Need a soundbar, NOW !

Giallo Corsa

Giallo Corsa

Member
Gents, after almost 3 years with my LG C2's horrible and tinny sounding speakers I just can't anymore - Amazon spring sales are ending on Sunday and I've been searching like a mad man for the last 3-4 days and I've reached the point where I need some guidance.

Just a heads up :

- DO NOT RECCOMEND ME 600-800-1000+ €/$ SOUNDBARS, MY BUDGET IS 250-300€ TOPS.
- DO NOT RECCOMEND ME AN AV AMP+ SPEAKERS, I KNOW THEY'RE BETTER BUT I DON'T HAVE THE SPACE FOR THAT ANYMORE.
- DO NOT TRY TO SCHOOL ME ON HOW OR WHY SOUNDBARS ARE SHIT, I KNOW.
- DO NOT TRY TO SCHOOL ME ON HOW SHITTY DOLBY ATMOS AND/OR HOW FAKE IT IS ON THEM, I WANT THE UP-FIRING SPEAKERS

Now that everything is bolded and i got your attention (hopefully) :

There are - in fact - soundbars in the 250-300 Eurodollars price range that feature Atmos/DTS:X support and an eARC connection AND up-firing speakers, so far my choices are :

- DENON DHT-S218

- Sharp HT-SB700 - bit on the smaller side but supports Atmos and has 2 up-firing speakers and is apparently pretty good.

- LG S70TY - 1 up-firing speaker, supports both Atmos/DTS:X

- LG S60Q - doesn't feature up-firing speakers but supports Atmos etc, plus, it's dirt-cheap (150€).

- Samsung HW-Q700D

- Samsung HW-Q600C

Now, here's the thing, if i get the same brand soundbar as my TV's, there's some neat features like EQ'ing/fiddling with it via my TV's OS and the synchronized play between them like WOW orchestra (LG), Q symphony (Samsung) etc - thing is, i've been reading that it's a gimmicky feature since the sound becomes...worse compared than actually using only the soundbar ? I don't fookin' know...some say it's worse, others say it's a nice feature to have.
I've been also reading that LG isn't that good when it comes to soundbars compared to Samsung etc but, i'd like the bonus extra synergy features.

What i need the most though is good (better than my shitty TV speakers that is) sound and i don't know which would be the right option in this case since all the bars i mentioned are pretty much in the same price range.
Are the benefits of getting a same brand soundbar worth it due to the extra options/synergy between them or would it be better to get a different soundbar brand if that has better sound ?
Are "all in one" bars shitty ? It's gonna save me some space in that case since space is kinda limited even for a woofer.

Now, if anyone has any insight about the above soundbars i'm all ears, i'm also open to other recommendations but they have to be within the aforementioned budget (250-300€).

Help a guy, will you ?

Much appareciated boys
 
Last edited:
All these heads ups and still posted in the wrong forum if you ask me.

Given what you are coming from and which you survived for 3 years every single one will be a significant upgrade.

OP, if it is convincing you are after, there you go.
 
You're the most well-informed soundbar enthusiast on the internet judging by the OP. I truly think you set the record for soundbar research depth. The entire point of soundbars is not doing research. It's why they exist. Just get some powered Swan bookshelf speakers from Amazon and let out a sigh of relief that you didn't buy a soundbar.
 
Last edited:
 
I wouldn't recommend getting one without a sub.

Maybe try looking for a refurbished sony htz9f, could well be in budget considering they first released in 2019.
 
simpatico said:
You're the most well-informed soundbar enthusiast on the internet judging by the OP. I truly think you set the record for soundbar research depth. The entire point of soundbars is not doing research. It's why they exist. Just get some powered Swan bookshelf speakers from Amazon and let out a sigh of relief that you didn't buy a soundbar.
Click to expand...

Simp, i could do without the snarkiness man.
I could explain on why i can't in fact use bookshelf speakers with my set up but...


Space is of the essence, hence the soundbar.

