Official "help me choose a soundbar" thread - Page 5

For the purpose of neatness and aesthetics, I want to put a soundbar in bedroom to play music mainly ( streaming from Airport Express). So, my requirements:

1. High quality, natural, authentic sound for classic music playing. No need for fancy theater effects.
2. Takes digital input. (obviously soundbar should be powered)
3. Good looking.
4. Subwoofer can be either wired or wireless.

I just picked up a Vizio 215. It's ok for me. But, just wondering there are better choices. (e.g. Samsung 450/451, Sony HT-CT150, 350). (What's the difference between Sony 150 and 350? I can't find 350 anywhere)

Thank you for your help.

Does anyone have any experience with the KEF KHT soundbar? It looks pretty nice and KEF are usually good speakers.

Would this be better than getting individual left and right channels with a centre channel?

I've been struggling for an audio solution for a while, and now that I'm buying a new TV I want to get something figured out.

Current Setup
40" LCD and OTA antenna
15-year old Onkyo ProLogic receiver
Two 15-year old B&W speakers, one of which may no longer have power to the tweeter
LG Bluray player
Nintendo Wii
an extra HDMI cable for rarely hooking up the camcorder, laptop or android phone
Harmony Remote

I run the bluray, wii and HDMI all into the TV, and then run audio out from the TV into the Receiver.

The room is the 16 x 20 living room in an open floor plan house. The wall opposite to the TV is actually open to the kitchen. We usually sit in a couple recliners 10' from the TV, but have a sofa along one side wall and a fireplace on the other. Hardwood floors.

What I've already bought
A new 60" LED TV that should fill my field of vision better.
Either a Roku or AppleTV, depending on the apple announcement so that my streaming video is constantly up-to-date
I'll reuse the bluray player, harmony remote, and OTA antenna at least. I can do the same with everything else.

What I want
An audio solution that works given the large constraint that I'm not able to wall-mount surround speakers. I'd like to keep it under $1000, but if it's just an incremental difference in sound quality or features I'd rather save the money.

Lots of things that I'm looking for, mostly as a result of what annoys me.

• Better surround sound. Especially as there are rare movies where voice must be going to a center channel to the extent that I'm constantly adjusting the volume to hear better.
• Better sound. I may poke around inside the B&Ws to see if I can get it working again, but almost any set of speakers I listen to sound better than these do now. The delta between these and my Grado headphones is night and day, but maybe that's just to be expected.
• Something nice visually - This is on a 66" wide console with the bluray, receiver, and Wii in glass-fronted drawers.
• Better ipod / itunes integration; this might get solved by the Apple TV, or I might need an iPod dock. This is a pretty low priority.
• If I ditch my Onkyo receiver & speakers, I'll still need 3 HDMI inputs in case I upgrade the Wii to a PS3 or whatever.

A very long email, but should I look at the soundbars? Just get a center channel and ignore the surrounds? Give up on surround and just upgrade speakers?

Thanks for the feedback in advance!

Wanting to know if a Soundbar exists that can adequately replace my Infinity Alpha Series 5.1 speakers. The Soundbar will be mated with a 2012 Sony KDL-46HX750. Other gear includes a Denon AVR 987, Panasonic Blu-Ray Playler, Toshiba HD-DVD Player, Directv HR24 DVR and Panamax power center. The TV and system is position at 45 degrees in the longest side of the room. The room is open to the eating area which is to the rear of the AV center. The room also opens on the far end of the opposite long wall to a small library. I had thought of using my existing subwoofer with the Soundbar. I had also considered running the Soundbar through the Denon AVR. FYI, the Sony HX750 does output 5.1 audio.

I look forward to your recommendations.

It's a quiet thread, so I'll answer my own question (from 2 messages ago). I bought the Sony HT-CT550W.

