Despite a Plateauing in Unit Sales, Sound Bars Still Vital to TV Segment: SAR

The global market for sound bars, at $8 billion annually, is starting to “plateau” in unit volume, SAR Insight analyst Peter Cooney emailed Friday. The category remains important for technology companies because sound bars make up for the thin speakers used in flat-screen TVs, he said. Voice-controlled sound bars are the fast-growing segment in the category, moving from the “works with” approach to voice engine technology now being built in, said Cooney. Analysts’ assumptions that growth in sound bars would stunt sales of smart speakers haven’t played out: “Soundbars have continued to assert their dominance in the living room” without having a negative impact on smart speakers, said Cooney.