Hi ozbargainers im currently looking for a soundbar but don't know where to Start. I have been looking on jb hi fi currently as they have some great specials on. The main use for the sound bar is for sport and movies. I assume dolby atmos is the best, i have an eko tv if that helps Aswell fyi
Looking for a Sound Bar Budget $800
froogletom on 25/05/2021 - 00:02
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I have the Sonos Arc, and two of the Ikea speakers for the side. The mount for the Arc was around $100 also. I do plan to get a sub, I'm pretty happy with it. Well over $800 though.
There are very few Atmos soundbars at this time. To get the Atmos experience you'd also have to have a TV and content that support it.
I'm not sure which Eko TV you have… But I'd check if it has eARC and/or ARC (Audio Return Channel).
The Samsung bars gave been on sale at JB HiFi of late
Explore LG Soundbars. Most of them would fit in your budget and specifications.
Samsung Q800T is last year's model and comes with a subwoofer and Dolby Atmos. I got mine from Costco for $550. It's almost always on sale at Costco around $600. The Atmos effect isn't very prominent, but can sometimes be heard particularly in a small space with low ceilings (about 8-10 feet high).
Sounds really good for its price. A good competitor would be the Klipsch Cinema 600 but it's more expensive unless you find it for sale around $750. That one doesn't have Atmos though, but sounds twice its price. Have heard a few people complaining about quality control with it so can't say if it's worth the punt.
There's a Sony HT-G700 also similarly priced to the Samsung bar, but doesn't perform as well according to most reviews I've seen. Couldn't test it out against the Samsung in Costco since it wasn't plugged in. The Samsung also has the option to add surround speakers later if you want, they're not too expensive (around $200-250) but I haven't done that so can't say whether it's worth doing.
All in, I'm very pleased with the Samsung. Wanted to really buy the Sonos Arc and had a mate bring it home so we could compare it back-to-back against the Samsung. It certainly is better, the bass is deeper and more controlled, and the high frequency sound reproduction is much crisper, but not worth paying four times the money unless you have too much cash.
Hope that helps.
Forgot to add that I had checked out the comparable LG soundbar - the SN9YG, but wasn't convinced it was any better than the Samsung, and it was more expensive to boot.
On Black Friday I bought a Yamaha ats-2090 and a Sonos beam and tried them both out with the same stuff. I opted for the Yamaha (ie returned the sonos) because the included sub made the sound much better, but I think the beam is a better bar in of itself, but I think it needs a sub to make a difference (which is like another $1000 or something). The Sonos also has both assistants built in, vs just Alexa on the Yamaha if that makes a difference to you.