Nice reviews of the S325 on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/AudioSource-S325-Watts-Speaker-System/dp/B009197TAU

That sucks, no reviews for the S3D40 model. Anyone have this one?

are these types you can just plug your tv into, then everything hooked up to your tv works or do you need a whole big set up? I

conanthelibrarian wrote:Nice reviews of the S325 on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/AudioSource-S325-Watts-Speaker-System/dp/B009197TAU

The one on Amazon is doing that annoying 'add to cart to see price' at the moment, but it's 91.19$ without shipping, so if you want it, this is a decent price. Imma nab one.... (later edit) Maybe. Not sure what outputs my TV has..

freakyjoker wrote:are these types you can just plug your tv into, then everything hooked up to your tv works or do you need a whole big set up? I

Plug-n-play. No AV receiver required.

Ahh I just bought the S325, the reviews are decent enough and it'll probably be better than the dumpy computer speakers I have my tv hooked up to now.

k4th3r1n3 wrote:That sucks, no reviews for the S3D40 model. Anyone have this one?

Couldn't find any either. Though Amazon has quite a few decent reviews on the S3D60 model which is a 160W system with built in subwoofer.

The mothership has it for $154 shipped, only $9 more than the S3D40 here after shipping.

"The mothership"?

ciabelle wrote:Couldn't find any either. Though Amazon has quite a few decent reviews on the S3D60 model which is a 160W system with built in subwoofer.

The mothership has it for $154 shipped, only $9 more than the S3D40 here after shipping.

lomerson2 wrote:"The mothership"?

Woot was purchased by Amazon a while back.

This is what the AudioSource S3D60 looks like Nekkid. The S3D60 is the largest of the three AudioSource soundbars but should be fairly similar to the S3D40.




And this is how big it is in real life.

See, smaller is better.
Thanks for the pick.

Would the 80W version be satisfactory in my situation (see below)? I know very little about sound systems so I need advice. The price is definately attractive and cost is a real factor.

I'm currently making do with the speakers on my Samsung HDTV. I have been wanting a sound bar vs. a full surround system for two reasons: small child and no time to run cords/speakers in reach are a bad idea and hubby deaf in one ear means he doesn't really get the surround thing so it's just for me. I have been looking at options with a wireless subwoofer, but I'm not sure where to put it as our couch sits in the middle of the room. I don't know the actual dimensions of our living room but it is large and open to the kitchen and hallway. I checked and my TV does have optical audio out.

This is perfect.
I've been needing a replacement so we don't have no audio at all while I get my amp fixed.

I have a commercial Panasonic plasma with no on board audio at all.

Been waiting for a nicely priced good quality soundbar for months.

Yay.

You will be impressed with the improvement. Anything will improve over the sound on even the best flat screen tv! And for this price and an installation with 2 wall anchors, can't go wrong. I don't need one but in for one of 80 watt models!

JRRB wrote:Would the 80W version be satisfactory in my situation (see below)? I know very little about sound systems so I need advice. The price is definately attractive and cost is a real factor.

I'm currently making do with the speakers on my Samsung HDTV. I have been wanting a sound bar vs. a full surround system for two reasons: small child and no time to run cords/speakers in reach are a bad idea and hubby deaf in one ear means he doesn't really get the surround thing so it's just for me. I have been looking at options with a wireless subwoofer, but I'm not sure where to put it as our couch sits in the middle of the room. I don't know the actual dimensions of our living room but it is large and open to the kitchen and hallway. I checked and my TV does have optical audio out.

JRRB wrote:Would the 80W version be satisfactory in my situation (see below)? I know very little about sound systems so I need advice. The price is definately attractive and cost is a real factor.

I'm currently making do with the speakers on my Samsung HDTV. I have been wanting a sound bar vs. a full surround system for two reasons: small child and no time to run cords/speakers in reach are a bad idea and hubby deaf in one ear means he doesn't really get the surround thing so it's just for me. I have been looking at options with a wireless subwoofer, but I'm not sure where to put it as our couch sits in the middle of the room. I don't know the actual dimensions of our living room but it is large and open to the kitchen and hallway. I checked and my TV does have optical audio out.

