# Sound Bars, Worth Buying?



## Rich

I never thought I'd be expressing a positive viewpoint about sound bars. I've always liked AVR sound systems. Back in 2013 we were vacationing in Ocean City, Maryland. Stayed in a condo that had several Samsung LCD TVs. One of them had a dinky little Samsung sound bar attached to it. I was amazed by the sound quality. 

Fast forward to Xmas last year. I bought a 4K TV that had a pretty terrible sound system and didn't want to put any huge speakers on it for various reasons. I bought a Samsung soundbar (my grammar checker just told me "soundbar" is correct???) from Costco, just to see if I could get just a bit better sound out of it than I was getting from the TV. Paid ~ $189 for it. Marked down from $249 (or $289). Put it on and it works so well I don't see the need for another AVR system. It has a wireless Bluetooth subwoofer. The subwoofer works well too. 

The soundbar is a 2.1 system. It doesn't give the same "immersion" feel the AVRs do, but it's sufficient and I don't sit there wondering what I'm gonna do to "fix" the sound issue. Not an issue at all. 

The other day, I got mail from Costco. The usual letter with all the deals. Found the soundbar for $20 less than what I paid. Got that money back on my credit card. Now the soundbar cost me $169. Not bad for something that works so well.

All in all, we're satisfied with the soundbar. I'm still surprised, but happy.

Rich


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## chevyguy559

I saw this 5.1 soundbar in the Best Buy ad on Sunday. Seems like it would be perfect for a bedroom or even a den setup where a dedicated AVR and speakers aren't needed. Wireless subwoofer and the rear speakers are wired to the sub so if you place the sub near the back, definitely less wire to run/conceal.

VIZIO - SmartCast™ 38" 5.1-Channel Soundbar System with Subwoofer


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## Cholly

A;most every time I go to Costco, I see someone walking out with soundbars--usually Vizio, but often Samsung. I noted today that Woot has a Klipsch Blutooth soundbar system for $279.99, (regular $799.00).


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## Rich

chevyguy559 said:


> I saw this 5.1 soundbar in the Best Buy ad on Sunday. Seems like it would be perfect for a bedroom or even a den setup where a dedicated AVR and speakers aren't needed. Wireless subwoofer and the rear speakers are wired to the sub so if you place the sub near the back, definitely less wire to run/conceal.
> 
> VIZIO - SmartCast™ 38" 5.1-Channel Soundbar System with Subwoofer


I almost bought that soundbar. The way the Samsung TVs worked with my Sony AVR system scared me and I decided to go with a Samsung soundbar. I could add the rear speakers but I don't think we need them.

Rich


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## Rich

chevyguy559 said:


> I saw this 5.1 soundbar in the Best Buy ad on Sunday. Seems like it would be perfect for a bedroom or even a den setup where a dedicated AVR and speakers aren't needed. Wireless subwoofer and the rear speakers are wired to the sub so if you place the sub near the back, definitely less wire to run/conceal.
> 
> VIZIO - SmartCast™ 38" 5.1-Channel Soundbar System with Subwoofer


I'd like to see some posts about the Vizio and LG soundbars. Are they as good as Samsung's soundbars? Worse? Better? Do they work properly with Samsung TVs?

Rich


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## Cholly

In looking at Consumer Reports ratings of soundbars, of the 20 models they tested in the the sub $350 class, the 5.1 Samsung HW-K550 stands alone. At $330, it got rated Best Buy, and was the only soundbar system under $350 rated very good in sound quality, beating LG, JBL, Sony, Vizio and Yamaha.
All told, they rated 52 soundbars, ranging from 2.0 to 5.1 surround. The $1300 Definitive Technology 5.1 system was third from last, with only fair sound quality.


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## trh

Rich said:


> I never thought I'd be expressing a positive viewpoint about sound bars. I've always liked AVR sound systems. Back in 2013 we were vacationing in Ocean City, Maryland. Stayed in a condo that had several Samsung LCD TVs. One of them had a dinky little Samsung sound bar attached to it. I was amazed by the sound quality.
> 
> Fast forward to Xmas last year. I bought a 4K TV that had a pretty terrible sound system and didn't want to put any huge speakers on it for various reasons. I bought a Samsung soundbar (my grammar checker just told me "soundbar" is correct???) from Costco, just to see if I could get just a bit better sound out of it than I was getting from the TV. Paid ~ $189 for it. Marked down from $249 (or $289). Put it on and it works so well I don't see the need for another AVR system. It has a wireless Bluetooth subwoofer. The subwoofer works well too.
> 
> The soundbar is a 2.1 system. It doesn't give the same "immersion" feel the AVRs do, but it's sufficient and I don't sit there wondering what I'm gonna do to "fix" the sound issue. Not an issue at all.
> 
> The other day, I got mail from Costco. The usual letter with all the deals. Found the soundbar for $20 less than what I paid. Got that money back on my credit card. Now the soundbar cost me $169. Not bad for something that works so well.
> 
> All in all, we're satisfied with the soundbar. I'm still surprised, but happy.
> 
> Rich


Rich -- do your DIRECTV remotes control the soundbar? And what about when you watch streaming (Roku or Apple TV)? Or are you using a programmable remote (e.g. Logitech Harmony)?


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## lparsons21

I'm getting ready to move into my new house in a bit and have been considering a Soundbar myself. But I thought to go to a passive soundbar and still use the AVR. Unfortunately the pricing really sucks on them, and still leaves the rear speaker issue as wireless speakers aren't all that wonderful. 

So for the great room I'll probably continue to use an AVR setup, but use ceiling speakers for the rears. Should work fine as the setup is for tv/movie viewing.





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## codespy

FWIW- I purchased my first Vizio 38" 5.1 soundbar for our RV almost 2 years ago, and it works awesome. Have it connected to a Vizio TV and run our DirecTV to it. Typically you just set the TV speakers to OFF and the soundbar takes over, works with my DirecTV RC66RBX remote. Since then, I bought one for my parents and my sister. 

Black Friday 2016 the 38" 5.1 version was marked down to either $129 or $139 with free shipping. I got my sister got the 42" 5.1 version on Black Friday at Sam's for $177 with free shipping. They are pretty impressive and easy to connect, and all the settings are easily adjustable. The rear speakers are wired to the subwoofer, and the sub is wireless to the soundbar. Bluetooth works well too off my iPhone for music.


