Sound Bars - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Igster · 04-08-2015, 03:49 PM

My wife and I are moving into a smaller condo at the end of the month. We currently have a pretty big HDTV and a full speaker setup (amp and 5 speakers and a sub). Really looking to avoid having all this clutter in a smaller apartment style condo and would like to get rid of the wires. We watch a lot of 5.1 TV and movies. I'm looking for a similar experience with a sound bar, but getting rid of the speakers and wires would be great.

I'm pretty sure sound bars with wireless sub woofers would help us achieve a "similar" experience. I realize it will be simulated, but we are in a smaller space for our living room and simply don't have the room for the rear speakers with the stands we have. The room is also pretty oddly shaped, so sounds won't bounce all that great anyway.

Does anyone have any experience with sound bars and wireless sub woofers? I've been looking at Best Buy, The Brick and a few other places and have seen quite a few for $300 or less. We really would like to stay at that price point if at all possible. While 5.1 would be nice, I'm not sure it will make that much difference in the small space or with a sound bar at all.

Suggestions?

burnin_vernon · 04-08-2015, 05:14 PM

I bought a sound bar when faced with the same living arrangement change you're making and I was wildly disappointed. It wasn't a high end model ($250USD) but it was a Sony that was very well reviewed. I found it too quiet and it did not come close to replicating surround sound. I went back to 5.1.

Igster · 04-09-2015, 08:07 AM

Hmmm. That doesn't sound promising. Anyone else with any experience with sound bars?

DoubleK · 04-09-2015, 10:12 AM

I have the Pioneer sound bar and it is excellent. Highly recommend it.

Finger Cookin · 04-09-2015, 10:16 AM

http://www.paradigm.com/products-cur.../page=overview

fredr123 · 04-09-2015, 10:32 AM

We got the Vizio soundbar from Costco a year or two ago. Looks like there's a newer model available now. Quite happy with it, although we were using it to replace the crappy sound from the TV's built in speakers so pretty much anything would have been an improvement.

Aleks · 04-09-2015, 11:57 AM

+1 for the vizio with the sub. I bought mine probably 4 years ago now, and its amazing for what it does and how it sounds. I have both setups in my house, the other is a 5.1 with towers, massive sub, marantz amp, all high end stuff and I'm never put off by the quality and loudness of the soundbar. Dont hesitate! You can also check out AVS forums which have pages of awesome things to say about the vizio sound bar

cupofjoe · 04-09-2015, 02:04 PM

For a simple setup, this is the one I recommend to my clients. It has a built in sub.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Spz2UT7GYA

With the app you can adjust the spot beams to maximize the 5.1 effect for the room.

Hack&Lube · 04-09-2015, 02:42 PM

You'll never get surround with a lower-mid level consumer soundbar. I also live in a condo and started with an LG soundbar and wireless woofer. There's not enough distance between the tweeters to give enough stereo separation on practically every sound bar.

The spatial imaging is never going to compare to even a cheap set of small drivers placed at least as far apart as you are from the TV.

The simulated surround just sounds fake and it muddles dialogue because you also lose the Dolby 5.1 effect of channeling most speech through the center channel.

That said, as far as audio quality goes, it was perfectly fine, the woofer output good bass and I put in a corner that hopefully did not disturb my neighbours. I used it for music and videogames. By design however, it's impossible for a soundbar to give you 5.1 or even stereo surround of any kind that will envelope you. It worked for me, but I wasn't big on watching movies.

I don't know about those under-TV soundboxes like the SRT-1000 PV posted above that theoretically direct soundwave "beams" to bounce off walls to appear as though they are coming from different directions. In my experience, that works in a house basement based home theatre room with 4 boring walls but not a typical condo. A condo has more varied designs and has too much stuff in the main entertainment area (windows, furniture, kitchen island, etc.) and mess up the sound localization.