In your case I would recommend the cheaper version with the understanding that some future day you may choose to upgrade again.

If you never want to upgrade beyond the soundbar then spend the money NOW to avoid spending it TWICE in the future.

I have no experience with this product so take my advice with a grain of salt. I do have a lot of experience with purchasing things though... decide what you want and buy that thing... end of story. The thing you want may wind up costing $900 but $900 spent once is less expensive than $500 spent three times.

Hey guys - I'm not very familiar with speakers or sound bars.. could someone explain the difference between the 80 and 100 watt? Also, what kind of difference will this make compared to a built-in speakers on a new flat screen?

Thanks

I have been looking at options with a wireless subwoofer, but I'm not sure where to put it as our couch sits in the middle of the room.

Others know more here but from what I have read, subwoofers are multi-directional meaning you can't tell where the sound is coming from. Therefore, you can put it anywhere in the room, with the same sound affect. If this is not correct would one of you audio guys pipe in here with the real story.

I recently got a sound bar to pair with a flat screen that has some pretty crappy speakers (as most do).

This didn't turn out the be the cure I had hoped for. There are side effects.

Here is what I found:

All of the sound bars I have seen have pretty crappy remotes, that are small and easy to lose in couch cushions.

So far I have not been able to program any of my TV/Satellite remotes to function with a sound bar so I now have yet another remote in my line up.

It's a pain in the arse to have a remote just for volume control. When attempting to turn up the volume on your TV, it does not turn up the volume of your sound bar.

You have to turn off your television speakers via TV settings to get any decent sound quality when using the sound bar. Now that doesn't sound like a big deal until you realize that turning your sound up and down with another remotes sucks, so you only turn on your sound bar for movies or something. Then you realize that your "all in one" remote doesn't work the more detailed menu functions of your TV so you have to go find the actual TV remote, not just the DVR remote you have programmed to control basic functions of your TV.

And finally.... wires. Wires, wires everywhere. Oh sure in the product photos they never show any wires going to any device, but let's face it... these things need plugged in. You may have previously found a way to hide the wires to your existing system. Well good luck hiding these if you are going to mount it to a wall.

After about a month of this crap you get fed up and just shut the sound bar off and go back to your crappy TV speakers.

Thank you, Dylistn and Pupyluvr! I purchased the 80W for now. I do plan to upgrade eventually, but this will be nice for the time being. It will be a few years before I can invest in a true surround sound system, by which time my son will help me shop.

who sits that close to the tv?

I wonder if using the optical output from my Panasonic HDTV if the TV volume control will work this unit or if I'll have to use the included remote ?

I have a question for the well-informed audio person here. The tech-specs say the following:

S325 - 80W Soundbar Speaker System:

Inputs: 2 x RCA, 1 Digital Optical (PCM 2 Channel Audio)

Note: They are careful to point out that the audio requires a PCM signal from your TV. My TV won't put out a PCM signal for digital TV channels (which is everything, now).

However, things are different for the S3D40 - 100W Soundbar Speaker System with Sonic Emotion 3D Sound:

Inputs: 3 (3.5mm Aux In, RCA In, Digital Optical In)

No mention of PCM signal required here.

My conclusion: If you plan to buy the S325 and your TV has only optical audio out (like mine), check to make sure it will output a PCM signal (mine will not). Otherwise, you have to go with the more expensive S3D40.

Have I missed the boat in my thinking?

(The reason I bring this up is because I went through the same problem with a Visio Sound Bar. Never heard a peep out of it using the optical out because it was expecting the PCM signal. Just trying to save others a bad experience.)



[MOD: Just checked and both units require PCM signals. We're updating the specs to make that more clear. Sorry for the confusion.]

I'm in a similar spot as JRRB - Samsung TV, want a sound bar, etc. I have a satellite receiver, Wii, Xbox and DVD player connected to the TV - 3 using HDMI, one via component cable. Assuming I connect the audio optical out from the TV to the sound bar, will the sound bar play the audio of the selected TV input without having to change settings on sound bar? Will this be true for any sound bar, if I don't get one of these... one audio connection from TV to bar to rule them all? Thanks!

sbdb wrote:Others know more here but from what I have read, subwoofers are multi-directional meaning you can't tell where the sound is coming from. Therefore, you can put it anywhere in the room, with the same sound affect. If this is not correct would one of you audio guys pipe in here with the real story.