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## Rich

Cholly said:


> In looking at Consumer Reports ratings of soundbars, of the 20 models they tested in the the sub $350 class, the 5.1 Samsung HW-K550 stands alone. At $330, it got rated Best Buy, and was the only soundbar system under $350 rated very good in sound quality, beating LG, JBL, Sony, Vizio and Yamaha.
> All told, they rated 52 soundbars, ranging from 2.0 to 5.1 surround. The $1300 Definitive Technology 5.1 system was third from last, with only fair sound quality.


Did they review the Samsung 450?

Rich


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## Rich

trh said:


> Rich -- do your DIRECTV remotes control the soundbar? And what about when you watch streaming (Roku or Apple TV)? Or are you using a programmable remote (e.g. Logitech Harmony)?


Yup, the D* remotes control the volume of the soundbar. The ATV4 does too. The Rokus, I have tried the Roku Ultra and the Premier, don't remember if they controlled the volume. The PQ on both Rokus was off and I didn't keep them.

Rich


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## Rich

lparsons21 said:


> I'm getting ready to move into my new house in a bit and have been considering a Soundbar myself. But I thought to go to a passive soundbar and still use the AVR. Unfortunately the pricing really sucks on them, and still leaves the rear speaker issue as wireless speakers aren't all that wonderful.
> 
> So for the great room I'll probably continue to use an AVR setup, but use ceiling speakers for the rears. Should work fine as the setup is for tv/movie viewing.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


You can't beat an AVR setup, I think. That said, I'm still surprised at how good the sound is on the Sammy soundbar.

Rich


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## Rich

codespy said:


> FWIW- I purchased my first Vizio 38" 5.1 soundbar for our RV almost 2 years ago, and it works awesome. Have it connected to a Vizio TV and run our DirecTV to it. Typically you just set the TV speakers to OFF and the soundbar takes over, works with my DirecTV RC66RBX remote. Since then, I bought one for my parents and my sister.
> 
> Black Friday 2016 the 38" 5.1 version was marked down to either $129 or $139 with free shipping. I got my sister got the 42" 5.1 version on Black Friday at Sam's for $177 with free shipping. They are pretty impressive and easy to connect, and all the settings are easily adjustable. The rear speakers are wired to the subwoofer, and the sub is wireless to the soundbar. Bluetooth works well too off my iPhone for music.


Do you happen to have a Samsung 4K TV working with the soundbar?

Rich


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## lparsons21

Rich said:


> You can't beat an AVR setup, I think. That said, I'm still surprised at how good the sound is on the Sammy soundbar.
> 
> Rich


I agree, AVR setups sound best if properly done. The problem I ran into is how to do the rear speakers, and actually I wanted 7.1 vice 5.1, but the great room design just doesn't lend itself to 7.1 at all. And wiring rear speakers has always been a PITA to figure out without having exposed wiring in all to many places Looked at wireless rear speakers, but the choices are slim to poor with many not offering a way to connect an AVR to them.

Thought about going with Samsung's ATMOS soundbar system but the cost is high on it, as well as a couple of others that are doing the same thing. Here's a link to it : HW-K850 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos

Note that it still needs the wireless rear speakers added, I think all in all with rears it comes out to around $1200. And reading at AVS there are some real issues with the firmware, and for me, Samsung is not a brand I'm fond of as their after sale support is the pits.

Sigh....


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## Rich

lparsons21 said:


> I agree, AVR setups sound best if properly done. The problem I ran into is how to do the rear speakers, and actually I wanted 7.1 vice 5.1, but the great room design just doesn't lend itself to 7.1 at all. And wiring rear speakers has always been a PITA to figure out without having exposed wiring in all to many places Looked at wireless rear speakers, but the choices are slim to poor with many not offering a way to connect an AVR to them.
> 
> Thought about going with Samsung's ATMOS soundbar system but the cost is high on it, as well as a couple of others that are doing the same thing. Here's a link to it : HW-K850 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos
> 
> Note that it still needs the wireless rear speakers added, I think all in all with rears it comes out to around $1200. And reading at AVS there are some real issues with the firmware, and for me, *Samsung is not a brand I'm fond of as their after sale support is the pits.*
> 
> Sigh....


Not sure I'd spend that much on a soundbar. I've run into that really bad Sammy support too. Whole lot of companies have the same issues tho. Roku is worse than Samsung. Sony is about the same. We live in a "you bought it, you're stuck with it" kinda world.

Rich


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## lparsons21

Yeah, it is hard to rationalize, let alone justify, spending that much on a soundbar system. Especially since I have perfectly good speakers to match up with my AVR. I'm almost certain I'll just move my current speakers over and use ceiling speakers for rears of a 5.1 theater. I would love 7.1, but there really isn't much out there in 7.1 and the design of my great room doesn't lend itself to doing it.


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## Cholly

Rich said:


> Did they review the Samsung 450?
> 
> Rich


No, they did not The 550 and some higher priced models, and the 360


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## codespy

Rich said:


> Do you happen to have a Samsung 4K TV working with the soundbar?
> Rich


I do not, sorry. Only Vizio's.

I do also have a AVR setup in our theater/sportscave (same room with all our TV's for ST), which is an Onkyo Dolby Atmos 7.1. I set this up almost two years ago when I finished the basement. But like others said, not a whole lot of content for 7.1.


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## Rich

lparsons21 said:


> Yeah, it is hard to rationalize, let alone justify, spending that much on a soundbar system. Especially since I have perfectly good speakers to match up with my AVR. I'm almost certain I'll just move my current speakers over and use ceiling speakers for rears of a 5.1 theater. I would love 7.1, but there really isn't much out there in 7.1 and the design of my great room doesn't lend itself to doing it.


Looking at the room where my JS8500 lives I can see nothing but speakers. Four tower speakers, a center speaker that is almost a horizontal tower speaker and a big 500W subwoofer. It looked much better without the speakers. And all those wires. Soundbars are a lot neater.

Rich


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## Rich

Cholly said:


> No, they did not The 550 and some higher priced models, and the 360


What did they say about the 360?

Rich


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## Rich

codespy said:


> I do not, sorry. Only Vizio's.
> 
> I do also have a AVR setup in our theater/sportscave (same room with all our TV's for ST), which is an Onkyo Dolby Atmos 7.1. I set this up almost two years ago when I finished the basement. But like others said, not a whole lot of content for 7.1.


I do wish more people with the Sammy 4K sets would report on any problems with AVR or SB systems used on the Sammys. I gave up on 4K AVRs because of problems that I'm pretty sure were caused by the 4K sets. Had no problems with the AVRs on my plasmas.

Rich


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## codespy

I don't run the 4K thru my Onkyo, I run it straight from my Sammy to the Vizio, then run audio from the Sammy to the Onkyo.

