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I'm looking for a basic 2-channel powered sound bar for our flat screen TV. There are literally several dozen whiz-bang DSP sound bars on the market that 'fake' surround sound but that's not what I want. They usually sound like crap, often come with a wireless subwoofer, and the 'fake' surround sound they produce almost makes me dizzy and nauseous.
The TV has an 1/8-inch analog headphone output and it's volume can be adjusted from the TV remote control. I need a powered sound bar no longer than about 38-inches x 6-inches tall and 6-inches deep.... or a bit smaller (no larger).
I know they exist, simple two channel analog with built-in amp and good drivers to create robust room filling sound.
I am presently using a pair of powered speakers that I've had since the 1990's. The all-metal and very heavy Acoustic Research PoweredPartner 570 do a great job don't fit below the wall mounted TV and fireplace mantle very well.
Any ideas? Thanks!
Follow Ups:
I've gone through a couple of Vizio soundbars already, my problem is with the passage of time I'm losing my high frequency sensitivity & have trouble with understanding dialogue, this is more important to me than the realism of explosions, etc.... Is the Zvox an improvement in this regard?
El jefe ;
Aren't we all !!!
The Zvox is better than my Samsung plasma TV speakers . How much is relative . I have not heard your Visio unit . Zvox does have a money back policy .
Good luck .
It is a base unit not a soundbar. Thought I'd strike while the sale was on. It has a specific Dialog Enhancer eq setting that works just fine for these old ears as well as a few other settings like Dolby Digital & a volume leveler( for loud ads or surfing channels). So far so good, I like it.
I have it resting just under the wall mounted TV on the fireplace mantle. The ZVOX sounds much better than the TV speakers which is to be expected but I didn't expect it to sound better than my Acoustic Research AR570 Powered Partners.
I also had a pair of Audioengine P4 passive bookshelf speakers driven by the Peachtree Audio iDecco integrated amp driven from the TV.
The ZVOX sounds much better and I attribute some of that to it's built-in subwoofer. The Audioengine and AR570's lacked bass response in this application. I have the subwoofer in the ZVOX turned up just a notch or two which is great w/o becoming boomy. I have the PHASECUE control turned up just one notch which is barely noticeable but it helps.
For $199 shipped to my front door, these speakers are a huge bargain and much better than the sound bars I tried at BestBuy and the like.
My TV has a headphone output jack in back and I use it to drive the ZVOX. I'm able to use the TV remote (or CableTV remote in this case) to adjust the volume level. After some initial setup I was able to put the ZVOX remote away. I also like the auto power saving feature which shuts off the ZVOX after a few minutes w/o any signal input.
This is one of the best bargain buys that was easily worth the price!
Thanks All.
What's up with the $199?
Look again.
Last year I almost bought the Zevox when they told me they had a 220v model for me to carry in the suitcase to here. I should have. Now I have the TV connected through the audio out to my amp aux and to the bookshelf speakers. It is a bit too loud in two speakers so I listen only to one speaker which is placed close to my left ear. My right ear has gotten weak. McEnroe sounded next to me during the Wimbledon commentary. I can also figure out the medical terms that Dr House uses!
Cheers
Bill
Something that I have noticed with a little more usage . When increasing the 'phasecue' function , the treble and background detail increases and the dialog clarity and bass decreases . The 'phasecue' is the surround expansion feature . While the treble and bass can be readjusted the dialog detail cannot . It would then be a decision between a wider soundstage or more detailed dialog if the dialog thing posed an undesirable problem , or something in between . Not really a big problem , just something to contend with . Still a pretty good deal and a nice sounding unit .
Why insist on a soundbar. Why not powered Audioengines, 5+ or 2+. Sound much better than any soundbar anywhere near simlarly priced, have built in DAC's and other inputs. I use them for my HDTV in lieu of a soundbar and am very happy with them.Cheers, Abe.
Neal
Due to the great contributions here , I too bought one of these and it arrived today . I ordered it , from Zvox on the 30th of June ! Ordered it on Monday and received it on Thursday with free shipping , very nice response . It has been running for a couple of hours .
It does sound much better than the TV speakers on either my Samsung plasma or my old picture tube tv with stereo speakers built in . Not much of a comparison I know but it is all that I have , this is my first sound bar .
