@@shaundavidssd lol u never heard the newer highend soundbars.. its not only about mids.. the highs and vocals are more quality sounds out those soundbar vs a bookshelve setup.. and for movies, dtsx or atmos, the high quality systems dont give that more excitement some even less vs a proper 7.1.4 soundbars..
The thing is, with older TVs, most people weren't interested in buying a home theatre system. They were fine with the built-in speakers of their TV. Pretty much only movie fanatics, audiophiles and such bought sound systems for their TV. But with the introduction of flat screen TVs and the increasing trend of making them thinner and sleekier, built-in TV speakers now just plain suck for the most part, they sound thin, dialogues are hard to hear, they distort easily at high volumes, etc - so people who previously weren't interested into TV sound system are now forced to look for them. Most people looking at sound bars are basically looking at built-in TV speakers replacement rather than a home theatre system. But of course, with how technology has evolved, there are now sound bars that has impressive surround sound, all that in a simple, sleek and obnoxious package, so there are people who weren't interested in a home theatre system before that are now interested because they can have great surround sound, without the wires, hassle, bulky speakers, and such. IMO if you're really looking for the ultimate cinema experience, nothing beat a "real" home theatre system, with amp/receiver and separate speakers for each channel. No amount of trickery and things such as sound bouncing off the walls will ever compete with that. But now these sound bars are good enough that a home theatre enthusiast can consider them for their secondary TVs (not replacing their main system they took time, effort and pride to build though!)
I kinda agree here. I'm not an audiophile - I just don't care that much about it, and was usually fine with built-in TV speakers. The tiny framed flat screens now though just don't really include "real" speakers anymore so it's not just a question of "experience" - on a lot of newer sets even at max volume I have a hard time even hearing things. Plus if it DOES get any amount of volume you often get an annoying rattle from the TV frame. A soundbar just gets me REASONABLE sound that works. I've not even found a need to get expensive ones. Typically a ~$100 sound bar serves my needs just fine.
@@grimsquad273 u may say no need to spend as much as ..." until u have gone to friends home that owns something like a Samsung q950a and get to watch a movie or music. A bigger soundbar not only gives u bigger volume , but details of sound due to the more channels inside plus dedicated satellites
The thing is, a “real” system costs thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, and a sound bar still gives u thag movie theater level or even better sound, yea real speakers sound much better but tbh for the acergae person a sound bar system is more than enough
I’ve had a full on 7.1 . Wires everywhere. Couldn’t turn it on most of the time because I’m in a townhouse. Got a sonos and loved the simplicity and easy way to turn off the surrounds and sub. In a house I’d totally get a atmos system but I’m very happy with my Sonos arc .
Jonah hits the mark. I had a nakamichi 9.2.4 and sold it to buy a full klipsch Rp set of speakers. The sound quality is by far better than the soundbar and that is to be expected but as mentioned in the video, it's a farrrrrr more involved process. It boils down to whether you value convenience with good enough sound or sheer audio fidelity. Whatever choice it is, it's still better than just stock TV speakers
I just got a Klipsch center speaker for my 5.1 (could make it 6.1 but I don't have an extra speaker that would work in the space) and it sounds awesome. it is a VERY big up grade from my last Center which replace my last original RCA Center from my first. Now I have a 150 amp kenwood with two Sony towers, a ten inch Sony sub, and two AR surround speakers.
Here's another things is the mobility. My sister and brother-in-law just sold their house that had a dedicated media room and everything had to stay because the new home owner wanted the sound system. I really like my Sonos Arc sound system. It was easy to setup and it's easy to move around. Thanks for the great video.
I own the Sonos ARC complete home theater system 5.2.2 and Im truly happy with it. If I had the space, I would definitely go with a traditional system to experience real Atmos.
I have a wife and she said, and i quote: “The living room is yours as long as i can get my own room for books, fishies and stuff” So i put in a full 7.2.4 atmos system . Yes she’s a keeper
As a BestBuy Salesman who sells higher quality audio, this is very much the case most of the time LMAO. I do have the occasional opposite day where the wife is really into it and the husband hates it.
@@tomachu7899 i’ve worked in the european counterpart and it’s so funny to see a wife be totally into it and the husband go “no it’s too large or doesn’t fit the decor etc” or when buying a tv the husband wants a 49” and the wife is like “no, we have a 7m deep living room, i’m getting a 75 inch”
You could also test something like Klipsch’s ‘The Fives’ against a traditional sound bar. They are powered, HDMI arc capable, plug-and-play bookshelf speakers that sound great and look great. They retail for $800 and you can easily add a subwoofer to them for comparison to a high end sound bar system. It’s a classier look in my opinion with the same ease of setup that a soundbar provides. Could be interesting.
I had previously avoided sound bars or home theater receivers. I got a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos soundbar system back in November and was amazed at that general quality of the audio even in stereo, not to mention the theater like feeling from dolby atmos and 5.1 audio. I would never have gotten a home theater receiver, just too inconvenient in terms of wiring and space.
At least consoles and PCs give you something worth your money. Soundbars are absolute useless trash. If I see that someone bought a soundbar my respect for them drops a lot of points. Low IQ move
I don't hate soundbars at all. they're great for the right application, like a tv in a built-in in an open-concept living room for casual watching with halfway decent sound. However, a well set up home theater room is not the place for them.
5:51 "..across the ground like an animal." lol this made my day. Very funny. Subscribed Yep, the sound system dream. We've all done it. The time, the expense, etc. And watched everything fall apart with kids and dogs, the system becomes outdated, we move to another house... the speakers end up in boxes and we don't want to go through it again. So just get a soundbar. Because we're just gonna get new everything in a few years so... soundbar
Ive had a traditional 5.1 system since the late 1990s. It was very hard to let go, but the Bose 700 sound-bar, with Bose 700 surround speakers and 2 Bose 700 bass modules made me a true believer. For the last year, Ive been completely blown away with my movies and my music listening. Just watching regular streaming tv is a treat to enjoy. Dont knock it till you try it, glad I did.😉
i have a super expensive technics Hi Fi setup with monitor audio speakers and it sounds amazing, back in quarantine i bought a klipsch high end sound bar for my parents´s tv and tried it with some Tidal Hifi, and i must say that it sounds INCREDIBLE at a quarter of price of my setup, obviusly there are a lot of missing details but i really think they improved a lot and they gonna sound better than a lot of entry level hifi gear out there
Nailed it!! I have both, and both are awesome for what I use them for and the rooms they are in. In my livingroom, I have a full 7.2.4 atmos theater system consisting of what would be considered high end equipment. All the wires are in the walls and ceiling with wall mount connectors. The system as a whole took me a couple years to "get right", finding all the components that worked well together and total investment is probably around 15k. In my den I am using the 2 year ago version of the Samsung system you talked about. Does it sound as good as my full system? Absolutely not. Does it fill my smaller den area with damn good immersive surround sound? Most definitely and at about a 15th the cost
I own a Vizio SB36 5.1 soundbar and I am quite pleased with how it sounds. I still use my 5.1 Optimus or my Yamaha 7.1 to listen to my cassettes or vinyl records! ;)
I had a traditional 5.1 system for many years. I went through several receiver and speaker upgrades. Not wanting to upgrade a bunch of equipment ti buy, more clutter in the living room etc, I bought a Sonos Arc and Sub and am very happy with it. Super simple to use and it sounds great.
That Sony kit is entry level and way overpriced for $1500. Black Friday 2020 you could pick up all those speakers for about $600 total. Sony AVRs are also extremely outdated and they are not good quality
I'm sure most subscribers would like to see the comparison between a traditional system and your choice of Soundbar. It might be a 'be careful what you wish for' moment though. I've gone for a Soundbar for the reasons Jonah mentions regarding simplicity and having sufficient quality for my tastes, living environment, and hearing!
I definitely agree about the convenience part. Running all the wires and configuring all of it is a pain. Especially for an Atmos system. A decent traditional system is going to cost more too.
I used to have traditional home theatre system back in my hometown. But after moving in into small apartment, the only option I have is soundbar. Even though they are more expensive, it can't beat my previous home theater setup. Floorstand speaker gives more rich and wide sound stage, it also has better and powerful low frequency. Even if I turned off the subwoofer, I can still enjoy punchy bass on my front speakers. Don't get me wrong, I loved my new soundbar, it has decent audio quality for movies and some acoustic music. But not gonna lie, sometimes I miss putting on some full beat music on my old setup.
Last week my 2015 Samsung J5500W home theater system crashed for good. I decided to replace it with a soundbar system. I'd never had a soundbar so before purchasing I watched a gazillion review videos and with a max of $500 bucks to spend, I went with the $499 Vizio 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar system. Never bought a Vizio product before but it was hands down the most affordable Dolby Atmos system I could find that had legit upfiring speakers. Unboxing was a joy. Came with the soundbar, subwoofer and surround speakers, and all components were built a lot nicer than I was expecting. Setup was super easy. But I can't believe how deep, rich and immersive the sound is for such an affordable price. The upfiring speakers make a huge difference. And it's just a much simpler and cleaner looking setup than my previous home theater system. Couldn't be any happier with it.
