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I'm looking for a soundbar that has an HDMI passthrough feature and supports 4K, and preferably does not require a separate subwoofer because I'm low on space and live in an apartment. I have a 3.1 soundbar from 2012 that has built in subs, three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output/ARC, and it's still decent but it doesn't support 4K signals. I prefer the soundbar to act as a receiver, but most of them on the market are designed to be hooked up to the TV's audio output only, with only an optical or HDMI ARC input. I don't like this because TV's almost always add audio lag whenever they take in and send out a digital signal, even if you use PCM uncompressed and bypass options. Do any higher-end TV's not add any audio lag? The lag added might not be noticeable in movies but definitely is with video games. Anyway, a soundbar like this is surprisingly hard to find.
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May 19, 2020 19:32
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If I send a PCM 5.1 signal to a 3.1 soundbar, does the soundbar downmix the signal to 3.1 or would I be missing the other channels?
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Jun 29, 2020 20:24
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Yeah, the only advantage ARC has over Optical out from TV is that it can pass through uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1. Otherwise, the lag issues are still there any time the audio source is anything other than the TV itself (Ex: smart tv streaming apps). My soundbar from 2012 has 3 HDMI inputs for passthrough which is ideal because this creates no audio or video lag. It can’t do PCM 5.1 or 7.1 though so I want a new one that does with 3.1 or more channels. Unfortunately there are basically no new sound bars on the market that have more than one HDMI input for passthrough.
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Sep 7, 2020 16:42
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Dogen posted:why do people want anything over 2.1 with a soundbar. do you have satellite speakers? Some sound bars have a left, center, and right speaker with a subwoofer, so you would benefit from PCM 5.1 uncompressed over Stereo PCM. Some of those 3 channel soundbars also have satellite rear speakers as well making them 5.1. PRADA SLUT posted:Does this have an issue if the system goes Input > TV > Soundbar (not Input > Soundbar > TV)? Yes, basically if there’s any device between the audio source and the soundbar (source > TV > out to soundbar) there will be audio lag. Sometimes it’s small enough that most users wouldn’t notice but sometimes it’s noticeable and nothing can be done about it. Based on my experience and that article it’s because TVs are not particularly good at passing through digital audio.
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Sep 7, 2020 19:15
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I've been looking to upgrade the soundbar in my bedroom for a while. What I really want is a bar with three channels and built in subwoofers, because having a dedicated subwoofer is not ideal for living in an apartment. However, this basically does not exist on the market right now. So, does a 3 channel bar make much of a difference over a 2 channel bar? My worry is dialogue clarity, which I have found to be an issue on many 2 channel bars. My second annoyance is that a bar with more than one HDMI input for HDMI passthrough also basically doesn't exist on the market right now. I also would prefer the bar itself not be a smart device - the TV and devices hooked to it already are smart devices.
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Sep 30, 2020 19:28
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bird with big dick posted:A sound bar with a built in subwoofer is basically an oxymoron. Dedicating a couple 2” drivers to the LFE channel does not a subwoofer make and isn’t really going to be any better than just mixing that channel into stereo audio. I guess its more that I want the bar to be full range and not rely on a separate subwoofer to carry the low end, because I can't really use a subwoofer in my apartment without annoying the neighbors or roommates. I'm not anticipating true subwoofer sounds through a "built-in" subwoofer. My issue with HDMI ARC is it creates audio lag. It isn't too noticeable with movies, but is noticeable with video games. I'll probably settle for a decent 2.1 bar instead of holding out for a 3.1.
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Oct 1, 2020 20:40
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Previously in this thread I complained about the lack of soundbars that feature HDMI Pass-through, but that was because HDMI-ARC didn't work well with my old TV and created noticeable audio lag. My new TV doesn't, so can anyone recommend a soundbar that: 1. Is $250 or less, but not the cheapest options either. 2. Does NOT come with or rely on a separate subwoofer for low end. This is for a bedroom in an apartment. My understanding is that most soundbars that come paired with a subwoofer only have tweeters and midrange speakers in the bar and rely on the subwoofer to fill in the low end. Is this correct? 3. Has some sort of LED panel on it (otherwise most TVs remove the numbers when adjusting volume and you have to guess what level its at) 4. Has the ability to at least adjust treble and bass. Many bars just have a handful of equalizer presets. Even worse, some have nothing. This one is frustratingly rare and it should not be. 5. Has HDMI-ARC. Based on some recommendations I tried this: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/vizio-m-series-2-1-channel-all-in-one-sound-bar-system-dark-charcoal/6416783.p?skuId=6416783 and it was almost perfect. The sound quality in this thing was amazing for its size and price. However, there was noticeable audio lag no matter what configuration, even when feeding audio directly to the bar from a device with HDMI pass-through or Optical. Then I returned it and tried this, which I had seen recommended in various places: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/yamaha-2-1-channel-soundbar-with-3-subwoofers-with-alexa-black/6358598.p?skuId=6358598 and it had the worst sound quality I've ever heard from a soundbar. Worse than my TV's built-in speakers. Just loud, boomy, flat, and muddy.
