Topic: Soundbar Speakers

[thebat]

Ang ayaw ko sa samsung soundbar q600b wala syang 3.5 AUX. Need ko yun.

[synchro_01]

Yes soundbars are really the go to products these days for elevating the viewing experience.  Conventional HT products are still out there but the consumer demand is really waning.

For many old timers here in PDVD it's hard for us to be satisfied with the performance level of a soundbar since most members here have set up full blown HT systems decades ago. Wala pang soundbar noon eh.  New consumers nowadays haven't experienced ownership of a full blown HT system hence yung level of satisfaction nila for the audio side of things will be fulfilled with just a sleek soundbar.  The cost and complexity of a conventional HT set up turns off new consumers as well.

[thebat]

My old and still reliable Yamaha AVR-S80 HTIB is far more superior in sound than these soundbars.

[synchro_01]

^^^ That's another product category that Soundbars managed to eradicate...the HTIB.

[TinkerTailor]

Soundbars are for me similar to the mini components of old. There is that bass rumble, but the separation of and soundstage of stereo speakers is palpably missing.
That's why my opinion is, a pair of active stereo speakers offers so much more than those fancy soundbars.

[synchro_01]

the separation of and soundstage of stereo speakers is palpably missing.

Inherent kasi sa design ng soundbar eh yung magkakatabi yung drivers ng front 3 channels so there is really no sense of stereo separation.

Very good PC monitor speakers would fulfill your desires.  It has BT connection, aux 3.5mm and RCA plus you get a sub out.  HDMI input lang ang wala sadly.

[thebat]

Anyone here tried the BOSE soundbar system?

[anya618]

Anyone here tried the BOSE soundbar system?

una ko nakita ito sa MOA showroom nagandahan ako kaso nung nakita ko price di bale na lang

[Verbl Kint]

The Samsung HW-Q800C can be bought for just under 20k these days (fb marketplace price).  This is much cheaper than the $699 price now in the US.  Reviews are generally good to excellent:

https://www.avforums.com/reviews/samsung-hw-q800c-dolby-atmos-soundbar-review.20962/

https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/reviews/samsung/hw-q800c

https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/samsung-hw-q800c-review


Description below care of AVForums:

"The Samsung HW-Q800C is a classic two-piece soundbar comprising a main multichannel speaker designed to sit under your TV, and a meaty-looking external bass speaker that connects wirelessly with the main soundbar.

The Q800C carries 11 speakers delivering a 5.1.2 channel count, where the ‘5’ bit refers to front centre, front left, front right, side left and side right channels, the ‘.1’ bit refers to the bass channel fed into the subwoofer, and the '.2' bit refers to two upfiring drivers designed to deliver Dolby Atmos height channel effects by reflecting them off your ceiling.

These channels have a total of 360W of power to play with, and it is possible to turn the Q800C into a surround sound system by adding an optional pair of SWA-9500S rear speakers."

Got to try out a Samsung Q800B (the one quoted above is the newer 2023 model: Q800C) at a friends house during the recent holidays and I am definitely impressed. We tested Inception on it (45GB 4k rip); the LFE was very good and the sound stage was much much better than I expected; you actually forget that you are using a soundbar since the audio truly envelops you.  Dialogue is also nice and clear, it is quite discernible even with all the noise of a typical Chris Nolan movie (dialogue is a common complaint in his films).  The Atmos effect is really clear (there are upfiring speakers) and there was also no distortion even with the volume nearly maxed out (this thing can get loud, btw).

Those with budgets in the ₱20k range who are looking for a decent sound setup for movies/streaming/games will definitely want to test this out.  It will sound great in a medium to large bedroom or even in the living room of a condo unit / flat.  My friend says playing Halo in it was fantastic as the audio matches where the shooting happens.  He doesn't have the optional rear speakers but he says he's planning to get those come Black Friday / Cyber Monday. 

We played some music on it too, btw, (Sting's Fields of Gold in ALAC) and it sounded quite nice.  It won't be beating a dedicated stereo set up (which the discerning PDVD regular probably already has) but the clarity will be satisfying enough to listen in bed to. 

