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Powered soundbars [message #91485] Sun, 23 February 2020 11:36 Go to next message
Rusty is currently offline  Rusty
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Registered: May 2018
Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
Anyone have experience with or could recommend a good powered soundbar? Mainly for dialogue and just regular old tv viewing. Not for home theater. I already have that equivalent. But I just want something to augment the obvious poor smart tv speakers. Which is universally acknowledged as being unintelligible for vocal understanding. At least the Samsung tv I have now. Do these soundbars have to be controlled by a separate remote for volume, (probably)? Any other issue to steer clear of?
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91495 is a reply to message #91485] Wed, 26 February 2020 09:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Joyce is currently offline  Joyce
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Registered: January 2020
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Many brands these days are building their ecosystem, especially Samsung and Apple. Have you checked Samsung's soundbars? At least you won't have to worry about compatibility. I have never owned a Samsung soundbar, so I can't vouch for the sound quality.
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91496 is a reply to message #91495] Wed, 26 February 2020 10:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Rusty is currently offline  Rusty
Messages: 1076
Registered: May 2018
Location: Kansas City Missouri
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Hey Joyce, can you comment on any soundbars you have had or have that you can vouch for? Not sure what is meant by ecosystem. But it's frustrating reading reviews about nearly anything online. The good, bad and the ugly seem to be a mystery as to what is real or part of the internet's consumerism fixation. One Samsung soundbar at least alluded to it's volume being linked to the tv remote. Which makes the simplicity factor appealing. And one less remote cluttering up a tabletop to reach for.
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91509 is a reply to message #91496] Fri, 28 February 2020 15:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Leot55 is currently offline  Leot55
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Registered: June 2017
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Rusty wrote on Wed, 26 February 2020 10:25
One Samsung soundbar at least alluded to it's volume being linked to the tv remote. Which makes the simplicity factor appealing. And one less remote cluttering up a tabletop to reach for.
That's actually a common feature among soundbars so don't let that be your main selling point! I don't know why DVRs, Blu-Ray Players, and other gadgets weren't designed that way too. If you happen to find a soundbar that doesn't work with your TV remote, just buy an all-in-one remote for a few bucks and program it so it controls everything.

I think mine is a Yamaha YAS-209. The sound is great, but I don't think you'd like it because it works with Alexa and if I remember correctly you aren't a fan of smart speakers.
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91510 is a reply to message #91509] Sat, 29 February 2020 08:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Rusty is currently offline  Rusty
Messages: 1076
Registered: May 2018
Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
Hi Leot55. Thats a big help. Thanks for the tip's. I only wondered if they used a remote because many I've viewed online seem to have a remote included. But if they can be tied in to your existing remote. I dig it. Also yes, Alexa is not welcome in my home. But I bought, finally, a smart tv, a Samsung and I merely did not turn on the smart features. I have a Roku device. Long short, no damn invasive ads cluttering up the tv screen. So, maybe there's a way to keep Alexa's meddling at bay. Finally, I trust recommendations from real people rather than the commercial wink, wink, nudge from surely 'totally neutral' ad supported reviews found on the net.
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91521 is a reply to message #91496] Thu, 05 March 2020 00:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Joyce is currently offline  Joyce
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Registered: January 2020
Chancellor
Rusty wrote on Wed, 26 February 2020 10:25
Hey Joyce, can you comment on any soundbars you have had or have that you can vouch for? Not sure what is meant by ecosystem. But it's frustrating reading reviews about nearly anything online. The good, bad and the ugly seem to be a mystery as to what is real or part of the internet's consumerism fixation. One Samsung soundbar at least alluded to it's volume being linked to the tv remote. Which makes the simplicity factor appealing. And one less remote cluttering up a tabletop to reach for.
I'm sorry about the confusion. For example, if you own a MacBook, then it's natural to think about getting an iPhone. At least you don't need to worry about their compatibility and ease of use as they are members of Apple's ecosystem. Back to our discussion, sound quality is probably not that easy. I don't have a soundbar, but my brother has a Sonos Beam. It's lacking bass for my taste; otherwise, I'd say the sound is solid (assuming that you're going to use it for casual TV watching or music listening sessions).
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91526 is a reply to message #91521] Thu, 05 March 2020 09:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Rusty is currently offline  Rusty
Messages: 1076
Registered: May 2018
Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
Thanks Joyce. Like I originally wrote. Home theater isn't my goal for a soundbar choice. So, deep bass or 5 to 7 channels of audio simulation take a back seat to what I have a need for. Simple vocal recognition. The speakers in tv's today are anemic at best for discerning spoken word. I'll keep your notation for the Sonos soundbar in mind.
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91533 is a reply to message #91495] Sat, 07 March 2020 09:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
sawyer25 is currently offline  sawyer25
Messages: 169
Registered: July 2016
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Joyce wrote on Wed, 26 February 2020 09:27
Many brands these days are building their ecosystem, especially Samsung and Apple. Have you checked Samsung's soundbars? At least you won't have to worry about compatibility. I have never owned a Samsung soundbar, so I can't vouch for the sound quality.
It is appalling that smart TV speakers are not good enough. I have never bought a soundbar before, but I would go with Joyce's suggestion about checking out soundbars from the same manufacturer.
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91535 is a reply to message #91533] Sat, 07 March 2020 13:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Rusty is currently offline  Rusty
Messages: 1076
Registered: May 2018
Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (2nd Degree)
In trying to get a handle on what to know about soundbars. Any brand is built to be compatible with any brand tv. Some tips I've gotten is a center channel is helpful with vocal comprehension. I didn't know but that most broadcast today are in surround mode, so, a 2 channel soundbar will just mix surround and center together. Maybe compromising the vocal aspect. HD tv's use to come with a pedestal stand. Now the smart tv's have these cheap plastic feet that only gives a couple inches at best in height, and depending on screen size, a factor in length between cheap feet to put the soundbar. There always a tradeoff. I'll eventually just say what the hell like I did with the smart tv. And just get something. You can look and ponder till your eyes cross.
Re: Powered soundbars [message #91550 is a reply to message #91535] Sat, 14 March 2020 00:22 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
sawyer25 is currently offline  sawyer25
Messages: 169
Registered: July 2016
Master
Rusty wrote on Sat, 07 March 2020 13:05
In trying to get a handle on what to know about soundbars. Any brand is built to be compatible with any brand tv. Some tips I've gotten is a center channel is helpful with vocal comprehension. I didn't know but that most broadcast today are in surround mode, so, a 2 channel soundbar will just mix surround and center together. Maybe compromising the vocal aspect. HD tv's use to come with a pedestal stand. Now the smart tv's have these cheap plastic feet that only gives a couple inches at best in height, and depending on screen size, a factor in length between cheap feet to put the soundbar. There always a tradeoff. I'll eventually just say what the hell like I did with the smart tv. And just get something. You can look and ponder till your eyes cross.
I agree that most broadcast nowadays is in a surround mode, and it can be inconveniencing to go for a 2-channel soundbar. How convenient is a soundbar when compared to a home theater?
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