Futuresource Consulting 2020 report: soundbar has become the engine of the market
Pandemic 2020 has proven to be the most successful year in the history of the home audio market. Sales rose 4% to $ 19.8 billion, according to a Futuresource Consulting report by analyst Patrick Montgomery.
Previous data from the report showed that models with new technologies became more attractive to consumers. Ahead are wireless speakers and soundbars, which have grown by 9% and 7%, respectively. Soundbars continue to dominate home audio sales.
Futuresource Consulting has conducted a statistical survey of Audio Tech Lifestyles, surveying more than 10,000 consumers in developed countries. It turned out that 60% of soundbars are used even without a TV.
However, it is television technology that affects the performance of soundbars. As it gets thinner, the TV requires more and more audio augmentation. In this role, the soundbar is optimal and becomes more compact after the TV.
The key feature of the soundbars is 3D sound: Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. The trend has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. While being forced to stay at home, viewers are paying more and more attention to the theatrical possibilities of their soundbars. Not least was Warner Bros.’s decision to have synchronized premieres, which will take place at the same time as cinemas on HBO Max in 2021.
Futuresource predicts all of these trends will drive even greater growth in surround sound bar sales, with analysts expecting to sell up to 12 million units by 2024, or half of the home audio market.