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Oct 29, 2020 23:01
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I have a new-ish (2019) LG Smart TV and an older LG Soundbar that has Optical, HDMI Pass-through, and HDMI ARC. If I hook devices directly to the soundbar with Optical or HDMI Pass-through, they sound great. But if I use HDMI ARC or Optical out from the TV, there is noticeable compression. I've checked every setting possible in the TV to ensure that it passing the audio through and not altering it and I'm using uncompressed PCM all around. Is this just a thing with some TVs?
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Jan 2, 2021 20:17
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This is my first time buying an AV receiver and passive speakers so I'm new to this. If a speaker has RMS 85 watts continuous and a peak power handling of 340 watts, is it okay to use a receiver with 125 watts per channel?DariusLikewise posted:Is it worth it still to get a receiver that does video switching or is it just better to get a decent 5.1 receiver and use the ARC connector on your TV to get sound to the receiver? From what I've experienced with soundbars, ARC can add audio lag and/or degrade the audio quality depending on your TV.
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Mar 30, 2021 21:17
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I picked up a pair of Klipsch bookshelf speakers and a Yamaha receiver for my bedroom. Eventually I plan to get a center channel and maybe a subwoofer. Sorry for another beginner question - the receiver goes as low as -80 dB, but I can't hear anything until about -40 dB. Is this normal? At about -10 dB it's pretty much too loud for my bedroom.
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Apr 11, 2021 19:24
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I always suggest avoiding passing audio through a TV to a receiver or soundbar if you can avoid it. Unless you have HDMI eARC, regular ARC and Optical connections can not support uncompressed 5.1 or 7.1 audio. Not an issue if you only have two speakers, but also on most setups I have used, the TV degrades the audio quality with digital compression even if you select "Passthrough". You'll also likely run into sound syncing issues which are not an issue using HDMI pass-through on an AV receiver. Being able to control basic functions of your receiver with your TV remote is also a plus, and with a 5.1 receiver you have the option to add speakers later.
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Apr 12, 2021 19:00
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So here's a question to someone who is new to owning an AV Receiver. Why do all receivers have a bunch of sound modes that alter the sound field by adding reverb and whatnot? They always sound terrible to me, and isn't the goal to reproduce the sound as accurately as possible? Does anyone legitimately use these, or are they just thrown in to add marketing checkmarks on the product descriptions?
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Apr 17, 2021 06:27
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I've found that some Best Buys are still nice and maintained, and others are dumpy with boxes piled the isles and lots of empty shelves.
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Apr 17, 2021 18:48
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qirex posted:They're 100% "checkbox features," they all sound bad and nobody uses them. I thought so. This is one of the many reasons I gave up on soundbars - most of them only have a few of these to choose from and no EQ settings.
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Apr 17, 2021 18:59
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When you set your TV's input to something other than the HDMI eARC input, the AV Receiver should also automatically switch to it's eARC/TV input provided you have HDMI CEC enabled.
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May 5, 2021 00:12
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Shumagorath posted:Is there any way to stop this? I power my XBox One on, then the TV, and end up having to switch the soundbar back to the other input because the chain is XBox --> Bar --> TV. The TV is six years old now so I figure it's best to have the most modern piece of equipment at the centre. In the Xbox Power settings you can program it to send an "on" signal to your TV and Receiver/Soundbar separately. Perhaps if it sends both at the same time, thte TV and soundbar will come on and the soundbar will default to the HDMI input? Not sure though, it really just depends. You could also connect the Xbox directly to the TV, but your TV probably doesn't have HDMI eARC, and connecting the Xbox directly to the soundbar will give better sound than HDMI ARC.
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May 5, 2021 07:46
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Possibly a dumb question, but if my AV receiver has "Tone Control" where you can adjust treble and bass by +/- 6DB, and also a full equalizer for each individual speaker, which should I adjust first? Is there a good "rule of thumb" for this?
