TV speakers suck—Set up a sound bar instead!

[admin]

Need help setting up that new sound bar? Audioholics' own Marshall Guthrie is here to help!

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Discuss "Setting Up a Sound Bar to Enhance Your Flat Panel TV's Audio" here. Read the article.

 

[gene]

Is it me or does Marshall resemble a friendlier Syler (Zachary Quinto) from Heroes?

 

[fuzz092888]

Nice video.

I've always been interested in trying out a soundbar, but would probably gravitate to something like this which gets connected to a receiver.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

Nice video.

I've always been interested in trying out a soundbar, but would probably gravitate to something like this which gets connected to a receiver.

Before the implosion, I heard one of these designs, 3 driver arrays in a single enclosure, from Elemental Designs. It sounded pretty good, but I was left wondering, if you're going to add the complexity of an AVR, why not just get 3 wall mountable speakers? The added cabinet volume by taking up the entire width of the bar does help frequency response, but 3 separates allow you flexibility and the ability to fine tune your stereo image.

In my opinion, one of the great things about soundbars is they relative simplicity of setup and lack of multiple components to house in your viewing area.

At any rate, there's plenty of case scenarios for self-powered soundbars, the soundbar-style passive speakers that you posted, and separate speakers. If you go the pasive bar route, and find one that you like, be sure to post and let us know.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

Is it me or does Marshall resemble a friendlier Syler (Zachary Quinto) from Heroes?

I never watched the show as I heard it bombed after season 1, but I'm sure it's better than "a young Jeff Goldblum" which is what I usually get.

 

[Audioholics]

You don't stutter enough to be a young Jeff Goldblum.

 

[majorloser]

Thanks for the info. Been wanting to add a soundbar to my RV since I got it. Seems like a simple way to add better sound to a display without the need of a receiver or bulky speakers to mount.

 

[fuzz092888]

Before the implosion, I heard one of these designs, 3 driver arrays in a single enclosure, from Elemental Designs. It sounded pretty good, but I was left wondering, if you're going to add the complexity of an AVR, why not just get 3 wall mountable speakers? The added cabinet volume by taking up the entire width of the bar does help frequency response, but 3 separates allow you flexibility and the ability to fine tune your stereo image.

In my opinion, one of the great things about soundbars is they relative simplicity of setup and lack of multiple components to house in your viewing area.

At any rate, there's plenty of case scenarios for self-powered soundbars, the soundbar-style passive speakers that you posted, and separate speakers. If you go the pasive bar route, and find one that you like, be sure to post and let us know.

Actually I'm not entirely sure you need an AVR with the ones I linked pictures to. There isn't a ton of information on the website about them and I have yet to contact the owner for more information about connections.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

Actually I'm not entirely sure you need an AVR with the ones I linked pictures to. There isn't a ton of information on the website about them and I have yet to contact the owner for more information about connections.

Can you post names and models for those? I'd love to learn more about them.

 

[fuzz092888]

The first link are the stock designs and the second link is for pictures of some of the custom models they have made for people. They're not cheap, but I have two pairs of speakers from this company and have heard a few others and so far IMHO they are the real deal, which is why I'd love to hear their sound bars.

PlasmaLCRlist

Bar-Speaker-Gallery

 

[TLS Guy]

TV's speakers are useless. I can confirm that. The TV's are wafer this with no possibility of front or side mounting speakers. The TV's have to be wall mounted these days for safety, or at least I think they do.

So you end up with speakers firing into the wall at a distance of 2 to 3". If you happen to have a shared wall I imagine that is a disaster.

However, I would never buy or recommend a sound bar that did not have HDMI switching. Analog outs are no longer present for a reason, and that is DRM digital control.

Sources are now allowed to have a flag to disable audio digital output. How many sources have these flags I have no idea. I bet now it is allowed, the issue will get more common. We have already had one upset poster who ran afoul of this.

So if you do get a sound bar I strongly recommend one with HDMI switching.

This whole issue of the design of TVs is crazy. It is alienating the rank and file customer big time. More and more just use mobile devices for everything and don't own a TV.

I know its crazy, but TVs are heading to be a niche market. My son now principal engineer for Broadcom expects this trend to rapidly accelerate. No wonder Panasonic and others want out of the TV business.

This whole issue needs a heavy dose of common sense. The problem is that the one problem with common sense, is that it is uncommon.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

I had not heard about the flag to disable digital audio output through optical or coax. If that's true, that's bad news not only for soundbar owners, but also those who are running older AVRs and Pre-pros.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

Based on the specs (power range with an efficiency rating), I'd say these are all passive units which will require amplification of some kind, i.e. they are a traditional speaker system with a nontraditional form factor. An excellent solution for those looking for a small speaker footprint, but don't want to give up all the bells and whistles of a full AVR/Pre-pro.

The first link are the stock designs and the second link is for pictures of some of the custom models they have made for people. They're not cheap, but I have two pairs of speakers from this company and have heard a few others and so far IMHO they are the real deal, which is why I'd love to hear their sound bars.

PlasmaLCRlist

Bar-Speaker-Gallery

 

[TLS Guy]

I had not heard about the flag to disable digital audio output through optical or coax. If that's true, that's bad news not only for soundbar owners, but also those who are running older AVRs and Pre-pros.

We had a poster a while back complain that his optical out from his TV did not always work.

I thought he had a technical foul up, but I downloaded his TV manual and his manual stated that the optical out could be flagged to off by some material. That was the first I had heard of it. I have found out that cable cards/satellite cards can disable the TV digital out, but I have not heard of any that do.

 

[haraldo]

We had a poster a while back complain that his optical out from his TV did not always work.

I thought he had a technical foul up, but I downloaded his TV manual and his manual stated that the optical out could be flagged to off by some material. That was the first I had heard of it. I have found out that cable cards/satellite cards can disable the TV digital out, but I have not heard of any that do.

Shocking..... Sony does whatever in their power to block you from the digital stream.....
Others obviously try to do the same......

 

[walter duque]

Actually I'm not entirely sure you need an AVR with the ones I linked pictures to. There isn't a ton of information on the website about them and I have yet to contact the owner for more information about connections.

These are passive speakers and do need some major amplification.

 

[Alex2507]

These are passive speakers and do need some major amplification.

Look, I just have to ask if you've ever seen a speaker you didn't want to blow up?

 

[Cliff_is]

I never watched the show as I heard it bombed after season 1, but I'm sure it's better than "a young Jeff Goldblum" which is what I usually get.

Season 3 is when it really went downhill. The first two were awesome (kinda the opposite of Stark Trek DS9).

But, yes, he totally does look like a less evil Syler.

 

[Marshall_Guthrie]

Season 3 is when it really went downhill. The first two were awesome (kinda the opposite of Stark Trek DS9).

But, yes, he totally does look like a less evil Syler.

I'll work on looking more evil. Some sinister facial hair like a pointed goatee should do it.

 

[walter duque]

Look, I just have to ask if you've ever seen a speaker you didn't want to blow up?

Source speakers are the only ones that can withstand the wrath of Walter. These Tannoy Jaguars can take some major punishment too.