Sony acoustic tv

[hersh]

Hi all
After some advice/information please
For the last 30ish years I have always had Panasonic TVs
But the current one (802b 50" 4k) has been a real pain in the arse
Panasonic have been useless and although Wollacotts have tried helping, its never been right
The TV is 6 years old now and the latest problem is with the sound
Switch the TV on early in the day and over the rest of the day we have to keep increasing the volume until its at 100%
Using a panasonic sound bar and we are on the volume control all the time, the sound is all over the place, commercials (for instance) are way, way, way too loud
Using a Sony Bluetooth headphone (the wife can then have a different sound level) I get an echo as the TV is a quarter second behind all the time
I have tinnitus and cannot stand these variations in sound

So!
I am going to dump the Panasonic and get a different brand

What I think I want is a TV that doesn't require a sound bar ( so I can still use the headphones if required)

Went to Pcworld and they were pushing a Sony where the screen is actually the speaker!

Anyone got any comments on these TVs?

55" is probably the biggest we can go to in the available space

Any other info/help/advice would be appreciated

Apologies for the long post

Thanks in advance

[aberdeeneuan]

My mate has one of these TVs. Now, I’ve not watched it extensively, but I was impressed by the sound it pumped out, sounded great but that was just general tv watching, couldn’t say in specifics for movies etc. Looked great too.

I know they’re pleased with it, but they were coming from a 32” non 4K setup before so everything was going to be better!

[CorradoTDI]

What model is yours and where was it made - I'm wondering if it's a rebadged Vestel TV rather than a proper Panasonic...

[hersh]

Thanks for that Aberdeen

Corrado
It's a TX-50AX802B
Doesn't say where it was made but she was well over £1,000 to buy back then (Not that it means much)
It's still a great picture but let down by reliability and sound

[CorradoTDI]

hersh said:

Thanks for that Aberdeen

Corrado
It's a TX-50AX802B
Doesn't say where it was made but she was well over £1,000 to buy back then (Not that it means much)
It's still a great picture but let down by reliability and sound

Yeah that's a high end model so should be a proper Panasonic.

I would give them a call though as they are usually very helpful / knowledgeable and will talk you through checking / resetting things, checking software is up to date etc.

[hersh]

Have tried calling, emailing with video clips etc etc

Absolute waste of time

Have also tried resetting every few months when it really pisses me off

And checked again yesterday, no new updates

Thanks for helping

[Sheepshanks]

Just general thoughts from somone in his early 60's, but I think my hearing is pretty well OK.

Our Panasonic plasma packed up and, as I'd never had issues with sound from its speakers I didn't give it any thought. As a stop-gap grabbed a cheap (£250) Toshiba branded, but made by Vestel, replacement which had front facing speakers - visually it looked like it was TV built on top of a soundbar - no issue with sound, picture terrible. The screen failed after a couple of months and AO just refunded me as the model was no longer available.

Replaced that with a £600 49" (so not high end) Sony - much better picture but the sound was awful. Just seemed muddled - it was weird to watch people speaking as the sound didn't seem to come from them, but from somwhere else. It was pretty well unwatchable. Another point is the Sony is an Android TV and the user interface is painful to use.

So added a Sonos Beam soundbar. Sound is far, far better now. However the sound levels so jump about a bit betwen programmes and adverts, and between channels - enough that when adverts come on you're reaching for the remote to knock it down a bit. TV is in a biggish room (overall 20' by 15' and needs a reasonable volume or you miss quiet bits of dialogue.

[hersh]

I was wondering whether a better soundbar would help, the salesperson at pcworld said no
Not sure he was telling the truth or just trying to sell an expensive tv

Think I really need to borrow a TV to see how that behaves

Anyone got a 50" oled TV I can try for a week?

[911newbie]

I am thinking about your issue of having either a soundbar or headphones, as if you could not have both.

I've a Sony Bravia which is now 5 or 6 years old, and I run a Cambridge Audio soundbar/sub plus I can run a bluetooth headphone set.
I stick a bluetooth emitter into the headphone-out socket on the back of the TV, and that sends an audio signal to my headphones. I can have both or one of them.

This will do it -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Transmitter-Rec...
£12, which might fix your issue I think.

So unless this is an absolutely unique feature of Sony TVs, which I doubt, then I think you could have both going at the same time.
Maybe take your headphones into the shop and ask to try them ?

The issue about sounds levels during adverts and between programmes is an issue from the broadcaster, not the TVs. With better audio from soundbars etc it's just way more obvious.

ETA - the titles on Bosch are a gross offender, way louder than the main body of the program, and they come about a couple of minutes in, not at the very start. Since the kids are usually in bed then, I have to dash for the volume button. I now get a tingly premonition sensation in advance of the titles, a second sight if you will....
<twighlight zone music>

Edited by 911newbie on Monday 26th July 08:26

[hersh]

911newbie said:

I am thinking about your issue of having either a soundbar or headphones, as if you could not have both.