Last year i purchased the samsung Q90R for 783$, when considering i have a small squared room it's the perfect fit and i love the ability to get atmos that cheap. I live in Norway so speakers usually are very expensive, especially the dedicated ones, so for about the same price (buying new on sale) i would end up with a 3.1.0 system of a dedicated speaker system that i could slowly upgrade or go with the 7.1.4 soundbar. I feel going with the atmos was a good choice and it's a really awesome experience, especially when watching scenes with rain. the money i saved from going with the soundbar then went to buying an OLED TV which also was a stunning upgrade from my 10 year old cheap led tv.
Soundbars was "invented" to increase the volume of Plasma TVs 20 years ago. Today they fit 5,7 or even 11 speakers enclosed in a small rectangle flat "bar". Sound bars' height and size are always limited by the TV stand height. The premium prices paid for some Soundbar is more of a marketing gimmick than for true sound quality. Its acceptable for TV use, but not great.
For most people a soundboard is a huge upgrade from the crap tv speakers. For others they need a high end soundbar to do the job and then for the small minority they absolutely need a traditional AVR surround system.
Agreed 100% - ended up grabbing a JBL 9.1 (thanks for the awesome video on it) and couldn’t be happier with it. Once I got it plugged into an Ethernet cable instead of WiFi, it has worked flawlessly. Heck, even my wife who was against it at first enjoys it! I live in an older home with plaster walls, so there was no way I was running a traditional system in it without some significant wall damage.
I bought few days ago a ZVOX Z-BASE 580 on ebay openbox. I got it for only 50$ +39$ shipping! It came with oem box and all accessories and sound system still in there plastic. The sound is amazing. I know it's few years old but hey, it decodes Dolby and has other amazing features. It's enclosure is big and heavy but this is a sacrifice for amazing sound. It's made out of quality fiber board wood and plastic on the side, five 3 1/4" front drives, two 6 1/2" woofers and dimensions Ar 36"x5"x18".
I appreciate what you're doing for everyone's awareness. I've worked for major CE companies for almost half of my life and like you, have owned, setup and tuned hifi, home theater and in-car systems for most of those years. What I can say is that marketing and technology shape the trends in this industry and it's best for people to always keep an open mind. Things like traditional system measurements that people like me hold dear are mere indicators and should not dictate what's suitable for another person to buy. We are all individuals with different priorities and I like how you address the needs of the majority by presenting practical and effective solutions in a manner that is easy to understand. I love your website too. Wishing you success and 10x more subscribers. :)
Hard to beat the price point and clean minimal aesthetics of a soundbar. I have a Samsung 650t that goes for 420.00 but picked up for 220 on black friday. Also picked up rears on sale for 90. 310 total. "Hears" the thing. Does it sound as good as a full set up? Nope. Does it sound great? Yes! Sounds great, looks great, at a quarter or tenth or even better of the price. Too each there own
Do you have a video that talks about latency issues with soundbars? I bought a new TCL alto 9+ soundbar for the new TCL TV, connected through the ARC HMDI provided and the lag in audio was so bad I had to return it. Now I'm worried about getting a soundbar that would have the same lag issues.
Look at reviews websites that evaluate latency. Even full fledged home theatre systems can have a slight delay, that's why if you don't turn off the sound of your TV it will often sound like there's echo, and why games like Guitar Hero has adjustments for that in the settings. Maybe that TCL sound bar (which I assume wasn't very expensive) just wasn't good in that department, but it's not representative of all sound bars. Also, it might be caused by your TV (latency when passing the audio through HDMI)
Went with Sonos Arc system to replace my Nakamichi 7.2.4 soundbar. The Nakamichi had wireless subs; but, the rear surrounds were connected with a wire to the subs. That limited the placements of the Nakamichi subs and surround being too close to the primary sitting position. I was able to move the Arc system further away and it sound more immersive with the surround 9-12 feet back and the two Gen 3 subs towards on either side of the Arc 16-18 feet towards the front.
When you connect a sound bar or other amp. system (to my Sony tv’s at least), you loose the internal sound modifier ability: specifically the voice sound preference, too often movies have too high a background sound when people are talking, as ones hearing fades with age, this is a problem. Why do they cut off this ability, and do you have any suggestions? Connection to tv is either through the headphone / audio out jack, or through the hdmi connection.
i wouldn't call myself an Audiophile but i've listened and compared Soundbar vs Traditonal setup and well came to the conclusion that A) Audio Quality and Chanel separation doesn't even come close to a Traditional setup (5.1 or Atmos/DTS;X) and B) Far less Choice and well i just want great Quality Audio so ya i ended up with a much higher cost but it's worth the extra $$$ i ended up with a 13Chanel SVS /Denon setup Soundbars will never even get close to the same Audio Experience , due to the simple fact they want to be as cheap as possible and and only give an average audio experience hell yep i went a bit overboard and i get not everyone can afford to spend thousands on a audio system but unless you go for a really cheap set of below $600 a traditional setup (5.1 or Atmos ) will allways outperform a Soundbar regardless of cost
The only people who hate soundbars are audiophiles and people who aren't familiar with soundbars. Yes, a traditional sound system does sound better but they're more expensive and complicated to set up than a soundbar. I live in a small apartment and my living room is not configured for optimal speaker placements. I don't have the room to use tower speaker or bookshelf speaker on stands so a sound system is out of the question for me. I have a Sony soundbar that I paid $600 for and it sounds really good. It also has the added feature of bluetooth connectivity for my headphones. Most receivers and tvs don't have that. I don't give a shit about atmos or any other gimmicks that electronics manufacturers push to sell more units and run up the price.
Traditional sound systems are not more expensive at all. Two Kanto YU4 + Kanto sub 8 costs around $700 and you don't need a receiver. The cost with either Swan or Edifier speakers is around $300 - $400. A Sonos Arc costs around $800.
@@sav7568 There is basically no price point where a soundbar beats the sound quality of a traditional system. I tried numerous soundbars based on the hype I was sold, hated every one of them, then bought a simple home theater in a box for $400 and was blown away by the sound. It took a little tweaking to make it work for me, but they completely crushed the soundbars, and those were highly reviewed and costed up to $1200. This is why soundbars have "haters." We know people who would buy traditional if not for the marketing hype around soundbars these days.
Pretty much hit the nail on the head. For myself, I tended to find the price to performance ratio very undesirable, but that is probably because I've had a $5,000ish plus home theater speaker setup with an Integra DHC-80.3, 5 flagship Polk Audio speakers powered by an emotiva Xpa-5, two 15 inch + two 18 inch subwoofers, the 15s powered by an EPX4000 amp each, the 18s by a Cerwin Vega CV-5000 amp. And on top of being spoiled by having that stuff, I'm the kind of wierdo that actually enjoys having to learn what I needed to in order to do it all myself, and enjoys the setting up of stuff like that, and the running/installing of the wiring of a couple extra circuits into my service panel so as to have the power that I would need. Yep, soundbars are definitely much easier, and since we live in the age where convenience and ease is supreme, it's a no brainer that they are so popular now. Sort of side tangent relating to all this: It often baffled me when I would see people that would get huge several thousand dollar TVs, and then end up pairing them with soundbars, AND vice versa. I've seen full size expensive sound setups with just absolutely pathetic TVs. The mis-matches/disunity between things like that just hurts my brain, and don't get me started on what I think about half done sound systems in a car, I mean why does anyone have to hear anything above 100hz in their music? Hey, why not just save money too by buying a smaller less powerful subwoofer, and then just place it right on the passenger seat and have it face you, and disconnect the full range speakers in your car as a bonus to save some more wattage for that sub.
I currently have the sony core speakers and they sound great. I also had the Samsung hw N950 as a soundbar and I almost had it for two years until my subwoofer gave up. I return it and I went with a av receiver and currently running a 5.2.2
The biggest problem I see with sound bars is if the "home theater" is in a large, open floor-plan, high ceiling great room (I've tried it). I would argue this applies to most of the installations I see these days. The sound bar is just not capable of getting the bounce necessary to reproduce surround sound. I ended up replacing it with an inexpensive 5.1 system despite having to run the rear speaker cables under the rug. Sound bars are great when compared to built-in TV speakers and should work fine in a small room. Otherwise, they don't cut it.
