Soundbar recommendations

[Cliveyp]

Hi all. It's been some time since i've posted on here - in fact, looking back, it appears it's 8 years since I asked a few questions on my current Samsung F450 soundbar.

Skip forward to today and we find ourselves in a different house with very plain walls. Because of this simplicity, the wife has decided we need more of a focal point and we are currently building a media wall/chimney breast, with a recessed TV and modern fireplace. I've been given clearance to look at new soundbars as i've never been happy with the current Samsung bar.

My understanding is that it's generally better to look at bars from audio manufacturers rather than TV manufacturers - for example a Denon or Klipsch over that of an LG or Samsung? My ideal would be to head down the route of a Sonos bar, but I don't think the budget would be there for the bar, let alone the sub too. I don't really want to go as far as placing rear speakers, but i'm not recessing the bar into the wall so am happy to look at Dolby Atmos models. Something in the region of £300-500ish would probably be the sort of budget in mind. One particular model that has stood out is the Denon DHTS-517, or maybe the 516 if this is massively better.

Any thoughts?

 

[rccarguy2]

IMO get a good passive soundbar with avr and you have full flexibility of connected equipment.

Get a regular soundbar and want to use own choice of surround, subwoofers? Good luck.

If you get Sonos soundbar you have to use their own sub.

So even if you wanted dual jtr RS2 you couldn't use them. Instead 6.5" dual driver of overpriced sono sub and Sonos wireless speakers

 

[Cliveyp]

Thanks. Although the thought of a full passive system with avr would be lovely, I think it's a stretch too far at this stage. Maybe, just maybe, I could convince the wife of a small avr tucked on a shelf somewhere with a passive bar under the TV in the future but it's doubtful in all honesty. The clean look of an active bar and a 'tucked away' wireless sub is one of the drivers behind this.

I lost my hope of a full home cinema install many years ago!

 

[rccarguy2]

What about

SL Multi Soundbar — Artcoustic

SL MULTI SOUNDBAR The SL Multi Soundbar can be used as a single LCR loudspeaker, or for more powerful systems, used as a single mono centre channel. The standard sizes are designed to compliment today’s flat screens. Bespoke width options are also available.

www.artcoustic.com

Plus a little T-Amp?

Then when she's not looking get AVR haha,

 

[Cliveyp]

At that cost, I think the avr would be the least of my worries......

 

[rccarguy2]

What you could do is say "Darling, my little pumpkin, do you want to spend £800 on low quality, wireless speakers that still need a power cable to each one, or for much less money get these which are cheaper, sound better, and I can set it all up, and if the soundbar stops working it's expensive to repair, the system is unusable, each component is locked into this soundbar so it's a throwaway product, not economically friendly"

For Sale - Wharfedale 10.DFS Rears

Hi, I have a set of Wharfedale Diamond 10.DFS for sale. Great condition and have been wallmounted since purchase. Never had any issues with them. They are a more inconspicuous rear speaker if your worried about standing out to much. Full description of them here.d / Link to Wharfedale website

www.avforums.com

Those artcoustic speakers are expensive new, but available pretty cheap second hand. Literally a couple of hundred quid.

 

[Cliveyp]

Rear speakers are out of scope, as I don't want to be running cables (power or signal) anywhere else - I just cannot be bothered. I'm literally looking at a front bar and, if required, a sub.

I am slightly tempted by a used passive bar such as that Artcoustic though.....

 

[rccarguy2]

Rear speakers are out of scope, as I don't want to be running cables (power or signal) anywhere else - I just cannot be bothered. I'm literally looking at a front bar and, if required, a sub.

I am slightly tempted by a used passive bar such as that Artcoustic though.....

Narrow shallow speakers for LCR

This'll definitely fit hehehe

www.avforums.com

See john one post up

 

[Cliveyp]

That sounds quite positive......i'll start the search!

Thanks for your pointers!

 

[keithwiggins]

Hi all. It's been some time since i've posted on here - in fact, looking back, it appears it's 8 years since I asked a few questions on my current Samsung F450 soundbar.

Skip forward to today and we find ourselves in a different house with very plain walls. Because of this simplicity, the wife has decided we need more of a focal point and we are currently building a media wall/chimney breast, with a recessed TV and modern fireplace. I've been given clearance to look at new soundbars as i've never been happy with the current Samsung bar.

My understanding is that it's generally better to look at bars from audio manufacturers rather than TV manufacturers - for example a Denon or Klipsch over that of an LG or Samsung? My ideal would be to head down the route of a Sonos bar, but I don't think the budget would be there for the bar, let alone the sub too. I don't really want to go as far as placing rear speakers, but i'm not recessing the bar into the wall so am happy to look at Dolby Atmos models. Something in the region of £300-500ish would probably be the sort of budget in mind. One particular model that has stood out is the Denon DHTS-517, or maybe the 516 if this is massively better.

Any thoughts?

overall i do think you can get better sound from a bar developed by a specialist audio company such as Klipsch who you have mentioned.
I would try if possible to hear that and the denon along with a JBL as well as something like a dali. Another advantage from say selecting something like a Dali is you can add at a later date if it suits a subwoofer from another company, you are not stuck/tied to a specific eco system ( sometimes not always)
overall you are pretty much spoilt for choice at the moment theres lots of great stuff out there.

 

[Cliveyp]

Thanks for this.

I was happily chatting to SWMBO last night and seem to have convinced her that a passive/AVR setup is the way to go. I reminded her that it was something I wanted to go back to after some 15+ years away from any kind of home audio. It's a little longer term, but it's either a passive SB and sub, or separate 3.1 setup. At the moment I can't really be bothered to route cables to run rear channels, but the thought of a nicer sounding front and centre set is definitely winning.