Also, Sam's club has a sale right now that ends tonight on a Vizio 45" 5.1 soundbar with free shipping for $299 regularly $399 if anyone is interested.


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## Rich

After watching my wife blow thru a small fortune on our granddaughter's dance equipment I figured before we went broke I would buy something for myself and I ordered a Samsung accessory speaker set for the 45C soundbar (that's Costco's version of the 450 soundbar. Only ~ 100 bucks. Two 3 ohm speakers and subwoofer. Subwoofer seemed to do nothing and the speakers put only stereo out. In the process of sending it back. Read the reviews and did more research...thing is just for stereo. Nuts.

Rich


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## lparsons21

I have the Samsung KW950 Atmos sound bar and am very pleased with it. It is 5.1.4 and the only one that I know that is. The sound bar has the usual L/C/R speakers, but also two height speakers, the wireless rears also have a height speaker in each one. It isn't as good as a discrete AVR system, but it is excellent in its own right. Not cheap though.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Rich

lparsons21 said:


> I have the Samsung KW950 Atmos sound bar and am very pleased with it. It is 5.1.4 and the only one that I know that is. The sound bar has the usual L/C/R speakers, but also two height speakers, the wireless rears also have a height speaker in each one. It isn't as good as a discrete AVR system, but it is excellent in its own right. Not cheap though.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I remember when you bought it. No wires, huh? That would interest me. The unit I'm returning had wired connections to what they called a subwoofer and the wires looked like hell in the living room. The subwoofer did nothing that I could hear. I do wish Amazon would make their descriptions a bit more clear. Why would someone buy extra stereo speakers? Looking at the Amazon offering now I can see it is a stereo unit. Reading the reviews and answered questions didn't give me much help.

Rich


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## lparsons21

There are 2 HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, all up to snuff for 4K, but no wires to sub or rear speakers. Atmos encoding sounds wonderful with it for those blurays that provide it. I've heard that Vudu even has some movies with Atmos encoding.

My setup is all Samsung, KU series 65" tv, 8500(?) 4K blurays and the soundbar. I do have both my Hopper 3 and ATV4 attached too. No problems with any of it so far. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Rich

lparsons21 said:


> There are 2 HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, all up to snuff for 4K, but no wires to sub or rear speakers. Atmos encoding sounds wonderful with it for those blurays that provide it. I've heard that Vudu even has some movies with Atmos encoding.
> 
> My setup is all Samsung, KU series 65" tv, 8500(?) 4K blurays and the soundbar. I do have both my Hopper 3 and ATV4 attached too. No problems with any of it so far.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Sounds interesting. I gave it some thought last night. The only thing that bothers me is the price.

Going with Samsung audio devices when you have a Samsung TV is the right move I think. My new TV set doesn't get along well with my ATV4. I have to unplug the ATV4 to watch content on the TV apps at times. I do have a Sony AVR on my other set, they don't get along unless I use optical cables. Drives me crazy and nothing I do helps.

Rich


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## inkahauts

Rich did you check to make sure your Apple TV is updated with the latest updates. It sure it'd help but hopefully wouldn't hurt either.


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## Rich

inkahauts said:


> Rich did you check to make sure your Apple TV is updated with the latest updates. It sure it'd help but hopefully wouldn't hurt either.


Yup, first thing my son asked me too. Pretty sure I have it set for automatic updates and I've never had to do a manual update. I do check it for updates from time to time and always get the same answer, no update available you have the latest...words to that effect.

Rich


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## inkahauts

Rich said:


> Yup, first thing my son asked me too. Pretty sure I have it set for automatic updates and I've never had to do a manual update. I do check it for updates from time to time and always get the same answer, no update available you have the latest...words to that effect.
> 
> Rich


You are a puzzle.


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## Rich

inkahauts said:


> You are a puzzle.


As Popeye said, I yam what I yam...

Rich


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## inazsully

I just read the review by Michael Trei in the May 2017 Sound and Vision Magazine for the new Polk Magnifi Mini Soundbar. They have scored it as a "TOP PICK". If you have a smaller room or bedroom this is the ticket, because it not only sounds awesome it retails for a whopping $300. It weighs less than 4lbs and measures 13.4x3.2x4.3. It contains 6 speakers and comes with a outside sub.


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## Rich

inazsully said:


> I just read the review by Michael Trei in the May 2017 Sound and Vision Magazine for the new Polk Magnifi Mini Soundbar. They have scored it as a "TOP PICK". If you have a smaller room or bedroom this is the ticket, because it not only sounds awesome it retails for a whopping $300. It weighs less than 4lbs and measures 13.4x3.2x4.3. It contains 6 speakers and comes with a outside sub.


My son just bought a Polk soundbar. Price was discounted to $199 from better than twice that figure. He had to buy a new stand to accommodate the soundbar. It is too high for any of our TVs, blocks the bottom of the screen. Probably accounts for the discount. Sounds good. He asked me about Polk speakers before he bought it, can't say anything bad about them. We've got Polk speakers on two of our AVR systems. I'm gonna check the one you listed out. Thanx.

Found the Polk soundbar on Amazon, read the negative reviews which contain some really comical reviews. Found this one written by a guy who sounds like he knows what he's talking about:

_Having some prior experience with Polk and their "more bang for the buck" reputation, I was excited to get this unit up and running upon arrival. However, shortly after doing so I was disappointed. The unit lacks any REAL punch and is limited by volume as well. The sub output was marginal at best and is in need of more equalization capabilities. The overall clarity (particularly in the middle range) was muffled and lacked definition. The "VoiceAdjust™ technology" had me tweaking things much more often than I wanted too with each source of input that I tested it with. I own a $79 Visio soundbar (no sub) connected to one of my smaller flat screens and as far as clarity goes (hearing subtle parts of songs, movie soundtracks, etc.), it's very apparent the quality of sound exceeds the Polk system and this simply should not be the case. The 2.1 Klipsch system on my computer that goes for $140 hammers this Polk soundbar/sub into the ground. On a side note, I had a hard time getting the optical cable (used my own and not the cheapo they provided) to stay in it's slot and it kept falling out with any movement of the soundbar unit. This appears to be a flaw in the design as the port is tilted downward toward the floor. I get this is not a high-end system going for over a grand, but at anywhere from $230-300, this unit falls short in my humble opinion. Unfortunately, I'm returning it and looking for a better value for the money._

Seems as if Polk isn't up to speed on soundbars when you consider the above review and my son having to buy a stand so his soundbar won't block the screen. Polk does make a point in the Amazon offering that the Magnifi Mini Soundbar does fit most TVs. 

