Do I Need to Buy a Soundbar or External Sound System for My Projector Setup?

A common perception of projectors holds that you’ll need an external audio solution. However, not only do modern projectors have very good onboard speakers, they actually feature advanced audio that means a standalone hi-fi system is entirely optional. 

First thing’s first. Most projectors these days ship with built-in speakers, so the idea that they simply lack sound needs to be forgotten. Not only that, but many projectors arrive with powerful speakers that easily cover even a large living room with lush audio. Therefore, leave the notion that all projectors offer mediocre sound behind. It’s just not true anymore, if it ever was. These days you’ll easily find projectors with integrated speakers that sound better than most compact tabletop audio systems.

Right out of the gate, the main benefit of this is that you don’t need to invest in a standalone sound system if you choose to go with a projector. Another way of looking at this is that modern projectors offer an all-in-one solution to content, including impressive audio out of the box. You can still purchase a pricey surround sound system if you choose, but you don’t have to. For many of us that’s definitely a blessing, as lots of people prefer simpler setups or just don’t have enough room. A dedicated multi-speaker system includes lots of components, means a lot of cables everywhere, and entails considerable power consumption. A projector with good onboard speakers offers a much more elegant and efficient approach to sound. 

As audiovisual enthusiasts, the BenQ team knows first hand the importance of great sound. That’s why select BenQ projectors have CinemaMaster Audio+ 2 technology. Designed by an in-house team of passionate audio engineers, the technology combines sophisticated software tuning with quality built-in speakers. The latter offer at least 5W of power and sit inside custom resonance chambers to make sure everything from crisp treble to deep bass reaches listeners.

CinemaMaster Audio+ 2, as the name suggests, represents a refinement of already excellent built-in sound. The team keeps improving projector audio quality, and the current generation has effectively surpassed the performance of many mid-range standalone sound systems. So if you don’t want to spend a small fortune on external sound and prefer to streamline your entertainment setup, BenQ projectors with onboard speakers are your friends. 

Exclusive to select BenQ projectors, CinemaMaster Audio+ 2 combines optimized hardware with intelligent sound processing software and audio equalization. The speakers themselves use premium materials such as neodymium, magnesium, and rubidium to boost sound output, prevent distortion, and produce richly detailed audio. CinemaMaster Audio+ 2 does great justice to movie watching experiences. Working in tandem constantly, hardware and software produce deep resonant bass and distortion-free highs. Premium quality materials mean long-lasting rich sound that doesn’t deteriorate over time like with more basic audio system designs. Speaker magnets and drivers made from neodymium and other heat-resistant materials ensure sound accuracy even during extra long viewing sessions in warm environments. Having speakers with all of these traits built in to the projector indeed makes buying separate speakers unnecessary.

But there’s more. On the software tuning side, CinemaMaster Audio +2 offers sound profile presets custom created by our team for popular multimedia entertainment applications. Users can quickly toggle between five modes:

• Cinema: lots of presence with deep bass and a detailed high end cover everything from soundtracks to explosions and dialogue
• Game: extra powerful bass and sharp treble, wide soundstage to make sure audio cues emerge on time and in detail
• Music: highly balanced mode equalized for clarity that reproduces the experience of a live concert
• Sports: emphasizes mid-range and vocals so that announcers and on-field events come through clearly and without compromise
• User: gives you complete control over equalizer settings to make custom adjustments possible regardless of whether you’re an audiophile or first time user 

With CinemaMaster Audio+ 2, BenQ projectors offer sound performance that rivals costly external audio systems. They save you the need to invest in external speakers and provide sound that meets the needs of different entertainment profiles with ease. However, should you choose to expand on the included built-in speakers, that’s not an issue. Audio out connectivity makes setting up additional sound components around your BenQ projector very convenient. Whichever way you decide, rest assured you’ll get superb sound quality.