Discussions

I'm just hoping for some feedback from people who may have sold / owned soundbars and what you think of them. I'm thinking about buying one for my tv. I can't afford full surround sound stereo systems so for the price you pay is a soundbar worth it ? Thanks !

Have a LG one. It has good sound. The biggest advantage is that it is just one wire to your TV and we have sound to not only the TV but to everything run through the TV. Cable box, blueray player, Western digital box and the wii. We can also play music through it via Bluetooth or usb drive.

Honestly not worth the money, the sound is garbage compared to surround sound and the price is near the same, I have surround and had a sound bar and they suck, don't get fooled, they sound nothing like surround sound

We have a Panasonic flat screen and the sounds is poor IMO. So we bought a sound bar....not sure the brand at the moment but it makes a significant difference. We got ours for $150. I don't have to turn the tv up when watching movies now! Also a co-worker mentioned her deaf granny loves her new one she just bought, so I figure that says a lot!

soundbar with wireless subwoofer. I use it my rec room and it does double duty as my music sound system. it's not a cheap one though, I think I paid around $500 or $600 for it. Can say enough good about it. I have a Yamaha surround system in the living room that pales in comparison.

Pauls_Not_Paul said "Honestly not worth the money, the sound is garbage compared to surround sound and the price is near the same, I have surround and had a sound bar and they suck, don't get fooled, they sound nothing like surround sound "

Really well maybe if you buy cheap Walmart ones. I have a BOSE Cinemate 15 and the sound is awesome!  
 
Yes I've had the bulky component systems and massive speakers, powered sub and all that garbage before.  
 
More then happy with the BOSE system and you'd be surprised how it can replicate surround sound only being a 2.1 system. You get what you pay for, when it comes to audio.  
 
 
 
Edited by westcoasterbc, 2015-10-05 12:22:45

Do these things help with sound? I live in an open concept home and seems when I watch a tv movie I have to jack the sound up to 50 just to hear it. So annoying, especially when a commercial comes on and deafens me.

Good place to go is Extreme Electronics as they have several set up with systems so you can play them and see what you think about the sound. Can't' remember the price of ours but I think is was about $400. Also came with a wireless sub.

If you buy a cheap soundbar it will not sound good. A lot of soundbars run $500+, which you will get decent sound.  
 
Bose IMO is complete garbage company. Whether it is a small soundbar, headphones or even their popular setup of surround sound system. All junk, and its proven by better brands.

So what do you recommend? Love to hear this...

Bose was garbage? Maybe it was a type o. Or they've lost their marbles.

Bose isn't terrible. But there are numerous options that sound better for half the price of Bose.

Any home cinema enthusiast will have their strong opinion on brands and set-ups. I myself, prefer SONY products and generally keep all involved products that same brand because they're designed to work well together. A great example is what's been sitting in our living room for over three years. The TV is a Sony KDL nx810. I matched it with the recommended sound bar, a Sony SU550s, that was not only a sound bar, but the televisions stand as well. They are literally made for each other and connected together with a short HDMI cable. A simplistic 2.1 system that can be automatically programed with any of the infinite multi-settings thru the on-screen TV menu. It's very slick and user friendly. The 3D Blu ray player is also Sony and again operates flawlessly with one another, especially with regards with the assistance of the wireless Bluetooth. Will it produce the teeth rattling 'boom' like my 200watt home theater system in the basement? No, but it still packs a good punch in a open space and is especially clear when listening to simple things like regular TV programing (like the news), with all the background noises going on. And it never needs the constant tweaking for commercials/channel changes or a additional remote because it's all done through the TV.  
 
I have friends and family that do the missed-matched media set-ups and I witnessed some faults when going this way. I hear them openly complain about how much trouble occurs with setting up different components. The TV doesn't recognize the equipment, the sound isn't right, the volume doesn't work proper or the new downloads took forever to figure out. Yeah, it eventually gets sorted out, but I don't want to deal with that kind of crap ...I hate trying to solve technical problems. I just want to 'plug it in and go'.  
 
My recommendation is, if you have a well known brand of television, I would first check to see if that company sells a sound bar that is designed to accompany it. Easily done through the internet and will save you the headaches of talking to a "pushy store rep" who's trying to sell-off overstock. Now, most aftermarket sound bars will work with almost all new 'smart TV's' (with uploads installed to run them), but I do believe the best possible output will probably happen with matching manufacturing brands. Mine was pretty much a "plug and play" and was ready to go for the first time in under ten minutes, while activating it through the set up menu.  
 
Unless you want to go 'all out' on a high end home theater, a sound bar that matches up to the TV is the easiest solution. Sometimes not the cheaper, but far less confusing and disappointing. Because these new 'smart televisions' make things way too complicated when dealing with components made by other manufacturers.  
 
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

ultraguy said "Bose isn't terrible. But there are numerous options that sound better for half the price of Bose. "

 
 
 
 
Edited by AG12, 2015-10-05 19:21:49

That 70's guy said "Bose was garbage? Maybe it was a type o. Or they've lost their marbles. "

yes you heard right. Bose is crap! go to a real audio store in Winnipeg. They will show you the difference and the garbage that bose puts in their speakers. Why spend all that money, when you can add a little more and get a better system that will last forever!  
 

They range considerably so you really need to check out some audio stores around town and decide for yourself. Definitely a step up from the speakers built into the TV. I enjoy high end audio but I know it's not what everyone is after so I would recommend a soundbar for anyone looking to improve upon their TVs audio.  
 
 
 
Edited by JD, 2015-10-05 19:39:01

I replaced a Klipsch 5.1 surround system with a Klipsch soundbar about 2 years ago.  
 
It retailed for $800 and got it on sale for $500.  
 
Really like the fact that the only wires involved are a cable from the TV to the soundbar and power to the soundbar and wireless subwoofer.  
 
Bought a mount for it that attaches to the TV wall mount and makes for a nice clean setup.  
 
It's not as dynamic as full blown surround but certainly has worked out well for us.  
 
Bonus......got the surround at the cabin where I am able to run the speaker wires through the walls  
 
Edited by beefer39, 2015-10-05 20:09:38

Cheap soundbars are garbage and for the price of a decent soundbar you are far better off getting a proper stereo and speaker setup.  
 
Other option to consider is to get a decent 5.1 or 7.1 receiver and a set of stereo speakers. Can always upgrade to full surround and subwoofer package down the road then if you want.  
 
Soundbars are only a good option to save space.

Honestly, just do your own research online and don't listen to biased opinions on eBrandon. We have two soundbars and they work great. Find some soundbars that are currently being sold in the price range that you can afford and then go read the reviews on those models and come to your own conclusions. Consumer reports are good to check out, but there are many review sites to go and read up on. Make sure to check out Amazon.ca and .com as well for pricing and reviews on models too. Good luck!