Reply With QuoteHave you a stereo in the same room, as if so, can you not just connect the TV to that ?
That’s what we’ve done, together with a Sonos Connect to stream music via the amp.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
please!
Having been out of the game for quite some time, I need some input on what to consider opting for.
At the moment, the telly is an aging, but still perfectly acceptable, Panasonic plasma – PX70.
Aging ears/poorly mixed audio means certain dialogue is difficult to comprehend (actors’ lack of enunciation also doesn’t bloody help!) at times, no matter how much the volume is ramped up or the speech replayed in an attempt to decipher.
A soundbar is being given serious consideration for this reason, but I’m a bit green behind the ears on such componentry.
So far, I’ve been contemplating the benefits of a Yamaha YSP-1600 which, with Airplay included, means I could sell the Loewe Airspeaker and/or Nakamichi Dragon Lily.
With only Sky+ HD as a source, and a room not best laid out for surround, the value of 5.1 decoding is going to be lost on us, in all likelyhood.
Had a listen in a local Curry’s branch the other day, albeit with just music off the iPhone over BT and a buzzing woofer speaker, and it sounded decent enough.
£250 nabs one, and with HDMI in and out, should be a doddle to get going.
Where the slight quandary has come in is with two other options:
1) A bit more expense on a Focal Dimension, but without Airplay, and
2) A fair bit more expense and a lot of faffing on making a B&O Beolab 7.1 work with non-variable analog outputs from the Sky box and the TV – no headphone output, just line-level RCAs.
The latter appeals from a specs pov – the lowest frequency of all three units, but is also the oldest and needs custom cables to connect. Then there’s disconnecting the TV speakers when using the Sky remote, as well as potential concern about lip-sync.
Not sure what the Focal offers on that aspect, but the Yamaha can be changed in 25ms steps if need be.
I see from another thread that some members have the Yamaha 2200 & 2500 with wireless subs – I don’t think I want to go there as I have lived long enough without feeling the lowest registers, and we have neighbours on one side.
Over to you chaps for your thoughts and ideas.
Have you a stereo in the same room, as if so, can you not just connect the TV to that ?
That’s what we’ve done, together with a Sonos Connect to stream music via the amp.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We use a sound base from Pioneer with our telly and it's streets ahead of the standard built in audio. One of the things about our telly is it was supposed to have good audio but, in reality, it's rubbish! I don't think any TVs have good built in audio. So we use a sound base and it's MUCH better. In fact we've had people comment on the fact that the audio from our telly is so good when actually it's coming from the sound base it's sat on.
However we still often watch TV with the subtitles on, particularly if it's a programme with a dodgy accent like the US stuff.
As has been said, connect the TV to an existing hi-fi, assuming speaker placement is correct.
Other than that, I can recommend a Canton soundbase (not soundbar). I had a 5.1 Canton system before that - the four satellite and centre speaker went in the room redecoration, but the sub stayed and is now connected to the soundbase. I don't really miss the surround sound, and the soundbase has a surround mode on it, which isn't directional, but is less flat than stereo.
The soundbase has bluetooth as well, so I can connect my iphone to it, although I tend not to and just turn on the tv and either airplay to that or just use an app on the apple TV.
Was in the same boat a few months ago. I tried listening to various soundbars, although they were a huge improvement on the TV's speakers, they just never cut it for me audio wise. I ended up buying a basic Yamaha AV unit and a couple of speakers which IMO sounded a lot better than buying a soundbar at an equivalent price. Advantages of the AV unit are that I've also got DAB radio onboard, can connect my phone to play music through bluetooth and can add a CD player if I ever decide to get my dusty CD collection out of the garage.
I appreciate the AV unit set up might not be for everyone and the soundbar is a far neater solution but in audio terms, it's far superior. (IMO of course)
Last edited by zippy; 9th January 2019 at 12:15.
Buy some bose companion 2's, pc speakers but plug into your TV's headphone jack and on 99% of TV's the volume is controlled on the normal TV control. The system 2 small speakers and a sub with controllable base. You can also plug a phone into it to play music so its a handy stand alone speaker system.
Gives a nice upgrade over the normal TV and for the price you cant really go wrong. The base is impressive as are the 2 speakers especially for the size of them.
Just looked on the Bose site and I think they are now called companion 50's, mine are several years old.
Have you had a look at richer sounds?
I recommended this to friends when they changed there tv last year and they are very happy with it.
https://www.richersounds.com/tv-home...cs-m2-blk.html
Alternatively Yamaha sound bars are highly thought of perhaps there is something in there range that fits your requirements?
Thanks so far chaps.
