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Soundbars

AugieTN

Retired IBEW
I bought a Vizio soundbar for my new TV this weekend. It's a 2.1 system that's decent and a definite upgrade from the TV speakers. I went with the V21X-J8 which is perfect for the bucks for my office.
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That's the sound bar I have. I actually have it hooked up to the TV with a fiber optic cable
 
That's the sound bar I have. I actually have it hooked up to the TV with a fiber optic cable
Cool! I hooked mine up using the hdmi arc connection. Being as you have the same soundbar, I have a question. When I turn my TV on, the soundbar also comes on. However, when I turn the TV off soundbar stays on. Does it time out at some point or does it just stay on unless you use the remote to turn it off?
 
Cool! I hooked mine up using the hdmi arc connection. Being as you have the same soundbar, I have a question. When I turn my TV on, the soundbar also comes on. However, when I turn the TV off soundbar stays on. Does it time out at some point or does it just stay on unless you use the remote to turn it off?

I think mine turns off when I turn the TV off, or else i would see the lights on the right hand side.

I'm currently in Tennessee, but when I head back to Illinois I will double check, but I'm sure it goes off with the TV or else i would notice the lights.
 
My soundbar is maybe 4-5 years old. Let's make sure we have left and right correct. When I look at my soundbar in front of my TV the lights are on the right. Yours are on the left when looking at it front of your TV?

My lights don't slowly blink off when turning the TV off. That I'm sure of.

Do you have a Blu-ray player? The wireless subwoofer does a great job with the sound. It scares the heck out of my wife with a war movie 😆
 
I also use the hdmi arc connection and it does not turn off my soundbar with my tv. I also have mode issues, I can pair the soundbar/woofer to the tv and it is like a movie theater sound, but unpaired it is a lower more subtle sound and I have volume control from my media box as well as the sound bar. When paired I only have one volume control option. My bar is a Roku like the tv, the media box is an ONN.
 
My soundbar is maybe 4-5 years old. Let's make sure we have left and right correct. When I look at my soundbar in front of my TV the lights are on the right. Yours are on the left when looking at it front of your TV?

My lights don't slowly blink off when turning the TV off. That I'm sure of.

Do you have a Blu-ray player? The wireless subwoofer does a great job with the sound. It scares the heck out of my wife with a war movie 😆
They must have redesigned the soundbar. My bar has the physical buttons on top, speakers facing away from the TV, and indicator lights on my left while viewing the soundbar. It is easy enough to turn off using the remote but I expected it to go off with a lack of input.

I have a high dollar Bose 5.1 surround system that was once used in my living room. The speakers are all wire connected and are shelf speakers. (ancient tech) I have it and the amp / receiver stored now. I can't bring myself to toss the quality system but it no longer has any market. When it was in use, the sub woofer, which I can barely lift, would shake the neighbors house. :)
 
I also use the hdmi arc connection and it does not turn off my soundbar with my tv. I also have mode issues, I can pair the soundbar/woofer to the tv and it is like a movie theater sound, but unpaired it is a lower more subtle sound and I have volume control from my media box as well as the sound bar. When paired I only have one volume control option. My bar is a Roku like the tv, the media box is an ONN.

I find it interesting that when the soundbar senses an input it turns on but stays on once the input is absent. I specifically shopped for a soundbar that had a hdmi arc connection after reading that it was the best TV audio out to the soundbar. Maybe, being as my bar is a Vizio brand, it works as I anticipated with a Vizio TV.

I've not explored my BT options. Both TV and bar have BT. I'm happy with the sound now. It is quite superior to that of the TV which has a fantastic picture and sub par sound.
 
I'm all new to the soundbar game. My son added a soundbar to his TV in his outdoor living. He bragged it up a bunch saying it added so much to the audio that was being lost out doors. While reading countless reviews on TVs when I was shopping, led me to understand that soundbars were the answer for the lack luster audio on most modern TVs, including the one I purchased. I didn't find the sound terrible on my unit but it lacked bass. I specifically shopped for a soundbar with a sub woofer and I likely over bought. I barely have the sub woofer volume on and it's quite robust. I'm using it in my office that is basically 11' square and it's doing a great job delivering a rich sound.
 
I had this system at the last residence, it is still in boxes in storage, it is a real floor/wall shaker :


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I just bet it rocked!

I pulled my system out of storage about this time last year for a class reunion. We partied in a VFW party room that we packed. I'm only guessing the room size.. around 70' square or so full of tables and people. The system delivered big time and I had to keep turning down the volume. We ate and consumed adult beverages. Then everyone wanted to visit, take pics, and go home. I guess at 70 years old, that was parting down. :) No slamin tunes or dancing. I was prepared to rock the house and all I needed was my new soundbar :)
 
What I miss most is the realism of the sounds one never really hear with tv speakers or a sound bar set up. That is a 5 channel with 2 subwoofers run through a home theater unit that has many adjustments to alter the intensity or softness of the sounds. Rock and Roll music also sound much more quality than through a "stereo" receiver, but movies are what are best ! There are soundtracks in movie audio that are not played if one does not have the resources and that is sometimes a big part of the move soundtrack.

Maybe on my next move I will land in a place larger enough to set it back up again.
 
The two movies that really rocked my system was Pearl Harbor (the bombing segment) and the D-day landing in Saving Private Ryan. The planes flying through my house and dodging the bullets on Normandy beach were so realistic with the surround audio.
 
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