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May 13, 2021 02:32
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Wibla posted:Does it have a room calibration feature? Run that first, if you can. It does, Yamaha's YPAO, but I'm not totally satisfied with the result. It doesn't show you what equalizer settings it chose for each speaker, which would be helpful if I could adjust from there.
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May 13, 2021 02:51
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I recently tried a bunch of soundbars before settling on a 3.1 setup with an AV receiver. I thought the Sony and Samsung bars sounded horrible. By default they apply a lot of post-processing to the audio to add more soundspace, but it ends up sounding unnatural at best. Vizio sound bars actually sound really good for their price.
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May 24, 2021 22:26
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I recently upgraded my bedroom TV to a 3.1 setup with a Yamaha receiver. The receiver delivers 145 watts per channel. I'm using a pair of Klipsch Reference bookshelf speakers for FL and FR and a Reference center channel. They are rated for 85 watts continuous power and 345 watts peak and the center channel speaker is 100/400. I'm new to this and I thought that that wouldn't result in clipping but there are times when it seems like they are clipping even at -15 dB. I don't really go louder than that. Did I do this wrong? The Ohms setting on the receiver is set correctly to 8 to match the speakers.
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Jun 5, 2021 21:38
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Just remember that ARC only supports 2 channel PCM or compressed audio, which could be an issue for you. ARC can also degrade audio quality and add audio lag which isn’t noticeable with movies but can be with video games.
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Jul 2, 2021 22:55
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KozmoNaut posted:Keep in mind that the highest quality formats that S/PDIF (whether coax or optical) can carry are uncompressed stereo and DTS surround. If you want to use the fancy new sound formats that generally accompany 4K content, you'll need a newer receiver with HDMI ARC/eARC. Only eARC. Regular ARC is exactly the same as S/PDIF.
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Nov 2, 2021 14:59
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pokeyman posted:I like the idea of a pair of bookshelf speakers mostly for watching TV, but I don't like the ideas of You could get a pair of powered speakers. There aren't many that have anything but 3.5mm or RCA inputs, but these have optical: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/klipsch-reference-4-35w-2-way-powered-monitors-pair-black/6241807.p?skuId=6241807 I'm not sure if you can actually control the volume through optical with these though. I'm guessing no. However, some TVs do have a setting for variable volume for their analog audio outputs. If your TV has both of these, you could just connect any powered speakers to the TV via an analog output and would be able to control the volume that way.
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Nov 11, 2021 18:45
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Incessant Excess posted:To expand on this (receiver for gaming), how are people handling the various image settings? Right now, I have my PC, Switch and PS5 going directly into the TV, meaning I can use slightly different picture settings for each, with a receiver I would lose that functionality. Are people still going directly into the TV with some of their systems when they have a receiver or do they go all in on the receiver and just pick picture settings that are okay for everything, even if it's not 100% following the recommended settings for each? This was a tough call for me as I also like to have slightly different display settings for each device, but you also lose the ability to use uncompressed surround sound this way unless your TV and receiver support eARC (not just regular ARC). I hate using compressed sound for video games because it adds noticeable audio lag that isn't as apparent in watching movies or TV but obvious in video games. Fortunately my TV has multiple different display pre-sets you can quickly switch through so I can have everything on the same input and just quickly change the display settings pre-set.
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Nov 18, 2021 21:56
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I' have a 3 speaker setup and I still need to get the .1. However, this is for a bedroom in an apartment so I want a really small powered subwoofer, like those 6" that come with soundbars, something to just fill out the sound but not rattle the walls or disturb the neighbors. This seems to be hard to find though - any suggestions?luchadornado posted:Looking at getting back into a decent-sounding home audio system and replacing my old Yamaha 5.1 system. I can't really do rear channels in my new house because of the room layout, even if I had the speakers mounted off poles coming down from the ceiling, they'd be in really awkward spots. I don't know how many receivers have it, but my Yamaha receiver has a setting for a 5.1 setup with all of them placed in front. For instance, the rear left and right speakers would just be further out from the front left and front right but on the same wall. I only have a 3 speaker setup though so I haven't been able to try this to know how it sounds. In my opinion a receiver + 3.1 setup is still preferable over a soundbar. While some soundbars actually do sound good, they are extremely hit or miss, mostly miss, on how much control you have over the sound. Many have virtual surround sound processing enabled and that almost always sounds like garbage, and either you can't turn it off or it's that or flat sound. Another issue with soundbars is that almost all of them lack the ability to receive 5.1 or 7.1 uncompressed sound and compressed audio typically means there will be some degree of audio lag. Not a big issue for TV and film, but with video games, any audio delay is noticeable.