My solution for condos is to use network drops to route sound. Most condos come with ethernet ports on multiple walls. You can splice speaker wire into CAT5/CAT6 network cables. Use your existing 5.1 system and connect the rear speakers through a patch cable in your network closet. That way you can avoid wires running across your condo floor to the back. I ended up doing this eventually because I wanted quadrophonic music.

Igster · 04-10-2015, 09:39 AM

Thanks guys. Still not sure what to do with this. I like 5.1, but 5 speakers and a sub and wires is such a pain. I like the clean look of just the sound bar and perhaps a sub.

With the Vizio one a couple of you mentioned, is it a 5.1 or a 2.1 that you have?

This one?

http://www.costco.ca/Vizio-S3821W-So...100084544.html

Really thinking about this one. If you look at formats they can handle, this Sony seems to do it all:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...8010a456d3en02

RedMileDJ · 04-10-2015, 09:47 AM

nm

Mazrim · 04-10-2015, 12:39 PM

I'm using this LG sound bar and I'm quite happy with it. Still haven't quite figured out how to stop voices from being so quiet on some shows/movies but I just fiddle with the audio settings constantly. When it's working normally, it's awesome.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/...b7a25f1380en02

Igotnothing · 04-10-2015, 01:09 PM

I picked up the 5.1 vizio soundbar. I forget it it was the 42" or 54" but I suspect it was the 42. Regardless, for the bonus room it gets used in it's perfect.

Flames0910 · 04-11-2015, 11:20 AM

I trust The Witecutter's product reviews for most tech products. They have a recommendation for the Best Soundbar and a budget pick.

CubicleGeek · 04-11-2015, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flames0910

I trust The Witecutter's product reviews for most tech products. They have a recommendation for the Best Soundbar and a budget pick.

I have the Paradigm Soundscape - wire cutter is bang on with their review.

I am really anti-clutter so didn't want a sound bar that has an external receiver and wanted something that had good base without needing an external sub.

The base is so good on these speakers you really don't need an external sub. But you can wire in a sub or use the included wireless sub adapter if running cable is an issue.

Very respectable virtual surround sound - I'm using it in a fairly large open space without the luxury of side walls. It will never compete with true 5.1 of course.

TorqueDog · 04-13-2015, 07:25 AM

Instead of a sound bar, I went with satellites as you would for a multi-channel setup (I have 7.1 in my condo) but I used two wireless speaker receivers. One side handles the SL and RL, other handles the SR and RR instead of the normal configuration of having each one handle the L and R. This allowed me to use one wireless receiver on each side of the room, which nicely tucks under the couch and out of sight.

CorsiHockeyLeague · 04-14-2015, 01:30 PM

I use this, and I have nothing but good things to say about it.

http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-S5430W-C.../dp/B00E1EUX6M

Fits perfectly under a 60" TV.

The other one I looked at was this, if you're willing to drop a bit more coin.

http://www.amazon.ca/Philips-HTL7180...hilips+fidelio

Not sure if there's an updated version of that one.

cral12 · 12-20-2015, 11:24 AM

Anyone with thoughts on these two - get good reviews:

Polk Audio Dialogue-Enhancing Sound Bar System (MAGNIFIONE)

Yamaha Bluetooth Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer (YAS203)

keratosis · 12-22-2015, 11:26 AM

I have one of these http://www.amazon.ca/Samsung-HW-F450.../dp/B00BQDI4S0 and very happy with it.

Igottago · 12-22-2015, 12:22 PM

I got this one on black friday:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/...655ae79cbben02

Actually ended up getting it for $288 from Visions, so keep an eye out on boxing day deals.

I also live in a condo and wanted something streamelined since my TV stand didn't have much room on it. This one fit the bill nicely for me.

I agree with those saying you can't expect full surround with sound bars however. It has enhanced the quality of sound with my setup substantially, but it can't match a discrete 5.1 setup. However, for condo life, I find the clean setup of a soundbar so much better (I used to have a 5.1 setup and hated the clutter of wiring and the massive receiver in my tv stand). I don't miss 5.1 enough to go with that type of setup again.