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What is the best alternative to Creative SoundBlasterX Katana?
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Philips Fidelio B5
All
29
Experiences
Pros
20
Cons
8
Specs
Top
Pro
Impressive audio performance
This Philips soundbar is a stunning performer with an overall clear and balanced sound coming from its high quality speakers. The subwoofer can produce deep, rumbling bass and the highs and mids are well balanced and sound natural.
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Con
No HDMI 2.0 support
This soundbar has no HDMI 2.0 support, so it cannot passthrough more modern formats, such as 4K HDR.
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Pro
Detachable speakers can act as wireless rear surround speakers
On each side of the soundbar there are removable speakers that, once detached, can act as rear wireless surround speakers, allowing you to enjoy real surround sound. The speakers can work wirelessly for 8 hours and they take about 2-3 hours to fully recharge. Each of the rear speakers can be used separately as a Bluetooth speaker for music streaming, without having to use the soundbar itself.
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Con
No Wi-Fi connectivity
This soundbar doesn't support Wi-Fi connectivity.
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Pro
Wide bass response
The subwoofer has a 6.5-inch downwards firing woofer that can produce frequencies between 20hz and 150hz, allowing for a much wider bass response than many of its competitors.
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Con
Takes up a lot of space
The main unit takes up a lot of space, as it is longer and wider than most of the soundbars. The subwoofer is considerably taller compared to those of competitors.
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Pro
Automatically switches between surround and stereo modes
The soundbar automatically switches between surround and stereo modes, depending on the speakers being detached from the rest of the system or not.
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Con
Only controllable via remote
The soundbar has no control buttons on the unit itself, only a power button on the main unit and Bluetooth/surround buttons on the detachable speakers.
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Pro
Variety of input options for connecting most devices
This soundbar has HDMI, optical connection, coaxial, a 3.5mm jack and an RCA input to choose from, so the vast majority of devices can be connected using at least one of these inputs.
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Con
Insufficient surround standards support
Even though this soundbar supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS sound standards for surround sound, it does not support the latest DTS:X and Dolby Atmos standards.
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Pro
Useful signal processing features
Signal processing offers many enhancements including treble and bass control, auto volume level, listening modes, and voice clarification.
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Con
No companion app
The Fidelio B5 doesn't come with a smartphone or tablet companion app.
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Pro
Loud enough for a large living room
With 210W of power (90W just for the subwoofer), its capable enough to use in a large living room.
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Con
No input or setup information displayed on the TV
It does not display any input or setup information on the TV screen, via HDMI.
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Pro
Easy to set up and use
The system is easy and quick to set up, since the rear speakers and the subwoofer are wireless. You only need two power cords and a signal wire to connect to your TV. The easy-to-use remote lets you easily calibrate everything, as well as change the sound properties, sound modes, sync time and rear volume.
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Con
Rear speakers sound quality is only average, when used separately
The rear speakers, when used separately from the rest of the system, offer only average sound quality. They're only suitable for things like quiet ambient music or podcasts.
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Pro
Comes configured with preset modes for different use case
This soundbar comes with preset modes for listening to music or watching movies. There's also a night mode that decreases the overall loudness for when you don’t want to disturb the neighbors.
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Pro
Near listening mode
The Fidelio B5 has a near listening mode where you can place the surround speakers near you and sound will play only from them, disabling the main unit.
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Pro
Easily updatable via USB
Philips provides software updates that can be installed via USB.
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Pro
Suitable for hanging on the wall
The soundbar comes with included wall mounts. The rear speakers are completely wireless and have holes in the back that allows them to be easily hung on the wall.
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Pro
Dust and liquid resistant and stylish surface finish
This unit has a cloth finish that is dust and liquid resistant, with a brushed metal stripe in the center that gives it a premium finish look.
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Pro
Convenient Bluetooth connectivity
Both the soundbar itself and each detachable speaker can be connected to other devices via Bluetooth. The soundbar supports NFC for easy Bluetooth connection and aptX standard that allows high-bitrate audio streaming using this protocol.
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Pro
HDMI 1.4a and ARC support
The Fidelio B5 has two HDMI 1.4a inputs that can passthrough signal to the TV, and one HDMI ARC output that can receive sound and remote commands from the TV.
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Pro
Using the remote control is easy and intuitive
The remote is easy to use and clearly labeled. It has convenient dedicated buttons for each input.
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Pro
All the importation information is conveniently visible
A dimmable front display provides all the necessary information regarding input, sound mode, volume, and sound levels.
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Pro
Automatic calibration depending on speaker placement
It’s possible to automatically calibrate the soundbar, depending on speaker spatial placement, with just the press of a button, on the remote.