Rich


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## jimmie57

This sounds interesting. Has 9 speakers in it. Appears to have 6 full range oval speakers and 3 small subs for bass. It says it is new but I don't know how long it has been out.
Sound+ Premium Soundbar Home Theater - HW-MS650/ZA | Samsung US


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> This sounds interesting. Has 9 speakers in it. Appears to have 6 full range oval speakers and 3 small subs for bass. It says it is new but I don't know how long it has been out.
> Sound+ Premium Soundbar Home Theater - HW-MS650/ZA | Samsung US


Interesting. I've got a 450. Now if Costco just gets the 650, I can bring back the 450 and buy the 650. I'll keep an eye out for it. Or I could just order it from Amazon and bring the 450 back...hmm. Got to give this some thought.

Just checked Amazon, they have it for the same price (I won't buy anything directly from Samsung). I might just buy it. The 650 doesn't have a subwoofer, that's odd. I did see one review on Amazon, very positive.

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> Interesting. I've got a 450. Now if Costco just gets the 650, I can bring back the 450 and buy the 650. I'll keep an eye out for it. Or I could just order it from Amazon and bring the 450 back...hmm. Got to give this some thought.
> 
> Just checked Amazon, they have it for the same price (I won't buy anything directly from Samsung). I might just buy it. The 650 doesn't have a subwoofer, that's odd. I did see one review on Amazon, very positive.
> 
> Rich


Those 3 round speakers are subs. It says it goes down to 40 hz ? That is way down there. My 6-1/2" dual per cabinet Polk Audio front speakers only go down to 45-55 depending on which are of the manual you read.
Look at the pic of it without the grill on the front.


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> Those 3 round speakers are subs. It says it goes down to 40 hz ? That is way down there. My 6-1/2" dual per cabinet Polk Audio front speakers only go down to 45-55 depending on which are of the manual you read.
> Look at the pic of it without the grill on the front.


I did look at the picture, I just have doubts about small subwoofers. I have Polk tower speakers that have subwoofer speakers in them and they don't work nearly as well as a large subwoofer. Probably worth trying the 650, tho.

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> I did look at the picture, I just have doubts about small subwoofers. I have Polk tower speakers that have subwoofer speakers in them and they don't work nearly as well as a large subwoofer. Probably worth trying the 650, tho.
> 
> Rich


I hear you. Me and my son both use a 12" sub in our systems.


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> I hear you. Me and my son both use a 12" sub in our systems.


I do have a subwoofer on the 450, kinda useless. Aww, now you have me lusting for the 650!

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> I do have a subwoofer on the 450, kinda useless. Aww, now you have me lusting for the 650!
> 
> Rich


Well, recently I have learned from all your posts that you like getting new things and trying them out.


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> Well, recently I have learned from all your posts that you like getting new things and trying them out.


I do. Don't enjoy the frustrations that come from that, tho.

Rich


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> This sounds interesting. Has 9 speakers in it. Appears to have 6 full range oval speakers and 3 small subs for bass. It says it is new but I don't know how long it has been out.
> Sound+ Premium Soundbar Home Theater - HW-MS650/ZA | Samsung US


Well, I bought the above mentioned sound bar, it's sitting in the box waiting to be installed...I'll be back with details...

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> Well, I bought the above mentioned sound bar, it's sitting in the box waiting to be installed...I'll be back with details...
> 
> Rich


Hopefully it will be to your liking.


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> Hopefully it will be to your liking.


And, so far, I've got problems with it. Problems with dialog. Not the same as the 450 I have. The bass response kinda sucks too. I've got to play with it.

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> And, so far, I've got problems with it. Problems with dialog. Not the same as the 450 I have. The bass response kinda sucks too. I've got to play with it.
> 
> Rich


Oh No.
It has a 4.7 of 5 rating on every website I went to look to see what others said.
Oh well, so much for ratings.


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## camo

If I were serious about sound I would go with Sonos bar or base, Sonos Subwoofer along with rear Play:3 or Play:1's. Set you back over 2K using Play:3 rears.


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## camo

I spent a full day researching sound bars and decided not to spend more than needed. I did find a couple jewels and decided on the ZVOX SB700. This bar doesn't need the separate subwoofer with a frequency response of 38-20k Hz. It came down between the smaller SB500 and SB700 with the better low end frequency and perfect fit for 65" TV. 

I was a little confused about if I needed HDR and 4K pass through but that's only if you plan on using the soundbar HDMI inputs directly from the 4K source. The Sony TV already has 4 HDMI 2.2 inputs so going into soundbar first isn't necessary unlike some TV's may be limited with 1 or 2 HDR inputs.
Something else to watch out for when shopping, not all soundbars have ARC connection (most don't) and may use the 5:1 optical cable. The problem here is many TV's don't pass 5:1 through optical so you may end up with stereo only. Sony TV's do pass 5:1 but while researching I found some of the other major brands didn't pass 5:1 though optical cable so for those stick with ARC or live with stereo. 
Many out there using soundbars are hooked up like this and don't realize it. 
Better deals now off Crutchfield vs Amazon since they started charging tax.


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> Oh No.
> It has a 4.7 of 5 rating on every website I went to look to see what others said.
> Oh well, so much for ratings.


I played with it yesterday and I think I've got it where I want it.

Rich


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## Rich

camo said:


> I spent a full day researching sound bars and decided not to spend more than needed. I did find a couple jewels and decided on the ZVOX SB700. This bar doesn't need the separate subwoofer with a frequency response of 38-20k Hz. It came down between the smaller SB500 and SB700 with the better low end frequency and perfect fit for 65" TV.
> 
> I was a little confused about if I needed HDR and 4K pass through but that's only if you plan on using the soundbar HDMI inputs directly from the 4K source. The Sony TV already has 4 HDMI 2.2 inputs so going into soundbar first isn't necessary unlike some TV's may be limited with 1 or 2 HDR inputs.
> Something else to watch out for when shopping, not all soundbars have ARC connection (most don't) and may use the 5:1 optical cable. The problem here is many TV's don't pass 5:1 through optical so you may end up with stereo only. Sony TV's do pass 5:1 but while researching I found some of the other major brands didn't pass 5:1 though optical cable so for those stick with ARC or live with stereo.
> Many out there using soundbars are hooked up like this and don't realize it.
> Better deals now off Crutchfield vs Amazon since they started charging tax.


Both of my Samsung TVs pass 5.1 sound thru optical. None of my Panny plasmas do that.