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Nov 27, 2021 20:52
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Inept posted:If my TV has enough HDMI ports, is there a downside to just using ARC/eARC and leaving the high bandwidth video to it? Basically so I don't have to worry about HDMI 2.1 on a receiver and can get a much cheaper one. Well, it depends. On one hand, hooking everything through the TV is usually a simpler setup and you'll only need one remote (though most TVs can control the receiver too). By connecting directly to the TV you also get some HDMI-specific features that might be lost with connecting through the receiver. On the other hand, having the TV pass through any audio signal will result in at least some loss in audio quality. In terms of the audio signal itself, there is NO difference between using standard ARC and Optical. eARC can pass through uncompressed surround, BUT there's still typically some signal compression performed by the TV. Also, any time you pass audio through the TV first, there will be some audio delay. You might not notice it in movies/TV, but you will notice it in video games. In my opinion, ARC and eARC should be reserved for soundbars and similar devices and not receivers that have multiple HDMI inputs.
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Jan 29, 2022 20:13
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I've been trying for a while to find a cheap, small, powered, wired subwoofer to complete my 3.1 setup in my bedroom. Think the kind that typically come packaged with soundbars and are usually around 6". I would just buy a new soundbar and not use the bar itself, but these days the bundled subwoofer is always wireless and proprietary for that soundbar. I just want something to fill out the sound, not rattle the place since this is a bedroom in an apartment. Aside from randomly finding one at a pawn shop, I'm not sure where else to look really. Any ideas?
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Jan 31, 2022 23:23
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Those are both too big. I know I could just turn it down, but I'm also low on space. It's a small bedroom.
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Jan 31, 2022 23:50
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Thanks for the help. Most of those are still bigger than what I want, butaparmenideanmonad posted:And a real soundbar-sized one with a 6.5" driver. this is basically what I want, but I don't want down-firing. I just found this: https://www.amazon.com/Kanto-6-inch-Powered-Subwoofer-Matte/dp/B076FJ4LM6/ Never heard of the brand and it's pricey for such a small subwoofer, but this might work.
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Feb 1, 2022 18:56
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Twerk from Home posted:Have you considered just getting better bookshelf speakers? That's a good point. I have a pair of Klipsch Reference 5" on which have a minimum frequency of 62hz. I've also never been too impressed with them to begin with. I might consider this instead.
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Feb 1, 2022 19:46
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My roommate is looking for a new receiver. He likes to run his PC through his receiver via HDMI, sometimes to only play audio and sometimes also as an extended desktop on his TV. He had an older Onkyo that could do this without issue, but it lacked the ability to pass through 4K UHD/HDR. He got a new Yamaha (TSR 700), but attempting to pass through the PC signal makes the video and audio signal cut out, glitch, or the receiver itself will glitch. We're both pretty tech savvy, but can't figure this out. My best guess is that the PC detects both the TV itself and the receiver and gets conflicted. There doesn't seem to be any way to get it to only recognize the receiver. Using any other device has no issue. Any idea if this is an issue with Yamaha receivers? Or do modern receivers just have an issue with this?
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May 22, 2022 09:48
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Ultimate Mango posted:I have in ceiling speakers for the fronts and its totally fine. Nothing weird with it being higher than my screen. I actually had urged him to get this one since I see it mentioned so often in here. He's leaning toward either that or the Costco Onkyo since his current Onkyo receiver handles the PC input correctly. CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:It might just be that receiver/product line. Or it could be the TV? Have you tried a different TV or just using a computer monitor to see if the receiver still gives you problems? That's the same setup he has. It was a pain but we tried it on my TV too with my laptop and it did the same thing. Sometimes the PC detects the receiver, sometimes it detects the TV, and changing the various HDMI settings doesn't seem to help. Something about this model just doesn't want to communicate well with PCs.
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May 28, 2022 08:24
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I finally picked up the .1 to complete my small 3.1 setup in my bedroom! Just wanted to clarify a few things with you guys: 1. My A/V receiver has one pre-out jack to the subwoofer but the subwoofer has a left and right channel RCA input. Can I use any RCA cable and can I just plug it into either channel on the subwoofer? 2. The subwoofer has a crossover dial, but my understanding is that I should set the dial all the way up and use the crossover settings in my A/V receiver to let it control it, correct? 3. My left and right speakers have a low frequency response of 62hz, with my center channel being 89hz. Should I set the crossover at 60hz, 80hz, or 90hz? 4. The subwoofer has a phase switch and the receiver also has a phase setting. I'm not sure how these should be set. Thanks in advance!
