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  • Improving sound from flat screen TV?
  • messiah
    Free Member

    Wife wants rid of the monoliths that are my HIFI speakers and which we currently use to improve sound from the TV… but what other options are there for improved sound without filling the room with speakers?

    Not to bothered about the full surround sound experience (won’t miss what we don’t have already).

    Would like it to be able play music half decently (although proper HIFI will be moving to it’s own dedicated space *yes*).

    Any suggestions?

    MrWoppit
    Free Member

    Get rid of the wife.

    grievoustim
    Free Member

    A sound bar would seem to be your best option

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    bigyinn
    Free Member

    Decent cables to the speakers are always a good starting point, especially directional ones.

    stevied
    Free Member

    A sound bar would seem to be your best option

    I went to a pub with one of my rough mates, apparently it was a ‘sound bar’…
    On a more serious note, sound bar would be the way to go for you 🙂

    binners
    Full Member

    Just get some gert big **** off speakers. Oh… you already have. Whats the problem again?

    Oh… in that case, what Wopster said. And when you’ve binned her, put Black Hawk Down on really, really, really load and invite your mates round to get bladdered 😀

    mrmoofo
    Full Member

    sound bar, or look at Cambridge Minx range or the various equivilents

    Soundbars do sound crap though. But not as crap as modern flat screen tellies

    The second gen Minxs also play music quite well …

    gonzy
    Free Member

    try this….not cheap though…
    Bose Solo TV sound system

    br
    Free Member

    Just get a small pair of satelite speakers and disguise them as cushions?

    patriotpro
    Free Member

    Hit the button marked *subtitles*

    CaptJon
    Free Member

    What’s the budget? This is pretty decent, certainly an improvement over TV speakers:

    http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/mini-hi-fi-system-deals/pah01880

    billyblackheart
    Free Member

    What Mr Woppit said.

    simon_g
    Full Member

    Soundbar as said, or there are some good 2.1 systems with subtle little speakers, assuming you can hide the sub away somewhere.

    Or just get some smaller speakers – eg. http://www.whathifi.com/review/acoustic-energy-compact-1

    binners
    Full Member

    Just get something like this

    They’re bloody loud little buggers, and the sounds quality is great, unless you turn it up to 11

    molgrips
    Free Member

    TV sound is a funny old business. Somehow seeing the pictures make the sound seem much better. I’ve got cheap “proper” surround sound (ie not a supermarket job) and it sounds great for movies and tv, but terrible when playing CDs through it.

    5.1 systems that sound good for actual music listening are really expensive, Arcam do one, Muso I think it’s called. Or Solo.

    CountZero
    Full Member

    As binners says, get a proper 5.1 surround set-up, the sub can be hidden away behind the telly, or the sofa, which is where mine is, and the little satellite speakers go up on the wall, where they are hardly noticeable. If you can spend a bit, then KEF or B&W do some beauties. If you’re replacing a quality pair of big boxes, then good quality speakers will give you good music repro as well, which is how my system is set up. If you’re not bothered about 5.1, then 3.1 would probably do, but a good surround really can make a difference when watching TV; you’d be surprised how often proper surround adds atmosphere to TV programmes, not just to movies, people talking behind you, doors slamming, cars and other vehicles moving behind, etc.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    To be honest I’ve found that surround sound doesn’t make a fat lot of difference. Most of the action is in front, and it seems most films just stick a token rear door slamming effect in occasionally just for the sake of it.

    br
    Free Member

    To be honest I’ve found that surround sound doesn’t make a fat lot of difference. Most of the action is in front, and it seems most films just stick a token rear door slamming effect in occasionally just for the sake of it.

    Or its just you’ve a crap surround system… 😉

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Marantz. It works fine, it’s just that most of the time there’s nothing on the surround tracks. Same in the cinema too ime.

    mrmoofo
    Full Member

    To be honest I’ve found that surround sound doesn’t make a fat lot of difference. Most of the action is in front, and it seems most films just stick a token rear door slamming effect in occasionally just for the sake of it.

    That may come down to how you have set it up. If you don’t use digital cables you will only get psuedo surround sound, if you don’t have a sub woofer or a decent amp etc.

    Are the sources you are using surround sound?

    Saw some stuff at the w/e and they came over really well – even though they weren’t bang and crash specials.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I have all the gear don’t worry. It’s a Marantz 5.1 AV amp supplied in full DTS from blu rays played on a PS3, correctly configured and connected via optical cable. As I said, the surround sound WORKS FINE because you can hear the effects coming from all around you. It’s just that the effects aren’t very often ON THE FILM ITSELF, and when they are, it doesn’t add much to the action. It’s more distracting than immersive.

    This is also true for most cinema films. I think it’s to do with the fact that the angle of view you get from the screen doesn’t match the spacial distribution of the sound. I am looking at a flat image on a screen with a distorted perspective relative to where I am sitting. If I were much closer to the screen it might work better.

    mrmoofo
    Full Member

    Ok , Molgrips, that is you perception. TBH , that would sum up most TV but I haven’t found that with DVD. I do, however, find that the dialogue track can get buried on a lot of sound tracks …

    binners
    Full Member

    I was watching Pacific on Bluray through the 5.1 surround sound last night, with the bass turned up on the sub woofer

    Sound wise, It was like their was an actual war going on in the front room. Not everybodies bag obviously, but I’d guess its most blokes idea of perfect telly 😉

    ampthill
    Full Member

    We went through the same thing. I am really quite keen on HiFi but it suddenly hit me that 95% of the use was Tv related and the speakers were really in the way.

    Of to richer sounds for a receiver and Boston acoustics xs speaker package

    Speakers are discrete and film and TV sound much better. its not just about rear effects. Voices are easier to boost with the centre channel. Base is great.

    The only down side is music is less good but still better than say an iPod doc or mini system

    I think we spent under 400 with cables (a cheap real from a day shop)

    properbikeco
    Free Member

    BFO speakers and an AV surround amp, she will wish she never mentioned it…

    (make sure you buy a sub too)

    DezB
    Free Member

    soundbars do sound crap

    Hmm, difference of opinion from the experts… http://www.whathifi.com/review/lg-nb3520a
    Not got one but considering it.

    messiah
    Free Member

    Thanks for the information folks… I’d never heard of soundbars before 😳

    More discussion last night. She is happy to have a pair of speakers if they are “attractive and/or small” rather than the Monoliths I have (Dynaudio’s on lead shot filled Atacama stands).

    She wouls also rather it did music well than movie sound so need for a full AV package 😀

    There is hope that I can keep it HIFI :mrgreen:

    thejesmonddingo
    Full Member

    She’s telling you you need an upgrade,result!

    thx1138
    Free Member

    She is happy to have a pair of speakers if they are “attractive and/or small”

    How many blokes do I know whose partners say exactly the same thing? ‘Can’t we get rid of those horrible ugly things?’ They have a point though; spend time and money furnishing your home the way you like it, then plonk two great carbuncles in and ruin it all.

    My wife is the same; I’m trying to persuade her that we need something Danish:

    tinybits
    Free Member

    I bought a samsung soundbar for this very reason. Works very well. It’s far better than the TV speakers, with a decent wireless sub. Fits under the TV well and the wife thinks it looks good. on the plus side, as I also have a Samsung TV, it’s got rid of one remote as well. Always a bonus.
    This is the one:
    http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/samsung-hw-e450-soundbar-wireless-subwoofer-12693659-pdt.html?srcid=867&cmpid=comp~Google~TV%2c+DVD+%26+Blu-ray~12693659&istCompanyId=bec25c7e-cbcd-460d-81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istItemId=lpipqqqr&istBid=t

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