What Is Passive Soundbar?

Last updated Feb 15, 2021

Soundbars are a perfect way to enhance the sound system in your home theater without taking up the space of a complete surround sound system with multi-speakers. Several choices need to be considered, even with all of the components being placed into one device. E.g., three channel passive soundbars, five, seven, or even higher channel counts come with soundbars. Others are curved to fit curved TVs, while others are specifically designed to be attached to the wall. Although both of these choices are difficult to make, the choice between a passive soundbar and an active soundbar can be difficult to appreciate without deeper clarification fully.

What’s A Passive Soundbar, Then?

Passive soundbars do not have a built-in amplifier, which means they need to operate correctly with external amplifiers or receivers. This can be compared directly to active soundbars, which have built-in capabilities and amplifiers for surround sound.

Passive soundbars have a link for each channel that needs to be linked to your receiver or amplifier option. Passive soundbars are often generally more costly. You’d think they’d be cheaper because they have fewer pieces, so they’re generally more expensive, but they’re much higher in quality.

Soundbar, What Is It?

The lack of bass is also one of the worst aspects of the speakers on your TV; when you turn up the volume, it continues to grow increasingly ear-piercing. Soundbars can provide a smoother, richer sound while retaining crisp audio that you can understand perfectly.

Soundbars are single external speakers connected through Bluetooth or wires to your TV and usually sit right in front of or below your TV. They can also literally be as long as your television, which often makes them aesthetically appealing. Several distinct speaker drivers in the soundbar go the speaker’s entire length, which provides some surround sound experience. Many soundbars come fitted with external speakers for a full surround sound set up around the room. Having a passive soundbar over an active one has many advantages, but the option will depend on your setup. It would help if you considered whether you already have a receiver or not and your price range. Luckily, it would help if you narrowed your soundbar quest after learning more about these choices. It can also allow you to understand better the inner workings of any soundbar you end up picking.

The Passive Soundbars Basics

Like most soundbars, passive soundbars come with speakers that depend on the number of channels they serve. Passives that can produce stereo sound can be found, but those with left, middle, and right channels are the most common.

You can create a surround sound experience using more speakers if you opt for the higher-end versions. You can also attach speakers outside the configuration of your soundbar, which gives you more versatility.

That’s what a passive soundbar is; it’s not so much different from the other options we have for speakers. So let’s go over the pros and cons of using one for your sound system to help you weigh in on whether you should choose a passive soundbar.

Pros Of Passive Soundbars

It’s simple to get out of your budget and choose the one that has the most functionality when setting up a home theater device. The pros of using passive speakers make it less likely that high-end soundbars would be needed. Here are some of the benefits of using passives for your media room that you can offer. For more information on soundbars check out The Consumers Knowledge.

Efficiency Of Sound

Passive soundbars will give you the best raw sound quality for their price in almost every situation. If sound quality is a significant determining factor for you, then select a high-end soundbar, by all means. Your sound will sound cleaner and crisper, much better than your other choices!

However, it would not be easy to place a price on sound quality. Often, the difference in production is scarcely visible because the price difference can not be justified. If you have a small media space, it will be more than enough for an entry-level passive soundbar to give you heart-pounding audio.

Versatility

One of the main reasons why you’d want to go for passive soundbars is versatility. You should attach outside speakers to the soundbar because they need amplifiers or receivers to operate, making it possible to create more complex sounds for your media space.

You can change each speaker individually to provide more depth, as long as your soundbar has enough channels to accommodate multiple speakers. A dedicated amplifier allows you the freedom to substitute as you wish for the left, middle, and right speakers, making way for a richer, crisper, and clearer sound effect. You’re never stuck with the speakers that come with your sound system if you’re going to use a passive soundbar. Whenever you feel like your speakers are not giving you enough control, you can mix and match the speakers you use or even upgrade them.

Cons Of Passive Soundbars

If you think passive soundbars are such a good thing, and they’re the best choice you’ve got… think again! Many people still tend to stay away from passives because it is still subject to three deal-breakers despite its impressive consistency, versatility, and output: difficulty, installation, and price.

Installation

For several individuals, installation is another big challenge, and it goes beyond the difficulty of finding an amplifier that brings out the best in your soundbar. If you’re going to choose passives for your sound system, don’t expect a plug-and-play approach to be available. It will require a lot of preparation and execution for the wiring connection of the amplifier or receiver, soundbar, and speakers. So, you’re better off using other speakers if you’re looking for a system that you can complete with a few easy connections. After all, rather than going through the trial and error stage of installing your soundbar, it’s easier to get high-end sound systems that are true plug-and-play.

Price

Passive soundbars are more expensive than active soundbars, considering that passives have one more minor part, amplifiers, which can seem counterintuitive.

Passives usually sound much better than active ones since they concentrate on sound output rather than control. If you want your media room to have the best sound system, then a passive soundbar will give you the best performance. But for casual users only looking to update their default speakers, it might be a bit of a stretch to use it. There are good soundbars with reasonable price tag available on the market. Do check out yamaha passive soundbars and klipsch passive soundbars when you’re out looking for one.

It’s also worth noting that it can still be challenging to find a cheap full-featured passive soundbar, considering the broad range of choices you have.