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Official "help me choose a soundbar" thread - Page 16

post #451 of 539
2/27/13 at 2:33pm
Hi,

I am also searching for a soundbar for my living room which has 18' ceilings and an open floor plan. I am attaching the floor plan for a better visual. I have a 65VT50 and the sound echos a lot and it is difficult to understand the dialog. I was hoping I could put in a sound bar that can solve my issue. I was looking at the yamaha ATS-1010BL, 401 and even the 2200 and wanted to get some feedback from other users. I know they are in very different price ranges but I just wanted to get a better understanding of my options. Any feedback would be appreciated.

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #452 of 539
2/28/13 at 10:59am
I haven't listened to the Def Tech soundbar, but I've been a fan of their other products, my primary home entertainment sound system is comprised of Mythos speakers. I do have the Martin Logan Vision in another room, it is a very nice sounding soundbar. It does a good job with low frequency sound, but I still decided to add a Martin Logan Dynamo 700w subwoofer (wireless), and this setup will really rock a medium size room.
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post #453 of 539
3/2/13 at 7:54am
Help me choose a soundbar:

Panasonic VT50 55" plasma.
Direc TV
Panasonic BD500 Blu Ray player

Room is 23X17. The TV is set up along the 23' wall. The room has cathedral ceilings.

$500ish budget.
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post #454 of 539
3/2/13 at 10:01am
Please Help!

I just bought a 55" LG 55LS4500 HDTV and the sound on it is terrible IMO. I would like to to upgrade the sound system with something. I am thinking my best bet with my budget will be a soundbar w/ subwoofer but I'm open to all suggestions.

The TV itself has only 2 HDMI Inputs and a Digital Output. I am on a budget of $300 or under.

My TV is up against one wall and my couch is against the opposite wall, with one wall to the right and open to the left. There is roughly 7-8 feet between the TV and the couch.

I'm just looking to get some opinions on what my best options are within my limitations.
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post #455 of 539
3/4/13 at 8:27pm
Need Help

Master Bedroom

Equipment: Sony Bravia KDL40EX640, Dish Joey , Sony Blu-Ray Player

Looking for a sound bar that can be mounted. Also must have HDMI.

Budget: 300-400
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post #456 of 539
3/5/13 at 4:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by simonoaks View Post

Yes, I was at store - and yes it was that one with the HDMI.
I looked at the specs and this soundbar will only do 2-1 .

I get confused because my new TV will pass out native what it gets through toslink in either PCM, or Dolby so the bar needs to have a Dolby decoder
capability... It seems like 2-1 is sort going back to Sterio when some systems will do 5-1. I also don't understand HDMI ARC which one of the TV ports has
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post #457 of 539
3/6/13 at 4:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaosvarkas View Post

Please Help!

I just bought a 55" LG 55LS4500 HDTV and the sound on it is terrible IMO. I would like to to upgrade the sound system with something. I am thinking my best bet with my budget will be a soundbar w/ subwoofer but I'm open to all suggestions.

The TV itself has only 2 HDMI Inputs and a Digital Output. I am on a budget of $300 or under.

My TV is up against one wall and my couch is against the opposite wall, with one wall to the right and open to the left. There is roughly 7-8 feet between the TV and the couch.

I'm just looking to get some opinions on what my best options are within my limitations.
I am searching also but the only 5-1 soundbars are very expensive. There are a lot of 2-1 soundbars that operate on toslink. If you have room to put in wired system aDenon1713 AVR with some 5-1 Energy speakers would be nice instead of a soundbar. The AVR has 6 HDMI inputs and supports HDMI ARC on the output which should solve your lack of input problem on the TV. For a bedroom a 2-1 Boston Acustics TVee 25 or 26 would be ok. The 25 is 2-1 but the newer 26 is 5-1
Edited by generallee - 3/12/13 at 1:39pm
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post #458 of 539
3/7/13 at 5:51am
Hope this is the right place to ask!

