Question about sound bars

[loboblast]

Hello everyone, first time posting here.

I'm interested in buying a sound bar for my living room and it looks like I narrowed it down to the Yamaha ysp-2200. After doing some (minor) research I wasn't able to find out if I'll be needing an A/V receiver to power it.

So my question is - do sound bar systems require an A/V receiver? Or does it depend on the brand and model?

 

[bikemig]

Soundbars generally do not need a receiver (although there are some passive ones on the market). The unit you are looking at has a built in amplifier. There are plenty of soundbars out there and you might want to consider some other options within your budget. This is one I like, http://www.zvoxaudio.com/cgi-bin/item/4005801.

 

[sinistersix]

Does this bar not have HDMI? How does it connect to the TV and all your audio components?

 

[bikemig]

The zvox does not have hdmi. You use the TV for all the HDMI inputs. The unit has 2 digital inputs and 2 analog so that should be plenty. Everything plugs into the TV and then you use the digital out from it. They sound pretty good and it is dead simple since it can learn the volume control from your TV. I have a zvox mini I use in the kitchen for music (it has 2 inputs that I use for a radio tuner and a squeezebox duet) and the sound quality is pretty good.

 

[loboblast]

Thanks for the link bike, that's a really nice sound bar. The price is almost half of the ysp-220. If it had a separate bass module I probably would buy it. However, that Yamaha is really calling me. The separate bass module and 16x speaker bar is what's making me lean to that system.

I've had a traditionally 5.1 setup but I have downsized so I'm definitely looking for a quality soundbar. Prefer one with a separate bass module.

 

[bikemig]

Thanks for the link bike, that's a really nice sound bar. The price is almost half of the ysp-220. If it had a separate bass module I probably would buy it. However, that Yamaha is really calling me. The separate bass module and 16x speaker bar is what's making me lean to that system.

I've had a traditionally 5.1 setup but I have downsized so I'm definitely looking for a quality soundbar. Prefer one with a separate bass module.

The Yamaha looks pretty cool and I understand when something tells you to buy it, . For what it's worth, that zvox with the dual woofers has got to get pretty deep and it has a subwoofer out if you need to add an external sub. Plus it has a 30 day money back guarantee. I like the SQ on the zvox soundbars. I'm happy with my 2.1 set up but I thought about getting the zvox. There is something to be said for the simplicity of the set-up.

 

[LAB3]

Thanks for the link bike, that's a really nice sound bar. The price is almost half of the ysp-220. If it had a separate bass module I probably would buy it. However, that Yamaha is really calling me. The separate bass module and 16x speaker bar is what's making me lean to that system.

I've had a traditionally 5.1 setup but I have downsized so I'm definitely looking for a quality soundbar. Prefer one with a separate bass module.

That Yamaha is a nice unit. I am so spoiled with my 5.2 HT system, no

way I could ever be happy without full surround speakers for movies.

 

[loboblast]

That Yamaha is a nice unit. I am so spoiled with my 5.2 HT system, no

way I could ever be happy without full surround speakers for movies.

I know what you mean, I previously had a Bose home theater and I was fine with that setup. Now I downgraded to a smaller one bedroom and the living room is not that big. I want to invest and go the true 5.1 route but right now I just don't think it's practical and will clutter up an already small living room.

I only have a LG 32LE5400 so I'm thinking a nice quality soundbar with a sub is ideal for me right now.

This is my current setup:

- 32" LG
- 4TB drive (BR/DVD movies, don't own a player or physical media) streamed through HDMI from my PC
- Sennheiser HDR 170

That's fine by lonesome because I can crank the Sennheisers to my liking without disturbing the neighbors lol.

Now I want to share the experience with friends and family.

 

[Chicagorep]

I know you're set on the Yamaha but if you have a chance take a look at the Boston Acoustic TVee 30, it comes with a wireless subwoofer and allows for a bluetooth connection for music streaming. Retails for $599, it's been getting great reviews.

 

[loboblast]

Thanks Chicagorep I'll check it out.

I also have another question about these soundbars. After further research I've learned that no matter what soundbar you get it comes down to how your layout at home is for the component to take full advantage of surround sound.

Well this is the layout of my apt.

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As you can see it's fairly small. I'm now wondering since I don't have a true/ideal 4 wall setup, that I should downgrade on the soundbar price.

The Yamaha YSP 2200 is around $800. Other soundbards that people have suggested are in the $500-600 range. So my question is: Based on my layout, am I better off just saving my money and go for a decent inexpensive unit since I won't be able to ge the full benefits of a high end bar?

With my layout will I notice a big diferrence between say

LG LSB316 2.1 w/wireless sub http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS438US438&q=lg+soundbar+lsb316&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=9862298333823300296&sa=X&ei=s54bTufcHuPe0QGdl63lBw&ved=0CC4Q8wIwAQ#

Boston Acoustics TVee Model 30 Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS438US438&q=Boston+Acoustic+TVee+30&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1137760739947862138&sa=X&ei=gJ8bTuTMNqHb0QGm6sGyBw&ved=0CD4Q8wIwAQ#

Yamaha YSP-2200 Digital Sound Projector http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YSP-2200-Digital-Sound-Projector/dp/B004E10JZW

There's a $200+ gap between each system. I'm willing to spend extra to get quality but if it doesn't make a difference because of my layout should I just go the cheap route?

Your thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PhiPsi32]

If I read this right, the Yamaha sound bar is $800. This is about the same as the Tru Audio P-300 sound bar. The Tru Audio may be a better value for the money. I don't know as I do not have one (yet). So, if you haven't gone that far, you may want to check it out.