Agree with the thought that soundbar systems are easy to setup but if you are really into clear and crisp channel seperation then I think wven a low budget 5.1 traditional system gives a run to a good quality soundbar. I know there is definitely a pain setting it up but if you get a professional to do that you don’t need to worey on that part. I recently built a $1000 (approx) (in india its 70k rupees) a pretty decent 5.1 syatem and its far better that any soundbar we get here at that price. AVR : Denon AVR X250bt Speakers: Sonodyne Micro HTS1 5.1 pacakge
Hi Jonah, I'm revisiting this video a year later and I would really like to see a video from you, compering the Sony 7.2 Home Theater (or any other traditional 5.1 home theater) with the soundbars that you have reviewed. I'm constantly debating if I should get a traditional home theater system or if premium soundbar such as q990b or the Sonos Arc should be enough. A video like this would help me tremendously.
Thank you Jonah much love from Uganda Africa...thank you for all the efforts with soundtech and your honesty... I will collect money and have my self a soundbar
i bought a middle of the road Samsung sound bar system when i bought a Samsung 65inch tv 3 years ago. it has worked great until about 1 month ago. now every time i turn on the tv the sound bar does not come on, and sometimes the tv speakers work and sometimes not. do you have any idea as to what is going on here. i also have went to my settings and it says the sound bar is paired to my tv even when it is not working.
I have a 5.2 pioneer receiver with Onkyo speakers in my lounge and a Philips 2.1 sound bar in the bedroom. I love the sound quality of both but the Pioneer system sounds a lot better than the sound bar BUT the sound bar sounds a lot better than I expected and I'm 100% satisfied and happy with the sound bar.
I bought a Samsung Q90R soundbar from Best Buy open box clearance for $500 for my friends dad(they would pay me back). He wanted the simple look in his living room. The MSRP was around $1800. Its a 7.1.4 soundbar. I tried it. It was "Okay", kept my opinion to myself. (I have Athena and Snell speakers) My friend tried it, he thought it was horrible (Has a Definitive Mythos system). My friends dad did not like it, and asked me to return it (Has Bose 321 speakers) My brother in law with a Bose Acoustimass system did not like the Q90R either. My cousin with generic tower speakers and infinity center channel thought it was terrible. The MSRP made me think it would be at least good enough. But no one I demoed to liked it. IMO, if you are just comparing a soundbar to TV speakers, then the soundbar will be good enough. But even a Bose Acousimass 5.1, was far superior. I did all the firmware updates to make sure the sub connection was stable. I even used the Samsung Mythings app to tweak it.
I recently purchased a 85” Sony Bravia X91J which sound bar would you recommend , I was going to move forward with Nakamichi shock wave Elite 7.2.4 channel 800 watts but didn’t see many reviews on it what are your thoughts? Thanks
Hi, I have a Vizio sound bar, a little older one, my TV supports eARC, but the sound bar doesn't have HDMI input, only optical and RCA. What I like about it, is that it has 2 extra rear speakers, that they connect to the wireless subwoofer. I know, I'm not getting best out of it, but it's decent enough the sound quality trough the optical cable. I do have a question, the sound bar remote works with IR Infrared, my TV has a Bluetooth remote... Is there any device, adapter or solution, to have my sound bar working with my Bluetooth remote?
Love your insights Jonah, so I have a 7.1 surround with Boston's all around, the front L/R are the size of small children, huge center channel and a pricey Denon receiver but I don't feel I'm hearing true 7.1? I am hearing sound from all 7 speakers and the sub, but the surrounds don't sound like independent sound? (the sides and rear surrounds sound the same). I have a 2013 Samsung 3DTV if that matters (over $3K back then). I'd love to hear your take on this.. Tommy
On tight budget I recommend the Roku Stream Bar Pro on a Bigger budget i recommended the Sonos Arc they are both expandable with wireless rear surrounds and subwoofers
Your video is great, thanks. I believe one *key* item is never mentioned here that bears fitting in. That is *sound levels control* during playback. Or simply put, audio control. Not many at all soundbars except high end ones allow a person to control the levels. Real enthusiasts can go wild here but I'm focused on just the practical aspects. The ability to fully control levels especially to the sub and center channels is a vital feature. I live in a family household and on an average day, the TV/movie audio only needs to be heard by the one person using the system and not throughout the house by EE. In fact it can be annoying as heck when some need to sleep, study, have a quiet conversation, or are WFH in other rooms. Soundbars lack such fine control nearly always, so when the loud scene happens in a ccx TV/movie, it gets loud. Yet with a simple system like a soundbar, if you reduce the volume, it affects all the volumes of all channels at once. To get the sub quiet, the voice and rear may be far too low to easily hear. It's common daily things like this that are another rub of control vs. simplicity of AV receivers vs. soundbars. On a fun friday night when everyone is off work either system type works great. The other 6 days a week or during regular working hours...not so much.
Is the "Polk 5000" Soundbar and Sub and good ?? I inherited one.. I'm sure it's going to be better than the speakers in the TV.. Thank you for your time..
I have a 75' LG Nanocell TV and Pioneer Receiver. I am able to use the ARC feature on both units, however, NOT with a Firestick. Using the Firestick works with the TV but does not allow me to hear sound coming from the receiver, only when I do not use the Firestick, does the visual and audio work with the receiver. Is it possible to use the a Firestick with both systems ARC feature?
I have this same question/problem. What input do you select on the receiver to hear the TV sound? Since it's ARC which connects the TV's HDMI IN to the receiver Monitor OUT, and the receiver requires/is always necessary to select an "input/source" and the "source" is the arc within the "monitor out", how is it even possible to hear the TV/firestick or other streaming device 9r even satellite/antennae broadcast tv etc from the receiver as the receiver dies not allow the monitor "OUT" to be selected as an INPUT AUDIO SOURCE?
I have the Klipsch hd wireless 5.1 system that I bought 3 years ago. And it is amazing and better than any soundbar and even some traditional systems. The Klipsch set I have, retailed for around 5 grand, when it came out. But the shop I got it from didn't wanted those, so I bought them brand new for 1500$.
I don't hate sound bars but the convenience and price advantage wouldn't compensate me for the years of higher quality sound that I'd be missing out on. As well, I want my phono and a bunch of other existing equipment connected to my system.
I don't think sound bars will ever "replace" traditional home theatre systems. Most people looking for sound bars weren't looking for a full fledged home theatre in the first place, most of the time they just want a replacement for the terrible sound coming out of their new flat screen TV, i.e., what could've been built-in if manufacturers weren't so obsessed in making their TVs thinner and thinner. But sound bars technology does has evolved to a point where even a home theatre enthusiasts might consider them for their secondary TVs
@@HCkev For those who just want to improve on their TV sound, they are often a great option, but I hate how stores are pushing them as the ultimate sound choice when traditional is still king as far as sound quality goes (and will likely remain so unless a huge technological breakthrough happens). I know a lot of people who bought them not to save space or deal with the installation (which, ya know, is one-time for something you will use daily for years), but because they were told soundbars have the best sound out there.
I kinda agree. I bought a soundbar for the same reasons. However, it spontaneously broke just after the warranty passed. And since the connection to the SW and SBs is proprietary, everything went out of the window. Since then I moved to a new house and I put the effort into setting up a traditional system. The cabeling was solved easily by a remote audio transmitters. So I still see the benefits of the soundbars, but I don't like them due to high integration and "vendor lock in" of the peripherals.
We own the Sonos ARC and Subwoofer. The SL's are coming as well in the near future. It is simple, reliable, sounds great and I didn't want to rewire/rewire this and that, although I am a handyman with all the skills. Yes, we paid the premium. My old 7.1 system had excellent sound 12 years prior, but the receiver burnt out and I replaced that with a more powerful receiver and then the circuit breaker would shut off so I had to upgrade that as well. I also had to get a better remote that talked to all the other components. Also, the Mrs. always felt confused by all the components and set up. So, this time around, we went with simplicity and everyone is happy. Guest always seem impressed and some cough at the price of it. But that is life. If you wan the OLED, you have to pay more...
I wasn't a fan of soundbars at first. But they got more advanced and allow rear speakers and multiple subs so they compete more with traditional systems. Also I was wondering if you ever thought about reviewing the Roku 5.1 system. I'm sure it won't sound as good as my sonos arc system but could be a good option for $500 or less. Since it has wireless rears and wireless subwoofer. And includes a 4 k Roku.
hey man, i'm still pondering what to get....If your budget was 600 to max 750 which bar would you get.? there is tons of reviews....If i wanted something great with optional for upgrades later on, what soundbars would you recommend?
@@JonahMatthes tks for reply man...So other then beam, do you have another bar that already has rear speakers and sub with it around my price rage 600 to 750? or you would stick with beam?
I would love to see a video showcasing the likely expenditure for a full traditional av atmos speaker system vs the top atmos soundbars. I.e. What is the minimum you could spend on a full home theatre that would rival or beat the Q90T/sonos systems etc
What is the best sound bar for a small space when one can't really have any external pieces? Also add in one that doesn't need an IPhone to help set it up.
I ABSOLUTELY want to see you compare Sonos to a traditional system. I've always thought of a soundbar for every day watching and a traditional system for a home theater, but if it makes to get a traditional system over a Sonos, I want to know about it.
