, HDMI eARC/ARC, coaxial, or the 3.5 mm headphone jack. 

Whether you have a recent TV or an old one, you should be able to hook up a soundbar from any brand using one of the aforementioned options, and it’ll work just fine because these connection methods aren’t tied to a specific manufacturer’s products. Another reason you don’t need to match the two is that audio formats like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, DTS:X, and others aren’t restricted to pairing TV and soundbar brands. That means you can freely buy any of the best audiophile soundbars without worrying about incompatibility. 

Although you don’t have to buy your soundbar and TV from the same brand, there are certain benefits you may enjoy if you do. For example, some brands typically provide proprietary wireless connections between their soundbars and TVs, such as Samsung’s Q-Symphony, LG’s WOW Orchestra, and Hisense’s Hi Concerto. These proprietary connection options not only streamline the setup process but also promise to offer improved sound quality. Some of these proprietary connectivity options use Wi-Fi, which offers higher bandwidth than Bluetooth and can deliver higher quality audio wirelessly. 

Take LG’s WOW Orchestra feature, for example. The company claims it can deliver up to 7.1.2 multi-channel audio wirelessly. Additionally, it uses the TV’s built-in speakers as well as those in the soundbar to expand the soundstage. This is unlike a typical connection, where your TV’s built-in speakers are turned off when you connect it to a soundbar. Pairing your soundbar and TV brands can also add convenience features, such as integrated controls. For instance, using LG’s WOW Orchestra feature, you can access a compatible soundbar’s menu directly on your TV set. 

That’s a much better experience than taking out your phone to use the soundbar’s companion app or fiddling with the tiny display that some models offer. However, the main catch with these exclusive features is that they are only available on select TVs and soundbars, so simply buying any model from one brand won’t guarantee that you get them. Another perk of matching your TV and soundbar brand is that you stand a chance to save some cash on your purchase because companies offer bundles from time to time to convince users to get both devices from them.