Whether you’re watching a scene of hushed conversation or shouty statements punctuated by explosions, some of you may find it difficult to hear dialogue when watching movies.
That can be particularly frustrating when you have forked out a fair amount of cash for a brand-new TV. Unfortunately, as TVs have been getting slimmer, so have their built-in speakers which often does not allow enough space for the drivers you deserve.
But don’t worry, there are a few things you can try before completely relying on subtitles or cranking up the volume to 11. Let’s take a look.
Experiment with your TV’s speech boosters
One of the simplest ways to try to improve the dialogue from your TV is to dive into its settings menu. Every TV brand has a slightly different name for its speech boosters, so finding the right one may take a bit of searching online or in the user manual.
Sony Bravia TVs, for instance, offer a feature called Voice Zoom, which reduces ambient noise and increases the voice level.
There are usually also sound presets that prioritise dialogue, although they might be under Dialogue or the less intuitive News option. It might be a little time-consuming to start with, but it’s worth it in the long run to find the best setting for you.
Invest in a soundbar
If you are still struggling to catch dialogue, then it might be worth investing in a soundbar. They can sit in front of your TV screen, or you can wall-mount them if you prefer. And they offer far better dialogue and a more immersive audio experience than the vast majority of TV speakers.
There are oodles of models on the market, ranging from premium entries to more budget-friendly options. For the latter, the Award-winning Hisense AX5125H soundbar system and the compact Creative Stage Pro models are each well worth your consideration. In both cases, we find that dialogue is much clearer compared with the TV speakers, as well as delivering more expression and nuance in voices.
Many soundbars also offer their own EQ modes to enhance the dialogue further. The Sonos Beam Ultra, to which we just awarded five stars in our test room, for instance, has its own Speech Enhancement mode, which you can adjust from low to max, or just leave off entirely.
Connect to your headphones
This option won't suit everyone, but if you are still struggling, then it might be worth connecting your TV to a pair of headphones. That, of course, makes the listening experience much more intimate, and you quite possibly already have a compatible model in your home.
It’s also handy if you don’t want to disturb others in your home without having to turn the volume down and making the dialogue even less clear.
Most smart TVs allow you to connect your cans via Bluetooth, as you would link them to your phone or computer. For the more analogue among you, you can connect many over-ear headphones to the TV using the 3.5mm auxiliary jack and a cable extension.
Invest in a good pair of Bluetooth headphones, such as the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6 or Sennheiser HDB 630, and you should be getting a much more detailed and engaging experience compared with your built-in TV speakers.
If you wear hearing aids, you can connect these to your TV as well via Bluetooth.
After finding the right solution for you, hopefully you will be well on your way to getting much clearer dialogue – and so to immersing yourself more fully in movies.
MORE:
These are the best headphones we have tested
Check out the best soundbars
And here are the best TVs
