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Sony HT-CT150 and CT350 - Page 54

post #1591 of 2065
7/24/11 at 4:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by davyo View Post
Im guessing your asking about the "speaker" wire and not the 3 prong power cord,,, it does help to be specific.

If you are in fact asking about the speaker wire its very easy to extend and will not void your warrenty.

The speaker clips have release pins on them,, just push in the release pin and the clip comes right off,,,, get longer speaker wires and put the clips on those new longer speaker wires,,, Ive done it before and it takes just a few minutes and its very easy.

Just make sure to connect the correct clips to the correct wires, (poss and neg sides of the wires to possitive and neg sides of the clips).

As I recall, the instructions how to do it are also in the manual.

Cheers
Davyo
Hmmm...my cables are different. See pic below. I'm not sure how I'd remove the metal clip shown from the end of the wire without taking a severe risk of breaking it. Any tips or other solutions?

Thanks!

Ian
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post #1592 of 2065
7/25/11 at 6:02am
I can't seem to get my c350 loud enough so I have clear dialogue without cranking the volume up high. I have played with the settings, increased the center channel to full, but no help.

I have it connected directly to a XBR60LX900 and all components into the sub. I sit about 12 ft away. Are there other settings I can try.
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post #1593 of 2065
7/25/11 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigtuna View Post

I can't seem to get my c350 loud enough so I have clear dialogue without cranking the volume up high. I have played with the settings, increased the center channel to full, but no help.

I have it connected directly to a XBR60LX900 and all components into the sub. I sit about 12 ft away. Are there other settings I can try.

Hopefully Possumgirl or others will chime in to offer you some assistance.
Is the limited volume issue occurring when using all source inputs? BD player, cable/sat box, etc.? Are you using HDMI connectivity for all components? I read that you need to set your BD player to bitstream or LPCM? As I said, wait on the more knowledgeable folks to chime in, and I'm sure someone can get your CT350 working properly. Let's hope it is not defective.
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post #1594 of 2065
7/26/11 at 1:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigtuna View Post

I can't seem to get my c350 loud enough so I have clear dialogue without cranking the volume up high. I have played with the settings, increased the center channel to full, but no help.

I have it connected directly to a XBR60LX900 and all components into the sub. I sit about 12 ft away. Are there other settings I can try.

I'll chime in but I won't be much help as I've not experienced dialogue problems with my CT350, even at fairly low (20-25) volume levels. My center setting is only at 2.

Do you have the soundbar mounted above the TV so that furniture, etc. is not blocking the sound? Have you tried various sound fields? Sports & News put more emphasis on the center channel.

It should make zero difference whether your blu-ray is sending LPCM or bitstream, but try switching to see if it does. Check the audio output settings on your connected components to see if any changes are needed.
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post #1595 of 2065
7/31/11 at 11:09pm
Been awhile since I've been back to this thread. Sounds like its still going strong though. Any gamers out there have any suggested tweaks?

I'm pretty much just running the stock settings right now with the standard sound field, audio drc to standard, and night mode on (neighbors complained about the bass from explosions LOL).
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post #1596 of 2065
8/2/11 at 1:42pm
I've finally connected my CT350 which I purchased a month or two ago for $200 at BestBuy. Sounds very good to my ears. Connectivity was simple... cable box and BR player via HDMI to the CT350 and HDMI from CT350 to my TV's HDMI-1 input.
Had a slight learning curve to get used to operating the CT350's remote control. Maybe I should have been reading the manual.
So far I haven't noticed any lip-sync issues. I'll be keeping a close watch for that to possibly start occurring.
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post #1597 of 2065
8/3/11 at 1:37am
Hello I just recently purchased the Sony HT-CT350 to go with my just ordered panasonic st30. Was wondering if there will be a big difference in sound quality. I will be using this in a bedroom about 10 by 10 with four walls and am hoping to get enveloping sound. Can anybody comment on gaming with the sound bar on the ps3? I've heard great reviews on the 350 and am expecting alot out of it!
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post #1598 of 2065
8/3/11 at 5:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jordan23237 View Post

Hello I just recently purchased the Sony HT-CT350 to go with my just ordered panasonic st30. Was wondering if there will be a big difference in sound quality. I will be using this in a bedroom about 10 by 10 with four walls and am hoping to get enveloping sound. Can anybody comment on gaming with the sound bar on the ps3? I've heard great reviews on the 350 and am expecting alot out of it!

