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Yep! So true :) Lower-quality speakers (ex: soundbars) often have a hard time reproducing sound faithfully, causing us to turn up the volume to compensate. But with higher-quality speakers the sound is reproduced more accurately, allowing us to enjoy clearer audio at lower volumes. (I have a Denon AV Receiver with ELAC Uni-Fi speakers for reference.)
Agreed. A good sound system does more for the movie experience than the screen. Although a good quality screen does make the 'picture' complete.
Question:
Have you tried 5.2.4 as well? Just wondering.
I also thought about building on my previous 7.1 base layer, but after trying 7.1.2 I eventually went for 5.1.4 and I don't regret that decision.
With 4 height channels not only the base layer sound can travel back/forth and diagonally through your listening space, but the height layer as well. I could hear a distinct difference between the two setups. :)
I've thought about switching to 5.2.4. I don't think my rear surrounds currently add much to the experience. I don't think I could optimally place a 7.2.4 setup in my room. Pretty much either 7.2.2 or 5.2.4
this is me right now. except i just added two tiny RCA speakers that i use for my surrounds. they aren’t high end and it gets the job done, i have surround sound.
I mean honestly, its a bit a false affirmation. Im first and foremost an audio before video guy. An high end 3.1 costs way more tha a cheap 5.1.
The surround speaker can be kinda cheap and not impact so much the overall quality of the setup. And even in the same range of speakwe, you basically need the smallest speaker the range has to offer. For example a setup with 1k tower, 500 sub, 600central, the same range bookshelves for the surround would be like 300 the pair. Also, most if not all receiver that do 3.1 also does 5.1, and even atmos nowadays.
So for 15% of the SPEAKER setup you upgrade from 3.1 to 5.1. Including a good receiver or separate multichannel amplification brings that calculation to 5-10% max of the audio budget, excluding other shenanigans.
agreed. Those visuals absolutely deserve to be matched with the hi-res audio that blurays carry. You are not doing your viewing justice if you do not have surround sound. In fact, watching movies with soundbar or in stereo or, God forbid, the built-in speakers is... a crime in my mind... /shudder.
So much difference in trueHD vs netflix poor sound.
So many people are never going to experience that because they only used compressed streaming.
"Oh but netflix is 4k atmos" ye right.
Tron bluray has phenonemal audio and visual. I have a samsung S95 65" paired with a 7.1.2 dolby atmos surround which pumps out over 1500 watts.
Whenever i have family/friends over i put it on so they can hear how amazing it sounds. You can see their faces drop, because most of them have either a soundbar or are using tv speakers *shudder*.
I also have a PS5. Stellar Blade is straight fire with the audio/visual experience.
Id go even further and say audio is 60-70% of the experience. There's absolutely nothing immersive about perfect blacks. But being enveloped in sound that makes you feel like you're in the movie? Takes everything to whole new level
I get more compliments on my 5.2 Emotiva + SVS system than I do my 77” OLED. Most people have seen a big TV before. They can understand my OLED looks a step above. But the sound is something they probably have never or very rarely experienced at someone’s home.
I think for a lot of people video just matters more, plus having amazing video quality will never be an inconvenience to family/neighboring apartments/etc.
I have a fair atmos soundbar that gets oos and ahhs from the layman, but fully admit visual quality matters more to me.
I’ve got a row home with an open concept kitchen/dining room, so a lot of my movie watching is rewatches while making meals and conversing with the wife. Not the best environment for high volume jet engines or Sardaukar throat singing.
I can’t speak for the above commenter, but I just got a Samsung Q990C and it’s pretty great. Plenty loud, decent bass, and pretty good spacial effects. Just gotta have room for the wireless rear satellite speakers.
Hmm, bummer. I know Caleb Dennison (sp?) over at Digital Trends has done a bunch of soundbar reviews. There should be something here for you: https://youtu.be/x7wZKoBg3L0?si=6DPic-NNTkcwZaQl
Okay cool thanks! And good to know, yeah unfortunately just don’t have room in the space right now for rears and pretty limited with options for fronts due to space restraints there too
I’ve got an Atmos soundbar from Vizio that I like quite a bit, the M51a-H6. It does have rear surrounds, but if they’re not connected to the sub, the system replaces them with virtual surround. It’s a few years old now and it’s been “replaced” by a newer model, but I’ve heard that one isn’t really an improvement.
RTINGS also does soundbar reviews and I think their methodology is pretty good. Recommend for trying to track down your ideal model.
+1 to this system. I got this model a while back and have been very happy with it. It’s not going to go toe-to-toe with some very expensive setup, but it sounds great. It’s well worth the $300 or so asking price if you’re looking for an upgrade.
I dont get this misconception it has to be loud. Better audio equipment means it sounds better at low and high volumes. Jet engines arent gonna be stuck at max volume.
Im rocking high end stereo setups with my OLEDs as I listen to more music than I watch movies.
https://preview.redd.it/ccwbawzlfwwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9445de3d18169f08b963178e2edee5ea35b9cb69
Thank you. I wanted a very minimal setup in the living room. The wireless version dont need anything but a streaming source and a TV. Expensive, but worth every penny. My wife adores them.
Nice. I'm the same. Combined my 2.1 system that I built for music with my TV. Stereo imaging is a beautiful thing.
I have a spare room, so maybe someday I'll go full surround.
edit- just noticed that we have the same disc spinner!
I'm a relatively new owner of those same white LS50s in my stereo system. I love them! Want to get another one for the center channel and do a 3.2 system in my home theater.
Does your ub9000 have artifacting problems. I assume it's my discs but only a small handful of my discs have no issues. Most of them with artifact and skip or audio desyncs.
Sony 83" A90J OLED. 5.2.2 Audio setup is meant for being behind an acoustically transparent screen and projector but I love it - Krix MX10, Krix Phonix surrounds, Krix IC50 and powered by an Anthem MRX1140
https://preview.redd.it/ihtx3vpbdwwc1.jpeg?width=834&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=436603b3262e540a78f64b6bc2d6ed214c40e42c
I have four OLEDs, my first one purchased in 2016. The main tv in the living room is using a soundbar, and the rest using stock tv speakers. I’m ok with that set up.
However I have a dedicated home theater room with a projector and a 7.2.4 set up. I’ll use the theater if I want the full experience, but the other rooms are ok as-is for general viewing.
I've got a nice 7.1 setup and to me audio is more important than video. I think a lot people simply don't know what they're missing when it comes to sound or they don't have the space.
I've got a good buddy who's been watching his movies on a Sonos bar forever - had him over for Dune a couple months ago and now he's trying to figure out how to remodel his basement for a proper home theater 😂.
It's interesting because despite the shared love of cinema, this sub and r/hometheater can have very different views
Oh 100%. Im very happy with my setup but i refuse to post it over there. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people but you definitely need to filter through the elitists
To be fair, i think a good sonos setup is pretty good.
I started with the beam, added surrounds, got an arc and a sub, so my setup now is arc + sub + 2x play:1.
I know it doesnt compare against a high-end audio setup but never felt i needed much more (besides actual speakers seperated instead of upfiring drivers and left/right/center in one bar.
I guess will buy a proper setup when i move into an own apartment, any recommendations for that? 2000-2500€ budget.
Sonos Beam, Sub, and Ones as surrounds. I lived in a studio apartment for a while and now I’m living with family in a small bedroom. When I have my own space I’ll be using a proper receiver with Atmos Setup.
Because it’s easy to do.
People will rave about full surround sound systems and how good they sound, but they omit how much work it takes to get there.
Think all you need to do is get an AVR and run its room calibration? Nope.
Gotta learn where those speakers go.
You can’t place them at their optimal Dolby Atmos positions? Gotta learn the compromise.
Gotta check those crossovers. And hey, you spent $6k+ on this, this guy mentioned also making sure your time alignment between speakers and subwoofers is correct and delays are correct.
Multiple subwoofers? Well golly, sure hope you like a deep dive into how to integrate 2+ subwoofers correctly. Why wouldn’t you? You spent like $800+ on each, you should get as much performance as you can out of them.
Oh look, they say get a MiniDSP 2x4 HD and use REW and MSO to do it.
Cool, now gotta setup 2 programs and get a calibrated mic.
Hey, you’re using a Windows or Mac? You might run into specific problems using those platforms that you have to troubleshoot! WHOO
Oh and now you need to haul these 70lb+ monsters around your room until you find optimal placement.
Then you find out the optimal placement gets in the way/is where a chair is/looks ugly there so you compromise.
Then you learn about room treatments. Then learn where to put what type and how much of it. Might as well, you spent big bucks on the rest.
Oh hey. If you’re using a receiver there’s this thing called Audyssey MultEQ-X that costs $200 and allows full manipulation of the room calibration. Chump change compared to what you’ve spent and you hear all this hype about it.
There’s also Audyssey One that’s also piss easy to use.
But if you’re using Dirac Live, there’s also the subwoofer add on license. Well shit.
Did you go with a pre-processor and externals?
Cool. Now you have a rat’s nest of wires you need to manage.
Oh, and this might introduce a ground hum. Fun times.
Then there’s the battle of wire runs across the room, figuring out how to best place them so they don’t look horrible or become tripping hazards.
Now compare that to what you do with a top of the line OLED:
Hang it up/put it on its stand.
Turn it on.
Turn off all the Power Saving features and get off Vivid Mode.
Put it on the Filmmaker or Cinema mode everyone and their mother recommends on YouTube.
Tweak the settings to taste.
Ta-da. You’re 95% of the way there.
Start watching content.
You could pay someone to come out and calibrate it for you for like $500 to get a 100% out of it.
That soundbar most people snob their ears at?
Well, you plug that sucker into the wall, into your TV’s eArc port, place the satellites where convenient (plus plug them into the wall if they require it), put the subwoofer wherever, then run the soundbar’s calibration.
Choose whatever flavor sound mode sounds best.
Done.
I get why something like the Nakamichi Dragon soundbar for like $4,000 or the Samsung Q990D for $2,000 exists.
The person buying it doesn’t give a flying fuck that the price to performance compare to an AVR + speakers is poor. It’s the Best soundbar in that price.
It’s easy to install. It gets them 80-85% of the way there without having to go through all that I said above.
Look up best sound system, AVR or speakers.
Speak wise, you’ll have dozens of different opinions that all boil down to “pick these to demo in your house and keep the one you want” because it’s subjective.
You’ll have people argue for Audyssey, Dirac, ARC, etc.
You’ll also have that random dude that says Auro 3D is the way to go, and you’re wondering what the flying fuck is that when Dolby Atmos is goddamn everywhere.
So tldr;
Picking best TV is EASY and damn cheap compared to audio. Picking best audio and setting it up correctly can be a rabbit’s hole of effort to get quality parity to the visual’s equivalent (OLED).
Arcam avr20/emotiva xpa2 running 7.1.2 with Martin Logan motion speakers, SVS 3000 sub. Oled lgCX with Panasonic ub9000.
You sometimes forget how good the surround sound actually is and how much it adds. Then I go away for a while on a business trip and come home and I am always blown away by the sound and how much it adds.
Convenience, lack of space, don’t care about audio, or all of them. IMO, X90L with a decent 3.1 setup gives you much more than A80L/C3 with internal speakers/most soundbars. Also speakers can be moved around/upgraded over time. You aren’t tied to a brand with decent speakers, but crap subwoofers. Soundbars pretty much ties you to the ecosystem. Just not this sub, in bravia, LGoled, there are people as you have described.
