Sound bar

[brianh78]

Does anyone have a sound bar (in place of a whole setup) and if so what do you think of it?

[wafi]

Dont have one...and no self respecting audiophile is gonna recommend one...but that being said..if I were to go for one it would be one of the following..

From the Panorama

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/displa...fid=4118&sc=ht

to the Mythos

http://www.definitivetech.com/Produc...ythos%20SSA-50

to many many more....I'd suggest a sub with it...but more importantly what's your budget?

[Kryptonic]

Yeah, these aren't good. I had a Pioneer virtual surround bar about 8-10 years ago and it sounded pretty decent, but you're better off getting a real system.

[Phil Taylor]

I have installed a couple of the Yamaha YSP line of digital sound projectors and I was surprisingly impressed by the imaging. Yamaha uses (psycho-acoustic modeling or something like that) with a bunch of drivers each with their own amp and delay time to create a soundfield that seems to have rear speakers. It's not exactly like surround but during setup I could swear audio was coming from behind me.

I haven't heard any others personally but I again was surprised and impressed with the Yamaha.

[FSUGeoff]

I would think it's only a good option if you 100% can't have speakers anywhere but wall mounted. I would think a decent 2.1 or 3.1 would be better even without rears.... If WAF is a concern then perhaps it's better than TV speakers but they are very expensive for what you get...

[thebat2]

I think it is a good set up for a bedroom.

[MCT]

I have a Sony Surroundbar right now....when I first got it, I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Then I came here and learned more about HT setups, then realized how unworthy I really am.

it gets the job done though. For those who live in a nice big house, obviously it would be insuffcient, but for those of us who occupy modest-sized condos/apartments, they will more than suffice. The subwoofer on my Sony bar is RAUCOUS. Trust me. I know CNET's reviews dont really hold much weight, but they were spot on when they reviewed this thing and gave the sub high praise.

[SeanMF]

I have the dt mythos ssa-50 speaker bar. It's 5.0 and it sounds like I actually have surrounds in place. It's powered by a receiver though. I think soundbars have own power supply. I can add (2) real surrounds and a sub for 7.1. It's $1100 retail but the mythos does a damn good job. It's ideal for my bedroom.

[Beta Man]

I'm thinking about getting one for the bedroom also.....

I have 5 B&W M-1's in the bedroom now.... but I'm thinking about getting another Blu-ray player for the living room, and when that happens, I'll need to put something better in the living room (right now I have a 3-channel setup strictly for DVDs in the living room)

Might even add a sub to the living room, and break the cardinal rule, and use it as an end-table too

[erict]

Originally Posted by MCT

I have a Sony Surroundbar right now....when I first got it, I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Then I came here and learned more about HT setups, then realized how unworthy I really am.

it gets the job done though. For those who live in a nice big house, obviously it would be insuffcient, but for those of us who occupy modest-sized condos/apartments, they will more than suffice. The subwoofer on my Sony bar is RAUCOUS. Trust me. I know CNET's reviews dont really hold much weight, but they were spot on when they reviewed this thing and gave the sub high praise.

I have the same one for my other TV in the living room and can't say enough good things about it. Easy to hook up (no receiver required) and hardly takes up any room, and puts you're TV speakers to shame. If you are looking for a simple solution to you're TV speakers I would recommend the Sony sounbar.

[brianh78]

Originally Posted by FSUGeoff

I would think it's only a good option if you 100% can't have speakers anywhere but wall mounted. I would think a decent 2.1 or 3.1 would be better even without rears.... If WAF is a concern then perhaps it's better than TV speakers but they are very expensive for what you get...

a 3.1 huh, never thought of that. Do they have decent ones, my living room isnt too big and the simple tv speakers arent enough (plus Im still trying to get it where the talking is not as low and the sounds blow your ears out )

[jomari]

its not necessarily junk in any form, its just something that accomodates a market thats out there. Sure there are other ways of having a decent surround system, but may not have the space, nor the funding to have in-walls or permanent fixtures.

There are a number of them out there, for a decent price, that can perform quite well. Ive done a review on a Yamaha YAS-71BL system, and think for around 200 clams, it was worth the purchase.

[papaholmz]

While I definitely agree with the sentiment voiced by just about everyone who has posted on this thread that a full setup is better than a soundbar, let's face it, sometimes you can't (for various reasons) have a full setup.

I happen to be in that position right now - I can't have a full setup. In this instance a soundbar will get the job done. I have the Polk SoundBar50. It is not a powered soundbar (some are) and has to have a receiver driving it - I have the Yamaha VX663 and it does a great job. I also recommend you use a sub with any soundbar.

