It doesn’t matter how big your TV is, it’s the speaker specs you need to pay attention to

Want to get a better viewing experience on your TV? You can try and get a newer TV with upgraded visuals. Ones that offer Dolby Vision and HDR support will give you a better picture to help you enjoy the content more. Looking at TVs with newer technology like an 8K option or a mini LED TV will deliver brighter colors for a richer and fuller experience.

You may think that you need to go bigger with your TV in order to get more of what you want. Filling the space with a larger TV is a popular option for tying a room together. Using something like Samsung’s The Frame TV, which can be used to display a piece of artwork when you aren’t watching TV can change the way that your room looks. But, even if the TV looks better in a room, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the sound is going to carry well.

Finding that right balance of audio and video is tricky. There’s a lot that goes into how well your TV sounds in your room. It even depends a lot on the architecture of the room itself. But if you’re looking at buying a new TV, don’t undervalue the importance of looking at the speaker specs of your new purchase before you bring it home.

Why your sound may not sound right

It’s not your fault; it’s the manufacturer’s

I’ve been guilty of this before: not checking the speaker setup on a TV before buying it. Then I’ve put it in a larger room and ended up having to add a soundbar because the TV’s speakers sounded awful — tinny, with zero sharpness to the audio. It’s important to look at a TV’s specs to understand whether the built-in speakers are actually worth your time.

If your TV has 20W speakers, that’s pretty common. Many manufacturers rely on lower-wattage speakers and just pack five or six into the TV to make the sound louder. But louder doesn’t necessarily mean better. It’s hard to know exactly how a TV will sound in your space until you set it up — but there are a few telltale signs that the speakers might fall short.

If there are fewer than five 20W speakers, there’s a chance you’ll be disappointed. If the speaker layout is mostly backward-facing, it could hinder the sound from traveling to certain parts of the room. You also don’t want tiny speakers if you’re hoping to fill a big room.

What to look out for when you’re buying a new TV

Consider these options and the room you’re putting the TV in

Some of the more well-known manufacturers (like LG, Samsung, and Sony) are known for better audio quality. Many of them (along with other options on the market) support Dolby Atmos, a spatial audio technology that provides a more immersive sound experience. To achieve that, TVs often include speakers pointing in different directions. Some face downward, while others face backward or upward. This spreads out the speaker placement on your TV, leaving your audio coming out in different directions.

This is what helps fill a room with more sound. Dolby Atmos adds overhead speakers that shoots the audio upward, creating height to the sound. It’s helpful that many of your favorite streaming services offer Dolby Atmos-supported content, as the audio and video work together for a better product. But Dolby Atmos isn’t the only thing to look for in a TV. Some TVs have built-in subwoofers that add to the depth of sound. These amplify the bass, providing a richer sound coming out of the TV. It can help carry those lower frequencies throughout the room.

What can you do to upgrade your TV’s sound

You may not want a new TV

If you aren’t enjoying how your TV sounds, a good place to start is your TV’s sound settings. Many TVs offer different audio modes that can help. For example, if your TV includes a movie mode or filmmaker setting, it might enhance the video but dampen the audio a bit. You should also check for volume leveling, which can make dialogue easier to hear by smoothing out the audio and keeping everything on a more consistent volume plane. That means explosions or car chases in an action movie will sound closer in volume to the dialogue, rather than blowing you out of your seat.

I’d also suggest changing where the TV is placed or where the seating is. It’s important to understand the acoustics in the room and how sound might bounce off the walls and ceiling. If you have a small room, it may not matter too much. But for bigger rooms, you’ll want a seating area that takes advantage of where the sound is bouncing off. Having the TV in a corner can help it bounce off more walls.

Of course, you can always go the external audio equipment route and add speaker systems, soundbars, and external subwoofers to your room. With a soundbar, there are speakers built into it that are facing in different directions, giving a better outward projection of the audio. It can direct the sound to different areas, making for an easier listening experience in a larger room. That, coupled with external speakers placed on the sides of the room or in the corners of the room, can make for a bigger display of audio force.

If you don’t want to spend extra money installing new equipment, definitely take a look at where your TV’s speakers lie and what the sound reviews say before hitting purchase.