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Soundbar vs home cinema sets, now for the definite answer

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Bumping this because picked up a Vizio Soundbar M213AD-K8 as an open box buy at Best Buy for $115 for a basement TV and wow this cheap thing really impressed me with how crystal clear it is on dialog from movies and actually decent bass for not having a separate sub

 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
I have both set ups.

A mid level 7.1 set up in the family room.
And. Bose 600 soundbar in the living room.

The Bose has an actual better sound but the 7.1 is loud and is really noticeable when you have actual back channels. But there isn’t much that has actual back channels anymore.

If I could only pick one I’d pick the Bose soundbar.
 

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
I have both set ups.

A mid level 7.1 set up in the family room.
And. Bose 600 soundbar in the living room.

The Bose has an actual better sound but the 7.1 is loud and is really noticeable when you have actual back channels. But there isn’t much that has actual back channels anymore.

If I could only pick one I’d pick the Bose soundbar.
I went to best Buy to actually grab the Bose TV Speaker because it was on sale and got to listen to it and was pretty impressed with its sound as well for such a smaller unit

Then the salesman suggested this Vizio that was an open box buy to try first since it was the only one
 

CobraAB

Member
I've got a full Bose 900 Soundbar/Bass/Surround setup at home paired with a Lg G3 77inch and it's amazing watching movies and how capable it is shaking the whole room. Watching John Wick 4 and Top Gun Maverick on it was a treat. I've never had a full AVR setup before as I like the cleaner look and smaller footprint soundbars take up so I can't say I'm missing what those can deliver but I've no regrets with my purchase.
The Bose is nice. THe surrounds are stupid in price though for what they are Though. Like half the price of the main bar itself. Sub not real cheap either, at least for the 700 model.
 
The Bose is nice. THe surrounds are stupid in price though for what they are Though. Like half the price of the main bar itself. Sub not real cheap either, at least for the 700 model.
They're ridiculously priced but fortunately my employer gets 30% off bose products so that made the impact a little easier to absorb. Don't think I would pay full price for it though.
 

ShakenG

Member
Suggestions for a soundbar with good bass for use via PS5 that does 4k passthrough?
SONY HT-a5000
Can add rears and Sub. Sub built in is very decent though, no complaints about that.
Atmos, dtsx, 8k HDR passthrough.. 4k/120hz.. eARC etc

I had a old 7.2 setup before.. wont go back unless i throw a lot of coin at it.. this setup is just so much more straight forward and it sounds incredible.

I am contemplating getting rears in the future. But as of now, its more than enough.
 
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ShakenG

Member
I was just Joking. Not at all serious. Its just sound options afterall.
I miss having my large music speakers, i dont miss how much space they took up. But bars have progressed a lot to the point i considered one. Game and movies wise, my bar beats it but my large speakers could pump some serious music sound out.

Yeah just sound, no need to be all serious bud.
 
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CGNoire

Member
I miss having my large music speakers, i dont miss how much space they took up. But bars have progressed a lot to the point i considered one. Game and movies wise, my bar beats it but my large speakers could pump some serious music sound out.

Yeah just sound, no need to be all serious bud.
I choose Floor Speakers for the Bass and the Ability to create a wide sound field.
 

Akuji

Member
As someone who designs his own speakers, i have yet to come across a soundbar that sounds good. The Sennheiser ambeo ( original one ) was horrible. Couldnt Listen to it.

But everyone seems kinda diffrent about these things. Its hifi, as long as ur happy dont do anything.
 

SScorpio

Member
I choose Floor Speakers for the Bass and the Ability to create a wide sound field.
Soundbars that have a sub and rear speakers are more than enough for an average home. If you are dropping 10s of thousands on a home theater experience, sure max it out.

But the ones that include upfiring speakers can give a nice overhead ATMOS effect. Receivers have greatly increased in price, and that's before any speakers and a sub. I remember being able to get a good starter system for $300-500 total. Now it's $800-1000 for just a receiver, while you can get an ATMOS soundbar for that.
 
If you are dropping 10s of thousands on a home theater experience, sure max it out.
just 2 high quality front speakers and a sub will sound better than basically all soundbars. dont need $10k for that.

soundbars are cheaper and easier to set up, but come with a lot of compromises.
then again, if you dont notice, more money in your pocket, but to be blunt i guess, no one who's actually serious about sound uses a soundbar, even in small spaces.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
just 2 high quality front speakers and a sub will sound better than basically all soundbars. dont need $10k for that.

soundbars are cheaper and easier to set up, but come with a lot of compromises.
then again, if you dont notice, more money in your pocket, but to be blunt i guess, no one who's actually serious about sound uses a soundbar, even in small spaces.
Not for movie watching and gaming they don't.

Nobody serious at doing the above uses two fronts and a sub.
 