Most subwoofers are omni directional. Meaning that you'll hear them just fine regardless of where they are pointing or their location in the room.

The lower the frequency, the less directional it is.

The low frequency sounds waves are much larger and are able to 'bend' around objects in your room. Higher frequencies have shorter waves and will bounce off objects.

That's about as simple as an explanation as I can give.

dmbrules14 wrote:who sits that close to the tv?

Those poor children are going to grow up with debilitating neck issues.

gman1234 wrote:I'm in a similar spot as JRRB - Samsung TV, want a sound bar, etc. I have a satellite receiver, Wii, Xbox and DVD player connected to the TV - 3 using HDMI, one via component cable. Assuming I connect the audio optical out from the TV to the sound bar, will the sound bar play the audio of the selected TV input without having to change settings on sound bar? Will this be true for any sound bar, if I don't get one of these... one audio connection from TV to bar to rule them all? Thanks!

Also something I have been struggling with. If you turn off your TV speakers and/or choose "external speakers" from your TV menu all connected devices should default to the soundbar. However, you are stuck using the soundbar remote for volume control, which is the deal breaker for me. The solution then becomes a universal remote, which adds expense, especially if you are looking at a learning remote like the Logitech Harmony.

I was thinking about getting a sound-bar for mounting in the bedroom, above my headboard. It would serve as a way to play music from my phone, while it's cradled in its charging station. Ideally it would have a more "full" sound than some of these crappy speaker docks.

Does this sound bar seem like it would be a good candidate for such an application? If so, does the 2nd sound bar have a distinct advantage over the 'cheaper' one?

zatx wrote:
So far I have not been able to program any of my TV/Satellite remotes to function with a sound bar so I now have yet another remote in my line up.

It's a pain in the arse to have a remote just for volume control. When attempting to turn up the volume on your TV, it does not turn up the volume of your sound bar.

I can totally relate to what you are saying. I recently purchased a new TV for the bedroom and the speakers were incredibly crappy. So I bought a Phillips sound bar for $80 and am actually pretty impressed with it. I did have the "remote control conundrum" and was quite frustrated trying to get it all worked out.
In the end (after days of messing with things) I ended up purchasing a universal remote for $20 that can "learn" button functions from other remotes. I got everything programmed to do what I like and am quite happy. The only problem I didn't resolve with it was my cable remote had a convenient "All power" on button and this remote doesn't.
http://www.target.com/p/philips-7-dev-remote/-/A-14304754#prodSlot=medium_1_2&term=phillips+remote
Somewhat non-related side notes, for some reason when I change the volume on my sound bar by holding the volume down button it changes the channel (and input source to antennae) on my TV to 1 or 11 or 111 depending on how long I hold it down, weird. Not a problem since I generally make small adjustments by clicking once. Also, I hate Best Buy, stopped there to see if they had a cheap learning remote, they tried to sell me $100 remote and said they never heard of anything cheaper.

ciabelle wrote:

The mothership has it for $154 shipped, only $9 more than the S3D40 here after shipping.

LOL; "The mothership"; thanks for the chuckle ;)

sbdb wrote:However, things are different for the S3D40 - 100W Soundbar Speaker System with Sonic Emotion 3D Sound:

Inputs: 3 (3.5mm Aux In, RCA In, Digital Optical In)

No mention of PCM signal required here.

Just a follow up to sbdb's post above. According to the manufacturer's website the S3D40 expects PCM as well. It doesn't say so in the inputs but in the left hand column under tech specs it says:

"Digital (optical) PCM 2 Channel input for pure digital sound quality"

To me that says "I accept PCM 2 Channel audio", but it doesn't say "I accept 5.1 or Dobly signals". I'm trying to contact the manufacturer for clarification. I will post again when I have the answer.

I have been using a 65W soundbar for several years now. It is great having sound able to carry over the noises of having kids in the house. My TV came with 2x10W and did nothing to battle the kids playing loudly.