I'm looking for a soundbar that will primarily do the following:
1) Act as a center channel
2) Has wireless subwoofer or wired sub that is less than 6" in one dimension so i can fit it in my space.
3) Is slim - less than 5" tall

Mostly I'm looking for good dialog audio (center) and decent bass for movies and music.
I want to get rid of my Bose Acoustimass 5.1 system
I already have good surround from (LF, RF, RR, LR) from another system.

I don't need the bells and whistles like Bluetooth, etc. - just good sound.
and I'd prefer something that installs to my receiver (like 'normal' speakers)
as I will only use this via my receiver (not from my TV).

Should I be buying a center and sub separately or is a soundbar/sub com a better option?
Edited by whoit - 3/7/13 at 6:22am
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post #459 of 539
3/7/13 at 9:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by whoit View Post

I don't need the bells and whistles like Bluetooth, etc. - just good sound.
and I'd prefer something that installs to my receiver (like 'normal' speakers)
as I will only use this via my receiver (not from my TV).

Should I be buying a center and sub separately or is a soundbar/sub com a better option?

Since you have an AVR and intend to continue using it, you do NOT want a soundbar. Get a center speaker that's timbre matched to your LF/RF speakers, plus whatever sub you want.
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post #460 of 539
3/7/13 at 10:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post

Since you have an AVR and intend to continue using it, you do NOT want a soundbar. Get a center speaker that's timbre matched to your LF/RF speakers, plus whatever sub you want.

Yeah, that figures.

I was considering a soundbar 'cause they're not very tall...thanks.
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post #461 of 539
3/8/13 at 3:02am
What soundbar should I buy? Samsung HW-e450 or Samsung HW-e551.
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post #462 of 539
3/8/13 at 3:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chriso89 View Post

What soundbar should I buy? Samsung HW-e450 or Samsung HW-e551.

What's your budget? What will you be connecting? What TV do you have? You need to provide some information. Any information.
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post #463 of 539
3/8/13 at 3:55am
My budget is at max e551 pricerange. I live in Norway so the prices is different. I have ordered the Philips 46pfl9707. (Best tv out right now ). And will use arc or optical. Will use the soundbar for music (kpop) battlefield and tv series and some movies. I need good dialog sounds. I am choosing from these model: e55, e450 and Yamaha yas 101n, yht 401. And maybe LG NB3520A
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post #464 of 539
3/11/13 at 6:58pm
looking for a sound bar for my 70" sharp, who makes a super wide bar with big sound?
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post #465 of 539
3/12/13 at 1:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by whoit View Post

Hope this is the right place to ask!

I'm looking for a soundbar that will primarily do the following:
1) Act as a center channel
2) Has wireless subwoofer or wired sub that is less than 6" in one dimension so i can fit it in my space.
3) Is slim - less than 5" tall

Mostly I'm looking for good dialog audio (center) and decent bass for movies and music.
I want to get rid of my Bose Acoustimass 5.1 system
I already have good surround from (LF, RF, RR, LR) from another system.

I don't need the bells and whistles like Bluetooth, etc. - just good sound.
and I'd prefer something that installs to my receiver (like 'normal' speakers)
as I will only use this via my receiver (not from my TV).

Should I be buying a center and sub separately or is a soundbar/sub com a better option?

I bought a Boston Acustics TVEE 26 that has both Optical Toslink and analog inputs(for playing off IPOD).. I am well satisfied as the little woofer is wireless and over the optical cable I get 5-1 to the Bar. It has Cinema and Music mode and also switchable inputs using the little remote that controls volume and mute. The Cinema mode delivers surround while the music mode is more direct and is good for concerts, video's, and TV newscast. The bar is within your specs and the woofer can be paced anywhere in the room and is small. This barr has features that are found on more expensive bars and I am well satisfied. This bar does not need to be hooked directly to TV but it is best that way to get the full effect.as it will decode Dolby and my TV (Panasonic) puts out LPCM and Dolby digital. In my LR I have a regular AVR and Energy surround speakers that uses a center speaker. but the center speaker is much larger than your requirements. I watched a Christian Bale movie that was about the 1937 Rape of Nanking that had both english and chineese with subtitles last night in 5-1 surround and the sound was really greeat