Pros:

• 3 piece setup lets me put the receiver behind glass, soundbar just in front of the TV on top of the console, and subwoofer in the corner.
• Appears to decode most everything I've thrown at it.
• Great movie-theater type sound while watching BluRays / Netflix. A lot is just having a subwoofer where I didn't before.

Cons:

• Music quality is meh, compared to my older speakers. Sub is not completely tight, and I think I'm missing some frequencies between the sub and the soundbar.
• Not the system's fault, but I gotta find some way to raise my TV so the remote can get line of sight to the IR receiver on the Sharp.
• I have not heard any surround effect at all. But I do get a wide sound in front of me, which is nice.

I did hear the Panorama, and it was awesome. But $400 solved my problem. I went with the CT550W because the soundbar was larger than the 150's, and not dwarfed by my 60" too badly. I was thinking I could get a solution going with the Lightspeakers, but ultimately it wouldn't have been worth it.

Thanks for all the input on other threads. Hope this helps someone.

Thank you very much. I'm still doubtful a Soundbar will be acceptable.

Louis

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1355998

I am looking for soundbars at this point. I have a 5.1 setup downstairs and an extra subwoofer that I will use. I have a Denon AVR 791 in the room that I am going to put the sound bar in and I will be moving the current speakers downstairs. Any suggestions as to passive soundbars that I can run off of my receiver? I have been reading through the thread and am looking at the BIC soundbar. Any other suggestions would be welcome!

Thanks

Greetings all,

Looking for a soundbar with a good soundstage and poss. virtual surround. I want to stay under $600.Have been looking at:

1) Energy Power Bar Elite $479
2) JBL SB300 $499
3) HK SB16 $499
4) Sony CT350 $420

Thoughts? Suggestions? Other models/brands?

Thanks

Nick

I have been trying soundbars for the past year and a half. I have tried the Yamaha YSP2200 and it was ok, a bit more complex as far as settings than some but I had an issue with the remote so I returned it (I may give it another try) and went on to the next one. In a very weak moment I spent $2000 on a B&W Panorama. Tried that out for a few months and although the piece was beautiful, sounded good (but nowhere near $2000 good) I ended up selling it on ebay at a terrible loss. While I had the Panorama, I also had the Polk SurroundBar 6000 and matched them up side by side. That is what convinced me I was out of my mind for buying the Panorama. The sound of the Polk, especially for music is very good. The one area that is weak for me is in dialogue in movies and especially when replaying things I recorded on my cable box DVR. I wear hearing aids and the dialogue part is important for me. The remote for the Polk SurroundBar is very weak and doesn't work over about 6-8 feet. The other issue that happens with the Polk is sometimes when I an fast forwarding a DVR recorded program the bar seems to get confused and switches to another input or just stops working. Since the remote doesn't work from where I am sitting I have to get out of my chair to change the input or shut it off and turn it on again.
I am currently looking to upgrade to a soundbar that will give me good, clear, crisp dialogue as well as good music with reasonable bass response. I have narrowed down my search to the following: Harman Kardon SB 16 or SB 30,
ZVOX ZBASE 580, or giving the Yamaha YSP 2200 another try. The problem is that I don't have any where to go locally to listen to any of them.
Any comments or suggections would be appreciated.

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Having personaly owned a few million soundbars over the years,, I currently own and love the new Bose 1SR,,, yea, I know, some people hate Bose,, I could care less,, I own it because of how great it sounds.

My picks/suggestions would be the Bose or the new HK SB30.

Another suggestion if I may,,,, perhaps when posting, paragraphs might be good to use,,,,, your post is not easy to read with everything all just running together.

Just a friendly posting suggestion.

Cheers
Davyo

Since you are on a in home review spree why noy tryout the Bose Cinemate 1 SR? FYI, I'm not a Bose owner yet this Soundbar may actually be good. It's $1,499.

Questions about the 1SR.

In feet, what is the maximum range?
How well does the 1SR handle peripheral output?
Is there any surround sound 'feel'?
Does it accept HDMI? If so how many?
How is the bass?
Is this SB appropriate for a 46" HDTV?