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Pro
Full surround effect
The separate rear surround speakers create a full surround cinematic effect that is much better than the virtual surround created from soundbars without rear speakers.
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Pro
Clear dialogue and accurate positioning, despite not having a central speaker
It doesn’t have a central speaker, but it can emulate it pretty well, for clear dialogue and accurate positioning.
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Specs
Weight:
4.18 kg
Frequency Response:
20 Hz - 20 kHz
Connections:
2 x HDMI 1.4 in; 1 x HDMI ARC out; 1 x Optical in; 1 x Coaxial in; 2 x Analogue in; 1x USB (for updates only)
Wireless connections:
Bluetooth with aptX, NFC
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Experiences
$699.99
39
1
Yamaha YSP-5600
All
8
Experiences
Pros
4
Cons
3
Specs
Top
Pro
Good surround effect emulation
Yamaha has implemented Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support in this soundbar, meaning that the audio not only has width and depth, but also added height. It has 44 built-in speakers that help achieve the surround effect.
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Top
Con
Surround is not as good as with a system with actual rear speakers
Even though this soundbar does fairly well at emulating surround sound, it still falls behind proper surround systems with actual rear speakers.
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Top
Pro
Wide variety of connection ports
The soundbar has four 4K HDMI inputs, an HDMI ARC output, one coaxial, two optical inputs, an infrared in/out, an analog input and a subwoofer output. Even the most demanding customers with lots of equipment will be able to connect virtually anything.
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Con
It's not slide-proof
There are no rubber stoppers under the soundbar, so you have to take caution to keep it from sliding along the surface it's placed on.
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Pro
Easy to setup
This soundbar has a full on-screen menu via HDMI. With the included Intellibeam microphone, the setup is a breeze: just follow the walk-through instructions, mount the microphone and the soundbar will do the rest.
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Con
Needs an external subwoofer to reach full potential
Since the soundbar itself lacks decent bass, you will also need to connect it to an external subwoofer to get its full impact.
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Top
Pro
Wireless support
The YSP-5600 supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so you can stream music wirelessly. Wi-FI can also be used for a multi-room setup.
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Specs
Weight:
25.8 lbs
Frequency Response:
20 Hz - 150 Hz
Connections:
4 x HDMI in (Input 1: HDCP 2.2); 1 x HDMI out (HDCP 2.2, ARC); 2 x Digital Optical in; 1 x Digital Coaxial in; 1 x Analog Audio in
Surround audio formats supported:
Dolby Atmos; Dolby True HD; Dolby Digital Plus; DTS 2.0
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$1,599.95
17
0
Sony HT-CT390
All
12
Experiences
Pros
8
Cons
3
Specs
Top
Pro
Sleek and compact design
Measuring 35 x 2 x 5 inches, this soundbar is thin and doesn’t take up a lot of space in front of your TV. The slim profile makes an especially good fit when mounted to the wall as it will not seem much thicker than an average TV.
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Con
It noticeably lacks power
While its overall sound is clear and distinguishable, you may feel that this soundbar does not provide sufficient power and sound depth. Because of its slim speaker design, it struggles with mid-lows. Despite having a subwoofer, it still sounds subpar and lacks the power needed for a fully enjoyable experience.
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Top
Pro
Good wired connectivity
The soundbar has an HDMI ARC port, an optical port and an analog connection on the back. The inputs slots are easy to reach even when the soundbar is mounted on the wall. There is a USB port on the side of the soundbar that allows you to play music from an external USB storage.
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Con
No Wi-Fi support
The HT-CT390 has no Wi-Fi support.
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Pro
Very well suited for dialogue
This soundbar's excellent central channels ensure spoken dialogue will always sound clear and well distinguished. This makes the HT-CT390 especially well suited for content with a lot of dialogue, such as talk shows, news or sports.
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Con
Remote control is easy to lose
The included remote is small and easy to lose.
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Top
Pro
Controlable via smartphone
You can download a smartphone app called Songpal that allows you stream music and control the soundbar.
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Pro
Wall mountable
This soundbar comes with easy to install wall mounts included.
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Top
Pro
Can help avoid disturbing the neighbors
There is a Night Mode that softens the overall sound, to prevent disturbing the neighbors.
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Top
Pro
Bluetooth support
This soundbar supports Bluetooth, so you can stream music wirelessly.
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Top
Pro
Wireless subwoofer
The included subwoofer is wireless and can be placed horizontally or vertically.