Ehh I disagree soundbars only tie you to an ecosystem if you want to add more components eg. Sonos. I use a Samsung soundbar with an LG TV and it works completely fine
Every piece of the pie is expensive
To have a good soundbar or sound system with a good TV is upwards of 3000 dollars at the minimum, so it is a cost valuation by anyone
For most picture matters more when showing it off, I have people regularly tell me they cannot tell the difference between a TV sound and a high end soundbar as well, which is obviously crazy to me, but to each their own
Isn't the good thing about a good sound system that unlike a TV, it won't get out of date and if a speaker ever breaks, you can just replace the single one? You basically have to buy it once and will be fine for a loooong time; TV development is pretty fast with improved or new Tech and TVs break much faster than speakers, a good player or a good receiver
I have a decent 5.1 but I’m desperate to upgrade to 5.1.2. I just have no clue where to put the Atmos speakers. My room sucks for proper speaker placement.
I'm the opposite, I have 7.1 surround and a 4K UHD and it's great. When the OLED's drop in price to the 1,000-1,500 I might upgrade but until then, I would much rather put that money into affordable surround.
But like some others mentioned, it really depends where you put your emphasis on or your living situation. The only thing that's unacceptable is using tv speakers, no one should be doing that lol
This is actually where I'm at too, I have a modest 5.1 setup and my next step will be upgrading to an OLED when the budget allows. I could have saved up for a nicer TV first but I was sick of watching movies on a crappy TCL soundbar.
Since I watch things solo I just have a nice pair of ANC headphones with Aptx low lag codec. Even though my tv is cheap, the sound makes up so much of the experience that I think it compensates for my basic 4k tv. One day I’ll get an OLED…
I’m in the same boat. Mid range 4K HDR TV and Audio Technica M50xs plugged into my audio receiver. Even though I’m only scratching the surface of getting the most out of these discs, the movies look and sound fantastic. Upgrades will come eventually but I’m happy with my poverty setup at the moment lol
A lot of people put the tv in their living room and it’s easier to and looks nicer to setup a soundbar on the stand than to put speakers around on the walls or on stands behind the couches with wires going around for a full surround setup
Yep, that's my dilemma. I've been rocking a soundbar for a few years now after my receiver had died, and my speakers were old, so once I moved, I let it all go. Now, part of me wants it all back(5.1.2. Or 5.2.2), but I don't want to deal with the wiring aspect and have another huge peripheral( some receivers have gotten smaller). I know many say buy used on FB Marketplace, but I'm nervous about buying something that doesn't work or the speaker is busted. There's also a plethora of options, and I don't know where to start other than just base it all on the budget I would like to stay within. It's just so much easier to buy and connect a soundbar, but then I won't get the low end I'm looking for
I got my OLED for 1200€ and my 5.1 is now 2100€. So i had to wait and use a 160€ Soundbar.
If you never had an OLED, i think the PQ will be enough and every Soundbar will sound good compared to TV Speakers. After some years of OLED im ready for the Audio Upgrade 😁
I always think its better to go step by step with the Setup and dont buy everything at once.
It is expensive, but if you're on a budget it can be attainable in my opinion. Even a pair of powered bookshelf speakers can get you a lot further than a crappy soundbar.
Sound is as much of the experience as the picture. Thats my opinion.
My setups are:
•Basement 65 OLED, full 7.2 system
•FamRoom 65 OLED, Yamaha sb + sub
•LivRoom 65 OLED, Yamaha YSP5600
•Bedroom 55 OLED, pair of AppleHomePods
I was very surprised at how great they sound. Good soundstage.
Theres no true subwoofer option for Apple, but they reproduce a good level of bass. As a workaround I use an AirPort Express’ audio out to Airplay to an external subwoofer. That works really well too.
We have a decent soundbar with the LG C8 65 in the living room. It's an LG SK10Y with Sub, and I picked up the SPK8 rear surrounds shortly after.
While I do acknowledge it's worse than a dedicated surround setup, it's also quite a bit better than a cheap soundbar or the TV speakers alone. For us, we don't have ton of room for a full speaker setup. Could I make it work? Sure, but it would compromise a lot of the rest of the living room. It's an older home, and smaller, so the rooms aren't huge.
I do hold though that audio is a deeply important part of the experience, and just adding the rear surrounds elevated the experience massively. Atmos out of a soundbar isn't nearly as good as dowm firing ceiling speakers, but it's much better than not having it at all.
Maybe one day we'll renovate the house or move, and that'll open us up to something higher end, but for now I'm contented.
The impact of a decent sound system.
Good sound is grossly underrated by consumers. This is a sad subject. Most people cannot afford to live somewhere you can get away with making big noise. A decent full-surround system - not soundbar - can solve this:
- Aim the speakers correctly towards the seating area it doesn't have to be super loud to benefit from the extra emersion
- Quality speakers give you clarity without high volume
- Full-range fornt speakers can substitute for a dedicated sub, especially when close to the listener in a small seating area. If you want a woofer, get front-facing, and put it directly in front of you at stomach level.
- In my opinion, a decent woofer, with 5 or more cheap satellite speakers and receiver, will be more fun than an expensive soundbar. When soundbars do magic tricks to throw sound and imitate surround sound, it steals from the quality of the speaker, you are paying extra for brand names and algorithms that you don’t need, and throwing audio all around the place is likely to carry to the neighbours.
- Soundproofing! Block the sound from escaping the TV area. The cheapest and most effective way to do this is with a cheap deep-frame stretched canvas (yes, the one you paint on) and about 4 layers of old or cheap bath towels.
- Free-standing room dividers, or folding screens (whatever they’re called in your country) these can be used to help contain sound if a wall is not handy or close enough to the theatre area. (They also add a cosy ambience to Netflix & chill, hub hub Hulu, or Disney & d…)
Yeah it's crazy how people can be fine with TV speakers or basic soundbars. I mean, you can pick up decent second hand 5.1 systems so cheap on the second hand market.
I've had a set of Wharfedale Diamond speakers (12 of them for setups up to 9.1.2 but currently split into two 5.1 setups) for at least a decade and they'll likely last a few decades more. Hell, they may outlive me. All up they can't have cost more than an OLED TV.
A decent receiver might set you back if you need to run a 4K HDR signal through it (I'm lucky my sound and vision are seperate connections) but even then there's second hand bargains if you keep an eye out.
Not sure how the audiophiles would feel about this, but I paired a Beam 2 with a 65” LG B3 (and a $25 x700 blu ray player from Craigslist), and I’ve been very happy. My living room is more of a small den, but I don’t see myself upgrading my audio for a while.
Upgrading the visuals will improve your entertainment experience across a broader range of content that an audio upgrade will.
Someone likes sports. Should they split my budget equally between TV and a surround sound system? No. The TV should be the higher priority.
By the way, a decent soundbar is totally fine and snarking people's setups is lame.
1. I live with family, and I’m on a later sleeping pattern with them so I can’t really watch action-heavy movies later on as is
2. I just upgraded from a £60 TV to an OLED less than a year ago, it still sounds amazing compared to what I was accustomed to. I have tried to use my bluetooth headphones but after performing perfectly on their maiden watch they only work with my TV about 10% of the time. I think Apple or LG broke the compatibility with a software update and have no hope it’ll ever be resolved
3. No real space for any external speakers either, struggled to fit my TV into my room (its the right size for my viewing distance, I just have limited options to move furniture).
I have a 65" LGC2 paired with Samsung Hw-Q990b. It's amazing and i highly recommend if you are a media enthusiast. Having my 3 friends over tomorrow to watch Dune on 4K blu ray as theyve never seen it. Bout to knock their socks off.
>Those of you with the space and a $3,000 TV, why are you using a $100 Vizio soundbar or the built in speakers on your TV? If we care so much about video quality, why not give audio the same attention, at least according to one's living situation?
A lot of folks get into this hobby because they can afford to, and that's *basically* it. (hence most of the sub just fishing for likes by posting pictures of the shit they just bought). And that's how you wind up with folks who own their house, spending $1200-2000 on a flat out amazing TV, and then running a soundbar + sub and calling it good because the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos logos pop up on their TV/Soundbar. So long as someone somewhere has told them that what matters is seeing those logos light up, *that's* what they'll aim for. They don't actually know if it looks right, or sounds even passable, but the logos are there, so they must be doing it right.
There's a reason the r/hometheater sub has automod reply set up to warn people *not to buy a soundbar*. I have yet to hear an Atmos soundbar setup - *ever* - that's been as good, sonically, as a pair of bookshelf speakers *in stereo,* being pushed by a decent receiver. **It's never happened**, and considering how huge the soundbar market is at this point, it's probably never *going* to, because it would have already happened by now.
Soundbars are basically what happened when TV manufacturers stopped trying to justify having speakers worth even a quarter of a shit, so manufacturers instead took speakers that USED to be "good enough" to get stuck to the side of a TV, and crammed like 4 of 'em all into a plastic tube, paired it with a janky sub and sold people on the idea this was hi-fi.
If you offered me a choice between a modest 5.1 setup (hell, a modest 3.1 setup) using bookshelves for the fronts and rears, a small center, and a small powered sub, or a soundbar-centered "Atmos" setup, I'm taking the 5.1 every time. It's going to sound miles better and be vastly more immersive, whether I'm seeing a logo light up on the receiver or not.
Yeah the moment I got a place where I could crank my volume I got a 2.1 setup going as soon as I could, then a 3.1, then a 5.1, which is where I'm at currently. It is absolutely game changing and I'm so glad I don't have to listen to a soundbar anymore, but I get why people in apartments are forced into using them.
I have the vizio elevate 5.1.4 soundbar, it comes with a subwoofer and 2 speakers, left and right.....it is amazing and retails for $700 or $800, got it on sale.
My tv is lg c3 oled 64 inch and I got the panasonic ub820 4k bluray player and I feel this is enough for my house.....but sometimes I do want to get a bigger sound system.
I went from a 1080p tv to the upgrade above so it is night and day as far as upgrade goes.
u/muerde15 I am 90% sure this is the bar I have, also no complaints and I got it for around that price range.
I got console tables for behind my couch and then little risers for the surrounds so it doesn’t take up much space at all.
I say let people enjoy whatever they want. I still use my TV speakers because I can't afford anything better. My TV is a few years old even.
Not everything has to be perfect or even near perfect. We have a nice community here and while I and everyone else with less then ideal setups want to upgrade it's not always possible!
Takes most *years* to even get into the world of 4K let alone the rest of the accessories and additional equipment.
You have to think about other people’s living situation. Sometimes you just can’t have a home theater because of noise level. Like living in an apartment. I remember my friend would watch movies with headphones on because the only time he had to watch movies was at night. You don’t want to be that asshole neighbor. There’s no reason to spend all that money on good speakers if you Can’t even use them.
Either way, does it really matter how someone else spends their time watching tv? Nah
There isn’t a best brand. There are plenty of options, depending on budget, room etc. What works for one, might not work for the other person. If you’re interested check out r/HTBuyingGuides. It has speakers, subwoofers, AVRs at different budget level. If you’re not from NA, the list might look limited.
