Currently don’t have a sound system for my TV and want to get something by football season. Was thinking of getting the Bose stand alone sound bar $199 at Best Buy .. does anyone have this if so how is it for football game sound quality? Any other suggestions also appreciated ... would get the bigger Bose system but don’t have an extra $1200 at the moment for such a purchase.
Surround Sound Questions / OT
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have you listened to it? How does it sound? How do others sound. I was hell bent on getting a Bose system too, until I listened to it in the store vs the Polk system. The Polk system sounded better to me, price was about the same or cheaper, I bought the Polk and yes I am happy
I listened to about 13 of them but only in brief samples at the store so I wasn’t sure if I was getting an accurate sound just based on that.
We have a Samsung sound bar paired with wireless rear speakers in our den. Sound quality is very good, and once hooked up to TV is easy to use. Have also heard (as in, actually heard) the Sonos system. Really nice with the ability to start then add on.
I'm assuming you don't have an AVR so your looking for just a sound bar and subwoofer. I'd recommend checking out Crutchfield. Knowledgable staff plus lots of options to chose from.
https://www.crutchfield.com/
https://www.crutchfield.com/
I am sorry to burst your bubble, but good surround sound costs money and aggravation. Minimum, bare minimum, multiple thousands of dollars. And then once you have done it, you are forever chasing the brass ring of perfection, forever and ever, which costs more multiple thousands of dollars.
It's a fabulous hobby, so much fun, but financially you have no idea what you are getting into.
It's a fabulous hobby, so much fun, but financially you have no idea what you are getting into.
Thousands of dollars? It's like everything else: you can collect model cars or you can collect real cars.
I feel like I can get something good without spending a few grand? I don’t need like movie theater quality sound.
A sound bar and a sub will make a definite difference positively with your sound. Even the $130 models. Not everyone needs to have a dick measuring contest over their home theatre setup.
True, it will be a step up. But it won't be real surround sound until you put in those rear speakers. That's as big a step up as the TV to soundbar one is, even for something as non-audio critical as a football game. Having the stadium sounds come out of the rear speakers makes for a much more immersive feeling.
I'd echo the sentiments about surround/satellite speakers. If you're going to make the investment, be sure youre getting some level of immersion for your $. For ~ another bill, you can get an entry level Atmos system at a big box store (which would be well worth the $ IMHO).
I have been told that you can get a system that allows you to essentially mute certain frequencies. Think about that. You can zero out the gasbags and watch the game with nothing but the game sounds. I plan on doing it
Well, I am going into elitist mode here and will piss you all off. Bottom line, entry-level surround sound is a 5.1 system. From there you move to 7.1, 7.2, and then up to Atmos and 7.2.4.
If the soundbar makes you happy, stick with it and don't look back.
If the soundbar makes you happy, stick with it and don't look back.
Since you brought up atmos I’ve got a question. From my understanding the atmos system is designed to function as a surround sound system from the sound bar itself, so why would there be a need to add additional speakers? Here’s an example from amazon of an atmos sound bar for $250.
Atmos uses the ceiling to bounce directional sound, so to the extent that rear/surround effects can be bounced off the ceiling it should do fine. I’d be suspect that it can effectively replace actual surround speakers in terms of immersive sound.
Kind of.
Dolby Atmos was originally designed to use ceiling speakers in theaters as part of an immersive sound environment. Ideally, a Dolby Atmos home theater speaker set-up will still include ceiling speakers (at least four for best results) as well as surround speakers. Using speakers to bounce sound off of the ceiling is an attempt to replicate that experience without having to mount speakers in the ceiling. How effective that can be is a matter for the listener to judge, but I, for one, think it would be noticeably deficient to an ideal Atmos experience. Like you, I also feel that an Atmos system that doesn't have surround speakers would be deficient to a a non-Atmos system with surround speakers.
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I am also of the mindset that if you are going to invest in a quality surround sound system, you need to look a bit more than a sound bar setup...
I am also of the opinion that a independent Home Theatre audio/video store might be your best bet to tailor a system to your needs and price range.
Here's a link to a mid-level speaker firm that gets very high ratings form the AV press:
https://www.goldenear.com
I am also of the opinion that a independent Home Theatre audio/video store might be your best bet to tailor a system to your needs and price range.
Here's a link to a mid-level speaker firm that gets very high ratings form the AV press:
https://www.goldenear.com
I currently have a 7.2 system and will probably be adding the 4 Atmos speakers in the not-to-distant future. As I said, it's a complicated and expensive venture. You need an AV receiver that can handle that many speakers and decode the source, amplifiers, and a way to get the 4 speakers up on the ceiling. The sound deflection stuff just doesn't work as well. If you are going to go through with the bother you may as well do it right, and that means putting the speakers up in your ceiling and running the wires in such a way that hides them. You wouldn't add the Atmos speakers without already having the complete 5 or 7 speaker surround systems already in place. That really wouldn't make any sense. The surround speakers add depth and movement and a soundstage to the movie; the Atmos speakers are more for filling with individual sounds and effects. Done right, it's really a great addition, although it remains to be seen how long it will be before there's a critical mass of content.
I just went out and bought a fuc#ing theatre, got the best DirecTV package and now go there to watch movies and my favorite teams’ games!
That's like saying I can get a steak at a Hoss's Steakhouse, why would I ever want to go to a Smith and Wollensky?
I have an old school surround sound. My 1985 Ohm Walsh 4’s as my RT and LT Front speakers, a 5+ or so old Polk center channel because that is what fits under the bottom of my flatscreen, a 15 inch Dayton Audio subwoofer and Mirage OMD-5 ceiling mounted Rear Surrounds. My system was accumulated over 34 years. The Ohms are still dynamite sounding speakers (just stopped production last year when they cost $5K a pair), the rear surrounds are omnidirectional like the Ohms and ceiling mountable, why I purchased them a few years ago. Unfortunately, Klipsch bought out the company and discontinued them.
I put together 3.1 system for next to nothing. Used two Pinnacle bookshelves and a Paradigm powered sub that I already had and added a Polk center speaker. Bought a Yamaha surround sound receiver for not a lot of money and it sounds great. I've felt no need to add rear speakers, but I can always pick up a set of Polks for under $200 if I decide to
Ohms Walsh! Man I would love to hear these.
These speakers are the ones with tweeters that rapidly spin?
These speakers are the ones with tweeters that rapidly spin?
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