A lot of people have asked for it, and after months of work, we are finally testing soundbars. More info here.
Updated Sep 30, 2019
Stereo Soundstage
What it is:
Soundstage is the perceived size and width of the sound created by the soundbar. This score is given subjectively and the evaluation is performed by a team of three testers. A soundstage that is too small, diffuse, unnatural, or exaggerated will be penalized.
When it matters:
When you want to feel immersed in a large, wide and natural soundstage with good instrument separation. Having a good soundstage is critical for music, movies, and video games, but not for speech/dialog like watching the news.
Score components:
Subjectively assigned
Score distribution
Score distribution:
[Coming Soon]
Test results
Our tests
Crosstalk Error
What it is:
The average deviation of the soundbar's crosstalk from the target crosstalk. This measurement is performed with a dummy head and can be considered to be partially responsible for the perceived instrument separation and width of the soundstage. A low amount of crosstalk error tends to represent a wide soundstage with good instrument separation. This value isn't scored.
When it matters:
If you want your soundbar to have a naturally wide and speaker-like soundstage, crosstalk is an important metric to consider.
Score distribution
Score distribution:
[Coming Soon]
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