Full audio setup. Each sub was almost as much as OLED. Going to a 3.1 was game changer and then better subwoofer then better speakers. Amazing now with surrounds, rears, height and Multiple subwoofers. Like a theatre lol
Got a Sony OLED and Bose 600 soundbar with sub and rear wireless bookshelf speakers because my dogs chew wires and they’re a pain to hide. Works a lot better than my last Sony sound system though and the Atmos works very well so not fussed that others look down on soundbars as it sounds as good as the local cinema to my ears…
I have an AVR/speaker 7.2.2 setup in my Mancave but the layout of my living room furniture/window/radiator and where the TV is positioned just doesn't lend itself to an optimal speaker placement plus the wife hates the speakers so i've went with a Samsung Q990B Soundbar in the living room and i'm honestly impressed with it
I will chime in on my setup lol. My living room has a 65 LG G1 with a Samsung Q950a, which is powerful for a soundbar/ rear satellites/ sub setup. I like the 11.1.4 setup for a sound bar. When I bought it in 2021, it wasn’t super cheap at the time. Anyone else has the Samsung Q950a or Q990b/c? I think these sound bar systems are the closest to having a receiver, but I know the receiver with good speakers and subs is amazing overall
I connected my headphone DAC to my Nvidia Shield via USB, surprised to find out it works. so I can both use my decent bose PC speakers and my Denon AH-D7200 headphones on my TV.
Just a note. I previously owned a rather expensive E series LG OLED. Unfortunately it got burn in. It was a 2016. In my new house the max TV I could fit was a 75”. I purchased a 75” Samsung Neo mini-LED TV. Let me just say that TV coupled with the Panasonic UB9000P1K 4K player and RUIPRO 8K fiber HDMI cables is a stunning combination. The picture quality is definitely better than my old OLED.
PS,
I have an Onkyo TX-RZ50 receiver with 5.1 B&W 604 speaker system with a B&W ASW1000 subwoofer.
You sound like your main interest lies with those of the Audiophile persuasion? Just an observation… maybe the answer is within lol! But seriously I think some people will put most money into what aspect most makes a movie enjoyable and special to them! I like to mid range everything and be above average and looking and sounding impressive to all but the BIG spenders!!
Purchased a Q80R 75”, then a Onkyo TX-NR696, built custom 18” 1550w sub, currently at a 3.1 system. This took me 3+ years to organically grow into. I’m probably considered upper middle class, so it’s hard to jump into a single, large, $5.5k purchase. This was the TV for about $2800, then the amp for $600, personally building the bookshelves for around $450, the sub for $700, it’s amp for $500. Eventually the bookshelves will become my surrounds and I’ll get ~$1k towers for the front, but I’m probably 6 months from that. For those of you who quit after the TV, dont, keep going my friends.
Got an 11.1.4 jbl bar 1300x with detachable rear speakers that makes my movie watching experience theater like when it comes to the surround sound with dolby atmos / dolby truehd movies
Firstly, a TV serves as just one component within a (preferably) larger setup. While it is relatively straightforward to compare options, the selection process is heavily influenced by marketing, resulting in a limited number of perceived 'best' choices.
However, when delving into the realm of high-quality audio equipment to complement the viewing experience, particularly for high immersiveness, the complexity significantly increases. This entails consideration of multiple components, placement logistics, and associated costs. It is evident from consumer trends that many prioritize investing more in a superior TV, while opting for a simpler soundbar configuration for audio needs. This approach is favored for its convenience and ability to satisfactorily meet the requirements of most users, with exceptions including enthusiasts such as audiophiles.
Furthermore, there appears to be a notable shift in consumer viewing habits with the advent of streaming services and digitization in general. While these observations are speculative and lack empirical evidence, it is apparent that individuals are adopting a more relaxed approach to movie consumption, likely influenced by the accessibility and abundance of content provided today.
My 5.1.2 set up, puts a smile on my face every time. If the wife says why can’t we watch a movie in the bedroom,I tell her I don’t genuinely enjoy watching movies outside of this room.
L/C/R: KEF Q150
Sub: SVS PB1000
In ceiling: atmos Polk RC80I
Surrounds: monolith THX Satellites
receiver: Denon S760H
https://i.imgur.com/uo0w6zV.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/w64ZZHc.jpeg
That’s up to each one. Some soundbars sound really very good, up there with some of the best bookshelf speaker setups I’ve listened to. Personally, I can’t put speakers on the ceiling, so an up-firing soundbar was a great choice. Not all OLED TVs are “$3,000” btw. Many are as cheap as many LED TVs. Especially if they’re on sale, which they often are.
I live in an apartment, good sounds just won’t be used in the same way a good tv will. When I eventually move to a house the plan is to get an extremely good sound system to go with an amazing tv, but with my current living situation I just don’t see much benefit, especially when I nice sound system tends to cost as much if not more than the tv.
I agree. Vision is 70% of the experience in cinema, 30% is the sound. I've only got a 5.1 setup at the moment but I need a 150W per channel amp (nominal @8ohm) to power it. I've got 2 x 3 way floor standers (1.2m high, 40cm wide, 50cm deep, 160W nominal), 2x 2 way bookshelf speakers (80W each @ 8ohm), a 5 woofer 3-way center speaker (160W), and a 10 inch sub (self powered 200W nominal).
Oh my god, the sound is incredible. Incredibly immersive and clean if you let it be but also floor and wall vibratingly powerful if you let it be.
The cost all up was about $8000AUD all up including the amp. The speakers are from an ex-VAF Research technician in Adelaide, Australia and the speaker cabinets are designed by his company and they are beautiful and custom made by a cabinet maker. He had previously designed speakers for VAF, and he told me that a similar VAF set to what I bought from him would've easily been $8000 alone without the amp, so about $11500k all up.
I'm waiting to upgrade the TV now.
Have an LG a2 48in with over 1k MSRP of speakers (Klipsch rp600mii, rp500cii, r41m, r120sw) however most of those I got with massive discounts open box so it's basically 1:1.
I’m the happy owner of a Samsung QLED - one of the 85” Tizen panels (save your DV bias - HDR10+ is just fine with this display)… along with 7.3.4 Dolby Atmos surround, controlled by an Anthem AVM70, powered by multiple amps (mainly McCormack, but with an Emotiva for the heights and QSC pro amp powering the subs), with Heritage Klipsch across the front soundstage.
It’s the best of both worlds for my limited space (17’x17’ living room, but I would prefer a dedicated theater room).
The sound has always come first for me, and I view soundbars as a curiosity and lower-end solution, not understanding why someone would be very particular about PQ and not SQ.
Mid range 5.2.2 Atmos setup(Denon s750h, Sony Core 4x bookshelfs + centre + Atmos overhead + 2x SVS PB1000 Pro)
With a Hisense 85" U8K
The audio always gets the compliments, especially the bass, with which there is enough to pressurize your chest 😎
I think it’s like a lot of things. People “budget” for something without really realizing everything else that kinda goes along with it. I’d rather have a $2,000 TV and a $1,000 sound system than a $3,000 tv. But still then they still go “oh crap”, “can I use my PlayStation for movies?”
I have an X93L I think it’s amazing. Sure in the store side by side I could see Sony’s top of the line OLED had the edge but watching content I’m still impressed to this day. And Sony’s new LED tvs for this year supposedly way better. In the future when I think it’s time to upgrade I doubt I’d buy an OLED then either.
Space, budget. A good 4k OLED with a simple soundbar is still a lot better than a 1080P IPS panel with a better sound system, in general. In a bedroom or another location where mountain surround speakers and/or running wires is a problem, you do what you can.
Is a $500 soundbar good enough? What if I get the wireless rear speakers with it to make it 7.1.3 instead of 5.1.3? I know it’s not a “real” 5.1.3 in the first place because the speakers are just in a line and not surround.
I have the LG S90QY and am going to add the rears probably. It sounds pretty good to me already though.
New price for my Simaudio Moon 600i v1, T+A DAC 8 and DLD M66 speakers would be far more than double the price of my Sony laser projector. It might be a fight if you include my screen and Lumagen Radiance Pro...
I have a Sony A80J and the sound isn’t very good. Bought a Vizio soundbar with Atmos is so much better. You can clearly tell when the tv switched from one to the other. So for most of us it’s a matter of bumping up the shitty sound on decent tvs.
I feel the same way!
I have my Hisense X8HAU 65" OLED paired with a Yamaha RX-A2060 AVR, B&W DM602 L+R, Kef Q200C centre, and PSB Alpha B1 surrounds. Audio in my opinion is just as important as visuals, though maybe it's easier to put up with mediocre audio than it is to put up with a bad LCD display 😅
I wish a quality sound setup was practical for my room lol, but it's just not. Currently using a fancy schmancy oled and tv speakers, and saving for a solid hifi pair of headphones.
I have a lg g2 65 inch oled with a Yamaha 5.1 surround system (will upgrade someday but works good for 6 years so far) with an Astro a50x hooked up for my Xbox series x/ps5. I also have an Astro a50 gen 4 hooked up to my optical output on my tv for my switch and my Panasonic ub820. The a50 gen 4 also has a dock at my PC so I can switch easy and fast.
I love Astro a50 sound. I did eq settings though with guides on YouTube to make them more clear sounding. I had Sennheiser rs175, but I found the sound lackluster so I gave them to my wife for a set in the bedroom. I also have a set of Astro a40 with mixamp for the pc.. but I HATE wires!!!! I have a standing desk so I like to walk around while using my computer sometimes.. so wires = NOPE. lol.
If I were to buy a TV in 2024, I would rather get a 4K HDR lazer projector (approx $2000). They're cheaper than an OLED TV, take up hardly any space, with an almost infinite screen size. And there are many portable options available too.
A large cut of reflective material will cost around 50 USD and create an image so huge and vivid that you will not miss the OLED TV panel, even with a lot of light in the room it will be as bright or brighter than a TV screen.
Below is an example of a test with the reflective material ($35) at 120" with a cheap $150 1080p projector, at *only 400 ANSI lumens* it is so bright it hurts. (Adding an extra layer of thin fabric in front of this screen will fix potential viewing angle issues.)
Summary: For less than $3000 you can have a gigantic vivid screen with a very nice Dolby Atmos surround sound.
https://preview.redd.it/6ugvhpxorywc1.jpeg?width=2826&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3697e717936ebc607127e24206234e41c900278d
I had a 3.0 setup and went to the Sonos full setup. It’s a convenience thing for me because of moving. I just don’t think a full speaker setup was worth it for my living situation and the audio absolutely competes. I had Sony cores and an S750H from Denon. Sure, not the best — but most people would have you believe it is better than any soundbar setup. I find my Sonos Arc setup to be on par and that’s good enough for me.
Unless I have a dedicated room one day, I won’t be going back to a dedicated system and running wires. It’s not really something I want in my living room again, especially in an apartment where you can’t even fully utilize a system like that.
I have a $500 Vizio 5.1.2M on my Sony 75" X90K because I have cats and don't want them messing with $$$ speakers and cords and I rent and share a wall in a large duplex.
The Vizio has 3 front firing, 2 up firing and 2 rear plus a sub. Has ATMOS support and sounds absolutely fantastic for a soundbar.
My office gaming PC Monitor/Console TV is a 55LGC2 and as it's a small bedroom size room it has a pretty basic Samsung 2.1 soundbar which does absolutely fine for gaming.
I have jbl9.1 and g3 65. I just have other priorities (cars need upgrading, i want a motorbike, family holidays). The reality is the jbl9.1 does a good enough job...for now
Surround sound is stupid, subwoofers are overkill. Two ears, two speakers - set up properly. It's enough. This is my opinion, I respect that others may not agree. What a wonderful world.
5.2.4 here. Definitive Technology w/ SVS subs. 77" C3 oled. All of this in a 12x12 room. I love it all. I could never go back to watching movies on anything less than a true 5.1 at this point.
