Official "help me choose a soundbar" thread - Page 11

Hi. Welcome to the sometimes confusing world of audio and soundbars in particular. Just FYI, encoding takes place when an audio track is created; decoding is what takes place when you listen to the audio. Your PS3 can decode just like BD players. Many soundbars have decoders; some are only DD5.1; some include DTS; some decode the lossless codecs as well. You don't have to get into high priced soundbars to find these capabilities. Here's two for you to look at just to understand what a soundbar can do. I'm not suggesting these are necessarily right for you, but they are good examples. The Yamaha YSP2200 and the Sony CT-550W.

Also, with a soundbar it's really questionable if one can tell the difference between a lossy and a lossless audio track. There are soundbars that can't decode lossless (only lossy), but CAN accept LPCM if your player can decode lossless.

One other thing to keep in mind is that BD players (including PS3) are usually best connected via HDMI directly to a soundbar. When connected to a TV, the players downmix audio to stereo since TVs are 2-speaker devices.

I have a panasonic p50s30 with hdmi arc. Will also hook up toshiba bdx1100 Blu ray that gas digital coax and hdmi and also directv DVr. Probably will end up getting a harmony remote because I am not sure the dtv remote will adjust volume on any of these soundbars

Hello,

Wanted to buy my dad a soundbar for x-mas.

They got this to connect to it:

Samsung UE46B7000
Humax Hd digital receiver
Xbox 360

Now i saw the Samsung HW-E450 and the Panasonic SC-HTB520 there about the same price in holland.
So what would you buy if you had the choice between these 2? Cant get any others because my mom shot them all down because of the design...

Thx

I have a panasonic p50s30 with hdmi arc. Will also hook up toshiba bdx1100 Blu ray that gas digital coax and hdmi and also directv DVr. Probably will end up getting a harmony remote because I am not sure the dtv remote will adjust volume on any of these soundbars

I was thinking of getting a yamaha yas 101 sound bar for my plasma. Using the optical audio out, am I right in thinking that no audio processing is done by the tv at this point and just pre amplified audio ( unprocessed ) is sent to the sound bar?

We're also looking for a sound bar, but on the budget side and found the Philips CSS2123B on sale for $89 at FS.
The problem is, it doesn't have an HDMI connection, only:

- 1 Digital Optical
- 1 Coaxial
- 1 Aux Audio

Our setup:
50ST50
HDMI cable box
HDMI HTCP
HDMI xbox

Is there a sound bar with sub that can accommodate our setup under $150 CAD?

Maybe we're asking for too much for too little

Sorry but bumping my own post since I didnt get any reply

FWIW, I haven't listened to any of them but I did a lot of research on the LG. I was a little disappointed because I believe that it's lacking any HDMI inputs. That's why I got something else. It does have a lot of nice features, though. If you're going to use ARC, you might as well just hook everything into your TV and use the optical output instead. Sorry I'm not much help here.

Hey Everyone,

I need some help.

Ok, I have a 65 Inch Samsung 3D HD LED Smart TV along with a Samsung 3D HD Blu Ray player. Great TV except for the audio. My old 2004 Sony Plasma had great sound and I never had to buy any speakers, soundbars, or a home theater sysem.

In my old tv, you could put the audio to 10 and you felt it was loud. You could hear the explosions really well and you can hear both the crowd and commentators in balance when watching sports. With my Samsung, you really have to put the volume at 15 or even 20 and even still, it sounds out of wack. I checked my TV settings, and there isn't much that I can do. I remember once I put it to Clear Voice, but all I hear are the commentators, but not the crowd or in the case of action movies, the people talking not the explosions/bullets. It becomes like a trade-off which sucks.

I thought about a home theater surround system but running wires is just out of the question with the way our room is set-up.

My room is a den 30 x 10 with 10 foot ceilings. I primarily watch sports(NFL and NBA), news, and movies. My TV sits on a 59 inch glass stand/shelf

I looked at Yamaha, Onkyo, and Panasonic and all the reviews can be conflicting. I thought about Samsung, but I heard they are not experts in audio and that Bose is a gimmick. I prefer to boycott Sony for personal reasons, but will consider if need be. I am open to all other brands however.

