📌Considering the Bar 9? Find it here bit.ly/3XSGZnD & bit.ly/4cLKO2g 🔌Watch our SONY REVIEW ruclips.net/video/u-nwA3GcC4c/видео.html to get caught up on today’s UNPLUGGED! 🔌Missed an episode? Catch up on all the latest UNPLUGGED episodes here bit.ly/43NnDkT 😀Thank you for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please hit the 👍Like button! 🙏 Please stay on topic and be respectful. 🚫No links, self-promotion, or personal info.
Soundbars don’t suck. They’re perfect for those who want one! Our living room isn’t very big and we separate out 2.1 system for music and our tv system. We don’t watch a lot of tv or movies, and tv speakers SUCK so we bought a Q800c. It’s sooooooooo good. I know you were joking, but the theater elite need to understand that a soundbar can absolutely rule for the right people. I love you guys! Keep it up!
Not to get too personal, but the story of your bankruptcy and hi-fi journey as far as what you’ve owned and what you’ve built up throughout the years would be pretty cool to hear.
soundbars dont suck if your a middle to low income person who cant afford or dont have the housing for fancy home set ups. so for most people soundbars are the only way to get pass crappy tv quality speakers.
@@dante19890exactly people always throw away what a 2.1 system can really do is set up properly honestly you don't need all them species around you to get decent really good sound even better than any sound bars is capable of! At the same time that said I believe people fall for marketing gimmicks way too much
Why can't people accept that : A) The placebo effect exist B) They know far less than what they assume *Stop buying things you don't need at a price you can't afford to impress people that don't care.*
My experience with the Q990B from samsung has been just amazing. It doesnt take up space, has no cables across the room, really impressive movie and surround sound. I think soundbars can be the IDEAL for most people who want good sound without the huge HIFI budget or tech know-how. Would also add that every single person who ive shown it to has been very impressed.
Absolutely! I love that! My previous system was a Martin Logan motion 5.1 system with a marantz receiver and I’m more than happy with the performance of my Samsung soundbar!
@Embre2000 I got the Q990D recently and I must say, I love it! I had 5.1.2 setup via Denon AVR and some old Polk Audio RM series and a pair of TSi500 with a PSW505 and added atmos speakers. The size of everything was too much (purchased in my youth) and they could handle watts that my small livingroom and townhouse were never going to allow. So even tho I "downsized" in space, I feel like I upgraded in immersion. A 5.1.2 AVR to a 11.1.4 Soundbar was a huge game changer. And I own a 85" QM8, so no Q-symphony for me.
I purchased the Q910C late last year. I upgraded from the Yamaha 1070 Soundbar and I’m mad at myself for not upgrading sooner. The sound from the Q910C is phenomenal!! My movies and video games never sounded better.
I picked up the Bar 8 to pair with my 55” A95L (which has the best speakers of any tv). It’s amazing how much just the bar adds to the low end. They fixed the center sync hiss sound.
OK. I am going to be that guy, specifically because I know you (Andrew) are very particular in your use of the English language and I appreciate you for that. On the market = for sale. Imagine a tomato on a shelf in the produce section. In the market = looking to buy. Imagine you just walked into the corner store. I always appreciate your professionalism and your integrity as well as your congenial attitude and presentation. That's for both of you.
Having worked in consumer electronics since the early 70's and experienced the evolution of cinema sound in your home i have learned one thing, that you can try all the fancy sound manipulations that you like, but to recreate even close to what you hear in a cinema you have to move air, to do this with a seperates system is easy with the right gear, trying to do the same within the driver limitations of a soundbar is asking a lot, and too much when it comes to dolby atmos unless you have low reflective ceilings. You can only bend the law of physics to a point.
I disagree. If we knew exactly which parts of your brain to stimulate, we could have you hearing and feeling cinema theater without speakers. All ears can be fooled. As the technology advances it becomes easier to fool and the pool of discerning ears that can be fooled expands.
@@Barbarapape they aren't changing the laws of physics. They are fooling our brains. The technology today might not be able to fool your particular brain, but you might be in the 30 percent or lower with exceptional hearing and audio processing. Imagine this. The TV of the future wirelessly sends the audio stream to the neurolink that you got with your Tesla. The neurolink tickles the right parts of your brain and you will feel like an explosion went off behind you. All without actual sound and still obeying the laws of physics.
@@Barbarapape That reminds me of an old saying... There's no replacement for displacement. Anyone who's compared a bookshelf to a floor standing speaker knows the difference... a speaker capable of going down to 20hz compared to 40hz are worlds apart.
Great observations re soundbars, I went from Yamaha soundbar, which was awesome, to Dali/Marantz 7.1 setup. Is the setup better, sure. At 8 times the cost, it's not 8 times better! Buy what you can afford. Love the one you're with and all that.
Soundbars have their place. I have a Bose SB in my small vacation condo and it sounds great imo. But in my home I have a component system that I enjoy. Depends on your situation and needs.
Long time ago I switched my Yamaha receiver system for a Bose900 soundbar I was tired of cables everywhere, the soundbar alone in my opinion is not enough you need the hole system and what a difference and is wireless now I also have a Sonos system and is way better than Bose this two are more than ok for me and I don’t think soundbars sucks they are some of the best options right now
Me personally going from a 1799.00 sumsung soundbar to a 5.2.2 dedicated home theater is definitely a game changer 💯 but that’s just my humble opinion!!
The guy said he changed seating positions when he reran calibration. Wouldn’t that change the sound some? It makes sense that he was doing it more than once, he did it at the different seats.
"Fresh outa F's today"!😂 Lady, I'm using that phrase. Back to the episode today, I'm not sure why companies are selling things ala carte, especially sound bars. I know it's a money grab but if a sub or surrounds are needed for the best possible experience, INCLUDE THEM!
The retail price for the Beosound Stage has already went up since its initial release 4 years ago. The base model is now retailing for over 2,200 dollars. It’s a beautiful soundbar though in terms of design.
I think soundbars are a great alternative to speakers. I've friends who are excited to show their new tv and brag about how good the sound they've, more often then not they're just using the built in speakers. Don't get me wrong TV speakers today have improved a lot but I've learned to lower my expectations of what people's understanding of are. But every now and then some one gets a new soundbar and I'm blown away how much technology has improved
The big difference between a system and a sound bar is the convenience and cost... but it's like comparing a FLAC or AAC file to MP3, some people just can't tell the difference and are happy with the MP3... and that's fine.
I'll say this much: More people have "traditional systems" set up wrong and aren't experiencing the full performance their gear is capable of, whereas if they had bought a soundbar, they might have been closer to a more ideal experience. Food for thought.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I would agree with your assessment, but I bet when the train door fly's off the train and lands in the middle of your listening room in the Super 8 movie, the experience wouldn't be the same. I've never looked over at my wife and said "wow" using a sound bar.
Those who think soundbars suck have never actually compared the two, I think. Its just counter-intuitive to think that a compact smaller system can match a bigger separate system (at the same price), where is the trade-off of the smaller foot print? Until someone explains the science/engineering behind this reasoning they will not be convinced. i.e. the larger size and bigger amplifiers and whatnot only come in play at higher volumes?
Appreciate this video format guys. I’ve got the A7000,rs5,sw5 even after the less than stellar review on this channel. It was certainly quirky out of the box, but almost all issues were resolved after updates, especially the rear volume level. Manual calibration of channel levels with a meter brought me to a sound which decisively beat the competition. The one knock is that it took unreasonable amount of work and understanding of all options (sound modes, 360 on or off, auto volume, drc )to achieve fantastic results for varied use. It doesn’t beat my 2 channel system for music, but doesn’t fall that short. The real issue is that you can get the 990c/d in Australia routinely for under $800 USD…. And that makes any Sony system an impossible recommendation to friends from pure value.
After all updates for last two year the a7000 sounds pure awesome. I think for new bars need more time. But yes that not ok. For this price the software should be fine at start.
I still have my a7000 paired with my RS5 atmos rears and sw5 sub, and I still love the audio experience that full kit provides. To me it sounds full and immersive. Maybe some people who purchase that product originally were either impatient or didn't do firmware updates or didn't calibrate or figure with the settings.... Everyone's experience is unique to themselves, but for me, no complaints on the complete a7000 kit.
I think it just comes down to your needs and what you are happy with. I have my Roku "5.1" setup and it does perfectly fine. It saves a lot of room vs my Sony AVR as well. The only real advantage the Sony AVR gives me is more HDMI ins.
