MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Want to get a sound bar to enhance the sound of my new TV, but have got it down to 2no, the reasons its either one of these is purely size, as i cant fit anything bigger in the unit below TV, anyone got any experience of either?
Also not expecting fantastic cinema like experience, just to enhance tv and maybe stream a bit of music as well.
Cambridge Audio? Had one in the past & was very impressed by it.
I’m going to piggyback in this thread, as the budget is appropriate for my request too...
I’m after a sound bar/surround system specifically to enhance the [i]speech[/i] coming from the telly. I have difficulty picking out speech with the excessive background audio most programmes seem to have, and whilst headphones are my normal solution, it’d be good not to have to use them. I’m aware speech normally comes over one of the channels, but is it present in 2.1 as well as 5.1 and 7.1? Googling seems to land me in audiophile hell.
This one is also in the running i have just discovered
https://www.richersounds.com/tv-home-cinema/soundbars/acoustic-energy-soundbar.html
I’m aware speech normally comes over one of the channels, but is it present in 2.1 as well as 5.1 and 7.1?
If speech wasn't present in 2.1, you'd have some very quiet TV programmes. (-:
2.1 is stereo, it's mixed in with everything else (just like your headphones). On 5.1 system, speech is generally biased towards the centre speaker.
This one is also in the running
How about https://www.richersounds.com/yamaha-yas105-blk.html
I have a cinema amp, but with only front and centre speakers. Never bothered with rears. I love how the speech is very clear from the centre speaker - with a cinema amp you could turn up the volume on the centre speaker if you wanted it louder.
Q acoustics 3 & 4 have good reviews for this price bracket as does the new sky soundbox if you are a Sky customer.
2.1 is stereo
Eh?
Eh?
1 channel is mono
2 channels is stereo
2.1 is stereo but a sub/satellite setup (used on PCs most often)
3 is stereo front and single centre, 3.1 adds a sub
5.1 is the traditional home cinema setup of stereo front, centre and stereo rear (if Dolby digital) and sub. You don’t have to have the sub but it is generally catered for in home cinema amps as films sound better with bass for explosions etc.
7.1 adds extra side or rear speaker
Etc etc
The .1 designates a dedicated sub bass unit.
If you've got the TV sitting on a unit, is a "soundbase" an option?
If so, this would be top of my list for a demo:
[url= https://www.richersounds.com/tv-home-cinema/soundbars/q-acoustics-m2-blk.html ]q acoustics soundbase[/url]
I do appreciate it's slightly out of budget.
If you possibly have room for left and right bookshelves, and a centre speaker (and an Amp to drive them) - this will deliver a FAR better experience than a cheap soundbar, particularly for separating the centre channel (where most of the speech goes). Just had a quick browse on richer sounds - you could get that for about 250 quid.
The only soundbars I found with 3 dedicated channels were the really expensive (and massive) ones.
In true STW I'm not really answering the question you asked...
However...
I aknowledge that thin TVs have crap speakers, so you DO need something else.
For years I had a £200ish LG soundbar, with bluetooth sub. It was MUCH better than the stock speakers, and I liked the sub rumble.
Then, as a 'punt' I got some [url= http://petertyson.co.uk/index.php/q-acoustics-bt3-bluetooth-speakers.html?gcpc&gclid=CjwKCAiAvMPRBRBIEiwABuO6qQ3AB8fKJLkjZmK9aiv_ZnoB7nFzHVLOfmEF7_l9bBcc7I-jkFYpUxoCYeIQAvD_BwE ]Q acoustic BT3 speakers[/url] - I paid about £200, but they are cheaper now.
Literally, there is no comparison - the BT3s blow the soundbar out of the water. Not just for TV, but also (and important as you did mention this) for streaming music.
They are lovely.
I thought I'd miss the sub, but I really don't - the sound stage is so good on teh BT3s.
So, if you have space either side of the telly, I'd consider some speakers like these over a sound bar..
DrP
I have a Yamaha YSP-800 for sale at a very reasonable price 🙂
Not made a huge amount of effort to sell it, but it's just sitting in the spare room gathering dust at the moment.
2.1 is stereoEh?
Old ones always the best
How much for the Yamaha? My gf is in the market for one
I think my Hitachi soundbar was about £50 from Argos. It does the job, can't have anything louder - neighbour complained about music being played through the £50 one, so it's obviously decent enough 🙂