Hope this answer helps as opposed to all the answers above that tell you that soundbars are crap. In an ideal situation you would never want to use one, but they are not crap and they fit certain situations perfectly.

-papaholmz

[SeanMF]

Originally Posted by papaholmz

While I definitely agree with the sentiment voiced by just about everyone who has posted on this thread that a full setup is better than a soundbar, let's face it, sometimes you can't (for various reasons) have a full setup.

I happen to be in that position right now - I can't have a full setup. In this instance a soundbar will get the job done. I have the Polk SoundBar50. It is not a powered soundbar (some are) and has to have a receiver driving it - I have the Yamaha VX663 and it does a great job. I also recommend you use a sub with any soundbar.

Hope this answer helps as opposed to all the answers above that tell you that soundbars are crap. In an ideal situation you would never want to use one, but they are not crap and they fit certain situations perfectly.

-papaholmz

The Polk I was told has some of the same technology for doing surround sound that my DT ssa-50 has. Obviously $1100 on a speaker bar is a lot (I stole it off ebay for $200 because it was scratched up...had cousin paint it). I've seen Amazon offer it for 50% off a couple times. I'd go with Def Tech or Polk speaker bars and you can actually add your own surrounds (if its 7.1 receiver) and own sub. It all depends on what your have for placement. I got rid of my Kef setup to save on room in my bedroom. If you can do without a soundbar setup then by all means get regular speakers.

[snostorm]

I recently purchased a Surroundbar 42 from eBay and am 100% pleased with it. My wife and I are not audiophiles and wanted a clean setup that did not fill the entire room. I am using a Sony Receiver to drive it and have a Yamaha sub off to the side. So far I am amazed at the sound this thing puts out.

Obviously it is not as great as true 5.1 or higher, but for my needs and ears, it is great. If you are considering one, I would suggest the passive ones over the powered as the passive ones can grow with your system if connected to a receiver. The all in ones trap you into what you can and can't hook up to it.

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

Originally Posted by thebat2

I think it is a good set up for a bedroom.

i would say more for a bathroom

[steve1971]

If you have a bedroom setup such as myself then a soundbar will do. I am going for the Sony soundbar to replace my old decrepid sound system which I should have done years ago. Cant wait until tax time!

[DigitalHoarder]

When married, and living in a house, I rocked a Definitive 5.1 seperates system . I unfortunately left my stuff w/ the ex, which she later sold dirt cheap, FML. So fast forward to present day, and I live in a guest house and don't feel like buying a complete set up until I get a bigger place.

For now I bought the Boston Acoustics TVee Model Two and was pleased from the beginning. It's obviously not going to compare to complete systems, but for anyone thinking about a soundbar to upgrade from just their tv sound, these are pretty sweet options. Just don't buy the budget soundbars, as there were two cheaper models when I bought this at Best Buy. I originally bought my Definitive set up at Magnolia w/in Best Buy, and when I went back for the soundbar they assured me I would get what I what I needed for my small space.

I thought I'd want a seperate remote, and originally was about to return it when I found it did not come with one. However, the smart remote program feature built-in quickly learned my Toshiba TV remote volume functions. The sub woofer works fine and provides enough bass. I miss my Definitive sub power, but I understood from the beginning, based on budget and size, that I would be dealing with less. It's not for everyone, but if you want sound on a budget, w/out all the wiring and need for a seperate amp, then this is a great option.

After looking around, I see Definitive Technologies has a soundbar. Probably way better than my lil' jobby, but also more money. Obv I'm going to have to just get a set up again after reading reviews on Energy, but I got some research to do and thankfully there is plenty of info on this site. I still think for $350 ballpark range, the Boston soundbar w/ sub is doing a good job and will likely end up in my bedroom.

[David Craig]

I have a Yamaha sound bar and corresponding SUB.

It is set up in the basement. Seems pretty good.

If you set it up in a corner then it configures to 3.1 output (Left, Center, Right + Sub). If you set it up along a wall it cofigures to 5.1 output. In its 5.1 configuration it obtains rear speaker emulation by reflecting sound first off the side and then off the rear wall. I have it set up as 3.1 and it sounds pretty good.

Compared to my real 5.1 setup in another room, I think it does a good job.

I'd say to go for a real 5.1 setup if you have the space for all the speakers. If not, the Yamaha bar is a good compromise. Blows away the TV speakers for sure.

[KASR]

I'm a self-respecting home audio enthusiast and I was prety impressed with the Polk sound bars, specifically the Surround Bar DVD Home Theater and the SDA Instant Home Theater - both of those produce a great sound stage. Both are worth a look