Looking at what's available in Manila right now both online and at the appliance stores, I don't thing there is an HT option which sounds better at 20k.

[questforthegoodlife]

Got to try out a Samsung Q800B (the one quoted above is the newer 2023 model: Q800C) at a friends house during the recent holidays and I am definitely impressed. We tested Inception on it (45GB 4k rip); the LFE was very good and the sound stage was much much better than I expected; you actually forget that you are using a soundbar since the audio truly envelops you.  Dialogue is also nice and clear, it is quite discernible even with all the noise of a typical Chris Nolan movie (dialogue is a common complaint in his films).  The Atmos effect is really clear (there are upfiring speakers) and there was also no distortion even with the volume nearly maxed out (this thing can get loud, btw).

Those with budgets in the ₱20k range who are looking for a decent sound setup for movies/streaming/games will definitely want to test this out.  It will sound great in a medium to large bedroom or even in the living room of a condo unit / flat.  My friend says playing Halo in it was fantastic as the audio matches where the shooting happens.  He doesn't have the optional rear speakers but he says he's planning to get those come Black Friday / Cyber Monday. 

We played some music on it too, btw, (Sting's Fields of Gold in ALAC) and it sounded quite nice.  It won't be beating a dedicated stereo set up (which the discerning PDVD regular probably already has) but the clarity will be satisfying enough to listen in bed to. 

Looking at what's available in Manila right now both online and at the appliance stores, I don't thing there is an HT option which sounds better at 20k.

Bought the Samsung Q800c last month. It replaced my 5-year-old LG soundbar (i bought it at that time around 35k++) that is having problems that it keeps disconnecting from the TV and hanging on its own.

The Samsung definitely blows it away by miles. I wanted to buy the Q930C but it was almost double the price. Still happy with my purchase.

Using it in the condo with my Sony X90L.

[anya618]

me 9.1 na pala na soundbar?

[questforthegoodlife]

me 9.1 na pala na soundbar?

Yes. Q930C 9.1.4 and the Q990C 11.1.4 are all available in the philippines.

[Verbl Kint]

The JBL Bar 9.1 is on sale online at the JBL PH Store for ₱28,999 (SRP was ₱54,999).

https://jblstore.com.ph/products/jbl-bar-9-1-soundbar-subwoofer-home-speaker-home-audio

It has detachable rear speakers (truly wireless as the speakers are battery-operated) and has a 5.1.4 configuration (Atmos/DTS:X with front AND rear overhead channels).



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[Verbl Kint]

The image below looks like a good deal but I think the JBL Bar 9.1 above is an even better one.  Besides, the JBL Bar 5.1 doesn't have Atmos/DTS:X.

For a budget which is less than ₱25k, the Samsung Q800C is a better buy (used to be ₱20k but now price is back up to ₱22-₱24k).

For a budget less than ₱20k, the Samsung Q800B is available (not THAT different from the Q800C, to be honest).



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[RastaSega]

grabe ang presyo ng mga soundbars. Hindi na logical e. US SRP yan ah. Pag dating dito mas mahal pa lalo.

For example, ang SRP ng JBL 5.1 na yan is $300 (16k). Free shipping pa yan sa amazon. Hindi yan on sale.
Dito 43k? Naka sale ng 25k?

It's really not worth 16k even.

[oznola]

grabe ang presyo ng mga soundbars. Hindi na logical e. US SRP yan ah. Pag dating dito mas mahal pa lalo.

For example, ang SRP ng JBL 5.1 na yan is $300 (16k). Free shipping pa yan sa amazon. Hindi yan on sale.
Dito 43k? Naka sale ng 25k?

It's really not worth 16k even.

yang Amazon price na yan excluding pa ang Tax since it's over 10K

[synchro_01]

yang Amazon price na yan excluding pa ang Tax since it's over 10K

Correct. Shipped here nasa $250 up ang taxes, duties and shipping.