I can answer a few of your questions.

YES, and a big YES,,, the Bose puts out a very convincing surround sound in the correct shaped room and set up correctly,,, with a BluRay of HD Cable 5.1 channels it sounds like I have speakers hanging all around the room,, its pretty amazing to say the least.

The bass,,, Im very happy with the overall bass sound,,, it sounds like the Bose LifeStyle systems if you have ever heard them (some people like em and some people hate em).

No HDMI,,,, but then again thats not a big deal,, people round here tend to make a big deal as to if a bar has HDMI or not,,, running opticals from my sources to the Bose is not a big deal for me and actually works out better for the way I have my install done.

While a 46" panel is pretty small the Bose would be fine for it.

Hope that helped a bit.

Cheers
Davyo

Davyo,
Thanks for the advice/suggestions on both counts.

At least I know where I can listen to the 1SR.

Thanks again,
killerjimbo69

Has anyone actually heard or had any experience with either th HK SB 16 or SB 30?

A word of advice when you demo the Bose bar,,, try and get a listen to it at someplace other than a Bose store.

I dont know what Bose is thinkin but the display/demo set-up in their own stores sucks balls,,,, if I had only heard the Bose bar in a Bose store I never would have purchased it.

It was only after I heard the Bose bar at my local Frys that I was knocked out and impressed and got to really hear what the 1SR could do and sound like.

I have no idea what Bose is thinkin, but the way they have the 1SR set-up in their own stores makes the 1SR sound like total crap.

Cheers
Davyo

Have you concidered the Boston Acoustics TVee 30? I put it back to back in my house with the Polk 6000. The Boston was more crisp sounding. Crutchfield has an open box for $540. If you dont like it send it back. It will only cost you $8 shipping. While you are at it Order the Harmon Kardon 30 so you can try them back to back and send the one you dont like back. That is what I did with the Polk vs Boston. Well worth the $8 return shipping to be able to demo in YOUR house.

Just my .02

Things to take into consideration:
-The Subwoofer for the JBL SB300 is quite overwhelming. For actions movies and more modern music you might be quite pleased with it. (Note: There is a dial on the back however to increase/decrease the level of the subwoofer.) However, when it comes to vocals and normal tv watching, the SB300 sounds a bit tinny.
-The Harman Kardon SB16 has a far superior soundbar which produces much clearer highs. Although the subwoofer is quite large, it is not powerful as the JBL SB300, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It won't sound as boomy and overwhelming. By the way, the Harman Kardon SB16 is actually $599, not $499.

From what I've experienced with these two systems, the Harman Kardon SB16 is going to outperform the JBL SB300 in a all-things-considered test. But if you're the kind of person to watch nothing but action movies, you might be pleased with the JBL SB300.

I'm looking at purchasing a soundbar for my master bedroom. Found the Sony htct150 and the ysp2200. Obviously not a level comparison, I think the 350 is equal to the 2200 correct? However I'm fine with the 150 but when I read about the 2200 and the 16 speakers I'm left rinse rung if this one is better for me. My usage will be gaming and movies/tv. I'll be hooking up my ps3, sat reciever and pc to whichever soundbar. So I come to my main question. Wi there be a noticeAble difference in quality and virtual sound between the too?

Thanks K!


I am on the fence with these 2...I will watch primarily action movies with this. Does the SB 300 overwhelm the vocals? I want to hear what is said (need clear vocals) as well as the action around.Is the another bar you suggest? What about the Energy Power Bar Elite?

Thanks

Nick

Anyone demo the new Panasonic SC-HTB550??? Same $$ as the Sony HTCT550. Provided the sound is comparable the panasonic offers bluetooth and can be converted into 2 separate speakers.

I've just purchased the Bose 1SR and it's awesome, however I'm struggling to connect this to my computer any suggestions?. I've currently got in connected to my sky HD box and it works fine.

