Just wondering if there are any half decent Soundbars available nowadays.
I don't expect it to be on the same level as separate components.

Anyone bought or audition Sony HT-ST7. The specs are pretty ok....

I was looking at Yamaha YSP 2200 before I bought my current system.
It was about RM 2.7k at that time.
Have a look at them as they are supposed to be quite good but only if you are using it in a symmetrical room.

Ya symmetrical room. Need both sides wall to reflect sound right?
Btw I gave the sony ht-st7 a listen the other day. Too echoey. Dunno if it's incorrectly set

Well, they are getting better... but not at the rate where I thought it would be at. The problem with soundbars is not because they sound horrible, it's because they don't sound good enough for how much they cost.

The few that I found which are good soundbars for the money are:

- LG NB4530a
- LG NB3530a
- Sony CT-260
- Philips Fidelio HTL9100

The Sony HT-ST7 you listed is just... bad. Really bad. Considering how much it cost, it makes it all the worse.

We're still in the stage where a good RM1.5k 2.1 system will still beat any (if not most) soundbar on the market today however.

With 2k to 2.5 k you can already get an entry level 5.1 system, so don't waste money on soundbars

The thing with sound bar is that if the TV isn't mounted on the wall the sound bar tends to block a portion of the TV.

yup, an amplifier with speakers & subwoofer aka 5.1 hts is good, the messy cabling is not everyone can handle. especially living in a small condo or terrace house with limited space, the soundbar is for this kind of living style. unless your living hall is wide enough or inside a room, a hts is a waste. i hav been experience this b4.

You can always mount the soundbar above the TV on the wall, in fact it is actually better this way as typically the soundbar will be just slighty above your ear level thus improving the soundstage.

if your TV on a bench, put the soundbar at the lower shelf

My experinces with sound bar is terrible as I am comparing to normal hifi expectation.

With RM3k sound bar, the price can buy a stereo amp with decent speakers. Even a RM1k amp + RM1k+ speaker like Wharfedale Diamond 10.2 will perform much better than sound bar.

The only logical reason to use sound bar is there are woman in house complaits about looks and insist on simplicity looks...

No.
Never ever place soundbar lower than your ear level, a soundbar's SQ is largely determined by its environment. Placing it too low means sound is harder to reflect off the walls to create a wider soundstage, this is important because soundbars do not have the power to project enough volume to fill most living rooms (even if its an apartment or condominium) without sounding tinny in response.

There are plenty of other logical reasons to get a soundbar actually.

- For a kid's room, where they can just stay in there and play their games.
- For a bachelor who has a rather small room where it is even hard to play a 2.1 system + amp.
- For someone who just wants simplicity but not use shitty TV speakers.

That said, RM3k soundbars aren't worth the money and is a stupid amount to pay for. The ideal spot for a soundbar is under RM1k or so IMO.

Last time i ask here, they suggest me to use soundbar because of my limited space.

So, i go to the shop to test.

Tried so many times i couldn't get myself to invest on it.

Then i took a big gamble.

I go research a lot of speakers and AV Receiver.

At the end i get myself a 5.1 speaker and yamaha receiver.

Never regret that. The surrounding sound is amazing.

I use LG NB4530a. Sounds pretty damn sweet. Just over 1K in Klang Valley when I bought. Wireless sub/optical cable included.

My setup:-
XBMC on Mac mini - set to downmix to 2.0 (hdmi)
Xbox 360 (hdmi)
Unifi Hypptv box (hdmi)
Sony 50W704a - optical out (pass through)
LG NB4530a (upscaler mode)

TV wall mounted, soundbar on cabinet.

All controlled with logitech harmony 300.

Tested sony ct260 at desa home....quite impress with the sound... Can bluetooth from our phone

I support this. Was looking at soundbar...frankly RM4K soundbar and RM 2k soundbar don't sound much different. It will never come close to 5.1 system....let alone 7.2

I have tested various high-end sound bar in listening room with symmetrical shape....still not what i would expect....for that price a 1.5k amp/receiver like my new RXV 475 will give much better quality for music and superior surround effects....even with 10 years old ancient cheap speakers!

I seriously will not pay good money for such a low quality experience.

Yeah my small room also 15' x 10' and i set up 7.2 channel avr with 8 speakers (2 subs will explode the room so i only put 1 so it's 7.1 system.) Audyssey has done a good job auto calibrate these speakers with the room dimension.

I spent less than RM3K for all that. Care less about soundbar.

Generally soundbar has to be more expensive than a 2.1 speaker simply because it has more features and complexity. You need design in the wireless audio for the subwoofer. You need to design in the extra LCD and the IR remote circuitry. Probably need to be able to accept more inputs(optical, hdmi, coaxial, etc). Need to decode DTS. Some comes with bluetooth function.

Still doesn't mean that many soundbars should cost over RM3k. Illogical, regardless of what they cram in.
The sad reality is that there are far more people who cares about looks and simplicity when it comes to audio equipments, rather than people who actually care about sound quality.

Why do you think beats is still surviving?

This post has been edited by SSJBen: Nov 19 2013, 02:31 AM

3k is probably too much 1k range seems reasonable given the extra features that they give on top of a typical 2.1 system.

Agreed. Which is why I shorten out a list of soundbars at the RM1k range. Once again though for everyone, even a "multimedia" 2.1 system like the Hivi Swans M50w will handedly beat any soundbar at the RM1k market.