Official "help me choose a soundbar" thread - Page 13

Perfect. Thanks.

I have a portable epson moviemate 85hd projector and like to have outside movies in the summer for friends and family. It has built in speakers but only 10 watts. Looking for more sound and portability since movie nights move around, not always at my place. Thinking a one piece soundbar may be the answer. Any suggestions? Specific models? I came across a Denon DHT fs3 originally priced at about $1200 new when it came out a couple of years ago, currently discontinued, but found one at a store being dumped, new, for $300. It has an external subwoofer though, making it a bit cumbersome. Is the quality, especially with the extra woofer worth it or would new 2102 one piece soundbar be better. The projector doesn't have a hdmi, but does have a coaxial out for connectivity.

Thank you in advance for any help.

I live in a condo and have become dissatisfied with the stock tv speakers, so I am looking into the soundbar route. I've done a lot of research on the forums on various models. However it seems almost impossible to settle on one. I would appreciate any input!

Setup:
TV: Samsung UN46es8000 (wall mounted with large windows on one side and open space on the other)
Inputs: Xbox/ps3/DVR
Price range: ~$1600

The models I have been considering are: HK SB30, Bose SR1, Sony CT550. However I just stumbled upon the new JBL Cinema SB400.

I would prefer HDMI inputs, but I am not opposed to running optical if I have to.

Again, any input would be great. Especially if there is a system that I've completely overlooked.

The B&W Panorama version 1 can be had new and used in your price range and is an excellent option:

http://www.amazon.com/Bowers-Wilkins-Panorama-Integrated-System/dp/B0063C1E04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357329856&sr=8-1&keywords=panorama+soundbar

It has three digital inputs (2 optical, one coax) and two analog inputs. I have a PS3, xbox, and apple tv hooked up to mine and love it.

here is a review:

http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/audio-visual/hi-fi-and-audio/hi-fi-and-av-speakers/bowers-and-wilkins-panorama-613192/review

The Panorama 2 just came out with three HDMI inputs but a much higher price tag...... this thread has some good impressions of the original Panorama:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1400207/bowers-and-wilkins-panorama-impressions

Does anyone here own or have experience with the Toshiba mini 3D soundbar? I have read a couple of good reviews but have not found any local retailers where I could check it out. Thanks in advance.

Hi,

After some advice, as whilst I have been a member on UK AV forum for 9 years, I have recently moved from Uk to USA and had to leave all my AV stuff behind (panny plasma, onkyo amp, BW speakers , panny br etc). Anyway, love living here in Az and have just ordered a Sammy 64e7000 plasma and will probably buy the sony br 59 from costco today , also have a region free Pioneer dvd player (HDMI) for the 500 region 2 dvds I have and also a wii for the kids.

I am eventually going to get av amp /speakers (probably b&w again or maybe PMC DB1is ) but for now I want a soundbar. The room here is odd as it doesn't have 4 walls as they decided to have the kitchen in the lounge - which seems common over here lol. Lounge is 14 feet wide by 16 (apart from the open bit to kitchen !) and I will be sitting about 15 feet from screen. I have a budget of upto 800 bucks as it is just temporary and would like to wall mount the sound bar under TV.

Don't mind on configuration (can either connect devices into tv and use single optical out to soundbar or connect devices into soundbar and use ARC ) any thoughts on this ?

I went to Magnolia store and listened to Harmon 16b wich was pretty good with the 10 inch sub. Also interested in YSP 2200 but it isn't wall mountable so maybe not. Also second hand YSP 4100 is in price range. I would ideally like to be able to play music from my android as well, so does it need built in Bluetooth or could I stream via TV or get a Roku2 ?

Any advice on what is loudest, with clarity and best bass and not too fussed about surround sound performance just perhaps 2.1/3.1 performance. Are there any known best of breed that meets my needs?

many thanks

Simon.

First and foremost this is my first post and I'd like to say hello to the community and I appreciate any responses I get.

I found this thread at the top and I didn't want to create a new one but I wanted to find a solution for my audio needs. Below I've included a layout of my living room with dimensions and placement of my furniture and equipment.

I have a Vizio E601-E3 television which is a 60" Razor LED TV. I have it on a corner stand which is straight at the front and circular on the back. It's against the corner of my living room. I don't have it directly underneath my staircase because the power outlet is on the opposite corner near the DVD case and not below the staircase. On top of that during the holidays we put the table in the corner near the steps and place the christmas tree there.

Anyway, I'm on a serious budget ($200-$300) but I wanted more sound other than the speakers on the TV. I've looked into several systems and I wanted to know from some of the posters on here what they think would be best based on their own personal experiences.

I've looked at 4 systems so far which are the SONY HC-CT150, VIZIO VHT510, YAMAHA YAS-101, and the BOSE Cinemate Series 2. I'm looking for a system that can provide me with clean crisp sound with deep basses and good mids and highs. I'll mainly be using it to watch Blue Ray movies.