I bought the A7000 with the SW5 and SR5's to pair with my Sony Bravia X95J after I spent quite a bit of time researching ,watching, and reading reviews. Seamless integration and sound settings with the tv was important to me. As with all my major purchases, I look at the Major Reviews and Articles on that product. Although Andrews article on the A7000 was before the SR5 surrounds came out, he advised to skip it, as the good outweighed the bad. His was the first review i read. After watching 3 Major UTube Reviews on the A7000 after the SR5's became available, one of them comparing with other soundbar systems, they all named the Sony the Best Complete Soundbar System. I had to go with the Majority Vote here, and the Sony system did not disappoint. It is for Movies, not Music. I have my Music Room for that. I'm a Fan of Andrew Robinson and Respect his Reviews, but look at other reviews/ reviewers if you really want to make an informed decision, as i almost took his advice and passed on the A7000.
I had the A7000 for all of 2 days before I returned it. It sounded AWFUL. Who knows, maybe some units are defective. Or, people have never heard actually good sounding systems as a comparison. The sound while calibrating was excellent. After that, and after adjusting every single setting possible on all speakers and the sub, it sounded like an old car radio. To each their own. I did the same as you, and had the opposite reaction: "how in the world did all these people think this piece of crap actually sounds GOOD?".
@@Mr21scottYeah, Its So Odd the different owner experiences. Andrews review is the only negative one that i know of, while a majority of people have not had a positive experience with it. Go Figure. All i can tell people who still have it is to keep up with the updates, and play with the settings. Also, after each software update, recalibrate the system.
@@raygrajeda6694 I agree. I have that A5000 and after updates and recalibration it sounds even better and I was already pretty impressed with it. I've paired it with an sw3. The sw3 also sounds much better after the update and recalibration. Makes watching GOT and The Boys a real treat.
While I don't question the sound quality of many soundbars these days, psychologically I'm not yet ready to even consider them, if not for the "cheap" ones to just enhance the crappy built in speakers of so many TV's. Another issue is connectivity, I still use all of the physical media available and many of those bars do not have enough inputs and so "old fashion" 5.1, or more, with passive speakers, hefty sub and A/V receiver, are my preferred way.
A quality soundbar will equal an ok 3.1, not 5.1. No matter how hard it tries the separation and size of the speaker and the power of the amp amounts to a lot over a soundbar. I will always recommend a soundbar (with sub of course) in a lot of situations over a full 3.1 or larger. If music is involved a soundbar is never an option.
Samsung Q990c is great, not a replacement for true surround but is good enough for the trade off of ease of use and price. Just depends on how particular the person is and how deep their pockets are that makes getting real surround over soundbar and rear setup. My pockets aren’t that deep so for me it’s definitely worth soundbar over a pro setup 🤷♂️
I'm not at all against soundbars, but i have a question. How low in price would you go with a soundbar? Because i think there's a lof of people that for whatever reason would not or cannot even spend $500.
Someone needs to set up a blind study soundbar vs home theater system test with a group of people to see if they can hear the difference in sound quality.
Preferably, the study shouldn't include grandpa or grandma who spent a good portion of their life in the military, concerts, construction, etc. without hearing protection. The point is moot though. You can only cram so much into the tiny housing of a soundbar. Tower speakers are huge for a reason; box size, driver size and the amount of dampening material make a big difference on the quality and the volume of the sound coming out of the speaker. Those variables are always going to be a limitation until we either figure out a new form of physics to produce sound or find an acoustic material equivalent of a room temperature super conductor that's capable of producing an infinite variations of sound exactly as we want.
Having listened to numerous soundbars I can say that the standard ones are horrible. The difference with my Denonx4000+2xKef Q55.1 is so big that most people can hear it right away. It's possible there are good ones - but I'm not going out of my way to find those unicorns.
Sounds quality is good enough. What should be tested is having a dolby atmos demo play and see if they can tell which direction the sounds came from. It will be no contest with separate speakers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I have been through a time period bereft of audio electronics. I was depressed about my perceived inability to do anything about it until 1994 when The Eagles released the DVD with DTS! My depression disappeared and I have not looked back. I have recommended sound bars to friends and family members. A friend of mine with a severe dialogue listening problem had spent up over $300 for a Yamaha soundbar with poor dialogue comprehension. A change to a company that specializes in his problem was the answer. The unit arrived and I set it up for and urged him to experiment until he was happy. I came by a month later and he was down the hall enjoying the music from his sound bar.
I have the q990b and love it but its still doesn't compete with separate channels. My first system was an early 2000s 7.1 1000watt full system and even tho it matrixed some 5.1 to 7.1 the panning still blow my sound bar out of the water. Even if you have a small space to work with I still dont recommend investing in a sound bar at all or if desperate get a cheap 5.1.I read a lot reddit posts and even joined a soundbar group. People had it in 11.1.4 modes and said it was better than standard even with dolby atmos. Whats proved to me some people can't tell ok standard that the sounds are coming from separate channels. They like the sound bubble affect which I didn't like and it also worse with stereo signals. Dolby prologic 2x is also better than my sound bar with stereo. I found an onkyo tx- sr703 receiver with full polk audio 125 speaker and 225 watt towers for 150 mainly for the speaker which I will slowly fase out since Im going with a Sony straz7000es. Already playing old games sound so much better with an old receiver with separate channels.
Of course some of them are great and suit a lot of peoples needs - only deranged audiophiles think they all suck - the kind of people who will convince themselves that they have magic ears that can hear differences that are beyond the ability for the human ear and brain to detect.
I'm a big sound bar fan. My small living room has a JBL Bar5.1 surround. My basement has a Klipsch Cinema 600. I bought both from your recommendations. I'll likely upgrade to a $1K soundbar at some point in time. For now, I'm enjoying both of my sub $500 soundbars.
After trying many soundbars, not as many as you guys, I am convinced that much of the problem lies in the streaming service. I know that Prime sounds different that Netflix and different that Hulu on and on.
I 100% understand the market for $300-500 bars. Makes sense and if you move lots renting etc totally makes sense. But the new Q990d is $2200 here in Canada…. For that much you could easily build a far superior 7.1 system that will be future proof. Problem with soundbars is there tech will eventually be obsolete and then they are in the garbage. A avr with speakers will still be useful in 50 years.
I find it absolutely pointless to sell a solution piece meal when every item can’t be its own product and can only work when implemented with other products. If you can use the rears as WiFi / Bluetooth speaker they should be included with the bar. The sub having different items that it can interact with I would agree with it being sold seperate.
@@ryanchappell5962 I also got the 990c and love it. Got a really good deal on it. I will upgrade to something better down the road (maybe the Sonny quad or something like that). As for now it’s all I need.
All i know is that when the SuperKitties rescue Wiggles, excellent clarity and tonal balance on my $549.99 ZVOX Z-Base 575 Single-Cabinet Surround sound System from 2009.😊
To your argument about Perception Andrew, back around 2011/12, Bose had a Television which projected sound to different spots in a room. Here in Maryland, they had a showroom and a theater room. The room resembled a very modest sized movie theater of approximately 9 rows depth by 8 rows wide. On the walls, they had these shelves that were covered with material resembling speakers. To any onlookers, you'd think there's a speaker there that's covered by material. The television had piping inside that projected sound to the locations in the room where these make believe speakers were. At the end of the presentation, while all were still listenening, one of their personnel would walk to each phantom speaker and remover the covering revealing there's no speaker in that spot, but that the television was projecting sound inot that location. Everyone left with the impression that David Copperfield had just turned a 747 airplane into an Elephant literally right before our eyes. So yes, what one thinks goes a long long way to what their actual experience will be like.
Kristi nailed it. The Samsung 990C (and 800C with supplied surrounds). But why can't you recommend everyone to get the matching Samsung QD-OLED S90C or S90D 77". Please Andrew review the Samsung experience in a living room Samsung QD-OLED S90C or D and a the matching Q Symphony soundbars. I went through the same sort of downsizing experience Andrew discussed (from a dedicated room with separates processors amplifiers in wall 9.2.4) to a small room with the Samsung QD OLED and Samsung Symphony soundbar and kept plugged in amazed. And could not stop watching. Mesmerized by the color fullness, richness vibrancy of the Samsung QD OLED of older and newer 4K content. Please give this TV another shake. Samsung changed the OLED world.
This is a great episode that highlights doing research before you drop 1k+ on something audio/video. We all know that Sony high end TV's are almost always well regarded and a safe bet. However, here we are a Sony $1k bar that presents real questions on value. These reviews are important. Thank you. That being said, 13 years ago after the divorce and all the nice audio gear got sold off, I didn't go vizio sound bar, but I was rocking some 20 year old no name bookshelf speakers with a $399 receiver until 4 years ago. Brother I was still rocking out on my sole couch, blankie, and a 48" 1080p tv sleeping on the couch. :D it's that audio journey that makes it fun. Lower end or high end. If you are happy, you are happy. o7
Dear Andrew and KristiI, I usually don't comment but I do watch all your reviews. I loved the review of the Bar 9 and this unplugged session and coming from 15+ years of being a hi-fi/home theatre nerd I agree with (mostly) all you said. I went from a Onkyo THX/KEF Eggs setup a few years back to the Sony HT ST5000 - yes, the one without surrounds and calibration - and I still love it. I do miss the rear effects a 5.1 system like the one I used to have gave me but the integration, ease of use, the envelopment in a world of sound (though mostly from heavy) that the now 7-year-old Sony bar gives me is awesome. Having listened to the A7000 and several other bars and feeling underwhelmed I am still happy with the dinosaur I have sitting below my TV. To me it feels like Sony at least went all in on its first Atmos bar (the ST5000) but then started slacking a little, not only soundwise but certainly also on build quality. Anyways, thanks for a great channel and keep 'em coming!