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Specs
Weight:
6.17 lbs
Frequency Response:
N/A
Connections:
HDMI output, USB 2.0, audio line-in, digital audio input (optical)
Subwoofer weight:
7.8 lbs
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Experiences
$198
30
4
Samsung HW-K950
All
22
Experiences
Pros
15
Cons
6
Specs
Top
Pro
Amazing surround capabilities with an extra vertical dimension
This soundbar can produce cinema-like surround sound using the latest Dolby Atmos standard. Aside from the rear speakers, it also adds height by producing sound above the listener’s head, through extra speakers that reflect it from the ceiling. The ceiling needs to be flat and relatively shallow for this to work best, though. The sheer number of speakers together creates a more realistic sound bubble around the listener, as opposed to soundbars that can only emulate it with limited speakers. While only Dolby Atmos content takes full advantage of these extra speakers, even standard Stereo or Dolby Digital can benefit from this extra dimension.
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Con
Remote control can be confusing to use
The remote control only has a few large buttons, and using them can be confusing, given that some functions are accessed via long presses of these buttons.
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Top
Pro
Multi-room audio streaming
Samsung has included an application that you can use to stream music from your phone, online streaming services and even media servers in your home network to the soundbar via Wi-Fi. It’s also possible to set up a multi-room system with other Samsung audio products that are compatible with the app.
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Con
No info output to the TV screen via HDMI
There is no information output on the TV screen when using the HDMI output.
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Top
Pro
Powerful subwoofer
The 8-inch driver of the subwoofer outputs 165W and is powerful enough to make windows shake. Since this can be overkill in some use cases, like music listening, you can easily control the subwoofer levels through the soundbar.
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Con
Issues with 4K HDR passthrough
This soundbar's HDMI inputs support 4K HDR passthrough, but some devices have issues regarding this, like broken HDR or periodic cut offs. As of Spring 2017, Samsung is working on adding additional support for devices, by releasing new software updates.
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Top
Pro
Audio enhancement mode
There are dedicated digital sound processing modes that can be used to enhance audio from movies, sports or music.
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Con
DTS formats are downmixed to stereo
The K950 downmixes DTS formats down to stereo, which may be an issue for people with film collections in these formats. On the other hand, a lot of Blu-ray players can convert DTS to DD.
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Top
Pro
OLED conveniently displays status information
The easy-to-read front OLED display gives you all the relevant status information.
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Con
Rear speakers need an external power source
This soundbar's rear speakers need an external power source, so they can’t be placed anywhere without access to power.
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Pro
Detects Atmos automatically
The soundbar notifies you and switches automatically to Atmos mode when it detects a Dolby Atmos signal.
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Con
Large and heavy
The device is rather large and is best suited to pair with large TV sets, that are at least 50 inches. The subwoofer is also large and heavy, demanding a lot of space.
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Top
Pro
Can be controlled with an HDMI-CEC device
If you have an HDMI-CEC compatible device, you can use it to control the soundbar.
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Top
Pro
Good wired connectivity
There are two HDMI 2.0 inputs and an HDMI ARC output with 4K HDR passthrough capabilities, as well as an optical and an analog input.
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Pro
Supports wireless connectivity
The HW-K950 has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, for wireless media streaming from external devices. It also supports connecting wirelessly to Samsung TVs that support it.
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Pro
Dolby Atmos support
This soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, which has been becoming more popular in streaming services and new Blu-ray releases.
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Pro
Stylish look
This soundbar has a classic black look with a steel mesh around the unit with brushed aluminum ends. The screen is hidden behind the mesh and illuminates only when there is a change in input or a button is pressed. A blue LED indicates Dolby Atmos signal input.
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Pro
Conveniently sized rear speakers
The rear speakers are approximately the size of average desktop speakers.
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Pro
Easy to update
Software updates can be done automatically over Wi-Fi, using a dedicated Samsung app.
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Pro
Main unit can be wall mounted
The main unit can be wall mounted, using the included bracket, but you need to buy separate wall mounts for the rear speakers if you wish to mount them.
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Pro
Powerful, high quality speakers for a great audio experience
It has 16 speakers that combine to deliver the best audio experience for watching and listening to music. Combined, they have a power rating of 500W for a system that consists of a center channel, two front channels, two rear channels, four vertical channels and a low frequency channel. The highs and mids sound clean and clear, without being flat. Movie dialogue is clear and distinguishable thanks to the added central channel.
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Specs
Weight:
6.7 kg
Frequency Response:
50 Hz - 20 kHz
Connections:
2 x HDMI 2.0 in; 1 x HDMI ARC out; 1 x Optical in; 1 x Analogue in; 1 x USB (for updates only)
Wireless connections:
Bluetooth; Wi-Fi
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Experiences
$1,197.99
37
2
VIZIO SB3651-E6 (5.1)
All
6
Experiences
Pros
4
Cons
2
Top
Pro
Easy setup
The soundbar comes with everything you need including a set of all available cables (HTMI, optical, RCA, etc..) and a very easy to follow manual. it even guides you through programming your tv remote to control its volume/mute functionality).