Rich


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## camo

Rich said:


> I played with it yesterday and I think I've got it where I want it.
> 
> Rich


Good deal nothing more frustrating than electronics that doesn't work like it should. 
What got me looking at upgrading soundbar from my cheapo Sony xt1 was it developed a bass (what little it had) buzz on certain shows. It made watching movies not fun.


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## Rich

camo said:


> Good deal nothing more frustrating than electronics that doesn't work like it should.
> What got me looking at upgrading soundbar from my cheapo Sony xt1 was it developed a bass (what little it had) buzz on certain shows. It made watching movies not fun.


This bar is driving me...crazier? I get it where I want it and it changes modes. Won't shut off when the TV goes off. Won't connect by wireless or Bluetooth (I tried late last night, might have screwed up the settings), the online manual, the "complete manual" is just about the same as the little pamphlet that came in the box. I'm not happy and thinking about trying a Polk subwoofer. A couple more days and if I can't get everything working correctly it goes back.

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> This bar is driving me...crazier? I get it where I want it and it changes modes. Won't shut off when the TV goes off. Won't connect by wireless or Bluetooth (I tried late last night, might have screwed up the settings), the online manual, the "complete manual" is just about the same as the little pamphlet that came in the box. I'm not happy and thinking about trying a Polk subwoofer. A couple more days and if I can't get everything working correctly it goes back.
> 
> Rich


I feel sure you did this,
I found a spot in the manual that said you had to delete the previous connected sound bar from the TV. ??


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> I feel sure you did this,
> I found a spot in the manual that said you had to delete the previous connected sound bar from the TV. ??


I did do that. I followed the directions to the letter. It won't connect wirelessly or with Bluetooth. It only works with an optical cable which would be OK if everything else worked as well as my 450. Sunday I got the sound where I wanted it and thought I'd keep it. Then my wife said each time she paused whatever source she was using the soundbar shut off. I see nothing in any manual that addresses that. I couldn't get the bar to shut off when the TV turns off. I followed the instructions carefully and the thing just won't shut off when it should.

After getting the sound right I figured I could live with the above issues. Then the sound reverted for some reason. Had to reset all the options, got it back to where I liked the sound...then it reverted again. Gave up and it's sitting outside waiting for UPS to pick it up. Over $400 for this thing and it sounds nowhere near as good as my $160 450, go figure.

So, after listening to my son's Polk sound bar, I ordered a Polk sound bar: Amazon.com: Polk Audio Omni SB1 Plus Home Theater Sound Bar System: Home Audio & Theater

If this one works I'll be thrilled. I have doubts about using any device that isn't made by Samsung on the Samsung TVs and the SB I just bought is supposed to work with ANY TV set. We'll see.

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> I did do that. I followed the directions to the letter. It won't connect wirelessly or with Bluetooth. It only works with an optical cable which would be OK if everything else worked as well as my 450. Sunday I got the sound where I wanted it and thought I'd keep it. Then my wife said each time she paused whatever source she was using the soundbar shut off. I see nothing in any manual that addresses that. I couldn't get the bar to shut off when the TV turns off. I followed the instructions carefully and the thing just won't shut off when it should.
> 
> After getting the sound right I figured I could live with the above issues. Then the sound reverted for some reason. Had to reset all the options, got it back to where I liked the sound...then it reverted again. Gave up and it's sitting outside waiting for UPS to pick it up. Over $400 for this thing and it sounds nowhere near as good as my $160 450, go figure.
> 
> So, after listening to my son's Polk sound bar, I ordered a Polk sound bar: Amazon.com: Polk Audio Omni SB1 Plus Home Theater Sound Bar System: Home Audio & Theater
> 
> If this one works I'll be thrilled. I have doubts about using any device that isn't made by Samsung on the Samsung TVs and the SB I just bought is supposed to work with ANY TV set. We'll see.
> 
> Rich


Hope this one works for you.
My friends husband has a Polk hooked to his Samsung and he likes it.


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> Hope this one works for you.
> My friends husband has a Polk hooked to his Samsung and he likes it.


Ah, if it doesn't I'll be keeping the 450. After what I went thru with the 650...well, last night I was wondering why I bothered with it at all. The 450 does seem to be a better SB. Could I have gotten a lemon? With my luck, of course. But I have little patience and if the Polk sucks too I'll just keep the 450.

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> Ah, if it doesn't I'll be keeping the 450. After what I went thru with the 650...well, last night I was wondering why I bothered with it at all. The 450 does seem to be a better SB. Could I have gotten a lemon? With my luck, of course. But I have little patience and if the Polk sucks too I'll just keep the 450.
> 
> Rich


If the Polk sucks, why not change to a full blown 5.1 system with a receiver ?


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> If the Polk sucks, why not change to a full blown 5.1 system with a receiver ?


Don't want the mess a full AVR system causes. Too many wires, the speakers I have are too large for the living room. I do use a full AVR system in one of our family rooms and have a couple more in rooms where the clutter doesn't matter.

I tried the 450 using just a Bluetooth connection from the TV to the SB and it works flawlessly. I set it up just as I tried to set the 650 for Bluetooth. One works and the other one didn't???

BTW, my son thought I just screwed up the settings on the 650 so he tried it. He couldn't get it to connect with BT or wirelessly (the 450 doesn't connect wirelessly) either. Kind of amusing watching him fail too.

Rich


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## jimmie57

Rich said:


> Don't want the mess a full AVR system causes. Too many wires, the speakers I have are too large for the living room. I do use a full AVR system in one of our family rooms and have a couple more in rooms where the clutter doesn't matter.
> 
> I tried the 450 using just a Bluetooth connection from the TV to the SB and it works flawlessly. I set it up just as I tried to set the 650 for Bluetooth. One works and the other one didn't???
> 
> BTW, my son thought I just screwed up the settings on the 650 so he tried it. He couldn't get it to connect with BT or wirelessly (the 450 doesn't connect wirelessly) either. Kind of amusing watching him fail too.
> 
> Rich


My kids, especially my boys, think I am stupid.


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## Rich

jimmie57 said:


> My kids, especially my boys, think I am stupid.


I hear you.

Rich


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## inkahauts

Rich said:


> Don't want the mess a full AVR system causes. Too many wires, the speakers I have are too large for the living room. I do use a full AVR system in one of our family rooms and have a couple more in rooms where the clutter doesn't matter.
> 
> I tried the 450 using just a Bluetooth connection from the TV to the SB and it works flawlessly. I set it up just as I tried to set the 650 for Bluetooth. One works and the other one didn't???
> 
> BTW, my son thought I just screwed up the settings on the 650 so he tried it. He couldn't get it to connect with BT or wirelessly (the 450 doesn't connect wirelessly) either. Kind of amusing watching him fail too.
> 
> Rich


Sometimes I think you should really by two of everything... cause you know the first one will be defective and then you can just return it after the second one works. Would save you a trip to the store in the middle of setup. 

