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Harman Kardon SB 30 - Page 2

post #31 of 146
3/24/12 at 4:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by frostylou View Post

You know Davyo,
I was at Frys the other day, and they had the Speeder scene playing from Return of the Jedi on the Bose, and it sounded SO feakin good.
Man.

Hey Frosty....... yea,, that's the thing,,, the Bose sounds so good that it takes away some of the temptation to try the HK SB30.

The SB30 is going to have to sound pretty F'in good to beat out the 1SR.

Cheers
Davyo
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post #32 of 146
3/26/12 at 6:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by davyo View Post

Hey Frosty....... yea,, that's the thing,,, the Bose sounds so good that it takes away some of the temptation to try the HK SB30.

The SB30 is going to have to sound pretty F'in good to beat out the 1SR.

Cheers
Davyo

All kidding aside Davyo, I would hope that a $1500 system sounds significantly better than a system roughly half its cost. For me, i want something that will sound very good no matter where i place it as it is not replacing a 5 or 7 speaker system. i think spending 1/3 the cost of the tv to upgrade the speakers and get decent all around sound be it music, movies or games is reasonable especially since this will not be going into a "media room" and I am trying to preserve a clean look. i don't need to purchase the system yet (at least for 2-3 months) so I am sure there will be reviews forthcoming. Anyway, will look forward to any input you or any of the other members have on the subject.
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post #33 of 146
3/26/12 at 8:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pm dureska View Post

All kidding aside Davyo, I would hope that a $1500 system sounds significantly better than a system roughly half its cost. For me, i want something that will sound very good no matter where i place it as it is not replacing a 5 or 7 speaker system. i think spending 1/3 the cost of the tv to upgrade the speakers and get decent all around sound be it music, movies or games is reasonable especially since this will not be going into a "media room" and I am trying to preserve a clean look. i don't need to purchase the system yet (at least for 2-3 months) so I am sure there will be reviews forthcoming. Anyway, will look forward to any input you or any of the other members have on the subject.

Actually in the world of soundbars I have found price does not matter that much,, I have owned some bars that cost much less than the expensive bars and alot of times the cheaper bars have sounded better than the more expensive one's.

Beside's, Bose is not really known for being inexpensive.

"If" I get the HK SB30 and it sounds better than my twice the price Bose 1SR then I will sell off the Bose,,,, one great thing about Bose is ya can get almost what ya paid for it new when selling it on eBay.

Cheers
Davyo
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post #34 of 146
3/26/12 at 9:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by davyo View Post

Actually in the world of soundbars I have found price does not matter that much,, I have owned some bars that cost much less than the expensive bars and alot of times the cheaper bars have sounded better than the more expensive one's.

Beside's, Bose is not really known for being inexpensive.

"If" I get the HK SB30 and it sounds better than my twice the price Bose 1SR then I will sell off the Bose,,,, one great thing about Bose is ya can get almost what ya paid for it new when selling it on eBay.

Cheers
Davyo

i hope you do get them, as a comparison or "review" would be great.

There seems to be some interesting technology here, and the SB30 did win the top Innovation award at CES.

Price sometimes matters, and sometimes not, as you say.
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post #35 of 146
3/26/12 at 9:35pm
$900 and backordered at Amazon.

It's being marketed as a 5.1 system.
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post #36 of 146
3/27/12 at 7:59am
In stock at harmanaudio.com

$799.99 with free shipping
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post #37 of 146
3/27/12 at 9:23am
Just checked my tracking info and the unit should arrive this Thursday. I'll provide an update once I get everything setup over the weekend .
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post #38 of 146
3/27/12 at 9:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDaddyGoon View Post

Just checked my tracking info and the unit should arrive this Thursday. I'll provide an update once I get everything setup over the weekend .

Go BIG Daddy GO!!!!
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post #39 of 146
3/27/12 at 5:45pm
A shame this soundbar doesn't have hdmi inputs.
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post #40 of 146
3/27/12 at 6:31pm
For the price HDMI should be mandatory, it's only 2012. We're going backwards on soundbars.
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post #41 of 146
3/29/12 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
BDG, did the HK SB30 arrive yet??
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post #42 of 146
3/29/12 at 2:23pm
I'm also looking forward to BigDaddy's first impressions.

The HK site doesn't ship to Canada. Do any fellow Canadians know which sites/stores the SB 30 is available from?

Edit: Amazon.com now his this in stock for $799, but won't ship to Canada, either: "We're sorry. This item can't be shipped to your selected destination."
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post #43 of 146
3/30/12 at 3:02pm
I've been told it will be here around 5pm (pst) today. I'll post some first impressions tonight after I get the thing mounted below my TV. Stay tuned..
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post #44 of 146
3/30/12 at 7:37pm
Here's hoping for an affordable, sonic miracle.

