Official "help me choose a soundbar" thread - Page 3

I seen some good prices on the best buy and walmart black friday adds for large LCD's. Take a look at them. One was the LG 47lw5300. It comes with a 3d blu-ray player for 800

Hello. I'm thinking about getting a soundbar for my TV. So far I've narrowed it down to either the Sony HT-CT150 or the Vizio VSB200. Obviously the Vizio is a lot cheaper and cheaper is always better, so is there a huge difference between them to make it worth buying the Sony? Am I missing a better alternative?

Also, I'm planning on just hooking the soundbar up to the TV through an RCA cable. Will that be a problem?

A key difference between the two is that the Sony includes a subwoofer, which will add depth and "punch" to the soundbar's output. The Sony can also decode Dolby Digital and DTS formats and provides additional digital inputs: This will let you add a DVD or Blu-ray later, or run surround sound from a satellite or cable box. The Vizio has only one digital input (optical), and your other equipment must decode DD and DTS to PCM.

My situation:

Arcam AVR300 and HSU Sub.

Looking to take advanage of the processing on the Arcam, and the low range of the HSU. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

For simulated surround I'd look at the Atlantic Technology FS7.1, for a good LCR I'd look at the Triad bars. The Triad bars can be custom sized to your TV.

I have a family room- 22'x22' and I'm looking for a soundbar that provides improved dialog (what is it with getting over age 60 and you can't understand what they're saying on TV,movies,etc.?) and simulated surrond- any feedback appreciated..thanks!

Hello,

I am working on a set up for my parents home on the coast. They use it as a rental when they are not there and are replacing some old components/old tv etc.

They are on a budget so I got them a Haier 32" LCD off amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Haier-L32D1120...pr_product_top

I bought it prior to very many reviews being posted but a majority of the reviews say the sound quality is quite poor on the tv set. The TV set does not have an optical out but does have a few HDMI inputs. It also has head phone out and RCA inputs.

They are also replacing an old stereo unit which has wired bookshelf speakers as I told them most people these days just use an iphone/ipod or smartphone to listen to music (not cds).

So my question is quite simple (or maybe not). Is there an ALL in one solution that I could use for them that would be affordable that could be used with the tv (when watching tv) to make it sound better (and movies) and also hook an ipod up to? I noticed that the Sony CT150 has an optional ipod base that can be hooked up to it but do you think a sound bar would be sufficient for a decent sized living room for listening to music? No one needs to listen to it SUPER loud mind you but people do like to listen to music while cooking or hanging out in the living room or quietly at dinner.

Also the space is 34" wide and I cant go much over that. I was looking at a Klipsch Igroove SXT for a new speaker system for them but I dont know if that will be sufficient for that room. Plus now I have to take into account the whole tv sounding bad so thought maybe a sound dock would provide a good solution?

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Ritchie

I have a 7 series Panasonic plasma monitor that I need to set up in a room that cannot handle the a speaker setup (a bedroom). The plasma does not have an HDMI blade and it has just one component input. Right now I use Yamaha RXV 1300 to do the component switching. My future needs are using a Cisco tv box (has HDMIi and component), LG BD 390 Bluray player and a Wii. Is there a soundbar that will hand all this? Ideally, I need component switching for two devices.

Here are my alternatives:

Sell that Plasma for a few hundred bucks and buy a new plasma and live the built in speakers.

Buy an HDMI blade for 7 Series Panny and then buy a soundbar that can do HDMI switching. The cost of this option maybe be closer to the net cost of selling the 6 years plasma and then spend $7-800 on a new one.

Find a sound-bar that does component switching.

Input would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Hi guys.

I'm looking at purchasing a 26" LED TV but I'm having trouble finding a good audio setup.

The TV I am looking at is roughly 26.5" in width. I'm looking for a soundbar that is not wider than the TV so it does not look odd. What do you guys suggest?

What is a good sound bar (three channel LCR) that will provide decent sound at a modest price? I already have rear surrounds in the ceiling. Thanks.

What's a decent price? Triad and Atlantic Technology are very good and Triad will custom size to match your TV for an extra fee. There are many other brands that make good sound bars.

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

Hello all,

I've recently moved into a new house and am in the process of setting up the theatre so I've signed up to the forum for some more experienced advice on selecting a soundbar.
The room is fully enclosed but not very well designed.
* It's 4.6 metres wide by 3.2 metres deep (about 15 feet by 10 and a half)
* The floor is carpeted, with a ceiling height of 8 feet
* Facing the tv, the left hand wall has double doors which remain open at most times, but would be closed for a good movie night

We currently have a cheap Samsung LCD screen which will be upgraded at a later stage. Items currently connected - Wii & Xbox 360. Items that will be connected - PS3 & media PC.
I'm not fussed about buying a switch (or switches) but would rather not have to buy an amp.