@@andrewrobinsonreviewsOh, just to clarify, I always watch Unplugged after watching the review, but this time I was able to watch the review in time to watch Unplugged when it published!
Sony will need to introduce a new subwoofer and surrounds with drivers to match the Bar 9 sonically to allow for better overall integration. You're not the only reviewer to downgrade the performance of the Bar 9 compared to the Theater Quad, even when using the optional subwoofer and surrounds with the Bar 9.
Isn't the idea of the soundbar that its a space saver and keeps the "Mrs" happy!?? I've got a 7.1 Quad speaker system in my lounge with a HUGE subwoofer!! But I'm not married!! 😉
@@TheChrisleekay I think you have to keep everything in perspective, but it's possible to have high expectations for a soundbar because a lot of them are really good!
It's all about physics, really. Sound waves are denser at their origination point. If you have several speakers framed into the same structure then obviously they'll mix-up the audio frequencies. Go individual speakers or go bust.
Hopefully my comments don't oversell the built-in speakers in the Bravia 9 TV and raises expectations to the point that it disappoints others, including you both Andrew and Kristi. 16:00 I'm simply saying the Bravia 9 TV's built-in speakers shouldn't be overlooked. I'll eventually connect the TV with my ONKYO RZ50 AVR setup...
If it needs a subwoofer, you have your answer but still can be cool... Just like I'm having a hard time thinking about replacing my Oppo 105 that just died yesterday after 11 years... Unless someone can still fix it, we had a power outage and it was plugged into a surge protector power bar and now i only get the red light, no more blue, no clicks, no working panel either. I'm heartbroken 😂 Be careful if you buy old ones for 1000$ or more. Good summer to you, great videos as always.
This is all so subjective! I am a big fan of what can be achieved from a "really good" sound bar. Having recently upgraded from an older Bose Cinemate series system to a new 900 series with 700 series surrounds with 2x 500 subs. With calibration, my sound is truly excellent! So many people only use the speakers in their TV set. So, we are the odd ones! We are chasing the cinematic experience. To put down anyone for liking a product which differs from your opinion is poor sportsmanship. There are so many products out there. That is why one should go to channels like this one for clarity. Keep up the good word!
Another reason someone might run the auto calibration more than once is because they discovered that running it multiple times yields different results. Some people might find that disturbing that the auto calibration is inconsistent, therefore not reliable.
I'm not convinced they suck. They certainly sound better than built-in TV speakers. I think for me, it was a matter of wanting minimal wiring and something with an overall smaller footprint. I have the Roku Streambar Pro with the wireless sub and two wireless speakers. I am pretty happy with how it sounds in my den.
The issue is that if you have to pay $1500 to have something better than the speakers - that's already close to a scam. Many systems on the marketplace have added subs or rears at almost half the price.
@@edisonl1756 I think for my Roku system, the total was right around $400 (I got a couple of the items on sale). I have the Roku Streambar Pro, 2 wireless speakers and the wireless sub. I think it sounds pretty nice. I have a Sony AVR and 5.1 system. I think the subwoofer is broken though because my AVR never activates it. That 5.1 is a fairly old Phillips/Magnavox one that came with an old receiver my dad gave me. The AVR isn't bad other than the calibration software isn't as good as Denon's. It does take up a lot of room though.
Thanks guys for your thorough insights of the Sony's Bar 9.. I really do believe what you're saying on the bar's caveats.. I think i can live with those sounding flaws as long the connections and the seamless integration with the TV can live up to the hype. Besides I don't own a soundbar ever! So this will be my first cherry getting popped, & I can't wait for the prices to drop down. Sadly, there aren't many systems like Bar9 or 8 & SA-RS5 (excluding SW5) that has a simplistic good looks. The Samsungs or LG's of the world is somewhat (boring) disappointing. Maybe B&O, but that's another discussion for now 🙂
Given your appreciation for soundbars how far up range would you say that the Sonos Arc w/ 2 subs and the Era300 rears can compete - compared to a traditional receiver 7.2.4 setup or - for ease of comparison - the 5.1 setup? Are we on level with NAD M-series with B&W 600-series (or similar - forgive the specificity, as it was the system I had before kids)? Higher? If yes, how much higher would you say they were on par or better?
Love my Samsung Q990B, still gets the most use in my house which includes a variety of hifi equipment (Rotel, Klipsch RF7III, Focal Kanta 2, Polk R500, etc.)
What are people's thoughts on passive soundbars? So many of the soundbars I see have the processing and amplification internally (probably for ease of use and cost), but I wonder how a passive system like the Kef 8003 compare to traditional soundbars and a traditional 3.1 system.
Hey guys, could you do a video putting together the best multi-room systems for under $10k? I have in mind a system with the b&w formation duo + sub + a pair of formation flex + maybe a formation wedge to cover most of my apartment. Alternatively I thought of the KEF LS 60 + two pairs of LSX II, but I don’t know how easy it would be to turn rooms on\off in a system like that or to play different music in two rooms, for example. Also there are some rooms where I may prefer to have a single speaker as mono, is that possible with the LSX II? Or would you rather build a system with a streamer and a pair of passive speakers + some smaller active speakers in the rest of the apartment? A video like this would be super helpful, also reviewing specifically whether there are connectivity issues with wireless speakers, not only sound quality, price, etc. thank you.
I'd love to make a blind test of soundbars vs proper 5.1 speaker setups with you guys! Back in the 2000s, I tested a couple of Bose sets (1.500 €+ and more) and was kind of underwhelmed. I'm curious how far technology (speaker tech, amplification and DSPs) has come today!
I would recommend you review the JBL L75MS with their associated subwoofer (L10cs) It looks fantastic and while large, has some great imaging. The sub is a must in my opinion to relieve congestion. It's Roon ready which I personally find beneficial. However, the included phono preamp is pretty good, but easily upgraded externally (I used a Parasound). For a system that has to live in a living room I don't thin it gets better without complications than this.
I use a couple of old vizio soundbars from around 2019 one is a 5.1.2 and the other is 5.1.4 and they sound great and have plenty of adjustments for sound. They work great for my smaller rooms. I haven't tried it in my living room but I'm sure it would be fine. Plus you can get them for a steal compared to new bars and you really won't be missing out on much.
How about a stereo setup with on wall speakers instead of a soundbar? I feel like these types of speakers are not getting enough attention on this channel. Housing is expensive and not everyone can afford a big living room with space to put tower speaker a good distance from the wall. So, how about on wall speakers? Hifi brands like Dali and Lyngdorf have a few models for sale (including expensive ones) that are on wall.
I find with my open space living room with no close walls to the sides because soundbars rely on bouncing off walls the 3d bubble of my ht a7000 doesn't sound as good .
The thing with everyone hating on the A7000 is that they havent heard it post 2021/2022 updates... The A7000 is miles better now than what it was at release... I currently own the A7000 with the SW3 sub and it is nothing short of amazing. Ive previously owned the LG SK10Y, samsung Q950T, samsung Q800A and Harman kardon multibeam 1100 with sub and the A7000 with sub is the far superior system... Yes it was insanely expensive at lauch, just like the new bar 9 and i dont think they're worth that price but if you can get them at a discount its a great purchase. I got the A7000 for 850€ and sw3 for 250€ and for that amount of money its a steal
thanks for answering my questions and of course thanks Kristi for seeing it) subscribed and liked 👍 p.s. just shocking how Bose that has at least 4 year old tech with ultra set up has better sound quality then everything else. I hope its not better then the quad tho haha
Another really interesting unplugged conversation. Great watch. The improvements with the Bar 9 from previous Sony iterations is interesting to hear. I’m a big Sony fan in the TV space (pretty much all I’ll buy), but I inevitably ended up with the Samsung Q990C when it came to the crunch. With regular sales it’s too competitive compared to Bose, which was my first choice, and as much as I love Sonos, which is scattered throughout my house, including a Beam 2 in our bedroom, the Arc is too restrictive from a connectivity perspective, it’s very reliant on the TV it’s connected with to maximize its capabilities. I’m typically reluctant to give Samsung my money, mostly on the basis that their after sales service is atrocious, at least in Australia, but the Q990C (or Q990D as the latest iteration now) just offers too much value to have passed up.
