Expert Q&A Sessions, TVs, Part 3: Do you prefer soundbars or traditional speaker systems?

Question: Moving beyond TVs, do you prefer soundbars or traditional speaker systems? Can you find deals on both that offer comparable performance (at a comparable price)?
Iconian: I personally believe that surround sound is more important than the picture quality. Because how you perceive certain sound effects is more impactful than what you're seeing, since the sound comes from everywhere around you.

I recommend you treat audio as a meaningful part of the overall setup. Spending a significant portion of your TV's cost on a soundbar isn't unreasonable, especially since audio equipment tends to last longer and upgrade less frequently than TVs.

As for which is better, there's a strong case to be made for both soundbars and full speaker systems, but they serve slightly different needs.

Traditional speaker systems are typically designed for larger spaces where you can properly place each speaker to create a truly immersive setup. At the same price point, a well-configured speaker system will almost always outperform a soundbar in overall audio quality. The tradeoff, though, is complexity. Speaker systems require more space, careful placement, and often additional wiring, which isn't practical for many setups.

Soundbars, on the other hand, offer far more flexibility. They're easier to set up, work well in a wider range of rooms, and still deliver a noticeably improved experience over built-in TV speakers. Some of the higher-end models can sound excellent, even if they don't fully match a dedicated speaker system.

Ultimately, it comes down to how you use your space. I live in a converted mill building. My apartment is one big rectangle with 12-foot ceilings, 10-foot windows and very few doors.
So, it's not ideal for the sound at all, right? That means I had to get creative.

I knew I could just wire a normal setup and get really good sound, but the problem was, where am I gonna put those speakers? I cannot put them on the ceiling because it's 12.5 feet above me. And I got neighbors above me, so that's a problem. I cannot attach them to the walls, since I've got brick on one side of me and windows on the other.

I ended up going with a high-end Sony surround sound system, and that's why I had to buy a Sony TV to act as the center channel. I put a subwoofer to my right on the floor, and I have four wireless speakers placed around the room that plug into outlets.

Could I technically build a better high-end wired setup? Of course. But working with the limitations of my room, my setup creates pretty good atmos surround sound, and it's a coming from a no-hassle system.

Question: You have $1,000 to build me a budget home theater system (I have nothing, but want to be able to watch movies via disc or streaming). Assuming some okay deals are live, how would you spend it? Which products would you prioritize?
Iconian: This is a tough question because it really depends on the room and how you plan to use the TV.

If it's for a bedroom where you're mostly watching at night and focusing on movies, then both picture and sound matter. In that case, I'd prioritize balance, maybe something like $600 on the TV and $400 on the soundbar.

If it's for a basement or game room, where there's more background noise or activity, you might actually want to lean even more into audio. A stronger sound system can help cut through distractions and create a more immersive experience.

On the other hand, in high-traffic areas like a living room or kitchen, where there's more light, more movement, and more casual viewing—you may want to prioritize the TV itself. In those environments, content is often less dependent on higher-quality audio, so putting more of your budget toward brightness and screen quality makes sense.

So while there's no one-size-fits-all split, your room, usage, and upgrade horizon should ultimately guide how you allocate your budget.