I'll definitely put together a video of this. Might be a while until I can do it, but I agree, it would be great for people to see the differences. Could even bring some people in for a blind listening test!
Honestly except for certain audio files those huge speaker systems don’t look right next to the slim trim TVs that are being put out today. They would totally look out of place next to even large screen slim TV set. I have a Sonos system in my living room I had a Bose system in my bedroom which was a little overkill now I bought a Sony OLED with the speakers in the screen which is more than enough for the bedroom.
I Have a $200 bose soundbar, and a 2.1 sytem consisting of some klipsch powered floor standing speakers with a kicker amp and sub (car audio). Each system has its own uses, the bose soundbar is in the TV room and meant for watching TV and light music listening, the 2.1 system is meant to be LOUD AF and sound like a ROCK CONCERT and it does, considering upgrading to a 2.2 system because my amp is 2 channels and the bass sounds uneven. I have owned a few 7.1 AV receivers and a boat load of speakers, the wires and configuring them can be a pain and ugly.
Vizeo TV and Vizeo sound system and they have never worked well together. I’ve tried it with the arc but it sucked so I put the optic cable and that helped but the sound system won’t shut off when the tv is shutdown.
Yamaha B20A in my bedroom and Samsung Q900T with rears in the living room! Very pleased with both cause I don't have the space for a traditional 7.2.4 set-up which is on my list. I'm a big movie buff!!
Dude, you hit the nail on the head. I've never understood the hate soundbars get. Really excellent video, and honestly just very accurate. That Sony system you used as an example for the traditional system can often be had pieced together for much cheaper. However, A.) you addressed that by stating you can find deals on them, and B.) it's an apt example as you can "buy it now" at that price. Soundbars have a much higher WAF, and are much less invasive in your space. While I have a traditional theater system, every other TV in my house uses a soundbar system of some type. I just don't understand why anyone would possibly subject themselves to built in TV speakers. 🤮 Anyway, long comment over. Excellent video.
@@HCkev man I would think so, too, but in looking at some of the other comments here it seems maybe not! Haha. I wall mount all of my TV's and mount the soundbars underneath. So much less invasive than a traditional 2 channel system. I mean ultimately to each their own, and people will do what they think is best. I just personally know my wife, and traditional speaker cabinets aren't happening in the living room. I'm okay with that so long as she doesn't intrude on the home theater. Dedicated spaces!
@jordy huskens I have a sp8ya which is only 500 and with the right room and acoustics without the optional rear speaker kit, it almost matches my home theater which cost me over 10k to build. It's all about placement, not what you spend.
We have the Sonos Arc, Sub, and One SL’s as surrounds, and I like it overall. But I still love my traditional Klipsch set more - but like many mention, I had to give that up because the wife said it clashed with decor. 😭😭
Just got a Sonos Beam 2 for my LG CX55. What I don't like about it is all my volume indicators disappeared! Apparently this is a common thing for anything using arc/earc. I wouldn't care if I was only watching TV off the Verizon box. But use my tv for Netflix/Prime/RUclips etc and they all have different volume output. RUclips being the loudest! So it's important to lower the volume so no one goes deaf when changing sources! But how can I if I have no idea what the volume is?! I might return this.
I have a $500 set of Edifier powered bookshelf speakers with a sub out using a Polk Audio sub/enclosure that costs $120. I would say for the price range the sound is incredible. I have the same setup for my main Desktop Computer as well.
I can't deny the simplicity of setting up a soundbar and the definite improvement to quality that it brings, but the price to performance has always been what's kept me on the side of having traditional speakers in my setup. Like for less than $300 you can get yourself some edifier active speakers with a sub out plus a sub and that will sound much more impressive than the majority of soundbar systems I've heard. Or if you really wanna take it up a notch and keep it simple, Vanatoo Transparent Zero sound phenomenal and you can also hook up a sub to it with just one cable. I've been impressed with how large soundbars can sound for being so simple, but for the price you'd pay for one of those you'd be able to do so much more with a traditional system Edit: I still enjoy your videos tho and love to learn about this side of the hobby I don't have much experience with so keep up the great work mate (:
1500,- euro. release by the end of june. i preorder it for 1299,- the samsung 950a has two more channels, and a auto room calibration system like sonos. additional info compared to last years q950t(best tested soundbar of 2020) is unknown. keep an eye on rtings.com. tests and review are around august/september.
Klipsch reference cinema system 5.1.4 is about $400 right now.. and a dennon AVR- s760h is usually under $400 so for around $800 you can have a REALLY decent atmos system (granted you wont get rear height due to the 7.1 receiver but still get atmos none the less) and it sounds 20x better than my old nakamichi 7.2 soundbar ever did..
My first sound bar was the Bose Tv Speaker it is better than the speakers on a tv sure but I wasn’t to impressed. I just got to Vizio V51-H6 at Sam’s for $160 I’m very pleased with my purchase. I would recommend any 5.1 Vizio product.
I prefer my tower speakers because when I clean the house or have a party, I simply turn them 90° away from each other to fill the whole house with music.
Great and informative video. i had a question. Are you going to Review the Denon Home Sound Bar 550? i'm still on verge one getting the nakamichi shockwafe but it has outdate now. i want Airplay, Earc. dolby Atmos.etc.
I had the same issue selling my wife on it, then I drew up our room on paper and showed her from the tv to the speakers, all except one speaker wire can go the same way, along the wall to the corner, then around the corner to the speakers, and behind the couch. So there was only one speaker that would go the other way, and it too had a wall to follow so once I laid it out and showed her she was happily on board. Once you hear what a home theater set up can sound like for the same money as a decent sound bar, suddenly those speaker wires arent an issue at all anymore at least not in our case, Im so glad I took the time to work it out. Again, I dont hate sound bars, in a kitchen or workout room, kids room, etc.. probably a good choice. But in the main viewing room, like a living room or home theater or family room in a finished basement, if you have a nice tv and want a great experiences with friends and family for movies and shows and games, a system is so much warmer more immersive and just better for the same price, that running a few speaker wires doesnt present that much of an obstacle. But to each his own, I get it many people just prefer simple, plug and play, and more power to them, we should each do what makes us happy,
I would like to see you build a low cost traditional system and compare it with a soundbar system
I can already predict the result now: doesn’t fit under my TV, but sound is much better because the drivers can be bigger than 50-60mm or so.
Easy ,any stereo amp bookshelves of the same price would outperform any sound bar ,1inch drivers ate a joke mate lmao
@@shaundavidssd That's true, one cannot simply get resonable mids from such small speakers. You need at least 4" mid sound driver for quality.
I would like to see this too. I've been trying to decide between the two for awhile
@@shaundavidssd lol u never heard the newer highend soundbars.. its not only about mids.. the highs and vocals are more quality sounds out those soundbar vs a bookshelve setup.. and for movies, dtsx or atmos, the high quality systems dont give that more excitement some even less vs a proper 7.1.4 soundbars..
The thing is, with older TVs, most people weren't interested in buying a home theatre system. They were fine with the built-in speakers of their TV. Pretty much only movie fanatics, audiophiles and such bought sound systems for their TV.
But with the introduction of flat screen TVs and the increasing trend of making them thinner and sleekier, built-in TV speakers now just plain suck for the most part, they sound thin, dialogues are hard to hear, they distort easily at high volumes, etc - so people who previously weren't interested into TV sound system are now forced to look for them. Most people looking at sound bars are basically looking at built-in TV speakers replacement rather than a home theatre system.
But of course, with how technology has evolved, there are now sound bars that has impressive surround sound, all that in a simple, sleek and obnoxious package, so there are people who weren't interested in a home theatre system before that are now interested because they can have great surround sound, without the wires, hassle, bulky speakers, and such.
IMO if you're really looking for the ultimate cinema experience, nothing beat a "real" home theatre system, with amp/receiver and separate speakers for each channel. No amount of trickery and things such as sound bouncing off the walls will ever compete with that. But now these sound bars are good enough that a home theatre enthusiast can consider them for their secondary TVs (not replacing their main system they took time, effort and pride to build though!)
I kinda agree here. I'm not an audiophile - I just don't care that much about it, and was usually fine with built-in TV speakers. The tiny framed flat screens now though just don't really include "real" speakers anymore so it's not just a question of "experience" - on a lot of newer sets even at max volume I have a hard time even hearing things. Plus if it DOES get any amount of volume you often get an annoying rattle from the TV frame.
A soundbar just gets me REASONABLE sound that works. I've not even found a need to get expensive ones. Typically a ~$100 sound bar serves my needs just fine.
@@grimsquad273 u may say no need to spend as much as ..." until u have gone to friends home that owns something like a Samsung q950a and get to watch a movie or music. A bigger soundbar not only gives u bigger volume , but details of sound due to the more channels inside plus dedicated satellites
The thing is, a “real” system costs thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, and a sound bar still gives u thag movie theater level or even better sound, yea real speakers sound much better but tbh for the acergae person a sound bar system is more than enough
I’ve had a full on 7.1 . Wires everywhere. Couldn’t turn it on most of the time because I’m in a townhouse. Got a sonos and loved the simplicity and easy way to turn off the surrounds and sub. In a house I’d totally get a atmos system but I’m very happy with my Sonos arc .