For the others seeking a good soundbar, I chose the BA TVEE 26 over the Yahama and Polk due to price. I am well satisfied with the sound quality and since I did not need HDMI ARC (even though my TV does have a HDMI ARC port) found it to be a less expensive way of getting good sound in my Bed Room TV setup. The setup is easy and the bar comes with everything including a mounting template for wall mount so all I need was a couple of dry wall screws. To hide the Toslink cable and the power cable, I found the store boughr wire mold too large and so I made my own on my table saw and painted to match the walll for almost invisible install for my wall mount Plasma TV
Edited by generallee - 3/12/13 at 1:45pm
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post #466 of 539
3/12/13 at 1:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by david8613 View Post

looking for a sound bar for my 70" sharp, who makes a super wide bar with big sound?
Depends on your budget. You can spend $2000 or $800 or a Polk for $500. What you need to know first is what your TV will output and the Method. Does the output HDMI ARC, Digital Optical, Analog? Will you be using an AVR? What other devices will you be using? (PS3, Xbox, Cable, Direct TV, Headphones (wireless/wired). It takes a bit of study to get things matched up before you do your research.
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post #467 of 539
3/12/13 at 6:34pm
my budget is flexible, I am currently selling my 5.1 infinity tower set up, very large set up. what I want is a great sounding set up that will look good too, I'm currently looking at yamaha ysp series, definitive technology xtr series, but as I'm doing more and more research I'm hearing alot of these sound bars don't do surround sound all that well, except for the 2 I mentioned above, I hear they do simulated surround sound pretty good. I'll be wall mounting my tv if that means anything... I'm also looking at the def tech mythos system that more traditional set up.
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post #468 of 539
3/13/13 at 11:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by david8613 View Post

my budget is flexible, I am currently selling my 5.1 infinity tower set up, very large set up. what I want is a great sounding set up that will look good too, I'm currently looking at yamaha ysp series, definitive technology xtr series, but as I'm doing more and more research I'm hearing alot of these sound bars don't do surround sound all that well, except for the 2 I mentioned above, I hear they do simulated surround sound pretty good. I'll be wall mounting my tv if that means anything... I'm also looking at the def tech mythos system that more traditional set up.
Actually the TVEE 25 and TVEE 30 are 2-1 but the TVEE 26 is new and does 5-1 The 26 has Cinema which is 5-1 and Music which is 2-1/
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post #469 of 539
3/13/13 at 4:07pm
Hello guys newbie here

I'm going to buy a 47" LG TV, I wonder what 2-channel soundbar could improve its audio experience on a budget (let's say below 200$ but my budget is flexible).

I live in a little flat and I'm not a Vin Diesel fan, so i can survive with average bass, the only feature i really care about is the ability to control the volume (and maybe turn the soundbar on/off) with the single TV remote.


Thanks
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post #470 of 539
3/16/13 at 7:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ciquta View Post

Hello guys newbie here

I'm going to buy a 47" LG TV, I wonder what 2-channel soundbar could improve its audio experience on a budget (let's say below 200$ but my budget is flexible).

I live in a little flat and I'm not a Vin Diesel fan, so i can survive with average bass, the only feature i really care about is the ability to control the volume (and maybe turn the soundbar on/off) with the single TV remote.


Thanks
Since you live in a small area with neighbors who might complain I might suggest some Sony headphones that are wireless toslink fed. Sony DMR DS6500 which are discounted now on Amazon to your price range. it will give you surround 7-1 but your TV will probably only output 5-1 LPCM, Dolby. You need either a soundbar or headphones that will decode Dolby.
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post #471 of 539
3/16/13 at 10:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by generallee View Post

Since you live in a small area with neighbors who might complain I might suggest some Sony headphones that are wireless toslink fed. Sony DMR DS6500 which are discounted now on Amazon to your price range. it will give you surround 7-1 but your TV will probably only output 5-1 LPCM, Dolby. You need either a soundbar or headphones that will decode Dolby.
No thanks I'm happy with a decent soundbar just to watch football and some non-action movie.

