Thanks appreciate it a lot. I'll grab it today.
Edit: Decided on getting the 207, as it has a seperate sub-woofer.
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Are Soundbars Worth the Money?
- Thread starter Fiery Phoenix
- Start date
Thanks appreciate it a lot. I'll grab it today.
Edit: Decided on getting the 207, as it has a seperate sub-woofer.
I was surprised by the quality of a samsung 100 EUR soundbar. Its not replacing a well balanced soundsystem at all, but its a very well compromise if you have not that budget or space in your room.
Ah nice, that's going to sound incredible. I wanted compact and low power draw otherwise it's hard to say no to a subwoofer
Let us know what you think
I compromised and got a bose soundbar because my wife doesn't care about surround. I got a set of nice turtle beach 5.1s for me. Win/Win.
I'm LOVING the F out of my new Bose SoundTouch 300 and Virtually Invisible 300 wireless rears. I have a very elegant and awesome sounding 5.0 setup now. Was thinking of adding the sub to make it 5.1 but this soundbar kicks up amazing bass for a soundbar when needed. The extra punch from the subwoofer would be great, but until I'm not living in an apartment, it'll have to wait. It looks super sexy too, it's gorgeous.
I previously bought a highly rated and super cheap Vizio soundbar (it's the best rated budget bar and #1 on most reviews) and it was surprisingly good audio for the price and included a wireless sub and rears, but it didn't play nice with my TV and was impossible to get rid of the audio lag on all my devices. The Bose has at least one HDMI input so I could connect my 3rd device (Switch) into it while still using the ARC HDMI on the TV for the Bose output.
Note: I would not have bought this soundbar if I didn't get a good discount on Bose products through work perk.
I previously bought a highly rated and super cheap Vizio soundbar (it's the best rated budget bar and #1 on most reviews) and it was surprisingly good audio for the price and included a wireless sub and rears, but it didn't play nice with my TV and was impossible to get rid of the audio lag on all my devices. The Bose has at least one HDMI input so I could connect my 3rd device (Switch) into it while still using the ARC HDMI on the TV for the Bose output.
Note: I would not have bought this soundbar if I didn't get a good discount on Bose products through work perk.
I like soundbars a lot. I have a Vizio one I bought a few years ago that works great for me. Wireless to the rear speakers and Subwoofer.
I'm sure it's pretty basic compared to others, but I decided to spend the money on a really nice TV (LG OLED) and keep the same sound setup.
I'm sure it's pretty basic compared to others, but I decided to spend the money on a really nice TV (LG OLED) and keep the same sound setup.
Sound bars and Bose both have somewhat of a dubious reputation but I have to say the ST 300 is impressive as hell for what it is.
How is having much better bass and more discernable treble only "slightly" better than TV speakers?
Disclaimer: when someone mentions a soundbar, I always assume a 2.1 setup (with a sub).
To be fair, there are so many junk soundbars on the market (like there are cheap junky TVs). A lot of the entry level bars from the big TV brands are super mediocre. A lot of them are just 2.0 bars or a 2.1 with cruddy drivers and a cheap boomy sub.
Even still though, a bad soundbar is probably better than most TV speakers. But a decent soundbar is night and day difference I agree.
I picked up a Samsung soundbar and some wireless back speakers a few weeks ago and I love it. It's in no way better than my Turtlebeach headset but it's great for just sitting around watching TV or movies. I wear glasses so the headset can get annoying and I occasionally have people over so I can't just pass around the headset.
I did this same thing a few years back and it was worth it. I lost some of the surround sound "wow" from the setup but it still sounds great and 100x neater. It was a small room any way so I think the 7.1 was a little overkill.
Sound bar is def worth it if you don't want to go all in on setting speakers up everywhere and getting a receiver. HUGE improvement over TV speakers imo.
I have a soundbar with 2 rear speakers and a sub. When I play games should I choose TV/stereo or home/cinema in the game options? Does that count as a home theater or it's just replacing the tv speakers so I should leave it as stereo?
It's really confusing because sometimes I barely notice a difference but I'm worried I will miss sounds and effects if I choose TV.
I was playing The Division last night and the sound was louder on TV setting then home cinema so I left it at TV but am I getting the full experience intended by the developers?
It's really confusing because sometimes I barely notice a difference but I'm worried I will miss sounds and effects if I choose TV.
I was playing The Division last night and the sound was louder on TV setting then home cinema so I left it at TV but am I getting the full experience intended by the developers?
Home cinema is what you want. It'll send the proper surround sound signal that way.
If you choose TV, it'll just send a stereo signal and your soundbar will probably just matrix that into the rear speakers. That's why it sounds louder, cause you're most likely getting stereo signal spread across the rear speakers instead of getting true discrete surround sound. So it may be louder but you're losing positional/surround sound accuracy.
Some games also compress the sound range when using TV speaker setting and stuff I think so that there's not as much of a difference in loudness between a loud sound and a not so loud sound. Home Cinema gives you the full range so you hear the proper variance between quiet and loud sounds.
Another way to explain it is: "TV" mode is for speakers with low maximum volume (aka low dynamic range), like TV speakers, so the game artificially boosts quieter sound effects to compensate, hence the "loudness".
