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    Soundbars

    So, with our TV not being smart-equipped and our aging surround sound system's smart capacities being unreliable, we are now looking going the route of getting a soundbar, and run Netflix through the Apple TV thing we bought but hardly use.

    But before I buy that, I need good advice. We don't want to blast holes into the walls, so we don't need super fancy sonics. But obviously we don't want awful sound either; clarity is nice. We'll mostly watch movies and TV shows on it; very little music (and if so then for ambience) and we don't do gaming. The set-up is in a quite big living room with high ceilings, if that makes any difference.

    I looked at some of those things, and a few had USB ports. For what purpose?

    What should I be looking for? What makes for such big price differences (I understand sound quality, but are there features that account for that?). What features can I live without? What special features are life-enhancingly good to have? What should I budget for, given my needs?

    #2
    There's a previous thread on this subject, I think.

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      #3
      But I could be wrong

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        #4
        Not sure about that, but it has definitely come up on Mundane.

        I think that FF has recently acquired one.

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          #5
          I bought one several months ago, but it was a cheap one and required a separate remote. I already had remotes for the TV, the cable box/DVR and the Blu-Ray player, so I didn't really want to have to keep up with another one. So I used my recent birthday gift money to buy a Vizio sound bar (my TV is a Vizio). The goal was just to lose that extra remote, which I did, but I also really love the new sound bar. It has a jack to use for hooking it up to a sub-woofer, but it also has a built-in bass component that sounds great. I don't know how big your space is, but my living room is about 12" x 18" or so and it is perfectly adequate.

          There are plenty of reviews on Amazon of people complaining that it's not perfect sound. I get really annoyed when people say things like this about a product that costs about a quarter of the price of a super high-end version. If you want stereophonic nerd quality, then spend the money and get one that will make you happy. But don't bother the rest of us with your nonsense. You get what you pay for.

          The one I have also has Blu-tooth, but it doesn't have any USB ports. I'm not sure that I would ever use those anyway. Before I bought the Vizio one, I read enough product reviews (both on Amazon and on other sites like cnet) to get an idea of what other people were saying about it. I'm very pleased with my choice.

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            #6
            You’re still getting ‘birthday gift money’? That’s quite something. (From whom, dare I ask?)

            (I now have heightened expectations for tomorrow...)

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              #7
              Two Amazon gift cards, one from my sister and one from a good friend I've known since childhood.

              They didn't cover the full cost of the soundbar, but more than half of it.

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                #8
                In the UK if you spent £200 - £300 on a Yamaha 2.1 soundbar and sub woofer with virtual surround you'd probably be very happy. Yamaha ones are nicely musical too so are good if you're running music through it. I know imported electronics can be a bit pricey over there though.
                Otherwise Sony are good for that sort of thing.

                I'd always stick with an amp and separates (although I have a passive soundbar in front with L/C/R channels) as it gives me the flexibility I like (like 2 subwoofers and multiple inputs) but if you're only using it for tv sound and don't have loads of inputs, a virtual surround bar will do you.

                What sort of budget do you have? That's the real swinger.
                Also What Hifi are good for reviews at different price points.

                The Yamaha YAS-207 is generally considered best of the year and has a wireless sub. It's £250 in the UK at the moment.
                Last edited by hobbes; 10-11-2019, 21:35.

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                  #9
                  That is about the higher end of the range I'd be willing spend.

                  What are the USB ports for? Just for music, or does a soundbar manage video content as well?

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                    #10
                    It would depend on the specific soundbar, but almost certainly the first, possibly the second.

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                      #11
                      Could also be to update firmware if it doesn't have a network connection. Or if it's a cheaply one they might sell a wireless dongle separately that you plug in to the USB.
                      That's less likely theses days though.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Femme Folle View Post
                        Two Amazon gift cards, one from my sister and one from a good friend I've known since childhood.

                        They didn't cover the full cost of the soundbar, but more than half of it.
                        Ah, I see - that's different. I was thinking of notes/bills in scented envelopes from a maiden aunt or similar.

                        I used to get the '50p taped to a birthday card' from one of my neighbours - which obviously has now become a trope beloved of second-tier observational comedians.

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                          #13
                          I'd have thought that any current soundbar with a USB port would be able to play H264 video off a USB stick, possibly other codecs. It may also allow direct interface with a phone.

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                            #14
                            Buy an AV receiver and wire your existing speakers into that.
                            Then plug your tv into your receiver.

                            Most flexible and cost effective solution as you have a decent sized living room and and a soundbar wont work for you.

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                              #15
                              I still get a xmas and b/day cheque from my mother-in-law. Be more likely to spend it on a bounty bar than a soundbar, tho. Not cos it's a small amount- haven't an f-ing clue about most of the above. we only got a flat telly a few years ago.

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                                #16
                                Originally posted by Felicity, I guess so View Post
                                I still get a xmas and b/day cheque from my mother-in-law. Be more likely to spend it on a bounty bar than a soundbar, tho. Not cos it's a small amount- haven't an f-ing clue about most of the above. we only got a flat telly a few years ago.
                                My first two flat TVs had OK speakers built in, but my newest one almost seems to be designed to force you to have some kind of external speaker. It sounds tinny and small on its own. That was why I decided to get a soundbar.

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                                  #17
                                  Buy an AV receiver and wire your existing speakers into that.
                                  Then plug your tv into your receiver.
                                  I also have my TV plugged into my stereo amplifier, enabling me to get the sound through my stereo speakers. Much clearer/better sound than any soundbar woofer thing.

                                  I also have a Chromecast. I can play Spotify through the chromecast. I can disable the screen on my television (set it to black) and it continues to relay the sound to the amp/speakers, all while I control Spotify through the phone.

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                                    #18
                                    Most decent AV receivers these days have Spotify Connect built in. I imagine quite a few soundbars do too.

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                                      #19
                                      Ooh, that sounds interesting. But my 1986 Yamaha stereo amplifier refuses to die.

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                                        #20
                                        I also have my TV plugged into my stereo amplifier, enabling me to get the sound through my stereo speakers. Much clearer/better sound than any soundbar woofer thing.
                                        It probably isn't, you know.

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                                          #21
                                          It's physics.

                                          The diameter of a good sized speaker driver doesn't fit into a sound bar, so it will only get you the tinny high frequency stuff from the small tweeters inside the sound bar. A woofer will get you the deep bass, but you're still missing everything in between.

                                          I find sound bars to be an insult to music.

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