I haven't been paying enough attention in this thread. Did you try a Yamaha sound bar?


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## Rich

inkahauts said:


> Sometimes I think you should really by two of everything... cause you know the first one will be defective and then you can just return it after the second one works. Would save you a trip to the store in the middle of setup.
> 
> I haven't been paying enough attention in this thread. Did you try a Yamaha sound bar?


I've considered that method of purchasing. To me it actually makes sense. I can't believe that 650 was that bad, could it have been defective in so many ways? I've never seen any speaker boxes that had subwoofers built in them (I have two Polk tower speakers that have the subwoofer setup) that worked as well as a stand alone woofer.

I tried a Yamaha AVR a few years ago, left me wondering how good Yamahas are. I know *Cholly *likes them. I didn't look at their woofers.

Rich


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## Cholly

I think I'm finally done buying audio equipment. When it comes to speakers, I am rather prejudiced. I have a pair of Acoustic Research AR-3 speakers I bought in 1960 at a Poughkeepsie Audio Society meeting. My only regret is that I didn't take AR's offer of a free upgrade of my speakers to AR-3A's They still have great sound after all these years. If I had the money and wanted a new home theater sound system, I'd certainly be looking at Definitive Technology, Martin Logan or Bowers and Wilkins. Not being that wealthy, I'm very happy with my Paradigms. As to economy speakers, I really like my Energy Take Classic 5.1 system in my bedroom. Energy speakers are a Klipsch Canada product.
I've had AVR's by Pioneer, Onkyo and Philips in the past in addition to the now 3 Yamaha receivers currently in use. Before the onset of 5 and 7 channel systems, I built a monophonic musicians amplifier from plans in Audio Engineering magazine in the late 40's or early 50's and teamed it with a Radio Craftsmen FM/AM tuner and a Jensen bookshelf speaker system. I gave them to my father when I went into the Army. I built a very good Knight kit stereo amplifier from Allied Radio in 1960. the quality of which surprised the folks from Macintosh labs when I took it to one of their amplifier clinics. I used it for many years along with a Dynakit FM tuner and preamp and the AR's. I initially had a Rek-O-Kut turntable with Shure arm and cartridge and later went to a Dual turntable, which I still have. I've had tape recorders by Eico, Magnecord and Ampex.


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## Rich

I got the Polk Omni SB1 soundbar yesterday and hooked it up. It came with practically no instructions or links to an online manual. I got it working, it sounds great. Cheap, little remote. About the size of a credit card. Wouldn't you think a device that originally cost almost 700 bucks would have a decent remote? Geez.

I finally found a couple You Tube videos that sort of explained the proper hookup and how to program other remotes for controlling the volume. I tried to program my remotes and didn't do well. This morning I found the online manual and got better instructions. 

The subwoofer is impressive. The Samsung SBs kinda melded the bass sound into the rest of the audio, the Polk SB's subwoofer is distinctly separate. Much better.

Comparing the Polk and the Samsung 450: The 450 does more, it can hook up to my TV via Bluetooth, it has a very clear display for volume and other options on the front of the SB, the Polk just has a few LEDs that tell you what's going on--not very easy to tell anything. The 450 has a much nicer remote. Lots of better things about the Samsung, but the Polk sounds much better and that's got to be what influences anyone buying a SB, right? I think so. 

I'll keep working on the Polk. I did find another Samsung model that might be better than the 450. If I become dissatisfied with the Polk (I was ready to send it back last night) I'll give that a try. I'll be back...

Rich


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## Rich

I think I have everything fixed on the Polk. It appears to be a keeper! I was getting really discouraged...

Rich


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## lparsons21

I've got the Polk mini in my bedroom and it is fine for that use. Since the bar is so narrow there isn't much separation.

Got the Samsung kW950 in the front room. It is wonderful! Has some upfiring speakers for Atmos support and is plenty wide for decent separation. Got its own set of quirks, which seems to be pretty standard for Samsung since the tv and 4k player from Samsung also have their own twitches. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## camo

The Zvox Soundbar SB700 came in today. Doesn't take the place of a full surround system but sounds very good on both movies and music. The only other soundbar to compare with is the Sony XT1 and this wins hands down.
Easy hookup 5:1 through optic cable (No ARC) and setup with Dish remote easy. If using Sony TV make sure TV speakers is off, Audio system on and select digital audio out (audio 1).

It has a feature I don't need yet for slightly hearing impaired called accuvoice, I'll recommend for anyone that struggles with understanding dialog.


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## Rich

lparsons21 said:


> I've got the Polk mini in my bedroom and it is fine for that use. Since the bar is so narrow there isn't much separation.
> 
> Got the Samsung kW950 in the front room. It is wonderful! Has some upfiring speakers for Atmos support and is plenty wide for decent separation. Got its own set of quirks, which seems to be pretty standard for Samsung since the tv and 4k player from Samsung also have their own twitches.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Samsung products always seem to have glitches...but you can't beat them for things like PQ. That SB you have: I just looked on Amazon, almost $1200! Frugality stops me from buying that.

Rich


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## Rich

camo said:


> The Zvox Soundbar SB700 came in today. Doesn't take the place of a full surround system but sounds very good on both movies and music. The only other soundbar to compare with is the Sony XT1 and this wins hands down.
> Easy hookup 5:1 through optic cable (No ARC) and setup with Dish remote easy. If using Sony TV make sure TV speakers is off, Audio system on and select digital audio out (audio 1).
> 
> It has a feature I don't need yet for slightly hearing impaired called accuvoice, I'll recommend for anyone that struggles with understanding dialog.


I did check out the ZVox SBs you mentioned in an earlier post. Again, frugality strikes...

Rich


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## Rich

The Polk Omni SB1 is settling in nicely. Now I'm looking for a remote I can use to replace the cheap credit card sized remote that it came with. I'm gonna try one of my old TiVo peanut remote and see if that is satisfactory. There is a rather interesting learning curve with the Polks, apparently Polk folks don't like to go into much detail about the features of their products. Just programming remotes is a trip.