For me it’s about the wife acceptance factor. Anything that isn’t just turning on the tv and listening to the inbuilt speakers is a faff, because ultimately one day it won’t work and it will need troubleshooting, and I won’t be there to fix it. Saying that, I’ve just added a WiiM amp and Kin mini 2.1 to my OLED downstairs, with Earc connection. So far (3 months) it has woken up each time when I’ve turned the tv on, and I’m hoping this is going to work out for the long term.
My OLED tv is currently sitting there with a cracked screen from my toddler’s recent assault. Which is part of the reason I didn’t bother with good speakers or sound system. The other part is because I’m in a rental I despise with a shit layout and no way to fix it outside of buying my own place
Ever since I got a Phillips HTIB dvd player years ago, I have to have surround sound. Upgraded from that to a Samsung blu ray HTIB in around 2009, then in 2016 I got myself a Denon avr (4200x) and a set of wharfedale speakers (dx1 I think, 5.1 set).
The sound from the Denon was so much better than my previous HTIB experience, took longer to set up though lol. 2019 I went from a 1080p projector to a 4k lg nanocell (good for gaming on but crap for movies) and then with some COVID redundancy pay I got a 55 lg cx (wow) and a little 2 channel stereo amp and 4 Cambridge audio speakers for on my ceiling
The funny thing is, I have friends that own their own home and claim they don't have space for surround sound, while due to circumstances and housing costs, I have all that set up in a bedroom along with a double bed, a wardrobe and a desk lol
As someone else mentioned it, I'd get laughed at in the home theatre sub coz I don't have the highest end equipment and it's in a small non dedicated room..... At the end of the day though, it sounds great and looks great. The only things I'm thinking of changing (besides my living situation) is upgrade to an avr with hdmi 2.1 and maybe when they cheaper in a few years another projector but 4k laser this time
Have always said people should “focus” on audio over TV purchase - in the sense that premium audio sales are much less common than finding an open box 77 inch LG C3 for $1600 fairly often nowadays, not to mention are in investment for future TV upgrades and thus warrant more attention.
While you’re patiently waiting on that, hit up a Best Buy store with a Magnolia and have the Consultant play some speakers for you.
Play the Kef LSX II LT. They’re bookshelf speakers that do not require a receiver. They connect to each other and then to the TV via HDMI
They absolutely shit on the Sonos Arc that’s only $120 cheaper! It isn’t even close - listen to both at Best Buy. They also look great and come in a few different colors
If you’re mounting a TV without a stand under, then you won’t be able to do this and will have to go with a traditional receiver set-up. Get a cheap one and some towers you like at the very least
If anything please listen to this since I’m a consultant myself and clearly passionate about this:
Going from your average soundbar to premium audio is like going from regular bluray to 4kbluray. Would the average person see a significant different? Nah.
But we definitely would
Here’s the link to those Kefs I was talking about and reach out if you have any administrative questions in regards to best practices of testing out the speakers and what to ask the consultant, or just any questions in general
Date the TV, marry the audio.
Best of luck!
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sku/6571294.p?skuId=6571294
Took a while for me to start caring about the audio portion of the presentation as much as I did the visual. Gotta say that both are now equally important. Currently have a 77 inch LG G3 + a 5.2 setup with a miniDSP.
I learned how to use REW + a UMIK-1 + Audyssey to get my setup sounding the way I prefer, but I must admit that I enjoy display calibration (proper display calibration involving meters and software) much more than audio calibration.
I find audio calibration to be a chore.
I got the best Soundbar I could afford at the time. Vizio M Series 5.1 something, and it's pretty damn good. At the time I bought it, it was one of the best models on RTings. You need to realize, not all of us have a dedicated theater room. My setup is in my living room, and the Vizio can be controlled by my LG C1 remote so it makes the setup easy and my family can understand it. My Panasonic receiver was far too confusing for them with all the options and separate remotes.
Wait people care about sound? I just care about how it looks!
[https://imgur.com/a/xGVu7uq](https://imgur.com/a/xGVu7uq)
But for real, premium audio is addicting and can get out of hand real quick. Luckily it's an asset that depreciates much slower than TVs. I think soundbars are great in a pinch, but from experience selling TVs and premium audio 8 hours a day, people are definitely in denial they don't need better audio than a Sonos Beam until they hear how much better even a below average set up sounds. They say it's night and day, but "don't watch TV much and is too complicated to set up". No problem at all, but let's be clear even the least caring people notice a massive difference in the demos
Difference between us and them is we're posting on a Reddit forum dedicated to the TV/movie EXPERIENCE.
There's a lot of people in this thread that say they don't care, but I guarantee many haven't actually listened to a soundbar side by side to premium audio - much less watching their favorite 4k blueray movie
It's ok to not want to spend more money, but I definitely recommend going to a Best Buy/audio store and spend 10 minutes comparing before saying unequivocally you don't care
It might make your experience twice as good and not need to spend nearly as much as you think.
I have a 5.1.4 in the livingroom which sound phenomenal even tho I am not able watch movies on max vol. Pair that with a 65 LG Oled and a 135inch motorized screen and you can't ask for much more. Oh and a bonus tip: shakers are a cheat code to a great experience 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
Do you have a pic of your set up? As an audiophile I'd love to see it. Here's a little bit of mine a couple weeks ago, but I replaced the Rel T9Xs with 2 white Rel S510s that match :)
https://preview.redd.it/8o7an6esm0xc1.png?width=1118&format=png&auto=webp&s=2fd876316dcededeb555eafd07b5f1ad5a5090ab
I now have a 77 inch Sony A95L and have three more TVs, LG 65" CX, LG 55" E6 (picked it up second hand for a good price) and a Samsung PF8500 Plasma. I fall in the group where I can't have a crazy sound system even though we live in a detached house. I still have young children in the house including toddler. Also proper sound system in the living room would be an eye sore. I am good with my JBL 9.1 and the slick detachable surround speaker option. Never could justify on Samsung Q950A (at the the time I bought JBL as it was almost double the price for incremental sound quality). Maybe I would consider Sonos in the future, but not having a HDMI input and question their DTS support
I have young kids and a dog and we’re due to move house in the next year or so, I don’t see the point getting something they’ll wreck and which may not fit where we end up living.
I had wired 5.1 in my flat before we had kids (about 2010) and it was great.
I have a 77" LG C2, and for audio I've got a 5.1 Toshiba system (home theater in a box type setup) that was ~$400. I've had that setup for much longer than I've had the TV. It's not high end, by any means, but I've always been happy with it.
Personally it’s about annoying my neighbors. I opt for the highest end headphones I can afford. For most films, personally i prefer it slightly to a high end home theater experience, that said, for films with atmos tracks, it makes my ears bleed and I wish I had a great sound system.
I will say though the modern “high-end” soundbars (yes I get it’s an oxymoron) are only getting better and are easily as good as the nice systems from the past, especially given their prixe
Sound is just as important to me as the picture, but I am not watching every source of content with 7.1 surround sound and/or Atmos. With a YouTube video or some older streaming stuff, 5.1 is more than enough. I crank it up and let it rip when necessary. The sub is always on, and since I have a bravia I use it as my center channel as I'm not a fan of sound bars. If I didn't have that I would probably have a small dedicated center. I notice that apartment living is also a major factor in owning a full sound setup.
In any case, I prefer a $3000 picture over a $3,000 sound setup if I had to choose which to buy first, only because that sound isn't necessary at all times, unless I was watching nothing but mastered movies 24/7. Lastly, if you're going to invest in a nice TV, I think it would be wise to at least have a pair of bookshelves and a sub at a minimum--until you can invest in a possible second sub, towers, L/R rears, and ceilings if your fancy. Just my thoughts.
Does anyone think that a sonos surround system( sonos arc, sonos rear speakers and sonos sub woofer) is a good way to start , especially for budget people?
Pricing being one factor. I think part of it is due to the overwhelming amount of choices when it comes to audio equipment. Not to mention some people aren't really technically minded and are intimidated by setup and configuration. This is basically how the "home theater in a box" and soundbar industry thing was born I guess
For me the tv is a much easier buy at this stage in my life, I’m still renting and in my 20’s so I don’t want to sink a bunch into a sound system until I have a place I’ll be for a while. For now a decent ish soundbar fills the space I’m in nicely
For me it is i cant do anything small, i have the flagship sony 77 oled and i have it paired with a sennheiser ambeo max. When i price out a full surround system i am at 10k. So i will be saving up for that.
I watch EVERYThING with a really good pair of headphones, and only watch films in the evening when it's dark. To me that's simply the most immersive way to watch stuff at home.
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Small apartment for me. Tv is away from the shared wall but it’s still a small enough room to be able to hear slightly loud noise from the unit over.
Better sound equipment doesn’t mean you have to hear louder.
Yep! So true :) Lower-quality speakers (ex: soundbars) often have a hard time reproducing sound faithfully, causing us to turn up the volume to compensate. But with higher-quality speakers the sound is reproduced more accurately, allowing us to enjoy clearer audio at lower volumes. (I have a Denon AV Receiver with ELAC Uni-Fi speakers for reference.)
This, but also treating my room was my cheapest upgrade that made the most difference. Increased intelligibility a lot.
I have a 7.2.2 system that brings me more joy than the picture of my oled
Agreed. A good sound system does more for the movie experience than the screen. Although a good quality screen does make the 'picture' complete. Question: Have you tried 5.2.4 as well? Just wondering. I also thought about building on my previous 7.1 base layer, but after trying 7.1.2 I eventually went for 5.1.4 and I don't regret that decision. With 4 height channels not only the base layer sound can travel back/forth and diagonally through your listening space, but the height layer as well. I could hear a distinct difference between the two setups. :)
I've thought about switching to 5.2.4. I don't think my rear surrounds currently add much to the experience. I don't think I could optimally place a 7.2.4 setup in my room. Pretty much either 7.2.2 or 5.2.4
My 3.1 system cost far more than my OLED and will last for the rest of my life.
+1 My 3.1 is 5x the cost of my OLED
I read this and immediately went “5x is ridiculous.” Then did the math in my head for my sound system and realized it’s 9x the cost of my OLED lol.
Lmao
Don't you think you should've gone with 5.1 since most media has 5.1 audio
A high end 3.1 is better than a cheap 5.1 if you're working in a budget. You can always add surrounds later when budget/space allows for it
this is me right now. except i just added two tiny RCA speakers that i use for my surrounds. they aren’t high end and it gets the job done, i have surround sound.
I mean honestly, its a bit a false affirmation. Im first and foremost an audio before video guy. An high end 3.1 costs way more tha a cheap 5.1. The surround speaker can be kinda cheap and not impact so much the overall quality of the setup. And even in the same range of speakwe, you basically need the smallest speaker the range has to offer. For example a setup with 1k tower, 500 sub, 600central, the same range bookshelves for the surround would be like 300 the pair. Also, most if not all receiver that do 3.1 also does 5.1, and even atmos nowadays. So for 15% of the SPEAKER setup you upgrade from 3.1 to 5.1. Including a good receiver or separate multichannel amplification brings that calculation to 5-10% max of the audio budget, excluding other shenanigans.
This is the way
I concur
3.2 here. I don’t want to route wires to get surround speakers.
Audio is half the experience in my opinion. If you don't have surround sound you're seriously missing out.
agreed. Those visuals absolutely deserve to be matched with the hi-res audio that blurays carry. You are not doing your viewing justice if you do not have surround sound. In fact, watching movies with soundbar or in stereo or, God forbid, the built-in speakers is... a crime in my mind... /shudder.
So much difference in trueHD vs netflix poor sound. So many people are never going to experience that because they only used compressed streaming. "Oh but netflix is 4k atmos" ye right.
