Are Soundbars Worth the Money?

sn00zer · Jan 19, 2019

Crayon said:
Yah thats what i do. Go to the sound settings andnput it on 2ch linesr pcm or something like that. Something "2ch".

Your ".1" is just a sub so you can get good bass and adjust it. Its not an extra chanel.

As far as i can tell, the ps4 mixes everything well for 2 channel stereo.

This is really fucking good advice as apparently PS4 is sometimes not great about recognizing 2 channel speaker. You need to set it to optical and turn off all of the 5.1 options otherwise the PS4 will think it's a 5.1 system and fuck up the speaker outputs

Hexadron · Jan 19, 2019

I got one for my bedroom and it's a huge improvement over the TV speakers. I would certainly recommend one. I ended up with the Samsung N400 which I got for a steal and it pumps some impressive sound for its size.

sn00zer · Jan 19, 2019

So apparently Best Buy has a huge issue with returns on soundbars because of poor audio quality and people complaining about drowned out voices. Did some research and based on what Crayon said, turns out a ton of people aren't setting these things up correctly. Make sure you only output in 2 channel to the speakers, this means turning off the 5.1 options on PS4.

EDIT: Even Naughty Dog put out an article on this. https://feedback.naughtydog.com/knowledgebase/articles/420396-incorrect-channel-configuration

Long story short I got a Samsung sound bar for 80 bucks off due to be opened and returned. Check the open box aisle at your local Best buy for these things.

R dott B · Jan 19, 2019

I bought a Yamaha yas-108 and I've been enjoying it.

TeeWhy · Jan 21, 2019

sn00zer said:
Had an interesting conversation at a Beat buy. The manager basically talked me out of any 2.1 since the voices get drowned out. He said the 2.1 are their highest returns in general. Does anyone have experience with the voice growing out issue on 2.1.
Also there was an open box Samsung HW460 for 200 bucks. Does anyone have experience with those?

I have a 3.1 Samasung sound bar, and the dialog is very clear. Getting a center channel on the sound bar was a priority for me. I bought my folks the cheaper 2.1 version, and they are happy with it, but they don't watch much more than HGTV, Wheel of Fortune, and the Jayhawks and Chiefs for sports.

They were complaining about the sound of their TV, and now they are completely happy.

But I do find the 3.1 to be worth the investment. We have a small room, so the HT stuff was always annoying. When we moved, I decided not to hook it back up and bought the sound bar.

One of the most important aspects to tech like this is that it doesn't get in the way of enjoying the media. The biggest problem I have with HT is that it puts me in a head space where I am always tweaking and improving. I'm looking for upgrades, changing positions, fiddling with settings. A sound bar has me back to just watching TV and playing games and never thinking about the audio. It's far better than just good enough.

ty_hot · Jan 21, 2019

ERA is not the best place to ask this, here people double/triple dip games and keep them sealed sitting on a shelf because money isn't a issue.

I never had a soundbar but Ive testes some in store and they are obviously better than any TV speaker (except those huge TVs, some have impressive audio for a TV). Im curious about how they compare with 2.1 systems though.

Vintage · Jan 21, 2019

I had one, the quality was a bit better, but the problem was the extra remote control - I had to manually turn on the soundbar every time and it sometimes turns off itself.

Are there soundbars that turn on automatically with tv?

HexedHavoc · Jan 21, 2019

No. Sound bars are a waste of money... they are just a normal speaker set up that have been redesigned so they can market at you as something new and then at a premium. Completely stupid to buy... just get a normal 2.1 or more speaker set up and enjoy the freedom of positioning they provide as well as the lower cost. I'd recommend looking for something used.

Darknight · Jan 21, 2019

Vintage said:
I had one, the quality was a bit better, but the problem was the extra remote control - I had to manually turn on the soundbar every time and it sometimes turns off itself.

Are there soundbars that turn on automatically with tv?

HDMI-CEC can solve that for you and most things implement that these days.

Zappy · Jan 21, 2019

Very pleased with my Sonos Beam. For smaller rooms (or most UK living rooms!!!!) they are really great.

I pass through DD5.1 and the Beam has no problem with outputting that into stereo and voices are perfectly clear - though I use the Sonos speech enhancement setting as this just helps generally.

People who advocate setting the TV to output PCM - are you not seeing a huge drop in quality? I find that DD produces the best sound even on a 2.1 or 2.0 system....