I've no idea about the sound improvement for gaming, but from my limited experience with using the CT350, I'm very pleased with the performance. My CT350 is being used in a 19x12 room, and it is a great improvement in audio quality than what my 2011 Samsung D550 plasma's internal speakers can output. For the $200 that I spent for the CT350, I'm very pleased with the purchase of this sound bar model. But no way does the CT350 win over the sound quality of the 5.1 system that I use in my home theater. But, as I said, I'm very pleased with my purchase of the CT350.
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post #1599 of 2065
8/3/11 at 12:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzspot View Post

I've no idea about the sound improvement for gaming, but from my limited experience with using the CT350, I'm very pleased with the performance. My CT350 is being used in a 19x12 room, and it is a great improvement in audio quality than what my 2011 Samsung D550 plasma's internal speakers can output. For the $200 that I spent for the CT350, I'm very pleased with the purchase of this sound bar model. But no way does the CT350 win over the sound quality of the 5.1 system that I use in my home theater. But, as I said, I'm very pleased with my purchase of the CT350.

I got the sound bar from bestbuy for $200 after reading these great reviews. I didnt think a full fledged 5.1 home theater system wouldve worked too well or have been needed in a 10 by 10 bedroom. The room also seems to be very soundbar friendly so I am expecting enveloping sound. I play alot of PS3 games so I am hoping for a major sound improvement. I would think that the soundbar speakers are better than the tv speakers so a sound improvement for gaming should be inevitable right?

Also I will be hooking up the directv and ps3 through hdmi to the sub and one hdmi to the ARC port on the tv. Does that sound correct? I have enabled pass through and arc on the sub, but is there a setting on the tv I need to activate when I get it? It will be a panny st30
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post #1600 of 2065
8/3/11 at 12:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jordan23237 View Post

I got the sound bar from bestbuy for $200 after reading these great reviews. I didnt think a full fledged 5.1 home theater system wouldve worked too well or have been needed in a 10 by 10 bedroom. The room also seems to be very soundbar friendly so I am expecting enveloping sound. I play alot of PS3 games so I am hoping for a major sound improvement. I would think that the soundbar speakers are better than the tv speakers so a sound improvement for gaming should be inevitable right?

Also I will be hooking up the directv and ps3 through hdmi to the sub and one hdmi to the ARC port on the tv. Does that sound correct? I have enabled pass through and arc on the sub, but is there a setting on the tv I need to activate when I get it? It will be a panny st30

Yes, your HDMI connections are correct. The only thing that I changed on my D550 TV was to turn off the internal audio (using the TV's speakers), and selecting the external audio setting. There is no doubt that you will hear greatly enhanced sound when using the sound bar, than what the TV's speakers can provide.
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post #1601 of 2065
8/3/11 at 12:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jordan23237 View Post

Also I will be hooking up the directv and ps3 through hdmi to the sub and one hdmi to the ARC port on the tv. Does that sound correct? I have enabled pass through and arc on the sub, but is there a setting on the tv I need to activate when I get it? It will be a panny st30

Turn on Viera Link (probably on by default anyway). Set speakers to Home Theater. Enable Auto-on and Auto-off if you want the soundbar to turn on/off with the TV. It won't matter if you have the TV speakers turned on or not as the soundbar mutes them when it turns on.
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post #1602 of 2065
8/3/11 at 1:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post

Turn on Viera Link (probably on by default anyway). Set speakers to Home Theater. Enable Auto-on and Auto-off if you want the soundbar to turn on/off with the TV. It won't matter if you have the TV speakers turned on or not as the soundbar mutes them when it turns on.

Thanks for the help, will report back when I can finally hear it. Possumgirl, I heard in some forum that you had alot of experience with sound bars if im not mistaking? What did you think of the Sony HT-CT350 if you tried it?