The built-in audio of my tv is really cr*p rolleyes.gif
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post #472 of 539
3/17/13 at 2:50am
I'm really showing my inexperience here, but I suppose we all have to start somewhere, and this question is killing me. For this example, I am going to use the Sony HT-CT550W. In fact, to make it easier, here is the picture I was going to be referring to (If it's too small, you can follow the hyperlink, and it's the third picture on the page):



Originally, I was under the impression that Optical Audio cables from sources (DVR, Blu-Ray Player, etc.) straight to sound bar or receiver was the way to go about getting the best sound, but I now understand it is in fact HDMI.

So, the Sony HTCT550W has three HDMI inputs. I connect my DVR, my Blu-Ray player, and my PS3 straight to it. Then, I am supposed to connect the Receiver to my TV, also via HDMI, for the video. In the picture, after "SAT/CATV IN", there is an unnamed port. Is that another HDMI, and that's what I would use to connect to the television for video?

I realize the one to the right of it says, "TV OUT," but it also says, "ARC." I know that ARC only carries sound. So, does that port double as HDMI and ARC (are they different cables, so it can be used for either)?

Or, are neither of those the case, and I have to use an HDMI Switch?

Also, regardless of which of the above is the case, does having the video go through the receiver (or sound bar, if you're using one) and then to the TV degrade the picture at all?

I'm sure I've made this post way longer than it needed to be, but I wanted to cover all possibilities to make sure I understood the answer.

Also, while I'm at it, if I came across a receiver or sound bar that had less HDMI inputs than this and decided to use an HDMI Switch, do they degrade the sound at all?

Thank you.
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post #473 of 539
3/17/13 at 6:03am
I think that it's just a matter of semantics regarding the ARC port on the soundbar. It will probably make things easier for you to understand if you think of the HDMI OUT port on the soundbar as also being the ARC port (if you will be using that). In your setup, I would just connect your 3 sources to the IN ports and then connect an HDMI cable from the TV OUT port on the soundbar to the TV. That's it. You don't need a switch unless you plan on adding additional sources to your setup. In theory, passing video through a receiver or audio through a switch will cause no degradation. That said, you are creating more potential issues. More handshakes along the way. I got a Monoprice switch that is working properly NOW but I had to return the original.
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post #474 of 539
3/17/13 at 7:25am
How is the Yamaha yas 101 compered with the internal speakers on my tv? My tv has 2 x 20watt speakers in the stand (Philips 46pfl9700).
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post #475 of 539
3/17/13 at 8:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctego View Post

I think that it's just a matter of semantics regarding the ARC port on the soundbar. It will probably make things easier for you to understand if you think of the HDMI OUT port on the soundbar as also being the ARC port (if you will be using that). In your setup, I would just connect your 3 sources to the IN ports and then connect an HDMI cable from the TV OUT port on the soundbar to the TV. That's it. You don't need a switch unless you plan on adding additional sources to your setup. In theory, passing video through a receiver or audio through a switch will cause no degradation. That said, you are creating more potential issues. More handshakes along the way. I got a Monoprice switch that is working properly NOW but I had to return the original.

Thank you for replying, Doctego. I do appreciate it.

The entire "Arc" issue I brought up finally hit me last night while I was lying in bed. I have no idea why it was confusing me last night, but it was nice to see your response and see that I had finally gotten it.

It's also good to know for sure about the switches, just in case I end up having to use one. Speaking of that, I just want to clarify, since you didn't specifically state this one; I'm assuming that much like the receiver and passing audio through a switch, passing video through a switch doesn't degrade it, either? Other than the "handshake" dilemma, of course.

