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I'm in search of a soundbar + BT headphones

Giallo Corsa

Giallo Corsa

Member
Hey all !

So, what the title says lads and lasses, basically, my LG C2's sound is so bad that it really needs something better to have its sound output from, also, I'm really tired of my HyperX cloud Alphas since A) they're wired so they won't work/can't connect them directly to the C2 (no 3.5 jack), B) I'm tired of being teethered to my console's joypad all the time and C) earpads after 3 years have started flaking really bad and a pair of good leather earpads cost half the price of a mid-range headset.

Now, I'm looking for some mid-range /good VFM /bang for your buck stuff since it's for occasional/non heavy use and the space is limited in my new residence.
I know about the whole wireless/BT headphone thing (interference/audio lag/worse quality than wired depending on the budget) and that an AV amp + speakers is always better than a soundbar (been there, done that) but, it is what it is.

Basically :
- BT headphones as to have them working directly with my TV

- Soundbar as to have better sound compared to the TV's awful audio output/speakers.

For the BT headphones, I've seen the Anker Q30 being suggested by many since - apparently - they have good sound (V shaped profile), they're built OK and have a long battery life (30+hours), plus, they also have NC.
(80 euros, they go for 60 right now on Amazon due to spring sales).

Regarding the soundbar, I was going to go with the TCL TS8111 which supports Dolby Atmos (I know, I know) but...I've been reading about constant audio dropouts which haven't been fixed for more than 1 year.
Now, I'm thinking of going the Creative stage V2 2.1 way since it's got great reviews all around, plus, I'm yet to be disappointed with Creative, heck, I had some 20 year old Creative 4.1 speakers that I gifted to my best buddy which still worked perfectly.

Anyone tried these products by any chance ?
Anything I should be aware of especially when it comes to the soundbar ?

Thanks in advance, cheers
 
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A

ANDS

Banned
I have an LG C2 and I wouldn't call the speakers "bad." They simply can't be as good as a dedicated setup but are far better than some of the default options I've had on some screens.

As for soundbar just stick with LG: S80QY. If you absolutely want 5.1, go for the S90 (or a SONY product if you're going to spend that kind of money), but the S80QY should realistically be all you need, particularly if you are in a small home. If you are in an apartment or have folks on top of you, just go with headphones (you can get a dedicated pair with a receiver or just use BT; I have no problem with audio when using BT at night) as these speakers are fucking absurd when even at half volume.
 
R

Rival

Gold Member
I have a Sonos beam gen 2 with the Sonos sub mini and one SL’s as a surround sound setup in my bedroom and it is fantastic. If your budget is bigger and the room is bigger you can upgrade to the arc and full size sub. It’s a great system.
 
Robb

Robb

Gold Member
We have the Sonos Beam Gen 2, I haven’t tried much else but it sounds fantastic imo and I’ve never had any issues with it. I guess Sonos are a bit on the pricey side though, if you’re on a budget.
 
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Giallo Corsa

Giallo Corsa

Member
ANDS said:
I have an LG C2 and I wouldn't call the speakers "bad." They simply can't be as good as a dedicated setup but are far better than some of the default options I've had on some screens.

As for soundbar just stick with LG: S80QY. If you absolutely want 5.1, go for the S90 (or a SONY product if you're going to spend that kind of money), but the S80QY should realistically be all you need, particularly if you are in a small home. If you are in an apartment or have folks on top of you, just go with headphones (you can get a dedicated pair with a receiver or just use BT; I have no problem with audio when using BT at night) as these speakers are fucking absurd when even at half volume.
Click to expand...

Hey ANDS, thanks for chiming in ;)
Regarding the C2's sound, i know it's a TV therefore you can't can't expect any miracles BUT, for a 1300+ Eurodollars TV the sound is still friggin' disappointing man, i mean, my 13 year old Panny plasma had better sound ffs, not to mention some Sony 4K TVs which also have fantastic speakers (for being TVs that is).
I know that this is an OLED we're talking about therefore the space/housing is limited as to have better/bigger speakers mounted but...no matter the sound profile, no matter whether you use Dolby Atmos or not, the sound is always tinny and it either lacks bass or highs/mids (depending on the selected profile).

Thanks for the soundbar suggestion but again, i'm in search of something budget friendly and that LG S80QY goes for 550+ euros - there's no way i'm ever gonna spend that kind of money on a soundbar friend, if i went that route i'd always go for an AV amp + speakers combo.
Also : you're absolutely right regarding the sound output being l-o-u-d , the reason i usually go for headphones nowadays is to not be bothered by others/external noises and also because i dont want to bother others.
Thanks man ;)

Urban said:
What’s your budget on a sound bar ?
Click to expand...
Low Urban, around the 160-170 Eurodollars mark, i just need something better than the TV speakers, that's all.
Thanks

Rival said:
I have a Sonos beam gen 2 with the Sonos sub mini and one SL’s as a surround sound setup in my bedroom and it is fantastic. If your budget is bigger and the room is bigger you can upgrade to the arc and full size sub. It’s a great system.
Click to expand...

