Does anyone know anything about sound bars? There seems to be a million options out there, so I figured I would check before dropping a few hours into reading up on them. Looking for one of the lower to mid range models. No separate bass unit, as I’m sure the downstairs neighbors wouldn’t appreciate that. Hoping to get one that has decent bass built in, but it’s not absolutely necessary. I appreciate any knowledge anyone has and is willing to share.
https://www.whathifi.com/features/sonos-beam-vs-sonos-playbar-vs-sonos-playbase Depending on budget, I’d go playbase if no stand alone base, and base is important. But all three are great options.
The Sonos actually has pretty good bass. Any of the 3 would be a good option for what he is looking for though.
I appreciate the quick feedback. I'll try to read through these options tonight and let you know what I think. As far as budget, I don't really have one. Since I'm also buying a new TV, I was hoping to not spend as much and was leaning towards staying in the $150-$300 range. But if I start to look at options closer to $400, I probably wouldn't mind spending another hundred or 2 if it means a significant upgrade. One of those things where if I'm going to spend that much, what's another hundred bucks to get something great, you know? I'm most likely going to buy the 65 inch Sony X900f television, and Best Buy is running a deal that bundles a sound bar that's normally $700 for closer to $500. That might be another option if I decide to go that high, though I'm not sure which specific one it is.
That’s a pretty good article. If I was buying today I wouldn’t have a Playbar, for all the awkward reasons listed there. I have it in front of my TVs, but fortunately it doesn’t block either one, though it’s close. I’d probably get a playbase.
I don't know if I want to spend $700+ on a sound bar, but that Sonos Beam looks like a pretty solid option.
This is the one I get for $200 off if I buy the 65 inch Sony X900F TV: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-3...eless-subwoofer-black/6201448.p?skuId=6201448 I wasn't aware that it comes with a wireless sub for that price. Not sure how to feel about that, as I doubt I'd use it much. Also not 100% sure that I'll go for the X900F. The Vizio P Series Quantum has been getting some great reviews. Just figured I'd throw this one out there as one option.
Thanks for the info. It's still a little more than I wanted to spend but significantly cheaper than some other options. I'll definitely be giving it a solid look.
I'm finding it difficult to compare options that have a subwoofer and those that don't. As I've mentioned, I don't really want to use a subwoofer, as I'm afraid it may lead to complaining neighbors, but the other 2 or 3 options I've identified aside from the Sonos Beam all include subwoofers. If a unit has a separate subwoofer, is it fair to say that not using the sub would significant decrease the quality of the sound? Or do these soundbars often stand alone just fine, even without the added bass from the sub? Alternatively, I'm also beginning to wonder if we might be able to use a subwoofer after all. We are on the top floor, which means no upstairs neighbor, and the TV is going to be against a wall inside the unit (other side of the wall is our bedroom). So, really, the only thing we have to worry about is the downstairs neighbor, and I've read there are items you can buy that will mitigate what they hear.
Question regarding the Sonos options offered up in this thread: I'm about to buy the Sony X900F (since the Vizio P Series Quantum is inexplicably sold out literally everywhere), which includes google assistant and Alexa as a built in feature. With that in mind, do I really need a "Smart" soundbar? Obviously the smart soundbar has the ability to play music through spotify at the command of my voice, which is a feature I would utilize frequently, but won't I have the ability to do the exact same thing through my TV? My thought is that I can command the music be played using the TV's feature, which will then play said music through the soundbar, regardless of whether said soundbar is smart or not. Am I off here?
I would buy another Sonos system right now, over anything on the market within a similar range, even if they never added Alexa.
The Sonos pricing is giving me pause. I definitely don't want to drop the cash for the more expensive ones, and the Beam at $400 still seems high, based on the other options on the market. I've seen a couple (Polk Command Soundbar, Yamaha YAS-207) that are rated equally or higher on a number of site and are much cheaper ($250 and $300, respectively). Biggest problem I'm facing is that though those two are higher rated, they both come with a sub. I have no idea if they are better or even as good as the Beam if I don't use the sub. I'm also trying to decide if I would potentially be able to make the sub work. Maybe the Beam will drop this weekend for a Labor Day sale and I'll be able to snag it.