When I first signed up for this forum, I really thought I had decided on a bar and just wanted to clarify one or two things before making the purchase. Now, I have no idea which bar I want, or if I want one at all. I've begun looking at simple 2.1 systems. Like everyone else, I would love to have a 5.1 or even a 7.1 (Hell, I'd take a 22.2 if someone would make it for me), but my living room isn't that large, and I wouldn't be a fan of all that wiring. Two speakers I could handle, though.

It's hard when the only place in your general area you could go to check these things out in person is a Best Buy that is quickly circling the drain. Every time I'm there, I can't help but wonder if they are purposefully trying to get the store closed down for good. Out of all the sound bars they had there, they only had ONE set up to demo -- the Bose Cinemate 1 SR -- which of course sounded great of course (to me, at least).

Other than that one, honestly, I would say over half of the bars available were boxes that had already been opened and returned.

I don't suppose you have any recommendations on a bar or a 2.1 that is a favorite of yours, would you?

Thanks again.
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post #476 of 539
3/18/13 at 4:37am
Quote:
I don't suppose you have any recommendations on a bar or a 2.1 that is a favorite of yours, would you?

I am currently using a Samsung HW-E450 with the Monoprice HDMI switch and am happy. I looked at the Sony model that you brought up above and liked it. Mine was a Christmas present so the Samsung was more budget-friendly. If the Sony fits your budget, that seems like a good choice. It fits your connectivity needs and you wouldn't need to use a switch, which is a good thing.

About the switch, you should notice no issues with audio or video degradation. My video looks great in my setup. Some people have mentioned issues. I'm pretty sure that has to do with their eyes seeing things that they feel they should see or, like I said, more connections could cause more issues. All that it would take would be one faulty cable, one faulty terminal end, one faulty cable seat, etc. Any time that you add connections, you increase your chance of an issue there. If everything is proper in the chain, you should notice no difference.
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post #477 of 539
3/20/13 at 10:24pm
First off, my apologies for the wall of text.

I'm looking at replacing my current sound bar. Currently, I have an Sony HTCT-100, which has served me well over the last few years except for a single issue -- dialog can be very hard to hear, especially from Bluray disks (from my research, this is a common complaint). When watching Bluray disks, especially late at night, I have to keep my hand on the volume button to keep dialogue audible but prevent waking my wife. I've tried to tweak the settings, but nothing seems to help. I was looking into building a 3.0 system with a receiver, but the limited space around the tv made it hard to find speakers and the amount of wires would have not met the wife-acceptance factor. Therefore, I have decided to fall back on getting a better quality soundbar, something in the $600- $900 dollar range.

Requirements:
Height - the soundbar cannot be any taller than 6 inches, as there are 7 inches of clearance below my tv.
Dialogue - As a previously mentioned, being able to clearly make out dialogue is a must
Low Bass - As I live in a town home, I have to be considerate of my neighbors. A subwoofer is fine, as long as it can be turned on or off as needed, or adjusted. A sound bar that sounds decent even if the subwoofer is off or the bass is turned down. As I mentioned above, I was seriously considering a 3.0 system and not having a subwoofer at all.
Good for casual tv viewing- Many soundbars/speaker systems that I have encountered seem to be designed for watching movies and play games -- basically, to impress during the action sequences. But often these aren't optimal for just watching tv. Maybe "overpowering" is the right word?
Good for nighttime listening- I do most of my television viewing at night, so my preference would be a solution that has superior audio DRC. Again, being able to hear dialogue is a must.

Uses:
Casual TV Viewing
Gaming
Watching Movies

Room Layout:



I've been told my living room layout is problematic for any type of surround sound. Basically, my television is on the left side of the "Living Room" area in the picture, mounted exactly where the words "OPT. FIREPLACE" is in the plan. The couch is against the opposite wall.


Soundbars am looking at:

Sonos Playbar- Ease of use and setup. Downsides are that it doesn't support DTS, and even if the feature is added, my TV does not do DTS passthrough (it does do dolby from my understanding). I tested the display model at Bestbuy and was extremely impressed. My main concern is the lack of DTS support, as many Bluray disks only have DTS tracks. If anyone that has a Playbar can comment on the Linear PCM 2.0 playback quality, that would help greatly.