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Top
Con
Casting doesn't work when soundbar is on echo mode
For some reason the soundbar is unable to be casted to its built-in chromecast when it's on Echo mode. Can be very frustrating until you even figure out why casting doesn't work as it's not mentioned anywhere and requires a thorough google search.
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Top
Pro
Built-in Chromecast
Can cast directly to the soundbar from any device/app that has casting abilities. Can also be controlled by the google home app to change volume or start/pause/stop playing.
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Con
Remote is hard to operate
The remote has a small dark screen which is the only way to navigate through the menu's functions. It makes it very hard to control and change the settings. That being said, the vizio app can be used to completely replace the remote but that's only if you're willing to install yet another app on your phone.
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Pro
Vizio's Smart Cast app
The mobile app can control the soundbar and replace the remote as it has every functionality that the remote has and is user friendly and easy to understand.
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Pro
Great sound for the price
Better sound than most 5.1 soundbar systems at this price point.
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$200
4
0
Sonos Playbar
All
12
Experiences
Pros
6
Cons
5
Specs
Top
Pro
Great for playing music
This system's combination of nine individually amplified speakers creates a very detailed and clear sound. It has great soundstage and instrument separation, which is quite beneficial for music listeners (and also film watchers too).
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Con
Expensive
The Sonos is a quite expensive soundbar, definitely not aimed for those on a budget.
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Pro
Wall mountable, with automatic calibration
This soundbar is wall mountable and has a position sensor to recalibrate the soundbar if the position is changed from horizontal to vertical.
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Con
Limited connectivity
The soundbar only has one dedicated optical input to connect external devices.
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Pro
Supports digital surround signal
The Sonos supports digital surround signal, like Dolby Digital.
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Con
Aluminum parts can get warm
The aluminum used in the unit’s body works as a radiator for the speakers, so the aluminium pieces can get warm.
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Pro
Very upgrade friendly
Most people will find this soundbar’s audio output to be sufficient, but if you want to add extra bass or surround sound, it’s possible to do so by adding Sonos speakers. Furthermore, setting them up is easy to do, as the Sonos mobile and PC applications will recognize the new speakers and will automatically recalibrate everything for optimum sound quality.
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Con
No support for high resolution audio formats
This soundbar does not support high resolution audio formats, like Dolby TrueHD. You can work around this limitation by streaming the signal in a different format to the soundbar, but this degrades quality.
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Pro
Easy to set-up and use
This soundbar is made for simple use, with a very straightforward setup. It has just one optical input port for sound and two Ethernet ports for network use. All you need to do is connect the optical cable to your TV, an Ethernet cable to your router and install the Sonos Controller app on your smartphone or a PC. The app will help you go through all the necessary steps to pair your TV remote with the system, add additional speakers, sort your music library in the network or connect the soundbar to an existing Sonos multi-room setup.
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Con
Lacks bass power
The Sonos lacks the room-shaking bass effect that's essential for action packed movies. For that, you’ll need to buy an external subwoofer.
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Pro
Wi-Fi support
The Sonos supports Wi-Fi, for music streaming.
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Specs
Weight:
11.9 lbs
Frequency Response:
56 Hz - 20 kHz
Connections:
Optical, Ethernet
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$699
39
1
Vizio SB3821-D6
All
18
Experiences
Pros
12
Cons
5
Specs
Top
Pro
Amazing sound quality for its price
When compared to other soundbars within the same price range, the Vizio does an excellent job in generating detailed sound and a wide sound stage.
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Con
Surface finish looks cheap
The system has a plastic and black cloth finish that's similar to the one found on most cheap soundbars.
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Pro
Good sound processing for movies
Built-in sound processing in movie mode does an excellent job expanding the sound and leveling the volume of dialogue and action scenes.
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Con
No HDMI inputs or outputs
This soundbar has no HDMI support.
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Pro
Improved music listening experience with built-in sound processing
Built-in sound processing in music mode widens the soundstage for a greater stereo effect. It makes each instrument individually distinguishable.
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Con
Confusing LED lights for information display
There is no front display on the soundbar, instead it has LED lights that give out information by blinking. They are not easy to understand and you may have to refer to the user manual to decipher them.
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Pro
Capable of filling a large room with clear sound
This soundbar can easily fill a large room with crystal clear sound and clearly distinguishable left and right channels, improving the cinematic experience.