This sounds more like instead of buying the bravia 9 soundbar, just buy the HT-A7000 with the SA-RS5 and the SA-SW5. If you want the bravia 9, buy it as a standalone soundbar. Have you looked at the new LG soundbar yet? I'm definitely looking for an all the round soundbar, not just a dedicated soundbar. Like Sony, just for movies and TV shows. I definitely listen to music.
I was under the same perception about sound bars. That they were just a cheap tinny substitute for a real surround system. But that's because my introduction to them was through cheap $100 Walmart specials. Then I heard a Yamaha YSP 800 with a matching subwoofer. That really changed my perception. I think that most people's introductions to soundbars was about the same.
Here is what I didn't get your talking smack on a 12-$1400 soundbar. I have a budget 5.1 system that I spent about 6-700 total on including the Yamaha amp I have and I have no issues like you stated with the Bravia soundbar. Now I know my setup is far from the best but way more economical and sounds better from what you have said. Also why would you go from 100k equipment to soundbars when you can get a quality budget system for half the cost of what a so called high end soundbar costs and most likely performs as good as if not better than so called high end soundbar setups? Esp if money was the reason why you switched to soundbars. Basically I think my budget 5.1 system is just as good if not better than most soundbar systems costing 2-3xs more than what I spent. To me it just boggles my mind why people are spending more to get less than or the same value as they could get with a budget true 5.1 system at half (or more than half) the cost.
I had a Sony STR-DH590 5.2 receiver hooked up to a 5.1 system my dad gave me. I think the sub is broken because I get some sound out of it but it's like it never fully turns on. I put this system away and got my Roku surround set up out again. I think for me, I just was happier with not having the wiring and I wanted an overall smaller footprint. No doubt that speakers sound better. But I think you can be perfectly happy with a soundbar setup.
Don't really understand the hate on soundbars. I use the Samsung hw-q6b + SWA-9200 and its a really good system. I recently bought expensive towers and although they sound really good the difference from going from soundbar to tower speakers isn't that drastic when compared to going from tv speakers to a soundbar.
@@txerapng It's been one problem after another. Plaster was applied without a key ingredient to keep it from drying too fast that some areas of the pool look like a car or house from The Flinstones (cartoon) because the team couldn't shape it (trowel) fast enough before it set. We're going to have to redo the entire spa for sure. It's a mess.
Hello, I was researching sound bar, but I have an unrelated question ... what audio equipiment do you use to record? Your videos' audio sounds very clear and plesant!
I have no idea how you can say that a person would not notice the difference between a sound bar and a two channel system or surround system. I thought you were on some thing because I heard a pretty decent sound bar that was OK but I just went over to my friends house and he got a new LG sound bar Dolby Atmos whatever you wanna call it in the thousand dollar price range and it sounded so tiny and reminded me exactly what you said of those tiny little Bose speakers did it sound bad no but could I tell it was as small as it looked yes and now I’m at my house with my arendal 1723 and it just sounds like a wall of sound so for those interested in the difference I would not say to believe you’re gonna get awesome sound out of the sound bar I appreciate your videos though
In the store I go to they had the Bar 9 , A9 and Quad set up to compare and listen to. The A9 costs as much as the bar 9 btw, that blows my mind... Anyway, Unfortunately they didn't have the music I usually listen to for reference in the store so I had to compare Taylor Swift live on Disney+ which imho sounds great and supports surround. The A9 and Quad sounded amazing but the Bar 9 sounded hollow in comparison. Sony is crazy to charge as much as the A9 for the bar 9
Great follow up review as usual Andrew, and Kristi - actually I was worried that I made a mistake in buying the Quad with sw5… in that maybe I should have bought the Bar 9! Waited to see if you were gonna review it… but after a failed Dragon delivery (ups refused to wheel the big ass box up my driveway) I decided screw it, gonna install the Quads on our walls and be happy with it! Then like magic a few days later you guys review the Bar 9 - so glad I didn’t wait! That said - beyond happy with the results of the Quad (though a 2nd sw5 would be killer). All in all grateful for the work you two put into your reviews and banter… beyond amazing!!!
Refused to deliver? Wow. Is it that big/heavy? At any rate, I'm glad you are enjoying the Quad! Kristi and I sincerely appreciate the kind contribution.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews yeah it’s recorded at 149 pounds one box. But the driver said it’s got to be over 160 pounds … it is a steep driveway. But any event I’m thinking it was a blessing in disguise. I suspect the Sony will have a better life span. And it’s really impressive IMHO.
I’m going to do a passive Martin Logan L/C/R soundbar under an 83” Sony Oled and a sub in my media room. For most TV watching that’s more than enough and I can still add surrounds and heights later since my room is pre-wired. I’ve yet to hear a sound bar that does everything well.
Totally agree, perception and expectation is 80% of what we believe we hear... but soundbars, really???? Come on... OK depends on what soundbar, but I've tried it with a bluesound pulse, but didn't even get close to impressing me, and also my wife said, though pleased how it looked, but no thank you
I would really love to know what kind of DSP wizardry is going on with these products because it is achieving some great things, I have heard great speakers that when their DPS is disabled/bypassed, sound horrible in comparison. The fact that they are using the surrounds to shift the center image around twists my mind, actually.
Perception being reality seems to play here as well as I’ve experienced with wine… it’s fun to mess with the “snobs”… (I _love_ my Samsung Q990B w/AppleTV4K and PS5 and have impressed many, even though I have McIntosh > 300B > Klipsch Cornwall IVs as my main system)
I would love to see how something like the discontinued Yamaha ysp5600 stands up against these newer soundbars? That thing was a weird beast of a bar. It's the only soundbar I've ever heard, and certainly wasn't set up properly and was in a totally "soundbar unfriendly" room.
The closest I have come to thinking about a soundbar was to accompany my computer monitor. I never did end up with one but today, I have one room that I am tying to "force fit" a decent AV set up. I would be curious to see how you folks would rate some of the passive soundbars like GoldenEar's offering.
Soundbars are purely a replacement of when a tv was a box and there was depth and scope to have a decent speaker in said box. But TVs didn't so we bought awesome hi-fi and really the quality of VHS etc wasn't that great but we knew no better and were impressed, yet if you wanted a great experience you went to the cinema. Now TVs are impressively thin, it's the only way to have non phone speaker sound. My Sennheiser (thanks to the review here) is amazing but no HiFi system however I have a dumb shaped living room that's open plan so it's the best of a situation. Otherwise it's tv speaker or speakers in the way with cables also in the way. Id do proper 7.1 HiFi any day over a soundbar!
I truly love Sony, but they're just never going to give up on that dream of hardware lock-in. It may work with the Quad because it's revolutionary, and you're courting customers who know buying the thing is the beginning of spending the $$$'s. The expectation for sound bars is it's all there and going to sound great with any tv out of the box.
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Soundbars don’t suck. They’re perfect for those who want one! Our living room isn’t very big and we separate out 2.1 system for music and our tv system. We don’t watch a lot of tv or movies, and tv speakers SUCK so we bought a Q800c. It’s sooooooooo good. I know you were joking, but the theater elite need to understand that a soundbar can absolutely rule for the right people. I love you guys! Keep it up!
Not to get too personal, but the story of your bankruptcy and hi-fi journey as far as what you’ve owned and what you’ve built up throughout the years would be pretty cool to hear.
soundbars dont suck if your a middle to low income person who cant afford or dont have the housing for fancy home set ups. so for most people soundbars are the only way to get pass crappy tv quality speakers.
You can always get a better speakers for the price for a premium soundbar.
Soundbar is only for ease of use
@@dante19890exactly people always throw away what a 2.1 system can really do is set up properly honestly you don't need all them species around you to get decent really good sound even better than any sound bars is capable of! At the same time that said I believe people fall for marketing gimmicks way too much
Why can't people accept that :
A) The placebo effect exist
B) They know far less than what they assume
*Stop buying things you don't need at a price you can't afford to impress people that don't care.*
That last one is some god-tier advice for sure.
@@KristiWrightquoting Tyler Durden, I love it
My experience with the Q990B from samsung has been just amazing. It doesnt take up space, has no cables across the room, really impressive movie and surround sound. I think soundbars can be the IDEAL for most people who want good sound without the huge HIFI budget or tech know-how. Would also add that every single person who ive shown it to has been very impressed.
100% agree! The 900 Series is fabulous.
Absolutely! I love that! My previous system was a Martin Logan motion 5.1 system with a marantz receiver and I’m more than happy with the performance of my Samsung soundbar!
@Embre2000 I got the Q990D recently and I must say, I love it! I had 5.1.2 setup via Denon AVR and some old Polk Audio RM series and a pair of TSi500 with a PSW505 and added atmos speakers. The size of everything was too much (purchased in my youth) and they could handle watts that my small livingroom and townhouse were never going to allow. So even tho I "downsized" in space, I feel like I upgraded in immersion. A 5.1.2 AVR to a 11.1.4 Soundbar was a huge game changer. And I own a 85" QM8, so no Q-symphony for me.
