Soundbar or HTIB?

[Vicon]

So here is my conundrum ... I have a Panasonic TC-P65VT60 65-Inch in my bedroom. Bought it from Amazon on Black Friday. I love it. The speakers are OK but not good enough for me. Here is the kicker..

I have my gaming PC hooked up to it and my Apple TV. That's it. No cable box or BD player. I plan on buying a BD player eventually.

I have been looking at soundbars but anything decent is $300+ dollars on up to $600. That seems like a ton of money for a speaker bar. I wouldn't mind a nice Onkyo setup but for the same price but I think that might be excessive for a bedroom and I really don't have room for such a large receiver, the heat it produces and a need for all the connections.

What should I do in this instance? Hopefully you all can provide some good feedback. A friend mentioned the Energy soundbar for $299 on sale at BB now. I don't like the looks of it honestly. I was looking at the Panasonic 3.1 770 soundbar but Amazon reviews say it has a bad power system and will fail. I like the look of that system and how it would integrate with the tv. My friend said stay away from companies that don't do sound to begin with.

Ugh. HELP!?!

[The_Donster]

I have a Vizio soundbar hooked up to my 47" and I think it works best in the bedroom. I'm actually going to get another soundbar for the living room too and use my Onkyo HTIB in my family room once that is done.

[onyxbfly]

Personally I like to spend money once. If you get the sound bar. Eventually you will run out of HDMI ports to add devices directly to your TV. Then your going to need a HDMI A/B box. So on and so on.

I'd get an Onkyo HTIB. This way you will have all the HDMI inputs you will ever need. You can enjoy all of the surround formats and you can upgrade your speakers at a later date in time if you choose to.

How big is your room and what is your budget? I'm sure we can find something that will fit your needs.

[Vicon]

Room is 12x15 roughly. Max I would spend is $400. I agree with your logic about spending just once. I am an Onkyo fan.

[The_Donster]

They make a great product, but I have one question. How often do you think you'll actually use the full extent of the HTIB? I cannot remember what I paid for my sound bar(It wasn't much), but I barely use the full extent of it outside of listening to music when I'm doing something upstairs.

[Shagadelic]

try out some powered speakers that you can implement into a future HT,
without starting over.
http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/...owered-Speaker
http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Powered-Speaker-Systems

there's more out there, set sail...

[Vicon]

I like to listen to music and watch movies a lot. Gaming is half and half. I will have my headset on for some, off for others.

The problem I have with some of these solutions is they are around $200-$350 themselves. Logic tells me to go with a HTIB instead of wasting money on skirting the issue.

[onyxbfly]

If you are not opposed to refurbished take a look at one of these Onkyo HTIB packages.

http://www.accessories4less.com/inde...heater+Package

[The_Donster]

Ok, are you in an apartment or house and do you live by yourself? This is just me, but I wouldn't go overboard in the bedroom. I want to say that my Vizio cost less than a $100 a few years back when I got into the HD game. Between it, my 47" and BD player I was less than what I was looking for just a tv. Of course I bought them on BF. Still, it is just enough on the rare occasion it is on. My point is, you don't have to go balls out for something in the bedroom unless that is the room you do everything in. That would be the only reason to up the ante on a bigger system to me

[The_Donster]

I have the Onkyo HT-S5300, but it looks like you can get the other versions for a little bit less. I don't think I paid $500 for mine and it wasn't refurbished. If you aren't in a hurry, you might buy one around Super Bowl time.

[mahgin86]

I have the Onkyo HT-S5400. Plenty of HDMI inputs, 7.1, and plenty loud for my setup.

[cricepng]

I also was debating between a soundbar and an htib. With my main listening involving movies, I decided to cross soundbars off my list as I have never been able to feel a part of the action even listening to demos of more expensive models.

Bringing it down to htib, I went with a refurbished Onkyo ht-s5600 (accessories4less) as the subwoofer is powered which means easier replacement if it ever blows or I want to upgrade.

[sonic_debauchery]

http://www.soundandvision.com/conten...izio-s4221w-c4

http://www.soundandvision.com/conten...oneer-sp-sb23w

[Step]

Thinking of pulling the trigger on this one..... down to 1499 any input would appreciated.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/bowers-a...&skuId=6836548

[steve1971]

I like Sound Bars and I have had 2 of them but they don't give me that immersive feeling that I like while watching tv or a movie. That's why I bought my Pioneer HTIB a year ago and never looked back.

[chip75]

I'm demoing an LG soundbar. It seems pretty decent. It has 3 HDMI, an Optical and 3.5mm inputs. There is some bass from the down firing subwoofers on each side but not a huge amount. I tried PIXAR'S Cars on BD in my smallish bedroom and it blows the Samsung's monitor speakers away but I tested it against my home theatre's 5.1 and it just doesn't fill the room like surround does. I doubt there's a huge difference between it and my 2.1 PC speakers so I'm not sure if it's worth the extra amount.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I've been researching soundbars for my bedroom and basement TVs lately myself. I have a 7.1 setup in my living room, but I'm far from an audiophile so I don't think it'd bother me. I agree with the sentiments of the other posters in regards to your room usage. If you aren't in there for your main setup, go with a bar. I demo'd some at HHGregg and I was amazed at how loud and booming the sound was on a few of the models. I'd go check them out and see what you think.