Kuranghi

Gold Member
Its been said obviously, but its all about convenience and wirelessness vs. quality of sound and customisability.

I can't do without surround sound in gaming, I've had it since 2004, won't go back since it adds so much to the experience, Spiderman 2 has amazing sound design, its so 3D. Alan Wake II as well, thats terrifyingly brilliant with rear channels.

I'd like to have an AVR with great speakers but I'm in a flat with a 4.5m x 4.5m living room and don't plan to get a much bigger place any time soon, its too annoying with my room setup, the front right speaker would have to go in above a boiler cupboard door and the rear right corner is an angled wall, its just not something I can reasonably do, also fuck running the rear cables back to an AVR again.

I have many pairs of good quality headphones, the highest rated gaming ones (low bar lol), highest rated consumer sets, a fancy music-nerd pair, but I prefer my Sony ZF9 soundbar with rear speakers any day, I just dislike headphones for gaming even if its better for hearing really quiet sounds and pinpointing direction of sound, because the surround effect of headphones is just trash compared to real discrete speakers imo.

I'm pretty annoyed that my TV unit soundbar envelope is 1m wide and Sony have made all their new premium soundbars wider than 1m, so I can't buy the Sony A7000 unless I have it awkwardly balanced on top of my TV bracket stand plate (not too keen on fucking around changing the bracket stand design/moving the TV, since its my babby) as an upgrade to what I have... even if these problems didn't exist I'd probably balk at the price when I put it all in the basket, its disgusting how much it all costs compared to what I paid for my Sony ZF9 + Rears (~800), it came with a subwoofer.

I don't have a good ear for accurate sound so a really high quality system would be pointless for me, my eyes are very sharp for motion artifacts and verifying image quality, but not sound.
 

CobraAB

Member
Soundbars are Trash. Get a Receiver and 2 Large Floor Speakers like an Adult.
th
 
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depends on the size of the room for me. Downstairs I have a Sonos arc with a sub and its great. Upstairs I have high end shit and I don't like it as much but It'll fill the room.
 

digdug2

Member
We are renting a house on a different continent than we are from... so we are doing the soundbar setup. It's really hard to find a cost-effective yet excellent receiver that has all the bells and whistles AND is dual voltage so we can take it with us when our time here is up.

I can attest that the Sony HT-G700 is a pretty good option. We've been using it for 3 years now and are very happy with it. Does it have surround sound? No. Does it sound pretty good overall? Yes and it has great bass. There are way better soundbars out there now, but this works for us so there's no sense in upgrading it at the moment.
 

SScorpio

Member
We are renting a house on a different continent than we are from... so we are doing the soundbar setup. It's really hard to find a cost-effective yet excellent receiver that has all the bells and whistles AND is dual voltage so we can take it with us when our time here is up.

I can attest that the Sony HT-G700 is a pretty good option. We've been using it for 3 years now and are very happy with it. Does it have surround sound? No. Does it sound pretty good overall? Yes and it has great bass. There are way better soundbars out there now, but this works for us so there's no sense in upgrading it at the moment.
With ever-changing technology, does it make sense to pack up and haul most things with you? I thought most people who moved to distant countries, not to mention continents sold things locally as shipping is expensive and things end up damaged.

Buying something else when you get to your new place of residence will also let you get the latest things like HDMI 2.1 support on that new audio setup which wasn't a thing three years ago.
 

digdug2

Member
With ever-changing technology, does it make sense to pack up and haul most things with you? I thought most people who moved to distant countries, not to mention continents sold things locally as shipping is expensive and things end up damaged.

Buying something else when you get to your new place of residence will also let you get the latest things like HDMI 2.1 support on that new audio setup which wasn't a thing three years ago.
You're absolutely right for most. In my case, moving overseas is cost free to me, as it is paid by my company... up to like 18,000 lbs. So it makes sense to keep things around. I've lived in multiple countries on different continents and I've only had a few things break over the years. But nothing that was sacred. My Sony Soundbar is EU spec (240V, 50Hz) so I'll be selling it when we move back to the States. And then I'll buy the latest and greatest.
 

dcx4610

Member
Soundbars are really made as a TV speaker replacement or people with minimal space. I can't imagine willingly using a sound bar unless I lived in a small place.

It can be expensive but a 5.1 system with a subwoofer and good center channel speaker changes everything. It's more important for movies but 3D games will specifically take advantage of 5.1 and will be a game changer. Just don't get a home theater in a box or skimp out on the center channel.
 

Soodanim

Member
With how this thread is going, it makes me wonder how far sound bars have come since the early days when all I heard from anyone was to avoid them.

I have a set of active speakers connected to TV via optical (and also to PC via 3.5mm) and people in a different room thought a car outside was making noise because of the bass so I'm very happy with them, but I think I'll need to keep an open mind next time I look into audio, especially with the (pseudo?) surround options they offer.
 

