Soundbar at Best Buy: Channels, HDMI eARC and Room Size

Soundbar at Best Buy searches usually start with a brand and end in confusion over channel numbers. The specifications that matter are simpler than the marketing: how many channels, whether your TV has HDMI eARC, and how big the room is.

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By Daniel Foster

Specifications come from manufacturer documentation and long-term owner feedback rather than lab testing. Retailer stock and in-store pricing change constantly and are not quoted here; compare current figures wherever you buy.

Channels, Connections and Room Size Decide Everything

Every soundbar at Best Buy or in an online listing is described with a number like 2.1 or 5.1.2. Understanding that notation, plus one connector on the back of your TV, answers most of the question.

Channel Count, Power and Whether a Sub Is Included

The notation on every soundbar at Best Buy or in an online listing reads left to right: main channels, subwoofer, then upward-firing height channels. A 2.0 bar is stereo with no sub; 2.1 adds a subwoofer; 3.1 adds a dedicated centre channel for dialogue; 5.1.2 adds surrounds and two height drivers for Atmos.

The centre channel is the upgrade most people actually notice, because it separates speech from effects. Height channels need a reasonably flat ceiling to reflect from, so in a room with a sloped or vaulted ceiling they contribute far less than the specification implies.

HDMI eARC, Optical and What Your TV Supports

HDMI eARC carries lossless and object-based audio formats from the TV to the bar over one cable and passes volume control through the TV remote. Older HDMI ARC ports work but limit the formats available; optical cannot carry Atmos at all.

Check the ports on your TV before choosing a bar, because buying an Atmos soundbar to connect over optical wastes the feature entirely. Note which HDMI port is labelled ARC or eARC, since only one usually is.

Bar Width, TV Stand Space and Where the Sub Goes

Physical fit rules out more models than sound quality does. Soundbars run roughly 24 to 48 in (61 to 122 cm) wide. A bar wider than the TV looks wrong, and a bar tall enough to block the bottom of the screen or the TV’s infrared receiver is a daily irritation. Most bars sit 2.5 to 4 in (6 to 10 cm) tall.

Measure the shelf width, the depth of the surface and the gap between the TV base and the shelf before ordering. Wireless subwoofers still need mains power, so identify a socket within a few feet of a corner position, ideally away from the seating.

Room Size and How Much Bar You Need

A small room of 150 sq ft (14 m2) is well served by a compact 2.0 or 2.1 bar, and a larger sub will simply overwhelm it. A living room of 300 sq ft (28 m2) or more justifies a separate subwoofer and a centre channel.

Seating distance matters as much as floor area, and it is the figure most people never measure. Beyond about 10 ft (3 m) from the screen, a bar without a dedicated centre channel starts to lose dialogue clarity, which is the most common complaint from people who bought the smallest model available.

Six Soundbars Across the Channel Range

These run from a compact stereo bar to a full Atmos system, so the comparison covers the formats any soundbar at Best Buy or an online listing will offer. Each entry lists a genuine drawback.

Roku Streambar: Small Room, Smart TV Included

A compact 2.0 bar barely 14 in (36 cm) wide with a full Roku streaming platform built in, which makes it a genuine two-in-one for a bedroom or a small flat. It improves dramatically on built-in TV speakers for very little money.

There is no subwoofer and no centre channel, so action films lack weight and dialogue clarity is only adequate. It connects over HDMI ARC rather than eARC, so the highest-quality formats are out of reach.

Vizio V-Series 2.1: Bass at the Budget End

A 2.1 system with a wireless subwoofer included, which is the specification that transforms film watching more than any other single upgrade at this price. Setup is straightforward over HDMI ARC or optical.

The bar itself is unremarkable for music and the sub is boomy rather than precise, with limited adjustment. Build quality reflects the price, and the remote is small and easy to lose in a sofa.

Yamaha SR-B40A: Speech Clarity First

A 2.1 bar with a wireless sub and a clear voice mode that genuinely helps with mumbled dialogue, which is the complaint that sends most people shopping for a soundbar in the first place. It supports Atmos decoding through virtual processing.