Yamaha YSP-2200 Sound Projector- Honestly, I've been wanting a Yamaha Sound Projector for a long time. Lots of features, uses HDMI, and supports most of the modern DTS and Dolby formats. My main concerns are:
The Sound Projection technology will not work correctly in by Living Room due to layout.
Much more complicated setup - more to configure and tweak is good, but my fear is that this unit will require significant tweaking.
No local demo units - I can't find anywhere that has one that I can test.


Again, apologies for the wall of text. Thank you for the help.
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post #478 of 539
3/22/13 at 8:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Talonstryk View Post

First off, my apologies for the wall of text.

I'm looking at replacing my current sound bar. Currently, I have an Sony HTCT-100, which has served me well over the last few years except for a single issue -- dialog can be very hard to hear, especially from Bluray disks (from my research, this is a common complaint). When watching Bluray disks, especially late at night, I have to keep my hand on the volume button to keep dialogue audible but prevent waking my wife. I've tried to tweak the settings, but nothing seems to help. I was looking into building a 3.0 system with a receiver, but the limited space around the tv made it hard to find speakers and the amount of wires would have not met the wife-acceptance factor. Therefore, I have decided to fall back on getting a better quality soundbar, something in the $600- $900 dollar range.

Requirements:
Height - the soundbar cannot be any taller than 6 inches, as there are 7 inches of clearance below my tv.
Dialogue - As a previously mentioned, being able to clearly make out dialogue is a must
Low Bass - As I live in a town home, I have to be considerate of my neighbors. A subwoofer is fine, as long as it can be turned on or off as needed, or adjusted. A sound bar that sounds decent even if the subwoofer is off or the bass is turned down. As I mentioned above, I was seriously considering a 3.0 system and not having a subwoofer at all.
Good for casual tv viewing- Many soundbars/speaker systems that I have encountered seem to be designed for watching movies and play games -- basically, to impress during the action sequences. But often these aren't optimal for just watching tv. Maybe "overpowering" is the right word?
Good for nighttime listening- I do most of my television viewing at night, so my preference would be a solution that has superior audio DRC. Again, being able to hear dialogue is a must.

Uses:
Casual TV Viewing
Gaming
Watching Movies

Room Layout:



I've been told my living room layout is problematic for any type of surround sound. Basically, my television is on the left side of the "Living Room" area in the picture, mounted exactly where the words "OPT. FIREPLACE" is in the plan. The couch is against the opposite wall.


Soundbars am looking at:

Sonos Playbar- Ease of use and setup. Downsides are that it doesn't support DTS, and even if the feature is added, my TV does not do DTS passthrough (it does do dolby from my understanding). I tested the display model at Bestbuy and was extremely impressed. My main concern is the lack of DTS support, as many Bluray disks only have DTS tracks. If anyone that has a Playbar can comment on the Linear PCM 2.0 playback quality, that would help greatly.

Yamaha YSP-2200 Sound Projector- Honestly, I've been wanting a Yamaha Sound Projector for a long time. Lots of features, uses HDMI, and supports most of the modern DTS and Dolby formats. My main concerns are:
The Sound Projection technology will not work correctly in by Living Room due to layout.
Much more complicated setup - more to configure and tweak is good, but my fear is that this unit will require significant tweaking.
No local demo units - I can't find anywhere that has one that I can test.


