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Soundbar recommendations?
- Thread starter nightfly
- Start date
willothedog
Member
if your out of ports you can either:
-get a soundbar with a passthrough port
-get an HDMI switch (I use a Denon AVS3 HDMI 2.1 switch)
-get a soundbar with a passthrough port
-get an HDMI switch (I use a Denon AVS3 HDMI 2.1 switch)
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FullMetalx117
Member
I like sonos. Yes it's overpriced but they got me.
Arc if plan is to get the full setup like bass, surrounds. Beam gen 2 should be fine otherwise.
Arc if plan is to get the full setup like bass, surrounds. Beam gen 2 should be fine otherwise.
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p_xavier
Authorized Fister
Sony with wireless back speakers I have for my casual living room with atmos support.
electronics.sony.ca
Sony BRAVIA Theatre Bar 9 | Flagship Single Soundbar | 360 Spatial Sound Mapping | Dolby Atmos/DTS:X
Flagship single soundbar with 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, Sound Field Optimization, 2-way speaker, quad woofer and passive radiators, Dolby Atmos®/DTS:X®.
electronics.sony.ca
Miyazaki’s Slave
Gold Member
Low cost low effort no hdmi/e/arc support: Roku Sound Bar
added these to the kit to get my mom an easy to use streaming setup with loud enough sound for her
Medium cost with decent sound and hdmi/earc support: Bose
Sonos I would rank "okay" is personally and I had several rooms wired with their kits but have since thrown them all in the attic in their boxes (still have the setup below in my garage). Their app is a walled garden and restricts content playback unless you sign in through their app...really pissed me off after dropping thousands of dollars on their tech. Pair this bar and sub with whatever speaker set they offer you want to purchase. I think the main speaker bar is more important than any of the rear/satellite ones.
What I am currently using in a main room and my bedroom: Samsung
added these to the kit to get my mom an easy to use streaming setup with loud enough sound for her
Medium cost with decent sound and hdmi/earc support: Bose
Sonos I would rank "okay" is personally and I had several rooms wired with their kits but have since thrown them all in the attic in their boxes (still have the setup below in my garage). Their app is a walled garden and restricts content playback unless you sign in through their app...really pissed me off after dropping thousands of dollars on their tech. Pair this bar and sub with whatever speaker set they offer you want to purchase. I think the main speaker bar is more important than any of the rear/satellite ones.
What I am currently using in a main room and my bedroom: Samsung
Biff
Member
Easy solution for your port problem: your TV has an audio-only output port called either SPDIF or Optical Out that should look like the top right port in this image:
This solves all your problems. Whatever HDMI input is being used by your TV automatically outputs its audio through this port. Buy an optical cable and make sure the soundbar you are buying has Optical In (vast majority have it - just double check).
Then just use your TV as normal, switch HDMI as much as you please. Audio will always follow through your soundbar. Done.
This solves all your problems. Whatever HDMI input is being used by your TV automatically outputs its audio through this port. Buy an optical cable and make sure the soundbar you are buying has Optical In (vast majority have it - just double check).
Then just use your TV as normal, switch HDMI as much as you please. Audio will always follow through your soundbar. Done.
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midnightAI
Member
I have the Majority Everest 5.1, really cheap (only cost 200 quid) but pretty decent, 300w has detachable satellite speakers and Bluetooth subwoofer. Doesn't have Dolby Atmos but does have True Dolby and has HDMI Arc. Certainly a lot better than any build in TV speakers. It doesn't have pass through though so won't help you in that regard but it does have optical and RCA ports
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Lagspike_exe
Member
Samsung Q-series is great, so just get the one that fits your budget.
Represent.
Represent(ative) of bad opinions
I Have the Samsung SB800, love it. You can add more speakers to it as well.
willothedog
Member
Easy solution for your port problem: your TV has an audio-only output port called either SPDIF or Optical Out that should look like the top right port in this image:
This solves all your problems. Whatever HDMI input is being used by your TV automatically outputs its audio through this port. Buy an optical cable and make sure the soundbar you are buying has Optical In (vast majority have it - just double check).
Then just use your TV as normal, switch HDMI as much as you please. Audio will always follow through your soundbar. Done.
ypu will be severely limited to what audio formats you can use through spdif.
analog_future
Banned
Sonos is a great mix of nice aesthetics, quality sound, and ease of use.
YCoCg
Member
If it's a cheap sound bar you're not really going to notice that much if your audio is compressed Dolby Digital or Uncompressed LPCM.
Plus most streaming services default to DD5.1 anyway, yeah things like Atmos are supported but it's still a compressed version unlike physical media.
If your room setup supports it, I also recommend an Onn 5.1 soundbar. Having the rear audio channels is great. Going from a 2.0/2.1 setup to a 5.1 is the biggest step up as you have 360 degree sound around you. Adding additional channels is fine, but it's diminishing returns.
If the ceiling in your room supports it, the $199 Onn 5.1.2 that has the up firing Atmos speakers could be great. Those add height to the audio. But still just basic 5.1 from stereo is the biggest jump you can make.
The way the rear channels work is the subwoofer is wireless so you put it behind you and connect it to a power outlet. You then run included speaker wires from the subwoofer to the two rear speakers.
If the ceiling in your room supports it, the $199 Onn 5.1.2 that has the up firing Atmos speakers could be great. Those add height to the audio. But still just basic 5.1 from stereo is the biggest jump you can make.
The way the rear channels work is the subwoofer is wireless so you put it behind you and connect it to a power outlet. You then run included speaker wires from the subwoofer to the two rear speakers.