I've a Sony Bravia which is now 5 or 6 years old, and I run a Cambridge Audio soundbar/sub plus I can run a bluetooth headphone set.
I stick a bluetooth emitter into the headphone-out socket on the back of the TV, and that sends an audio signal to my headphones. I can have both or one of them.

This will do it -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Transmitter-Rec...
£12, which might fix your issue I think.

So unless this is an absolutely unique feature of Sony TVs, which I doubt, then I think you could have both going at the same time.
Maybe take your headphones into the shop and ask to try them ?

The issue about sounds levels during adverts and between programmes is an issue from the broadcaster, not the TVs. With better audio from soundbars etc it's just way more obvious.

ETA - the titles on Bosch are a gross offender, way louder than the main body of the program, and they come about a couple of minutes in, not at the very start. Since the kids are usually in bed then, I have to dash for the volume button. I now get a tingly premonition sensation in advance of the titles, a second sight if you will....
<twighlight zone music>

Edited by 911newbie on Monday 26th July 08:26

Thanks for the reply
The Sony headphones connect to the TV via its own 3.5mm jack transmitter/charging station
The delay is there when using the soundbar and headphones with the headphones ahead of the soundbar
As said the picture is great but I can't live with the sound as it is

But you are right, I will take headphones with me to try
Will have to remember to disconnect it when the TV leaves the room via the patio doors....

[Gren]

We've got one of those Sonys. AG9 I think. 55 inch 4k oled. 3 years old now I think.

Sounds is excellent. So much so that I hardly ever use the soundbar. For most viewing the sound is better through the TV. I'm not sure about the claim that you get the sound from where it is on the screen. I don't think it does that well but what it does is throw the sound well beyond the screen itself. I hear things that sound like they are coming from metres to the left or right. Particularly background sounds - rain etc.

I now use the TV as my music streaming source in the living room, again without the soundbar. Only time I switch on the soundbar now is for movies. Nothing will touch the bass from a subwoofer that some movies just need.

[hersh]

Hi Greg

Thanks for the info

Getting away from needing a soundbar might well be the best route for me

[Murph7355]

I have an AF9 and the sound from the TV alone is pretty good.

I wouldn't call it a replacement for a good soundbar, and definitely not a full surround system. But it's decent.

I use the Acoustic Panel as the centre channel in my 5.1 surround set up and it works nicely like that too.

All that said...

Note that differences in volume between ad breaks and general programming, and potentially other sources (very noticeable between HD and SD channels - which I think is down to surround versus stereo sound, when ads come on, between apps on the TV at times etc., seems to simply be a fact of life these days.

I experience it still despite having a nice surround system and having fiddled with sound normalisation/volume limiting etc.

[Sheepshanks]

Gren said:

So much so that I hardly ever use the soundbar.

Is that usual with soundbars? I'd never thought about not using our Sonos Beam - it just works 'automatically' with the TV. In fact, I don't think it can be turned off.

[hersh]

Hi Murph
TBH I would rather have a consistent sound level rather than quality
At the mo I spend all my time with one finger on the volume control
And yes, adverts do seem to be the worst offenders
Perhaps it would be better to switch off all sound and use subtitles, extreme maybe?

[hersh]

Apologies Gren
Just realised the autocorrect kicked in and I did not spot it

[Murph7355]

hersh said:

Hi Murph
TBH I would rather have a consistent sound level rather than quality
At the mo I spend all my time with one finger on the volume control
And yes, adverts do seem to be the worst offenders
Perhaps it would be better to switch off all sound and use subtitles, extreme maybe?

Quite extreme

IME I'm not sure you'll ever fully cure the ads/programme levels - the feckers at the broadcast end are the culprits

[Tony1963]

I’d be wanting to sort out the sound sun here issue before anything else. We used to suffer it, but since going to Sky Q a couple of years ago into our old Yamaha sound bar/receiver/amp thing, no issues at all.

[hersh]

Tony1963 said:

I’d be wanting to sort out the sound sun here issue before anything else. We used to suffer it, but since going to Sky Q a couple of years ago into our old Yamaha sound bar/receiver/amp thing, no issues at all.

Agreed, but there's a limit to the amount of cash I am willing/able to throw at it

I know the TV is playing up (100% volume after several hours use) so I shall start there by replacing

The headphones work fine using the TV speaker so hopefully that will "solve" the worst of the problems

Thanks all for you input

[Gren]

Sheepshanks said:

Gren said:

So much so that I hardly ever use the soundbar.

Is that usual with soundbars? I'd never thought about not using our Sonos Beam - it just works 'automatically' with the TV. In fact, I don't think it can be turned off.

A setting on our TV decides which sound system to use. If you point it to the TVs own speakers then the soundbar doesn't automatically switch on with the TV.