SgtCobra · Jan 21, 2019

Depends on how much you wanna spend, don't expect incredible sound when you're willing to spend around 150 bucks. Sure, it will be better than your TV's speakers (which isn't really that difficult nowadays), but the "theater-like experience" they advertise are lies and doesn't even come close to the real product.

After 300 you'll get some decent soundbars like the Yamaha YAS-207 for example (can't talk about Vizio as it doesn't exist here in the country where I live) but for around that price I'd recommend two bookshelf speakers and a second hand receiver.
Soundbars tend to get better as the price goes up, the Sony HTST5000 and Samsung HW-N950 bars sound very good when watching movies but are really lacklustre when playing games in my opinion, I've had both (using the Samsung now). Unfortunately, they are quite expensive and not really worth the money compared to a 5.1 set up. But if space is an issue and you don't want to spend a huge amount of money then I'd look at a decent soundbar which is around 300 dollars and you should be set and hear something that is better than a beefed up tv speaker.

Vintage · Jan 21, 2019

Darknight said:
HDMI-CEC can solve that for you and most things implement that these days.

My TV does not have that :/ In settings it lists supported soundbars, but all of them are old and no longer produced.

I have speakers connected to my PC on simple audio cable and I don't need to turn these off anytime. It's baffling how soundbars can't do the same simple functionality what we had for many years.

KentP · Jan 21, 2019

Am on my third AV receiver with 5.1 now, but I often yearn for the convenient simplicity of a soundbar (most noticeably whenever I move house and have to re-wire it all in)

As others have said, a soundbar is definitely a worthy upgrade from TV speakers

Wasp · Jan 21, 2019

Ok can anyone recommend me either a good soundbar or 2.1 system (plus a receiver too)?

I know my TV speakers are terrible and I would love to have better stereo sound and bass but I don't think my room is large enough for a 5.1 system.

My total budget is about £1k and I'm in the UK. Currently just have a TV and various game consoles.

derder · Jan 21, 2019

Any $100 Craigslist set of stereo speakers > Soundbar. Throw in an ancient $50 receiver with Optical out and you'll have dramatically better sound for a fraction of the cost.

Edit:
https://raleigh.craigslist.org/ele/d/raleigh-sony-str-da4400eswatt-receiver/6784346286.html

+

https://raleigh.craigslist.org/ele/d/raleigh-definitive-technology-dr-7/6796415099.html

IlGialloMondadori · Jan 21, 2019

Wasp said:
Ok can anyone recommend me either a good soundbar or 2.1 system (plus a receiver too)?

I know my TV speakers are terrible and I would love to have better stereo sound and bass but I don't think my room is large enough for a 5.1 system.

My total budget is about £1k and I'm in the UK. Currently just have a TV and various game consoles.

I have the Sonos Beam, and it's great. Got it on the Treasure Truck sale. I have two Sonos Ones that I pair with it for 5.1, and it's excellent. My one issue is that the Beam isn't Atmos which makes me sad, but their reasoning is that with a bar and speakers this size, eh, lets focus on the best 5.1 sound we can get out of it rather than Atmos. It looks like they're toying with adding rear speakers that will have upfiring speakers to add Atmos to the Beam, but the price will be high - two Atmos speakers for like 600.

For 1k pounds, some people can probably advise on receiver + standalone speakers that will be better, however.

Darknight · Jan 21, 2019

Vintage said:
My TV does not have that :/ In settings it lists supported soundbars, but all of them are old and no longer produced.

I have speakers connected to my PC on simple audio cable and I don't need to turn these off anytime. It's baffling how soundbars can't do the same simple functionality what we had for many years.

Some manufacturers call it by a different name so it's possible it might unless you're absolutely positive it doesn't support HDMI-CEC.

Deleted member 43446 · Jan 21, 2019

Vintage said:
I had one, the quality was a bit better, but the problem was the extra remote control - I had to manually turn on the soundbar every time and it sometimes turns off itself.

Are there soundbars that turn on automatically with tv?

What TV model do you have? And are you connected through HDMI ARC?

Link_enfant · Jan 21, 2019

Talking about headset, I only have Sony's Golds which is fine to use on PS4, but what would be the best headset solution to use for everything else (mostly Nintendo Switch) that could be directly plugged to the TV (Samsung KS9000)?

For awesome audio quality (I don't mind putting like 150-200€ in a decent headset) but also convenience so after plugging it to the TV somehow, I wouldn't have to swich it from Switch to PS4 or anything else.