Jonah hits the mark. I had a nakamichi 9.2.4 and sold it to buy a full klipsch Rp set of speakers. The sound quality is by far better than the soundbar and that is to be expected but as mentioned in the video, it's a farrrrrr more involved process. It boils down to whether you value convenience with good enough sound or sheer audio fidelity. Whatever choice it is, it's still better than just stock TV speakers
I just got a Klipsch center speaker for my 5.1 (could make it 6.1 but I don't have an extra speaker that would work in the space) and it sounds awesome. it is a VERY big up grade from my last Center which replace my last original RCA Center from my first. Now I have a 150 amp kenwood with two Sony towers, a ten inch Sony sub, and two AR surround speakers.
Here's another things is the mobility. My sister and brother-in-law just sold their house that had a dedicated media room and everything had to stay because the new home owner wanted the sound system. I really like my Sonos Arc sound system. It was easy to setup and it's easy to move around. Thanks for the great video.
I bring the jbl 9.1 outside for the projector for outdoor wireless 5.1. tales 5 minutes. Nobody tripping on anything.
The answer to that would be NO
@@FURognar in a house sale, that stuff will probably bring in enough that you can put a better system in the new location.
@@JasperJanssen if you can have enough left over
I own the Sonos ARC complete home theater system 5.2.2 and Im truly happy with it. If I had the space, I would definitely go with a traditional system to experience real Atmos.
TL;DW -> Do you have a wife ?
Yes : Get a soundbar.
No : Do whatever you want.
That is how marriage works.
I have a wife and she said, and i quote:
“The living room is yours as long as i can get my own room for books, fishies and stuff”
So i put in a full 7.2.4 atmos system . Yes she’s a keeper
As a BestBuy Salesman who sells higher quality audio, this is very much the case most of the time LMAO. I do have the occasional opposite day where the wife is really into it and the husband hates it.
@@tomachu7899 i’ve worked in the european counterpart and it’s so funny to see a wife be totally into it and the husband go “no it’s too large or doesn’t fit the decor etc” or when buying a tv the husband wants a 49” and the wife is like “no, we have a 7m deep living room, i’m getting a 75 inch”
@@Zoranurai13 Is she? Why are you so visibly unhappy then? lol
“Run them across the ground like an animal.” Hilarious. I hope I get to use that line someday.
You could also test something like Klipsch’s ‘The Fives’ against a traditional sound bar. They are powered, HDMI arc capable, plug-and-play bookshelf speakers that sound great and look great. They retail for $800 and you can easily add a subwoofer to them for comparison to a high end sound bar system. It’s a classier look in my opinion with the same ease of setup that a soundbar provides. Could be interesting.
I had previously avoided sound bars or home theater receivers. I got a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos soundbar system back in November and was amazed at that general quality of the audio even in stereo, not to mention the theater like feeling from dolby atmos and 5.1 audio. I would never have gotten a home theater receiver, just too inconvenient in terms of wiring and space.
This is the equivalent of consoles vs pcs in the av community
Or gaming laptop vs build your own.
At least consoles and PCs give you something worth your money. Soundbars are absolute useless trash. If I see that someone bought a soundbar my respect for them drops a lot of points. Low IQ move
Fair points made. Once you have a traditional system there's no going back. If you really love sound of cinema or music you really are missing out.
Ñ8 j9j9o99
I don't hate soundbars at all. they're great for the right application, like a tv in a built-in in an open-concept living room for casual watching with halfway decent sound. However, a well set up home theater room is not the place for them.
5:51 "..across the ground like an animal." lol this made my day. Very funny. Subscribed
Yep, the sound system dream. We've all done it. The time, the expense, etc. And watched everything fall apart with kids and dogs, the system becomes outdated, we move to another house... the speakers end up in boxes and we don't want to go through it again. So just get a soundbar. Because we're just gonna get new everything in a few years so... soundbar
Ive had a traditional 5.1 system since the late 1990s. It was very hard to let go, but the Bose 700 sound-bar, with Bose 700 surround speakers and 2 Bose 700 bass modules made me a true believer. For the last year, Ive been completely blown away with my movies and my music listening. Just watching regular streaming tv is a treat to enjoy. Dont knock it till you try it, glad I did.😉
i have a super expensive technics Hi Fi setup with monitor audio speakers and it sounds amazing, back in quarantine i bought a klipsch high end sound bar for my parents´s tv and tried it with some Tidal Hifi, and i must say that it sounds INCREDIBLE at a quarter of price of my setup, obviusly there are a lot of missing details but i really think they improved a lot and they gonna sound better than a lot of entry level hifi gear out there
Nailed it!! I have both, and both are awesome for what I use them for and the rooms they are in. In my livingroom, I have a full 7.2.4 atmos theater system consisting of what would be considered high end equipment. All the wires are in the walls and ceiling with wall mount connectors. The system as a whole took me a couple years to "get right", finding all the components that worked well together and total investment is probably around 15k. In my den I am using the 2 year ago version of the Samsung system you talked about. Does it sound as good as my full system? Absolutely not. Does it fill my smaller den area with damn good immersive surround sound? Most definitely and at about a 15th the cost
David became a member of a soundbar channel just to say soundbars suck lol
I own a Vizio SB36 5.1 soundbar and I am quite pleased with how it sounds. I still use my 5.1 Optimus or my Yamaha 7.1 to listen to my cassettes or vinyl records! ;)
I had a traditional 5.1 system for many years. I went through several receiver and speaker upgrades. Not wanting to upgrade a bunch of equipment ti buy, more clutter in the living room etc, I bought a Sonos Arc and Sub and am very happy with it. Super simple to use and it sounds great.
I’d love to see a review on that Sony kit you mentioned for comparison!
Same
Same
Same
shame
That Sony kit is entry level and way overpriced for $1500. Black Friday 2020 you could pick up all those speakers for about $600 total. Sony AVRs are also extremely outdated and they are not good quality
I'm sure most subscribers would like to see the comparison between a traditional system and your choice of Soundbar. It might be a 'be careful what you wish for' moment though. I've gone for a Soundbar for the reasons Jonah mentions regarding simplicity and having sufficient quality for my tastes, living environment, and hearing!
I definitely agree about the convenience part. Running all the wires and configuring all of it is a pain. Especially for an Atmos system. A decent traditional system is going to cost more too.
I used to have traditional home theatre system back in my hometown. But after moving in into small apartment, the only option I have is soundbar. Even though they are more expensive, it can't beat my previous home theater setup. Floorstand speaker gives more rich and wide sound stage, it also has better and powerful low frequency. Even if I turned off the subwoofer, I can still enjoy punchy bass on my front speakers.
Don't get me wrong, I loved my new soundbar, it has decent audio quality for movies and some acoustic music. But not gonna lie, sometimes I miss putting on some full beat music on my old setup.
Last week my 2015 Samsung J5500W home theater system crashed for good. I decided to replace it with a soundbar system. I'd never had a soundbar so before purchasing I watched a gazillion review videos and with a max of $500 bucks to spend, I went with the $499 Vizio 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar system. Never bought a Vizio product before but it was hands down the most affordable Dolby Atmos system I could find that had legit upfiring speakers. Unboxing was a joy. Came with the soundbar, subwoofer and surround speakers, and all components were built a lot nicer than I was expecting. Setup was super easy. But I can't believe how deep, rich and immersive the sound is for such an affordable price. The upfiring speakers make a huge difference. And it's just a much simpler and cleaner looking setup than my previous home theater system. Couldn't be any happier with it.
Last year i purchased the samsung Q90R for 783$, when considering i have a small squared room it's the perfect fit and i love the ability to get atmos that cheap. I live in Norway so speakers usually are very expensive, especially the dedicated ones, so for about the same price (buying new on sale) i would end up with a 3.1.0 system of a dedicated speaker system that i could slowly upgrade or go with the 7.1.4 soundbar. I feel going with the atmos was a good choice and it's a really awesome experience, especially when watching scenes with rain.
the money i saved from going with the soundbar then went to buying an OLED TV which also was a stunning upgrade from my 10 year old cheap led tv.
Soundbars was "invented" to increase the volume of Plasma TVs 20 years ago. Today they fit 5,7 or even 11 speakers enclosed in a small rectangle flat "bar". Sound bars' height and size are always limited by the TV stand height. The premium prices paid for some Soundbar is more of a marketing gimmick than for true sound quality. Its acceptable for TV use, but not great.
For most people a soundboard is a huge upgrade from the crap tv speakers. For others they need a high end soundbar to do the job and then for the small minority they absolutely need a traditional AVR surround system.