[Verbl Kint]

I agree, which is why the JBL Bar 9.1 promo was a better deal at ₱27,999 (which is $100 cheaper than Amazon).  You also get the PH release (220v, has more cables and has additional covers for the sides), which is slightly better than the US version.

Unfortunately, on the JBL Store Philippines website, the price has been brought back up to ₱49,499. This isn't a good deal, tbh, since the Samsung Q930C, at about ₱45k, is a better buy at this price range.

Perhaps the promo will be back on 12.12 or for a potential Xmas sale.

__________


I don't think the JBL 5.1, even at ₱18k, is a good deal because it doesn't have Atmos.  I bet the Samsung Q800B will be at this price range by late December. 

[Tha_Mann]

Inherent kasi sa design ng soundbar eh yung magkakatabi yung drivers ng front 3 channels so there is really no sense of stereo separation.

I'm using TCL Ray Danz soundbar for almost two years na. kaka iba yung design nya kaya may separation sya, not sure kung virtual lang hehe, pero you can hear the left and/or right sound effects sa side talaga provided na may wall to bounce the sound. minsan napapa tingin talaga ako sa gilid ko and it seems that the sound is coming from it. lalo na pag yung mga David Attenborough kind of documentaries, lalo na yung nasa forest, minsan kala mo may mga ibon sa side mo.

usually gamit ko lang itong soundbar pag tv series na wala gano sound effects. pero pag movies na eh gamit ko na HT system ko hehe.

https://www.tcl.com/us/en/products/sound-bars/alto-9-plus/alto-9-plus-3-1-channel-sound-bar-ts9030

[synchro_01]

Pansin ko lang sa soundbars na may side firing tweeters eh they can replicate the stereo separation effect to some degree on high frequencies provided that the space has walls to reflect the sound.

If the tweeters are all facing forward hindi ganun ka effective yung sound separation ng left to right. 

something like this:

[noob]

akala ko nagkaroon lang sound separation ng left and right (stereo) channel eh nun panahon lang ng nag record ang the beatles..

[RastaSega]

yang Amazon price na yan excluding pa ang Tax since it's over 10K

I agree. This is amazon. Pero dapat the local JBL distributors / importers have relatively the same price. Maybe just slightly higher. Pero kahit na. For what you get (cheap drivers, plastic housing, cheap connectors, mass produced ICs) the premium they put in on soundbars are too much. A regular smart TV has more tech and more premium components but they're cheaper.

[Verbl Kint]

Pero dapat the local JBL distributors / importers have relatively the same price. Maybe just slightly higher. .

JBL doesn't seem to want to lower prices except during sales events like 11.11, unfortunately.

Meanwhile, Samsung's soundbars are a lot cheaper in the Philippines compared to the US (TV's are cheaper too). In fact, the soundbar prices here are actually cheaper than even Singapore and Bangkok.



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[nallasartal]

Just want to share. Some months back, I was scouting for a soundbar and was able to purchase a Samsung 9.1.4 HW-Q930B for only 28,900. While it is a 2022 model, yet compared to the 2023 model HW-Q930C its price was 54,000 at that time. Hence I am quite happy with my purchase. As to its, performance I have nothing bad to say. Although as per my research, some say that playing music is not that "great." But that is subjective. Hindi naman ako maselan. And with the price I got, I am very happy with my purchase.

At present, I have a separate speaker [Samsung T50] for my karaoke sessions while the Samsung soundbar plays the Youtube karaoke which I could easily search through my Mi Box S and TV....   

[Verbl Kint]

Just want to share. Some months back, I was scouting for a soundbar and was able to purchase a Samsung 9.1.4 HW-Q930B for only 28,900. While it is a 2022 model, yet compared to the 2023 model HW-Q930C its price was 54,000 at that time. Hence I am quite happy with my purchase. As to its, performance I have nothing bad to say. Although as per my research, some say that playing music is not that "great." But that is subjective. Hindi naman ako maselan. And with the price I got, I am very happy with my purchase.

