Need help: Sony? Bose? YSP?

Originally Posted by Navnightingale

Hi all!

I've been reading through the forums here for a couple days and feel like I'm getting more confused the more I read! So before I go cross-eyed I was hoping for some advice...

I started out (trying to ignore the Bose Soundbar) looking at the Bose Cinemate II but have gleaned that they're not highly esteemed and overpriced. After reading around here I've gleaned that sound bars are not a bad option and it sounds like the Sony CT350 is what I want... Wait, it's been discontinued! So the CT150 and YSP-2200 seem to be the next best thing. I know those are opposite ends of a price spectrum, but if the YSP is best for my needs then I'd be willing to consider it...

So first off for my setup/regular use I have a 52in Samsung LCD TV, HD Cable, PS3 and Apple TV/iPod.

My space right now is about 18x24 but is pretty open - lots of windows and a cutout wall that opens to the kitchen and then two accesses to stairways.

Anyhow, the catch is that I move every few years so the real home theater setup is going to have to wait until that's over. I'm looking for a setup that is movable (no 5 or 7 speaker setups) and adaptable (different home every few years). I'm tired of how shallow movies and music sound out of my TV speakers!

So thanks in advance for any advise! I'm hoping davyo will have some wisdom for me.

Originally Posted by davyo

The Bose soundbar (sounds amazing) and the YSP2200 are more dependant on having walls to bounce the sound off of,,, the Sony's are not as dependant on walls so if you have some wide open area with no walls to refect the soundbeams then go with the Sony,,, or other good options are the Vizio VHT215 or the Polk 6000,,, the Sony CT350 can still be found on eBay and sometimes SonyStyle.com as refurbished.

For the record, I am currently using my CT350, but have owned and demoed all the soundbars mentioned except the Bose (Ive only heard the Bose in store, not at home).

In short,,, the Sony CT150, CT550 or CT350, or the Vizio VHT215, or the Polk 6000 are the bars you should be looking at if you have a more wide open room with not many walls.

Cheers
Davyo

Originally Posted by dcobserver

Davyo, I will posting my review of the Bose 1-SR and the Yamaha YSP 4100 soon, but in the interim, since you have heard the 1-SR and presumably the YSP 2200 and 4100, which YSP product is closer to the Bose 1-SR? Is it the YSP 2200 or YSP 4100? I would guess the 4100 based on price, but looking at the specs (the inputs/technology), the 1-SR seems to be closer to the YSP 2200. I think the best test is to demo both the 1-SR and 2200 together.

The Bose Lifestyle 135 soundbar seems to have more of the technology (DTS decoding and HD upcoversion) that the YSP 4100 has but I'm not sure how much noticeable sound diff all that makes.

Originally Posted by davyo

I cant comment on the Bose vs the Yamaha's as I have not demoed the Bose at home,,, only heard it in the store,,,, I never pass judgement on a soundbar that I dont have personal hands-on experience with at home,,,, in the store the Bose was amazing,, at home I have no idea so I will reserve my total opinions untill I do an at home demo,, if I do.

From my understanding and what I was told by more than a few Bose employees is that the 135 and the 1-SR will sound exactly alike, so soundwise they should be 100% equal.

One thing I would comment on is if given the choice between a YSP4100 and a Bose 135 (same price) I would pick the 135, reasons are the Bose looks very slick and a biggie for me is the Bose is far more user friendly than the YSP's,,,,the YSP menus are kind of a pain in the ass to navigate, the YSP onscreen menus and OS have never impressed me while the Bose OS and onscreen menus are easy and very user friendly.

Very much looking forward to you review/comparison of the 4100 and the Bose,, are you planning on doing a side by side comparison at home ?

Cheers
Davyo

Originally Posted by dcobserver

Davyo, yes, I bought both the Bose 1-SR Cinemate and the Yamaha YSP-4100 and am currently doing a side by side test at home for a month. I have both hooked up at the same time so can switch between the two.

I had written and almost posted an extensive review which concluded that the Bose sounded better and was a better value, but then I discovered the difficult to maneuver menu sound settings on the YSP and with some tweaks, the YSP is starting to sound decent. I will hold off on my review before getting a Yamaha subwoofer to hook up to the YSP-4100 because the 4100 is useless without a separate subwoofer. With that subwoofer included, I'll be better able to compare the Bose and the Yamaha.