sound bar question

[larietrope]

Are these sound bars worthwhile ? I have a secondary tv that I don't want a full blown system just something with a better sound.
If they are, any recommendations ?

 

[walter duque]

Are these sound bars worthwhile ? I have a secondary tv that I don't want a full blown system just something with a better sound.
If they are, any recommendations ?

What's your budged? Good ones could be costly, great ones could be expensive. Then there is always in between. Here is a link to great soundbar, expensive but well worth it.
http://www.sourcespeaker.com/PlasmaLCRlist.html

 

[markw]

Although not all sound bars in the quasi muiti-channel sense...

Are these sound bars worthwhile ? I have a secondary tv that I don't want a full blown system just something with a better sound.
If they are, any recommendations ?

...these have been around for years

 

[Phil Taylor]

The only one that I've heard that impressed me was the Yamaha YSP-800 with its matching sub ... around $700 or less YMMV.

 

[MidnightSensi]

I'd rather have a nice two channel setup than a soundbar. The soundbars all just take the surround mix and down it to stereo and then mess with the phase and/or firing direction. It's gimmicky in my opinion.

For what they cost, I'd recommend looking into a nice stereo pair of speakers and a subwoofer.

 

[Seth=L]

I'd rather have a nice two channel setup than a soundbar. The soundbars all just take the surround mix and down it to stereo and then mess with the phase and/or firing direction. It's gimmicky in my opinion.

For what they cost, I'd recommend looking into a nice stereo pair of speakers and a subwoofer.

I don't believe this is true of all soundbars. From what I've seen many of these soundbars have true 5 channel arrays in them. It's more reflection and delays. It's not going to compete with quality surround sound for home theater, or a 2 channel set up for music, but I wouldn't go as far to say they are gimmicky (at least not all of them).

 

[Phil Taylor]

I don't believe this is true of all soundbars. From what I've seen many of these soundbars have true 5 channel arrays in them. It's more reflection and delays. It's not going to compete with quality surround sound for home theater, or a 2 channel set up for music, but I wouldn't go as far to say they are gimmicky (at least not all of them).

When I set up the aforementioned YSP-800 for a client I could swear there was sound coming from around and behind me. Yamaha uses some sort of proprietary psycho-acoustic modeling with 21 (more or less) individual amps and drivers, the phase delays and sound beams and voodoo that makes it seem like the source is wherever ... like I said it was rather impressive and I was pleasantly surprised at the effect.

 

[jfalk]

I really like my Yamaha YSP-4000 soundbar and asssociated sub,but posters above are right to note that it's pretty expensive vis-a-vis a 5.1 system.

 

[georgeMac]

If you're considering one because of space/install restrictions then I'm happy to report that they are great if the position in the room is right.

I've been really happy with the 2 Yamaha's that i've owned, yes expensive but renting a place meant I couldn't do the full 5.1