AV Soundbars

Technology and Internet
#1

Thought I’d try my luck here too.

I’m in the market for some new TV/HT audio gear and am looking at soundbars as our living room is pretty small and I’m not keen on wiring up a 5/7.1 full surround system. That being said I’m open to suggestions of good 2/3.1 systems.

Budget wise I’m looking at around $1k with some wiggle room for subs/surrounds/bookshelf speakers if needed.

The two soundbars I’ve checked out so far are:

As I said before, I’m looking for alternatives around this price point. Any actual user reviews would be appreciated too.

Probably should add that these are subject to passing the Mrs approval test - namely being easy to setup/use and aesthetically pleasing.

1 Like
#2

When I moved from Sydney to Melbourne a couple of years back I was in a rental for a year so couldn’t hard wire in the proper home theater surround sound system I have. To solve that problem I bought one of these units.

Wireless rear speakers meant I could tuck the rears behind the lounge without having to run wiring front to rear. To be fair it’s not nearly as neat as a sound bar, but it did sound pretty good (and better than what I would expect from a sound bar). You also get a bluray player and smart functions which may or may not be attractive :stuck_out_tongue:

Mine was the upmarket model (Series 7) but was well under $1,000 back in 2014.

#3

I have a 3.1 setup at the moment (was 7.1 but the surround/rear speakers aren’t child friendly) and I’m seriously considering the Playbar. I’d be interested to hear feedback from current owners.

#4

Check out the yamaha ysp1600 for a decent sound bar. Comes with a wireless slim profile subwoofer, hdmi, Airplay, Bluetooth. I’m going to get the bigger brother to it mainly because it has 3 hdmi inputs but it is 500 bucks more. You can check them all out at HN.