I just got rid of the soundbar at my friend's (older) father's place at his request - well, he didn't actually request that I get rid of the soundbar, but he asked if there was anything that could be done to improve the sound of his TV so he could hear the dialogue better. I found him some little Canton sub/satellite speakers and a gently used Denon AVR with Audyssey, I set it up after Thanksgiving dinner at his place. My reasoning behind this was I'd try it first with Audyssey and see if that helped, if not, then having a real AVR will allow him to apply dynamic volume (which I normally eschew, but it does help with domestic harmony, especially if you're watching action movies) and maybe bump the center channel up a few dB if it still doesn't get him where he needs to be. Can't do that with just a soundbar.
Are Soundbars the future of speakers for the home?
There'll be no sound bar in this shebang (spoken with an Iris accent). I have a TV stand with a shelf under the set where the receiver and DVD sit. Two medium/small speakers flanking the screen, a sub over in the corner. No wires strung all around and two buttons turn the whole thing on. If space ever became an issue, I could press a pair of Minimus 7's into service.
BilboBaggins
Addicted Member
When I decided to move the home theatre from the bedroom into my newly finished family room, I missed having a tv in my room, and so I bought a small 32 in Sony, and wall mounted it. Tried the sound that way, but it didn't cut it. Tried a sound bar and sub, but no matter which model I tried and how much I spent, I ended up returning it. I ended up with a nice Denon AVR-2309CI and built a nice 7.1 system around it. I'm very happy with the results, and for a while, I was blown away by it. My kids wanted to show it off to their friends, especially the I, Robot scene in the tunnel. Since then, I've moved into quality 2 channel vintage, and although I like watching movies in bed with the home theatre system, it sounds muddy compared to my critical listening room 2 channel system.
A sound bar just won't cut it for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you. Only your ears will tell in the end. It might be best to make sure you buy from a place that will allow you to return it for full CASH refund. Store credit would limit your options if you find you want better sound.
A sound bar just won't cut it for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you. Only your ears will tell in the end. It might be best to make sure you buy from a place that will allow you to return it for full CASH refund. Store credit would limit your options if you find you want better sound.
Why do you think people with soundbar's don't care about sound? Interesting you say that as soundbar/subwoofer combinations these days can be very powerful
tubeampking
Chronic dabbler
What's a sound bar????
A self powered outboard speaker intended to improve the sound of a television. They generally succeed at the task.
Because they generally don't sound very good at all. Most have a hole somewhere in the frequency range. The ones I've heard are awful. Sure if you spend a lot of money you could get something that sounds decent. But what you will never get from a soundbar is real stereo. Without real stereo (Because it's like a boom box really, no separation of speakers) you will never get a decent soundstage or imaging. So for me. No thanks. But if you don't really care about sound, then it's probably a good solution. Better than the TV speakers at least.
tubeampking
Chronic dabbler
Because they're plastic and have tiny speakers. There is NO way a 2" speaker...or a cluster of them...in a long thin plastic box will even begin to approach high fidelity or good sound quality....period. Sound bars sound good to people who have no idea what good sound is...
whoaru99
Epic Member
They care enough to upgrade the dismal sound that comes directly from most TVs.
I think we need a reminder on occasion that we here are the 1%ers, so to speak.
I have a sound bar and am totally satisfied. here is a pair of powered monitors that I would consider Hi end.
http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=PowerPlay Monitors
http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=PowerPlay Monitors
Some sound good to people who've a great deal of experience with good sound.
tubeampking
Chronic dabbler
Yes...a properly designed and built unit as you described with some nice Tang Band or other such drivers could sound pretty nice...and cost more than most people happy with a sound bar would be willing to pay. One thing I have to remember is that were talking home theatre mostly...not music reproduction. A sound bar can not offer a very wide soundstage as the " channels" are not far enough apart. To get a good sense of movement in, say, an action movie, you need at least a 5.1 system with enough distance between the left, center, and right channels to fully capture that movement. And you will never convince me that a sound bar can give the same punch and "umph" I get from my system :
Fronts: Sound Dynamics CM500s...these will knock an elephant down at 50 paces.
Center: Optimus Pro CS 5
Rear: Sony SS-MB105... admittedly the weak link, but rears are mostly ambient anyway
Sub: PSW250
For my smallish living room this system smokes for movies and music....just ask my neighbors. You will never get this kind of performance from a sound bar.
Oh I agree, here was my system at one point in time:
L/R: Genesis G110
Center: 2x Genesis 1+ bracketing screen
Surround: EPI 100
Sub: Outlaw LFM-1
it was giggle-inducing, but moving required downsizing and now it has some Boston CR9s on stands with whatever the matching center is and the surrounds are some little Energy bookshelves. Still have the outlaw though.
The Genesis system was great because with a large screen you could actually hear the mismatch between the visual position of a talking head on the screen and the position of the center channel, but with two speakers with tweeters at about the midline of the screen it improved things greatly. Unfortunately now the room isn't wide enough to have space for two speakers on either side of the screen :/
Condorsat
Audio Enthusiast
That's what a blue shirt at Best Buys told me when I asked him why all the soundbars?
My old LCD Panasonic TV has decent (for regular TV shows) sound. When I eventually buy another TV ..
LED (almost did that this Xmas) ... I'll have to give some thought to a soundbar ... don't really want to run
the stereo rig all night for regular TV shows.
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I think I might have an idea on what good sound is..........then again maybe not
Either way my soundbar has displaced my 5.1 ht rig. I do very little tv watching so I can't see the point of having a balls to the walls rig with it's associated complexity with equipment and wires everywhere just for movies. Watching Jurassic Park once again just last night assured me I've made the right move. T Rex didn't rattle the dishes in the kitchen like before but I still knew he was on the prowl. Different strokescharles 1973
Super Member
Sound bars are like anything else audio. You get what you pay for. While stereo separation is limited, So is floor space, One prime reason we buy them. I have heard this Focal Dimension sound bar and sub https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwir7NK87uDQAhVFHGMKHXiFCr4QFghDMAU&url=http://www.whathifi.com/focal/dimension/review&usg=AFQjCNFHeaaHb9lfnnd4tPv2s4yqXAZ1SA&bvm=bv.140496471,d.cGcFocal at about $1,800 CDN that would leave a bunch of decent floor standing stereo speakers eating dust. With more detail, crystal clear high's and deeper more powerful bass. And why not. These higher end sound bars often use the same midrange and HF drivers as the company's floor standing speakers, But couple them to a sub, more capable of producing clean powerful bass than the woofers in the speakers. There are likely a bunch in the $500 range that would work well for people who don' want a room full of speakers but still want decent sound for both TV and music on a budget.
Myself, I use a DD 3.1 system I put together with spare parts. Thanks to narrow tower's and the center channel under my TV, It doesn't take up much floor space either. The DD makes listening to Dialog on most movies much easier and more natural than in stereo too. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy a sound bar if I had use for one.
Myself, I use a DD 3.1 system I put together with spare parts. Thanks to narrow tower's and the center channel under my TV, It doesn't take up much floor space either. The DD makes listening to Dialog on most movies much easier and more natural than in stereo too. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy a sound bar if I had use for one.
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