I have an LG plasma TV, not the greatest bit of kit but for what I watch it works very well. However, the sounds is not very good at all, sometimes distorting at higher volumes so I would like to try and find a solution for this.

I don’t want a full surround sound system as I don’t watch enough TV to justify the expense so I thought about either buying a sound bar/sound tube or just getting some small speakers to plug into the TV. Anyone got any experience of this kind of set up, or have any other ideas?

*pulls up chair, dunks biscuit*

I’ve been thinking about this for a while – we’re currently using some active speakers with sub-woofer that came free with our PC, which works quite well but means we have to get up to turn the volume up/down.

Thinking of getting one of those yahamha sound bars for about £300, but have also toyed with the idea of using some hi-fi speakers and an old denon amp that has a remote.

Something from this page?

Middle Class …

Edit: Meant to say personally why treat your eyes to a good picture and your ears to crappy sound, I love having some decent speakers hooked into the TV, should have seen the wife jump when a door slammed to the left in Walking Dead on Friday night!

Something like Fostex PM0.4’s…plug them into the headphone socket (although LG’s don’t always have them). Job done.

I just went to a computer store and plugged my ipod into all the speaker systems till I found one’s who’s sound I liked, and were loud enough for our big living room.

2 issues with this:
1) We have a wooden floor (oak on concrete), so bass is amplified like 5x over what I heard in the shop. Have them sitting on wee cork mats to absorb a bit
2) on my telly, when plugged into headphone output, you loose all control of any audio settings except volume (see issue above)

Does make a really big difference having good speakers though.

Kev

Buy a cheap DVD player with 5.1 surround sound and wire it up – it will be cheaper than any sound bar.

Something like this on Ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sony-5-1-Class-T-digitial-Amplifier-CD-DVD-player-Bass-sub-woofer-5-spks-/260880106537?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_HomeCinemaSystems&hash=item3cbdaa8429#ht_500wt_1413

Or if you want new
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LG-HT305SU-5-1-DVD-home-cinema-system-FULL-HD-1080P-USB-NEW-/180746532386?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_DVDPlayers_Recorders&hash=item2a15553622#ht_500wt_1180

I bought a cheap 5.1 surround system and dont use the 2 speakers at the back using the digital out of my TV straight into the DVD player which outputs Dolby. Amazing sound quality and volume for £50.

I went for a Pioneer set up but there are loads.

Just seen this on Tesco outlet too – with a 12 month warranty

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECHNIKA-HTKSS10-5-1-DVD-HOME-THEATRE-SYSTEM-HDMI-/280761467055?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_Video_HomeCinemaSystems&hash=item415eb000af#ht_1985wt_1413

I bought a cheap used surround system on ebay. Cost was about £30 quid and I’ve now got a decent DVD player and tuner. Only using 3 of the speakers as I can’t be bothered running the cables to the other speakers + the room isn’t a good shape for surround sound.

wow – that tesco system is sure to give great sound quality 🙂

If your only requirement is audio for the tv, then you won’t need as good a system as for music.

A system with a centre speaker (maybe a decent soundbar) should also help as it reduces the need for a decent stereo performance to correctly place the sound ‘image’, and may help with the intelligability of vocals, which can be a bit dodgy when listening to the 2 channel mixdown of a DVD.

trusted reviews had some soundbar reviews (the Kef is only one of them – there are other cheaper ones mentioned):

http://www.trustedreviews.com/KEF-KHT8005-Soundbar-Speaker-System_Surround-Sound-System_review

wow – that tesco system is sure to give great sound quality

But as the OP only has a budget TV why spend more?

I just have a little Onkyo shoebox-sized hifi under the TV, going to an old pair of Mission speakers. TV has a line out, so we just turn the TV volume down to zero and switch to the line in on the hifi.

Huge improvement over the tinny flat-screen speakers and no wires trailing all over the place.

I just use my hifi. I’d suggest doing the same. Richer sounds can sort an OK amp and speakers for well under 200. Speaker either side of the TV and Bobs your uncle. Most peoples problem is that they put the TV in a corner which doesn’t leave room for speakers.

But as the OP only has a budget TV why spend more?

because the audio portion of a film/tv drama is a surprisingly important part – even the Simpsons use an orchestra of something like 50 people (I think)

And he never said his tv was budget, just that the speakers were crap – which is a description that would include any Sony TV I have heard…

Yamaha soundbar ~£300?

love mine [coupled with a sub]

And he never said his tv was budget, just that the speakers were crap

Well LG isn’t exactly a high-end brand and he did say I have an LG plasma TV, not the greatest bit of kit but for what I watch it works very well so it suggests he accepts it is at the budget end of the scale.

budget != performance a lot of the time