I purchased the Q910C late last year. I upgraded from the Yamaha 1070 Soundbar and I’m mad at myself for not upgrading sooner. The sound from the Q910C is phenomenal!! My movies and video games never sounded better.
@@TitanCrash630 Yeah, its incredible for gaming, punchy sound and power
I picked up the Bar 8 to pair with my 55” A95L (which has the best speakers of any tv). It’s amazing how much just the bar adds to the low end. They fixed the center sync hiss sound.
OK. I am going to be that guy, specifically because I know you (Andrew) are very particular in your use of the English language and I appreciate you for that. On the market = for sale. Imagine a tomato on a shelf in the produce section. In the market = looking to buy. Imagine you just walked into the corner store.
I always appreciate your professionalism and your integrity as well as your congenial attitude and presentation. That's for both of you.
Having worked in consumer electronics since the early 70's and experienced
the evolution of cinema sound in your home i have learned one thing, that you can
try all the fancy sound manipulations that you like, but to recreate even close to what
you hear in a cinema you have to move air, to do this with a seperates system is easy
with the right gear, trying to do the same within the driver limitations of a soundbar
is asking a lot, and too much when it comes to dolby atmos unless you have low
reflective ceilings.
You can only bend the law of physics to a point.
I disagree. If we knew exactly which parts of your brain to stimulate, we could have you hearing and feeling cinema theater without speakers.
All ears can be fooled. As the technology advances it becomes easier to fool and the pool of discerning ears that can be fooled expands.
@@HansAramburo Over 52 years of experience tells me that you can't change the laws of physics.
If yoo wish to be fooled then that is your choice.
@@Barbarapape they aren't changing the laws of physics. They are fooling our brains.
The technology today might not be able to fool your particular brain, but you might be in the 30 percent or lower with exceptional hearing and audio processing.
Imagine this. The TV of the future wirelessly sends the audio stream to the neurolink that you got with your Tesla.
The neurolink tickles the right parts of your brain and you will feel like an explosion went off behind you.
All without actual sound and still obeying the laws of physics.
@@Barbarapape That reminds me of an old saying... There's no replacement for displacement. Anyone who's compared a bookshelf to a floor standing speaker knows the difference... a speaker capable of going down to 20hz compared to 40hz are worlds apart.
@@ronmurphy4234 yeah but even cheap bookshelves paired with a sub can sound fairly decent.
"When you're ready to play with the big dogs" was hilarious good stuff Andrew and Kristi!
Thanks for standing up for team sound bar, Robinson!!!
You bet. Thanks for watching!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews This was fun!!!!
Great observations re soundbars, I went from Yamaha soundbar, which was awesome, to Dali/Marantz 7.1 setup. Is the setup better, sure. At 8 times the cost, it's not 8 times better! Buy what you can afford. Love the one you're with and all that.
Soundbars have their place. I have a Bose SB in my small vacation condo and it sounds great imo. But in my home I have a component system that I enjoy. Depends on your situation and needs.
Long time ago I switched my Yamaha receiver system for a Bose900 soundbar I was tired of cables everywhere, the soundbar alone in my opinion is not enough you need the hole system and what a difference and is wireless now I also have a Sonos system and is way better than Bose this two are more than ok for me and I don’t think soundbars sucks they are some of the best options right now
Toole said it best, “if you know what speakers are playing, I don’t care what you have to say about them”
He's not necessarily wrong. This is why Harman conducts true double-blind tests.
Me personally going from a 1799.00 sumsung soundbar to a 5.2.2 dedicated home theater is definitely a game changer 💯 but that’s just my humble opinion!!
The guy said he changed seating positions when he reran calibration. Wouldn’t that change the sound some? It makes sense that he was doing it more than once, he did it at the different seats.
1:36 Kristi, the laugh you pulled out of me with that one LOL
😁
"Fresh outa F's today"!😂 Lady, I'm using that phrase. Back to the episode today, I'm not sure why companies are selling things ala carte, especially sound bars. I know it's a money grab but if a sub or surrounds are needed for the best possible experience, INCLUDE THEM!
I have the Bose 600 sound bar based on your review and love it!
I am so happy the Bose is working out for you. The 600 is really good.
The retail price for the Beosound Stage has already went up since its initial release 4 years ago. The base model is now retailing for over 2,200 dollars. It’s a beautiful soundbar though in terms of design.
I think soundbars are a great alternative to speakers. I've friends who are excited to show their new tv and brag about how good the sound they've, more often then not they're just using the built in speakers. Don't get me wrong TV speakers today have improved a lot but I've learned to lower my expectations of what people's understanding of are. But every now and then some one gets a new soundbar and I'm blown away how much technology has improved
The big difference between a system and a sound bar is the convenience and cost... but it's like comparing a FLAC or AAC file to MP3, some people just can't tell the difference and are happy with the MP3... and that's fine.
I'll say this much: More people have "traditional systems" set up wrong and aren't experiencing the full performance their gear is capable of, whereas if they had bought a soundbar, they might have been closer to a more ideal experience. Food for thought.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I would agree with your assessment, but I bet when the train door fly's off the train and lands in the middle of your listening room in the Super 8 movie, the experience wouldn't be the same. I've never looked over at my wife and said "wow" using a sound bar.
Those who think soundbars suck have never actually compared the two, I think. Its just counter-intuitive to think that a compact smaller system can match a bigger separate system (at the same price), where is the trade-off of the smaller foot print? Until someone explains the science/engineering behind this reasoning they will not be convinced. i.e. the larger size and bigger amplifiers and whatnot only come in play at higher volumes?
Appreciate this video format guys. I’ve got the A7000,rs5,sw5 even after the less than stellar review on this channel.
It was certainly quirky out of the box, but almost all issues were resolved after updates, especially the rear volume level. Manual calibration of channel levels with a meter brought me to a sound which decisively beat the competition.
The one knock is that it took unreasonable amount of work and understanding of all options (sound modes, 360 on or off, auto volume, drc )to achieve fantastic results for varied use. It doesn’t beat my 2 channel system for music, but doesn’t fall that short.
The real issue is that you can get the 990c/d in Australia routinely for under $800 USD…. And that makes any Sony system an impossible recommendation to friends from pure value.
A7000 is a great speaker system. Bought two of them new on clearance when I discovered the terrible and ugly Bravia 9 was its replacement
After all updates for last two year the a7000 sounds pure awesome. I think for new bars need more time. But yes that not ok. For this price the software should be fine at start.
I still have my a7000 paired with my RS5 atmos rears and sw5 sub, and I still love the audio experience that full kit provides. To me it sounds full and immersive.
Maybe some people who purchase that product originally were either impatient or didn't do firmware updates or didn't calibrate or figure with the settings....
Everyone's experience is unique to themselves, but for me, no complaints on the complete a7000 kit.
I think it just comes down to your needs and what you are happy with. I have my Roku "5.1" setup and it does perfectly fine. It saves a lot of room vs my Sony AVR as well. The only real advantage the Sony AVR gives me is more HDMI ins.
I bought the A7000 with the SW5 and SR5's to pair with my Sony Bravia X95J after I spent quite a bit of time researching ,watching, and reading reviews. Seamless integration and sound settings with the tv was important to me. As with all my major purchases, I look at the Major Reviews and Articles on that product. Although Andrews article on the A7000 was before the SR5 surrounds came out, he advised to skip it, as the good outweighed the bad. His was the first review i read. After watching 3 Major UTube Reviews on the A7000 after the SR5's became available, one of them comparing with other soundbar systems, they all named the Sony the Best Complete Soundbar System. I had to go with the Majority Vote here, and the Sony system did not disappoint. It is for Movies, not Music. I have my Music Room for that. I'm a Fan of Andrew Robinson and Respect his Reviews, but look at other reviews/ reviewers if you really want to make an informed decision, as i almost took his advice and passed on the A7000.
I had the A7000 for all of 2 days before I returned it. It sounded AWFUL. Who knows, maybe some units are defective. Or, people have never heard actually good sounding systems as a comparison.
The sound while calibrating was excellent. After that, and after adjusting every single setting possible on all speakers and the sub, it sounded like an old car radio. To each their own. I did the same as you, and had the opposite reaction: "how in the world did all these people think this piece of crap actually sounds GOOD?".
@@Mr21scottYeah, Its So Odd the different owner experiences. Andrews review is the only negative one that i know of, while a majority of people have not had a positive experience with it. Go Figure. All i can tell people who still have it is to keep up with the updates, and play with the settings. Also, after each software update, recalibrate the system.
@@raygrajeda6694
I agree. I have that A5000 and after updates and recalibration it sounds even better and I was already pretty impressed with it. I've paired it with an sw3. The sw3 also sounds much better after the update and recalibration. Makes watching GOT and The Boys a real treat.