PS : i wrote in caps, i used bold characters and yet, there always has to be that one person - imagine if i didn't do that ;)
 
willothedog said:
Nakamichi Dragon 11.4.6
Click to expand...
577HYoLf5Vu0w.webp
 
I am kind of in the same boat and have been looking for a dirt cheap soundbar with up firing atmos speakers.

Ended up settling on a Philips 3.1.2 B8905 sound bar for $111 at Wal-mart for now. Comes with a wireless sub and the bar itself has 8 speakers. The reviews on it suggest the lower midrange is a bit thin and the sub bass is too boomy but the atmos on it pretty good. Ideally I'd like something like the Vizio Elevate SE but I can probably wait for sale.
 
IMO, there's zero reason to worry about upfiring ATMOS speaker until you first get a 5.1 setup.

All the "magic" beam forming, etc pales in comparison to real rear speakers. You first want sound all around you before height audio becomes an issue. If you are sitting on a couch against a wall, then have the speakers on stands on either end firing at you. You can also angle them slightly against the wall for a slight bounce but that's a direct angle versus the soundbar trying to make recreate that effect for you.
 
Sound bars are handy. They are a cheap way to make a big upgrade on tv speakers which are usually trash. Why not just head to your Costco and grab one of theirs? If it's cruddy you can easily return.
 
I'm using a Sonos Beam with my LG OLED and it's been great. Can't fault it and not overly expensive either. The Arc is so much more expensive and bigger which put me off that one.
 
I'm not sure what country your in, but the UK Amazon had this for 170 pounds. It might be on sale for you. It's a 5.1.2 system so it has real rear speakers as well as side firing tweaters on the soundbar itself which might make it sound closer to a 7.1 system.

It has the height speakers you want, the sound probably won't be amazing but it should be a big step up from your TV speakers.

Hiwill 5.1.2CH Dolby Atmos
https://www.amazon.it/Hiwill-subwoofer-altoparlanti-posteriori-side-firing/dp/B0DPKBVNK1
 
Bought a samsung sound bar years ago that comes with subwoofer and two wireless small back speakers. About $350 CDN. Good enough for me.
 
Certinty said:
I'm using a Sonos Beam with my LG OLED and it's been great. Can't fault it and not overly expensive either. The Arc is so much more expensive and bigger which put me off that one.
Click to expand...

I love my Arc and overall my Sonos setup, but I just can't recommend it anymore. They fucked up the app so badly that I am still using the old one and haven't updated to the new version. And the direction their company is headed in... it does not inspire a lot of confidence right now. If they can correct course, I'd absolutely recommend it again, but not unless you get a killer deal on them right now and don't need to deal with the new app (unlikely).
 
I'm using the Samsung HT650 3.1 ,OP , check it out

The extra channel is handy so that voice is louder for certain movies not normalized into stereo. It works pretty well with DTS

Other than that , audio quality and bass sounds decent and connectivity is great with HDMI-cec or Optical. It's a setup I used in living room , for real listening I have Wharfedale speaker setup for my own gaming setup 😜
 
Last edited:
Jesus christ, you are buying $200 soundbar, most of large brands will be perfectly fine, theres no need for something like this topic.
 
In case anyone's interested/is looking at soundbar options :

Got both the LG S70TY (2024 model) and the Sharp HTSB700 (2024 model) and :

LG S70TY : It's a 3.1.1 system (1 up-firing speaker) and out of the box the sound quality is mediocre (almost disappointing).
Updated the FW via LG thinq App, adjusted the trebble, bass, sound woofer level and up-firing speaker's volume and now it's more than OK, not mind-blowing or anything but still much better than my C2's G'awful speakers.
Problem is that at lower volume levels, the sound remains kind of "flat" - you really have to pump that volume up for The Soundbar to come "alive", something which, for my apartment and living conditions is not feasible since even when putting the volume at 15 (out of 100) the bass starts shaking the walls.
Lots of presets to choose from, dialogues are VERY clear, supports ALL newer sound formats like Atmos and DTSX and its passthrough supports Dolby vision/VRR at 4K/120Hz.
All in all, for 249€ I can't ask for more.