I don't necessarily need a wireless headset as I'm not too far from the TV, the cable shouldn't be an hassle and tell me if I'm wrong, but it would potentially allow for better audio quality and no need to ever charge it?

Noriea · Jan 21, 2019

Soundbars in general are trash. There are a few good ones though. I have the Sonos Playbar and it's definitely an exception. To me, it sounds like a whole home theater setup it's so good. Not cheap though.

pksu · Jan 21, 2019

derder said:
Any $100 Craigslist set of stereo speakers > Soundbar. Throw in an ancient $50 receiver with Optical out and you'll have dramatically better sound for a fraction of the cost.

Pretty much. But soundbars are usually smaller/look better and that's completely acceptable trade-off for many.

headspawn · Jan 21, 2019

I bought a $200 soundbar on some crazy sale for like a little bit over $100... money well spent. It far surpasses normal thin TV speaker sound and the inclusion of the subwoofer, it can actually make movies/games sound a bit exciting. Unless you're getting surround sound, or purely sticking to headphones, I feel like it's mandatory to enjoy game sound.

Audio is honestly one of the areas where I feel like a lot of people miss a TON of the experience, like those audio engineers aren't being paid for nothing, a lot of them do amazing work and you should enjoy it as much as your wallet reasonably allows.

Lockness Mobster · Jan 21, 2019

Wasp said:
Ok can anyone recommend me either a good soundbar or 2.1 system (plus a receiver too)?

I know my TV speakers are terrible and I would love to have better stereo sound and bass but I don't think my room is large enough for a 5.1 system.

My total budget is about £1k and I'm in the UK. Currently just have a TV and various game consoles.

ZVOX SB400 or SB500 Soundbar

SVS SB1000 or PB1000 subwoofer https://www.svsound.com/pages/subwoofers

Id go ZVOX SB500 if youre only looking for a soundbar with great sound and decent bass.. If you want to add a subwoofer in the mix for excellent low end,Id go ZVOX SB400 and pair it with one of the SVS subs.. And check out SVS' outlet page for subs for an even better price.

Vintage · Jan 21, 2019

Darknight said:
Some manufacturers call it by a different name so it's possible it might unless you're absolutely positive it doesn't support HDMI-CEC.

Hm, I have Sony KDL-48W605B , which appears to have HDMI-CEC. Do I need specific soundbar from Sony, or any soundbar would work? Does it need to be connected as HDMI pass-through?

I had Sony HT-CT80, it lists support for HDMI-CEC, but it had no HDMI connections. I tried all settings on my tv but couldn't find a way to connect these properly.

ascii42 · Jan 21, 2019

Vintage said:
Hm, I have Sony KDL-48W605B , which appears to have HDMI-CEC. Do I need specific soundbar from Sony, or any soundbar would work? Does it need to be connected as HDMI pass-through?

I had Sony HT-CT80, it lists support for HDMI-CEC, but it had no HDMI connections. I tried all settings on my tv but couldn't find a way to connect these properly.

Any soundbar should work. Some may cooperate better than others, though. Look through your menu for something called Bravia Sync or something like that.

I have a Sony soundbar hooked up to a Sharp TV with HDMI and auto power on and volume control work fine, whether I'm using a device connected to the soundbar or watching something directly on the TV.

Vintage · Jan 24, 2019

ascii42 said:
Any soundbar should work. Some may cooperate better than others, though. Look through your menu for something called Bravia Sync or something like that.

I have a Sony soundbar hooked up to a Sharp TV with HDMI and auto power on and volume control work fine, whether I'm using a device connected to the soundbar or watching something directly on the TV.

Thanks a lot. I just bought Denon Heos, sounds pretty great and works fine. Turns out my tv has both HDMI-ARC and HDMI-CEC, so controls work as expected.

Toxa · Jan 24, 2019

Get the Sony HT-ZF9 sound bar! it does absolutely everything and you can upgrade the soundbar with two speakers to get a real 5.1 set up

https://www.sony.com/electronics/sound-bars/ht-z9f

ChemicalWorld · Jan 24, 2019

Have spent a couple of days using my Creative Katana so far and honestly for the size of it I'm actually impressed. Sure the virtual surround sound is nowhere near as good as my Logitech Z906s were, but the sound quality is fine and the unit packs some serious volume. And no more clutter. Also fits my RGB setup so win win.

Hark · Jan 24, 2019

How about compared to PC speakers plugged into the headphone port on a TV?

