Soundbar Recommendations Please

[Lord Tyrion]

Well not at our house!!!! The Bose is 200 notes cheaper and does the job! Unless of course you are a slave to the TV and need super duper wraparound cinema sound. Me? I only need to hear it better than the rubbish speakers on the actual TV.

That is how my Panasonic sound box works as well. It really comes down to how sophisticated you want it to be. Cinema surround sound or just a deeper, clearer sound. For most of us the latter is enough. Money left over to spend on other goodies then

I think to most human ears the likes of Bose will be more than enough, it is only the geeks that can genuinely pick up any difference. One of lifes little pleasures for me and my daughter is to go into a Bose shop when we pass one, go into the soundproof room and play with the soundbars and speakers. Always sounds fabulous to me

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...odctry=US&prodlang=EN&channel=Online&storeid={product_store_id}&device=c&network=o&matchtype=e&locationid={loc_phyiscal_ms}&creative=&targetid=pla-4581596234400184&campaignid=283268302&msclkid=83c26f9268fc12032ba831dcb2c68f2d&gclid=CKjqx47r4OcCFV_otQodgzMEzA&gclsrc=ds

I use a pair of these on each of two of my TVs. They're not very expensive (compared to your Harbeth, Rogers, etc.).
They require a separate amplifier, but the sound is much clearer than with the tiny internal TV speakers, even at low volume.

They look great - but they wouldn't get near first base with my wife. Freestanding separate speakers are just not her thing - she just won't have them as she sees them as clutter...

 

[oxymoron]

Well not at our house!!!! The Bose is 200 notes cheaper and does the job! Unless of course you are a slave to the TV and need super duper wraparound cinema sound. Me? I only need to hear it better than the rubbish speakers on the actual TV.

You pay your money and take your choice , just posted my opinion as asked for originally , defiantly not a slave to the TV however we probably only watch for 1-1.5 hours a day .
We just wanted better speakers than the TV has no "super duper wraparound cinema sound ", one bonus we, both think, when used for music and radio the sound is very very good well above the majority of the units we considered.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Weirdly my Mrs seems quite happy that we spend up to £300 on a new soundbar - this is not like her at all.

As a rule we don't spend this sort of money (a lot for us) on 'stuff' - most certainly not on 'tech stuff' - without a huge amount of soul searching over whether or not we can afford it - or indeed if we actually need it. If we only want something then we usually don't buy it - we have to need it

 

[GreiginFife]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...odctry=US&prodlang=EN&channel=Online&storeid={product_store_id}&device=c&network=o&matchtype=e&locationid={loc_phyiscal_ms}&creative=&targetid=pla-4581596234400184&campaignid=283268302&msclkid=83c26f9268fc12032ba831dcb2c68f2d&gclid=CKjqx47r4OcCFV_otQodgzMEzA&gclsrc=ds

I use a pair of these on each of two of my TVs. They're not very expensive (compared to your Harbeth, Rogers, etc.).
They require a separate amplifier, but the sound is much clearer than with the tiny internal TV speakers, even at low volume.

This is a joke, right? Or are you extremely deaf? These are full on PA speakers that need a power amplifier, not just any old Mosfet Hifi Amp. 2KW output won't get you much clarity below 100W nominal (very loud).
They might do well for blowing the windows of your living room out but at over a meter tall, not exactly a practical choice for TV listening.

 

[Leftie]

What's the opposite of an audiophile? Whatever it is, that's HID. At one time she used to listen to the radio via the TV even though we (I) have a very respectable audio system . Trouble was that she was also starting to turn the TV volume up as she couldn't hear it properly. I suggested wireless/bluetooth headphones and was surprised when she agreed and she now loves them. A loud as she likes and she can now hear all the background noises in the programmes that you would never hear otherwise. Ah bliss! So good that I got pair for myself for the spare TV/computer/phone etc.

Anyone want my Quad system ????

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

This is a joke, right? Or are you extremely deaf? These are full on PA speakers that need a power amplifier, not just any old Mosfet Hifi Amp. 2KW output won't get you much clarity below 100W nominal (very loud).
They might do well for blowing the windows of your living room out but at over a meter tall, not exactly a practical choice for TV listening.

I have a pair of them on two of my TV sets. JBL PA loudspeakers are much more efficient than audiophile home speakers. While they can handle massive wattage, they don't require it.
I have a 300 w/ch PA amp on one pair of them just because I happen to own it, but I've a 75 w/ch tube (I think you say valve) hi fi amp on another that's more than powerful enough.
Frankly, 20 w/ch would be. They're much clearer, even at very low volume, than the TV's internal audio. They only need power for clarity in a venue of great size.

Aesthetically, you're right about them not fitting into any living room supervised by a woman. I have them in my basement man cave and in my study. For the TV over our living room fireplace, I have a pair of self-powered small bookshelf hi fi speakers on the mantle. If I used a sound bar, there would be no room for pictures and what not.

By the way, I'm not completely deaf but I do have an old man's hearing. I can hear the internal speakers but I can't always make them out.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Now here's the thing.

With a view to what next - I am looking at my existing set up and this is what I have:

• Sky Q box connected to Sony TV via HDMI(ARC)
• Sony TV connect to Sony SoundBox via a Digital Optical (Audio) Cable
• Sky Q handset/controller paired with the Sony TV and also, and separately, with the Sony Soundbox
• My Sky Q handset can be used to control Soundbox volume (though it's IR and range is rubbish - any ideas why other than batteries?) and also turn the TV on and off (as well as usual BT functions to the Sky Q box)

Now my question (and confusion) is around the purpose of additional HDMI connections between any of the above three components. I have instructions for my Soundbox and a Yamaha soundbar that seem to suggest that I should have further HDMI connections. And I am confused.