No existing hifi, just the aforementioned Airplay speakers.
Soundbar appeals for its main intended usage – improving dialogue/adding a bit of extra heft/meatiness whilst watching broadcast movies and shows like Silent Witness, Manhunt, etc, as opposed to the News, Strictly, and the rest of the other crap that the missus watches!
Limited space & funds prevent hifi being a consideration – single speaker Airplay fulfils sufficiently, negating the desire to venture back down the audiophile rabbit hole yet again.
@NixGixer750 – life would be deliriously easier if the Panny actually had a headphone output! Alas, it and the Sky box are line-level RCAs only.
@Cpt Morgan – thanks for the suggestion. Interesting specs as far as freq response are concerned. Need to find out what the max weight it’ll support. A plasma isn’t like a typical lightweight LCD telly, so the M4 might be an alternative option instead.
Last edited by PJ S; 9th January 2019 at 14:56.
Just looked on the spec and it should have a headphone jack. But I am 99% sure that Panasonic are the brand that you cant use the normal volume controls you have to go into a sub menu for headphone volume.
^
Not on the PX70s, it is on the PX700s, which dropped the 37” that we have.
Last edited by PJ S; 9th January 2019 at 16:33.
You might want to dbl check the specs, I don’t think the M4 has hdmi so that might be an issue.Originally Posted by PJ S
I know the weight of the plasmas well, last of the pannies in 55” here
Sidetracking a bit, I have an old Panasonic plasma which I love to bits but at 550-600 watts it costs over a quid a day to run!!! Good reason to upgradeYou might want to dbl check the specs, I don’t think the M4 has hdmi so that might be an issue.
I know the weight of the plasmas well, last of the pannies in 55” here
I know little about the B&O speaker, but a quick google suggests it uses a custom connection with a circular DIN connector. But there does seem to be an option:
Special cable to connect B&O speaker to normal 3.5mm jack (not cheap):
https://soundsheavenly.com/line-in-c...l#/2-length-1m
Cable to convert 3.5mm jack to 2 x RCA:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Splitter-Ad.../dp/B07BN8PQQV
HDMI audio extractor:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neoteck-Ext.../dp/B01GH4MEYC
I note your concern about lip sync, but these little converter boxes have come on leaps and bounds. A few years ago they were rubbish, which meant buying broadcast quality ones for ££££s, but the sub-£20 ones on Amazon seem to do the job perfectly well these days. I've bought a couple for little jobs around the house, no problems.
Cheers,
Plug
30kg on its stand, 5kg more than the max recommended weight.You might want to dbl check the specs, I don’t think the M4 has hdmi so that might be an issue.
I know the weight of the plasmas well, last of the pannies in 55” here
Lack of HDMI isn’t a complete disaster, as the Sky box has TOSLink optical out, which means resetting the Sky remote so the volume controls the box, not the TV, as it does at present.
With no other sources to bother with, it’s not much hassle to use the TV remote for changing picture settings.
250W for our 37”, but not really an option – funds are already earmarked for other things.Sidetracking a bit, I have an old Panasonic plasma which I love to bits but at 550-600 watts it costs over a quid a day to run!!! Good reason to upgrade
Last edited by PJ S; 9th January 2019 at 23:29.
Much appreciated Pug, but still results in line-level analog stereo and TOSLink optical, which we already have.
A bit more research shows two options:
S8 connection hub and Essence, the latter providing Airplay, but adding all these bits and pieces up starts pushing the price into the £550+ range.
I think the reality is likely to be the Yamaha 1600, which I have at least had a chance to listen to – the Beolab and Focal would be blind buys.
The local Richer Sounds’ demo room is full of stock, so listening to their suggestion of the Dali Kubik One (no Focal Dimension on display) isn’t likely to happen for anither 2-3 weeks!
Then again, there’d be little point since there aren’t any floating about at a price I could justify going for, but it would’ve offered a useful reference point.
Did you see the m3? Same form factor as m4 but has hdmi.
The Definitive Technology W Studio Micro is one of the best sounding options on the market, and is priced modestly. Trickier will be hooking up a modern soundbar to the old Panasonic plasma. IIRC, some of these older Panasonic sets had analog audio outputs only, and further some didn't pass sound from digital sources to the analog outs. That's worth checking out. The W Studio Micro does have an analog audio input (3.5mm Mini-Jack), you'd need an adapter cable to connect it to your TV.
Easier to use would be one of the options from Sonos, either the Playbar or the newer Beam, but the sound quality of each lags behind the very best.
Maybe a wee bit overkill.
