I'm 35, hearing is decent, and I can tell you (much like many others in this post have mentioned) the quality of speakers in these TV's today is subpar at best. I bought some of the higher end Samsung TV's (not the Black Friday special or anything like that) in both 43 and 65 inch, and both TV's sound is again, subpar. Is a soundbar required? Absolutely not, but if you don't want to crank the built-in speakers up and blow them out trying to hear what you are watching, then yes, get a soundbar. Good luck!