Agreed 100% - ended up grabbing a JBL 9.1 (thanks for the awesome video on it) and couldn’t be happier with it. Once I got it plugged into an Ethernet cable instead of WiFi, it has worked flawlessly. Heck, even my wife who was against it at first enjoys it! I live in an older home with plaster walls, so there was no way I was running a traditional system in it without some significant wall damage.
I bought few days ago a ZVOX Z-BASE 580 on ebay openbox. I got it for only 50$ +39$ shipping! It came with oem box and all accessories and sound system still in there plastic. The sound is amazing. I know it's few years old but hey, it decodes Dolby and has other amazing features. It's enclosure is big and heavy but this is a sacrifice for amazing sound. It's made out of quality fiber board wood and plastic on the side, five 3 1/4" front drives, two 6 1/2" woofers and dimensions Ar 36"x5"x18".
I appreciate what you're doing for everyone's awareness. I've worked for major CE companies for almost half of my life and like you, have owned, setup and tuned hifi, home theater and in-car systems for most of those years. What I can say is that marketing and technology shape the trends in this industry and it's best for people to always keep an open mind. Things like traditional system measurements that people like me hold dear are mere indicators and should not dictate what's suitable for another person to buy. We are all individuals with different priorities and I like how you address the needs of the majority by presenting practical and effective solutions in a manner that is easy to understand. I love your website too. Wishing you success and 10x more subscribers. :)
Thanks for the support, Ivan! It means a lot 👍🏼
Hard to beat the price point and clean minimal aesthetics of a soundbar.
I have a Samsung 650t that goes for 420.00 but picked up for 220 on black friday. Also picked up rears on sale for 90. 310 total.
"Hears" the thing. Does it sound as good as a full set up? Nope. Does it sound great? Yes!
Sounds great, looks great, at a quarter or tenth or even better of the price.
Too each there own
Do you have a video that talks about latency issues with soundbars? I bought a new TCL alto 9+ soundbar for the new TCL TV, connected through the ARC HMDI provided and the lag in audio was so bad I had to return it. Now I'm worried about getting a soundbar that would have the same lag issues.
If you can afford it, get the Bose 300. Absolutely flawless.
Look at reviews websites that evaluate latency. Even full fledged home theatre systems can have a slight delay, that's why if you don't turn off the sound of your TV it will often sound like there's echo, and why games like Guitar Hero has adjustments for that in the settings. Maybe that TCL sound bar (which I assume wasn't very expensive) just wasn't good in that department, but it's not representative of all sound bars. Also, it might be caused by your TV (latency when passing the audio through HDMI)
@@HCkev agree with u.
And also some of TV nowadays have sound synch feature. U can manually rush or drag the audio by milisecond step.
Went with Sonos Arc system to replace my Nakamichi 7.2.4 soundbar. The Nakamichi had wireless subs; but, the rear surrounds were connected with a wire to the subs. That limited the placements of the Nakamichi subs and surround being too close to the primary sitting position. I was able to move the Arc system further away and it sound more immersive with the surround 9-12 feet back and the two Gen 3 subs towards on either side of the Arc 16-18 feet towards the front.
When you connect a sound bar or other amp. system (to my Sony tv’s at least), you loose the internal sound modifier ability: specifically the voice sound preference, too often movies have too high a background sound when people are talking, as ones hearing fades with age, this is a problem. Why do they cut off this ability, and do you have any suggestions? Connection to tv is either through the headphone / audio out jack, or through the hdmi connection.
You can always connect your blu-ray player (or whatever you're using to play movies) directly to the amp
There are audio snobs that will scoff at them. But if people, in general, “hate” sound bars, there would be no market for them
Very solid point 👍🏼
JUST PLUG INTO A HI FI. AWESOME QUALITY
What’s a HI FI? Like a Sonos amp?
I picked up the Sony ST5000 through the Facebook Marketplace more than half off retail. Condition is like new and loved it since.
I'm going with the sonos arc. I don't want to have wires and or deal with them. I love the wireless set up. Plus I'm not an audiophile.
i wouldn't call myself an Audiophile but i've listened and compared Soundbar vs Traditonal setup and well came to the conclusion that A) Audio Quality and Chanel separation doesn't even come close to a Traditional setup (5.1 or Atmos/DTS;X) and B) Far less Choice
and well i just want great Quality Audio
so ya i ended up with a much higher cost
but it's worth the extra $$$
i ended up with a 13Chanel SVS /Denon setup
Soundbars will never even get close to the same Audio Experience , due to the simple fact they want to be as cheap as possible and and only give an average audio experience
hell yep i went a bit overboard and i get not everyone can afford to spend thousands on a audio system but unless you go for a really cheap set of below $600
a traditional setup (5.1 or Atmos ) will allways outperform a Soundbar regardless of cost
The only people who hate soundbars are audiophiles and people who aren't familiar with soundbars. Yes, a traditional sound system does sound better but they're more expensive and complicated to set up than a soundbar. I live in a small apartment and my living room is not configured for optimal speaker placements. I don't have the room to use tower speaker or bookshelf speaker on stands so a sound system is out of the question for me. I have a Sony soundbar that I paid $600 for and it sounds really good. It also has the added feature of bluetooth connectivity for my headphones. Most receivers and tvs don't have that. I don't give a shit about atmos or any other gimmicks that electronics manufacturers push to sell more units and run up the price.
Acctually you can get a really good setup of home cinema sound for the same price so no it isnt more expensive.
Even crappy little micro satellites sound thousands of times better than sound bars twice their price.
aye big dawg a simple 2 channel setup with good center imaging will crush any soundbar. At the end of the day it depends on what you want.
Traditional sound systems are not more expensive at all. Two Kanto YU4 + Kanto sub 8 costs around $700 and you don't need a receiver. The cost with either Swan or Edifier speakers is around $300 - $400. A Sonos Arc costs around $800.
@@sav7568 There is basically no price point where a soundbar beats the sound quality of a traditional system. I tried numerous soundbars based on the hype I was sold, hated every one of them, then bought a simple home theater in a box for $400 and was blown away by the sound. It took a little tweaking to make it work for me, but they completely crushed the soundbars, and those were highly reviewed and costed up to $1200.
This is why soundbars have "haters." We know people who would buy traditional if not for the marketing hype around soundbars these days.
Pretty much hit the nail on the head. For myself, I tended to find the price to performance ratio very undesirable, but that is probably because I've had a $5,000ish plus home theater speaker setup with an Integra DHC-80.3, 5 flagship Polk Audio speakers powered by an emotiva Xpa-5, two 15 inch + two 18 inch subwoofers, the 15s powered by an EPX4000 amp each, the 18s by a Cerwin Vega CV-5000 amp. And on top of being spoiled by having that stuff, I'm the kind of wierdo that actually enjoys having to learn what I needed to in order to do it all myself, and enjoys the setting up of stuff like that, and the running/installing of the wiring of a couple extra circuits into my service panel so as to have the power that I would need.
Yep, soundbars are definitely much easier, and since we live in the age where convenience and ease is supreme, it's a no brainer that they are so popular now.
Sort of side tangent relating to all this: It often baffled me when I would see people that would get huge several thousand dollar TVs, and then end up pairing them with soundbars, AND vice versa. I've seen full size expensive sound setups with just absolutely pathetic TVs. The mis-matches/disunity between things like that just hurts my brain, and don't get me started on what I think about half done sound systems in a car, I mean why does anyone have to hear anything above 100hz in their music? Hey, why not just save money too by buying a smaller less powerful subwoofer, and then just place it right on the passenger seat and have it face you, and disconnect the full range speakers in your car as a bonus to save some more wattage for that sub.
I currently have the sony core speakers and they sound great. I also had the Samsung hw N950 as a soundbar and I almost had it for two years until my subwoofer gave up. I return it and I went with a av receiver and currently running a 5.2.2
The biggest problem I see with sound bars is if the "home theater" is in a large, open floor-plan, high ceiling great room (I've tried it). I would argue this applies to most of the installations I see these days. The sound bar is just not capable of getting the bounce necessary to reproduce surround sound. I ended up replacing it with an inexpensive 5.1 system despite having to run the rear speaker cables under the rug. Sound bars are great when compared to built-in TV speakers and should work fine in a small room. Otherwise, they don't cut it.
Agree with the thought that soundbar systems are easy to setup but if you are really into clear and crisp channel seperation then I think wven a low budget 5.1 traditional system gives a run to a good quality soundbar. I know there is definitely a pain setting it up but if you get a professional to do that you don’t need to worey on that part. I recently built a $1000 (approx) (in india its 70k rupees) a pretty decent 5.1 syatem and its far better that any soundbar we get here at that price.
AVR : Denon AVR X250bt
Speakers: Sonodyne Micro HTS1 5.1 pacakge
What do think of the TCL 8i? I'm on a tight budget and it supports dolby atmos.