Again, apologies for the wall of text. Thank you for the help.
I did a lot of searching and finally decided that since my TV had a Toslink output and put out LPCM and Dolby, I decided to buy an Boston Audio TVEE 26 which had both toslink and analog inputs for Ipod hook up. Then as an add on I bought a pair of Sony DMR DS6500 wireless headphones. The BA soundbar has a wireless woofer and it more than adequate. I hooked up the earphones with a toslink switch to both the D* and blu ray player so when I want to use the earphones, I simply mute or change iinputs on the soundbar and then turn on the headphones. The switch that I am using is a cheap Monoprice switch that cost $6 but I will probably upgrade to a better 4-2 switch to make everything remote. I am very satisfied with the setup and the bar is a big improvement over the crappy TV speakers. The BA bar is outputting 5-1 when source available DTS is NOT specified .but I assumed that since my blu ray had a toslink out that it would play. I will have to check that out Update: It does handle the output. I like the fact that I can change remotely the output from the surround sound to a stereo 2-1 for music like concerts as the music mode gives a more direct sound. The surround is called cinema mode and works well with movies.
Edited by generallee - 3/25/13 at 5:22am
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post #479 of 539
3/24/13 at 10:50pm
If anyone would like to shed some light on a good sound bar for me, I'd be very appreciative.

TV - P50ST50
Room size - 14 x 18
Inputs - Directv, Xbox360, Sony Blu-Ray

I want something that is going to give me good sound for gaming and movies. My wife will not tolerate cables cluttering the space (AKA any cables visible) which is why I've got the ST50 wall mounted with cables running through tubing to recessed shelving that hold the DTV/Xbox/BR player. I'm looking to stay in the 500 dollar price range, and ideally would get a wireless sub of decent quality as well.

So far, I've looked hard at the JBL SB400 and the Polk 6000.
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post #480 of 539
3/25/13 at 6:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rposter View Post

If anyone would like to shed some light on a good sound bar for me, I'd be very appreciative.

TV - P50ST50
Room size - 14 x 18
Inputs - Directv, Xbox360, Sony Blu-Ray

I want something that is going to give me good sound for gaming and movies. My wife will not tolerate cables cluttering the space (AKA any cables visible) which is why I've got the ST50 wall mounted with cables running through tubing to recessed shelving that hold the DTV/Xbox/BR player. I'm looking to stay in the 500 dollar price range, and ideally would get a wireless sub of decent quality as well.

So far, I've looked hard at the JBL SB400 and the Polk 6000.

your wife and mine must have gone to the same elementary school as wires are not allowed in my house either. When I added the soundbar I had no access to in wall wall wire channels and though I had a wall plug for power behind the tv, the fact that it was a single recessed plug that would not permit me to put in anything but another surge protector bar behind the tv (ugh) since both the toslink and the soundbar cables were so small, I decided to use wire mold available at HD or Lowes. The available wire mold was too big so I cut on my table saw a wooden pyramid with a flat top and a channel at the bottom for the wires then painted it and after inserting the wires attached it to the wall with a strip of double sided tape. This allowed the soundbar to be wall mounted about 2" below the TV and a almost invisible wall channel for the wires.

By using Ethernet switch that has 6 powered connections, I have been able to connect all the source devices like Blu Ray, game, smart tv to the router and things like thee D* coax, outside antenna coax and Ethernet cat6a connected to a small keystone wall plate where I was also able to find components at Monoprice. all of the HDMI cables, toslink cables and a single Ethernet cable plus power for the TV were routed through a PowerBridge TSPBIW-6-WH Total Solution Flat Panel In-Wall Power and Cable Management Kit -that cost 58.at Amazon. I had to use a kit such as the one described as my subwall had firebreaks between the studs which makes it impossible to get cables up inside the wall without having to cut a butterfly patch in the drywall to cut out part of the firebreak. If anyone is doing this method, I strongly suggest that a stout string also be left in with the cables for future cable possibilities.

I had not heard the Polk soundbar but since they make good speakers assume it is a good bar. I could not pass up a deal that I got which was a factory refurb Boston Acoustics TVEE 26 which I got through accessories4less for 130 which was a 220 discount price from the reg price of 349. The savings allowed me to add the wireless Sony Headphones for 210. Since I now have two toslink output devices I need to purchase a electronic switch (to replace manual one) to switch between headphones and sound bar. The Panny is set with speakers off.
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