Thanks

Assuming you want to feed your unit to the PC for audio out?

I have the Bose Lifestyle 135 which has a Bose Link out socket at the back of the receiver. I assume yours has one too.,

This thread may give you a hint: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1377060

Basically you have to use Bose Link adapter/remote etc. and actually tell the unit to deliver the signal to a PC.

There was another thread with a very helpful post in it on the same subject which I am trying to find and will post when found.

Of course if you are trying to do deliver a PC output TO the unit then that's another story. In that case I found it easier to connect the PC to my TV directly via HDMI - saves wasting an input socket on something I seldom use.

Edit: This thread also may help: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...8#post21049648

I just checked the 1SR system over at Bose's website and I believe it doesn't have the connector sockets I mentioned....you would know best. Sorry, I tried....!! ;-)

Wow... the more I read, the less I'm sure about what I want. I had been convinced that I wanted the Vizio VHT510 (is the 520 ever coming out?) but... well, maybe you guys can help me make up my mind.

My current equipment:
- TV: Toshiba 40RV525r, which is 40" TV with RCA and optical audio out (supposedly it can output PCM or Dolby Digital)
- A BluRay player with HDMI out
- A TiVo with HDMI out
- An Xbox 360 with HDMI out
- A Wii with component out
- A PC with HDMI or VGA out
- Currently the TV sits on top of a 2' tall (or so) entertainment center. The wall behind the TV is only about 3-4 feet tall, and behind that is the kitchen. I mention this because it could affect my mounting/positioning options.

All of this is currently connected directly to the TV (3 HDMIs, 1 component, 1 VGA), but that means I'm basically out of inputs. I currently use a 10+ year old 2.1 speaker system, connected directly to the TV on the RCA outs. I really like the simplicity of not having a receiver, and I'm OK with having to manually change inputs on the TV.

So that's what I have. Here's what I'd like:
- I'm looking at soundbars because we're tired of the cats knocking the speakers over, which are currently just standing on top of the entertainment center next to the TV.
- A 5.1 sound system - or at least I think I want that. I've read enough on this forum that I'm curious (but skeptical) about the virtualized systems. Do they really work?
- If I do have actual rear speakers, I like the idea of wireless ones. I'm in an apartment and any attempt to hide speaker wires would be awkward at best.
- If I do have a subwoofer, I like the idea of wireless for that too. My couch is a little unusual in that it has a lot of empty space inside that's easy to access; would it be a sin to put the subwoofer inside the couch?
- Simplicity of use: if I can avoid adding an extra remote, my wife would really appreciate it
- Future expansion capability: like I said, I'm basically out of inputs. I understand some soundbars can act as simplified receivers; are there any that have 5+ HDMI inputs *and* at least one component? (This point is definitely negotiable.)

I don't have any specific budget cap in mind, but lower is always better. I'd rather have a little bit lower price tag than a little bit nicer sound.

Wow, that's a lot more info than I was expecting to dump on you guys. Kudos if you made it this far! I'd appreciate any advice you might have for my situation.

Oh, and a noob question: it doesn't look to me like a sound bar could fit underneath the TV. If I were to get a soundbar, would I mount it on top? Would I get an alternate (taller) stand than the one that came with the TV? How does that work? :S

Thanks!!

Which is the better overall bar? Have been looking for months...heard the energy, not the HK. Energy is nice but want to see if the HK is better...

Nick

I have a Panasonic ST50 and I was looking at picking up YHT S401. I have a media centre HDMI PC and a Sky box HDMI. I'm just wondering if anyone has used the S401 with the ST50 and what the connections and compatibility was like.

The ST50 and S401 both have ARC so I assume I can just plug everything in with HDMI.

Appreciate any thoughts or feedback though.

Connect your devices via HDMI to the S401. Connect ARC out to ARC in on the Panny. You should be good to go.

Thanks will post the outcome over weekend.