Hi Jonah, I'm revisiting this video a year later and I would really like to see a video from you, compering the Sony 7.2 Home Theater (or any other traditional 5.1 home theater) with the soundbars that you have reviewed. I'm constantly debating if I should get a traditional home theater system or if premium soundbar such as q990b or the Sonos Arc should be enough. A video like this would help me tremendously.
Thank you Jonah much love from Uganda Africa...thank you for all the efforts with soundtech and your honesty... I will collect money and have my self a soundbar
i bought a middle of the road Samsung sound bar system when i bought a Samsung 65inch tv 3 years ago. it has worked great until about 1 month ago. now every time i turn on the tv the sound bar does not come on, and sometimes the tv speakers work and sometimes not. do you have any idea as to what is going on here. i also have went to my settings and it says the sound bar is paired to my tv even when it is not working.
Sometimes u need to either update the system or reboot it.
Unless it's broken. Then it's a big paper weight
I have a 5.2 pioneer receiver with Onkyo speakers in my lounge and a Philips 2.1 sound bar in the bedroom. I love the sound quality of both but the Pioneer system sounds a lot better than the sound bar BUT the sound bar sounds a lot better than I expected and I'm 100% satisfied and happy with the sound bar.
I bought a Samsung Q90R soundbar from Best Buy open box clearance for $500 for my friends dad(they would pay me back). He wanted the simple look in his living room. The MSRP was around $1800. Its a 7.1.4 soundbar.
I tried it. It was "Okay", kept my opinion to myself. (I have Athena and Snell speakers)
My friend tried it, he thought it was horrible (Has a Definitive Mythos system).
My friends dad did not like it, and asked me to return it (Has Bose 321 speakers)
My brother in law with a Bose Acoustimass system did not like the Q90R either.
My cousin with generic tower speakers and infinity center channel thought it was terrible.
The MSRP made me think it would be at least good enough. But no one I demoed to liked it. IMO, if you are just comparing a soundbar to TV speakers, then the soundbar will be good enough. But even a Bose Acousimass 5.1, was far superior.
I did all the firmware updates to make sure the sub connection was stable. I even used the Samsung Mythings app to tweak it.
I recently purchased a 85” Sony Bravia X91J which sound bar would you recommend , I was going to move forward with Nakamichi shock wave Elite 7.2.4 channel 800 watts but didn’t see many reviews on it what are your thoughts? Thanks
Hi, I have a Vizio sound bar, a little older one, my TV supports eARC, but the sound bar doesn't have HDMI input, only optical and RCA. What I like about it, is that it has 2 extra rear speakers, that they connect to the wireless subwoofer. I know, I'm not getting best out of it, but it's decent enough the sound quality trough the optical cable.
I do have a question, the sound bar remote works with IR Infrared, my TV has a Bluetooth remote... Is there any device, adapter or solution, to have my sound bar working with my Bluetooth remote?
Love your insights Jonah, so I have a 7.1 surround with Boston's all around, the front L/R are the size of small children, huge center channel and a pricey Denon receiver but I don't feel I'm hearing true 7.1? I am hearing sound from all 7 speakers and the sub, but the surrounds don't sound like independent sound? (the sides and rear surrounds sound the same). I have a 2013 Samsung 3DTV if that matters (over $3K back then). I'd love to hear your take on this.. Tommy
On tight budget I recommend the Roku Stream Bar Pro on a Bigger budget i recommended the Sonos Arc they are both expandable with wireless rear surrounds and subwoofers
Since you done a lot of sound bars how would the Sony a7000 compare to the sonos arc?
Great video. Question, my projector does not supported arc. How should i connect it to my medai player and to sound bar to get dolby atmos?
Love the new backdrop. Keep up the great work and congrats on the move.
Your video is great, thanks. I believe one *key* item is never mentioned here that bears fitting in. That is *sound levels control* during playback. Or simply put, audio control.
Not many at all soundbars except high end ones allow a person to control the levels. Real enthusiasts can go wild here but I'm focused on just the practical aspects.
The ability to fully control levels especially to the sub and center channels is a vital feature. I live in a family household and on an average day, the TV/movie audio only needs to be heard by the one person using the system and not throughout the house by EE. In fact it can be annoying as heck when some need to sleep, study, have a quiet conversation, or are WFH in other rooms. Soundbars lack such fine control nearly always, so when the loud scene happens in a ccx TV/movie, it gets loud. Yet with a simple system like a soundbar, if you reduce the volume, it affects all the volumes of all channels at once. To get the sub quiet, the voice and rear may be far too low to easily hear. It's common daily things like this that are another rub of control vs. simplicity of AV receivers vs. soundbars. On a fun friday night when everyone is off work either system type works great. The other 6 days a week or during regular working hours...not so much.
Is the "Polk 5000" Soundbar and Sub and good ?? I inherited one.. I'm sure it's going to be better than the speakers in the TV.. Thank you for your time..
I have a 75' LG Nanocell TV and Pioneer Receiver. I am able to use the ARC feature on both units, however, NOT with a Firestick. Using the Firestick works with the TV but does not allow me to hear sound coming from the receiver, only when I do not use the Firestick, does the visual and audio work with the receiver. Is it possible to use the a Firestick with both systems ARC feature?
I have this same question/problem. What input do you select on the receiver to hear the TV sound? Since it's ARC which connects the TV's HDMI IN to the receiver Monitor OUT, and the receiver requires/is always necessary to select an "input/source" and the "source" is the arc within the "monitor out", how is it even possible to hear the TV/firestick or other streaming device 9r even satellite/antennae broadcast tv etc from the receiver as the receiver dies not allow the monitor "OUT" to be selected as an INPUT AUDIO SOURCE?
What is the best small sound bar? Something you might use in an RV.
I have the Klipsch hd wireless 5.1 system that I bought 3 years ago. And it is amazing and better than any soundbar and even some traditional systems. The Klipsch set I have, retailed for around 5 grand, when it came out. But the shop I got it from didn't wanted those, so I bought them brand new for 1500$.
I don't hate sound bars but the convenience and price advantage wouldn't compensate me for the years of higher quality sound that I'd be missing out on. As well, I want my phono and a bunch of other existing equipment connected to my system.
I don't think sound bars will ever "replace" traditional home theatre systems. Most people looking for sound bars weren't looking for a full fledged home theatre in the first place, most of the time they just want a replacement for the terrible sound coming out of their new flat screen TV, i.e., what could've been built-in if manufacturers weren't so obsessed in making their TVs thinner and thinner. But sound bars technology does has evolved to a point where even a home theatre enthusiasts might consider them for their secondary TVs
@@HCkev For those who just want to improve on their TV sound, they are often a great option, but I hate how stores are pushing them as the ultimate sound choice when traditional is still king as far as sound quality goes (and will likely remain so unless a huge technological breakthrough happens). I know a lot of people who bought them not to save space or deal with the installation (which, ya know, is one-time for something you will use daily for years), but because they were told soundbars have the best sound out there.
I kinda agree. I bought a soundbar for the same reasons. However, it spontaneously broke just after the warranty passed. And since the connection to the SW and SBs is proprietary, everything went out of the window. Since then I moved to a new house and I put the effort into setting up a traditional system. The cabeling was solved easily by a remote audio transmitters. So I still see the benefits of the soundbars, but I don't like them due to high integration and "vendor lock in" of the peripherals.
Which brand soundbar was that
@@atf56 Sony
We own the Sonos ARC and Subwoofer. The SL's are coming as well in the near future. It is simple, reliable, sounds great and I didn't want to rewire/rewire this and that, although I am a handyman with all the skills. Yes, we paid the premium. My old 7.1 system had excellent sound 12 years prior, but the receiver burnt out and I replaced that with a more powerful receiver and then the circuit breaker would shut off so I had to upgrade that as well. I also had to get a better remote that talked to all the other components. Also, the Mrs. always felt confused by all the components and set up. So, this time around, we went with simplicity and everyone is happy. Guest always seem impressed and some cough at the price of it. But that is life. If you wan the OLED, you have to pay more...
I wasn't a fan of soundbars at first. But they got more advanced and allow rear speakers and multiple subs so they compete more with traditional systems. Also I was wondering if you ever thought about reviewing the Roku 5.1 system. I'm sure it won't sound as good as my sonos arc system but could be a good option for $500 or less. Since it has wireless rears and wireless subwoofer. And includes a 4 k Roku.
Sound bars are okay for video. But most music is recorded for loudspeakers (with good separation characteristics) and no ‘center’.
hey man, i'm still pondering what to get....If your budget was 600 to max 750 which bar would you get.? there is tons of reviews....If i wanted something great with optional for upgrades later on, what soundbars would you recommend?
If you want options to upgrade later on, maybe go with the Sonos Beam, then add 2 Sonos One SLs later on.
@@JonahMatthes tks for reply man...So other then beam, do you have another bar that already has rear speakers and sub with it around my price rage 600 to 750? or you would stick with beam?