If I have the terminology right, I'm looking for a surround bar - I want a simulated surround sound, not just louder/better stereo. And one with a sub is preferred.
My budget is up to $400

Some of the models I have been looking at (after reading about on these forums) are;
Vizio VSB210
Sony HT-CT150
Yamaha YHT-S400
Polk SurroundBar 3000

I have got a wall mounted 42" LG in the bedroom with horrible sound. We watch mainly TV shows but have a PS3 connected for the occasional Netflix movie or even a BD/DVD. I do not need big sound(that's what the theater room is for) but I would like to get better sound. I was looking for something in the under $200 range. I am not opposed to a wireless sub woofer either if there is a good combo out there.

Hello. I'm a noob when it comes to sound. I don't know anything about it, but have been getting interested over the last year. Years ago I got a HTIB just because it was cheap. I was happy with them. They are very old, and one speaker doesn't work anymore. I went to visit my dad and he has a Yamaha Air Surround sound bad (I don't know what model), and was surprised because I did hear the sound from the back. I think it's because the room is small. My room is pretty big I would say it's around 11x18 feet. Would a sound bar be good for me, or would I be better off with another set up? The most I would probably pay now is 300. What would you guys recommend?

update:

Due to a small issue, I ended up with a Polk 6000 instead of a 4000. Also after measuring the space my mom had for a TV, I got her the 42LK520. They are both great. Mom really likes the combination.

I have a Sony HT CT-100 above the fireplace. If it dies, I'll be getting a 6000 to replace it. The 6000 is tremendously better than the Sony.

Hey guys,

I've got an LG 50PX950 and I'm looking for a good soundbar to complement my setup.

90% of the content will be through a Tivo Premiere. I also have a PS3.

I'm looking to spend up to $500, and it turns out most subs I've looked at don't fit in the space under my TV so I'm looking for something with a wireless sub.

Another consideration is style. The TV has a black bevel but the rest of my cabinet space is white and heavy on the modern styling. Everything I've looked at is black so I may be out of luck here.

So far I've been considering the Sony HT CT550 because it seems to get decent praise around here for what it is, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with LG's soundbars, specifically the LSB316. Would it work better with my TV? Ideally I don't want to have to use a separate controller just for sound.

Thanks in advance~

The Polk 3000, 4000 and 6000 will learn volume up, down, mute and power from your TV remote. You turn the TV speakers off in the TV Menu and the TV remote only changes volume for the sound bar.

The 6000 is below $500 and has a separate wireless sub.

I'm wave between Yamaha ysp 2200 and ysp 4100... What are the real differences?
My room is 6 meters for 4 meters, I'll use it for Sky HD and Xbox...

Posting for my father in law in this category... wandering which soundbar he should go with or even IF he should run one at all now...

Reason: he purchased a Sharp HT-SL70 SUPER SLIM soundbar to go with his 52" Sharp Aquos LC52LE835 for the bedroom. After having some issues we decided he should return it. When you turn the TV on the picture and sound do not show up. Then if you change the input to an input where the HDMI 2/Cable/Etc cable is NOT ran then change it BACK to the one where it is (HDMI 1), everything starts to work. TV and soundbar are brand new out of the box at that time.

Any idea what might have caused the issue? Defective Soundbar Unit? I know it has nothing to do with the TV's parts/inputs as I did check those and got the same issue. I also removed the soundbar setup out of the equation and had no issues at all. Only asking just in case of having the same type of issue with another soundbar and/or just in case someone else has had the same issue.

Current setup goes as follows:

52" Sharp Aquos LC52LE835
Time Warner Cisco Explorer 4642HDC DVR Box
Sharp HT-SL70 Soundbar

Sky de México?

Hi, I bought my mom a 55" sony LED for thanksgiving and paired it with the Panasonic HTB520. I liked it ok, but didn't really get to experience it. I am now at the In-Laws and we just ordered a 70" Sharp LED. I am looking for the best solution in the $500 or under area. We need something that is front surround like a soundbar/Woofer, 3.1 System, etc. but we want it directionally away from the TV and not from the rear because that would carry towards bedrooms and stairs...

So far I have narrowed to Pan HTB520, Vizio VHT215, Sharp HE HTSB600, Samsung HWD550, and Sony CT550W.

Any other Ideas I am open but want HDMI ARC support and if another setup please include reciever and speaker #s.

Thanks,
Zach

After speaking to someone from Crutchfield the recommended soundbar I should get for my room is a Polk Audio 400 which is $750. I wanted to get some individual opinions before dropping that much money on it.

You can see my room layout and dimensions in the attached file. I also have an TV: LG 55" LW6500
Receiver: Onkyo HT-R550 (Not currently being used)

everything is being watched from my HTPC including blu-ray and a CETON cable card tuner.

I really want to get a surround sound effect without having to wire the room as there is no simple way to wire the space.