Also if I want to watch directv or play games without the sound bar sound, is that possible? I have everything connected to the sub with one hdmi to the tv. The pass through option on the sub will make this possible correct? Thanks for the help, it is greatly appreciated!
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post #1603 of 2065
8/3/11 at 1:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jordan23237 View Post

Thanks for the help, will report back when I can finally hear it. Possumgirl, I heard in some forum that you had alot of experience with sound bars if im not mistaking? What did you think of the Sony HT-CT350 if you tried it?

Also if I want to watch directv or play games without the sound bar sound, is that possible? I have everything connected to the sub with one hdmi to the tv. The pass through option on the sub will make this possible correct? Thanks for the help, it is greatly appreciated!

I've had my CT350 a bit over a year now so my hands-on experience is somewhat limited to that one, although I read most of the threads here and at least have some knowledge of others. Yes, the pass-through option lets you turn off the soundbar and have audio redirected to the TV speakers.

I really like the CT350. My viewing room is not audio-friendly, but I get a nice "sound bubble". You'll need to play with the settings for awhile to find what sounds best to you in your environment.
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post #1604 of 2065
8/3/11 at 2:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post

Set speakers to Home Theater. Enable Auto-on and Auto-off if you want the soundbar to turn on/off with the TV.

Are these settings controlled via the CT350 or on the TV?
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post #1605 of 2065
8/3/11 at 2:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzspot View Post

Are these settings controlled via the CT350 or on the TV?

The TV's in control. The equipment communicates via HDMI using CEC functionality.
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post #1606 of 2065
8/3/11 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post
I've had my CT350 a bit over a year now so my hands-on experience is somewhat limited to that one, although I read most of the threads here and at least have some knowledge of others. Yes, the pass-through option lets you turn off the soundbar and have audio redirected to the TV speakers.

I really like the CT350. My viewing room is not audio-friendly, but I get a nice "sound bubble". You'll need to play with the settings for awhile to find what sounds best to you in your environment.
Ok Im really hoping I like the CT350. Im in a relatively small room with walls on all sides so I think it will disperse sound well. It seems everybody here really liked the sony soundbars so Im sure everything will be fine. Will report back when my tv comes in and can try it. Thanks
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post #1607 of 2065
8/4/11 at 10:53pm
Folks,

First timer on this forum. Went through all the 54 pages (whew) and to say that helped will be an understatement So now here is my situation:
  • TV - LA40A550 (note the "LA" rather than the "LN". I am from Asia)
  • BD - Sony BDP370
  • Satellite TV STB - It only has 2 RCA output for audio and 1 for video. So I am guessing this a plain stereo output of 2 channels? (I am a newbie on AV)

I am planning to pick up CT350 but want to make sure I have my connections understood upfront.

My TV does not have an digitial optical out, instead has 2 audio output jacks using RCA. So can I hook up my system as follows:
  • BD player to Sub through HDMI
  • Sub to TV through HDMI (no ARC as well as no optical out from TV)
  • Video cable from satellite STB to TV
  • Audio cables from satellite STB to Sub - I want to use the CT350 as my primary set of speakers, including satellite TV

Thanks folks.

Cheers
Rishi
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post #1608 of 2065
8/5/11 at 11:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rishitiw View Post

I am planning to pick up CT350 but want to make sure I have my connections understood upfront.

My TV does not have an digitial optical out, instead has 2 audio output jacks using RCA. So can I hook up my system as follows:
  • BD player to Sub through HDMI
  • Sub to TV through HDMI (no ARC as well as no optical out from TV)
  • Video cable from satellite STB to TV
  • Audio cables from satellite STB to Sub - I want to use the CT350 as my primary set of speakers, including satellite TV

Thanks folks.

Cheers
Rishi

Hello Rishi, welcome to the forum. Your connection plan should work just fine. You're correct that you'll only have 2 ch. stereo out from the sat box. Might want to see if your sat provider can set you up with a newer receiver that has HDMI out, but you'll be okay as is. No problem that the TV doesn't have optical out since you won't have any audio connected to it.
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post #1609 of 2065
8/5/11 at 10:37pm
Hi all:

I was able to get a set of longer cables from Bogue Engineering (http://www.BogueEngineering.com, bogue-engineering@live.com). Gary Bogue was most careful and helpful with making sure I was ordering exactly what I needed.