While I don't question the sound quality of many soundbars these days, psychologically I'm not yet ready to even consider them, if not for the "cheap" ones to just enhance the crappy built in speakers of so many TV's. Another issue is connectivity, I still use all of the physical media available and many of those bars do not have enough inputs and so "old fashion" 5.1, or more, with passive speakers, hefty sub and A/V receiver, are my preferred way.
I wanted a cleaner setup with a soundbar, but the compromise after a year was worth it. I wish I had invested with the receiver I wanted.
Your anecdote about using the Emotiva's ProLogic to "fake" 7.2 from a stereo signal entirely justifies the existence of Schiitt's Syn preamp. :)
A quality soundbar will equal an ok 3.1, not 5.1. No matter how hard it tries the separation and size of the speaker and the power of the amp amounts to a lot over a soundbar.
I will always recommend a soundbar (with sub of course) in a lot of situations over a full 3.1 or larger. If music is involved a soundbar is never an option.
Samsung Q990c is great, not a replacement for true surround but is good enough for the trade off of ease of use and price. Just depends on how particular the person is and how deep their pockets are that makes getting real surround over soundbar and rear setup. My pockets aren’t that deep so for me it’s definitely worth soundbar over a pro setup 🤷♂️
The 990C is fantastic! Thanks for watching!
I'm not at all against soundbars, but i have a question.
How low in price would you go with a soundbar? Because i think there's a lof of people that for whatever reason would not or cannot even spend $500.
Someone needs to set up a blind study soundbar vs home theater system test with a group of people to see if they can hear the difference in sound quality.
Preferably, the study shouldn't include grandpa or grandma who spent a good portion of their life in the military, concerts, construction, etc. without hearing protection.
The point is moot though. You can only cram so much into the tiny housing of a soundbar. Tower speakers are huge for a reason; box size, driver size and the amount of dampening material make a big difference on the quality and the volume of the sound coming out of the speaker.
Those variables are always going to be a limitation until we either figure out a new form of physics to produce sound or find an acoustic material equivalent of a room temperature super conductor that's capable of producing an infinite variations of sound exactly as we want.
Having listened to numerous soundbars I can say that the standard ones are horrible. The difference with my Denonx4000+2xKef Q55.1 is so big that most people can hear it right away.
It's possible there are good ones - but I'm not going out of my way to find those unicorns.
Sounds quality is good enough. What should be tested is having a dolby atmos demo play and see if they can tell which direction the sounds came from. It will be no contest with separate speakers.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I have been through a time period bereft of audio electronics. I was depressed about my perceived inability to do anything about it until 1994 when The Eagles released the DVD with DTS! My depression disappeared and I have not looked back. I have recommended sound bars to friends and family members. A friend of mine with a severe dialogue listening problem had spent up over $300 for a Yamaha soundbar with poor dialogue comprehension. A change to a company that specializes in his problem was the answer. The unit arrived and I set it up for and urged him to experiment until he was happy. I came by a month later and he was down the hall enjoying the music from his sound bar.
Bravia Quad + SW5 and you don't need any soundbars.
I have the q990b and love it but its still doesn't compete with separate channels. My first system was an early 2000s 7.1 1000watt full system and even tho it matrixed some 5.1 to 7.1 the panning still blow my sound bar out of the water. Even if you have a small space to work with I still dont recommend investing in a sound bar at all or if desperate get a cheap 5.1.I read a lot reddit posts and even joined a soundbar group. People had it in 11.1.4 modes and said it was better than standard even with dolby atmos. Whats proved to me some people can't tell ok standard that the sounds are coming from separate channels. They like the sound bubble affect which I didn't like and it also worse with stereo signals. Dolby prologic 2x is also better than my sound bar with stereo. I found an onkyo tx- sr703 receiver with full polk audio 125 speaker and 225 watt towers for 150 mainly for the speaker which I will slowly fase out since Im going with a Sony straz7000es. Already playing old games sound so much better with an old receiver with separate channels.
Only reason i avoid sonos and bose is the lack of DTS X 😢
I liove my bar 9 with a 2 yr old sony 65” Added the sub sw3 Amazing App is great You guys need a long walk
No kidding. These people need to get a life. 🙄🤡
I don't think they suck. The Roku one I have works well for my needs.
Of course some of them are great and suit a lot of peoples needs - only deranged audiophiles think they all suck - the kind of people who will convince themselves that they have magic ears that can hear differences that are beyond the ability for the human ear and brain to detect.
I just tested the soundbar 9 and quad. Somehow the 9 is much better than quad including bass surround and center voice.
I'm a big sound bar fan. My small living room has a JBL Bar5.1 surround. My basement has a Klipsch Cinema 600. I bought both from your recommendations. I'll likely upgrade to a $1K soundbar at some point in time. For now, I'm enjoying both of my sub $500 soundbars.
After trying many soundbars, not as many as you guys, I am convinced that much of the problem lies in the streaming service. I know that Prime sounds different that Netflix and different that Hulu on and on.
Yeah they boost the sound. Much louder on my Amazon music vs Apple Music
I 100% understand the market for $300-500 bars. Makes sense and if you move lots renting etc totally makes sense. But the new Q990d is $2200 here in Canada…. For that much you could easily build a far superior 7.1 system that will be future proof. Problem with soundbars is there tech will eventually be obsolete and then they are in the garbage. A avr with speakers will still be useful in 50 years.
I find it absolutely pointless to sell a solution piece meal when every item can’t be its own product and can only work when implemented with other products. If you can use the rears as WiFi / Bluetooth speaker they should be included with the bar. The sub having different items that it can interact with I would agree with it being sold seperate.
I have the 990c and it’s pretty great. Don’t leave the surrounds in the box 🙃.
@@ryanchappell5962 I also got the 990c and love it. Got a really good deal on it. I will upgrade to something better down the road (maybe the Sonny quad or something like that). As for now it’s all I need.
All i know is that when the SuperKitties rescue Wiggles, excellent clarity and tonal balance on my $549.99 ZVOX Z-Base 575 Single-Cabinet Surround sound System from 2009.😊
To your argument about Perception Andrew, back around 2011/12, Bose had a Television which projected sound to different spots in a room. Here in Maryland, they had a showroom and a theater room. The room resembled a very modest sized movie theater of approximately 9 rows depth by 8 rows wide. On the walls, they had these shelves that were covered with material resembling speakers. To any onlookers, you'd think there's a speaker there that's covered by material. The television had piping inside that projected sound to the locations in the room where these make believe speakers were. At the end of the presentation, while all were still listenening, one of their personnel would walk to each phantom speaker and remover the covering revealing there's no speaker in that spot, but that the television was projecting sound inot that location. Everyone left with the impression that David Copperfield had just turned a 747 airplane into an Elephant literally right before our eyes. So yes, what one thinks goes a long long way to what their actual experience will be like.
Thanks! You get what you pay for and sometimes things that stand on their own have to be really examined before purchase.
Kristi nailed it. The Samsung 990C (and 800C with supplied surrounds).
But why can't you recommend everyone to get the matching Samsung QD-OLED S90C or S90D 77".
Please Andrew review the Samsung experience in a living room Samsung QD-OLED S90C or D and a the matching Q Symphony soundbars. I went through the same sort of downsizing experience Andrew discussed (from a dedicated room with separates processors amplifiers in wall 9.2.4) to a small room with the Samsung QD OLED and Samsung Symphony soundbar and kept plugged in amazed. And could not stop watching. Mesmerized by the color fullness, richness vibrancy of the Samsung QD OLED of older and newer 4K content. Please give this TV another shake. Samsung changed the OLED world.
This is a great episode that highlights doing research before you drop 1k+ on something audio/video. We all know that Sony high end TV's are almost always well regarded and a safe bet. However, here we are a Sony $1k bar that presents real questions on value. These reviews are important. Thank you. That being said, 13 years ago after the divorce and all the nice audio gear got sold off, I didn't go vizio sound bar, but I was rocking some 20 year old no name bookshelf speakers with a $399 receiver until 4 years ago. Brother I was still rocking out on my sole couch, blankie, and a 48" 1080p tv sleeping on the couch. :D it's that audio journey that makes it fun. Lower end or high end. If you are happy, you are happy. o7
Dear Andrew and KristiI, I usually don't comment but I do watch all your reviews. I loved the review of the Bar 9 and this unplugged session and coming from 15+ years of being a hi-fi/home theatre nerd I agree with (mostly) all you said. I went from a Onkyo THX/KEF Eggs setup a few years back to the Sony HT ST5000 - yes, the one without surrounds and calibration - and I still love it. I do miss the rear effects a 5.1 system like the one I used to have gave me but the integration, ease of use, the envelopment in a world of sound (though mostly from heavy) that the now 7-year-old Sony bar gives me is awesome. Having listened to the A7000 and several other bars and feeling underwhelmed I am still happy with the dinosaur I have sitting below my TV. To me it feels like Sony at least went all in on its first Atmos bar (the ST5000) but then started slacking a little, not only soundwise but certainly also on build quality. Anyways, thanks for a great channel and keep 'em coming!