So it's a klipsch soundbar good or bad?
😅
I would love to see a video showcasing the likely expenditure for a full traditional av atmos speaker system vs the top atmos soundbars. I.e. What is the minimum you could spend on a full home theatre that would rival or beat the Q90T/sonos systems etc
I should say what would you have to spend to BEAT top soundbars and make the upgrade to true HT worthwhile
What is the best sound bar for a small space when one can't really have any external pieces? Also add in one that doesn't need an IPhone to help set it up.
I ABSOLUTELY want to see you compare Sonos to a traditional system. I've always thought of a soundbar for every day watching and a traditional system for a home theater, but if it makes to get a traditional system over a Sonos, I want to know about it.
I'll definitely put together a video of this. Might be a while until I can do it, but I agree, it would be great for people to see the differences. Could even bring some people in for a blind listening test!
@@JonahMatthes that's a great idea! People notice different things. My wife and I are proof of that. We hear on completely different frequencies. Lol
Honestly except for certain audio files those huge speaker systems don’t look right next to the slim trim TVs that are being put out today. They would totally look out of place next to even large screen slim TV set. I have a Sonos system in my living room I had a Bose system in my bedroom which was a little overkill now I bought a Sony OLED with the speakers in the screen which is more than enough for the bedroom.
I Have a $200 bose soundbar, and a 2.1 sytem consisting of some klipsch powered floor standing speakers with a kicker amp and sub (car audio).
Each system has its own uses, the bose soundbar is in the TV room and meant for watching TV and light music listening, the 2.1 system is meant to be LOUD AF and sound like a ROCK CONCERT and it does, considering upgrading to a 2.2 system because my amp is 2 channels and the bass sounds uneven.
I have owned a few 7.1 AV receivers and a boat load of speakers, the wires and configuring them can be a pain and ugly.
Vizeo TV and Vizeo sound system and they have never worked well together. I’ve tried it with the arc but it sucked so I put the optic cable and that helped but the sound system won’t shut off when the tv is shutdown.
Yamaha B20A in my bedroom and Samsung Q900T with rears in the living room! Very pleased with both cause I don't have the space for a traditional 7.2.4 set-up which is on my list. I'm a big movie buff!!
Dude, you hit the nail on the head. I've never understood the hate soundbars get. Really excellent video, and honestly just very accurate. That Sony system you used as an example for the traditional system can often be had pieced together for much cheaper. However, A.) you addressed that by stating you can find deals on them, and B.) it's an apt example as you can "buy it now" at that price.
Soundbars have a much higher WAF, and are much less invasive in your space. While I have a traditional theater system, every other TV in my house uses a soundbar system of some type. I just don't understand why anyone would possibly subject themselves to built in TV speakers. 🤮
Anyway, long comment over. Excellent video.
I'm pretty sure even hardcore home theatre enthusiasts still enjoy a good sound bar when watching TV with the wife in the bedroom :)
@@HCkev man I would think so, too, but in looking at some of the other comments here it seems maybe not! Haha. I wall mount all of my TV's and mount the soundbars underneath. So much less invasive than a traditional 2 channel system. I mean ultimately to each their own, and people will do what they think is best. I just personally know my wife, and traditional speaker cabinets aren't happening in the living room. I'm okay with that so long as she doesn't intrude on the home theater. Dedicated spaces!
I already have sony speakers my receiver is outdated can I buy a new receiver and use existing speakers with the new receiver?
Recently brought a LG sound bar with the added rear speakers. The Dolby Atmos & DTS X is on another level, awesome sound.
Which one?
@jordy huskens I have a sp8ya which is only 500 and with the right room and acoustics without the optional rear speaker kit, it almost matches my home theater which cost me over 10k to build. It's all about placement, not what you spend.
Curious, how would you rate the Sonos Bean to the Bose smart soundbar 300 ?
We have the Sonos Arc, Sub, and One SL’s as surrounds, and I like it overall. But I still love my traditional Klipsch set more - but like many mention, I had to give that up because the wife said it clashed with decor. 😭😭
I have the exact Sonos system and I love it it sounds terrific and it looks great
Just got a Sonos Beam 2 for my LG CX55. What I don't like about it is all my volume indicators disappeared! Apparently this is a common thing for anything using arc/earc. I wouldn't care if I was only watching TV off the Verizon box. But use my tv for Netflix/Prime/RUclips etc and they all have different volume output. RUclips being the loudest! So it's important to lower the volume so no one goes deaf when changing sources! But how can I if I have no idea what the volume is?! I might return this.
I have a $500 set of Edifier powered bookshelf speakers with a sub out using a Polk Audio sub/enclosure that costs $120. I would say for the price range the sound is incredible. I have the same setup for my main Desktop Computer as well.
Currently looking at the new Sony hybrid 4 speaker system. But will probably wait until they lower the price, include a Sub, or something. In no rush.
Just got a TCL sound bar for Xmas.It came with a hdmi wire to Samsung tv.but can’t get any sound why?
I can't deny the simplicity of setting up a soundbar and the definite improvement to quality that it brings, but the price to performance has always been what's kept me on the side of having traditional speakers in my setup. Like for less than $300 you can get yourself some edifier active speakers with a sub out plus a sub and that will sound much more impressive than the majority of soundbar systems I've heard. Or if you really wanna take it up a notch and keep it simple, Vanatoo Transparent Zero sound phenomenal and you can also hook up a sub to it with just one cable. I've been impressed with how large soundbars can sound for being so simple, but for the price you'd pay for one of those you'd be able to do so much more with a traditional system
Edit: I still enjoy your videos tho and love to learn about this side of the hobby I don't have much experience with so keep up the great work mate (:
When do you think Klipsch Cinema 1200 is likely to be released and is it going to be comparable or better than Samsung Q950A. ??
Klipsch 1200 is suppose to be released on June 1st.
Just bought a laser sound bar have a lot of noise coming through the speakers I'll be taking it.
Can you tell something about the new samsung q950a ? A release, a review soon perhaps or a price. Thx for the videos
1500,- euro. release by the end of june. i preorder it for 1299,-
the samsung 950a has two more channels, and a auto room calibration system like sonos.
additional info compared to last years q950t(best tested soundbar of 2020) is unknown.
keep an eye on rtings.com. tests and review
are around august/september.
What about a better pair of bookshelf speakers with an integrated amp?
Hi. How do I connect a tv with eArc to a sound bar that does not have hdmi inputs? Thanks
Great video! What Atmos soundbars other than the Klipsch are expected this year?
Klipsch reference cinema system 5.1.4 is about $400 right now.. and a dennon AVR- s760h is usually under $400 so for around $800 you can have a REALLY decent atmos system (granted you wont get rear height due to the 7.1 receiver but still get atmos none the less) and it sounds 20x better than my old nakamichi 7.2 soundbar ever did..
any chance you will doing a review and comparison on the samsung Q950A and the sonos ARC with sub and surrounds?.. on the fence on what to go with
My first sound bar was the Bose Tv Speaker it is better than the speakers on a tv sure but I wasn’t to impressed. I just got to Vizio V51-H6 at Sam’s for $160 I’m very pleased with my purchase. I would recommend any 5.1 Vizio product.
I prefer my tower speakers because when I clean the house or have a party, I simply turn them 90° away from each other to fill the whole house with music.
I'm using both. Soundbar for everyday tv. Bowers and Wilkins full range 5.1 system for movies and active listening.
Great and informative video. i had a question. Are you going to Review the Denon Home Sound Bar 550? i'm still on verge one getting the nakamichi shockwafe but it has outdate now. i want Airplay, Earc. dolby Atmos.etc.
If you start with a quality receiver or separates you can get away with cheap speakers initially.
I HATE cabled systems. Because the WAF (wife acceptance factor) is terribly low.
Same, big reason why I got the wife approved purchase of the sonos arh lol
I had the same issue selling my wife on it, then I drew up our room on paper and showed her from the tv to the speakers, all except one speaker wire can go the same way, along the wall to the corner, then around the corner to the speakers, and behind the couch.
So there was only one speaker that would go the other way, and it too had a wall to follow so once I laid it out and showed her she was happily on board.
Once you hear what a home theater set up can sound like for the same money as a decent sound bar, suddenly those speaker wires arent an issue at all anymore at least not in our case, Im so glad I took the time to work it out.
Again, I dont hate sound bars, in a kitchen or workout room, kids room, etc.. probably a good choice.
But in the main viewing room, like a living room or home theater or family room in a finished basement, if you have a nice tv and want a great experiences with friends and family for movies and shows and games, a system is so much warmer more immersive and just better for the same price, that running a few speaker wires doesnt present that much of an obstacle.
But to each his own, I get it many people just prefer simple, plug and play, and more power to them, we should each do what makes us happy,
You should grow some balls,or change the wife!
I left my wife for my surround sound speakers. Priorities.
@@tizzlekizzlechad mentality. 👍