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Mar 4, 2023 23:45
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Mederlock posted:1. Read the sub's manual, it may tell you which one to use. But you're safe to just choose one or the other for now Thanks! So if both the receiver and the subwoofer have a phase toggle, does that mean: Receiver + subwoofer set at normal = normal output (aka most likely what I want) Receiver at normal; subwoofer at inverse = inverse output Receiver at inverse; subwoofer at normal = inverse output Receiver at inverse; subwoofer at inverse = converts back to normal output?
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Mar 5, 2023 21:01
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Follow up subwoofer questions from my last post: I got my subwoofer, and set the volume knob on it at 50% and the lowpass filter knob all the way up per the general advice online and this thread. The receiver's sub channel level is set to 0dB. I determined that setting the receiver's crossover at 60hz sounds correct. The next option up is 80hz which is too "boomy" and the next one down is 40hz which is not enough. My front L/R speakers have a low frequency response of 62hz so it makes sense. 1. Could or should I lower the subwoofer's lowpass filter knob to maybe about 80hz, or still leave it all the way up, or does it not matter? 2. I want to reduce the sub's overall output level just a bit. Should I adjust it in the receiver settings (+/- dB), or on the sub's volume knob, or some combo of both? Or also again, does it not matter? Basically I'm curious if one of these configurations potentially lower the quality of the sub's output, i.e. cause clipping or something? Sorry, OCD and also wanting to learn as much as possible about setups. SweetMercifulCrap! fucked around with this message at 10:04 on Mar 13, 2023 |
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Mar 13, 2023 09:34
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Hippie Hedgehog posted:Does not matter. You should keep controlling it at the receiver end. Leave it up, in case you decide to change the level later - then you don't have to change it in two places. Thanks! Good point about a digital number = easier than a knob position on the back. It does have it (Yamaha YPAO), but when I first did it I hated the configuration it came up with, and then the mic broke. Maybe the mic was bad to begin with and that's why it produced bad sounding settings? But I also enjoy fine-tuning and learning what I like best. I thought about that regarding the center speaker. I wish I had the option to set a different crossover for each speaker, but I don't. I suppose I will leave the subwoofer knobs as is and play with the receiver's crossover and sub channel level as I go. For instance, maybe setting the crossover to 80hz and lowering the sub level so I don't miss out on the center channel sub frequencies. SweetMercifulCrap! fucked around with this message at 10:37 on Mar 13, 2023 |
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Mar 13, 2023 10:32
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I don't know what the Bluetooth specs are, but with both my car system and my receiver, I can hear a difference between Bluetooth and a cable connection. The only thing that sounds the same is my Bluetooth headphones that can also be wired.
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Mar 15, 2023 02:53
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For the powered subwoofer I recently got and mentioned earlier in the thread... I determined 60hz feels like the appropriate crossover point for my system. I set the volume knob on the subwoofer itself at exactly half, or essentially "0" gain as recommended. For the subwoofer level from the receiver, I have it all the way down to -8dB. That's where it feels like it blends in with the rest of the speakers best. The lowest the setting goes is -10dB. Is this common? I'm surprised I had to set it that low.
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Apr 2, 2023 21:53
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^^ thanks! I bet they also probably want to ensure the subwoofer is obviously on under default settings since most people want it to stand out rather than blend in. ^ to a point. If it’s too prominent it’s overkill imo. I’d rather it just not even seem like it’s there and like all the sound is coming from the speakers. Ok, hopefully last subwoofer question: I like the sub to be punchier and less “boomy”. I was having trouble getting it to that even with the lowered dB levels. So I tried matching the crossover knob on the subwoofer to the setting on the receiver (60hz) and for some reason that actually gave me the punchier sound I want. Why would this happen? My assumption is the receiver’s crossover processing is not perfect?
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Apr 3, 2023 00:56
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M_Gargantua posted:Filters are always a slope. Where you set the filter is ideally what is referred to as "3dB point " where the response is three decibels below a flat response. KillHour posted:Crossover filters don't "expect" anything. What they did was overlay the two filters so they combined and increased the falloff slope. So basically, if you set a filter at 60hz, frequencies above that can still "get through" but with a continuing slope of -3dB until a point where they're inaudible, and by matching the two filters, the slope is increased? Hippie Hedgehog posted:It might simply be that you've placed the sub in a spot where it gets some extra boost by the room's acoustics. It sounds perfectly normal to tweak -8 dB if that sounds better. True. I'm also limited as to where I can place it and only have one spot on the floor where it fits and isn't blocked.
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Apr 3, 2023 19:05
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