Is a soundbar good enough, or do I need a proper 5.1 system?

Depends on which problem you are actually solving, and most people are solving "TV speakers are terrible" rather than "I want cinema".

For the first problem a good soundbar is a real answer. Clear speech, better tonal balance, no wires across the floor. If that describes you, buy one and stop reading; I do not need to sell you six boxes to feel useful.

The second problem is where physics stops cooperating. A soundbar is a row of small drivers about a metre wide trying to place sounds behind you by bouncing them off your walls. On paper the manufacturers describe this as virtual surround. In a typical Indian living room, with an open kitchen on one side and a glass window on the other, there is nothing consistent to bounce off, and the "surround" collapses back to the front. Small drivers also run out of excursion early, so the moment you turn a film up to cinema level the sound compresses and gets shouty. Measurable? Yes. Audible? Very.

A 5.1 spends its money differently: a dedicated centre channel for dialogue, physically separate surrounds so the helicopter really does pass over your shoulder, and a subwoofer doing the low bass so nothing else has to strain. The gap between the two grows with room size and with how loud you like it.

Where does the rule stop mattering? Small bedrooms, low volumes, no room for surrounds. There a good bar plus a proper sub gets you further than a badly placed 5.1 with matchbox satellites. I have seen both.

The pattern we see most often is soundbar first, then a 5.1 within two years, and the soundbar retires to the bedroom. If the room and budget allow starting with the 5.1, you skip that detour. Tell us the room size, seating distance and how loud you watch, and I will tell you which side of the line you are on.