What Is The Best Sound Bar for under $300

chicharito on 16/05/2022 - 11:30

Hi Techeads,

Apologies this gets brought up once every 3 months but i am struggling to decide what sound bar to get.

I've been almost set on buying a sound bar on 3 occasions only to read one or 2 things that have questioned my decision making. Now I'm reaching out to ya'll

I'm looking for ease of compatibility, quality for tv shows / sport and sometimes movies.

Here are my 3 options:
1. Samsung HW-A450
2. YAS-108/ATS-1080
3. Polk Audio magnifi mini

What are your experiences / what could you suggest to a newbie?

Electrical & Electronics Soundbar

Comments

  • jsb on 16/05/2022 - 13:01
    +1

    At this budget, you can get 3.1ch. See if you would consider hisense. I guess go to jb-hifi and listen to hisense hs312 and compare with others

    • chicharito on 16/05/2022 - 13:29

      happy to stretch the budget. Haven't seen many recommendations of hisense soundbars so i will definitely give this a sus. Thanks !

  • ShannonN on 16/05/2022 - 13:13

    Hi. Before buying a 300 dollar soundbar, I'd suggest if you already haven't had a hearing test, do so.

    Why? I had one of those free audiograms and they found while i can hear ok, I am losing the mid range part of my hearing, this put me off a sound system/bar that had great features esp. mid range response. No need for anything fancy as a result one of the cheap laser sb with sub and I'm happy.

    While your hearing may be perfect its always good to know, just in case

    • chicharito on 16/05/2022 - 13:28
      -4

      someone has a case of Mondayitis?

      • ShannonN on 16/05/2022 - 13:29
        +2

        what just trying to be helpful FFs

    • Muzeeb on 16/05/2022 - 13:34
      +11

      Lol. Asks for a soundbar but told to get a hearing test. Ozbargain forum gold.

  • OzJD on 16/05/2022 - 15:34
    +2

    I seen a Sony one at Costco (Casula) like yesterday - I think it was $399 but I didn't grab the model number.

    I previously bought the Sony HT-RT9, it was great! Then I bought a Samsung one that operates independently from the TV (TVs are Sony)

    For ease of use I'd suggest that you check if your TV has a HDMI-ARC port (Audio Return Channel)

    'for ease of compatibility':
    * Use your TV's Audio output for the soundbar - Some people connect the soundbar to a device (such as Foxtel), which means if you're on a Game Console/Netflix etc. you won't have the sound through the soundbar.
    * Does your TV have HDMI-ARC (Audio Return Channel) port(s)? If so, use it with a compatible soundbar.
    * Does your TV have manufacturer specific sync? My Sony TV's work well with Sony soundbars. They are able to Sync the audio & video so that there's no perceivable delay, they turn off/on when the TV is off/on. The volume changing on the TV controls the soundbar volume too. For the Samsung one you mentioned, there's a list of compatible TV's for Samsung's 'one remote'.
    Use your phone to play music on the soundbar? Consider NFC for easy (just tap your device) pairing.

    These are all just features - any soundbar will likely work if you're happy with it just working. 2.1 or 3.1 channel means there'll be no surround sound (rear speakers are 5.1+). A wireless sub often means you can locate the bass in a much better position in the room instead of in-front of the TV.

    I will note that I have a cheapish Samsung soundbar that randomly turns on (connected via optical audio).

    Of course, I recommend a visit to your local optometrist. What's the point in a soundbar if you can't see the buttons?

    • jsb on 16/05/2022 - 16:48

      Gold.
      While OP is going around getting himself/herself checked, I would suggest to get the checkup for Piles done as well. What is the point of a soundbar, if you can't sit on the couch and enjoy

    • chicharito on 16/05/2022 - 16:52

      That is awesome advice !! thankyou I've got a Samsung Q80 which has a hdmi arc so this should be compatible with any sound bar. Am curious if i got a samsung i should stick with the samsung. i was leaning with Polk Audio magnifi mini however seems a lot of people have connectivity issues. so with the arc i might be ok

      • OhDaJoker on 21/05/2022 - 08:35

        Also dont forget about Q-Symphony on compatible samsung TVs and sound bar. Havent tried it but just a reminder to look into it. Some reviews say it is good.

  • blonky on 16/05/2022 - 15:53
    +1

    Can't speak for the other brands but I bought the Yamaha 108/1080 for $160 on sale a few years back - it used to hit that price quite a lot

    Sound quality is reasonably good and has decent bass for the in built subwoofer, but still nothing compares to an external sub. Connects using a single HDMI ARC connection

    Only real issue we have is dialogue is slightly harder to hear than the inbuilt speakers, meaning we need to turn the volume up more, even when using the ClearVoice mode.

    Might be worth seeing if Bing Lee or TGG have any of those models on display for you to try in store

  • Axelstrife on 16/05/2022 - 21:44

    Any reason why you listed the A450 while the A550 is under $300?

  • Carl Xu on 20/05/2022 - 21:11

    I wound recommend the Samsung HW-A450.
    Sound Quality is excellent connected to my Samsung 65in Curved TV Bluetooth, No Problem and does not have a problem staying connected. When connected to my phone quality is okay. But overall I would recommend this or something a bit higher depending on how loud you want it

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