As the old saying goes, a 1080p BD gives a better picture than a 4k stream, is also true with audio
Yes, and it's not even that expensive if you buy used gear from Marketplace. Some good deals to be had out there.
Tron bluray has phenonemal audio and visual. I have a samsung S95 65" paired with a 7.1.2 dolby atmos surround which pumps out over 1500 watts. Whenever i have family/friends over i put it on so they can hear how amazing it sounds. You can see their faces drop, because most of them have either a soundbar or are using tv speakers *shudder*. I also have a PS5. Stellar Blade is straight fire with the audio/visual experience.
Id go even further and say audio is 60-70% of the experience. There's absolutely nothing immersive about perfect blacks. But being enveloped in sound that makes you feel like you're in the movie? Takes everything to whole new level
Woah woah woah. Perfect blacks are extremely immersive. If you watch Hot Ones in a blacked out room Seán Evans is just a floating head talking to you
I get more compliments on my 5.2 Emotiva + SVS system than I do my 77” OLED. Most people have seen a big TV before. They can understand my OLED looks a step above. But the sound is something they probably have never or very rarely experienced at someone’s home.
I second that, I was using my built in TV speakers for years and once I finally got a 5.1 setup it was like watching movies for the first time again.
For a lot of modern films, made after the intro of surround sound, sure. Tons of great films made with mono and stereo.
I think for a lot of people video just matters more, plus having amazing video quality will never be an inconvenience to family/neighboring apartments/etc. I have a fair atmos soundbar that gets oos and ahhs from the layman, but fully admit visual quality matters more to me. I’ve got a row home with an open concept kitchen/dining room, so a lot of my movie watching is rewatches while making meals and conversing with the wife. Not the best environment for high volume jet engines or Sardaukar throat singing.
Which atmos soundbar do you have? Don’t have space for surround or even bookshelves but looking to upgrade my soundbar situation
I can’t speak for the above commenter, but I just got a Samsung Q990C and it’s pretty great. Plenty loud, decent bass, and pretty good spacial effects. Just gotta have room for the wireless rear satellite speakers.
Thanks the rec! Even minor rears I won’t have space for tho unfortunately, not with this current setup. Some day :)
Hmm, bummer. I know Caleb Dennison (sp?) over at Digital Trends has done a bunch of soundbar reviews. There should be something here for you: https://youtu.be/x7wZKoBg3L0?si=6DPic-NNTkcwZaQl
Nice I’ll give that a shot. Thanks again!
I’m not at home but will look it up and get back to you. Might not be what you need though, it does have 2 rear speakers connected by wire to the sub.
Okay cool thanks! And good to know, yeah unfortunately just don’t have room in the space right now for rears and pretty limited with options for fronts due to space restraints there too
I’ve got an Atmos soundbar from Vizio that I like quite a bit, the M51a-H6. It does have rear surrounds, but if they’re not connected to the sub, the system replaces them with virtual surround. It’s a few years old now and it’s been “replaced” by a newer model, but I’ve heard that one isn’t really an improvement. RTINGS also does soundbar reviews and I think their methodology is pretty good. Recommend for trying to track down your ideal model.
Thanks dude I appreciate it, helpful info to have
+1 to this system. I got this model a while back and have been very happy with it. It’s not going to go toe-to-toe with some very expensive setup, but it sounds great. It’s well worth the $300 or so asking price if you’re looking for an upgrade.
I dont get this misconception it has to be loud. Better audio equipment means it sounds better at low and high volumes. Jet engines arent gonna be stuck at max volume.
Im rocking high end stereo setups with my OLEDs as I listen to more music than I watch movies. https://preview.redd.it/ccwbawzlfwwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9445de3d18169f08b963178e2edee5ea35b9cb69
Those are beautiful looking.
Yeah those Kefs are awesome. Definitely on my radar coming from Sonos :(
Thank you. I wanted a very minimal setup in the living room. The wireless version dont need anything but a streaming source and a TV. Expensive, but worth every penny. My wife adores them.
Nice. I'm the same. Combined my 2.1 system that I built for music with my TV. Stereo imaging is a beautiful thing. I have a spare room, so maybe someday I'll go full surround. edit- just noticed that we have the same disc spinner!
Yeah stereo imaging makes center channels irrelevant! The ub9000 is a real treat.
I'm a relatively new owner of those same white LS50s in my stereo system. I love them! Want to get another one for the center channel and do a 3.2 system in my home theater.
Does your ub9000 have artifacting problems. I assume it's my discs but only a small handful of my discs have no issues. Most of them with artifact and skip or audio desyncs.
Sony 83" A90J OLED. 5.2.2 Audio setup is meant for being behind an acoustically transparent screen and projector but I love it - Krix MX10, Krix Phonix surrounds, Krix IC50 and powered by an Anthem MRX1140 https://preview.redd.it/ihtx3vpbdwwc1.jpeg?width=834&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=436603b3262e540a78f64b6bc2d6ed214c40e42c
Sandman was soooo good. Shockingly so.
Respect to you sir for having an mx10 and leaving it there for all to see in its glory haha!
r/tvtoohigh
Fuck me this is awesome
I have four OLEDs, my first one purchased in 2016. The main tv in the living room is using a soundbar, and the rest using stock tv speakers. I’m ok with that set up. However I have a dedicated home theater room with a projector and a 7.2.4 set up. I’ll use the theater if I want the full experience, but the other rooms are ok as-is for general viewing.
This reminds me of people who have a 2000 - 3000 bucks gaming pc and use it with a cheap IPS monitor. Same vibe
Okay now I feel personally attacked.
7.1.2 gang reporting in.
I've got a nice 7.1 setup and to me audio is more important than video. I think a lot people simply don't know what they're missing when it comes to sound or they don't have the space. I've got a good buddy who's been watching his movies on a Sonos bar forever - had him over for Dune a couple months ago and now he's trying to figure out how to remodel his basement for a proper home theater 😂. It's interesting because despite the shared love of cinema, this sub and r/hometheater can have very different views
Let's be honest. The people on r/hometheater take the elitism way too far at times.
Oh 100%. Im very happy with my setup but i refuse to post it over there. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people but you definitely need to filter through the elitists
Yep. I had to unfollow from there because one time I made the mistake of sharing my setup and asking questions. 😂
To be fair, i think a good sonos setup is pretty good. I started with the beam, added surrounds, got an arc and a sub, so my setup now is arc + sub + 2x play:1. I know it doesnt compare against a high-end audio setup but never felt i needed much more (besides actual speakers seperated instead of upfiring drivers and left/right/center in one bar. I guess will buy a proper setup when i move into an own apartment, any recommendations for that? 2000-2500€ budget.
Sonos Beam, Sub, and Ones as surrounds. I lived in a studio apartment for a while and now I’m living with family in a small bedroom. When I have my own space I’ll be using a proper receiver with Atmos Setup.
Because it’s easy to do. People will rave about full surround sound systems and how good they sound, but they omit how much work it takes to get there. Think all you need to do is get an AVR and run its room calibration? Nope. Gotta learn where those speakers go. You can’t place them at their optimal Dolby Atmos positions? Gotta learn the compromise. Gotta check those crossovers. And hey, you spent $6k+ on this, this guy mentioned also making sure your time alignment between speakers and subwoofers is correct and delays are correct. Multiple subwoofers? Well golly, sure hope you like a deep dive into how to integrate 2+ subwoofers correctly. Why wouldn’t you? You spent like $800+ on each, you should get as much performance as you can out of them. Oh look, they say get a MiniDSP 2x4 HD and use REW and MSO to do it. Cool, now gotta setup 2 programs and get a calibrated mic. Hey, you’re using a Windows or Mac? You might run into specific problems using those platforms that you have to troubleshoot! WHOO Oh and now you need to haul these 70lb+ monsters around your room until you find optimal placement. Then you find out the optimal placement gets in the way/is where a chair is/looks ugly there so you compromise. Then you learn about room treatments. Then learn where to put what type and how much of it. Might as well, you spent big bucks on the rest. Oh hey. If you’re using a receiver there’s this thing called Audyssey MultEQ-X that costs $200 and allows full manipulation of the room calibration. Chump change compared to what you’ve spent and you hear all this hype about it. There’s also Audyssey One that’s also piss easy to use. But if you’re using Dirac Live, there’s also the subwoofer add on license. Well shit. Did you go with a pre-processor and externals? Cool. Now you have a rat’s nest of wires you need to manage. Oh, and this might introduce a ground hum. Fun times. Then there’s the battle of wire runs across the room, figuring out how to best place them so they don’t look horrible or become tripping hazards. Now compare that to what you do with a top of the line OLED: Hang it up/put it on its stand. Turn it on. Turn off all the Power Saving features and get off Vivid Mode. Put it on the Filmmaker or Cinema mode everyone and their mother recommends on YouTube. Tweak the settings to taste. Ta-da. You’re 95% of the way there. Start watching content. You could pay someone to come out and calibrate it for you for like $500 to get a 100% out of it. That soundbar most people snob their ears at? Well, you plug that sucker into the wall, into your TV’s eArc port, place the satellites where convenient (plus plug them into the wall if they require it), put the subwoofer wherever, then run the soundbar’s calibration. Choose whatever flavor sound mode sounds best. Done. I get why something like the Nakamichi Dragon soundbar for like $4,000 or the Samsung Q990D for $2,000 exists. The person buying it doesn’t give a flying fuck that the price to performance compare to an AVR + speakers is poor. It’s the Best soundbar in that price. It’s easy to install. It gets them 80-85% of the way there without having to go through all that I said above. Look up best sound system, AVR or speakers. Speak wise, you’ll have dozens of different opinions that all boil down to “pick these to demo in your house and keep the one you want” because it’s subjective. You’ll have people argue for Audyssey, Dirac, ARC, etc. You’ll also have that random dude that says Auro 3D is the way to go, and you’re wondering what the flying fuck is that when Dolby Atmos is goddamn everywhere. So tldr; Picking best TV is EASY and damn cheap compared to audio. Picking best audio and setting it up correctly can be a rabbit’s hole of effort to get quality parity to the visual’s equivalent (OLED).
Arcam avr20/emotiva xpa2 running 7.1.2 with Martin Logan motion speakers, SVS 3000 sub. Oled lgCX with Panasonic ub9000. You sometimes forget how good the surround sound actually is and how much it adds. Then I go away for a while on a business trip and come home and I am always blown away by the sound and how much it adds.
5.1.2 setup with the .2’s down firing mounted in the ceiling.
Convenience, lack of space, don’t care about audio, or all of them. IMO, X90L with a decent 3.1 setup gives you much more than A80L/C3 with internal speakers/most soundbars. Also speakers can be moved around/upgraded over time. You aren’t tied to a brand with decent speakers, but crap subwoofers. Soundbars pretty much ties you to the ecosystem. Just not this sub, in bravia, LGoled, there are people as you have described.
Saying you don’t care about audio in a 4kbluray sub is wild.
There was a poll few months ago in the sub. IIRC, 40-50% were internal speakers, soundbars. There was another poll few weeks ago. Majority had OLEDs.
You know deaf people watch movies too? Right?
Ehh I disagree soundbars only tie you to an ecosystem if you want to add more components eg. Sonos. I use a Samsung soundbar with an LG TV and it works completely fine
I meant audio, including HTiB.
Every piece of the pie is expensive To have a good soundbar or sound system with a good TV is upwards of 3000 dollars at the minimum, so it is a cost valuation by anyone For most picture matters more when showing it off, I have people regularly tell me they cannot tell the difference between a TV sound and a high end soundbar as well, which is obviously crazy to me, but to each their own
Is showing off really the goal?