Rival, the Sonos products might be (are ?) mighty good but they're out of my budget for now.
Thanks
 
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Roxkis_ii

Roxkis_ii

Banned
I'm also in thr market for a sound bar and that Creative stage V2 2.1 in the op is looking right up my alley!

I was also looking at the TCL sound bar, but their prices always look to good to be true.
 
Akuji

Akuji

Member
All i can say is buy a decent 2 way soundbar and dont fall for the surround sound bullshit. My brother had the Sennheiser soundbar because he didnt listen and god is that thing awful. He did send it back the next day. Personally i would go 2 smaller seperate speakers.
 
Putonahappyface

Putonahappyface

Gold Member
What's your budget for the soundbar? I went from an LG SL10YG to a Sennheiser Ambeo Max and a SVS SB2000 Pro and its amazing!

AMBEO Soundbar MAX | Sennheiser United Kingdom

The AMBEO Soundbar offers the full volume and quality of a multi-speaker system in just one device. Discover spectacular 3D sound at Sennheiser now!
www.sennheiser-hearing.com www.sennheiser-hearing.com

www.google.com

SB-2000 Pro Subwoofer | SVS

Jaw-dropping deep bass extension and massive output with stunning musicality that will delight both audiophiles and home theater fans. Features all-new 12-inch SVS driver, 550 Watts RMS, 1,500+ Watts peak power Sledge amplifier, and SVS subwoofer DSP smartphone app.
www.google.com www.google.com

Edit: Apologies I just saw your budget.
 
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Roxkis_ii

Roxkis_ii

Banned
Lunatic_Gamer said:
Best Mid-Range Soundbar ever made. The Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 eARC. You can thank me later.

www.nakamichi-usa.com

Nakamichi USA | True Surround Soundbar with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X

Nakamichi manufactures high-performance home theater surround soundbars. Our discrete surround designs deliver the most authentic 360-degree surround sound that comes with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X. Our exclusive dual subwoofers let you hear and feel the bass.
www.nakamichi-usa.com www.nakamichi-usa.com
Click to expand...

$1800 is concidered mid range!? Holy cow
 
Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf

Member
Please check Rtings.com for audio latency on the Soundbar you are interested in. some are very bad and even adjusting settings on the tv doesn’t fix.

As for my advice, some of the Vizio sound bars are excellent for the money. Biggest issue with them is reliability. Also do you want a separate subwoofer and/or satellite speakers, or an all in one?
 
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Represent.

Represent.

Banned
For sound bar I got the Samsung SB-800. Shit sound amazing and you can add on rear kit speakers later on. Good mid range option
 
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A

ANDS

Banned
Giallo Corsa said:
Low Urban, around the 160-170 Eurodollars mark, i just need something better than the TV speakers, that's all.
Click to expand...

Didn't see the price of the TCL; I feel like at that price point I'd just try for the headphones. You can definitely get some deals in that range for what seem like a decent setup (that's solely meant to replace TV sound): I used RTings when purchasing the setup I have now (C2 and S80) and Google says they are pretty good with their overall reviews. Haven't had an issue at all with the setup (remote work and you can hear these fuckers upstairs through the floor; god help your walls if you're playing 80's/90's rap/hip-hop).

. . .and what's wrong with DOLBY Atmos? I mean if it's just a placebo, they sure as shit have got me fooled.
 
Giallo Corsa

Giallo Corsa

Member
Lone Wolf said:
Please check Rtings.com for audio latency on the Soundbar you are interested in. some are very bad and even adjusting settings on the tv doesn’t fix.

As for my advice, some of the Vizio sound bars are excellent for the money. Biggest issue with them is reliability. Also do you want a separate subwoofer and/or satellite speakers, or an all in one?
Click to expand...

Thanks wolf for the rtings tip !
Unfortunately, Vizio is not available here in Euroland and as for the soundbar, I'd rather a simple one (i.e : 2.1, bar + woofer).

Now, most cheap(er) bars only have ARC (not eARC), will that pose a problem with audio sync etc or does it only have to do with lossy vs lossless formats ? (eARC can support lossless if I'm not mistaken due to the higher bandwidth).

Also : thanks people for the suggestions but goddamn at those 700+ soundbar systems, I said that I was on a budget dammit ! 😁
 
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