Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › Thoughts and opinion on Soundbar speaker systems.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Thoughts and opinion on Soundbar speaker systems.

post #1 of 5
11/28/10 at 2:15am
Thread Starter 

Hello all,

 

I'm pretty new to the scene so my knowledge is rather weak. I currently have the Onkyo HTS5300 hooked up to my desktop and running an Asus STX essence soundcard. I also have an ATHM50 headset.

 

Recently my friend asked about the pros and cons of having soundbar speaker system for his TV set up. I suggested that if he wanted proper surround sound than a traditional set of 7.1 or 5.1 speakers would be a lot better. However Im unable to elaborate much further.. what does everyone think about soundbar sets vs. traditional speakers?

 

In case a range in price helps, ill say something between 600-1000$

 

-Thanks.

Reply
post #2 of 5
11/28/10 at 9:31am

Well, I'm also interested in a soundbar for my tv, but I haven't actually heard one yet, as it's a long way down my priority list.

 

What my "research" has shown so far is that soundbars won't give perfect surround sound, but that's not the point. People interested in soundbars want a better sound than they get from the tv's built-in speakers, but with minimum of fuss, cables and boxes. They, or their wives, want a neat, smart look.

 

Personally, I'm so not bothered about surround sound, that I've been looking at the small number of soundbars that don't even attempt to recreate that. They just aim to give clear, natural stereo sound. Kef in the UK do one, and I'd be interested if anyone has heard one of these kind.

 

Of course, if you spend the majority of your tv time watching blockbuster movies, then you'd have different priorities. Over a number of reviews, Yamaha soundbars seem do a reasonable approximation of surround sound in that price bracket.

Reply
post #3 of 5
11/28/10 at 11:15am

I have a Yamaha "surround sound" soundbar in one location, and a) it gives a very pleasant sound ... "spacious" rather than real surround, of course; BUT b) it's only good for one chair, literally.  My wife is always in that chair (I got the speaker for her - her hearing isn't the greatest and she needed the intelligibility.)  I sit off-axis, not far, certainly the LCD pic is fine for me, but the sound is a mess, to the point of being hard to follow.  The speaker set itself up with tone bursts into a mic, and it came out VERY axis-specific.  If I was doing it again I would get a non-surround bar, with normal off-axis response.

Reply
post #4 of 5
11/28/10 at 11:16am

The Marantz ES7001 recieved some great reviews but i dont think they are available anymore

Reply
post #5 of 5
11/28/10 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 

 Thanks for the comments, really helpful thus far.

 

I can't really tell whether my friend really cares about surround sound and the quality that hes actually getting from a soundbar. The only thing he mentioned was that he didnt want too many wires, so I think hes leaning towards convenience rather than quality, which is perfectly reasonable for his personal preference.

 

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › Thoughts and opinion on Soundbar speaker systems.