The TV has 4 HDMI ports, which I'm using 2 of. One for a cable box and the other for a Roku. It also has optical out.

Out of the 4 systems, I've only heard the BOSE at a local Best Buy,. I am aware that the BOSE stands are controlled environments with altered sounds and I should not expect it to perform the same in my space. I've found BOSE CInemate units on craigslist for around $300.

I want to know what I should go with. Thank you.


Edited by NazgulKing - 1/7/13 at 5:02am

Hi Naz,

I have been looking around too, and have upped my budget , however , if I were you, I would definately consider the Haier SBEV40-Slim, probably best in the 300 dollar range.

Thank you simonoaks. I haven't heard of that brand before until a few weeks ago. I'm new to the audio scene so I apologize if I'm coming off as a newbie. I'll have to take a look into reviews and such. Have you personally heard it or have you owned it? What do you think it does well and doesn't do well?

I haven't heard it, but is seems to be a good alrounder for your budget. I have auditioned several soundbars ( and the best advice any one can give in the AV world - seeing as you are new to it- is go and listen yourself). I have settled on a ysp2200 until I decide on the amp/speaker setup I want.

Hello everyone, so I want your help in choosing a soundbar.
I found 2 models but i don't know which of them are good...those are the models

1.LG NB3520A http://www.lg.com/us/home-theater-systems/lg-NB3520A-home-theater-system
2.Samsung HW-E450 http://www.samsung.com/us/video/home-theater/HW-E450/ZA

I want to connect the soundbar to this tv that i have http://www.lg.com/uk/tvs/lg-42LE5300-led-tv

So, what are you opinion about those products? Which one to choose?

I really need your help on this one

The Samsung has hdmi so if your TV supports ARC and CEC then that may be the better choice for ease of use. You can set your tv up to control the on/off and volume of the Samsung through the hdmi CEC and the ARC allows the flexibility of using your TV as the input selector. The LG sounds better than the Samsung but does not support hdmi, optical only. I recently had both and took them both back. I am waiting on the new Vizio's that were announced at CES or will try to pick one of the their older models up if they come back in stock.

thank you for the reply....i search out and i found that my tv does not suport ARC...so the solution is with optical cable....
It's funny because i asked on different forums about those soundbars and i can't figure it out wich one is better because everyone have they own ideea....some people say lg is better other say lg sucks...everyone has different opinions, so is pretty hard to chose one of them....
A friend on a different forum said another option of buying a Edifier S330 and connect this system to tv with optical cable.....I really don't know what to say....The system will be used in a small apartment and it will be used for watching movies, play games on xbox and listen to music.

So, i need your help please...what are my alternatives on this? What soundbar or system to chose? (i don't like many wires because it's a small apartment and it will look like crap with all the wires laying around...

Thanks again for the help
PS: Sorry for my bad language but i don't speek very well english
Edited by Andrei007 - 1/10/13 at 10:34am

The problem with getting a definitive answer is that, most times, people haven't tested a bunch of units. We can hear them in the store but rarely do they sound the same in your home. I can say that these 2 units were the 2 that I was deciding between when I asked for a soundbar for Christmas. All things equal, I was going to go with the Samsung because I have all Samsung equipment and I have had good experiences with them. That's just me, though. There are certainly enough issues to go around with the Samsung soundbar. From my experience, they are similar. The Samsung has HDMI connectivity, which was huge for me. The Samsung doesn't rock the house but I like the sound a lot. I recently heard the LG at Sam's Club and it seemed to have more "thump" than the Samsung. It definitely sounded good. Keep in mind that more "thump" doesn't necessarily mean better.

My recommendation would be that, if HDMI connectivity doesn't matter to you, see which unit you can get for a better price. Also, look to get it at a place with a decent return policy. That way, you can always return it if it doesn't satisfy you. Personally, I think that they are both good units for the price.

Thank you very much for this answer...
You are absolutely right. I think in the end i would go with LG because i have a LG TV. I also have 2 samsung tv( one lcd 40" and one led 32") and i have also a samsung home cinema 5.1 system in another place...
I don't remind very well the Samsung home cinema full name because it was buyed about 4 years ago with the 40" TV also Samsung. It is a good system but to big for my actual place.

So, i would go with the LG soundbar on this one, I hope it won't disappoint me.

Thanks again guys.

any thoughts on ysp2200 over harmon sb 16 ? Harmon has a 10inch s/w and I have a room with only 3 sides so maybe the 2.1 would be better . They are similar price - which would you get ?

thanks

I have an Epson 705HD and I can't get my Vizio vsb200 soundbar to work with my N64. Would a soundbar with hdmi work?

Can you be more specific? How have you tried connecting it?