At present, I have a separate speaker [Samsung T50] for my karaoke sessions while the Samsung soundbar plays the Youtube karaoke which I could easily search through my Mi Box S and TV....

That's a fantastic find! I would have to say that this is the best soundbar deal I've heard yet.

Atmos front AND rear is definitely the way to go!

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[Courage]

I have bad experience with Samsung - HW-Q990B 11.1.4ch. After 9 months, the soundbar automatically adjust volume to 100%, there was a problem with Internal on top controls. Good thing its still under warranty and since Samsung was  unable to fix due to parts availability, they refunded me thru BestBuy credit of same amount i purchased it 9 month ago.

I went to bestbuy and replaced it with    Nakamichi - Shockwafe 7.1.4Ch 850W Soundbar System with 10” Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby Atmos, eARC and SSE MAX. As soon as i received the unit, tested it overnight and returned it back the next day. Sound quality is so BADDDD. Day and night vs Samsung.

Bestbuy credited me back and after a few days of research, i ended buying Polk Audio Magnifi Max AX SR 7.1.2. Was so happy with this one, better than the Samsung IMHO Sound quality wise, the Samsung has more features though. But im more to sound quality than features

I also have the VIZIO - 5.1.2-Channel M-Series Premium Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby Atmos at my other TV which is performing really well Soundwise

Not sure if these two are available dyan sa pinas but if it is, its something worth to audition

[noob]

I have bad experience with Samsung - HW-Q990B 11.1.4ch. After 9 months, the soundbar automatically adjust volume to 100%, there was a problem with Internal on top controls. Good thing its still under warranty and since Samsung was  unable to fix due to parts availability, they refunded me thru BestBuy credit of same amount i purchased it 9 month ago.

I went to bestbuy and replaced it with    Nakamichi - Shockwafe 7.1.4Ch 850W Soundbar System with 10” Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby Atmos, eARC and SSE MAX. As soon as i received the unit, tested it overnight and returned it back the next day. Sound quality is so BADDDD. Day and night vs Samsung.

Bestbuy credited me back and after a few days of research, i ended buying Polk Audio Magnifi Max AX SR 7.1.2. Was so happy with this one, better than the Samsung IMHO Sound quality wise, the Samsung has more features though. But im more to sound quality than features

I also have the VIZIO - 5.1.2-Channel M-Series Premium Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby Atmos at my other TV which is performing really well Soundwise

Not sure if these two are available dyan sa pinas but if it is, its something worth to audition

meron siguro max sa polk home theatre store sa sm north annex, upper ground, meron kasi dun polk manify mini..  but i opted a small soundbar..  denon dht s217, it is only 2.1, the good thing is i can patch my 8” sub, wired so i pulled it out from the marketplace.. ayaw din naman sa bahay ng masyado malakas.. but definitely a theatre sound like naman..

yung new version ng polk magnify meron ng dolby atmos..

[at_sunset_blvd]

I was even thinking of a Nakamichi Shockwafe system before, good thing wala nagbebenta dito. my Samsung Q900a really sounds powerful, it's still working presently.

[Courage]

meron siguro max sa polk home theatre store sa sm north annex, upper ground, meron kasi dun polk manify mini..  but i opted a small soundbar..  denon dht s217, it is only 2.1, the good thing is i can patch my 8” sub, wired so i pulled it out from the marketplace.. ayaw din naman sa bahay ng masyado malakas.. but definitely a theatre sound like naman..

yung new version ng polk magnify meron ng dolby atmos..

Yung,  Polk Magnify ko is the new version and may Atmos na sya. Im really impressed sa performance ng Polk compared sa former Samsung Q990B ko specially sa sub performance. Panalo din ang Atmos performance nya

[t-bone]

I was even thinking of a Nakamichi Shockwafe system before, good thing wala nagbebenta dito. my Samsung Q900a really sounds powerful, it's still working presently.

Never buy Nakamichi. Cheap HK brand na yan.

Don't be fooled by its name.