Bluetooth surround speakers?

[caduceus]

I have a Phillips Ambilight tv which I'm happy with, but the sound is flat. So I'd like to invest in a surround sound speaker system, without the wires.

Can anyone recommend a system please? I don't need a sub tbh, as I have neighbors to consider. Just a front and rear set up.


Thanks in advance
Cad

[akadk]

Amazon fire stick and echos

[caduceus]

akadk said:

Amazon fire stick and echos

Come again? I've been out of the hi-fi scene for eons. I don't know what that means

[Lucid_AV]

caduceus said:

Come again? I've been out of the hi-fi scene for eons. I don't know what that means

Fire stick (or Amazon Fire TV stick which is it's proper name) and Echo - Amazon's wireless speaker range - isn't Hi-Fi, but that's by-the-by. What he's saying is that this is one solution, albeit with some caveats about the way it works with your TV. It really only works with content played from the Fire TV stick. That's okay of your stream everything, but not much help if you're a Sky or Virgin subscriber or want to link up your own Freeview/Freesat TV recorder or a games console etc.

https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/news/amazon...


Thinking about your requirements, the way that many people go about this is with a sound bar. There are plain stereo versions, and there are ones that use sound projection (firing beams of audio on to reflective surfaces such as walls and ceilings) to create a surround effect without additional speakers. The results vary with price.

There are sound bars that use wireless rear speakers. Few are truly wireless; they require a minimum of a mains cable. Some of this gear is modular. Sonos makes sound bars, wireless mains-powered speakers that can be used as surrounds, and a separate subwoofer. These items can be purchased individually so it's possible to have a bar + surrounds but no sub. Other manufacturers think along the lines that if you're going to the expense of buying a system with their wireless surround speakers then you're going to expect a sub. Trying then to run the system without the sub won't end happily. These sorts of things are designed as a package.

There are solutions by Denon and Yamaha based on an AV receiver with conventional wired speakers for the front L&R + centre and their wireless music streaming speakers which double up as surround speakers if configured correctly. That will give you exactly what you've specified and sound really good too, but it may not suit aesthetically. Look up Heos (Denon) and Musiccast (Yamaha) for more info.

I don't recall seeing mention of a budget. Without that then any specific recommendations are pointless as they could be well out of your anticipated price range. You might also want to be very specific about how you expect this to connect to the TV. The usual method is a HDMI cable from the TV's ARC socket. Bluetooth from the TV to an external speaker such as a sound bar may be possible, but with penalties in terms of audio fidelity and the lack of true surround sound.

[caduceus]

Thank you Lucid for the very detailed reply.

You're right...I didn't mention a budget, or any other specifics for that matter, doh.
My budget is around the 200 pouns mark. Give or take a hundred.
I only watch freeview and Amazon prime content. Or a HDD on the USB or hdmi port on the tv.

Thanks again
Cad

[Lucid_AV]

At £200-£300 I'd forget about anything to do with wireless surround speakers. It ain't happening. Or it isn't from any product that's actually worth owning.

A pair of the Play One speakers to use as surrounds will cost you around £300 on their own.

Have a look at what Richer Sounds has to offer in sound bars. They've filtered out a lot of the rubbish stuff so you won't waste your time on junk.

Features-wise, look for something with a HDMI ARC connection. Go for quality sound over toys. Bluetooth connectivity for music from your phone is fine (and pretty standard), but don't get seduced by gadgets.

If you want.to keep your options open for adding wireless speakers in the future then have a look at Sonos, Yamaha Musiccast and Denon Heos. All three have sound bars with their respective technologies.

[caduceus]

Thanks Lucid. Sounds like a good place to start. I was only saying to my partner today (as we left Currys...) that Richer Sounds had great demo rooms.

[Lucid_AV]

I have to say that I am less enamoured by Richers than you. Their demo rooms for the stores I have been in are cluttered with too much gear and far too many speakers for my liking. I'm more used to the specialist stores where there's room with just the gear you're auditioning.

Having said that, these sort of boutique Hi-Fi dealers aren't the places that sell a range of sound bars, so Richers or maybe John Lewis is a better option than the likes of Currys.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.