12 Apr Soundbar vs. Stereo Setup: Which Sounds Better for 500 Euro?

Posted at 14:14h in Gear-Tech, Review, Review, Scene & Culture, Scene & Culture by Sonja Höslmeier

▶ 5:13 Reading Time

You want better sound in your living room. Not the tinny tone from the TV speakers. Something that reproduces music and movie soundtracks so you can feel it. Then you’re faced with the question everyone asks: soundbar or real stereo setup? The answer doesn’t depend on what sounds better. It depends on how you live.

DROP

▸ Soundbar: One device, one cable, instant improvement. But physically limited
▸ Stereo: Two separate speakers create real spatiality. Requires more space
▸ Sonos Beam Gen 2 (from 344 Euro): Compact soundbar with Dolby Atmos and multiroom
▸ Edifier R1855DB (from 155 Euro): Active stereo speakers with Bluetooth and optical input
▸ For 500 Euro, you get more sound per Euro with stereo than with any soundbar

Why Soundbars Exist

Flat-screen TVs have a problem. They’re thin. Thin means: no room for decent speakers. Most TVs sound like someone’s playing music through a tin can. Little bass, nasal midrange, voices that sound like they’re coming from next door. Soundbars solve this problem with minimal effort. One device, one HDMI cable, three minutes setup. The sound improves immediately.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 (from 344 Euro) is what most people mean when they say “good soundbar”. 65 centimeters wide, fits under any TV. Dolby Atmos via software upmixing instead of upward-firing drivers. HDMI eARC for lossless audio transmission. Multiroom-capable with other Sonos products. For movies, series, and background music, the Beam works great. The voices are clear, the dialogue finally understandable, the bass is sufficient for most living rooms.

The problem: A soundbar is a single device. All drivers are in one enclosure, max 65 centimeters wide. Stereo effects are simulated, not physically created. When listening to music, you can hear that. The stage is flat. Instruments don’t appear in the room, they come from one direction. For Spotify in the background, that’s enough. Not for conscious music listening.

What makes a stereo setup better

Two speakers, placed at a distance, create a real stereo stage. When you form an equilateral triangle with your head and the two speakers at the corners, something happens that no soundbar can reproduce: a phantom center. Instruments appear between the speakers, in front of the speakers, behind the speakers. The room becomes part of the music. This isn’t esoteric; it’s physics. Two separate sound sources with distance create time differences that your brain interprets as space.

344€

Sonos Beam Gen 2 (Soundbar)

155€

Edifier R1855DB (Stereo Pair)

65 cm

Maximum stereo width of the Beam

The Edifier R1855DB (from 155 Euro per pair) are active bookshelf speakers with a built-in amplifier. Bluetooth, optical input, RCA. You connect them to your TV via Toslink and get stereo sound for movies. You stream via Bluetooth and get HiFi music. 4-inch drivers, 70 watts RMS. More than enough for a 20 square meter living room.

The sound difference compared to the Sonos Beam is surprisingly large. Not because the Edifier has better drivers – that’s questionable given the price difference. But because two separate speakers with a meter of distance physically create more space than a 65-centimeter wide enclosure. The Beam simulates surround sound. The Edifier creates real stereo. Both have their place, but the difference is real.

A soundbar improves your TV. A stereo setup improves the way you listen to music. The question isn’t what sounds better. The question is what you need more often.

When the soundbar wins

If you mainly watch movies and series and music is just background noise. If your living room doesn’t have space for two separate speakers. If you want a clean setup: one device under the TV, no visible cables. If you want multi-room and already own Sonos products. The Beam Gen 2 can be used as a center speaker in a surround setup. No stereo pair can do that.

The Beam is also better for dialogue clarity. Its software processing boosts voices and reduces background noise. That’s worth its weight in gold for movies. Active stereo speakers simply reproduce what they receive. Without enhancement.

When stereo wins

If you actively listen to music and don’t just let it run in the background. If you play vinyl or want to connect a DAC. If you want the best possible sound per Euro. For 155 Euro, you get a stereo setup with the Edifier R1855DB that sonically competes with soundbars in the 300-Euro class. For 500 Euro, you get active speakers like the Edifier S1000MKII, which sound in a different league than any soundbar under 1,000 Euro.

Stereo is also a more honest reproduction. No upmixing, no virtual surround. What you hear is the signal. If the recording is good, it sounds fantastic. If it’s bad, it sounds bad. A soundbar smooths that out. Stereo speakers don’t.

Soundbar when

Movies and series take priority over music
You want a clean setup without visible cables
You already use Sonos or another multi-room system

Stereo when

Music is the primary application
You have space for two speakers at a distance
You want more sound per Euro and aren’t bothered by cables

♫ Room Test – Tracks that showcase stereo width

Songs with space, dynamics, and stereo details. Perfect for comparison.

Sade – Smooth Operator (2011 Remaster) Saxophone left, vocals center, percussion right. Stereo reference
Leon Bridges – Coming Home Vintage soul with space. In stereo, the reverb sounds three-dimensional
Steely Dan – Aja Audiophile reference. The drum solo shows where your setup stands
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams (2004 Remaster) The guitar floats between the speakers. Over a soundbar: flat

Q&A After the Show

Click on a question to expand the answer.

Can I use a soundbar as stereo speakers for music?

Technically, yes. You can stream music to the Sonos Beam via Bluetooth or AirPlay. However, a soundbar is always limited in terms of sound quality: the drivers are too close together to create a genuine stereo stage. It’s sufficient for background music, but for conscious listening, it lacks the spatiality that only two separate speakers can provide.

Do I need a subwoofer for a stereo setup?

Not necessarily. The Edifier R1855DB has 4-inch drivers that deliver enough bass for a typical living room. If you want deep sub-bass (movie explosions, electronic music with sub-frequencies below 50 Hz), a subwoofer can help. But start without one and decide after a few weeks if you’re missing something. Many people find that they’re not missing anything.

Can I connect stereo speakers to my TV?

Yes, via the optical output (Toslink) on your TV. Most active speakers in the 150 Euro and above class have an optical input. Alternatively, use the headphone jack on your TV with an adapter to RCA. The connection is straightforward. The only downside: you’ll need both the TV remote and the speaker remote to control the volume. With a soundbar using HDMI CEC, one remote controls both.

Is there a solution that can do both?

Yes: a pair of active stereo speakers with Bluetooth and optical input. Then you can use the optical input for TV (movie sound) and Bluetooth for music streaming. The Edifier R1855DB can do exactly that. You get stereo for music and better TV sound than the built-in speakers. No surround sound, but honest stereo sound with real spatiality. For most living rooms, this is the best compromise between comfort, sound quality, and budget. And if you want to upgrade later, you can sell the speakers and move to something bigger.

Sonja Hoeslmeier

Editorial Team IBS Publishing