Before anything else, I should address the point that probably immediately popped into your head. Yes, external speakers will almost always sound better than internal ones. There are inherent space limitations to modern TVs that affect their acoustics, especially with anything light enough to mount on a wall. Even a 2.0-channel soundbar is likely to sound better, although you do need to shop carefully — a Sonos Ray is going to wipe the floor with a $50 model you picked up from Amazon or Walmart.
There are situations, however, in which it may make sense to stick with internal audio. You shouldn’t take it as de facto that you need a soundbar, or any other external speaker, no matter how hard anyone tries to upsell you. A TV is supposed to fit your life, not the other way around. And luckily, internal tech is far better today than what you grew up with.
Making the internal/external decision
The thought process you need to follow
Naturally, in many situations, your budget is going to dictate which way to go. I’m not just talking about college students or others with slim wallets, either. If you’re decking out a home gym, for example, it might be wiser to put money towards a nicer barbell rather than something that makes Rocky IV sound a little better. Similarly, it’s probably overkill to invest in a soundbar for a kitchen TV used to watch YouTube videos or the news.
An irony here is that it’s often the most expensive TVs that have the best internal speakers — the ironic part being that anyone that can afford these TVs is likely to buy external speakers anyway. Sony’s Bravia TVs offer a technology called Acoustic Surface Audio, which aligns sound directly with onscreen sources. In other cases, TV makers may partner with luxury audio brands like Bowers & Wilkins.
QuizHome theater systems
Trivia challenge
From surround sound to 4K projectors — how well do you really know your home cinema setup?
AudioDisplayFormatsHardwareHistory
What does the ‘1’ refer to in a 5.1 surround sound system?
Correct! The ‘.1’ in any surround sound configuration refers to a dedicated low-frequency effects (LFE) channel, which is typically handled by a subwoofer. This channel carries bass-heavy sounds like explosions and deep musical tones, adding physical impact to your listening experience.
Not quite. The ‘.1’ refers to the dedicated low-frequency effects (LFE) channel, handled by a subwoofer. The ‘5’ counts the full-range speakers — typically front left, front right, center, and two surrounds — while the subwoofer handles the deep bass on its own separate channel.
What is the native resolution of a Full HD (1080p) display?
Correct! Full HD, commonly known as 1080p, has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It became the standard for HDTVs in the mid-2000s and remains widely used today, even as 4K (3840 x 2160) becomes more mainstream in home theater setups.
Not quite. Full HD (1080p) has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. You might be thinking of 2K cinema (2048 x 1080), which is slightly wider, or 4K (3840 x 2160), which is four times the resolution of 1080p and increasingly common in modern home theater displays.
Which audio format was developed by Dolby Laboratories and introduced with Blu-ray as a lossless surround sound option?
Correct! Dolby TrueHD is a lossless audio codec introduced alongside the Blu-ray format, capable of carrying up to 14 discrete audio channels. It is the codec underlying Dolby Atmos on Blu-ray discs and delivers studio-master-quality sound to home theater enthusiasts.
Not quite. The answer is Dolby TrueHD, a lossless codec introduced with Blu-ray that can carry up to 14 channels of audio at full master-quality fidelity. Dolby Digital is an older lossy format from the DVD era, while Dolby Digital Plus is an enhanced but still lossy codec used for streaming services.
What is the primary function of an AV receiver in a home theater system?
Correct! An AV receiver is the hub of a home theater system, responsible for decoding audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, then amplifying those signals to power connected speakers. It also handles video switching, allowing multiple source devices to route through a single HDMI connection to your display.
Not quite. An AV receiver’s primary role is to decode multi-channel audio formats and amplify the signal to drive your speakers. While many modern receivers include video processing features like upscaling, their core purpose has always been audio decoding and amplification — making them essential for true surround sound setups.
In what decade was Dolby Surround — the first consumer surround sound format — introduced to home video?
Correct! Dolby Surround made its way into home video in the 1980s, first appearing on VHS and LaserDisc releases. It was a matrix-encoded format derived from Dolby Stereo used in cinemas, and it laid the groundwork for the more sophisticated discrete surround sound formats that followed in the 1990s.
Not quite. Dolby Surround arrived in homes during the 1980s, encoded into VHS tapes and LaserDiscs. While the technology had cinema roots in the 1970s, it wasn’t until the 1980s that consumer home video hardware began to support it, kicking off the era of home theater surround sound.
What does HDR stand for in the context of modern home theater displays?
Correct! HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and it refers to a display’s ability to reproduce a wider range of brightness levels — from deep blacks to very bright highlights — as well as a broader color gamut. Formats like HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG are all HDR standards used in home theater TVs and projectors.
Not quite. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It’s a display technology that dramatically expands the contrast ratio and color range of a picture, making bright highlights more dazzling and shadows more detailed. Common HDR standards you’ll see on home theater equipment include HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+.
Dolby Atmos introduced a fundamentally new concept to surround sound mixing. What was it?
Correct! Dolby Atmos revolutionized surround sound by introducing object-based audio. Instead of assigning sounds to fixed speaker channels, sound designers can place audio objects anywhere in a three-dimensional space, including overhead. The system then renders those objects dynamically based on whatever speaker configuration you have at home.