My MAIN priority is it has to work with my blu ray player and tv which are both 3D, AND it needs to sync with my Cable TV Remote.Those are the two critical points. Basically I don't want to have two separate remotes for volume and channging the channel or in the case of the Blue Ray, one for volume, and one for the disk menu.
So what soundbar/subwoofer you recommend?
I am trying to stay under $500, but will consider going over the limit a little if it sounds worth it.
Edited by Neogeocon - 12/16/12 at 7:09pm

Hello everyone, first post. Thank you in advance for having the patience to answer the same/similar noob questions, over and over, as we do on the Cadillac forums I am a part of.

On the 15th of January, I'll be taking delivery of a Samsung UN60ES8000. I want more than what the built in speakers can provide, but the TV is going in a bedroom, surround sound doesn't really make sense, and a HTIB just doesn't seem worth the clutter. The TV will be wall mounted, using Samsungs ultra slim mounting system, with no cabinet or table underneath it. A slim soundbar, wall mounted under the TV, seems the best route to go.

I'd like to stay under $500. I did some research, read/watched several reviews/comparisons, and settled on the Haier SVEB40-Slim.....only to find out it is no longer available. If anyone knows a source, or better yet, if a new model is on the horizon, let me know.

Moving on. In order of importance:

-Sound quality
-Connectivity (Comcast cable, PS3, possibly a separate BlueRay player and console in the future)
-Slim profile
-Simplistic design that mimics the TV

What drew me to the Haier, was the super slim profile of both the bar and sub, the looks, and I particularly liked the hidden "behind the grille" display.

I'm not expecting (or looking for) simulated surround sound, just as much quality, room filling sound as possible from a sub $500 soundbar. Any suggestions of features I should be looking for (or those I can do without), are welcome. BlueTooth would be nice, but isn't important. The bar being able to turn on and off with the TV would be nice too, but not crucial.

Sorry for the longer post, and thank you for any assistance.

Mcabbage, you should look at the yamaha yht 401 it has 3 hdmi in connections good sound and is a 3.1 system versus a 2.1. Plus you can upgrade to a 5.1 system later. It also sounds good for music.

Thank you for the response.

I just googled it, and the receiver/sub unit would be a problem. There won't be any cabinet or shelf near the TV to put it on. A piano black finish isn't ideal either.

You and I have virtually the same tv. Mine is UN65ES8000

Actually, MoistCabbage and I have the exact same TV except mine is 65 inches while his is 60 inches. Both are Samsung 3D HD Smart tvs .Would you say that Yamaha model would work well my tv too? The difference is my TV sits a 59 inch glass table/shelf. Below it there is a space where I keep my Blue Ray Players and Cable Box. I wouldn't mine moving them to the lower level off the table.

If you can please check out my post. It is 5 posts above.
Edited by Neogeocon - 12/17/12 at 3:03pm

The soundbar will work fine but doesn't seem ideal for mounting.

Hello there experts.

I'm new to posting here, but have been lurking for a while, and can clearly see there is a wealth of knowledge on this site, so thought I'd ask for opinions. Looking for a budget sound bar (around £400). I have a pvr and ps3, currently attached via HDMI to a 50" plasma, and want to improve the audio. Hardwood floors preclude a 5.1 setup, so I'm looking at sound bars, and the Yamaha YHT S400 has caught my eye. The thing is, it's hard to find here; it's replacement, the S401, much more readily available. What Hi First rates the S400 as 5 stars, but says the S401 is a disappointment, awarding it only 3 stars. Anyone out there heard both? Where I can find the S400, it's at least £50 more than the newer model. That, combined with the aforementioned review seems to indicate it's the one to go for, but I get the feeling I'm missing something, as the S401 is better on paper. Am I placing to much store in What Hi Fi's review, or is the S400 really better in real world application than it's better spec'd replacement?

I accept that I won't get real surround sound with either one; a wider sound stage with better tone is all I'm expecting. Will be primarily used for TV & movies, although I will use it for music too.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

I would go with the 65, it would be fine when I'm watching from bed, but I have a recliner in the room, and I'd be too close to the wall to realistically view anything bigger than 60".
Edited by MoistCabbage - 12/17/12 at 7:18pm

I will definitly tell you that the picture quality will be really good. 60 or 65 is not that immense of a differnce. I got this only though a special promotion.

