You spend real money on a television. The picture is stunning. Then someone speaks and you cannot make out a word without turning the subtitles on.
This is not a fault, and it is not because you bought the wrong TV.
The reason is physics, not cost
Speakers need air to move, and moving air needs space.
Modern TVs are extraordinarily thin, which is the whole point of them aesthetically. That leaves almost no internal volume for a speaker enclosure. The speakers themselves are small, and they are usually firing downward or backward rather than at you, because there is nowhere on the front to put them.
So the sound leaves the TV, bounces off the wall or the cabinet, and arrives at you late and distorted.
A more expensive TV has a better panel, better processing and a better picture. It still has the same physical constraint on the speakers. Some premium models do noticeably better, but none of them escape the basic problem.
Why dialogue is the first thing to suffer
Small speakers reproduce mid-range and bass poorly, and the human voice sits right in the range they handle worst.
Meanwhile, modern film and TV soundtracks are mixed for cinema systems where dialogue has its own dedicated centre channel. Play that mix through two small downward-firing speakers and the dialogue gets buried under everything else.
That is why the pattern is always the same: the explosions are too loud, the talking is too quiet, and you are on the remote constantly.
Option one: a soundbar
The single biggest improvement for the least complexity.
A soundbar gives you drivers that are larger, properly enclosed and pointed at you rather than at the floor. Most people are genuinely surprised at the difference, particularly for dialogue clarity.
It is one unit, one cable to the TV, and it sits under the screen. For a lot of homes this is the right answer and nothing more is needed.
The limitation is bass and spatial separation. A soundbar cannot produce the low end a dedicated subwoofer does, and virtual surround effects vary from convincing to unnoticeable depending on the room.
Option two: soundbar plus subwoofer
Adding a subwoofer fills in the low end that no slim bar can produce on its own.
The difference is not just about explosions being louder. Taking the low frequencies off the main speakers lets them concentrate on the mid-range, which makes dialogue clearer too. It is a bigger improvement than most people expect from something described as a bass speaker.
For a lot of households this is the sweet spot: noticeably better than a bar alone, without the complexity of a full system.
Option three: proper surround sound
Separate speakers positioned around the room, including a dedicated centre channel for dialogue and a receiver driving everything.
This is the setup those soundtracks were actually mixed for, and there is a clear step up in quality and immersion. Dialogue sits properly in the centre. Effects move around the room genuinely rather than being simulated.
It is also more involved. It means speaker positions, cable runs and a receiver, and it is best planned as part of a room rather than added piece by piece. In-ceiling speakers are worth considering here for rooms where floor-standing speakers are not practical.
The room matters more than people expect
Hard floors, large windows and minimal soft furnishing make a room reflective, which makes speech harder to follow regardless of what you spend on speakers.
This is why the same soundbar can be transformative in one room and merely fine in another. Rugs, curtains and soft furnishings genuinely help, and where speakers are positioned matters as much as which speakers they are.
How to decide
Be honest about how you actually use the room.
If it is mostly news, sport and streaming in the evening, a soundbar is likely all you need, and a subwoofer if you want more. If you watch films properly and the room is used for that, a full system is worth the extra work.
There is no need to buy the whole thing at once. The important part is planning the cable routes and speaker positions upfront, so you are not opening walls twice.
We source equipment to suit the room and how you use it rather than pushing a particular setup. See surround sound installation and home theatre installation.
Written by Yariv, Owner and Lead Installer at AVsion. 14 years installing AV, WiFi and security systems across Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my expensive TV sound so bad?
It is physics rather than price. Speakers need internal volume to move air properly, and modern TVs are too thin to provide it. The speakers are small and usually fire downward or backward rather than at you, so the sound bounces off the cabinet or wall before it arrives. A more expensive TV has a better panel and processing, but it faces the same physical constraint on sound.
Why can’t I hear dialogue on my TV?
Small speakers handle the mid-range poorly, and the human voice sits right in that range. Modern soundtracks are also mixed for cinema systems where dialogue gets its own dedicated centre channel, so playing that mix through two small TV speakers buries speech under everything else. That is why effects sound too loud while dialogue sounds too quiet.
Is a soundbar enough or do I need surround sound?
A soundbar is the biggest improvement for the least complexity and is genuinely enough for many homes, particularly for news, sport and evening streaming. Adding a subwoofer improves it further and helps dialogue clarity as well as bass. Full surround sound is worth it if you watch films properly and the room is used for that, since it is what those soundtracks were mixed for.
Does a subwoofer improve dialogue?
Indirectly, yes. Taking low frequencies off the main speakers lets them concentrate on the mid-range where the human voice sits, which makes speech noticeably clearer. People often expect a subwoofer to only affect explosions and bass, but the improvement in overall clarity is usually the more noticeable change day to day.
Does the room affect how good my sound system is?
Considerably. Hard floors, large windows and minimal soft furnishing make a room reflective, which makes speech harder to follow no matter what you spend on speakers. The same soundbar can sound transformative in one room and merely acceptable in another. Rugs, curtains and soft furnishings help genuinely, and speaker positioning matters as much as speaker choice.
Can I upgrade my sound system in stages?
Yes, and many people do. The important part is planning the cable routes and speaker positions upfront so you are not opening walls twice. Starting with a soundbar, adding a subwoofer later, and moving to a full system after that is a reasonable path, provided the cabling was considered at the beginning rather than retrofitted each time.
