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Can You Recommend a Soundbar with a Hardwired Subwoofer Output?

Al Griffin  |  Oct 11, 2018

Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I’ve got a decent Velodyne subwoofer that I’d like to connect to a powered soundbar. Most soundbar manufacturers now use wireless subwoofer connections, however, so I’m struggling to find one that’s capable of connecting with my sub. Could you recommend a mid-level or a high-end soundbar that features a hardwired subwoofer output? —Jim O’Hara, via email

A I It’s good that you’re in the market for a mid-level or high-end soundbar, because it’s mostly the entry-level models that lack a hardwired subwoofer output. Three powered soundbars meeting your requirements that we can recommend include the Focal Dimension ($500, available on amazon for $399), Zvox SoundBar SB700 ($700), and Bluesound Pulse ($999).

Yet another option would be to use a passive three- or five-channel soundbar connected to an AV receiver. With that configuration, you could use the AVR’s subwoofer output, which would also provide the benefit of flexible setup options when it comes to subwoofer crossover point and distance compensation adjustments.

COMMENTS
henrywh's picture
Submitted by henrywh on October 12, 2018 - 12:18pm

Yamaha YSP 5600 allows this and works well.

Rackster74's picture
Submitted by Rackster74 on March 22, 2021 - 1:14pm

The one I found and purchased is the iLive 296b. 90 bucks. Is it audiophile quality? No. But it's better than the speakers in your TV, and it has a dedicated sub-woofer jack. It does a really good job of delivering theater level sound and it even has an optical in.

https://iliveelectronics.com/speakers/soundbars/37-hd-sound-bar-itb296b....

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