Soundbars vs speakers
Discussion
Hi all. I’ve been quite content with my tv speaker setup with reasonably high quality Kef LS50 wireless II and matching Kef subwoofer. I’ve always thought it was a crystal clear sound and decent enough quality for tv. I’m more of a music person than a tv person but………..
That was until today and I wanted to pick the PH brains. Stupid as it might seem, I am looking for a new bed and was in dreams when my eye was caught by a tv bed.
Dolby Atmos and the sound was unbelievable. Ok on their demo settings to make the most of it, but it blew my £3,000 Kef setup into dust. A really warm sound.
So I was thinking. This was a bed. Surely nothing high end inside it? What do I need to spend on a soundbar to get similar to this bed. Is it this Dolby atmos that makes the difference?
Thanks for any advice.
That was until today and I wanted to pick the PH brains. Stupid as it might seem, I am looking for a new bed and was in dreams when my eye was caught by a tv bed.
Dolby Atmos and the sound was unbelievable. Ok on their demo settings to make the most of it, but it blew my £3,000 Kef setup into dust. A really warm sound.
So I was thinking. This was a bed. Surely nothing high end inside it? What do I need to spend on a soundbar to get similar to this bed. Is it this Dolby atmos that makes the difference?
Thanks for any advice.
Those KEF speakers should be more than sufficient to take on and beat almost any soundbar.
As regards the bed, a "warm" sound isn't necessarily a "good" sound. And those KEFs should be far from weak in bass.
As regards the bed, a "warm" sound isn't necessarily a "good" sound. And those KEFs should be far from weak in bass.
- What amp are you using?
- How is it connected to the TV?
- Which KEF sub are you using?
I think I’ve mis-led you with my point. The Kefs are great and for music they’re amazing with amazing clarity and bass.
But the bed felt like a cinema sound. Really warm and deep. And I’ve probably been blind sided by the clarity of the kefs to notice that for tv (films) they’re nothing like a cinema sound and this bed has made me realise it.
I guess it’s hard for me to explain but the sound was so deep and immersive. Ok it has speakers everywhere but that’s also not what I’m getting at, it was the depth and warmness that made me think about a dedicated soundbar system.
But the bed felt like a cinema sound. Really warm and deep. And I’ve probably been blind sided by the clarity of the kefs to notice that for tv (films) they’re nothing like a cinema sound and this bed has made me realise it.
I guess it’s hard for me to explain but the sound was so deep and immersive. Ok it has speakers everywhere but that’s also not what I’m getting at, it was the depth and warmness that made me think about a dedicated soundbar system.
I find high channel content pushed/processed to 2 or 2.1 increasingly muddy, depending on how it’s down-sampled.
It might just be that you need to get the 5.1 or whatever signal down to 2.1 in a better way!?
It’s quite hard these days to know what’s going on at each step.
No clear way for example to ask a device to always use 2/2.1 and how to down sample to it if unavailable from source.
Ie, Disney+ has loads of atmos stuff but it’s unclear if I’m the absence of atmos, it’s dealt with.
Or if you do have a tv that supports it, but not outputs, I’d the tv doing a bad down-convert?
It might just be that you need to get the 5.1 or whatever signal down to 2.1 in a better way!?
It’s quite hard these days to know what’s going on at each step.
No clear way for example to ask a device to always use 2/2.1 and how to down sample to it if unavailable from source.
Ie, Disney+ has loads of atmos stuff but it’s unclear if I’m the absence of atmos, it’s dealt with.
Or if you do have a tv that supports it, but not outputs, I’d the tv doing a bad down-convert?
Panamax said:
Those KEF speakers should be more than sufficient to take on and beat almost any soundbar.
As regards the bed, a "warm" sound isn't necessarily a "good" sound. And those KEFs should be far from weak in bass.
As regards the bed, a "warm" sound isn't necessarily a "good" sound. And those KEFs should be far from weak in bass.
- What amp are you using?
- How is it connected to the TV?
- Which KEF sub are you using?
For immersive listening/viewing even a mid range 3.1.2 soundbar will beat 2.1 especially in bed six foot away! Add a pair of Atmos rears and it will blow away 'stereo' even in surround mode! Sorry I missed the questions from earlier.
1. There is no external sub. The Kefs have built in subs.
2. Connection to the tv is via optical cable.
3. It’s the Kef KC62 sub.
Ok so I’ve decided to try a soundbar. Any recommendations for something around £300? I assume I’ll need a sub too? Or do they come all in? Could I use my Kef sub?
1. There is no external sub. The Kefs have built in subs.
2. Connection to the tv is via optical cable.
3. It’s the Kef KC62 sub.
Ok so I’ve decided to try a soundbar. Any recommendations for something around £300? I assume I’ll need a sub too? Or do they come all in? Could I use my Kef sub?
The Kef KC62 sub is completely separate and can be used with many other speaker arrangements. It can also be fed wirelessly albeit still needs power just like the active Kef LS50II speakers.
The Kef LS50IIs are really designed for streaming music/radio not as part of a cinema system. Kef do not build an active centre speaker.
Horses for courses really.
I believe Sonus do an active speaker cinema system which communicates wirelessly. It does not however compete with a good stereo or 2.1 system for music reproduction.
The Kef LS50IIs are really designed for streaming music/radio not as part of a cinema system. Kef do not build an active centre speaker.
Horses for courses really.
I believe Sonus do an active speaker cinema system which communicates wirelessly. It does not however compete with a good stereo or 2.1 system for music reproduction.
dickymint said:
Panamax said:
Those KEF speakers should be more than sufficient to take on and beat almost any soundbar.
As regards the bed, a "warm" sound isn't necessarily a "good" sound. And those KEFs should be far from weak in bass.