How about a nice used Arcam AVR receiver and a decent set of small speakers
( I was always impressed by the Gallo nucleus micros and a decent sub , totally outperformed midlevel floorstanders and the micros are no bigger than baseballs.).
The Arcams are about the best surround sound receivers that are also good for stereo hifi use.
yes... can be a pain. tbh I don't think I'd go panasonic next time... a number of reasons.
What about changing to Sky Q (which maybe cheaper than you are paying now) and get one of the sky soundboxes https://www.sky.com/shop/soundbox
Thanks for all the input guys – mind is pickled from all the thinking and ones I’ve listened to, so far!
Still adamant that I want to end up with a decent one-box solution, but the Yamaha YAS 207 sounded pretty decent from the short listen I had.
Sonus Beam sounded very well at a local dealer’s, but paled compared to with the Sub and the Base on its own, in Currys. Over budget, so more curiousness than of genuine contemplation.
Local RS really can’t demo anything (room full of boxed TVs!), so have borrowed the Yamaha YSP-1600. I like some aspects, but overall hasn’t blown me away. Pluses and minuses versus the Loewe Airspeaker for Airplay.
Have the option to try a boxed Canton DM75, but connectivity is severely limited at optical and analog RCA in (and out for adding a sub).
Supposedly these soundbases take a good bit of time to break-in the drivers, and if I wanted to use Airplay instead if the built-in BT aptX, then I’ll need a (now discontinued) Airport Express, relying on its internal DAC to provide the analog out over 3.5mm jack.
Having spent time in Currys, and elsewhere, looking at TVs, I’ve half a mind to knock the soundbar idea on the head, especially if spending £300 odd on the Canton, and put the extra to that for a new bigger telly.
Need to see the Panasonic 700 with some 4K YT content, but have been fairly impressed with the similarly priced 49” Sony XF8796. Sonically, it and the 9005 walked all over the 700, and would be liveable with for all that we watch, and provides a better base to start from for adding on a soundbar down the line.
So, to whomever it was that mentioned getting a new telly... thanks a bunch! #facetious
Last edited by PJ S; 16th January 2019 at 01:58.
Would need to hear it first, especially as most of what I’ve read has been so-so.
I know Devialet has a good rep, but never heard theirs to form my own opinion.
The airports also do optical out on the 3.5mm jack you need a toshlink to mini toshlink and obviously find a airport express & not be using the toshlink in on the bar for something else...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00T8HWU...a-312488743612
Have you already ruled out the Sonos base or bars?
I believe some come with AirPlay 2 now and the others allow you to stream content on your phone to them if if it is local not Spotify etc.
Thank you for the link.
As above, the Sonos is well over the intended spend, given there are no pre-owned bargains — so instead of putting £400 into enhancing the sound of an aged 37” plasma, it’d make more sense to put £600 into a new 49” TV which, if the Sony, has decent enough sound to be content with for a while.
Last edited by PJ S; 16th January 2019 at 17:59.
Fair do.
Just in case you weren’t aware vinstink of this parish often has Sonos playbars at a small discount if that makes the pill more palatable.
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...ighlight=Sonos
A soundbase is always better than a bar (unless you have you TV on the wall god forbid!)
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and input — acquired a Canton DM100, collected for me by a fellow member.
Just need to arrange a suitably sized box for it, and then I’ll have it, and see if it meets expectations.
Just an update to round things off, I suppose.
Been enjoying the DM100 since receiving it on Wednesday, and as I sit here writing this, Pink Floyd’s Delicate Sound Of Thunder is playing, recorded from Sky Arts the other evening.
Sounds bloody good, set to Surround and with Bass & Treble left at 0 each.
Was impressed with what the Canton threw up in surround mode with another recording – Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them. Sounds came from well outside the physical dimensions of the unit, and bass really can be thunderous at decent sound levels, with no boost applied.
Definitely believe I made the right decision by going for the Canton, and major thanks has to be given to the members who helped make it possible.
Bought an Airport Express locally, and with the necessary cable, I’ll be able to Airplay music to it for the least compromise.
Wowz that's a glowing review. Glad you're pleased. I remember you kindly helped with my decision making process for my system and I am similarly delighted with the Monitor Audio Bronze 5.1.2 set up I have (BK subwoofer instead of the Monitor Audio one).
You’re welcome, although I’ve no recollection of the thread.
I wouldn’t quite call the above post a review, just more of a quick inital thought.
Would love to throw on a Sunfire sub, for the hell of it, but the missus would have a fit... as might the neighbour(s)!
Well first impressions then. It was just a PM I think! Go for the sub...
Posting Permissions