Rich


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## lparsons21

Rich said:


> Samsung products always seem to have glitches...but you can't beat them for things like PQ. That SB you have: I just looked on Amazon, almost $1200! Frugality stops me from buying that.
> 
> Rich


Since I bought a new house I've been spending money like a drunken sailor on liberty in Olongapo!!  Got mine for a shade less than $1K as "new open box" or some such on Amazon.

For all its quirks and glitches, it is one fine sounding soundbar, rivals many standalone setups IMO.


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## lparsons21

Rich said:


> The Polk Omni SB1 is settling in nicely. Now I'm looking for a remote I can use to replace the cheap credit card sized remote that it came with. I'm gonna try one of my old TiVo peanut remote and see if that is satisfactory. There is a rather interesting learning curve with the Polks, apparently Polk folks don't like to go into much detail about the features of their products. Just programming remotes is a trip.
> 
> Rich


Break out the plastic and get a Harmony One!


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## Rich

lparsons21 said:


> Break out the plastic and get a Harmony One!


I'm gonna start a thread about Harmony remotes...coincidentally. I gotta stop the remote spread in my rooms.

Rich


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## camo

I purchased a couple Klipsch Reference Premiere Bookshelf speakers RP-160M that sound like full blown towers, even in stereo mode blow my soundbar away. I'm so impressed by the Klipsch speakers I'm going to piece 5 or 7:1 maybe atmos receiver system together.


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## compnurd

I have a Sonos playbar and sub and love it


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## Rich

Well, I've had the Polk sound bar for almost two months and I'm thinking about selling all my speakers and AV units and buying another one. I just can't say enough about this sound bar, it's good enough to make me give up my AV systems. Of course, I plan to buy additional speakers to turn the SB into a 5.1 system, that seems easy (and expensive) to do. 

Rich


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## Jhon69

Well you have waited and now Vizio has a new one.Vizio's 5.1.2 soundbar home theater system/with Atmos.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/vizio-...and-dolby-atmos-black/6288824.p?skuId=6288824


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## Rich

Jhon69 said:


> Well you have waited and now Vizio has a new one.Vizio's 5.1.2 soundbar home theater system/with Atmos.
> 
> https://www.bestbuy.com/site/vizio-...and-dolby-atmos-black/6288824.p?skuId=6288824


Actually, I changed my mind. The soundbars we have are sufficient for what we need but they can't beat an AVR system...I think.

Rich


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## MysteryMan

Rich said:


> The soundbars we have are sufficient for what we need but they can't beat an AVR system...I think.


Nothing beats a AVR surround system.


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## Jhon69

Rich said:


> Actually, I changed my mind. The soundbars we have are sufficient for what we need but they can't beat an AVR system...I think.
> 
> Rich


They probably don't but I just want to hear the sound and separation,not loosen up the plumbing in my home.
Believe me I have been there before with stereo surround sound systems,great sound,then you ask" where did that crack in the ceiling come from"?

I have an older Vizio 42 inch soundbar/w wireless subwoofer and attached rear speakers.
It's a 5.1 system and it's plenty loud enough for us.
With the night mode off and true volume off I can hear and feel the Atmos effect watching a UHD movie on Vudu.


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## jimmie57

Jhon69 said:


> They probably don't but I just want to hear the sound and separation,not loosen up the plumbing in my home.
> Believe me I have been there before with stereo surround sound systems,great sound,then you ask" where did that crack in the ceiling come from"?


Most of them probably come from the ground expanding in the wet and contracting in the dry and in general just shifting enough to let your foundation settle.
We put 33 piers / pylons under my second son's house last year after the hurricane put 2" of water in his house. As the water flowed around the house it ate away almost 3" of the dirt under the foundation on one end of the house and it had cracks everywhere.

In August of this year, with lots of high heat and no rain the ground started to crack and pull away from my house ( it already has piers ). 3 of my doors got hard to open and close. September came and so did the rain. After 3 days of rains the house shifted back and the doors open and close with ease.


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## Jhon69

jimmie57 said:


> Most of them probably come from the ground expanding in the wet and contracting in the dry and in general just shifting enough to let your foundation settle.
> We put 33 piers / pylons under my second son's house last year after the hurricane put 2" of water in his house. As the water flowed around the house it ate away almost 3" of the dirt under the foundation on one end of the house and it had cracks everywhere.
> 
> In August of this year, with lots of high heat and no rain the ground started to crack and pull away from my house ( it already has piers ). 3 of my doors got hard to open and close. September came and so did the rain. After 3 days of rains the house shifted back and the doors open and close with ease.


Believe me when I tell you that was not the problem,we don't live in a bay area(I pray that you and yours stay safe) we have clay and dirt soil with alot of hardpan.


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## Rich

Jhon69 said:


> They probably don't but I just want to hear the sound and separation,not loosen up the plumbing in my home.
> Believe me I have been there before with stereo surround sound systems,great sound,then you ask" where did that crack in the ceiling come from"?
> 
> I have an older Vizio 42 inch soundbar/w wireless subwoofer and attached rear speakers.
> It's a 5.1 system and it's plenty loud enough for us.
> With the night mode off and true volume off I can hear and feel the Atmos effect watching a UHD movie on Vudu.


The room I have the SB in is not the kind of room you can put an AVR system in. For such a room a SB is the best alternative I think. I do have an AVR system with a 500W subwoofer in a nearby room, that thing does shake the house. The Polk SB does have a very good smaller subwoofer.

Rich


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## Jhon69

Rich said:


> The room I have the SB in is not the kind of room you can put an AVR system in. For such a room a SB is the best alternative I think. I do have an AVR system with a 500W subwoofer in a nearby room, that thing does shake the house. The Polk SB does have a very good smaller subwoofer.
> 
> Rich


I don't have anything bad to say about Polk as my first soundbar/w wireless subwoofer was a Polk system and I liked it alot.
But it did not have an optical connection only left/right channels,plus I gradually wanted optical connected 5.1 sound and for the price I selected the Vizio system,plus I have a Vizio UHDTV.


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## Rich

Jhon69 said:


> I don't have anything bad to say about Polk as my first soundbar/w wireless subwoofer was a Polk system and I liked it alot.
> But it did not have an optical connection only left/right channels,plus I gradually wanted optical connected 5.1 sound and for the price I selected the Vizio system,plus I have a Vizio UHDTV.


The sound on our two Polks is good. But there's some issues with them. We are not sorry we bought them but I don't think I'd recommend them to anyone. Simply put you can't beat an AVR if you have the room for one. They are a lot more expensive than a soundbar once you factor in all the speakers. The subwoofer I have cost more than the two Polks combined.

