Niles vs Bose

[Jonessmj]

How does the Definitive Technology W Studio micro sound bar compare to the OSB-1?

 

[everettT]

Can you buy it without the sub? For $799 as a system price Id look elsewhere. The original thought was in wall/ in ceiling and moving forward that doesnt seem like it will work with the room. My recommendation will be to wire the rear in ceiling surrounds. Run 3 pairs of wire to the location below the tv and 1 pair to each of the bookshelves. Once the bookshelves are complete and you can see what size the shelves are finished and deiced if bookshelve speakers and center or soundbar.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

How does the Definitive Technology W Studio micro sound bar compare to the OSB-1?

Around here, vast majority of regulars do not have soundbars. All I can tell you is that Atlantic Technology is proven to be reliable and honest speaker manufacturer, while DefTech products, while aren't terrible, but are guilty of being extremely "generous" with slapping meaningless specs on their products.

Only way to compare them side by side is to buy both and return one you like less.
This goes pretty much to any other sound bar you could possibly find

AT, Phase Tech and PSB are brands you should be looking at.

 

[Jonessmj]

What sound bar under $700 and under 5" in height would you reccomend. Can be active or passive. Thanks!

 

[Jonessmj]

A better question may be what sound bar and sub setup under $1,000 would you recommend?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

A better question may be what sound bar and sub setup under $1,000 would you recommend?

AT, Phase Tech and PSB are brands you should be looking at.

 

[Jonessmj]

AT is taller than I'd like (6.5"), phase tech is too tall (6.75")

 

[everettT]

What sound bar under $700 and under 5" in height would you reccomend. Can be active or passive. Thanks!

Size will limit you to the PSB out of the three brands mentioned. This one can be had for around $800.

 

[rojo]

So your choices are either in-wall speakers mounted within a bookcase, or a soundbar no more than 5" tall. I think I'd just give up and hang a damn painting over the fireplace.

If you could do 5.8" height, and you could arrange your own wall bracket or just place this on the mantle, and if you wouldn't mind adding a Harmony or some other sort of universal remote, there's a used Martin Logan 5.0 soundbar shipped for < $630 on Amazon that would sound better than anything else in its range. Add a Dayton SUB-1200 or SUB-1500, and that's better sound than anyone could expect from < $1000 with your placement restrictions.

 

[herbu]

That Atlantic Technology speaker bar has virtual surrounds that bounce sound off the walls. Reviews claim that it provides an impressively enveloping sound

Jones,
I have a soundbar in our bedroom, and my mother has one in her living room. Both have Surround modes. And neither gives even the slightest impression of actual surround sound. Both are a great improvement over the TV speakers and make dialog much easier to understand.

But if you want surround sound, IMO you can forget a soundbar.

 

[KenM10759]

I've heard many a soundbar. Some expensive, some cheap. Yes, the more money spent the better definition or clarity of dialogue and (slightly) deeper bass than the TV speaker. No matter what there's no getting around the physics of location of the sound source. Perhaps with some form of Olympic level gymnastics in room design acoustics, design of the soundbar and strategic placement you might achieve a minimum level of surround effects. It's just far easier and more economical to just setup a real surround array of separate speakers.

 

[Don G.]

I was in a similar situation as you. Guy who built the house I was living in built in his TV with bookshelves around it. I had very limited space but wanted a 5.1 system. I bought Mirage nano-sats for all 5 and added a sub. I would be willing to bet it would sound better than almost any sound bar, in-wall or in-ceiling system you can put together and is almost invisible. You can get them from Amazon or E-Bay easily and they are not that expensive anymore. Great little speakers that will blow away those Blose you are using now.

 

[KEW]

Thought I'd throw this out there in case it would work for your WAF situation.

Canton has generally made decent speakers. These are ~4" wide and ~41" tall.
$600 cuts into your budget and you would need a receiver.

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/cantcd2902wg/canton-cd-290.2-4-3-way-floorstanding-speaker-gloss-white-pair/1.html#!more