Or at least some convincing surround, clear vocals, and a coherent soundstage.
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post #45 of 146
3/30/12 at 7:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by taichi4 View Post

Here's hoping for an affordable, sonic miracle.

Or at least some convincing surround, clear vocals, and a coherent soundstage.

Well, it's either this or the Atlantic Technology Power Bar 235, if they ever release the damn thing, hopefully June this year from what I've heard.

Not on their website yet but here's a link about it:

http://m.cnet.com/Article.rbml?nid=2...l&bcid=&bid=-1
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post #46 of 146
3/30/12 at 9:13pm
Well, the SB 30 finally got delivered and I was able to successfully mount it below my TV. This thing really is a beautiful product and fits below my Samsung perfectly. I've never purchased a sound bar before but recently moved into a new home where my B&W 803's are no longer an option for the family room. I saw the SB 30 in action at CES and knew this was the right sound bar for my room setup.

I fired up my Water Under the Bridge BluRay to test the audio quality of the SB 30 and was very impressed. The SB 30 does an excellent job reproducing Eddie Vedder's deep baritone voice. I would rate the audio quality as very good. Obviously the clarity is not equal to my B&Ws but I'm very impressed nonetheless. The sound bar really creates a nice soundstage.

I also inserted my Dark Knight BluRay to see how this thing handles multi-channel action sequences. The SB 30 really does do an excellent job of providing a surround effect. This thing gets loud too! Now it's not going to replace a quality 5.1 or 7.1 setup, but it's pretty damn impressive for a single speaker unit.

The wireless sub is good, but not great. It does an adequate job and provides enough bass but sounds a bit boomy at times. But I still need to play around with the sub placement a little to find it's sweet spot in the room.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. It looks and sounds great, and that's exactly what I was looking for in a sound bar. I'd love to hear what others think how this unit compares to Bose, Yamaha and B&W.
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post #47 of 146
3/30/12 at 9:14pm
Some photos: http://gallery.me.com/cohlmeyer#1001...or=black&sel=1
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post #48 of 146
3/31/12 at 6:57am
Thanks, BigDaddy. I read on the HK site that the subwoofer is bottom firing...so maybe that's why it's boomy. Maybe they were going for that as a "feature".
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post #49 of 146
3/31/12 at 9:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDaddyGoon View Post

Well, the SB 30 finally got delivered and I was able to successfully mount it below my TV. This thing really is a beautiful product and fits below my Samsung perfectly. I've never purchased a sound bar before but recently moved into a new home where my B&W 803's are no longer an option for the family room. I saw the SB 30 in action at CES and knew this was the right sound bar for my room setup.

I fired up my Water Under the Bridge BluRay to test the audio quality of the SB 30 and was very impressed. The SB 30 does an excellent job reproducing Eddie Vedder's deep baritone voice. I would rate the audio quality as very good. Obviously the clarity is not equal to my B&Ws but I'm very impressed nonetheless. The sound bar really creates a nice soundstage.

I also inserted my Dark Knight BluRay to see how this thing handles multi-channel action sequences. The SB 30 really does do an excellent job of providing a surround effect. This thing gets loud too! Now it's not going to replace a quality 5.1 or 7.1 setup, but it's pretty damn impressive for a single speaker unit.

The wireless sub is good, but not great. It does an adequate job and provides enough bass but sounds a bit boomy at times. But I still need to play around with the sub placement a little to find it's sweet spot in the room.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. It looks and sounds great, and that's exactly what I was looking for in a sound bar. I'd love to hear what others think how this unit compares to Bose, Yamaha and B&W.

Thanks for the review.

I'm really starting to believe that the real 5.1 Vizio VHT510 SB at $400.00 is the way to go.
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post #50 of 146
3/31/12 at 10:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDaddyGoon View Post

Well, the SB 30 finally got delivered and I was able to successfully mount it below my TV. This thing really is a beautiful product and fits below my Samsung perfectly. I've never purchased a sound bar before but recently moved into a new home where my B&W 803's are no longer an option for the family room. I saw the SB 30 in action at CES and knew this was the right sound bar for my room setup.

...The SB 30 really does do an excellent job of providing a surround effect. This thing gets loud too! Now it's not going to replace a quality 5.1 or 7.1 setup, but it's pretty damn impressive for a single speaker unit...

...Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. It looks and sounds great, and that's exactly what I was looking for in a sound bar. I'd love to hear what others think how this unit compares to Bose, Yamaha and B&W.

Does the SB30 have different adjustments -settings? I'm thinking that when you live with it for a few days you'll uncover more of what it can do.

From the pictures posted it looks like you have a fairly reflective room.

Does the surround appear to come from behind you?