"Cinema" expects proper speakers with high maximum volume (high dynamic range), including most soundbars. Set games to Cinema and turn up the soundbar volume until quieter sounds are audible. The higher volume (higher dynamic range) provides the freedom for explosions to actually sound like explosions.
Also make sure you don't have any soundbar volume leveling enabled. Volume leveling compresses dynamic range, which negates the benefit of Cinema.
Thank you both so much! Now I can enjoy the full benefit of using a soundbar after using TV speakers all my life
Kind of maybe off topic but my bedroom TV is great but it's old and the sound is kind of hissy (if that makes sense) but when muted the TV goes silent (as in, no background hiss)
So in theory, a soundbar would be ideal for this TV as it would fix the issues I have with it's sound
Can you connect any old bluetooth speakers to a TV via HDMI or USB?
If not I'd need an ultra cheap soundbar (how cheap are the cheapest soundbars?)
So in theory, a soundbar would be ideal for this TV as it would fix the issues I have with it's sound
Can you connect any old bluetooth speakers to a TV via HDMI or USB?
If not I'd need an ultra cheap soundbar (how cheap are the cheapest soundbars?)
Wanted to update people on the Yamaha YAS-207, since i've used it for a few weeks now, its a massive upgrade compared to my tv sound. Its perfect for my living room. The system itself is easily set up and links with my LG C7 real easily. Has a ton or features and 4k pass through. Thanks for helping me find this everyone. Maybe ill add to it in the future and have surround sound. But for now, its more than good enough.
The only thing that seems odd for me is that its not the longest soundbar, so I didnt put it under my TV which is 55 inch. As it wouldnt match the length of the TV, making it look odd. Thats just an odd gripe for me.
I have a Sony soundbar with sub and rear speakers and I would highly recommend. The only real downside is that it doesn't go super loud, but in a small room that's not a problem anyway.
Figured I'd give this thread a bump because I've been picking up a sound bar to go along with a new tv I'll be picking up this Black Friday. Last posts were from April...so, what are some of the better sounds bars these days? Also, is there a home-stereo/audio version of the Rtings.com website when it comes to all things audio, for reviews?
soundbar+sub is great. if you're like me and hate clutter but want something much better than the TV speakers, get like a vizio wireless sub/soundbar combo. Since the sub is wireless you can put it anywhere.
When i had it off for some reason, I remember I literally couldn't stand playing video games without it.
Sure audiophiles may turn up their nose, but the sub will give some bass and again, it's like 100X better than tv speakers.
I've turned down the opportunity to get better floor speakers simply because the clutter aspect. It's more important to me to have little clutter than perfect sound. With a soundbar/wireless sub you have no wires to worry about except power.
When i had it off for some reason, I remember I literally couldn't stand playing video games without it.
Sure audiophiles may turn up their nose, but the sub will give some bass and again, it's like 100X better than tv speakers.
I've turned down the opportunity to get better floor speakers simply because the clutter aspect. It's more important to me to have little clutter than perfect sound. With a soundbar/wireless sub you have no wires to worry about except power.
I got a Yamaha 108 or whatever recently because of one of these era threads, but also because of rdr hype
I gotta say holy fuck I cannot believe the difference
It has so much dimension when I put it in 3d surround mode but even in normal surround it does laps around my TV's audio. Absolutely worth the price.
I gotta say holy fuck I cannot believe the difference
It has so much dimension when I put it in 3d surround mode but even in normal surround it does laps around my TV's audio. Absolutely worth the price.
I'm very happy with my Vizio soundbar. The sound from my TV speakers is unbearably narrow. With my soundbar I get a good stereo sound that doesn't buckle under the weight of some heavy bass. If you have the money, I'd say it's definitely worth it if your TV doesn't have halfway decent speakers. A surround system might be preferable but I don't have the room for that kind of setup (and my neighbors would hate me). My soundbar gives me the sound that I would hope to hear out of my TV. Personally, it's a revelation after having two TVs with terrible audio quality from the built-in speakers.
Care to give an impression of how your 207 has fared? The YAS-207BL is what I'm presently eyeing.
Hey, its been great, nothing too ground breaking like a full surround, but defo worth the purchase. The sub really helps too. It connects to my tv everytime i turn it off and on, so barely have to do anything with it. Theres a little faffing about with the settings at the start to get it to what you like and its fine after that. The only negative is that if you press on the ps button on bluetooth it switches to the tv, so you have to switch to BT again, not too bad. (if youre playing music from your phone)
Its a solid piece of hardware i'd say. But I am new to the soundbar game. Its a huge upgrade on the sound from the TV though.
Unlike the V part of AV, audio starts to cost a bomb as you inch towards better gear.
You can go out and buy an LG or Panny OLED and get literally the best TV on the market for a grand and a bit.
If you wanted the same in the audio department, you'd have to add a zero or two onto that price.
A soundbar will certainly be better than TV speakers, and if you get a surround sound one, will be a great entry into decent audio.