He was familiar with the issue of extending the HT-CT150 cables. Apparently, they have a standard 12-foot long set with 18-guage wires that they sell, but I had them make a 20-foot set with 16-guage wires for a bit more money. I could even specify what color I wanted the connectors on the ends of the cables to be! (Of course, I just chose red, white, and green to match the default...)

The cables arrived today, and work well. The only small tip I'd mention is to make sure that you get the polarity of the cables matched up as you install them--unlike the standard sony cables, it is possible to insert a connector upside down with these cables. To Bogue Engineering's credit, they do include a sheet with detailed instructions about this very issue.

Highly recommended.

BTW, I have no relation to Bogue Engineering beyond being a satisfied customer.
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post #1610 of 2065
8/6/11 at 9:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by icrew View Post

Hi all:

I was able to get a set of longer cables from Bogue Engineering (http://www.BogueEngineering.com...

Thank you very much for the info! I was going to DIY extending the cables for my CT350, but I'll give this business a call. And you say that they also include the OEM connectors to the new extended cables too?!? Great!
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post #1611 of 2065
8/7/11 at 7:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzspot View Post

Thank you very much for the info! I was going to DIY extending the cables for my CT350, but I'll give this business a call. And you say that they also include the OEM connectors to the new extended cables too?!? Great!

Actually, they use generic connectors, not the Sony ones, but they work just fine. See my in the original post about making sure the polarity is right when you install them.
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post #1612 of 2065
8/7/11 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by icrew View Post

Actually, they use generic connectors, not the Sony ones, but they work just fine. See my in the original post about making sure the polarity is right when you install them.

Well, after emailing this business, the contact person told me that he cannot help me out. Maybe the connectors of the CT150 and CT350 are different, and the universal type connectors won't work with the CT350. Maybe there was some type of resulting confusion by what I stated/asked in my email to him!?!? I hate when you're not able to actually talk to a business owner/customer rep on a phone! I couldn't find a phone number for this business on their web site. Doing business using only email as a way to converse with a potential customer, lacks professionalism and credibility.

The following is his response to the email that I sent him:

From: Gary Bogue
Date: August 7, 2011 10:38:31 AM EDT

Subject: RE: Sony HT CT-350 Sound Bar Speaker Cable

Hi,
*I am very sorry but there are no extension cables available for Sony systems.
Thanks, Gary
*--------------------------
Subject: Sony HT CT-350 Sound Bar Speaker Cable
From: xxxxxxx@comcast.net
Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2011 12:13:30 -0400
To: bogue-engineering@live.com

Hello,

I was alerted to your business by a forum member on the AVS forum.com site. I have the Sony HT CT-350 sound bar, which I'm sure you are familiar with. I would like to extend the cable to about 20 feet and to use 16 gauge speaker cable. Will you include the specific connectors to the speaker cable? If you do, will the connectors already be connected to the speaker cables?

Thank you very much
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post #1613 of 2065
8/7/11 at 4:25pm
^^^
Maybe point him to his eBay listing and explain that's what you're after, just longer and different gauge

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...60&refid=store
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post #1614 of 2065
8/7/11 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post

^^^
Maybe point him to his eBay listing and explain that's what you're after, just longer and different gauge

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...60&refid=store

Thanks for his eBay link. But truly strange that my email (which to me is very specific to my needs) has his reply stating that he doesn't have the longer cables and connectors for the Sony system. Definitely a WTH moment for me, especially after viewing the ebay link that you provided.
I'm sending a followup email to him for confirm whether he does or doesn't have the longer cables and connectors for the CT350.
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post #1615 of 2065
8/8/11 at 1:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzspot View Post

Maybe there was some type of resulting confusion by what I stated/asked in my email to him!?!?

I had that confusion too--there are not "extender" cables available. Rather, you need to completely replace the ones you have with new longer ones purchased from Bogue.