I have a set of Logitech G560s that I plug into the TV that sound pretty decent. Would a Soundbar be better?

TFGB · Jan 24, 2019

Azurik said:
Can't recommend soundbars at the moment. I been through £100 - £1000 ones and ended up with a set of KEF LSX active speakers. The stereo image and clarity beats all fake surround sound so far.

Absolutely superb little speakers and an excellent solution. They look great too.👍🏻

Toxa · Jan 24, 2019

JMizzlin said:
How about compared to PC speakers plugged into the headphone port on a TV?

I have a set of Logitech G560s that I plug into the TV that sound pretty decent. Would a Soundbar be better?

your 650s will be wonderful and will be on par with most of the soundbar

WildWayz · Jan 24, 2019

My set up is as follows:

Samsung UE48JU6400 TV (HDMI1 is HDR 8-Bit compatible)
Sony HT-XF9000 Soundbar (Dobly Atmos - HDMI + eARC + Optical)
Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
Gaming PC (4K)
Google Chromecast Ultra
FiveHome 5 Port HDMI Switcher - 4K@60Hz HDMI Switch 5x1 Support Auto Switch with IR Wireless Remote, HDCP 2.2,Full HD/3D/4K/HDR

Currently, I have the PC and PS4 connected to the switch which goes to the soundbar. Soundbar then goes to the eARC (or ARC?) connection on the TV.

The Chromecast Ultra is on HDMI1 (HDR).

What i'd love to do is to be able to have the PC, PS4 Pro and Chromecast all connected to the HDMI Switch (which DOES pass 4K and HDR) and use HDR... but I am not sure I can do it, as the soundbar to TV would need to go into the HDMI1 port and not ARC port.
If I do this, then i'll not be able to use Dolby Atmos (as it uses HDMI - the optical cable delivers DD/DTS 5.1).

Am I missing something out, or is it just not possible?

Or do I whack the Soundbar into the (e)ARC port, then plug the switch to HDMI1?

I'm currently using the switch + PC into the ARC port on the TV (PS4 isn't connected up yet). If I go into the NVidia control panel, it allows me to select a custom colour profile of YUV420 - which makes blacks blacker etc. It 'feels' like HDR, but when I check the remote, it doesn't change the settings on the TV when I watch something in HDR (although, HDR content doesn't looks washed out like what it did before when HDR is played on non-HDR kit).

Also, I am finding it a bitch to use the soundbar in Windows. Either I get no sound... press HDMI button on the remote... still no sound... check the settings, all looks fine. OSD is showing the changes ie volume, sound mode etc... still no sound. Reboot the PC, it now works.
Switch to headphones using the select sound output in the sys tray... play with headphones.. switch back to the Soundbar... no sound! arrrrghhhhhhhhh

If I have Dolby Atmos for Home Theater selected, I get sound in Windows ie VLC plays fine... load Destiny 2 up, no sound.
If I switch to Dolby Atmos for Headphones, works fine.
If I switch to 7.1 Sound, all fine.

But some say to switch it to Stereo...

whiskas_fanatic · Feb 11, 2019

shockdude said:
The biggest drawback of soundbars for gaming isn't the sound quality. That's an expected compromise compared to a proper sound setup, and it will still be better than a TV's speakers.

The biggest issue is Audio Lag. It's like input lag but for sound. While most gaming TV's get 20-30ms of input lag, the soundbars I've measured had unavoidable 50-60ms of audio lag. Sometimes this lag gets added to the TV's audio processing latency, which can bring total audio lag to well over 100ms!

This means almost guaranteed desynced audio/lip sync, a disadvantage in games requiring reactions to sfx like online shooters, and frustrating rhythm game calibration.

Edit: The second issue is power-saving. Some soundbars go into standby during silence and take several hundred ms to wake up from. Not all soundbars let you turn power-saving off, and it's known to screw up audio in games with frequent periods of silence, e.g. NES/SNES Classic games.

Edit 2: I should mention that not all soundbars have a fixed audio lag; some let you adjust the lag using an AV Sync setting. The minimum lag that you can set with AV Sync will still vary from soundbar to soundbar, though.

Hi, after this thread I decided to give asoindbar a try, and bought Sony MT 300 (nice model with wireless sub). I didn't think your post was SO serious, it can't be real that whole segment of home acoustics has such a problem, right? Nope - first thing I noticed is audio delay. Rez and Tetris Effect is unplayable, in movies it's not so dramatic, but still noticeable. Best part is troubleshooting part in manual:

Q: There is audio delay in movies.
A: In some movies there will be some sound delay.