Traxtech

Member
I'm running a Schiit dac/preamp into a 2.2 Kali audio studio monitor setup (2x IN-8 3 way/ 8inch monitors) and 2xWS12 subs/12 inch subs) and use the TV speaker on my G1 oled as a fake "center" for voice clarity which essentially makes it a 3.2

I came from a q990c and I'll never get another soundbar again for the media room. Bedroom definitely, but for really pumping out movies and games, bigger really is better.
 
Running 5.1 in my movie/gaming room which is used daily, and looking at adding two height speakers soon to go 5.1.2. Got my AVR, with a stereo amp powering front L and R speakers (so can use my main speakers in surround system and hifi); just need a better amp with ht bypass so dont need to worry about having volume at correct levels.

For front room just tv, a soundbar would be sufficient but the wifey hates tech stuff and clutter, so just shitty tv speakers.
 

SScorpio

Member
With how this thread is going, it makes me wonder how far sound bars have come since the early days when all I heard from anyone was to avoid them.

I have a set of active speakers connected to TV via optical (and also to PC via 3.5mm) and people in a different room thought a car outside was making noise because of the bass so I'm very happy with them, but I think I'll need to keep an open mind next time I look into audio, especially with the (pseudo?) surround options they offer.
There are still cheap ones that are just what you think they are. But now they can go for over a grand with all kinds of advanced tech in them, though IMO buy during sales and go for the $350-500 on sale range.

Some people swear by the soundbars that are just the single unit and do weird math to create the 3D effect. But if your area has the room, put in rear speakers, there's nothing pseudo about having the sound generated directly behind you. I do get that some people have smaller rooms and a couch right against a wall. But a traditional receiver and speaker setup won't work there either. I was the same way having nice mid-tier receiver setups, but now I'm running soundbars on my modern TVs. I still do have a single receiver hooked up, it's in my retro setup where I have a CRT, and it does a great job pumping out stereo Genesis music and working as a system switch.

It's now possible to spend under a thousand dollars and buy a decent TV, and soundbar and enjoy a movie. With a theater only giving an even larger screen, but you have to deal with other people being on their phones and you can't pause that 3.5-hour epic to use the bathroom and get another beer. At $15-20/ticket is it any wonder people aren't going to the theater anymore?
 

Rosoboy19

Member
You just can’t beat the customization an AVR with surround provides. Individual channel volume adjustment, lip sync, and dedicated EQ and crossover functions are game changers for me.
You don’t have to break the bank to get respectable surround. Sony CS speakers or Neumi BS5/CS5 are budget darlings in the home theater community.
 

K' Dash

Member
Ideally it's a bar that supports everything these consoles support. I don't care much for 120hz, but VRR is a must for me. There's barely a handful of bars that offer this, and the ones that do offer it are easily into the 1000 euro range. Which at that point I'm like....nah, that's just too much.

Sound systems need to support VRR? This is news for me, I mostly play with my XM5 headphones and it’s been a while since I researched audio systems, but this caught me by surprise 😮
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Sound systems need to support VRR? This is news for me, I mostly play with my XM5 headphones and it’s been a while since I researched audio systems, but this caught me by surprise 😮
Your receiver will take in HDMI cables for everything. So the PS5 HDMI cable will need to go into the Sound receiver. The XSX one. The PC cable. Everything has to go through the receiver instead of plugging into the tv. if your TV suppports vrr but your receiver does not, you are not getting vrr.
 

SScorpio

Member
Your receiver will take in HDMI cables for everything. So the PS5 HDMI cable will need to go into the Sound receiver. The XSX one. The PC cable. Everything has to go through the receiver instead of plugging into the tv. if your TV suppports vrr but your receiver does not, you are not getting vrr.
What about eARC though? My consoles and PC let me enable VRR, and my soundbar isn't HDMI 2.1.

This is with both eARC, and using a splitter to drive audio from the soundbar's HDMI-in rather than using eARC.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I’ve had a soundbar + sub and a 5.1 setup. Honestly, the soundbar setup is good enough 99% of the time. Don’t cheap out on the soundbar. $300 seems a decent quality level.
Yep. Vizios are really good for their price to performance ratios. LG, Samsung and Sony are too expensive. For $300, they give you 2.1 surround systems while vizio will offer 5.1 (rear speakers) for the same price.

I owned one and it was absolutely fantastic. The rear speakers/subwoofer went out after a power spike in my man cave, so i bought their premium Vizio Elevate series last year. it has speakers that rotate up and bounce off the audio from the ceiling. It is truly spectecular. Very expensive. Got it on sale for $700 but probably too much for atmos speakers but i didnt want to compromise on sound quality. It really benefits games because unlike movies, games have way better 3d sound applications. If a helicopter is flying above you, you will hear it. If there is thunder, you will hear it above you. Surround is amazing, but atmos ceiling audio is legit next level.