Sharp HTSB700 : Man, this all in one small soundbar is just wonderful, it's a 3.0.2 system (2 up-firing speakers) and the spatial sound really is something with this one - it's better than the LG's for sure.
The 2 up-firing speakers put some real work, the bass is good (for a woofer less soundbar), highs and mids are good, it's nice , compact and sits well on a desk - IMO it's a very good choice for desk/PC setups.
Unfortunately, when things seem too good to be true it's because they are: there's no app control whatsoever, FW updates can only be done via...USB (lol) but...there's no FW update available which the soundbar is in dire need of since from its lowest "I can't hear shit" volume setting, the output jumps drastically just by pressing once in the volume up button - this obviously creates the problem where the sound is either too low or too high especially during late hours, now, if you don't live in a condo this isn't a problem but for all of those that do...yeah.
Also : it's doesn't support DTS nor Dolby vision, VRR etc via passthrough.
Basically, it lacks in the software/support side in all major categories BUT it sounds really nice, I'd still recommend it just for the nice spatial sound that it offers and for those with limited space (or PC setups), also, it can be found really cheap since it goes on discount often for 150-170 Eurodollars.

Cheers
 
Last edited:
I'm no audiophile by any means but I've been using The Vizio M 2.1 Soundbar for my LG C3 since I bought it and have had no complaints whatsoever. I think it meets all of your criteria. $200 at the moment.

Though, to be completely honest, for gaming specifically, I usually switch to headphones. That's a courtesy thing though, not a problem with the audio.
 
I still use my Samsung Q80R from 2019 (I think its 5.1.2). It has all features including eARC and Atmos passthrough. It works with the wireless SWA 9200s, they kind of lack volume though.

I have thought about replacing it a few times, but I can't. I love the subwoofer, the punch this thing packs.

So, i'd likely go Samsung Q series. If they are still as good.
 
SkylineRKR said:
I still use my Samsung Q80R from 2019 (I think its 5.1.2). It has all features including eARC and Atmos passthrough. It works with the wireless SWA 9200s, they kind of lack volume though.

I have thought about replacing it a few times, but I can't. I love the subwoofer, the punch this thing packs.

So, i'd likely go Samsung Q series. If they are still as good.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Samsungs are apparently better than the LGs Sky - i went for an LG soundbar 'cause i have a C2 and i thought that the synergy between them would be a nice thing to have (WOW orchestra/being able to have an on-screen volume bar graphic/being able to select presets via my TVs menu) but, when it comes to the sound...i think i should have opted for a Samsung one...
Here's another thing though : the LGs (even the cheaper, midrange ones) support more formats than the Samsungs that are in the same price bracket, i mean, even the Q80 and Q930 (which are double+ the price of the LG S70TY) don't support 4K@120Hz via passthrough, nor Dolby vision or DTSX - you'd have to go for the Q990 which goes for...1000 Eurodollars, and at that (stupid) price, you might as well indeed go for an AV Amp + satellites combo.

This is my 1st soundbar and personally, i only got one for the space saving they offer and just to have better than my TV's speakers sound, this is why i'd never buy a 700-1000+ soundbar since at that price range - again - an AV amp combo is obviously better.
 
Here are some tested recommendations.

www.nytimes.com

The Best Soundbar

The Polk MagniFi Mini AX is the all-around best soundbar because of its big, immersive sound, small footprint, affordable cost, and easy operation.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll
Do you still need better graphics than we have now?
2
96
2K
Grildon Tundy replied
  • Poll
Valve doesn’t need to compete with Nintendo Switch 2 right now, suggests poll
Opinion News Hardware  2
80
2K
Signalis replied
Do Not Build a PC right now!
2
71
3K
rodrigolfp replied
No one gives a damn now
2 3 4 5
218
15K
daxgame replied
We need a GTA4 Remaster
2
67
3K
hououinkyouma00 replied
Top Bottom