In my last thread, I asked for a good soundbar recommendation in the $100-200. I didn't get many replies so I ended up getting this Vizio setup that was being recommended on another site.
After taxes, it ended up costing me $250, which was a bit above my budget, and now I've packed it back up and am likely going to return it unless someone can clear some stuff up for me.
Firstly, I'm using a LeEco Super4 X55. I managed to get it during the Walmart firesale for $350 (MSRP $799). It's a decent enough TV, but the built-in speakers are trash. If you turn off audio shaping the dialogue is indecipherable and muddied, if you turn on the audio shaping the speakers get tinny and just all around awful (but hey, at least you can understand what people are saying). I've gotten used to using my headphones (a highish end Sennheiser DJ pair that I picked up on sale for $80) with my TV, but this involves me:
I've hooked everything up and watched a few episodes of Stranger Things 2 to test it out. It's much, much better than the original speakers, but I'm still a little disappointed. The two satellite speakers don't seem to do much and the soundbar itself, while a meaningful upgrade, isn't as clearly defined as I would wish. The subwoofer is nice, though, and I really it being wireless, as I already have a mess with cable management. But I'm sort of lost with audio standards and trying to get the most out of it. So, from what I understand, there is PCM, Dolby Digital, and DTS, correct? In the TV's settings, the only option is PCM, despite the soundbar supposedly supporting all three. Is this a problem with my TV or is the soundbar handshaking properly? Is this the reason the two satellites didn't do much in Stranger Things? Would even changing the protocol change the quality enough that it's worth a second look?
Right now I have everything packed back up in the box. I was planning to return the setup and then try again when Black Friday rolls around, but I really don't want to deal with having to swap in my headphones repeatedly for the next month or so. Lastly, a lot of communities online seem to keep telling people not to even bother with soundbars and to build a setup by throwing together a receiver, bookshelf speakers, and a subwoofer, but I don't want to do that. I'm a college kid who has a $300 TV, like I don't see the point in investing a bunch of time and effort into making a setup that would end up costing more than I paid for the TV.
After taxes, it ended up costing me $250, which was a bit above my budget, and now I've packed it back up and am likely going to return it unless someone can clear some stuff up for me.
Firstly, I'm using a LeEco Super4 X55. I managed to get it during the Walmart firesale for $350 (MSRP $799). It's a decent enough TV, but the built-in speakers are trash. If you turn off audio shaping the dialogue is indecipherable and muddied, if you turn on the audio shaping the speakers get tinny and just all around awful (but hey, at least you can understand what people are saying). I've gotten used to using my headphones (a highish end Sennheiser DJ pair that I picked up on sale for $80) with my TV, but this involves me:
- Unplugging my headphones from my computer
- Taking them downstairs
- Plugging in my long 3.5mm to 2.5mm cable to the back of the TV
- Running the cable all the way to the couch
- Plugging in the 2.5mm jack into my headphones
- Changing the TV output from in-built speakers to headphones
I've hooked everything up and watched a few episodes of Stranger Things 2 to test it out. It's much, much better than the original speakers, but I'm still a little disappointed. The two satellite speakers don't seem to do much and the soundbar itself, while a meaningful upgrade, isn't as clearly defined as I would wish. The subwoofer is nice, though, and I really it being wireless, as I already have a mess with cable management. But I'm sort of lost with audio standards and trying to get the most out of it. So, from what I understand, there is PCM, Dolby Digital, and DTS, correct? In the TV's settings, the only option is PCM, despite the soundbar supposedly supporting all three. Is this a problem with my TV or is the soundbar handshaking properly? Is this the reason the two satellites didn't do much in Stranger Things? Would even changing the protocol change the quality enough that it's worth a second look?
Right now I have everything packed back up in the box. I was planning to return the setup and then try again when Black Friday rolls around, but I really don't want to deal with having to swap in my headphones repeatedly for the next month or so. Lastly, a lot of communities online seem to keep telling people not to even bother with soundbars and to build a setup by throwing together a receiver, bookshelf speakers, and a subwoofer, but I don't want to do that. I'm a college kid who has a $300 TV, like I don't see the point in investing a bunch of time and effort into making a setup that would end up costing more than I paid for the TV.