I wonder if it's because of wireless sub, or it's just 'normal'? Have you tested soundbars with built in subwoofer? I'm thinking about getting Yamaha YAS 106 now, but if it have the same problems, looks like soundbars are not an option for me.

shockdude · Feb 11, 2019

whiskas_fanatic said:
Hi, after this thread I decided to give asoindbar a try, and bought Sony MT 300 (nice model with wireless sub). I didn't think your post was SO serious, it can't be real that whole segment of home acoustics has such a problem, right? Nope - first thing I noticed is audio delay. Rez and Tetris Effect is unplayable, in movies it's not so dramatic, but still noticeable. Best part is troubleshooting part in manual:

Q: There is audio delay in movies.
A: In some movies there will be some sound delay.

I wonder if it's because of wireless sub, or it's just 'normal'? Have you tested soundbars with built in subwoofer? I'm thinking about getting Yamaha YAS 106 now, but if it have the same problems, looks like soundbars are not an option for me.

Be sure to disable as many effects as possible (clear voice, surround sound, etc.); that often helps with audio lag (and makes it sound better imo). Also check your TV for audio delay/sync settings, or otherwise try directly connecting the soundbar to your console.
There are low-latency soundbars out there; someone in this thread measured his soundbar at an acceptable 25ms. Sadly, reviews usually don't talk about audio lag, so finding a low-latency soundbar is a gamble.

Maximus · Feb 11, 2019

Yes, I have a Yamaha YAS 108 and it's amazing. So much better than not having a sound bar and a good compromise to not having to buy and install a surround sound system. It only cost $200.

CloseTalker · Feb 11, 2019

I've had a sound bar for years, it's a massive difference from TV speakers. Any sound upgrade is worthwhile, and while obviously full surround is ideal, sound bars are great if you have a small apartment or room setup. But no matter what, even a $100 sound bar will be a big step up from TV speakers

TheDestructiveSquirrel · Feb 11, 2019

I've had the Vizio SB3651-E6 for just over a month now and I really like it. paid around 200 Canadian for it

Dphex · Feb 11, 2019

i was thinking about buying one but instead i grabbed my 15 year old Denon Receiver and Magnat speakers from the basement and bought an optical cable, sound is amazing and it just cost a cable which was 10 bucks

Livingskeletons · Feb 11, 2019

R dott B said:
I bought a Yamaha yas-108 and I've been enjoying it.

Got one too. Great investment.

GoodGamerGuy · Feb 13, 2019

Posted this to Reddit and also the TV thread here, but since this is a soundbar topic maybe you guys know.

Hey there.
So in work we have a points system for when we do good work, we build up enough points we can buy stuff from an online store. I can also pay money to get a better one, using the points to get money off.
I have a few points built up and looking to get a soundbar. None are probably amazing but I'm hoping somebody could help me pick the best one.

Here are the choices:
Sony HTSF150 120W 2.1ch Soundbar
LG SJ4 300W 2.1ch Soundbar
LG SJ2 Soundbar
LG SK1 Soundbar
Bose 732522-2110 Solo 5
Philips HTL2111A/F7
LG SJ9 5.1.2
Panasonic SC-HTB18EB-K
Sony HTCT290
LG SH2 100W
Sony HTMT300.CEK
Panasonic SC-HTB258EB-K
Panasonic SC-HTB488EBK 200W
Panasonic SC-HTB690EBK

Some of these are over my max, however if they are that much better than others i could pay the extra for it.
Would appreciate any advice regarding it anyway, thanks a lot!

Be super grateful for any help

Anthony Hopkins · Feb 13, 2019

I used to be really bothered by having the optimal 5.1 experience, but now I don't really care, as long as the sound is not shit I'm fine.

My cloud x2s do just fine they are loud and provide pretty good surround effects.
I use headphones 99% of the time because I don't wanna make noise.

But it really depends on you and what you want.

Perfo · Dec 18, 2019

Sorry to bump this up but I didn't know where to ask. I lately bought a bose soundbar 500 + surround speakers + bass module. I did run Adaptiq already. Is there any other tuning anyone of you suggest me to do? Like on the central, bass ecc bars

Are Soundbars Worth the Money?

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"I'd buy that for a dollar!"

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