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Con
Sound is only in stereo
There are no extra speakers for virtual surround modes, so the sound only comes in stereo.
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Pro
Cables included
The Vizio ships with various connection cables, so there's no need to purchase additional input cables.
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Con
Subwoofer can feel quieter than other available options
Even though this soundbar's subwoofer extends bass response quite well, it can sometimes seem quiet compared to its competitors.
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Pro
Comes with a companion app
This soundbar comes with a Vizio companion app.
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Pro
Prepared to be wall mounted
This soundbar can be wall mounted using the included mounts.
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Pro
Compact and unobtrusive size
Both the soundbar and the subwoofer are compact, so the main unit doesn't require a large stand and the subwoofer can be hidden easily.
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Pro
Supports wireless connectivity
You can connect to this soundbar via Wi-Fi, for media streaming, a feature that is usually only available on soundbards in more expensive price ranges. Bluetooth is also supported.
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Pro
Varied options for wired connectivity
The Visio has an optical, a coaxial and two analog sound inputs and also an Ethernet input to connect it to your home network.
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Pro
Easy to set up media streaming via Wi-Fi
This soundbar has integrated Chromecast support. Its allows streaming media over Wi-Fi and is easy to set up and use.
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Pro
Simple to understand remote control
The remote control is intuitive and easy to understand.
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Specs
Weight:
2.6 kg
Dimensions:
965 x 76 x 76 mm
Frequency Response:
50 Hz - 20 kHz
Connections:
1 x Optical; 1 x Coaxial; 2 x Analogue; 1 x Ethernet; 1 x USB (waw audio playback)
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$138.65
54
2
Samsung HW-K650
All
9
Experiences
Pros
6
Cons
2
Specs
Top
Pro
Powerful sound, best suited for movie watching
This soundbar delivers sharp, aggressive mids and highs while the wireless subwoofer creates powerful bass frequencies. These combine to make action-packed scenes in movies and shows a joy to watch. Additionally, the dedicated center channel ensures that dialogue is always clear and distinguishable.
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Con
HDMI connections are hard to reach
The HDMI connections are hard to reach, because of the cramped layout, so you may need to get a slim HDMI cable to circumvent this.
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Pro
Multi-room audio streaming
Samsung has included an application that you can use to stream music from your phone, online streaming services and even media servers in your home network to the soundbar via Wi-Fi. It’s also possible to set up a multi-room system with other Samsung audio products that are compatible with the app.
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Con
Too aggressive sound for pleasant music listening
This soundbar's aggressive approach to sound is not suited for proper music listening, as the high frequencies can become too overwhelming and lose detail. The preset music mode helps a bit, but doesn’t eliminate the issue.
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Pro
Can be turned into a surround system
It’s possible to upgrade this soundbar to a full surround system, using its smart Wi-Fi features. All that's needed is a Samsung speaker (such as one from the Radiant series) that supports the Samsung Multiroom app, so it can be used as a surround speaker. It only requires a one-time setup via the Android or iOS app, and the whole setup permanently becomes a full surround system.
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Pro
Prepared to be wall mounted
This soundbar comes with wall mounts.
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Pro
Can be connected wirelessly to Samsung Smart TVs
If you have a Samsung Smart TV, it’s possible to easily connect it to this soundbar, wirelessly. All that's needed is the touch of a button on the remote.
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Pro
Supports HMDI ARC
If your TV has an HMDI ARC (Audio Return Channel) input, this soundbar can receive sound directly through the HDMI cable and, at the same time, it allows you to control it via the TV remote.
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Specs
Weight:
2.6 kg
Dimensions:
1011 x 86 x 53 mm
Frequency Response:
N/A
Connections:
HDMI ARC, Optical S/PDIF, Auxiliary HDMI 1.4
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299.99
31
5
Yamaha YAS-203
All
7
Experiences
Pros
5
Cons
2
Top
Pro
Good audio quality
Clear high-end and impactful low-end that's still capable of staying balanced. Dialogue is crisp and easy to pick out in movies and music offers a good dynamic range.
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Con
No Wi-Fi support
It's not possible to connect to this soundbar via Wi-Fi.
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Pro
Shape helps sound bounce around the room
It's curved outwards, to help bounce the sound around the room.
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Con
No HDMI support
The YAS-203 lacks HDMI ports.
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Pro
Good bang for the buck
The YAS-203 delivers sound quality that is well above what's usual for its price range.
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Pro
Bluetooth support
You can connect to this soundbar via Bluetooth, for media streaming.
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Pro
Includes an IR repeater
This soundbar comes with an IR repeater.
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$299
1
0
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