Not quite. Dolby Atmos introduced object-based audio, which was a major departure from traditional channel-based surround sound. Rather than mixing sounds into set channels like ‘left surround’ or ‘center’, mixers place audio objects in 3D space and the Atmos renderer figures out the best way to reproduce them through your specific speaker layout, including height channels.
Which physical disc format won the high-definition home video format war in 2008, defeating its main rival?
Correct! Blu-ray, backed by Sony and a broad coalition of studios and manufacturers, defeated HD DVD — championed primarily by Toshiba and Microsoft — in early 2008. The turning point came when Warner Bros. announced it would go Blu-ray exclusive, prompting several major retailers and studios to follow suit, effectively ending the format war.
Not quite. Blu-ray won the high-definition format war in 2008. The conflict between Blu-ray and HD DVD had raged for roughly two years, but Warner Bros.’ decision to go exclusively Blu-ray in January 2008 proved decisive. Toshiba officially discontinued HD DVD shortly after, leaving Blu-ray as the standard for high-definition physical media.
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For the sake of this article, let’s suppose that your budget is flexible, but not infinite. You want to save cash if you can. If so, your first consideration should be the level of immersion you’re looking for. If you want to build a proper home theater that makes movie night feel like an event, external audio is almost non-negotiable. No matter how costly the TV, internal speakers struggle to produce anything like the intense bass that lets you “feel” a movie. Part of the problem is that any TV is going to be held up by a stand or mounted on a wall, keeping it out of direct contact with room surfaces. This is why subwoofers are always floor units — they’re meant to vibrate their surroundings. Moreover, true surround sound is all but missing on current TVs. More on that point in a minute.
Conversely, if a TV is only going to be used for casual viewing, internal speakers tend to be more than powerful enough in 2026 to allow for clear audio at reasonably high volumes. A 20- to 40W TV won’t blow anyone away. but you’ll be able to understand the jokes on The Daily Show even when your child is playing a game on their iPad. There should also be enough bass to avoid things sounding tinny. Would I get more out of my EUC videos with a pounding woofer or subwoofer? Certainly, but it’s not essential to my enjoyment.
If a TV is only going to be used for casual viewing, internal speakers tend to be more than powerful enough in 2026 to allow for clear audio at reasonably high volumes. A 20- to 40W TV won’t blow anyone away. but you’ll be able to understand jokes even when your child is playing a game on their iPad.
A factor you may not have considered is room size. In a small space, such as a kid’s bedroom, internal audio is going to have an easier time bouncing off your walls and ceiling, increasing its impact. Indeed in the smallest spaces, you might need to crank a soundbar down, possibly so far down as to make it irrelevant. On the opposite end, a large living room is going to make it harder for sound to carry. You probably wouldn’t want to use internal speakers for a party soundtrack.
Speaking of different spaces, consider acoustics and your neighbors. Surfaces like curtains, carpets, and rugs are going to absorb a lot of sound. If you live in a home with hardwood floors and minimal decoration, you can expect a lot more echo — and if you share walls with neighbors, more sound will carry through. External speakers can become problematic in these circumstances, risking noise complaints or unpleasant reverb if you actually exploit their capabilities. You might be better served by buying some low-latency headphones that pair with your TV or media streamer. Don’t worry, couples — some devices can pair multiple headphones simultaneously.
One potential advantage of external speakers is software control. While it’s common for TVs to include options like dialogue enhancement these days, external speakers may have more advanced processing tech, or in the case of smart speakers, an expanded option set. Two particularly useful features are customizable EQs and automatic room calibration. The first lets you tune high, mids, and lows to your liking, say if you want a tinge more bass without it being dramatic. Room calibration “pings” your room, using the data to compensate for the acoustic issues I mentioned a moment ago. The presence of these options will vary between products, but you should expect even less from your TV.
Will internal speakers ever reign supreme?
Never say never
There’s zero chance that the average TV will make external speakers irrelevant anytime soon. Internal audio is limited not just by dimensions, but by profits — since many customers are going to hook up external speakers anyway, TV makers often skimp on audio specs to keep margins higher. Competition has gradually forced companies to up their game, yet not fast enough that the Dolby Atmos on a mid-range TV means anything beyond compatibility.
There is some hope in the long run. High-end TVs are starting to push 60, 80, or even 100W, and more than just 2.0- or 2.1-channel configurations. That’s probably more than enough to satisfy the average person, so it’s just a question of that tech filtering down as it becomes cheaper to produce. Hypothetically, the idea of buying external speakers could one day be reserved for purists demanding a true theatrical experience, like earthquakes with every explosion or gunshot.
There is some hope in the long run. High-end TVs are starting to push 60, 80, or even 100W, and more than just 2.0- or 2.1-channel configurations. That’s probably more than enough to satisfy the average person.
It’s also worth remembering that TV tech is rapidly evolving, as evidenced by developments like Sony’s Acoustic Audio. It could be that TV makers will stumble across something that unlocks cheap yet powerful sound without affecting the dimensions of TVs. I’m not counting on it — given that image quality remains the priority — but it doesn’t seem impossible. After all, if I can buy earbuds that compete with full-sized headphones, a lot must be possible with clever engineering.
