Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos - Recommendations?

PasqualeOz on 06/03/2020 - 21:45
Last edited 07/03/2020 - 00:52 by 1 other user

Hey ozbargainers,

Have moved into an apartment building and have limited space for sound so am considering a sound bar.

Currently have Samsung TV, chrome cast ultra and PS4. I’d like to be able to have better sound for all of these as the TV speakers are rubbish.

Now that Netflix and other streaming apps have Dolby Atmos on some, am seeking recommendations from the community on a good buy. Preferred brands are Yamaha, Samsung, Bose (but this is $$), Sony (this is $$$) but will hear out all suggestions.

Budget is under $1000, thanks for your help :D

Electrical & Electronics Dolby Atmos Soundbar

Comments

  • Ryanek on 06/03/2020 - 21:54
    +1

    LG SK10Y with wireless surrounds

    • PasqualeOz on 07/03/2020 - 00:08

      Link?

      • Ryanek on 07/03/2020 - 00:38

        Dude

        • PasqualeOz on 07/03/2020 - 07:45

          I did a quick search and this is gonna be over a grand….that’s why I’m asking

  • DASHCAM NOW DUDE on 07/03/2020 - 00:03

    Bose is so overrated.

    • PasqualeOz on 07/03/2020 - 00:08

      I take it you have a preferred brand?

      • DASHCAM NOW DUDE on 07/03/2020 - 00:25

        I only went with Samsung because my TV was a Samsung.

        My friend bought the Bose, returned it for the Yamaha.

        • PasqualeOz on 07/03/2020 - 10:05

          Any more details?

  • brendanm on 07/03/2020 - 12:48
    +2

    Not that I've tried it, but not sure why people would bother with a soundbar with Atmos. Trying to bounce around off a ceiling isn't the same as having sound fires at you from a ceiling.

    • Hybroid on 07/03/2020 - 12:50
      +1

      Agree with this. You're trying to replicate surround sound with a single soundbar in front of you. If you want to true Atmos (whos whole gig is about flowing sound around you) then get an amp and multiple speakers to immerse yourself.

      • PasqualeOz on 07/03/2020 - 15:12

        Hi guys thanks for your input.

        See below post by Charzy, this q90r comes with the bar, two extra speakers and a wireless woofer. This looks like the kind of deal I’m after, as I really don’t want the chunky amplifier.

        • charzy on 07/03/2020 - 15:44

          You should take the advice above as they do know what they're talking about. I did a bit of research before purchasing, my situation called for me to get a soundbar setup.

          Personally I feel there's pros and cons to having real atmos vs fake atmos. You can easily spend over 1k (up to 10k+ easily) with proper speakers, amp + room modification to get the true atmos experience. On the other hand you can spend 1k for a soundbar setup for a simulated experience that relies on soundwaves bouncing off walls for the soundstage as opposed to speakers in your ceiling/mounted on walls. Sure it's not the real thing, but a step above traditional 2.1/5.1 setups.

          Keep in mind most 'atmos' soundbars have multiple speakers, both front and up firing to try to simulated the sound immersion. Samsung q90r has a total of 17 speakers (soundbar + 2 rear speakers) to try to mimic this.

          Saying that I'd go 100% go with a proper setup if I had a house with a large living room (with the liberty to modify walls/ceilings) and the budget. However the reality is I live in an apartment where the entertainment area is small enough that I can still enjoy the fake immersion experience quite well, for a fraction of the cost.

        • brendanm on 07/03/2020 - 16:18

          Atmos has speakers in the roof. It sounds like you just want 5.1. If you are going to have rear speakers and a sub, not sure why you wouldn't just get a 5.1 setup, even a "home theatre in a box" typw thing. Maybe I just don't get the obsession with soundbars.

  • charzy on 07/03/2020 - 14:26

    I got a samsumg q90r just above 1k. I like it, but it's a pain that my nvidia shield netflix doesn't support dolby atmos, have to use kodi.

    • PasqualeOz on 07/03/2020 - 15:14

      I have the chrome cast ultra, wouldn’t the audio metadata just pass through anyway? Is the unit restricting this somehow?

      Also how is the q90r setup in other applications? Have you tried a blu ray or similar for sound quality check?

      Thanks!

      • charzy on 07/03/2020 - 15:19

        So the netflix app for Nvidia Shield doesn't have the licence for dolby atmos (this is the old shield, not sure about the 2019 one). Newer TVs, xbox and some other devices with netflix native app do support it.
        I get around this by using Kodi netflix add on, it works perfectly fine but the UI sucks compared to netflix.

        For chromecast ultra I'm not sure, it depends on the source I'd imagine.

        Q90R setup is fine, I have it from shield -> q90r -> tv and they sync perfectly fine. The sound is good when I tested it with https://www.dolby.com/us/en/guide/dolby-atmos-trailers.html

        The rear speakers you may want a speaker stand for, they're positioned for mid height. I have them on the ground at the moment, can barely hear them in atmos movies but fine in 5.1s.

      • charzy on 08/03/2020 - 12:08

        Samsung q90r from TGG eBay sale with 20% off is roughly 1040 I think.

  • KevinL on 09/03/2020 - 11:15

    FYI depending on the age of your equipment you may be limited as to what apps/sources support Atmos

    For example, I have a Samsung MU7000 and a N950 soundbar. The only native TV app that supports Atmos (over HDMI-ARC) is the Amazon Prime app; Netflix/Disney+ don't support Atmos on the TV. My PS4 and Chromecast Ultra do not support Atmos; My Xbox One does Atmos for Netflix but not Disney+

    It's wonderfully inconsistent

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