'All in one' sound solution
Discussion
Folks,
I've just got back from a year abroad and am now having to completely furnish a new house. Therefore I am skint! However, good sound is important sooo....
I am looking for something as unobtrusive as possible that I can run TV sound through (optical input) and also push Spotify to through Bluetooth or similar from an iPad. Nothing else really, and I am really keen to avoid the huge floorstanders etc from my last place!
Any good solutions? I think a full on Sonos malarkey is going to be out of price range!
I've just got back from a year abroad and am now having to completely furnish a new house. Therefore I am skint! However, good sound is important sooo....
I am looking for something as unobtrusive as possible that I can run TV sound through (optical input) and also push Spotify to through Bluetooth or similar from an iPad. Nothing else really, and I am really keen to avoid the huge floorstanders etc from my last place!
Any good solutions? I think a full on Sonos malarkey is going to be out of price range!
I have a Sony sound base (https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/sound-bars/ht-xt3) which sits under the TV.
Meets your requirements, I think & very impressive sound. Even pretty good sound separation - will happily cope with7.1 encoded movies and simulation of surround.
Music playback excellent over wi-fi network - happily plays back HiRes stuff at 24-192 (3Mbps). Will play music over bluetooth at about 360Kbps, so good enough for best quality AAC/MP3.
3 HDMI in, optical in, 1 HDMI out.
USB (music only)
Meets your requirements, I think & very impressive sound. Even pretty good sound separation - will happily cope with7.1 encoded movies and simulation of surround.
Music playback excellent over wi-fi network - happily plays back HiRes stuff at 24-192 (3Mbps). Will play music over bluetooth at about 360Kbps, so good enough for best quality AAC/MP3.
3 HDMI in, optical in, 1 HDMI out.
USB (music only)
Edited by JonChalk on Sunday 15th January 08:19
I'm not sure what a "Sonos budget" is. I always assume very expensive.
In which case this will cost less and it puts out an astonishing sound for its size.
http://www.richersounds.com/product/wireless-music...
In which case this will cost less and it puts out an astonishing sound for its size.
http://www.richersounds.com/product/wireless-music...
You could do a lot worse than one of these and a small sub hidden away....
http://www.nintronics.co.uk/Bargains/speaker-barga...
http://www.bkelec.com/hifi/Sub_Woofers/Gemini.htm
The Arcam was great at £650, at £299 it is a steal.
http://www.nintronics.co.uk/Bargains/speaker-barga...
http://www.bkelec.com/hifi/Sub_Woofers/Gemini.htm
The Arcam was great at £650, at £299 it is a steal.
Mate of mine bought a used Rel Q100 or Q150, but the really small one, off eBay a couple of weeks back for his soundbar, and it is superb.
He paid £90 for it.
So worth looking when you get the Arcam, a small sub will transform it completely, not just for bass but also opening the soundstage right up too.
He paid £90 for it.
So worth looking when you get the Arcam, a small sub will transform it completely, not just for bass but also opening the soundstage right up too.
Right, another arrival today. Solo sub 
I could never justify the full RRP of this, another £500 on the cost of the soundbar, however I was wavering over Nintronics' offer of £299 delivered. Then I saw 2 subs from an outlet place. Open box... brand new. £240 delivered. Happy days.
So, it turns up and it's HUGE. Far bigger than expected.
|http://thumbsnap.com/9roPQm6X[/url]
But after some furniture butchery...
Man cave serenity restored, but with 300w of bass!
Feck me, the sub changes it!
I could never justify the full RRP of this, another £500 on the cost of the soundbar, however I was wavering over Nintronics' offer of £299 delivered. Then I saw 2 subs from an outlet place. Open box... brand new. £240 delivered. Happy days.
So, it turns up and it's HUGE. Far bigger than expected.
|http://thumbsnap.com/9roPQm6X[/url]But after some furniture butchery...
Man cave serenity restored, but with 300w of bass!
Feck me, the sub changes it!
Right, ignore my previous praise. I'm royally f
ked off.
First soundbar went back after weeks of trying to iron out a Bluetooth bug via software updates etc. Replacement unit has come out and is doing the same but worse, basically becoming invisible to devices when it's idle and needing a power cycle to refresh itself.
The place I bought it from now have 4 'customer returns' up for sale at a reduced price so I'd suggest it's not an isolated problem.
Any thoughts about a decent replacement?
ked off. First soundbar went back after weeks of trying to iron out a Bluetooth bug via software updates etc. Replacement unit has come out and is doing the same but worse, basically becoming invisible to devices when it's idle and needing a power cycle to refresh itself.
The place I bought it from now have 4 'customer returns' up for sale at a reduced price so I'd suggest it's not an isolated problem.
Any thoughts about a decent replacement?
bluetooth is a shambles anyway, i have loads of devices and they all play up in different ways at different times. apple watch wont connect to headphones, but will to phone, phone wont connect to tv but samsung phone does, naim muso wont show up on any device, then it does etc.etc, always fixed by switching st on and of till it does. I much prefer airplay or spotify connect as it always seem to work
t on and of till it does. I much prefer airplay or spotify connect as it always seem to work carreauchompeur said:
Right, ignore my previous praise. I'm royally fked off.
First soundbar went back after weeks of trying to iron out a Bluetooth bug via software updates etc. Replacement unit has come out and is doing the same but worse, basically becoming invisible to devices when it's idle and needing a power cycle to refresh itself.
The place I bought it from now have 4 'customer returns' up for sale at a reduced price so I'd suggest it's not an isolated problem.
Any thoughts about a decent replacement?
That is just bluetooth imho. ked off. First soundbar went back after weeks of trying to iron out a Bluetooth bug via software updates etc. Replacement unit has come out and is doing the same but worse, basically becoming invisible to devices when it's idle and needing a power cycle to refresh itself.
The place I bought it from now have 4 'customer returns' up for sale at a reduced price so I'd suggest it's not an isolated problem.
Any thoughts about a decent replacement?
To a certain extent I agree, but it does do it alarmingly frequently no matter how I try to avoid it. My car stereo manages to connect and reconnect without spazzzing out every time it goes idle so this one should too.
Hoping they can sort this out via software. I've invested into the whole system and have a very expensive sub for the sake of it otherwise!
Hoping they can sort this out via software. I've invested into the whole system and have a very expensive sub for the sake of it otherwise!
honestly I've been reading UK and USA forums about soundbars, and especially those with wireless (either as source or linked to sub / satellites) and they all have problems. Its actually really annoying as I'd hoped that just going with a high-end product from a well regarded brand like Samsung (K950) or Sony (ST9) would result in a hassle free (if expensive) all in one sound system, but they seem riddled with problems.
I'm running a naim muso. Over time I've used it as a sounbar connected to the tv using an optical cable, over Bluetooth to play my phone music (this was problematic and the sound wasn't great) to finally over my home wifi network through the naim app. The sound is amazing.
Does the arcam not connect wirless to the home network instead of Bluetooth?
Does the arcam not connect wirless to the home network instead of Bluetooth?
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