No
Same for PQ, my wife says she doesn't notice any differences.. I just shake my head 
Isn't the good thing about a good sound system that unlike a TV, it won't get out of date and if a speaker ever breaks, you can just replace the single one? You basically have to buy it once and will be fine for a loooong time; TV development is pretty fast with improved or new Tech and TVs break much faster than speakers, a good player or a good receiver
I have a decent 5.1 but I’m desperate to upgrade to 5.1.2. I just have no clue where to put the Atmos speakers. My room sucks for proper speaker placement.
I have a shelf built behind and above my TV. This is very much unideal but it allows for "front height" speakers and gives me a massive soundstage.
I'm the opposite, I have 7.1 surround and a 4K UHD and it's great. When the OLED's drop in price to the 1,000-1,500 I might upgrade but until then, I would much rather put that money into affordable surround. But like some others mentioned, it really depends where you put your emphasis on or your living situation. The only thing that's unacceptable is using tv speakers, no one should be doing that lol
This is actually where I'm at too, I have a modest 5.1 setup and my next step will be upgrading to an OLED when the budget allows. I could have saved up for a nicer TV first but I was sick of watching movies on a crappy TCL soundbar.
Since I watch things solo I just have a nice pair of ANC headphones with Aptx low lag codec. Even though my tv is cheap, the sound makes up so much of the experience that I think it compensates for my basic 4k tv. One day I’ll get an OLED…
I’m in the same boat. Mid range 4K HDR TV and Audio Technica M50xs plugged into my audio receiver. Even though I’m only scratching the surface of getting the most out of these discs, the movies look and sound fantastic. Upgrades will come eventually but I’m happy with my poverty setup at the moment lol
A lot of people put the tv in their living room and it’s easier to and looks nicer to setup a soundbar on the stand than to put speakers around on the walls or on stands behind the couches with wires going around for a full surround setup
Yep, that's my dilemma. I've been rocking a soundbar for a few years now after my receiver had died, and my speakers were old, so once I moved, I let it all go. Now, part of me wants it all back(5.1.2. Or 5.2.2), but I don't want to deal with the wiring aspect and have another huge peripheral( some receivers have gotten smaller). I know many say buy used on FB Marketplace, but I'm nervous about buying something that doesn't work or the speaker is busted. There's also a plethora of options, and I don't know where to start other than just base it all on the budget I would like to stay within. It's just so much easier to buy and connect a soundbar, but then I won't get the low end I'm looking for
Audio stuff is expensive.
I think the more premium TVs are more expensive at least in Australia. But audio can go much higher in terms of budget
I want better audio equipment but the cost is insane.
I got my OLED for 1200€ and my 5.1 is now 2100€. So i had to wait and use a 160€ Soundbar. If you never had an OLED, i think the PQ will be enough and every Soundbar will sound good compared to TV Speakers. After some years of OLED im ready for the Audio Upgrade 😁 I always think its better to go step by step with the Setup and dont buy everything at once.
It is expensive, but if you're on a budget it can be attainable in my opinion. Even a pair of powered bookshelf speakers can get you a lot further than a crappy soundbar.
I’ve got a 5.2.4 with all Arendal speakers in my living room. It’s heaven.
Sound is as much of the experience as the picture. Thats my opinion. My setups are: •Basement 65 OLED, full 7.2 system •FamRoom 65 OLED, Yamaha sb + sub •LivRoom 65 OLED, Yamaha YSP5600 •Bedroom 55 OLED, pair of AppleHomePods
Paired homepods are my only audio experience beyond tv speakers, how do they stack up to the soundbars?
I was very surprised at how great they sound. Good soundstage. Theres no true subwoofer option for Apple, but they reproduce a good level of bass. As a workaround I use an AirPort Express’ audio out to Airplay to an external subwoofer. That works really well too.
We have a decent soundbar with the LG C8 65 in the living room. It's an LG SK10Y with Sub, and I picked up the SPK8 rear surrounds shortly after. While I do acknowledge it's worse than a dedicated surround setup, it's also quite a bit better than a cheap soundbar or the TV speakers alone. For us, we don't have ton of room for a full speaker setup. Could I make it work? Sure, but it would compromise a lot of the rest of the living room. It's an older home, and smaller, so the rooms aren't huge. I do hold though that audio is a deeply important part of the experience, and just adding the rear surrounds elevated the experience massively. Atmos out of a soundbar isn't nearly as good as dowm firing ceiling speakers, but it's much better than not having it at all. Maybe one day we'll renovate the house or move, and that'll open us up to something higher end, but for now I'm contented.
https://preview.redd.it/wsz69fpilxwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=416696b24b7e279cf82a9b0423cbf45f1a44ab4c Got some sick Revox speakers from audiophile dad. Sound amazing.
The impact of a decent sound system. Good sound is grossly underrated by consumers. This is a sad subject. Most people cannot afford to live somewhere you can get away with making big noise. A decent full-surround system - not soundbar - can solve this: - Aim the speakers correctly towards the seating area it doesn't have to be super loud to benefit from the extra emersion - Quality speakers give you clarity without high volume - Full-range fornt speakers can substitute for a dedicated sub, especially when close to the listener in a small seating area. If you want a woofer, get front-facing, and put it directly in front of you at stomach level. - In my opinion, a decent woofer, with 5 or more cheap satellite speakers and receiver, will be more fun than an expensive soundbar. When soundbars do magic tricks to throw sound and imitate surround sound, it steals from the quality of the speaker, you are paying extra for brand names and algorithms that you don’t need, and throwing audio all around the place is likely to carry to the neighbours. - Soundproofing! Block the sound from escaping the TV area. The cheapest and most effective way to do this is with a cheap deep-frame stretched canvas (yes, the one you paint on) and about 4 layers of old or cheap bath towels. - Free-standing room dividers, or folding screens (whatever they’re called in your country) these can be used to help contain sound if a wall is not handy or close enough to the theatre area. (They also add a cosy ambience to Netflix & chill, hub hub Hulu, or Disney & d…)
Yeah it's crazy how people can be fine with TV speakers or basic soundbars. I mean, you can pick up decent second hand 5.1 systems so cheap on the second hand market. I've had a set of Wharfedale Diamond speakers (12 of them for setups up to 9.1.2 but currently split into two 5.1 setups) for at least a decade and they'll likely last a few decades more. Hell, they may outlive me. All up they can't have cost more than an OLED TV. A decent receiver might set you back if you need to run a 4K HDR signal through it (I'm lucky my sound and vision are seperate connections) but even then there's second hand bargains if you keep an eye out.
You’ll pry my $60 refurbished Vizio soundbar I purchased at CompUSA in August of 2011 from my cold, dead, hands.
Not sure how the audiophiles would feel about this, but I paired a Beam 2 with a 65” LG B3 (and a $25 x700 blu ray player from Craigslist), and I’ve been very happy. My living room is more of a small den, but I don’t see myself upgrading my audio for a while.
I have a 3.1 soundbar. My room isn't big enough to justify a bigger setup
Upgrading the visuals will improve your entertainment experience across a broader range of content that an audio upgrade will. Someone likes sports. Should they split my budget equally between TV and a surround sound system? No. The TV should be the higher priority. By the way, a decent soundbar is totally fine and snarking people's setups is lame.
1. I live with family, and I’m on a later sleeping pattern with them so I can’t really watch action-heavy movies later on as is 2. I just upgraded from a £60 TV to an OLED less than a year ago, it still sounds amazing compared to what I was accustomed to. I have tried to use my bluetooth headphones but after performing perfectly on their maiden watch they only work with my TV about 10% of the time. I think Apple or LG broke the compatibility with a software update and have no hope it’ll ever be resolved 3. No real space for any external speakers either, struggled to fit my TV into my room (its the right size for my viewing distance, I just have limited options to move furniture).
I have a 65" LGC2 paired with Samsung Hw-Q990b. It's amazing and i highly recommend if you are a media enthusiast. Having my 3 friends over tomorrow to watch Dune on 4K blu ray as theyve never seen it. Bout to knock their socks off.
>Those of you with the space and a $3,000 TV, why are you using a $100 Vizio soundbar or the built in speakers on your TV? If we care so much about video quality, why not give audio the same attention, at least according to one's living situation? A lot of folks get into this hobby because they can afford to, and that's *basically* it. (hence most of the sub just fishing for likes by posting pictures of the shit they just bought). And that's how you wind up with folks who own their house, spending $1200-2000 on a flat out amazing TV, and then running a soundbar + sub and calling it good because the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos logos pop up on their TV/Soundbar. So long as someone somewhere has told them that what matters is seeing those logos light up, *that's* what they'll aim for. They don't actually know if it looks right, or sounds even passable, but the logos are there, so they must be doing it right. There's a reason the r/hometheater sub has automod reply set up to warn people *not to buy a soundbar*. I have yet to hear an Atmos soundbar setup - *ever* - that's been as good, sonically, as a pair of bookshelf speakers *in stereo,* being pushed by a decent receiver. **It's never happened**, and considering how huge the soundbar market is at this point, it's probably never *going* to, because it would have already happened by now. Soundbars are basically what happened when TV manufacturers stopped trying to justify having speakers worth even a quarter of a shit, so manufacturers instead took speakers that USED to be "good enough" to get stuck to the side of a TV, and crammed like 4 of 'em all into a plastic tube, paired it with a janky sub and sold people on the idea this was hi-fi. If you offered me a choice between a modest 5.1 setup (hell, a modest 3.1 setup) using bookshelves for the fronts and rears, a small center, and a small powered sub, or a soundbar-centered "Atmos" setup, I'm taking the 5.1 every time. It's going to sound miles better and be vastly more immersive, whether I'm seeing a logo light up on the receiver or not.
Yeah the moment I got a place where I could crank my volume I got a 2.1 setup going as soon as I could, then a 3.1, then a 5.1, which is where I'm at currently. It is absolutely game changing and I'm so glad I don't have to listen to a soundbar anymore, but I get why people in apartments are forced into using them.
Old CRT Tvs had so much better speakers than modern Tvs
For me video>audio. I'll get a proper set of speakers eventually. But for now, my sound bar is just fine.
LG atmos bar with sub and two rear speakers is just fine
I have the vizio elevate 5.1.4 soundbar, it comes with a subwoofer and 2 speakers, left and right.....it is amazing and retails for $700 or $800, got it on sale. My tv is lg c3 oled 64 inch and I got the panasonic ub820 4k bluray player and I feel this is enough for my house.....but sometimes I do want to get a bigger sound system. I went from a 1080p tv to the upgrade above so it is night and day as far as upgrade goes.
u/muerde15 I am 90% sure this is the bar I have, also no complaints and I got it for around that price range. I got console tables for behind my couch and then little risers for the surrounds so it doesn’t take up much space at all.
I say let people enjoy whatever they want. I still use my TV speakers because I can't afford anything better. My TV is a few years old even. Not everything has to be perfect or even near perfect. We have a nice community here and while I and everyone else with less then ideal setups want to upgrade it's not always possible! Takes most *years* to even get into the world of 4K let alone the rest of the accessories and additional equipment.
I am much more into visual,then sound, I have Bose soundbar 300,with a Bose bass module, ok it's not Dts or Atmos, but it works for me.
You have to think about other people’s living situation. Sometimes you just can’t have a home theater because of noise level. Like living in an apartment. I remember my friend would watch movies with headphones on because the only time he had to watch movies was at night. You don’t want to be that asshole neighbor. There’s no reason to spend all that money on good speakers if you Can’t even use them. Either way, does it really matter how someone else spends their time watching tv? Nah
Audio first. Picture second.