Advise for new buyers: you should check your TV audio options in the menu screen. I am able to turn my LCD speakers off and then changed the audio out to "variable" instead of "fixed" With this I turn the soundbar up to the max volume without static and the "variable" volume comes by adjusting the TV volume control and not the soundbar itself. That means no extra remote floating around.

So am I correct in saying that if I purchase the S3D40 - 100W Soundbar Speaker System with Sonic Emotion 3D Sound: and use any 1 of the three inputs allowed I will still need to use the remote from the speaker system to change the volume? not the tv remote???

Thats really a negative here for me!

oblio3 wrote:Also, I hate Best Buy, stopped there to see if they had a cheap learning remote, they tried to sell me $100 remote and said they never heard of anything cheaper.

Best Buy has gone downhill fast. I don't need a $35 auxiliary cord to hook up my phone to my dash unit, dogs!

In the second picture (rear view of the "S325 - 80W Soundbar Speaker System"), we can see that the two mounting brackets (metal pieces with a keyhole-shaped hole in them, for hanging the unit on two screws that protrude from the wall) have been attached to the unit UPSIDE DOWN. (The narrow end of the hole should be towards the top of the unit.)

This could cause a great deal of confusion to the person trying to mount it on the wall, until they figured out what the problem was.

So if you buy the 80W sound bar, take a close look at the mounting brackets when it comes out of the box, and be ready to reverse them if you find that the narrow end of the hole is pointing down.

That's how basically any speaker system will work unless you are using something like a headphone jack on a smaller TV.

The audio outputs you have on your TV (red and white, optical, coaxial, whatever) are intended for you to connect them to your receiver or amplifier or some such thing - they aren't passed through your TV's volume.

TLINK wrote:So am I correct in saying that if I purchase the S3D40 - 100W Soundbar Speaker System with Sonic Emotion 3D Sound: and use any 1 of the three inputs allowed I will still need to use the remote from the speaker system to change the volume? not the tv remote???

Thats really a negative here for me!

Does this come with the cabling shown in the pictures? I'm assuming that it does, but the description says:
In the box:
AudioSource Soundbar Speaker System (Choose Model)

The Amazon listing says that the box contains the cables, but I want to know if I need to order some extra cabling.

btowntkd wrote:I was thinking about getting a sound-bar for mounting in the bedroom, above my headboard. It would serve as a way to play music from my phone, while it's cradled in its charging station. Ideally it would have a more "full" sound than some of these crappy speaker docks.

Does this sound bar seem like it would be a good candidate for such an application? If so, does the 2nd sound bar have a distinct advantage over the 'cheaper' one?

Get a Bluetooth speaker for this. Woot has sold some very good ones for as low as $40. The last one I got form woot at that price filled my entire bedroom with rich full sound and required only a power cord and I could set the speaker anywhere.

zatx wrote:I recently got a sound bar to pair with a flat screen that has some pretty crappy speakers (as most do).

This didn't turn out the be the cure I had hoped for. There are side effects.

Here is what I found:

All of the sound bars I have seen have pretty crappy remotes, that are small and easy to lose in couch cushions.

So far I have not been able to program any of my TV/Satellite remotes to function with a sound bar so I now have yet another remote in my line up.

It's a pain in the arse to have a remote just for volume control. When attempting to turn up the volume on your TV, it does not turn up the volume of your sound bar.

You have to turn off your television speakers via TV settings to get any decent sound quality when using the sound bar. Now that doesn't sound like a big deal until you realize that turning your sound up and down with another remotes sucks, so you only turn on your sound bar for movies or something. Then you realize that your "all in one" remote doesn't work the more detailed menu functions of your TV so you have to go find the actual TV remote, not just the DVR remote you have programmed to control basic functions of your TV.

And finally.... wires. Wires, wires everywhere. Oh sure in the product photos they never show any wires going to any device, but let's face it... these things need plugged in. You may have previously found a way to hide the wires to your existing system. Well good luck hiding these if you are going to mount it to a wall.

After about a month of this crap you get fed up and just shut the sound bar off and go back to your crappy TV speakers.

Imagine if there were some sort of "universal remote" that could be programmed to do everything from a single unit. That would be cool.