Soundbar newbie - Questions

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tdgeek

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#272053 7-Jun-2020 18:15

I have a Pioneer HT that I must get around to setting up since we moved. A mate bought a soundbar. Seems good.

https://www.rapalloav.co.nz/product/yamaha-yas-207-sound-bar-with-wireless-subwoofer/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_ez2BRCyARIsAJfg-kspHkNEkG2o9WL7O0cVuzlHPjdXnrGqzhQxS3DNBF03WmWJ6s3tQ7caAn9vEALw_wcB&v=d76c77a873e2

They have a TV, but I have a TV, Sky, Freeview recorder, Apple TV4, I assumed a soundbar would have multi inputs but this example has one HDMI IN and one HDMI out. It has optical but I doubt MySky and Panny Freeview recorder have that. Do I need to look at a Soundbar that has multiple inputs? Or do I need to feed them all to the TV as is now the case and use the Soundbar from the TV for all of them? Will the latter support the correct audio format from the device to the TV and be the same as if the Soundbar has multiple inputs directly from each device?

TIA

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#2500143 7-Jun-2020 18:26

Common practice with sound bars is to plug all of your HDMI devices into the TV and then use an HDMI ARC connection to send audio from the TV to the sound bar. The format of the audio will depend on what your particular TV supports.

Home theatre gurus will probably tell you it's better to buy a 'real' home theatre system with multiple inputs, but for dummies like me a sound bar works fine.

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michaelmurfy

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#2500148 7-Jun-2020 18:30

Basically with the Soundbar you still have all your inputs going to the TV as per normal and either have HDMI-ARC (which should have a port on your TV) going out to the soundbar, or use Optical Out from your TV.

Volume control via HDMI-ARC will happen on your soundbar as per normal where if you use Optical you'll need to use the soundbars remote and ensure your TV speakers are turned off.

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tdgeek

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#2500149 7-Jun-2020 18:34

alasta:

Common practice with sound bars is to plug all of your HDMI devices into the TV and then use an HDMI ARC connection to send audio from the TV to the sound bar. The format of the audio will depend on what your particular TV supports.

Home theatre gurus will probably tell you it's better to buy a 'real' home theatre system with multiple inputs, but for dummies like me a sound bar works fine.

Thanks Alasta

Our TV is a Panny plasma (old) but great picture, so it won't have ARC. Does ARC mean that the TV can see what format from the device is, and send that through the TV, so Im not limited to "just' TV audio quality output to the Soundbar?

Im probably better off to setup the Pioneer HT it seems.I was hoping to be the dummy and just get a Soundbar!

tdgeek

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#2500150 7-Jun-2020 18:38

michaelmurfy:

Basically with the Soundbar you still have all your inputs going to the TV as per normal and either have HDMI-ARC (which should have a port on your TV) going out to the soundbar, or use Optical Out from your TV.

Volume control via HDMI-ARC will happen on your soundbar as per normal where if you use Optical you'll need to use the soundbars remote and ensure your TV speakers are turned off.

Thanks Michael, I'll dig out the TV manual. Its old but was top of the line back then. We have two actually, a soundbar would at least suit the other one, plus I can borrow my mates Yamaha SB as linked for a test

CrashAndBurn

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#2500152 7-Jun-2020 18:39

Sorry to hijack this but I also have a question with regards to soundbars. Is there a model recommended where it turns on and off automagically every time I turn on/off the TV. All of the ones I have seen, you have to operate the soundbar separately.

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#2500153 7-Jun-2020 18:41

Also need to decide if you want a sub or not. There are some spud bars that do not use one (kogan have a cheap one), Sony also. Or Yamaha (ys-109).

Or you can get a soundbase that a tv sits on. These also don’t need a sub.

Or with a sub might be cheaper and there are wired and wireless subs.

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#2500160 7-Jun-2020 19:34

I have a Panasonic plasmat (60") that works fine and has no ARC but does has S/PDIF.

I bought a Samsung Soundbar with Atmos but it only has one HDMI input but I have5 devices. They are a Raspberry Pi running Plex, BD player, Amazon Firestick 4K, Chromecast and PS3. So I just bought a HDMI switch off Ali Express, plus all my components into the switch and the one into the Soundbar. For TV I take the Toslink signal from the TV into the optical input on the soundbar so I can get Dolby Digital whenever a broadcast has it.\

Works just fine. And it's even integrated into my Harmony remote so the inputs on the HDMI switch to the right input when I choose the appropriate source.

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#2500161 7-Jun-2020 19:41

It's probably best to get the same brand soundbar as TV. We didn't (Panasonic TV, LG soundbar) and periodically they seem to lose touch with each other. It just means going into the TV Sound menu and telling it to use the Home Theatre.

Wireless sub is convenient, especially if you want to try for Surround sound by putting the sub behind you.

Ours turns on/off automatically with the TV. Except when they lose touch. The TV volume control controls the soundbar volume.

There's a thread about a year ago where I was asking the same questions.

Dunnersfella

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#2500163 7-Jun-2020 19:53

The difference between ARC and optical is:

ARC can handle Dolby Digital Plus...

And that's it.

As the OP is looking at 2-channel sound bars (and not bars that are capable of surround sound / simulated surround) then they can use whatever method they want.

If you're trying to use a surround sound bar (5.1 / ATMOS etc etc) then you'll need one of two things...

1: A TV that can take HDMI video / audio inputs and then send the audio back out of its optical or ARC port in 5.1 (or greater).