I ordered the 430 also due to the fact that it is the only one suitable for setting on a fireplace mantel . This is an older model that does not have a learning remote as do the newer more expensive models .
It states in the manual that you can set the source audio to variable out so that the source remote will operate the volume and you don't have to use two remotes . That will not work if you are using an HDMI cable ! I tried to do this on my cable box and my Samsung plasma . The variable audio feature is defeated on both units when they sense the HDMI cable . I am using the supplied RCA cables but tech support at ZVOX advises the same problem would result with either the optical or digital cable as well . And my TV does not have a headphone jack so I am stuck in this respect . A small price to pay for the increase in sound quality but a PITA never-the-less .
The sound is fuller with more presence and detail. Much more and better bass that is not boomy with cleaner dialog . The blending from bass to midrange to treble is done smoothly . No glaring anomalies . It is possible to overdue the bass but not possible with the treble . I do have it on the carpeted floor now as I don't have the tv set up over the mantle yet so take the treble aspect with a grain of salt . I can say that in my home situation this Zvox sounds better than the sound bars that I have demoed in the big box stores , costing much more money and not as neat and compact , if that helps . I have only used the Zvox on cable tv programs and not on anything with surround sound or any special affects . I will have to hunt up an optical cable to test out the sound features as the RCA diminishes these effects . Considering that I don't have to mount four individual speakers any where , don't have to turn on or own a processor and don't have to run and hide a bunch of wires this is quite a nice unit for $200 shipped to my door . It turns on when the tv turns on and off when the tv goes off .It is easy to use , compact with a tidy installation . All in all I am happy with it .
I will try to report more after some time with it and mounted on the mantle with a digital cable.
one w/ a wireless sub. Although from a purity standpoint "we" would rather not have one I can say that having one almost two years that the wireless sub is no real issue. I got a $600 retail Samsung for $100 a few years ago and it's fine. Also most of these things do have some 3D pseudo surround setting but it can be bypassed in the menu. But I haven't shopped the current market but did want to make those points. Most I have seen are just plastic pieces of shit.
ET
I agree. I've seen many 'plastic POS' sound bars on Amazon at all price points but most with over the top whiz-bang gimmicky surround tricks that I don't need for my setup.
I ended up buying a ZVOX model for $199 and we'll see how that works out. It has to fit on a somewhat narrow fireplace mantle, sound better than the TV speakers, and the volume needs to be controlled by the TV remote. Since this sound bar has analog inputs, I can drive it from the TV's 3.5mm analog audio output.
We'll see how it works out.
The one I have is the HT-x810 and even has a latency adjustment to sync audio and video as well as a lot of other neat features.
ET
Good luck, hope it's OK. Like I said this one I have is OK especially since TV audio is not a big deal for me. I seldom if ever watch action DVD's or other movies where sound is at the forefront. Funny thing for me is when you hit mute there is a minor delay in that the SB is muted milliseconds before the sub due to the wireless thing.
ET
Abe,
Buy the one Pioneer sells. Very happy with mine. Had it for six months now. Sound quality is very good. They only offer the one model so you can't miss it if you go to the Pio website.
They actually tell two now. A traditional soundbar with wireless subwoofer and a speaker box that you can put a TV on.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Speaker+Bar
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Speakers/Speaker+Systems/SP-SB03
Thanks for the tip. I'll keep Pioneer in mind if the ZVOX doesn't work out. It's already on order and I should have it soon.
I have 2 of these Abe, easy to use and sound very good.
I like them, and wish I could use them but the depth dimension is too deep. I plan to place the soundbar on the fireplace mantle below the TV and the mantle is only 7-inches deep. Thank you though.
.
How did I miss that? Thank you both!
The model 430 is on sale so I ordered it tonight. With a 30-day home trial, how can I go wrong?
I suspect you'll be very happy. I use a ZVOX on the advice of a friend who bought one just to get decent quality voice on his flat screen TV and found it wasn't just good but true low end audio quality. My friend was one of the designers of the super Pipedreams speakers and uses the largest version for his music listening and he still finds the ZVOX good enough for listening to music in a compact set up. And I agree.
Will it be good for nearfield use for my laptop plus Dragonfly?
Cheers
Bill
Probably but I've only used it for my TV so it's just an intelligent guess. Check the ZVOX site for the model you want to be sure it has an input for you. All have digital inputs but some only take a mini jack.
AA
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" - Michael McClure
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