Just purchased the Toshiba SBX 4250 (2.1 with wireless sub) and have been quite pleased with it. Using it on the "second" TV and am enjoying it quite a bit. It's got multiple HDMI and optical connections so it's got a good bit of flexibility. I'm currently using the two HDMI inputs for my sat box and blu-ray player and an optical input for the TV tuner and smart tv functions. The CEC function works great so the wife loves not needing an extra remote for volume changes. We recently used the bluetooth with my wife's Ipod Touch and it had a great range (15 feet at least). I haven't seen it mentioned here and I thought that was strange. I snatched it up at Best Buy a couple of weeks ago at $199 (currently $299 there and $260+ online). I thought it was a steal so I figured I'd check it out and see if I wanted to keep it. So far, so good. Anyone have any thoughts?

I've been looking at the Toshiba too and have been waiting for someone to give a review. I wish it were still $199 - maybe it will go on sale again after Christmas. What do you think of its sound? Does it sound good with music?

I think it sounds good, but I'm not super audiophile either. I was just looking for something that would be better than the speakers in my LED TV. As for the music, I actually was impressed with how good that sounded and we were dancing around the room to the tunes.

Hi folks!
I am looking for a soundbar. I have a Samsung 40" LCD LN40C610N1F: I have been looking at the HW-E450ZA and kind of also the [URL=http://LG NB3520A]LG NB3520A [/URL](because it's on sale for the same price right now. (edit: looks like the LG is $50 less at Canada Computers right now.. and Future Shop)

Looking to stay in the $250-$300 canadian dollar range.. another huuuge issue is availability, as I'm in Canada and a lot of the models people talk about aren't easily available here and international shipping tends to be prohibitively expensive.. unless people know good sources to get that stuff in.. I'm in London, Ontario. (I've seen that vht 215 picked on a lit of sites as a great buy, but haven't found a reasonable price for it in Canada)

My peripherals:
PS3, and my computer.. both connected via HDMI (and I have an iphone/ipad so being able to bluetooth stuff out from them would be a big plus).
I also have a PS2 that is raaaarely used that I wouldn't care if went through the soundbar..

I was nearly decided on the hw-e450 despite weird compatability issues, but now looking at the LG and wondering how they compare at the same price.. and of course if there's something better out there around the same price.. well that would be awesome, too

Any advice would be awesome.
Edited by cutcopypaste - 12/22/12 at 9:35am

Just got a lg 474600 tv. Was looking for a best soundbar i can buy for under 350'ish. Really don't want a subwoofer. Was hoping to get a soundbar that does good bass still and maybe simulated surround sound. I live in the US. I have no idea whats good. My tv supports arc so i will probably use the digitial out to go to the soundbar. I will be using a logitech harmony remote.

I'm more undecided that ever.....now my local Best Buy has the Yamaha YAS 101, LG NB3520a and Samsung HW-E450ZA all within $20 of each other. All have connectivity I am looking for and I can't distinguish sound difference in the store. Any input from anybody that owns these would be awesome!! Thanks a lot

If HDMI connectivity and/or a wireless sub matter to you, you could narrow it down rather quickly.

Not sure if it's a sticking point but YAS's lack of bluetooth connection might be a strike against.

Good call. That, too.

HDMI connectivity is not important to me. I dont mind using optical - I'm going to buy a Harmony remote anyway to make things easier. I'm just looking for whatever has best sound. Don't need a lot of bass but would like to be noticeable.

The LG obviously has bluetooth but I will probably be using Pandora on Directv for any music that we play so thats not a big selling point.

Like I said, I listened to both but it's really hard to tell in the store. I have an L shaped living room and normally sit around 12-15 feet away from the tv.

One feature that I like is the IR pass-thru on the yamaha. Any soundbar will most likely require me to build a small stand to raise my tv.

A
Arghhh now Best Buy has the Panasonic HTB350 for $149.90, which now puts the yas101 and lg 3520 and it all on my radar.

Couldn't find many threads on the HTB350 on here. Any input by owners would be appreciated.

Hello all. I've got a Samsung UN55ES7100 tv and am looking for a good soundbar. This TV does have HDMI ARC and Anynet+ control, as well as optical digital out. Is there a soundbar that can be completely controlled thru the TV remote - turn on, turn off, and volume control? I've read in another thread that the Samsung hw-e450 cannot be turned on via HDMI or volume controlled via optical. Turn-off capability is not a huge deal as I usually kill the entire power strip when done watching tv.

Hmmm, maybe turn-on is not a big deal either if it will turn on (and not just go into standby) when powered up by the power strip. But volume control is a definite must.

Thanks!