But audio is analog and based on simple physics. There's only so much that modern technology and software can do to improve the basic of a speaker cone vibrating the air to make sound. Small bookshelf speakers through an amp will be able to push more air than a slim soundbar, and midrange and above floorstanders will be a significant improvement.
I've found with audio that once you get to a fairly good point (and point can be met with a good soundbar) that improvements are incremental and get v expensive. It's whether you have the money, space and inclination to buy expensive speakers and amps to chase after audiophile quality.
You can go out and buy an LG or Panny OLED and get literally the best TV on the market for a grand and a bit.
If you wanted the same in the audio department, you'd have to add a zero or two onto that price.
A soundbar will certainly be better than TV speakers, and if you get a surround sound one, will be a great entry into decent audio.
But audio is analog and based on simple physics. There's only so much that modern technology and software can do to improve the basic of a speaker cone vibrating the air to make sound. Small bookshelf speakers through an amp will be able to push more air than a slim soundbar, and midrange and above floorstanders will be a significant improvement.
I've found with audio that once you get to a fairly good point (and point can be met with a good soundbar) that improvements are incremental and get v expensive. It's whether you have the money, space and inclination to buy expensive speakers and amps to chase after audiophile quality.
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I had a change in my gaming space so my 2004-era surround sound setup had to go. I wound up getting the Samsung N650 soundbar with wireless sub, and it's been such a significant audio improvement. To the extent that I've hardly been using my headset these days.
I miss various aspects of the surround set, but the virtual surround setting using Samsung's own knock-off Atmos tech gives a really convincing sense of three-dimensional sound. I got a fantastic Black Friday deal on it, so it wound up in the price range of an MS650, so all of the other advantages make it very worthwhile at that price.
I miss various aspects of the surround set, but the virtual surround setting using Samsung's own knock-off Atmos tech gives a really convincing sense of three-dimensional sound. I got a fantastic Black Friday deal on it, so it wound up in the price range of an MS650, so all of the other advantages make it very worthwhile at that price.
I bought an LG SK9Y. It was a significant investment, but I really like it.
Main reason I bought it is I live in a 3rd floor apartment and want better audio than the TV but don't want to blast people with surround sound. Really impressed with the sound quality, and the 'Night Audio' features are really great too for turning down bass, etc.
Main reason I bought it is I live in a 3rd floor apartment and want better audio than the TV but don't want to blast people with surround sound. Really impressed with the sound quality, and the 'Night Audio' features are really great too for turning down bass, etc.
Don't sound bars cost the same as a whole 7.1 set if not more? I think a 7.1 set is much suited for games and cinema since most of games are configured with it and you can hear sounds from every direction including your back which could be very immersive for you in any game that soundbar can't provide.
Some years ago I had the VERY bad idea of buying the official PlayStation Soundbar.
Do-not-do-it.
Do-not-do-it.
I rarely wear headphones because I'm sitting on the couch next to my partner, and I don't want her to be unable to speak to me.
My cheap ass soundbar is a huge improvement over my TV's speakers, and it doubles as a bluetooth speaker for music sometimes. I also have it hooked up to one of those Google Chromecast audio things which makes it a good audio source for spotify.
My cheap ass soundbar is a huge improvement over my TV's speakers, and it doubles as a bluetooth speaker for music sometimes. I also have it hooked up to one of those Google Chromecast audio things which makes it a good audio source for spotify.
Awesome, thanks for sharing! I ordered a 65" NU8000 Sammy that I'm still waiting to get delivered, and have purchased the Yamaha soundbar as well; hoping they play well together. I intend to use ARC between the TV and soundbar. I know that some folks were complaining of lag/delay, when going that route. I'll add my impressions to the thread when I get to test it out. Could it be possible that the folks experiencing the lag just weren't using a very good HDMI cable (i.e., in this case, a "high speed" one)?
Is there a typo here? A good whole 7.1 setup will certainly cost more than your average sound bar. It can cost more by a significant amount too.
Not at all. A 7.1 soundbar especially from TV manufacturers cost more than a decent 7.1 system (I didn't say a whole home cinema system with a bluray player).
It still better anyway and much more worth it than a soundbar.
Seems not many got a Soundbase.
i got one 5y ago, the Sony HT XT1.
Sounds pretty great in games has a really nice bass with alot of presets + bluetooth so i can stream music to it aswell.
I use my V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless mostly on pc (and when outside) where i got my amp/dac combo.
i got one 5y ago, the Sony HT XT1.
Sounds pretty great in games has a really nice bass with alot of presets + bluetooth so i can stream music to it aswell.
I use my V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless mostly on pc (and when outside) where i got my amp/dac combo.
these atmos soundbars are actually getting pretty good reviews. the stuff with actual rears are pretty solid
I got one of these too and just recently paired them up with the optional rear speakers.
Depends if you have space for them though. Of course dedicated speakers and a good AV Receiver is going to be the best solution in all cases, but sometimes you have a small room (especially a bedroom) that simply just cannot accomodate anything bulkier; in which case, a Soundbar might be a decent compromise.
Same with any sound setup really. I'd love to have a full Dolby Atmos setup for instance, but my living room just simply cannot accomodate a full setup. It's all about choosing the best compromise.
