A quality soundbar for a PC, cost <$1,000

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › A quality soundbar for a PC, cost <$1,000 - advice please

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Batman

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#1216805 18-Jan-2015 08:44

i agree with the wall mounting of your bookshelves. or building an extension to your table. or something creative

Sideface

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#1217194 18-Jan-2015 22:42

Thank you for all your responses.

The majority view is to avoid a soundbar, using stereo speakers instead (as I am now).
I have two suitable pairs of speakers to experiment with - the problem being where to put them.
Obviously brackets or stands will be required - wall fixing is not an option.
I'm going to try clamping a multi-monitor stand to the back of the desk, behind the monitor, to hold speakers on both sides of the screen at head level.
A lot cheaper than a soundbar, and it will probably sound better.
If it doesn't work, I will still have a useful monitor stand.

I'll let you know if it works!

Sideface

Batman

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#1217195 18-Jan-2015 22:44

Get a plank stick it on the desk fix both speakers on either side .. Physics balances them

TLD

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#1217237 18-Jan-2015 23:49

If you are listening to music and are going to be close to the speakers, then I'd agree with a previous answer. Use active studio monitors. When I looked into this, the go to makes were Tapco and Citronic. I went for five inch Tapco and an Aune X1 DAC.

Probably OTT for my application as computer speakers, as I never turn them up, but I have used them in a hall and they do go very loud while staying very clean.

I don't know a whole lot about sound bars, but my gut feeling is they are something of a gimmick compared to a decent set of speakers.

http://www.cnet.com/news/before-you-buy-a-sound-bar-speaker-read-this/

Trevor Dennis
Rapaura (near Blenheim)

Dunnersfella

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#1217889 19-Jan-2015 21:29

A class D amp and 2 x B&W M1 speakers - set to 'horizonal' (in the way they position them for centre speakers).
Failing that, finding a soundbar without a sub for the price you're considering is tricky.

ubernoob

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#1217921 19-Jan-2015 22:12

I just velcroed mine to the side of the tv, it's a 40 inch, so a 32inch monitor should work ?

Sideface

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#1220248 22-Jan-2015 17:05

Sideface: I'm going to try clamping a multi-monitor stand to the back of the desk, behind the monitor, to hold speakers on both sides of the screen at head level.
A lot cheaper than a soundbar, and it will probably sound better.
If it doesn't work, I will still have a useful monitor stand.

UPDATE

I tried a 3-monitor stand, with the Audioengine A2+ speakers on the two outer monitor mounts (modified), with the 32" monitor on the central mount.
Ugly As Sin.
I have discarded the side arms.
The plus side - the new central monitor stand clamps onto the back of the desk, and looks a lot better than the old free-standing one.
The original base (40cm wide x 20 cm deep) obscured too much of the glass desktop - now I can see the computer "thinking" again, which was why I bought the desk in the first place.
Back to the drawing board

Sideface

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