Note: MANY tellies simply down convert the audio to 2-channel when fed a multi-channel audio signal via an HDMI source due to EDID restrictions.

2: The devices plugged into the sound bar, not the TV. This is how home cinema receivers do it - it will help with any audio sync issues guarantee you will get the sound sent how it should be sent.

Note: ATMOS (the lossy, lower quality version, not the full banana lossless ATMOS) can be transmitted from the likes of Netflix over ARC.

But many sound bars that feature ATMOS are more exercises in marketing than sound quality... you need to be spending a fair chunk of change AND have a room with square walls that allow sound to be bounced correctly, for it to all come together (plus a room calibration system that ideally comes with the sound bar).

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#2500171 7-Jun-2020 20:30

Dunnersfella:

The difference between ARC and optical is:

ARC can handle Dolby Digital Plus...

And that's it.

As the OP is looking at 2-channel sound bars (and not bars that are capable of surround sound / simulated surround) then they can use whatever method they want.

If you're trying to use a surround sound bar (5.1 / ATMOS etc etc) then you'll need one of two things...

1: A TV that can take HDMI video / audio inputs and then send the audio back out of its optical or ARC port in 5.1 (or greater).

Note: MANY tellies simply down convert the audio to 2-channel when fed a multi-channel audio signal via an HDMI source due to EDID restrictions.

2: The devices plugged into the sound bar, not the TV. This is how home cinema receivers do it - it will help with any audio sync issues guarantee you will get the sound sent how it should be sent.

Note: ATMOS (the lossy, lower quality version, not the full banana lossless ATMOS) can be transmitted from the likes of Netflix over ARC.

But many sound bars that feature ATMOS are more exercises in marketing than sound quality... you need to be spending a fair chunk of change AND have a room with square walls that allow sound to be bounced correctly, for it to all come together (plus a room calibration system that ideally comes with the sound bar).

Dumb question just brought a Bose 500, I only have 3 hdmi ports so would prefer to use optic out instead of an hdmi switch . Is the Bose fine with just using optic out instead of the hdmi arc? Cheers Stu

alasta

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#2500179 7-Jun-2020 20:53

CrashAndBurn:

Sorry to hijack this but I also have a question with regards to soundbars. Is there a model recommended where it turns on and off automagically every time I turn on/off the TV. All of the ones I have seen, you have to operate the soundbar separately.

The Sonos sound bars will meet that requirement.

I exclusively use my Apple TV remote - no separate remote required for the Sonos system or the TV. The Apple TV remote happily turns the TV on and off and adjusts the sound bar volume.

richms

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#2500225 7-Jun-2020 21:30

CrashAndBurn:

Sorry to hijack this but I also have a question with regards to soundbars. Is there a model recommended where it turns on and off automagically every time I turn on/off the TV. All of the ones I have seen, you have to operate the soundbar separately.

All mine have turned on and off with the TV, and if I turn them off when using the TV, the TV will reactivate its internal speakers. They turn off when I power the soundbar up.

Thats when things are working properly. Sometimes they go stupid on both my LG bar on LG tv, and my sony bar on samsung TV.

Things like, TV volume control will make the soundbar change its numbers, but no sound coming out of anywhere at all even with powering the soundbar off and on with its remote. Turning everything off and on again usually sorts it out and it seems to only happen with several games consoles on the TV.

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#2500236 7-Jun-2020 22:17

alasta:

CrashAndBurn:

Sorry to hijack this but I also have a question with regards to soundbars. Is there a model recommended where it turns on and off automagically every time I turn on/off the TV. All of the ones I have seen, you have to operate the soundbar separately.

The Sonos sound bars will meet that requirement.

I exclusively use my Apple TV remote - no separate remote required for the Sonos system or the TV. The Apple TV remote happily turns the TV on and off and adjusts the sound bar volume.

My Yamaha is the same. It's a direct Sonos competitor so the feature set is similar but was far more reasonably priced and came with a subwoofer. Recommended. BAR 400 (which seems to be a bit spendy in NZ).

Dunnersfella

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#2500252 8-Jun-2020 00:00

Stu1:

Dumb question just brought a Bose 500, I only have 3 hdmi ports so would prefer to use optic out instead of an hdmi switch . Is the Bose fine with just using optic out instead of the hdmi arc? Cheers Stu

Are you using the Bose surround speakers?

If so, plug your sources into the bar.

If you're not, plug them wherever they will fit... as the Bose bar is effectively going to work fine as a 2.0/2.1 bar.

HDMI switches are largely the devil if you're looking to use ARC / hope for maximum compatibility... unless you have a Logitech (or similar remote) and the HDMI switch is controllable via an IR remote.

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#2500282 8-Jun-2020 07:26

Dunnersfella:
Stu1:

Dumb question just brought a Bose 500, I only have 3 hdmi ports so would prefer to use optic out instead of an hdmi switch . Is the Bose fine with just using optic out instead of the hdmi arc? Cheers Stu

Are you using the Bose surround speakers?

If so, plug your sources into the bar.

If you're not, plug them wherever they will fit... as the Bose bar is effectively going to work fine as a 2.0/2.1 bar.

HDMI switches are largely the devil if you're looking to use ARC / hope for maximum compatibility... unless you have a Logitech (or similar remote) and the HDMI switch is controllable via an IR remote.

Only got the sub and bar to start with will get the surrounds at some stage. I had a switch on my old tv which I used a harmony remote which was ok. just have to wait for the sub to turn up now seems to be in short supply waiting a week so far for stock . Thanks for your help appreciate it

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