As regards the bed, a "warm" sound isn't necessarily a "good" sound. And those KEFs should be far from weak in bass.
- What amp are you using?
- How is it connected to the TV?
- Which KEF sub are you using?
For immersive listening/viewing even a mid range 3.1.2 soundbar will beat 2.1 especially in bed six foot away! Add a pair of Atmos rears and it will blow away 'stereo' even in surround mode! page3 said:
Really? I've always found a decent 2.0 (or 2.1) system will present a better soundstage than a poor multi-speaker system.
I concur for music listening a well set up stereo system is far superior to the same funds being spent on a multi channel system. I've run some fairly exotic Hi Fi for years.However for cinema being able to place individual instruments or hear string being plucked or bowed is less important than than the impact of 3 dimensional action.
I do not have a TV in the bedroom so would not try to advise what is better there.
Room treatment and DSP processing can have a major impact on the 'sound' of a system.
page3 said:
Really? I've always found a decent 2.0 (or 2.1) system will present a better soundstage than a poor multi-speaker system.
A lot will depend on whether the source material has a really good multi-track or a well mastered stereo track.I don't think anyone wins when sound is munged from format to format.
I'm not shocked you were impressed, but imagine what you could experience with something other than a pish bed system. Honestly, if you mainly use them for watching films/tv, then get them sold and buy a top spec soundbar.
A set of expensive small standmounts (Wow they're like £2.5k) are still just expensive small standmounts.
About 10yrs ago I was one of the the "A pair of standmounts and good sub are all you need" people, but times move on.
I've just got a Samsung Q990b after moving to our new house and my full AV 7.2 setup is going up for sale. It was a hell of a system, but like most AV systems, it can be a pain, needs tweaking all the time, takes up a load of space and eats power. For reference:
Front 3 - ATC SCM12
Surround/Rears - Upfiring MK K4 Tripoles.
Subs - Two XTZ 1x12.
AV - Nakamichi Processor, Lyngdorf amp and Nak AVP1 for the surrounds.
The Q990b blew it's socks off within 5mins of tweaking in terms of an immersive experience, it was shocking and completely unexpected. £750 for the Q990b is less than the cost of 1 sub!
Move with the times and you'll get an incredible Film/Tv experience with none of the AV hassles!
A set of expensive small standmounts (Wow they're like £2.5k) are still just expensive small standmounts.
About 10yrs ago I was one of the the "A pair of standmounts and good sub are all you need" people, but times move on.
I've just got a Samsung Q990b after moving to our new house and my full AV 7.2 setup is going up for sale. It was a hell of a system, but like most AV systems, it can be a pain, needs tweaking all the time, takes up a load of space and eats power. For reference:
Front 3 - ATC SCM12
Surround/Rears - Upfiring MK K4 Tripoles.
Subs - Two XTZ 1x12.
AV - Nakamichi Processor, Lyngdorf amp and Nak AVP1 for the surrounds.
The Q990b blew it's socks off within 5mins of tweaking in terms of an immersive experience, it was shocking and completely unexpected. £750 for the Q990b is less than the cost of 1 sub!
Move with the times and you'll get an incredible Film/Tv experience with none of the AV hassles!
-Ad- said:
I'm not shocked you were impressed, but imagine what you could experience with something other than a pish bed system. Honestly, if you mainly use them for watching films/tv, then get them sold and buy a top spec soundbar.
A set of expensive small standmounts (Wow they're like £2.5k) are still just expensive small standmounts.
About 10yrs ago I was one of the the "A pair of standmounts and good sub are all you need" people, but times move on.
I've just got a Samsung Q990b after moving to our new house and my full AV 7.2 setup is going up for sale. It was a hell of a system, but like most AV systems, it can be a pain, needs tweaking all the time, takes up a load of space and eats power. For reference:
Front 3 - ATC SCM12
Surround/Rears - Upfiring MK K4 Tripoles.
Subs - Two XTZ 1x12.
AV - Nakamichi Processor, Lyngdorf amp and Nak AVP1 for the surrounds.
The Q990b blew it's socks off within 5mins of tweaking in terms of an immersive experience, it was shocking and completely unexpected. £750 for the Q990b is less than the cost of 1 sub!
Move with the times and you'll get an incredible Film/Tv experience with none of the AV hassles!
Absolutely agree with you - gutted that I didn't get the Q990b and opted for it's smaller brother but at the time I was pushing my luck with the She that has the combination to the safe A set of expensive small standmounts (Wow they're like £2.5k) are still just expensive small standmounts.
About 10yrs ago I was one of the the "A pair of standmounts and good sub are all you need" people, but times move on.
I've just got a Samsung Q990b after moving to our new house and my full AV 7.2 setup is going up for sale. It was a hell of a system, but like most AV systems, it can be a pain, needs tweaking all the time, takes up a load of space and eats power. For reference:
Front 3 - ATC SCM12
Surround/Rears - Upfiring MK K4 Tripoles.
Subs - Two XTZ 1x12.
AV - Nakamichi Processor, Lyngdorf amp and Nak AVP1 for the surrounds.
The Q990b blew it's socks off within 5mins of tweaking in terms of an immersive experience, it was shocking and completely unexpected. £750 for the Q990b is less than the cost of 1 sub!
Move with the times and you'll get an incredible Film/Tv experience with none of the AV hassles!
It will happen though 
Do you have a Samsung Q Symphony tv as well? Takes it up another notch allowing the TV speakers to play as well as the soundbar and rears.
audi321 said:
So what do I have to spend to get a decent level soundbar (assuming I can maintain the current Kef sub)?
Any recommendations?
Depends as you've not told us what your TV is capable of and if you use a Sky/BT/Virgin box and what that's capable of. For example you said your using optical but Atmos will not work with optical - you need HDMI eARC. Any recommendations?
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