Good morning! So happy that I was actually able to watch the review before the Unplugged!!!
It definitely helps put things in context. Hope you're having a great start to your Friday, Leezah!
@@andrewrobinsonreviewsThanks Andrew! You too!
Hi Leezah!
@@andrewrobinsonreviewsOh, just to clarify, I always watch Unplugged after watching the review, but this time I was able to watch the review in time to watch Unplugged when it published!
@@KristiWright Hi Kristi!🥰
Sony will need to introduce a new subwoofer and surrounds with drivers to match the Bar 9 sonically to allow for better overall integration. You're not the only reviewer to downgrade the performance of the Bar 9 compared to the Theater Quad, even when using the optional subwoofer and surrounds with the Bar 9.
@@maxoverdrive8286 isn’t the quad like 2500 compare to the bar 9 at 1200
Isn't the idea of the soundbar that its a space saver and keeps the "Mrs" happy!?? I've got a 7.1 Quad speaker system in my lounge with a HUGE subwoofer!! But I'm not married!! 😉
That's such a played-out trope perpetuated by the hifi community.
What I mean is having super high expectations of a soundbar is a tad optimistic isn't it?
@@TheChrisleekay I think you have to keep everything in perspective, but it's possible to have high expectations for a soundbar because a lot of them are really good!
@@KristiWright Really Kristi?? I know buddy's who don't have floor-standers in their house because their better half won't let them!
@@TheChrisleekay It shouldn't be.
Although you slaughtered the sub mini in your review I found it to work really well with my arc, I guess room size plays a part
It's all about physics, really. Sound waves are denser at their origination point. If you have several speakers framed into the same structure then obviously they'll mix-up the audio frequencies.
Go individual speakers or go bust.
Hopefully my comments don't oversell the built-in speakers in the Bravia 9 TV and raises expectations to the point that it disappoints others, including you both Andrew and Kristi. 16:00 I'm simply saying the Bravia 9 TV's built-in speakers shouldn't be overlooked. I'll eventually connect the TV with my ONKYO RZ50 AVR setup...
If it needs a subwoofer, you have your answer but still can be cool... Just like I'm having a hard time thinking about replacing my Oppo 105 that just died yesterday after 11 years... Unless someone can still fix it, we had a power outage and it was plugged into a surge protector power bar and now i only get the red light, no more blue, no clicks, no working panel either.
I'm heartbroken 😂
Be careful if you buy old ones for 1000$ or more.
Good summer to you, great videos as always.
This is all so subjective! I am a big fan of what can be achieved from a "really good" sound bar. Having recently upgraded from an older Bose Cinemate series system to a new 900 series with 700 series surrounds with 2x 500 subs. With calibration, my sound is truly excellent! So many people only use the speakers in their TV set. So, we are the odd ones! We are chasing the cinematic experience. To put down anyone for liking a product which differs from your opinion is poor sportsmanship. There are so many products out there. That is why one should go to channels like this one for clarity. Keep up the good word!
Another reason someone might run the auto calibration more than once is because they discovered that running it multiple times yields different results. Some people might find that disturbing that the auto calibration is inconsistent, therefore not reliable.
That's possible, I guess.
I'm not convinced they suck. They certainly sound better than built-in TV speakers. I think for me, it was a matter of wanting minimal wiring and something with an overall smaller footprint. I have the Roku Streambar Pro with the wireless sub and two wireless speakers. I am pretty happy with how it sounds in my den.
The issue is that if you have to pay $1500 to have something better than the speakers - that's already close to a scam. Many systems on the marketplace have added subs or rears at almost half the price.
@@edisonl1756 I think for my Roku system, the total was right around $400 (I got a couple of the items on sale). I have the Roku Streambar Pro, 2 wireless speakers and the wireless sub. I think it sounds pretty nice. I have a Sony AVR and 5.1 system. I think the subwoofer is broken though because my AVR never activates it. That 5.1 is a fairly old Phillips/Magnavox one that came with an old receiver my dad gave me. The AVR isn't bad other than the calibration software isn't as good as Denon's. It does take up a lot of room though.
Thanks guys for your thorough insights of the Sony's Bar 9.. I really do believe what you're saying on the bar's caveats..
I think i can live with those sounding flaws as long the connections and the seamless integration with the TV can live up to the hype.
Besides I don't own a soundbar ever! So this will be my first cherry getting popped, & I can't wait for the prices to drop down.
Sadly, there aren't many systems like Bar9 or 8 & SA-RS5 (excluding SW5) that has a simplistic good looks. The Samsungs or LG's of the world is somewhat (boring) disappointing. Maybe B&O, but that's another discussion for now 🙂
Given your appreciation for soundbars how far up range would you say that the Sonos Arc w/ 2 subs and the Era300 rears can compete - compared to a traditional receiver 7.2.4 setup or - for ease of comparison - the 5.1 setup?
Are we on level with NAD M-series with B&W 600-series (or similar - forgive the specificity, as it was the system I had before kids)? Higher? If yes, how much higher would you say they were on par or better?
Given the imminent arrival of the Arc2 with expected Mayht technology on board, I expect the bar is about to be raised a little higher.
I really appreciate the videos you guy bring to us with very informative information
I just love these discussions, thank you so much 😊
Love my Samsung Q990B, still gets the most use in my house which includes a variety of hifi equipment (Rotel, Klipsch RF7III, Focal Kanta 2, Polk R500, etc.)
What are people's thoughts on passive soundbars? So many of the soundbars I see have the processing and amplification internally (probably for ease of use and cost), but I wonder how a passive system like the Kef 8003 compare to traditional soundbars and a traditional 3.1 system.
Hey guys, could you do a video putting together the best multi-room systems for under $10k? I have in mind a system with the b&w formation duo + sub + a pair of formation flex + maybe a formation wedge to cover most of my apartment. Alternatively I thought of the KEF LS 60 + two pairs of LSX II, but I don’t know how easy it would be to turn rooms on\off in a system like that or to play different music in two rooms, for example. Also there are some rooms where I may prefer to have a single speaker as mono, is that possible with the LSX II? Or would you rather build a system with a streamer and a pair of passive speakers + some smaller active speakers in the rest of the apartment? A video like this would be super helpful, also reviewing specifically whether there are connectivity issues with wireless speakers, not only sound quality, price, etc. thank you.
I'd love to make a blind test of soundbars vs proper 5.1 speaker setups with you guys! Back in the 2000s, I tested a couple of Bose sets (1.500 €+ and more) and was kind of underwhelmed. I'm curious how far technology (speaker tech, amplification and DSPs) has come today!
Not far enough as far as I'm concerned. Physics remain an issue.
I would recommend you review the JBL L75MS with their associated subwoofer (L10cs) It looks fantastic and while large, has some great imaging. The sub is a must in my opinion to relieve congestion. It's Roon ready which I personally find beneficial. However, the included phono preamp is pretty good, but easily upgraded externally (I used a Parasound). For a system that has to live in a living room I don't thin it gets better without complications than this.
I use a couple of old vizio soundbars from around 2019 one is a 5.1.2 and the other is 5.1.4 and they sound great and have plenty of adjustments for sound. They work great for my smaller rooms. I haven't tried it in my living room but I'm sure it would be fine. Plus you can get them for a steal compared to new bars and you really won't be missing out on much.
How about a stereo setup with on wall speakers instead of a soundbar? I feel like these types of speakers are not getting enough attention on this channel. Housing is expensive and not everyone can afford a big living room with space to put tower speaker a good distance from the wall. So, how about on wall speakers? Hifi brands like Dali and Lyngdorf have a few models for sale (including expensive ones) that are on wall.
I find with my open space living room with no close walls to the sides because soundbars rely on bouncing off walls the 3d bubble of my ht a7000 doesn't sound as good .
The thing with everyone hating on the A7000 is that they havent heard it post 2021/2022 updates... The A7000 is miles better now than what it was at release... I currently own the A7000 with the SW3 sub and it is nothing short of amazing. Ive previously owned the LG SK10Y, samsung Q950T, samsung Q800A and Harman kardon multibeam 1100 with sub and the A7000 with sub is the far superior system... Yes it was insanely expensive at lauch, just like the new bar 9 and i dont think they're worth that price but if you can get them at a discount its a great purchase. I got the A7000 for 850€ and sw3 for 250€ and for that amount of money its a steal
What was your impression of the harmon kardon multibeam 1100?