IIRC, vizio sells atmos bars for $500, but im not sure if they are as good as my Elevate.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
What about eARC though? My consoles and PC let me enable VRR, and my soundbar isn't HDMI 2.1.

This is with both eARC, and using a splitter to drive audio from the soundbar's HDMI-in rather than using eARC.
You are plugging your PC into the soundbar then plugging the soundbar into the eARC slot?

Thats going to cause more video input lag even if it solves the lip sync issues. Not sure about vrr but the PS5 system menu will tell you if vrr can be enabled that way. My PSVR 1.0 does not support vrr passthrough.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
You just can’t beat the customization an AVR with surround provides. Individual channel volume adjustment, lip sync, and dedicated EQ and crossover functions are game changers for me.
You don’t have to break the bank to get respectable surround. Sony CS speakers or Neumi BS5/CS5 are budget darlings in the home theater community.
If you want powerful HQ Atmos/DTS-X sound.

You will need....

A capable AVR.
Decent speakers.
A Amp to power the extra speakers.
Wiring and drilling.

This will cost more than most soundbars including the Dragon.
 
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SScorpio

Member
No I had devices connected directly to the TV, and then TV -> eARC Soundbar and VRR was supported.

Now I have an HDMI 2.1 switch with audio splitting. PS5, XSX, and PC are connect to the switch. Output 1 goes to TV and supports VRR, output 2 that is audio only to the soundbar's HDMI-In.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Funny story:

About two years ago I had a 5.1.2 surround system that was run through eARC and I can't say it wowed me. I decided to trade it in for a soundbar for convenience. I had the top of the line LG 7.1.2 soundbar with wireless rear speakers. Can't say it ever truly wowed me, but I had it for convenience.

I started noticing that Dolby Atmos had a noticeable lag in Xbox Series X games about a year ago in The Callisto Protocol during several conversation scenes and I realized it was happening in other games, but it never bothered me. In that game it was noticeably bad and I discovered that this was a known issue with Atmos and XSX when I researched it. It is somewhat mitigated by running through the soundbar, but that usually eliminates 4K/120/VRR since most soundbars don't support HDMI 2.1. Never an issue on the PS5, but the PS5 only recently got Atmos support.
I decided that I had had enough and looked into HDMI 2.1 receivers. Adorama put the Onkyo 6050 on sale for $299, which is considered the best receiver in terms of value and Monoprice put their 5.1.2 speakers on sale for $80, which was not only a steal but absolute robbery for that price. They're normally priced at $250 and even at that price they're not bad. I run both my PS5 and XSX through the receiver. No lag, all HDMI 2.1 features work as intended. I hooked up my 4090 system through it and no lag. No issues. Atmos still has a tiny bit of lag on the XSX, but I switched DTS:X and all audio lag is gone.

Oh? The sound is SOOOOO much better than my soundbar.
 
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SScorpio

Member
Funny story:

About two years ago I had a 5.1.2 surround system that was run through eARC and I can't say it wowed me. I decided to trade it in for a soundbar for convenience. I had the top of the line LG 7.1.2 soundbar with wireless rear speakers. Can't say it ever truly wowed me, but I had it for convenience.

I started noticing that Dolby Atmos had a noticeable lag in Xbox Series X games about a year ago in The Callisto Protocol during several conversation scenes and I realized it was happening in other games, but it never bothered me. In that game it was noticeably bad and I discovered that this was a known issue with Atmos and XSX when I researched it. It is somewhat mitigated by running through the soundbar, but that usually eliminates 4K/120/VRR since most soundbars don't support HDMI 2.1. Never an issue on the PS5, but the PS5 only recently got Atmos support.
I decided that I had had enough and looked into HDMI 2.1 receivers. Adorama put the Onkyo 6050 on sale for $299, which is considered the best receiver in terms of value and Monoprice put their 5.1.2 speakers on sale for $80, which was not only a steal but absolute robbery for that price. They're normally priced at $250 and even at that price they're not bad. I run both my PS5 and XSX through the receiver. No lag, all HDMI 2.1 features work as intended. I hooked up my 4090 system through it and no lag. No issues. Atmos still has a tiny bit of lag on the XSX, but I switched DTS:X and all audio lag is gone.

Oh? The sound is SOOOOO much better than my soundbar.
XSX and PC both had issues with audio lag over eARC. I also had weirdness when the audio wasn't always detected on start and took a minute or two for a console to recognize it and us that rather than the TV.

Switching to the audio extractor and all of the problems immediately disappeared.
https://a.co/d/5KbZXcn
 
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