Looking for a sound bar to replace my current left / right / center speakers

[SpartyCrunch]

Here is my current setup:

• L/R speakers are Tannoy V1i​
• Center is a Polk Audio CS10​
• Subwoofer is a Infinity PS-8 (Powered)​

All purchased used ~4-5 years ago.

I like my subwoofer and probably want to keep it, while replacing my left / right / center speakers with a sound bar to simplify things and have fewer things and wires everywhere.

1. Most sound bars I see come with a subwoofer and sometimes rear speakers. Ideally I'd like a standalone sound bar.
2. If the best options do come with a subwoofer, that's fine, as long as it's also not a downgrade from my current subwoofer
3. I don't care about smart features, and would prefer something which just hooks up directly to my receiver
4. I want something which at least meets the level of sound quality I have today

Any recommendations?

 

[CloseTalker]

Sonos Arc would be a good bet. I'm not sure it will connect to your current sub though (this might be an issue with most sound bars)

 

[dmshaposv]

Sonos beam - much cheaper, hdmi arc, amazing quality sound and bass. Has alexa support and works with apple airplay 2. Basically its the best bang for ur buck rn.

Doesnt have dolby atmos but thats the only shortfall (more expensive arc has atmos).

 

[AliasGreed]

My one advise is to make sure your room is sound bar proof. For example for a soundbar you need walls because sound bars reflect the sound from walls horizontally and vertically. If your sound setup is an open living room with no walls and high ceilings stick to a traditional system if you care about sound quality.

 

[peppermints]

Sonos Arc would be a good bet. I'm not sure it will connect to your current sub though (this might be an issue with most sound bars)

Click to shrink...

Sonos beam - much cheaper, hdmi arc, amazing quality sound and bass. Has alexa support and works with apple airplay 2. Basically its the best bang for ur buck rn.

Doesnt have dolby atmos but thats the only shortfall (more expensive arc has atmos).

Click to shrink...

Have a Beam and love it - would love an Arc, but too much money. You can modify the IKEA Sonos Symfonisk to connect to an existing subwoofer and use it as a sub. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiPPPu7j5DM

In my mind, if you're going for a soundbar the only option is Sonos. Especially when you consider you can easily add rear surrounds for < $200. I just did this with mine with the IKEA Symfonisk and it is a game changer.

 

[CloseTalker]

Have a Beam and love it - would love an Arc, but too much money. You can modify the IKEA Sonos Symfonisk to connect to an existing subwoofer and use it as a sub. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiPPPu7j5DM

In my mind, if you're going for a soundbar the only option is Sonos. Especially when you consider you can easily add rear surrounds for < $200. I just did this with mine with the IKEA Symfonisk and it is a game changer.

Click to shrink...

Sonos is incredible. Only drawback is they don't have any HDMI passthrough ports, which for the price is definitely a feature that should be included. So it essentially takes up an HDMI port on your TV, which blows.

 

[OrakioRob]

Guys, let me quickly and shamelessly hijack the thread. I also have a left/right/center setup, but it's a really crappy one (like, 5 watts for the sub and 3 for l-r or something like that, it was super cheap and I had no money, don't judge me ^_^).

Now I can buy a better sound system, but the subwoofer annoys me due to my room layout. Am I right to assume a decent soundbar with no subwoofer will sound a lot better than the crappy system I have now? Or will I miss the subwoofer?

 

[SpartyCrunch]

I've considered getting either the Sonos Beam or Arc - I already have a Play:1 and Play:3, but don't want to connect them to the rest of my home theater system for my TV. I like keeping them separate, just for music.

So given that, can the Sonos Beam or Arc just connect via wire directly to the receiver instead of it needing to be wireless? Or just in general, how does it connect to an existing receiver?

 

[peppermints]

I've considered getting either the Sonos Beam or Arc - I already have a Play:1 and Play:3, but don't want to connect them to the rest of my home theater system for my TV. I like keeping them separate, just for music.

So given that, can the Sonos Beam or Arc just connect via wire directly to the receiver instead of it needing to be wireless? Or just in general, how does it connect to an existing receiver?

Click to shrink...

It doesn't connect to a receiver. It's all within the Sonos system.

 

[SpartyCrunch]

It doesn't connect to a receiver. It's all within the Sonos system.

Click to shrink...

I should clarify then -

I mentioned I already have a subwoofer I'd like to keep, but I also have two rear speakers I'd like to keep. So I want to keep my receiver in the mix too.

 

[peppermints]

I should clarify then -

I mentioned I already have a subwoofer I'd like to keep, but I also have two rear speakers I'd like to keep. So I want to keep my receiver in the mix too.

Click to shrink...

Ah. As far as i know that's not possible for the rears. You can do the IKEA hack I mentioned earlier for the sub, but the rears I don't think have any way currently to communicate with Sonos since everything communicates wirelessly. I'd ask on /r/sonos if you're really interested, someone might know more than me.

 

[Meatfist]

What you're looking for is referred to as a passive soundbar - rather than having its own amplification and other "smart" features it's pretty much just the L/C/R speakers in a single enclosure with 6 speaker wire posts on the back. I don't have any experience with them but the same soundbar limitations apply - smaller speakers means smaller sound, and it's probably going to be more expensive than an equivalent L/C/R set

 

[PopsMaellard]

Sonos beam - much cheaper, hdmi arc, amazing quality sound and bass. Has alexa support and works with apple airplay 2. Basically its the best bang for ur buck rn.

Doesnt have dolby atmos but thats the only shortfall (more expensive arc has atmos).

Click to shrink...

I love my Beam, and you can pair it with IKEA's ridiculously affordable Sonos produced bookshelf speakers.

edit: late!

 

[SpartyCrunch]

What you're looking for is referred to as a passive soundbar - rather than having its own amplification and other "smart" features it's pretty much just the L/C/R speakers in a single enclosure with 6 speaker wire posts on the back. I don't have any experience with them but the same soundbar limitations apply - smaller speakers means smaller sound, and it's probably going to be more expensive than an equivalent L/C/R set

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the additional details.

It sounds like there isn't really a viable solution for what I'm looking for, or if there is, they'd all be niche products with questionable quality / value.

I'd be up for still considering something like the Sonos Beam or Arc, but it sounds like I'd need to forego my receiver entirely to do so, right?

So if I were to just sell much of my entire current system, what would I do with the 4-5 devices currently connected directly to my receiver? And what would I do with the receiver itself? I guess it just becomes pointless to have too?

 

[SpartyCrunch]

Bumping again - really hoping someone can help answer:

I'd be up for still considering something like the Sonos Beam or Arc, but it sounds like I'd need to forego my receiver entirely to do so, right?

So if I were to just sell much of my entire current system, what would I do with the 4-5 devices currently connected directly to my receiver? And what would I do with the receiver itself? I guess it just becomes pointless to have too?

Click to shrink...

 

[CloseTalker]

Bumping again - really hoping someone can help answer:

Click to shrink...

If you're replacing your audio solution, the receiver would only need to function as an HDMI hub, if you even need it (if you have more HDMI devices than TV ports). That theoretically could work, the SONOS thing would take your Arc HDMI port so all volume controls run through it, then the receiver would take another HDMI port with all your devices feeding into that. It's an overkill solution, and if you don't need the extra HDMI inputs then yeah, I don't see what the receiver would be doing for you. The whole point of these devices is to negate the need for a receiver.