Rich


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## Davenlr

I replaced my Marantz 5.1 AVR when I could not get its ARC to work with my new TV. I bought a $300 Vizio 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar. I was almost sure it was going to sound like crap, but to my surprise, it actually sounds fantastic, especially on ATMOS material. My only complaint is, the AVR allowed me to simulate 5.1 with stereo input. Apparently the Soundbar does not have any of the virtual surround options the AVR did, unless you step up to the $1000 range where they have DTS:X which I am guessing is simulated Surround. All in all, for $300...which was less than I paid for the AVR alone before factoring in the speakers and subwoofer, I am very pleased.


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## TheRatPatrol

Davenlr said:


> I replaced my Marantz 5.1 AVR when I could not get its ARC to work with my new TV. I bought a $300 Vizio 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar. I was almost sure it was going to sound like crap, but to my surprise, it actually sounds fantastic, especially on ATMOS material. My only complaint is, the AVR allowed me to simulate 5.1 with stereo input. Apparently the Soundbar does not have any of the virtual surround options the AVR did, unless you step up to the $1000 range where they have DTS:X which I am guessing is simulated Surround. All in all, for $300...which was less than I paid for the AVR alone before factoring in the speakers and subwoofer, I am very pleased.


I was looking at that Vizio at Costco as well. Ever since I put new flooring in I can't get wires to my rear speakers. I like the wireless rear speaker option.

The problem I have is the number of inputs these sound bars have. My TV doesn't support eARC, only ARC, and if I use it I'll lose that HDMI input, mine only has 3 inputs and I have three components plugged in right now. And the sound bars don't have enough inputs.

So damned if I do, damned if I don't. I guess I could just continue using Toslink.


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## harsh

Davenlr said:


> Apparently the Soundbar does not have any of the virtual surround options the AVR did, unless you step up to the $1000 range where they have DTS:X which I am guessing is simulated Surround.


DTS:X is analogous to Dolby Atmos. It is not a simulated surround scheme.


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## Davenlr

I found out my Soundbar will decode Blu-Rays with DTS, It still says its Stereo, but all 7 channels play correctly.
As for inputs, you lose one one the TV but add one on the soundbar (or two in some cases) so you shouldnt lose any inputs.
You could also put a HDMI switch behind the TV but then you would have another remote to worry about unless you get one of those that switch the last input that is turned on. AS far as I know, only the $1000 plus soundbars have eARC anyway. My TV has eARC but the soundbar is only ARC. Unless you passthrough uncompressed audio to the soundbar from the TV, ARC should be fine.


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## TheRatPatrol

Davenlr said:


> I found out my Soundbar will decode Blu-Rays with DTS, It still says its Stereo, but all 7 channels play correctly.
> *As for inputs, you lose one one the TV but add one on the soundbar* (or two in some cases) so you shouldnt lose any inputs.
> You could also put a *HDMI switch* behind the TV but then you would have another remote to worry about unless you get one of those that switch the last input that is turned on. AS far as I know, only the $1000 plus soundbars have eARC anyway. My TV has eARC but the soundbar is only ARC. Unless you passthrough uncompressed audio to the soundbar from the TV, ARC should be fine.


It depends on the sound bar. One of the Vizios I saw at Costco only had one HDMI input, that would take up my ARC input on the TV, so I would lose an input.

I guess I could get an HDMI switch, but that just adds another link between things and another remote, although I use a Harmony so it wouldn't be that bad, just have to make sure everything stays in sync.


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## Davenlr

This one: VIZIO 5.1.2-Channel Soundbar System with 6" Wireless Subwoofer and Dolby Atmos Black SB36512-F6 - Best Buy
has two HDMI, one ARC for the TV, and one input to replace the one you lost on the TV. Plus of course, Optical, 3.5mm and bluetooth, and USB


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## Rich

TheRatPatrol said:


> It depends on the soundbar. One of the Vizios I saw at Costco only had one HDMI input, which would take up my ARC input on the TV to lose an input.
> 
> I could get an HDMI switch, but that adds another link between things and another remote; although I use a Harmony, it wouldn't be that bad; I have to make sure everything stays in sync.


I like soundbars, but they have some drawbacks. Most importantly, if you're used to an AVR system, you will be hard-pressed to find a soundbar that comes close to matching the sound of an AVR. Samsung is introducing some new soundbars: null
I'm thinking of getting rid of one of my AVR systems because of the "speaker clutter" in that room. I'm gonna take a good look at the highest-priced new Samsung soundbar. I have to admit the price, $1,600, disturbs me. But, I paid a lot more than that for the AVR system, and that soundbar might be the answer.

Rich


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## Jhon69

Rich said:


> I like soundbars, but they have some drawbacks. Most importantly, if you're used to an AVR system, you will be hard-pressed to find a soundbar that comes close to matching the sound of an AVR. Samsung is introducing some new soundbars: null
> I'm thinking of getting rid of one of my AVR systems because of the "speaker clutter" in that room. I'm gonna take a good look at the highest-priced new Samsung soundbar. I have to admit the price, $1,600, disturbs me. But, I paid a lot more than that for the AVR system, and that soundbar might be the answer.
> 
> Rich


The main reason I went with a soundbar system is they are normally cheaper than a AVR system,but that may change considering some of the prices now.
The facts are the new TV's sound system's stink,but all that is changing with Sony's Acoustic Wave System built into several of their TVs.
It vibrates the sound through the TV screen and it has basically 2.2 sound.


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## harsh

The reasons to go with a sound bar are not many, but they can be important:

 Space considerations
 Speakers can be matched to each other and the amplifier (this probably doesn't happen at the low end) but they cannot so readily be matched to the room

 Simplicity of setup (everything is color and/or connector coded)
Speaker clutter is only solved if you're not interested in much more than 3.1 sound.

Price versus pure audio performance is rarely in the sound bar's favor.


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## MysteryMan

harsh said:


> Speaker clutter is only solved if you're not interested in much more than 3.1 sound.


Speaker clutter is solved when complimented with media furniture and proper wiring.


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## WestDC

MysteryMan said:


> Speaker clutter is solved when complimented with media furniture and proper wiring.


True -but a Lot of Folks can NOT do that in a VAN down by the river----


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## harsh

MysteryMan said:


> Speaker clutter is solved when complimented with media furniture and proper wiring.


That can be a solution to too much cash laying around as well.


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## billsharpe

I bought a sound bar from Costco two years ago but returned it after a month or so. I'm 90 years old and the sound bar didn't seem to be a $160 improvement over the TV's tiny speakers. It's probably my ears that are to blame for that, not the sound bar.


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