As I only have a CT150, I can't comment about any differences between that and the 350 that might cause other problems...
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post #1616 of 2065
8/8/11 at 4:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by icrew View Post

I had that confusion too--there are not "extender" cables available. Rather, you need to completely replace the ones you have with new longer ones purchased from Bogue.

As I only have a CT150, I can't comment about any differences between that and the 350 that might cause other problems...

Well I emailed him again and simply stated that I wanted to "REPLACE the OEM cables that was provided with the CT350, with LONGER cables (@16-gauge) and connectors which will work with the CT350".
His web site states that they are closed until Aug 15, so I all probably have to wait for his response until that time.
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post #1617 of 2065
8/13/11 at 12:52am
Hello, I just got a HT-CT150 yesterday, and I'm having trouble setting it up.

This is my current set up:

TV: an LG 42LD520
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V367

I have 4 hdmi devices(Xbox 360 Elite, PS3, HD-DVD player, and a cheap multi-region blu ray player. These are all connected via HDMI to my receiver. HDMI out from the receiver to the tv.

I've been listening to movies on headphones(easily annoyed neighbors) through the receiver currently, but I'm moving to a new place next week and wanted to get a cheap audio option for a relatively small living room, hence the soundbar. Opened it to try it out tonight.

I connected my tv to the soundbar via optical cable and got it working, but I am having trouble getting audio from the receiver to play on the soundbar. My HDMI cables are cheapo ones from monoprice, would that be a factor?

I tried connecting the HDMI out from the receiver to the BD-in on the CT150 subwoofer and got nothing(picture worked no audio). What set up should I be looking at? There's not enough HDMI ports on the subwoofer for all my HDMI machines so I'd really prefer not to abandon my receiver.

I've been banging my head against the wall for a couple of hours about this, but it's late and I might be missing something obvious. Any help would be appreciated.
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post #1618 of 2065
8/13/11 at 6:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PastePotPete View Post

Hello, I just got a HT-CT150 yesterday, and I'm having trouble setting it up.

This is my current set up:

TV: an LG 42LD520
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V367

I have 4 hdmi devices(Xbox 360 Elite, PS3, HD-DVD player, and a cheap multi-region blu ray player. These are all connected via HDMI to my receiver. HDMI out from the receiver to the tv.

I've been listening to movies on headphones(easily annoyed neighbors) through the receiver currently, but I'm moving to a new place next week and wanted to get a cheap audio option for a relatively small living room, hence the soundbar. Opened it to try it out tonight.

I connected my tv to the soundbar via optical cable and got it working, but I am having trouble getting audio from the receiver to play on the soundbar. My HDMI cables are cheapo ones from monoprice, would that be a factor?

I tried connecting the HDMI out from the receiver to the BD-in on the CT150 subwoofer and got nothing(picture worked no audio). What set up should I be looking at? There's not enough HDMI ports on the subwoofer for all my HDMI machines so I'd really prefer not to abandon my receiver.

I've been banging my head against the wall for a couple of hours about this, but it's late and I might be missing something obvious. Any help would be appreciated.

Troubleshoot by taking the receiver out of the mix.

1. HDMI from tv to subwoofer.

2. HDMI from BRay, XB, PS3 to subwoofer.

See if they all work. Then try connecting subwoofer to receiver via optical.
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post #1619 of 2065
8/13/11 at 9:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by PastePotPete View Post

I have 4 hdmi devices(Xbox 360 Elite, PS3, HD-DVD player, and a cheap multi-region blu ray player. These are all connected via HDMI to my receiver. HDMI out from the receiver to the tv.

bigtuna is correct for the connectivity. Since there are only 3 HDMI inputs on the CT150's subwoofer, you'll need an HDMI switcher in order for you to connect your 4 accessories via HDMI to the CT150. You can purchase an HDMI switcher here ---> HDMI Switcher Box
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post #1620 of 2065
8/13/11 at 9:31am
^^^
Another connectivity option is three components via HDMI to the CT150 and one component via HDMI to the TV. For that component, disable HDMI audio-out and use optical from the component to the CT150. The Yammy receiver really doesn't belong in the mix since the CT150 is also a receiver.
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