Soundbars?

[Jecht_Sin]

Any idea about a low-mid range soundbar for my 49XD8099 (Android 7.0)? Around £150-200. I have been checking few reviews and it seems the winner is the Panasonic SC-HTB485EGK (link). I care mostly about the dialogues clarity and some surrond effects.

Please consider that I already have a (very) old Home Theatre 5.1, which I use with a digital/analogue converter. I mean, it's far from being good, but I like the (virtual at this point) surround effect it produces, so I wouldn't like to waste money on something that improves one side but makes it worse on another.

Also, what I am really concerned about is the ability to use only the tv remote (I know that via ARC and Bravia sync it shouldn't be an issue). High volume isn't required, instead it must be good at low volumes.

Did anyone try the Panasonic mentioned above? Any other suggestion? 

[royabrown]

as soon as you can figure out what you want to do (Fritz the Cat (c) R Crumb)

[royabrown]

I don't think anything inside actually moves.

I reckon all those little speakers must be pre-angled at various degrees, the calibration works out what arrives from where, given the shape of your room, your furniture and your soft furnishings, and then directs various elements in the sound stage to the speaker(s) best placed to reproduce that all around you. (Or as far round as it can get, at least).

[Jecht_Sin]

Yeah, I am not really sure how the sound "direction" from the speakers works at this point. I never followed much the HiFi scenario.

Anyway, I went to check few soundbars, yesterday. I tested the Sony CT 790 and it was just.. awful. Distortions all over, a metallic sound. I don't know if it was because it has been on esposition for very long (the touch buttons were quite consumed, dirty) or because it was on the floor among many other tvs playing. And why is it so long anyway? It's probably longer that my 49" tv! Then I checked a couple of others. A very cheap Panasonic (and it actually sounded quite well. For sure fot that price!), the Bose Solo 5 (not impressed), a Sony CT 290 (which actually sounded quite clean) and Yamaha ATS 1050 (quite bad) in another shop. In the first shop we also tried the Yamaha YTS 306 with and w/o sub woofer. In both cases a totally different planet from the others. Obviously with the sub adding much more to the total sound.

So I checked in Amazon the YAS 306 and it is 40€ cheaper (still €329, though). While checking around I ended up on this: Yamaha YHT-1840 Kit Home Cinema 5.1. Which really looks much more like what I was looking for. I mean, even in terms of space I don;t have space for a long soundbar but I do have space for a bulky amplifier.  It is year 2017 with no reviews in Amazon (or Google), yet.

Any idea how good it can be? I mean, it's Yamaha, last model. One thing I don't understand is why the Home Theaters use speakers with the two wires(the crapo one I currently have does the same) while to add a subwoofer in a soundbar they want the coaxial cable. Is it much worse quality? Can the speaker one day be replaced by much better ones?

[Anonymous]

Hi there

The YHT-1840 kit, looks like a basic AV Receiver and speaker package.  So I would say yes the speakers/sub could be replaced at a later date as long as it is within the specs of the AV Receiver.

In regards to the Sub-Pre out port, this is for a powered subwoofer only (Active Sub).  The two wire would be for a 'passive sub'

Cheers

[Jecht_Sin]

All right. Thanks. Also I have seen some user reviews for the previous model (1810) and for that price they all speak well of it. I mean, it sure can't be worse than my current HT connected via optical through an optical/analog converter! And even there is does a much better job than the tv speakers (not at low volumes, though. The dialogues get covered by the sub woofer. That's my pain)...

[Jecht_Sin]

There is this new soundbar, Yamaha YAS 207 with HDMI ARC and DTS: Virtual X for about 300€ that is very tempting. The problem is that it doesn't seem to have an IR repeater. The soundbar is 60 mm tall.  Which seems to be the same space between the table and the white led on my 49XD8099 (near where the TV IR receiver is located, I believe). Actually even higher (it's about 5 cm from the frame to the table).

It is going to obstruct the already weak and painful IR signal from the remote? Anyone had bad experiences in this sense? Or the IR signal bounces through no matter what? 

PS: Where exactly is the IR sensor on my television?! I can't see it anywhere.

[vick18]

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@royabrown wrote:

Sure you can get an amp and 7 speakers for not much more money, but if I fill our lounge with speakers, my wife will want her suitcases down from the loft. This is a major reason soundbars are popular 🙂

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WRONG-... "my wife will want MY suitecases down from the loft"

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