Virtual height effects are modest compared with real upward-firing drivers, so treat the Atmos badge as a bonus rather than the reason to buy. The bar is also long, so measure your shelf width carefully.

Samsung HW-B650: A Real Centre Channel

A 3.1 system with a dedicated centre channel and a wireless subwoofer, which is the sensible step up for a mid-size living room. Samsung TVs add convenient pairing features, though the bar works with any brand over HDMI.

There are no height channels, so Atmos content is downmixed. The subwoofer is large and needs a corner with a socket, which is not always available in a room already crowded with furniture.

Sony HT-S2000: Atmos in One Box

A 3.1 channel bar with built-in subwoofers and Atmos processing, designed for rooms where a separate sub is impractical. Dialogue clarity is strong and the single-box format avoids the placement problem entirely.

Bass depth cannot match a bar with a dedicated external sub, and adding one later means buying into Sony’s optional wireless units. In a large room it runs out of headroom sooner than a system with a separate subwoofer.

Sonos Beam Gen 2: Compact Atmos and a Wider System

A short bar with Atmos processing, eARC support and the ability to add a subwoofer and rear speakers later, all wirelessly. For someone building a multi-room audio setup over time, that upgrade path is the reason to choose it.

It is expensive for its size, the height effect is virtual rather than driver-based, and the system relies on an app and network connection for setup and updates. Expanding it is also costly, since every addition is a separate premium product.

Setup, Placement and Living With It

A soundbar at Best Buy prices or premium money sounds only as good as its placement. Three practical points determine whether the system feels like an upgrade or an expensive TV speaker.

Placement and Reflections

Placement is free and changes more than a tier upgrade. A bar should sit directly under the screen at roughly ear height when seated, with nothing in front of the drivers. Placing one inside a closed cabinet muffles it badly, and pushing it hard against a wall exaggerates bass unpredictably.

Height channels rely on reflecting sound off a flat ceiling. If your ceiling is vaulted, beamed or above about 12 ft (3.7 m), those channels contribute little and a 3.1 system is a better use of the money.

Firmware, Apps and Long-Term Support

Software is the part of a soundbar that ages fastest. Modern bars receive firmware updates that fix HDMI handshake problems, which are the most common source of complaints about dropped audio or no sound after switching inputs. Register the product and keep it updated.

Bars that depend on an app for setup are only as durable as that app’s support window. That is worth weighing if you expect to keep the system for a decade, since the speakers themselves will outlast the software.

Timing a Purchase

Whether you buy a soundbar at Best Buy or online, home audio follows the electronics discount calendar. The Amazon deal event in early October and the Black Friday to Cyber Monday window at the end of November are when this category gets the heaviest attention, partly because soundbars sell strongly as gifts.

Match the bar to your room rather than to a discount, since an oversized system in a small room mostly produces boomy bass. Prices move constantly, so verify at the moment of purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Three questions come up in nearly every message from readers comparing a soundbar at Best Buy with online listings.

Do I need Atmos?

Only if you have a flat ceiling, sit in the right position and watch content that carries it. In a normal living room a 3.1 system with a proper centre channel improves everyday viewing more than virtual height processing does.

Is HDMI better than optical?

Yes, in nearly every case. HDMI eARC carries higher-quality formats and passes volume control through the TV remote. Optical remains a reliable fallback for older televisions but caps what the bar can receive.

Can I add rear speakers later?

Some systems support matched wireless surrounds; most budget bars do not. If a full surround setup is the eventual plan, confirm the upgrade path before buying, because mixing brands is generally not possible.

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Final Thoughts on Choosing a Soundbar

Anyone comparing a soundbar at Best Buy with the same model online is looking at identical hardware, so decide on channel count, check your TV for an eARC port and measure the shelf before anything else. A centre channel does more for everyday viewing than a height channel.

Small rooms are well served by 2.0 or 2.1; mid-size living rooms justify 3.1 and a separate subwoofer. Whether you buy a soundbar at Best Buy or from an online listing, confirm the sub has a socket within reach and keep the firmware updated.