How To Make a Soundbar Louder (Guide)
Getting more out of your audio equipment isn’t as hard as you might think. All it takes are a few tricks, and you can make your soundbar sound louder like the best units on the market, regardless of what you spent on it.
How To Make a Soundbar Louder
Here are some easy ways to make a soundbar louder:
- Check the external volume settings.
- Have plenty of channels.
- Change to another connection type.
- Enhance the acoustic value of your room.
- Invest in additional equipment.
- Try a different brand.
In this article, we will look in-depth at the above tips. By the end, you will know how to make a soundbar louder and wring out every bit of audio goodness from your audio system.
Also read: Soundbar Above or Below TV? Which Option is Ideal?
1. Check the External Volume Settings
Not every one of your volume settings rests in your soundbar alone. In fact, the onus of the sound quality passes through the external equipment that they are hooked up to.
Suppose you have your soundbar connected to a television set, gaming console, computer, Bluray, DVD player, media streamer, or even a smartphone. In that case, you have separate audio settings that could be impacting the sound quality.
Make sure that everything has been adjusted to your preferred levels. That means the overall volume, but also the balancing in the more advanced settings. The bass and treble could be reducing the sound.
So could any auto-adjustments that try to balance the sound for you. Often these automatic adjustments will turn down the volume to give a more consistent sound.
It is worth tinkering to find what sounds best to your ear. You may have to sacrifice a bit of the desired heaviness of the audio output to get more range in sound.
2. Have Plenty of Channels
You may have noticed that cheaper soundbars don’t always have much volume. That isn’t because of the quality of the soundbar itself, but the number of channels that come with it.
The more channels you have available, the more frequencies will be used for streaming media. You will get a more robust and stable push of that sound with a higher number.
When choosing a soundbar, make sure you read up on the technical specifications. A surround sound compatible soundbar will be listed as a 5.1 usually. This means it allows for five channels of primary audio, with one subwoofer channel.
It will provide you with louder, clearer sound that conducts audio through each channel rather than overloading a fewer number and relying on it to translate all signals in a combined stream.
3. Change to Another Connection Type
You have different options when it comes to connection ports during the initial setup. You might choose HDMI or optical, for example. No connection is automatically better or worse than the other. It has more to do with your soundbar, as well as what you are connecting it to.
Another way it could be affecting your volume is a loose connection. If you find that you are selecting the suitable connector, but it sounds muffled, or you are experiencing interference, you could have an unsecured cable.
Go through the cables and verify that they are nice and tight. If something seems off, like a cable won’t stay fitted without movement, the cord may need to be replaced. Any time it isn’t maintaining that position, it won’t hold a strong signal from the soundbar to the equipment it is streaming through.
4. Enhance the Acoustic Value of Your Room
The space your soundbar is in might not be optimized for sound. From the placement of speakers to the shape of the room itself, your environment is essential in conducting sound.
Even something as simple as where your furniture sits in the room can be interrupting the flow of sound waves. You would be amazed at how much this might be reducing the quality of your output.
Close your windows if they are open. Add weather stripping to windows and doors to stop sound escaping from any gaps. Shift furniture so that it doesn’t sit between your soundbar and the other side of the room. Angle speakers at a 90-degree angle to optimize clarity and reach.
Think of it as musical Fengshui.
5. Invest in Additional Equipment
You don’t have to buy fancy stereo equipment to get your soundbar to be louder. But it doesn’t hurt to add a bit more oomph to your sound system. Getting a few more speakers can make a huge difference, giving a medium for more power to stream audio through the room.
Think of your soundbar as the central focus of your entertainment system’s audio setup. It does most of the work, but every general needs his soldiers. Add in a couple of speakers, and you will increase the volume, range, and direction of all sound running through your space.
6. Get a Different Sound Bar
If all else fails, it might be time to admit defeat. Not all soundbars are built equal, and the one you have could be a dud. But don’t fret! Think of it as an opportunity for an upgrade, starting from scratch so you can find the perfect piece of equipment for you.
Remember some of the advice above. You want a soundbar with plenty of channels compatible with anything you could potentially connect it to, and that uses your preferred connection type.
Make sure you check reviews for people mentioning the volume and range on the unit before you commit.
How To Make a Soundbar Louder
To make a soundbar louder, you’ll need to check the external volume settings and adjust them accordingly. If your soundbar doesn’t project audio the way you want it to, you’ll have to ensure there are more channels setup, and you may need to tweak the acoustics in your room.
If the final result isn’t to your liking, consider investing in additional equipment or a different soundbar.
Final Thoughts
If your soundbar isn’t giving you the volume you hoped for, there are ways to work around it. Sometimes it is a simple matter of messing with the settings on any connected device. Or your living room could use a bit of redecorating. You might even need a unit that is more suited to your needs.
Whatever the case, a little troubleshooting will have you enjoying your audio streaming at the perfect level in no time.