Hi my friends, i have just a single question. I have to choose between this 2 SoundBars:

1) VIZIO VHT510
2) YAMAHA YSP-3050

I get both at the same price, Yamaha seems to be a lot more robust, but Vizio seems to be more beauty, and is real 5.1 with just few cables on subwoofer

What do you think?? wich one should i chose for the same price???
Thanks a lot in advance!!!

Hi there - I have a very high-quality two-channel stereo setup and would like to add a sound bar to handle the center and surround channels.

This appears to be a difficult google search (probably because I don't know the jargon for what this item would be!).

The Yamaha YSP-2200 etc have a "3-beam" mode which seems like it might do the trick.

The sound bar needs to do the 5.1 audio decoding, as my two-channel setup doesn't have any of that.

Your thoughts and product recommendations appreciated!

Okay, my wonderful wife gave me a 46" Toshiba LED for Christmas and I am now in the market for a sound bar. I have searched this forum and have had a time trying to find precise information on a "buyer's guide" to sound bars.

I would like to stay in the $200-400 range and have been looking at the Polk Audio HST-3000.

I demoed it at Best Buy and was impressed, but it didn't blow my socks off.
What others are comparable out there, what concerns do I need to have regarding audio.

My plan is to run HDMI from my sat. receiver and Blu ray player to my TV, then run Optical from the TV to the SoundBar, will that work well?

I am confused about this lossless stuff that has been mentioned.

This TV will be used primarily in the family room for watching news, network shows, and sports, so audio clarity and volume comes before deep booming base.

Thanks for any and all input!

So, other than finding the soundbar which sounds best to you, what else should you consider? It may come down to inputs: The Sony, Vizio, and Yamaha YHT-S400 have HDMI inputs, plus other digital and analog inputs. With HDMI inputs, your sat receiver and Blu-ray would both connect into the soundbar, and a single HDMI cable would run from the bar to the TV.

The advantage of these over the Polk models and the Yamaha YAS-101 -- which have to take optical out from your TV -- is that HDMI will provide all available digital channels from the source material. If you have a 6.1 or 7.1 DTS-HD MA audio track on a Blu-ray disc, the best that your TV could send over optical would be a 2-channel stereo signal. That's because that is the only format that both your Blu-ray and TV can speak when they negotiated their HDMI connection. If your TV can decode Dolby Digital internally, it may pass that 5.1 signal from your satellite receiver through the TV's optical output, but this seems to be hit and miss with many TVs. Two-channel stereo from your Blu-rays (and probably even from your DVDs) isn't going give you the same audio impression as the native, multi-channel formats.

Lossless audio simply means that the compression algorithm used to condense the audio for storage on the disc does not have to discard (i.e., lose) any of the information. "Lossy" formats like Dolby Digital and DTS actually discard elements in the original audio that most of our ears wouldn't discern. But that said, I can say from experience that the Dolby Digital 5.1 track on the DVD of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" doesn't have the depth and nuance of the DTS-HD MA track on the Blu-ray copy of the movie.

All this aside, any of the soundbars I mentioned can be a good choice if it sounds good to your ears and provides the inputs that you want to have. You may also want to decide whether it's important to have a separate subwoofer, and if so, if it needs to be wireless.

In my case, I chose the Yamaha YHT-S400, because I was replacing an older, stereo AV receiver. I wanted HDMI inputs for my cable box and Blu-ray, an analog input for my MP3 player, and an optical input so that I could run the audio from our Wii (which connects directly into the TV) from the TV into the soundbar. And with two very active, 30-pound dogs, I didn't want anything on the floor.

Your needs and preferences will lead you to the best choice for you!

UPDATE: After researching a bit more, it is not clear whether the Vizio VHT215 will accept high-definition audio (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, or multi-channel PCM). As for the "lossy" formats, it can only decode Dolby Digital, not DTS. The only way you will get true HD sound from your Blu-ray is if the unit will accept multi-channel PCM (like the Sony and Yamaha YHT-S400 will), but I cannot find any info online saying whether it will or will not accept this format over HDMI. Does anyone else know?

Thank you MTSIndy, you addressed my post perfectly. I am definitely going to go with one that provides HDMI switching, thank you!

my room is 20x15. it has an 18ft ceiling. the TV sits in the middle of the front wall above the fire place. it is a 51 inch samsung..umm something or other can not recall.

The back wall of the room is only 4.5 ft high. Past the back wall it opens up into the kitchen.

The right side of the room is all windows.

What would be a good sound bar for a room with basicaly no back wall to bounce sound off of.

I think the challenges are going to be an almost open back wall of the room. and windows not reflecting the sound the same as a wall?

Cost I would like to keep it under $500 but willing to spend more if needed for this type of room.

We use this tv for most our tv viewing. I would like good sound for movies and tv. But would settle for something that just upgrades the stock speakers in our tv. With the tv being set into the cutout above the fire place the sound from the tv speakers just seems to get trapped in there.

You are very welcome, beardawg. If you think of it, please post back once you get a unit. I'm sure others will be glad to see your feedback (I certainly will).