@@TheMerlin1984 it Honestly was great! Just had some unfortunate drop outs with the subwoofer :/ but sound was up there with the best
thanks for answering my questions and of course thanks Kristi for seeing it) subscribed and liked 👍
p.s. just shocking how Bose that has at least 4 year old tech with ultra set up has better sound quality then everything else. I hope its not better then the quad tho haha
Another really interesting unplugged conversation. Great watch.
The improvements with the Bar 9 from previous Sony iterations is interesting to hear. I’m a big Sony fan in the TV space (pretty much all I’ll buy), but I inevitably ended up with the Samsung Q990C when it came to the crunch. With regular sales it’s too competitive compared to Bose, which was my first choice, and as much as I love Sonos, which is scattered throughout my house, including a Beam 2 in our bedroom, the Arc is too restrictive from a connectivity perspective, it’s very reliant on the TV it’s connected with to maximize its capabilities.
I’m typically reluctant to give Samsung my money, mostly on the basis that their after sales service is atrocious, at least in Australia, but the Q990C (or Q990D as the latest iteration now) just offers too much value to have passed up.
Nice summation. I don’t even look at names like Sony or Yamaha anymore. The market is too big when value hunting. Great play by play guys.
This sounds more like instead of buying the bravia 9 soundbar, just buy the HT-A7000 with the SA-RS5 and the SA-SW5. If you want the bravia 9, buy it as a standalone soundbar. Have you looked at the new LG soundbar yet? I'm definitely looking for an all the round soundbar, not just a dedicated soundbar. Like Sony, just for movies and TV shows. I definitely listen to music.
Afternoon Andrew, Kristi & Kadie👍👍👍
Good morning KJ! Hope your Friday is off to a great start!
Hey KJ.
I was under the same perception about sound bars. That they were just a cheap tinny substitute for a real surround system. But that's because my introduction to them was through cheap $100 Walmart specials. Then I heard a Yamaha YSP 800 with a matching subwoofer. That really changed my perception. I think that most people's introductions to soundbars was about the same.
Here is what I didn't get your talking smack on a 12-$1400 soundbar. I have a budget 5.1 system that I spent about 6-700 total on including the Yamaha amp I have and I have no issues like you stated with the Bravia soundbar. Now I know my setup is far from the best but way more economical and sounds better from what you have said. Also why would you go from 100k equipment to soundbars when you can get a quality budget system for half the cost of what a so called high end soundbar costs and most likely performs as good as if not better than so called high end soundbar setups? Esp if money was the reason why you switched to soundbars. Basically I think my budget 5.1 system is just as good if not better than most soundbar systems costing 2-3xs more than what I spent. To me it just boggles my mind why people are spending more to get less than or the same value as they could get with a budget true 5.1 system at half (or more than half) the cost.
I had a Sony STR-DH590 5.2 receiver hooked up to a 5.1 system my dad gave me. I think the sub is broken because I get some sound out of it but it's like it never fully turns on. I put this system away and got my Roku surround set up out again. I think for me, I just was happier with not having the wiring and I wanted an overall smaller footprint. No doubt that speakers sound better. But I think you can be perfectly happy with a soundbar setup.
Happy Friday you two ✌️
Same to you!
Don't really understand the hate on soundbars. I use the Samsung hw-q6b + SWA-9200 and its a really good system. I recently bought expensive towers and although they sound really good the difference from going from soundbar to tower speakers isn't that drastic when compared to going from tv speakers to a soundbar.
Great Friday everyone!!
Happy Friday to you!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I heard from a little bird, that the pool is getting together, is it true?
Hello!
@@txerapng It's been one problem after another. Plaster was applied without a key ingredient to keep it from drying too fast that some areas of the pool look like a car or house from The Flinstones (cartoon) because the team couldn't shape it (trowel) fast enough before it set. We're going to have to redo the entire spa for sure. It's a mess.
@@KristiWright oh my god, honestly sounds like the team is always messing up! Stay strong !! Hope you won’t have to pay for their mistake!
Hello, I was researching sound bar, but I have an unrelated question ... what audio equipiment do you use to record? Your videos' audio sounds very clear and plesant!
I have no idea how you can say that a person would not notice the difference between a sound bar and a two channel system or surround system. I thought you were on some thing because I heard a pretty decent sound bar that was OK but I just went over to my friends house and he got a new LG sound bar Dolby Atmos whatever you wanna call it in the thousand dollar price range and it sounded so tiny and reminded me exactly what you said of those tiny little Bose speakers did it sound bad no but could I tell it was as small as it looked yes and now I’m at my house with my arendal 1723 and it just sounds like a wall of sound so for those interested in the difference I would not say to believe you’re gonna get awesome sound out of the sound bar I appreciate your videos though
In the store I go to they had the Bar 9 , A9 and Quad set up to compare and listen to.
The A9 costs as much as the bar 9 btw, that blows my mind...
Anyway,
Unfortunately they didn't have the music I usually listen to for reference in the store so I had to compare Taylor Swift live on Disney+ which imho sounds great and supports surround.
The A9 and Quad sounded amazing but the Bar 9 sounded hollow in comparison.
Sony is crazy to charge as much as the A9 for the bar 9
Great follow up review as usual Andrew, and Kristi - actually I was worried that I made a mistake in buying the Quad with sw5… in that maybe I should have bought the Bar 9! Waited to see if you were gonna review it… but after a failed Dragon delivery (ups refused to wheel the big ass box up my driveway) I decided screw it, gonna install the Quads on our walls and be happy with it! Then like magic a few days later you guys review the Bar 9 - so glad I didn’t wait! That said - beyond happy with the results of the Quad (though a 2nd sw5 would be killer).
All in all grateful for the work you two put into your reviews and banter… beyond amazing!!!
Refused to deliver? Wow. Is it that big/heavy? At any rate, I'm glad you are enjoying the Quad! Kristi and I sincerely appreciate the kind contribution.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews yeah it’s recorded at 149 pounds one box. But the driver said it’s got to be over 160 pounds … it is a steep driveway. But any event I’m thinking it was a blessing in disguise. I suspect the Sony will have a better life span. And it’s really impressive IMHO.
I’m going to do a passive Martin Logan L/C/R soundbar under an 83” Sony Oled and a sub in my media room. For most TV watching that’s more than enough and I can still add surrounds and heights later since my room is pre-wired. I’ve yet to hear a sound bar that does everything well.
Totally agree, perception and expectation is 80% of what we believe we hear... but soundbars, really???? Come on... OK depends on what soundbar, but I've tried it with a bluesound pulse, but didn't even get close to impressing me, and also my wife said, though pleased how it looked, but no thank you
I would really love to know what kind of DSP wizardry is going on with these products because it is achieving some great things, I have heard great speakers that when their DPS is disabled/bypassed, sound horrible in comparison. The fact that they are using the surrounds to shift the center image around twists my mind, actually.
Still have the McIntosh gear are you going to review them?
We will be reviewing the McIntosh equipment soon.
Perception being reality seems to play here as well as I’ve experienced with wine… it’s fun to mess with the “snobs”… (I _love_ my Samsung Q990B w/AppleTV4K and PS5 and have impressed many, even though I have McIntosh > 300B > Klipsch Cornwall IVs as my main system)
I would love to see how something like the discontinued Yamaha ysp5600 stands up against these newer soundbars? That thing was a weird beast of a bar. It's the only soundbar I've ever heard, and certainly wasn't set up properly and was in a totally "soundbar unfriendly" room.
Audiofile still thinks this early 2010s with soundbar technology and times have changed
The closest I have come to thinking about a soundbar was to accompany my computer monitor. I never did end up with one but today, I have one room that I am tying to "force fit" a decent AV set up. I would be curious to see how you folks would rate some of the passive soundbars like GoldenEar's offering.
When it comes to passive bars, we really enjoyed the Klipsch Heritage bar which we reviewed here: ruclips.net/video/kiZAGsCShyM/видео.html
Soundbars are purely a replacement of when a tv was a box and there was depth and scope to have a decent speaker in said box. But TVs didn't so we bought awesome hi-fi and really the quality of VHS etc wasn't that great but we knew no better and were impressed, yet if you wanted a great experience you went to the cinema. Now TVs are impressively thin, it's the only way to have non phone speaker sound. My Sennheiser (thanks to the review here) is amazing but no HiFi system however I have a dumb shaped living room that's open plan so it's the best of a situation. Otherwise it's tv speaker or speakers in the way with cables also in the way. Id do proper 7.1 HiFi any day over a soundbar!
Idk Soundbars sucks ? U have to try out Bose Smart Ultra. It's amazing
Agree!
I truly love Sony, but they're just never going to give up on that dream of hardware lock-in. It may work with the Quad because it's revolutionary, and you're courting customers who know buying the thing is the beginning of spending the $$$'s. The expectation for sound bars is it's all there and going to sound great with any tv out of the box.
Nah it will sound just ok and you can put together an equal or better true 5.1 for less money than most halfway ok soundbars cost