Thanks for the rapid review!
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post #51 of 146
3/31/12 at 10:24am
Thanks for the review. Do you have wifi? If so, any issues?
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post #52 of 146
3/31/12 at 4:03pm
The SB 30 has a few different surround settings. It also comes with three different Dolby volume settings. I've found that for my room type the Harman Kardon Wave setting provides the best surround effect. I would say the surround sound is more encapsulating than sounding as if it is behind you.

I also have a wireless setup and have not had any issues thus far with the sub.

My only complaint thus far is the lack of an HDMI input. It does kind of suck for me as my TV does not pass through DTS via it's optical output. At least that's what I understand to be the case. Regardless it still sounds great!
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post #53 of 146
3/31/12 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDaddyGoon View Post

The SB 30 has a few different surround settings. It also comes with three different Dolby volume settings. I've found that for my room type the Harman Kardon Wave setting provides the best surround effect. I would say the surround sound is more encapsulating than sounding as if it is behind you.

I also have a wireless setup and have not had any issues thus far with the sub.

My only complaint thus far is the lack of an HDMI input. It does kind of suck for me as my TV does not pass through DTS via it's optical output. At least that's what I understand to be the case. Regardless it still sounds great!

The benefits of HDMI would've been DolbyTrueHD and DTS MA.

Can't you connect your SB directly to your BR player via optical/coaxial to get regular DTS and DD.
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post #54 of 146
3/31/12 at 5:09pm
Thread Starter 
Davyo, did you order it yet?
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post #55 of 146
3/31/12 at 7:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDaddyGoon View Post

The SB 30 has a few different surround settings. It also comes with three different Dolby volume settings. I've found that for my room type the Harman Kardon Wave setting provides the best surround effect. I would say the surround sound is more encapsulating than sounding as if it is behind you...

So would you say that the SB30 gives you a front to side soundstage (180 degrees) rather than a 360 degree one?
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post #56 of 146
3/31/12 at 7:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by J y E 4Ever View Post

Thanks for the review.

I'm really starting to believe that the real 5.1 Vizio VHT510 SB at $400.00 is the way to go.

$299.88 @Walmart.com: http://www.walmart.com/ip/VIZIO-VHT5...oofer/13912194

The rear speakers on the Vizio are wired to the wireless subwoofer, which is very interesting. Hmmm...
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post #57 of 146
3/31/12 at 9:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnyBGood View Post


$299.88 @Walmart.com: http://www.walmart.com/ip/VIZIO-VHT5...oofer/13912194

The rear speakers on the Vizio are wired to the wireless subwoofer, which is very interesting. Hmmm...

Thanks for the link.

I have one already in the bedroom, love it.

Trying to decide on which SB for the living room.

Does the more expensive HK SB30 with its simulated 5.1 sound better than the $500 cheaper Vizio with its real rear channels, is what I need to know.

I guess the same question can also be asked if the Bose sounds $800 better than the SB30.
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post #58 of 146
4/1/12 at 1:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J y E 4Ever View Post

Thanks for the link.

Sure, and if you wanna save another $70 off the Vizio you can grab a refurb ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...vizio%20vht510 ) and hope you get a 2 day old one that was returned because of the dead LEDs (which seems like a firmware issue). But be careful because I read a few reviews on these refurbs and there are some boxes that are actually defective that passed right through Vizio re-certification (i.e. dead rear speakers, buzzing from centre channel, remote control that doesn't adjust certain things, etc.).
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post #59 of 146
4/1/12 at 3:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Badgers96 View Post

Davyo, did you order it yet?

Nope,, not yet,,,, soon I hope.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDaddyGoon View Post

The SB 30 has a few different surround settings. It also comes with three different Dolby volume settings. I've found that for my room type the Harman Kardon Wave setting provides the best surround effect. I would say the surround sound is more encapsulating than sounding as if it is behind you.

I also have a wireless setup and have not had any issues thus far with the sub.

My only complaint thus far is the lack of an HDMI input. It does kind of suck for me as my TV does not pass through DTS via it's optical output. At least that's what I understand to be the case. Regardless it still sounds great!

Hey Big Daddy

Congrats on the SB30 purchase !!!!!!!!!!!!!

How do you have it hooked up exactly and whats your audio settings on your Bluray player or any of your other sources ?

Thanks in advance

Cheers
Davyo
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post #60 of 146
4/1/12 at 5:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J y E 4Ever View Post

Thanks for the link.

I have one already in the bedroom, love it.

Trying to decide on which SB for the living room.

Does the more expensive HK SB30 with its simulated 5.1 sound better than the $500 cheaper Vizio with its real rear channels, is what I need to know.

I guess the same question can also be asked if the Bose sounds $800 better than the SB30.

One of the things I noticed in reviews of the Vizio model was that the front soundstage was perceived to be narrow...fitting a TV in the under 50 inch size.

I have a 65 inch set, so an expansive front (and rear) soundstage is necessary.
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