Is money tight right now, but you’re constantly on our site and the web in general, reading about new home theater gear? I know what it’s like to have a piece of gear for a moment, but you’re reading about all these other things and hungering for something new and different. I get it! But today isn’t the day that your budget will allow you to pick up some new kit, and that’s okay because I’m going to give you some tips for “upgrading your soundbar for free.”

How does one “upgrade for free?” Most people aren’t maxing out the gear they already have due to a variety of reasons. Maybe that soundbar is poorly placed, diminishing its sonic efficacy. Maybe there’s a setting in your soundbar’s companion app that you didn’t fully understand, and so you left it alone and didn’t realize you were leaving performance on the table.

Whatever the case, we’re going to walk through a few to help you feel like you’ve got something brand new in your home theater setup!

Start here!

Update to upgrade

Had your setup for a while? When’s the last time you checked the companion app to see if there’s a software update for the app or a firmware update for the soundbar available through the app? If your particular soundbar doesn’t have an app, there may be firmware updates available on your manufacturer’s website that you can download to a flash drive, plug into your soundbar’s USB-A port, and install that way.

Updating the companion app or the hardware’s firmware may add new features that improve audio clarity, or, if your system is wireless, an update could even make your connection more stable. If you listen to music through that soundbar, an upgrade may even add the ability to EQ your sound, shaping it to better suit your personal preference. Whatever the case, an update could bring fresh features and improved sound to your living room, et voila! Your free upgrade.

Clean up your act

Dust and pet hair are not your friends

This might raise your anxiety a bit just thinking about it, but both Roku and Sonos recommend cleaning their soundbars with a vacuum cleaner. Yes, a vacuum cleaner. There’s more to it, though. What you want to do is unplug your soundbar completely so that no power is going to it. Then pull out your vacuum cleaner’s hose attachment and, if you have one, a non-moving soft brush attachment. There are some caveats with this step, so beware! Don’t use hard bristles or high-suction nozzles because they can damage the fabric that’s covering your soundbar’s drivers. The keyword here is “gentle” because, even with that soft-bristled brush, you want to be thoughtful about how you’re doing things. They recommend moving the brush in one direction.

If you’re concerned about the strength of the suction of your hose attachment, hold it a bit away from the speaker fabric. Why do this? Over time, accumulated dust can do things like hinder airflow and negatively affect the treble.

Check the sound output

Revisit your TV or streaming box/stick’s audio settings

When you connected your soundbar to your TV or streaming box/stick, you likely had to play with that unit’s audio settings. Did you really know what you were doing? Did you see menu options that said volume leveling or dynamic range compression (DRC)? Maybe you saw a menu option for volume normalizer or automatic volume? All of these reduce the dynamic range of your audio, so what comes out of your soundbar is compressed and less vibrant or crisp than it could be. That compression can even affect the output of your other speakers, like that subwoofer decreasing bass extension and making explosions, well, less explosive.

The bottom line is this: disable all audio effects on your TV or streamer, and instead use the soundbar’s app to choose which effects you want to enable. Still, steer clear of any soundbar options that “normalize” or “compress” volume.

Next, be sure that your TV or streamer’s audio output is set to the right standard for your use. That may be PCM, Bitstream, or Dolby Atmos, maybe even Automatic — whatever your manufacturer calls their version of audio pass-through. The streaming apps you’re using will pass audio through the TV/streamer to your soundbar. What’s the difference between those formats? PCM, or Pulse Code Modulation, supports stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 audio if your HDMI connection’s bandwidth allows for it. PCM does not support DTS:X or Dolby Atmos. With PCM, your TV or streamer decodes the audio and sends it to your soundbar as digital audio.

Setting your TV/streamer to Bitstream gets you support for various Dolby formats, including Atmos and TrueHD, as well as DTS:X and DTS-HD. The issue with PCM is it doesn’t support Atmos’ height channels, where Bitstream does. Additionally, when Bitstream is enabled on your TV, it passes the compressed audio data to your soundbar, which then decodes it.

It should be noted that if you’re using a gaming console, it often generates PCM natively, so when gaming, that may be the move!

Let’s get physical

Let me hear your soundbar talk

So, it’s been a while since you bought that soundbar, and maybe you’ve changed your furniture around, or bought a new entertainment center, or table? Let’s take a look at the physical placement of your soundbar. Is it ideally at ear level? That said, check your manufacturer’s website and see if you can find an “exploded diagram” because the drivers on the front of your soundbar may actually be slightly angled upward. Many people’s TV tables, like the one pictured above, sit well below ear level when you’re seated, so if your soundbar has angled drivers, that may already solve that particular problem.

If not, and if you don’t have an Atmos soundbar with upfiring drivers, I’d consider placing risers under the front edge of your soundbar to slightly angle them upward. Less is more with this “hack.” You don’t want that soundbar angled too high up.

If your TV sits a bit high and your stand allows for it, it may seem like a good idea, but your soundbar should not be under the TV. Especially if your soundbar supports Dolby Atmos with upfiring speakers and not virtualization.

Have you implemented any of these changes? How did that affect your soundbar’s sound quality? We’d love to know so holler at us in the comments below!

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