Hi,

So it seems that for some ridiculous reason, my sammy e7000 that is being delivered next week does not output 5.1 via optical. Therefore, can you rec ommend a soundbar for under 700 that will enable me to connect a br player, multi region dvd player and a Roku, pass 3d and also pass 1080i50 and PAL content via ARC to tv? Was thinking YSP 2200 OR Sony 150 , which of these 2 is best and is there anything else I should check out? Can get ysp 2200 for 578 delivered. Thanks

Hi Simon,

Just FYI, but most HDTVs do not output 5.1 audio except from their internal tuner, so that issue isn't just Samsung. You've probably read the YSP2200 thread. Most owners seem to be pretty happy with it especially after taking some time to "tune it in". I do not know if the DVD content would cause any issues, but you could certainly contact Yamaha CS and ask (assuming they know ). BTW, I think you're confusing what ARC does. It is only for sending audio FROM a TV to an external audio system. From the way you phrased your question, I think you're asking if video content will pass correctly TO the TV via HDMI. The YSP2200 does have 3D pass through as does the Sony CT-150.

Thanks.

I left my who av setup of panny tv, onkyo amp and B&w speakers back in uk when I moved over here, so starting again. Will get similar setup but want soundbar for interim while I audition stuff. So just to be sure- I would connect Sony bd 590, pioneer dvd player and Roku into ysp 2200 via hdmi and connect a hdmi lead from port 2 on tv and set it up as ARC? this the means all the video/ audio passes through the ysp to the tv via the hdmi out on ysp and the audio passes back to the ysp via the same hdmi lead via? Is that all correct? Should you then set br player to pcm?

Thanks

Your understanding is close. For the source devices connected to the soundbar, only the video is passed to the TV. The audio is processed directly by the soundbar. ARC doesn't get involved. Set BD player to bitstream.

Now if you want to use smart apps on the TV or connect any other source devices directly to the TV, then you would use ARC to send the audio out to the soundbar.

Make sense?

BTW, the weather in Tucson has got to be quite a change from U.K.

I connected the yellow cable from my N64 to the 705HD, then I connected this rca cable ( http://www.frys.com/product/1646513?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG ) to the 705HD and VSB200. I know the 705HD doesn't have an rca out but the only other option I can think of to make the sound come out of the soundbar is to get an hdmi soundbar.

Thanks, That does make sense. So is it better to connect everything to TV and then have ARC out to YSP , or everything to YSP with HDMI out to TV ?

Yes, I love Tucson, I was back in London for New Year and it was wet and miserable. I was working for a huge USA internet firm over there and now work for same company from home, in the sunshine

One other thing Possum, would you recommend the YSP2200 set up via HDMI for HD sound or HK SB30 set up with just optical out from TV as 2.1 solution ?

thanks

As to the first question, I'd connect everything to the YSP since it can decode the HD audio codecs and the TV can't.

Since I haven't personally heard either the YSP or the HK it's hard to say which might be the better solution for you. Sound is such a personal thing.

Maybe one of the new Yamaha YSPs or the Bose 1 SR, or stretch the budget to the Bose LS 235/135. You have a good budget but it is really difficult to find a place to audition soundbars at. I would recommend the Bose but it is not my money nor decision, it is all yours.

You have to decide what exactly you expect of the soundbar, and then allocate a budget to that expectation. It seems that you have done that. I own and have owned some incredible sound systems, and the guys at Bose steered me to the LS 235. Can you buy better? Yes you can! They had no qualms in selling me an item for less money that met our needs for a small footprint and it sounds pretty darn good to boot! It is easy to set up, and will give 90% of the population the best sound that they have ever heard. That is the reason for their success! Do not forget the wife approval factor (WAF)!!!!

Best of wishes in your decision!

Hi,

So I have definitely narrowed it down to YSP 2200, or HK SB30. I do not mind from a cabling stand point if I connect everything to TV or Soundbar first. I think the HK will be better for music, and I could just connect BR direct via optical for movies. My question is: As my lounge only has 3 walls as the right-hand-side when looking at tv, is open into kitchen, would the surround capabilities be wasted on YSP ?

It would also be good to have a wireless sub (can't fathom why 2200 doesn't have one) and it isn't wall mountable - again totally ridiculous , so I am erring towards HK.

From a connection stand point, if I have the HDMIs going into TV, and optical from TV to HK SB30, would I also be able to connect the sony bd 590 to the HK too via optical and if so, will it know to use the BR feed and not the optical from TV when playing BR?

thanks

Well the HK SB30 only has one optical input, however it also has a digital coax input and your BD player has both optical and coax outputs. So you could connect the BD player's audio out to the soundbar via coax. You would make a setting change on the BD player for audio out to use digital, not HDMI.

Why would HK make something with no functionality yet charge so much? Then the ysp cannot be wall mounted and has no wireless sub
Do you know what else I could look at that has hdmi or 2 opticals that can be wall mounted with wireless sub for 6-800 dollars?

Thanks