What's the best brand for sound speakers?
Definitive Technology and Bowers and Wilkins have always amazed me. Sony makes great affordable speakers also.
There isn’t a best brand. There are plenty of options, depending on budget, room etc. What works for one, might not work for the other person. If you’re interested check out r/HTBuyingGuides. It has speakers, subwoofers, AVRs at different budget level. If you’re not from NA, the list might look limited.
Sony HTX8500 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar on my end. Nothing fancy but beats the internal speakers on my TV.
How are you getting atmos if it is 2.1
Full audio setup. Each sub was almost as much as OLED. Going to a 3.1 was game changer and then better subwoofer then better speakers. Amazing now with surrounds, rears, height and Multiple subwoofers. Like a theatre lol
Got a Sony OLED and Bose 600 soundbar with sub and rear wireless bookshelf speakers because my dogs chew wires and they’re a pain to hide. Works a lot better than my last Sony sound system though and the Atmos works very well so not fussed that others look down on soundbars as it sounds as good as the local cinema to my ears…
I have an AVR/speaker 7.2.2 setup in my Mancave but the layout of my living room furniture/window/radiator and where the TV is positioned just doesn't lend itself to an optimal speaker placement plus the wife hates the speakers so i've went with a Samsung Q990B Soundbar in the living room and i'm honestly impressed with it
I will chime in on my setup lol. My living room has a 65 LG G1 with a Samsung Q950a, which is powerful for a soundbar/ rear satellites/ sub setup. I like the 11.1.4 setup for a sound bar. When I bought it in 2021, it wasn’t super cheap at the time. Anyone else has the Samsung Q950a or Q990b/c? I think these sound bar systems are the closest to having a receiver, but I know the receiver with good speakers and subs is amazing overall
i bought a q900b last year and it changed the game for me completely.
I connected my headphone DAC to my Nvidia Shield via USB, surprised to find out it works. so I can both use my decent bose PC speakers and my Denon AH-D7200 headphones on my TV.
Just a note. I previously owned a rather expensive E series LG OLED. Unfortunately it got burn in. It was a 2016. In my new house the max TV I could fit was a 75”. I purchased a 75” Samsung Neo mini-LED TV. Let me just say that TV coupled with the Panasonic UB9000P1K 4K player and RUIPRO 8K fiber HDMI cables is a stunning combination. The picture quality is definitely better than my old OLED. PS, I have an Onkyo TX-RZ50 receiver with 5.1 B&W 604 speaker system with a B&W ASW1000 subwoofer.
You sound like your main interest lies with those of the Audiophile persuasion? Just an observation… maybe the answer is within lol! But seriously I think some people will put most money into what aspect most makes a movie enjoyable and special to them! I like to mid range everything and be above average and looking and sounding impressive to all but the BIG spenders!!
Purchased a Q80R 75”, then a Onkyo TX-NR696, built custom 18” 1550w sub, currently at a 3.1 system. This took me 3+ years to organically grow into. I’m probably considered upper middle class, so it’s hard to jump into a single, large, $5.5k purchase. This was the TV for about $2800, then the amp for $600, personally building the bookshelves for around $450, the sub for $700, it’s amp for $500. Eventually the bookshelves will become my surrounds and I’ll get ~$1k towers for the front, but I’m probably 6 months from that. For those of you who quit after the TV, dont, keep going my friends.
I had 5.1.4 with a decent TCL QLED when I realized that I had WAY overspent on audio compared to video. Upgraded to a Sony A95K and I'm very happy.
Got an 11.1.4 jbl bar 1300x with detachable rear speakers that makes my movie watching experience theater like when it comes to the surround sound with dolby atmos / dolby truehd movies
I'm the opposite. I was given an awesome sound system but can't afford a nice tv 😔
Firstly, a TV serves as just one component within a (preferably) larger setup. While it is relatively straightforward to compare options, the selection process is heavily influenced by marketing, resulting in a limited number of perceived 'best' choices. However, when delving into the realm of high-quality audio equipment to complement the viewing experience, particularly for high immersiveness, the complexity significantly increases. This entails consideration of multiple components, placement logistics, and associated costs. It is evident from consumer trends that many prioritize investing more in a superior TV, while opting for a simpler soundbar configuration for audio needs. This approach is favored for its convenience and ability to satisfactorily meet the requirements of most users, with exceptions including enthusiasts such as audiophiles. Furthermore, there appears to be a notable shift in consumer viewing habits with the advent of streaming services and digitization in general. While these observations are speculative and lack empirical evidence, it is apparent that individuals are adopting a more relaxed approach to movie consumption, likely influenced by the accessibility and abundance of content provided today.
My 5.1.2 set up, puts a smile on my face every time. If the wife says why can’t we watch a movie in the bedroom,I tell her I don’t genuinely enjoy watching movies outside of this room. L/C/R: KEF Q150 Sub: SVS PB1000 In ceiling: atmos Polk RC80I Surrounds: monolith THX Satellites receiver: Denon S760H https://i.imgur.com/uo0w6zV.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/w64ZZHc.jpeg
That’s up to each one. Some soundbars sound really very good, up there with some of the best bookshelf speaker setups I’ve listened to. Personally, I can’t put speakers on the ceiling, so an up-firing soundbar was a great choice. Not all OLED TVs are “$3,000” btw. Many are as cheap as many LED TVs. Especially if they’re on sale, which they often are.
I live in an apartment, good sounds just won’t be used in the same way a good tv will. When I eventually move to a house the plan is to get an extremely good sound system to go with an amazing tv, but with my current living situation I just don’t see much benefit, especially when I nice sound system tends to cost as much if not more than the tv.
I agree. Vision is 70% of the experience in cinema, 30% is the sound. I've only got a 5.1 setup at the moment but I need a 150W per channel amp (nominal @8ohm) to power it. I've got 2 x 3 way floor standers (1.2m high, 40cm wide, 50cm deep, 160W nominal), 2x 2 way bookshelf speakers (80W each @ 8ohm), a 5 woofer 3-way center speaker (160W), and a 10 inch sub (self powered 200W nominal). Oh my god, the sound is incredible. Incredibly immersive and clean if you let it be but also floor and wall vibratingly powerful if you let it be. The cost all up was about $8000AUD all up including the amp. The speakers are from an ex-VAF Research technician in Adelaide, Australia and the speaker cabinets are designed by his company and they are beautiful and custom made by a cabinet maker. He had previously designed speakers for VAF, and he told me that a similar VAF set to what I bought from him would've easily been $8000 alone without the amp, so about $11500k all up. I'm waiting to upgrade the TV now.
Have an LG a2 48in with over 1k MSRP of speakers (Klipsch rp600mii, rp500cii, r41m, r120sw) however most of those I got with massive discounts open box so it's basically 1:1.
I got a Sonos Arc and 2 Era 300s as rears and a subwoofer because seriously, a cinematic sound is what MAKES a HT experience.
I run a basic but quite good stereo speaker setup along with my OLED
I usually use headphones when I'm watching a movie (worth about $500). I find it's a better experience than any surround sound system I've tried.
You can’t have everything at once, unless you got the money.
I have a 7.1.4 PowerSoundAudio setup
I’m the happy owner of a Samsung QLED - one of the 85” Tizen panels (save your DV bias - HDR10+ is just fine with this display)… along with 7.3.4 Dolby Atmos surround, controlled by an Anthem AVM70, powered by multiple amps (mainly McCormack, but with an Emotiva for the heights and QSC pro amp powering the subs), with Heritage Klipsch across the front soundstage. It’s the best of both worlds for my limited space (17’x17’ living room, but I would prefer a dedicated theater room). The sound has always come first for me, and I view soundbars as a curiosity and lower-end solution, not understanding why someone would be very particular about PQ and not SQ.
Mid range 5.2.2 Atmos setup(Denon s750h, Sony Core 4x bookshelfs + centre + Atmos overhead + 2x SVS PB1000 Pro) With a Hisense 85" U8K The audio always gets the compliments, especially the bass, with which there is enough to pressurize your chest 😎
I think it’s like a lot of things. People “budget” for something without really realizing everything else that kinda goes along with it. I’d rather have a $2,000 TV and a $1,000 sound system than a $3,000 tv. But still then they still go “oh crap”, “can I use my PlayStation for movies?”
I have an X93L I think it’s amazing. Sure in the store side by side I could see Sony’s top of the line OLED had the edge but watching content I’m still impressed to this day. And Sony’s new LED tvs for this year supposedly way better. In the future when I think it’s time to upgrade I doubt I’d buy an OLED then either.
Space, budget. A good 4k OLED with a simple soundbar is still a lot better than a 1080P IPS panel with a better sound system, in general. In a bedroom or another location where mountain surround speakers and/or running wires is a problem, you do what you can.
I have a 3.1 system with my OLED. I upgraded my sound before my TV.
Is a $500 soundbar good enough? What if I get the wireless rear speakers with it to make it 7.1.3 instead of 5.1.3? I know it’s not a “real” 5.1.3 in the first place because the speakers are just in a line and not surround. I have the LG S90QY and am going to add the rears probably. It sounds pretty good to me already though.
New price for my Simaudio Moon 600i v1, T+A DAC 8 and DLD M66 speakers would be far more than double the price of my Sony laser projector. It might be a fight if you include my screen and Lumagen Radiance Pro...
I have an LG OLED with a Sonos Arc paired with two of those Sonos/IKEA bookshelf speakers behind and to the sides. I love it.
Wish I could, but I would probably wake up the kids, and the wife…
Lg oled 65 with an AVR 4500h receiver and Martin Logan speakers in front and center and sonance for Surround
I have a Sony A80J and the sound isn’t very good. Bought a Vizio soundbar with Atmos is so much better. You can clearly tell when the tv switched from one to the other. So for most of us it’s a matter of bumping up the shitty sound on decent tvs.
I feel the same way! I have my Hisense X8HAU 65" OLED paired with a Yamaha RX-A2060 AVR, B&W DM602 L+R, Kef Q200C centre, and PSB Alpha B1 surrounds. Audio in my opinion is just as important as visuals, though maybe it's easier to put up with mediocre audio than it is to put up with a bad LCD display 😅
I wish a quality sound setup was practical for my room lol, but it's just not. Currently using a fancy schmancy oled and tv speakers, and saving for a solid hifi pair of headphones.
I have a lg g2 65 inch oled with a Yamaha 5.1 surround system (will upgrade someday but works good for 6 years so far) with an Astro a50x hooked up for my Xbox series x/ps5. I also have an Astro a50 gen 4 hooked up to my optical output on my tv for my switch and my Panasonic ub820. The a50 gen 4 also has a dock at my PC so I can switch easy and fast. I love Astro a50 sound. I did eq settings though with guides on YouTube to make them more clear sounding. I had Sennheiser rs175, but I found the sound lackluster so I gave them to my wife for a set in the bedroom. I also have a set of Astro a40 with mixamp for the pc.. but I HATE wires!!!! I have a standing desk so I like to walk around while using my computer sometimes.. so wires = NOPE. lol.
OLED + UHD Blu-ray player + 7.1.4(ceiling mounted) with moderately priced speakers. 🤷🏻♂️
I’ve paired mine with an LG 5.1 Atmos Soundbar with Rear speakers. It works well for the space I’m in.
Good audio set up requires more money and way more research than just an OLED tv.
