AC3, DTS, DD, ABCDEF, ACDC....

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xpd

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#261808 16-Dec-2019 14:18

SWMBO mentioned about getting a new TV soon (yay) but in truth it'll be "budget" such as a Veon (Heard good pic but sound crap), so Im going to try to swing in a sound bar as well, something semi-decent as we like our music and like to hear movies at a reasonable volume.

Current setup is an aging Samsung HTIAB system, and while it does have digital in (and have the Xbox connected), its not quite doing the job.

So looking at something similar to these.....

https://www.bose.co.nz/en_nz/products/speakers/home_theater/bose-solo-5-tv-sound-system.html#ProductTabs_tab1

https://www.polkaudio.com/products/signa-s2

But I'm fairly green when it comes to the sound specifications/standards around there days. 5.1 I understand, but then throw in AC3, DD, DTS, Atmos etc etc and thats where I start going a bit pale.

Most of our media is streamed from Plex, TVNZ Ondemand etc....

Our main issue is that a lot of stuff via Plex is fairly low in volume when played via the current setup, especially speech via the centre channel. Ive checked for sound tweaking options on the DVD player and there appears to be none. If I play a DVD, the sound is so much better.

So Im guessing its something along the lines of the format the video audio is presented, potentially something better than what the HTIAB can deal with...... so will one of the above help ?

Help ? :)

No rush, wont be looking until well into the new year :)

XPD / Gavin

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#2376373 16-Dec-2019 15:27

AC3 and Dolby Digital (DD) are synonymous. I think AC3 is simply the file extension for compressed DD audio.

DD and DTS are competing 5.1 surround sound audio formats. I don't notice much difference between them, but I'm sure there are fans of one particular format. I believe DTS has higher bitrates, so can potentially have more information coded and hence higher quality sound. It's all very subjective.

Dolby Atmos is an object based 3D sound format. So rather than specific channels (Left front, Rear right etc) the sound is placed "in space" and has metadata associated with it to describe how it moves across the soundfield. This means you can have a more varied set-up rather than a traditional 5.1 system and still benefit. As well as being to add a speaker here and there over time to help fill out the sound field. One of the main additions with Atmos was the inclusion of height channels which can further help with the position of objects in space (think raindrops falling from above). Dolby Atmos is an extension to Dolby TrueHD (which you may have also heard of). DTS:X is the competitor product to Atmos.

You will need a receiver or soundbar that can decode the Atmos signal to reproduce it properly.

I have a 5.1 system at home. My receiver can do 7.2 and decode Dolby TrueHD, but 5.1 sounds great to me. I don't have a lot of Atmos content either which is the other requirement, you need to have a playable source. I don't know much about the soundbars but someone else will be able to give some feedback on them. In my opinion, an AV receiver and fixed channels will always outperform a soundbar, but I think some models do a pretty good job.

I would check what fomat your Plex content audio is in. I assume it may be 2.1 audio, which is why it does not sound as crisp.

dan

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#2376376 16-Dec-2019 15:32

what is your plex client?

Loismustdye

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#2376440 16-Dec-2019 16:59

We use an older Panasonic htiab with a lot of plex content and the sound is good as it decodes much of more commonly used audio formats.
I’d look at the audio format of your plex media, if that’s only stereo then it’s not going to sound terribly flash.

xpd

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#2376478 16-Dec-2019 18:18

dan:

what is your plex client?

Xbox One

XPD / Gavin

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xpd

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#2376483 16-Dec-2019 18:21

Some examples of the audio that Plex is seeing :

AUDIO

Unknown (AC3 5.1)

AUDIO

English (AC3 5.1)

AUDIO

English (DTS 5.1)

I've played with the PCM etc on the Xbox sound settings, and while it does change things, nothing comes out as good as the actual DVD player (which is obviously the main component to the HTIAB) - was astounded at the difference when I threw in a DVD, volume was a lot louder and clearer.

XPD / Gavin

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#2376620 16-Dec-2019 20:48

The Bose bar you linked to is effectively only ever sold because people have heard of the name 'Bose' and it's the cheapest option in the range.

The Polk is better, but if you can get the identical Denon unit for less, you may as well grab that one.

Having said that, there's a host of options on the market!

Questions -

Will you be placing the bar on a cabinet, in a cubbyhole within a cabinet, on the wall?

How big is your room?

Do you want a subwoofer? Can your room handle one?

Do you want to stream music via Airplay / Chromecast / Spotify / Bluetooth etc?

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elpenguino

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#2376629 16-Dec-2019 21:09

Ceecees:

AC3 and Dolby Digital (DD) are synonymous. I think AC3 is simply the file extension for compressed DD audio.

DD and DTS are competing 5.1 surround sound audio formats.

They are not 5.1 formats. Think of them as flexible digital containers.

That DVD with Dolby Digital could have anything from mono 64kb/S to 5.1 448kb/s, and will often have multiple audio streams with various options (languages, number of channels etc).

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

dan

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#2376715 17-Dec-2019 07:44

my advice is the following

get a soundbar that supports as many formats as possible, including ATMOS

avoid using ARC and get a soundbar with HDMI inputs to plug your devices directly into it such as the xbox.

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#2376721 17-Dec-2019 07:55

I'm very happy with my Yamaha BAR 400. It's 2.1 with one HDMI input, optical and ARC. It also has Spotify and Alexa support which was important for me.

It cost more than the cheap LG tv it's in front of and I see it's a bit pricey in NZ though...

xpd

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#2376750 17-Dec-2019 08:46

dan:

my advice is the following

get a soundbar that supports as many formats as possible, including ATMOS

avoid using ARC and get a soundbar with HDMI inputs to plug your devices directly into it such as the xbox.

Thats one thing though... seems to be very few manufacturers out there who actually list what they support on their product page.

XPD / Gavin

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dan

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#2376767 17-Dec-2019 09:14

xpd:

Thats one thing though... seems to be very few manufacturers out there who actually list what they support on their product page.

i would assume if they are not listing it anywhere, they are not supporting it

this soundbar is great but not available in NZ sadly.

https://www.nakamichi-usa.com/shockwafe-ultra-92-dolby-atmos

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xpd

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#2376774 17-Dec-2019 09:35

dan:

xpd:

Thats one thing though... seems to be very few manufacturers out there who actually list what they support on their product page.

i would assume if they are not listing it anywhere, they are not supporting it

this soundbar is great but not available in NZ sadly.

https://www.nakamichi-usa.com/shockwafe-ultra-92-dolby-atmos

So 90% of the market supports nothing :D

That one you linked looks good, but price breaks the budget ;) Plus the shipping prob would too LOL

XPD / Gavin

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xpd

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#2376783 17-Dec-2019 09:42

Anyone know anything about Panasonic HTB700 ?

XPD / Gavin

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dan

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#2376786 17-Dec-2019 09:42

you cant fit a receiver setup instead of a soundbar in your setup?

xpd

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#2376820 17-Dec-2019 10:09

dan:

you cant fit a receiver setup instead of a soundbar in your setup?

Ideally, Id love to, but cant find any complete packages at a "budget" price these days. I could buy individual components but that gets costly - in saying that tho, could look at receiver with front speakers and build from there over time.

I'm not an audiophile so getting the "perfect" sound quality/balance isnt a biggie for me.

XPD / Gavin

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