Soundbar Options 2023/2024

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Handle9

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#3192052 7-Feb-2024 18:05

networkn:
So in the end I found a $1200 LG Soundbar going for $400 right after xmas that was a year old.

It's 9.1.3 and is absolutely much bigger than I thought/wanted, but it's plenty loud, is very decent for music, has WiFi and Bluetooth and loads of settings for all sorts of situations. It's better than what I had, but not home theatre quality and atmos is very average even in an high end product.

Sounds like a good solution for you.

I’m not really surprised about Atmos. It’s pretty hard to do bouncey Atmos unless you have a perfect room.

Enjoy.

networkn

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#3192115 7-Feb-2024 20:27

Tinkerisk:

Alright, but this should be an inexpensive improvement suggestion in case you already have a music system next to your TV. Of course, if you are only fixated on the plastic box under the TV, the best suggestion is useless. In my case, the combination of streamer, amplifier and speakers replaces the soundbar, plays Spotify (and own music) and connects to the desktop or iPad via Bluetooth - just like a soundbar - with excellent sound (which no simple soundbar is capable of) and at half the price you mentioned.

Well, maybe I've expected too much thinking. 🤔

Good grief, you can't be serious making a comment about too much thinking, continue to suggest a solution that doesn't cover the same basic functions as the one I asked for.

networkn

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#3192118 7-Feb-2024 20:32

Handle9:

Sounds like a good solution for you.

I’m not really surprised about Atmos. It’s pretty hard to do bouncey Atmos unless you have a perfect room.

Enjoy.

Yeah, we do have a bouncy room where this is (beach place) but yeah, I didn't really buy it for that.

Interestingly, the guy I bought it from never firmware updated it, and even after a fair while of messing with it, I couldn't get decent sound, factory resetting it fixed it, I have no idea what he was doing with it prior to me having it.

Annoyingly, the remote was faulty, so I have to sort another one, but given the value for money, I'm ok dropping $35 on a new remote.

The JBL Bar 500 was my second choice, I was going to get one new for $650, I was quite impressed with how much and how good the sound was for a box that small.

Handle9

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#3192123 7-Feb-2024 20:39

networkn:

Handle9:

Sounds like a good solution for you.

I’m not really surprised about Atmos. It’s pretty hard to do bouncey Atmos unless you have a perfect room.

Enjoy.

Yeah, we do have a bouncy room where this is (beach place) but yeah, I didn't really buy it for that.

Interestingly, the guy I bought it from never firmware updated it, and even after a fair while of messing with it, I couldn't get decent sound, factory resetting it fixed it, I have no idea what he was doing with it prior to me having it.

Annoyingly, the remote was faulty, so I have to sort another one, but given the value for money, I'm ok dropping $35 on a new remote.

The JBL Bar 500 was my second choice, I was going to get one new for $650, I was quite impressed with how much and how good the sound was for a box that small.

The JBL Bar 500 is loud and a quite bassy. I thought it was pretty good for what it was.

It was the other choice I looked at seriously a few years ago when we bought our Yamaha BAR400. The size of the sub put off Mrs Handle.

Tinkerisk

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#3192209 8-Feb-2024 01:12

networkn:

Good grief, you can't be serious making a comment about too much thinking, continue to suggest a solution that doesn't cover the same basic functions as the one I asked for.

Well, be happy with what you have. In any case, I replaced the Panasonic soundbar on the SmartTV and gained comprehensive functions including streaming from Spotify and my own music - for a fraction of what you paid. All the requested basic functions are covered, but you would need to have familiarised yourself with them.

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Handle9

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#3192210 8-Feb-2024 01:20

Tinkerisk:
networkn:

Good grief, you can't be serious making a comment about too much thinking, continue to suggest a solution that doesn't cover the same basic functions as the one I asked for.

Well, be happy with what you have. In any case, I replaced the Panasonic soundbar on the SmartTV and gained comprehensive functions including streaming from Spotify and my own music - for a fraction of what you paid. All the requested basic functions are covered, but you would need to have familiarised yourself with them.

Just stop. You’re not doing yourself any favours.

Tinkerisk

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#3192211 8-Feb-2024 02:46

Handle9:

Just stop. You’re not doing yourself any favours.

No? Then explain to me where I have not understood the problem? The device can do far more than just be a "streamer", as it has inputs for these functions. Your persistent insinuated answers only show that you have no clue what I'm talking about. I don't care what you put on your consumer boxes. But I do care if something is claimed out of the blue that has no basis in fact.

If you think you need to set guidelines what to think, you've clearly come to the wrong place with me.

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Handle9

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#3192212 8-Feb-2024 02:56

The budget was below NZ$500. It needed to include speakers, amplifiers, be compact enough to sit in front of the tv and optionally have streaming capability.

OP bought a soundbar for NZ$400 so paid less than the cost of the streamer you proposed which would have been useless to him as he had no way of playing anything from it.

You claimed you paid less than €225 for speakers, amplification and a streamer, which is clearly nonsense. That’s without you being personally insulting to the OP.

Tinkerisk

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#3192214 8-Feb-2024 02:58

Handle9: The budget was below NZ$500. It needed to include speakers, amplifiers, be compact enough to sit in front of the tv and optionally have streaming capability.

OP bought a soundbar for NZ$400 so paid less than the cost of the streamer you proposed which would have been useless to him as he had no way of playing anything from it.

You claimed you paid less than €225 for speakers, amplification and a streamer, which is clearly nonsense. That’s without you being personally insulting to the OP.

Do I need to explain what an alternative is? And what the word "if" I used to introduce my suggestion means? Seriously?

Handle9

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#3192216 8-Feb-2024 03:09

Your “alternative,” which met none of the criteria asked for, got rejected by OP as not solving his problem and then you started insulting him.

If you can’t understand how that makes you look then bad luck for you.

networkn

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#3192254 8-Feb-2024 09:02

Tinkerisk:

If you think you need to set guidelines what to think, you've clearly come to the wrong place with me.

Evidence seems to indicate otherwise.

You'd didn't provide a solution to the question being asked.

The title makes clear what I was asking for. My description also makes clear what I am looking for. A streamer without speakers, would be of ZERO use to me.

I didn't want a box and separate speakers, I wanted a recommendation on what I ASKED for.

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