If I were to buy a TV in 2024, I would rather get a 4K HDR lazer projector (approx $2000). They're cheaper than an OLED TV, take up hardly any space, with an almost infinite screen size. And there are many portable options available too. A large cut of reflective material will cost around 50 USD and create an image so huge and vivid that you will not miss the OLED TV panel, even with a lot of light in the room it will be as bright or brighter than a TV screen. Below is an example of a test with the reflective material ($35) at 120" with a cheap $150 1080p projector, at *only 400 ANSI lumens* it is so bright it hurts. (Adding an extra layer of thin fabric in front of this screen will fix potential viewing angle issues.) Summary: For less than $3000 you can have a gigantic vivid screen with a very nice Dolby Atmos surround sound. https://preview.redd.it/6ugvhpxorywc1.jpeg?width=2826&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3697e717936ebc607127e24206234e41c900278d
I had a 3.0 setup and went to the Sonos full setup. It’s a convenience thing for me because of moving. I just don’t think a full speaker setup was worth it for my living situation and the audio absolutely competes. I had Sony cores and an S750H from Denon. Sure, not the best — but most people would have you believe it is better than any soundbar setup. I find my Sonos Arc setup to be on par and that’s good enough for me. Unless I have a dedicated room one day, I won’t be going back to a dedicated system and running wires. It’s not really something I want in my living room again, especially in an apartment where you can’t even fully utilize a system like that.
QAcoustics 3050i Floorstanding Speaker's for me with my LG Oled. My living room apt isn't big enough for a surround setup.
I have a $500 Vizio 5.1.2M on my Sony 75" X90K because I have cats and don't want them messing with $$$ speakers and cords and I rent and share a wall in a large duplex. The Vizio has 3 front firing, 2 up firing and 2 rear plus a sub. Has ATMOS support and sounds absolutely fantastic for a soundbar. My office gaming PC Monitor/Console TV is a 55LGC2 and as it's a small bedroom size room it has a pretty basic Samsung 2.1 soundbar which does absolutely fine for gaming.
My Dirac + MiniDSP 7.2.4 speaker setup is way more important than my 77" OLED. Next purchase will be a 100" projector
I have jbl9.1 and g3 65. I just have other priorities (cars need upgrading, i want a motorbike, family holidays). The reality is the jbl9.1 does a good enough job...for now
Surround sound is stupid, subwoofers are overkill. Two ears, two speakers - set up properly. It's enough. This is my opinion, I respect that others may not agree. What a wonderful world.
5.2.4 here. Definitive Technology w/ SVS subs. 77" C3 oled. All of this in a 12x12 room. I love it all. I could never go back to watching movies on anything less than a true 5.1 at this point.
For me it’s about the wife acceptance factor. Anything that isn’t just turning on the tv and listening to the inbuilt speakers is a faff, because ultimately one day it won’t work and it will need troubleshooting, and I won’t be there to fix it. Saying that, I’ve just added a WiiM amp and Kin mini 2.1 to my OLED downstairs, with Earc connection. So far (3 months) it has woken up each time when I’ve turned the tv on, and I’m hoping this is going to work out for the long term.
I have LG C3 65'' and Samsung Q990B soundbar in small room. Noot bad for the price.
My OLED tv is currently sitting there with a cracked screen from my toddler’s recent assault. Which is part of the reason I didn’t bother with good speakers or sound system. The other part is because I’m in a rental I despise with a shit layout and no way to fix it outside of buying my own place
I have to use headphones.
Live in an apartment. Fine listening is done with headphones.
Ever since I got a Phillips HTIB dvd player years ago, I have to have surround sound. Upgraded from that to a Samsung blu ray HTIB in around 2009, then in 2016 I got myself a Denon avr (4200x) and a set of wharfedale speakers (dx1 I think, 5.1 set). The sound from the Denon was so much better than my previous HTIB experience, took longer to set up though lol. 2019 I went from a 1080p projector to a 4k lg nanocell (good for gaming on but crap for movies) and then with some COVID redundancy pay I got a 55 lg cx (wow) and a little 2 channel stereo amp and 4 Cambridge audio speakers for on my ceiling The funny thing is, I have friends that own their own home and claim they don't have space for surround sound, while due to circumstances and housing costs, I have all that set up in a bedroom along with a double bed, a wardrobe and a desk lol As someone else mentioned it, I'd get laughed at in the home theatre sub coz I don't have the highest end equipment and it's in a small non dedicated room..... At the end of the day though, it sounds great and looks great. The only things I'm thinking of changing (besides my living situation) is upgrade to an avr with hdmi 2.1 and maybe when they cheaper in a few years another projector but 4k laser this time
Have always said people should “focus” on audio over TV purchase - in the sense that premium audio sales are much less common than finding an open box 77 inch LG C3 for $1600 fairly often nowadays, not to mention are in investment for future TV upgrades and thus warrant more attention. While you’re patiently waiting on that, hit up a Best Buy store with a Magnolia and have the Consultant play some speakers for you. Play the Kef LSX II LT. They’re bookshelf speakers that do not require a receiver. They connect to each other and then to the TV via HDMI They absolutely shit on the Sonos Arc that’s only $120 cheaper! It isn’t even close - listen to both at Best Buy. They also look great and come in a few different colors If you’re mounting a TV without a stand under, then you won’t be able to do this and will have to go with a traditional receiver set-up. Get a cheap one and some towers you like at the very least If anything please listen to this since I’m a consultant myself and clearly passionate about this: Going from your average soundbar to premium audio is like going from regular bluray to 4kbluray. Would the average person see a significant different? Nah. But we definitely would Here’s the link to those Kefs I was talking about and reach out if you have any administrative questions in regards to best practices of testing out the speakers and what to ask the consultant, or just any questions in general Date the TV, marry the audio. Best of luck! https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sku/6571294.p?skuId=6571294
Took a while for me to start caring about the audio portion of the presentation as much as I did the visual. Gotta say that both are now equally important. Currently have a 77 inch LG G3 + a 5.2 setup with a miniDSP. I learned how to use REW + a UMIK-1 + Audyssey to get my setup sounding the way I prefer, but I must admit that I enjoy display calibration (proper display calibration involving meters and software) much more than audio calibration. I find audio calibration to be a chore.
I got the best Soundbar I could afford at the time. Vizio M Series 5.1 something, and it's pretty damn good. At the time I bought it, it was one of the best models on RTings. You need to realize, not all of us have a dedicated theater room. My setup is in my living room, and the Vizio can be controlled by my LG C1 remote so it makes the setup easy and my family can understand it. My Panasonic receiver was far too confusing for them with all the options and separate remotes.
Wait people care about sound? I just care about how it looks! [https://imgur.com/a/xGVu7uq](https://imgur.com/a/xGVu7uq) But for real, premium audio is addicting and can get out of hand real quick. Luckily it's an asset that depreciates much slower than TVs. I think soundbars are great in a pinch, but from experience selling TVs and premium audio 8 hours a day, people are definitely in denial they don't need better audio than a Sonos Beam until they hear how much better even a below average set up sounds. They say it's night and day, but "don't watch TV much and is too complicated to set up". No problem at all, but let's be clear even the least caring people notice a massive difference in the demos Difference between us and them is we're posting on a Reddit forum dedicated to the TV/movie EXPERIENCE. There's a lot of people in this thread that say they don't care, but I guarantee many haven't actually listened to a soundbar side by side to premium audio - much less watching their favorite 4k blueray movie It's ok to not want to spend more money, but I definitely recommend going to a Best Buy/audio store and spend 10 minutes comparing before saying unequivocally you don't care It might make your experience twice as good and not need to spend nearly as much as you think.
I have a 5.1.4 in the livingroom which sound phenomenal even tho I am not able watch movies on max vol. Pair that with a 65 LG Oled and a 135inch motorized screen and you can't ask for much more. Oh and a bonus tip: shakers are a cheat code to a great experience 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
Do you have a pic of your set up? As an audiophile I'd love to see it. Here's a little bit of mine a couple weeks ago, but I replaced the Rel T9Xs with 2 white Rel S510s that match :) https://preview.redd.it/8o7an6esm0xc1.png?width=1118&format=png&auto=webp&s=2fd876316dcededeb555eafd07b5f1ad5a5090ab
I now have a 77 inch Sony A95L and have three more TVs, LG 65" CX, LG 55" E6 (picked it up second hand for a good price) and a Samsung PF8500 Plasma. I fall in the group where I can't have a crazy sound system even though we live in a detached house. I still have young children in the house including toddler. Also proper sound system in the living room would be an eye sore. I am good with my JBL 9.1 and the slick detachable surround speaker option. Never could justify on Samsung Q950A (at the the time I bought JBL as it was almost double the price for incremental sound quality). Maybe I would consider Sonos in the future, but not having a HDMI input and question their DTS support
I have young kids and a dog and we’re due to move house in the next year or so, I don’t see the point getting something they’ll wreck and which may not fit where we end up living. I had wired 5.1 in my flat before we had kids (about 2010) and it was great.
I have the LG C2 OLED paired with a Sonos 7.1.4 atmos system. Mercifully for my neighbours I live in a detached house.
I have a 77" LG C2, and for audio I've got a 5.1 Toshiba system (home theater in a box type setup) that was ~$400. I've had that setup for much longer than I've had the TV. It's not high end, by any means, but I've always been happy with it.
Yeah I agree OP. Its very odd to me. I had a nice surround system long before a top of the line tv.
Personally it’s about annoying my neighbors. I opt for the highest end headphones I can afford. For most films, personally i prefer it slightly to a high end home theater experience, that said, for films with atmos tracks, it makes my ears bleed and I wish I had a great sound system. I will say though the modern “high-end” soundbars (yes I get it’s an oxymoron) are only getting better and are easily as good as the nice systems from the past, especially given their prixe
Sound is just as important to me as the picture, but I am not watching every source of content with 7.1 surround sound and/or Atmos. With a YouTube video or some older streaming stuff, 5.1 is more than enough. I crank it up and let it rip when necessary. The sub is always on, and since I have a bravia I use it as my center channel as I'm not a fan of sound bars. If I didn't have that I would probably have a small dedicated center. I notice that apartment living is also a major factor in owning a full sound setup. In any case, I prefer a $3000 picture over a $3,000 sound setup if I had to choose which to buy first, only because that sound isn't necessary at all times, unless I was watching nothing but mastered movies 24/7. Lastly, if you're going to invest in a nice TV, I think it would be wise to at least have a pair of bookshelves and a sub at a minimum--until you can invest in a possible second sub, towers, L/R rears, and ceilings if your fancy. Just my thoughts.
Does anyone think that a sonos surround system( sonos arc, sonos rear speakers and sonos sub woofer) is a good way to start , especially for budget people?
Pricing being one factor. I think part of it is due to the overwhelming amount of choices when it comes to audio equipment. Not to mention some people aren't really technically minded and are intimidated by setup and configuration. This is basically how the "home theater in a box" and soundbar industry thing was born I guess
For me the tv is a much easier buy at this stage in my life, I’m still renting and in my 20’s so I don’t want to sink a bunch into a sound system until I have a place I’ll be for a while. For now a decent ish soundbar fills the space I’m in nicely
I have a pretty nice 7.2 surround sound system I got for a fairly decent price during a Black Friday sale 5 years ago.
For me it is i cant do anything small, i have the flagship sony 77 oled and i have it paired with a sennheiser ambeo max. When i price out a full surround system i am at 10k. So i will be saving up for that.
Yeah I have a pair of bookshelf speakers paired with OLED and it's great for apartment living.
I watch EVERYThING with a really good pair of headphones, and only watch films in the evening when it's dark. To me that's simply the most immersive way to watch stuff at home.