Adding a sub to a soundbar?

MCFC_ANDY said:
I my SB has TRUEHD, apart from usual DD n ATMOS but no DTS decoding strangely. But will leave it on auto.
Click to expand...
Outside of physical media (DVD / Blu-ray / UHD Blu-ray), gaming, and some US-only streaming sites (Vudu, Hulu) DTS doesn't get much of a look in as far as source support goes. That's a bit of a shame really as DTS:X does what Atmos does, but it doesn't need extra speakers.

MCFC_ANDY said:
Even got a certified 2.1 cable as was told you need it for EARC.
Click to expand...
The devil is in the detail, but in essence 'they' lied. If I'm being more charitable, 'they' were mistaken.

HDMI 2.1 is a feature of the socket architecture. IOW, you need HDMI 2.1 standard sockets on the TV and on the sound bar if you want eARC to work.

There's one specific pin in the HDMI wiring plan that is responsible for ARC and eARC. It's pin 14. It also does Ethernet via HDMI if anyone ever bothers to implement it. (Apologies for the huge image, but some of the text is very small in it, so I wanted to be sure it could be read clearly.)

nF4TXV.png

The same pin we've been using for ARC since about 2010 - more than a dozen years ago - is used today for eARC. That goes way back to HDMI 1.4 standard.

I said the devil was in the detail, so here it is.

ARC and eARC both make use of a socket that would normally be an input, and they turn it into an output but for audio only. Audio doesn't require a lot of bandwidth. In truth, it would have been possible to do Dolby True-HD, DTS-HD MA and multichannel PCM back when ARC launched with the HDMI 1.4 release back in 2009. At the time though there wasn't a huge demand for this. Physical media was still a big thing. Video streaming hadn't yet taken off in a big way. 3D Blu-ray was just gaining some traction, and people were still buying surround systems. It was a very different market.

Later versions of the HDMI standards have focused mostly on video performance. HDMI 1.4 can do 4K but only at 24, 25 and 30Hz. It doesn't have the bandwidth to support HDR either. HDMI 2.0 will do 4K at 60Hz with HDR. If you want to game at 4K 120Hz though you need HDMI 2.1

Did I really need a new HDMI lead?
If the sound bar only had a single HDMI socket, and that was for ARC/eARC then the answer would be no. Audio doesn't need anything like the capabilities of HDMI 2.1 or even 2.0

Your sound bar though has an extra HDMI input. In theory you could put a source through it that has 4K with HDR at up to 60Hz. A Premium High-Speed with Ethernet cable would have done the trick. This is one down from the top-of-the-shop Ultra High Speed with Ethernet leads.

MCFC_ANDY said:
you make the impossible easier to understand. You're a star
Click to expand...

Glad it's useful :)
 
Bought one yet? Try and get the best sub you can, it's hard to explain just how much a subwoofer adds to the movie experience. Just set it +3db hot

Just watched Force Awakens, the bit where Rey & Kylo were having a mind battle, there's lot of of ultra low bass, you can't hear it but it gives you a fear like response, it builds and when it whollops jesus the pressurisation effect is something else. If you've ever been to a air show, with Typhoon was a good example, as that sort of bass is similar, feel it, the air cracking with the pressure and ultra low bass.
 
hornetstinger said:
You missed a 10" THX Monoprice ported sub for £250, won't get anything better for that money
Click to expand...

The Monoprice sub is good, but @MCFC_ANDY needs a sub to go in a bedroom, and so size could be an important consideration. Ported subs are larger than their sealed cousins. It's a little difficult to visualise, but the Monoprice sub takes up over 6 times the space compared to something like the BK XLS300. (236ltr vs 35ltr).

Another factor is it was over the budget, and it was a local collection only from Lincoln. That may or may not be an issue from South Wales, but it is a factor the same as it is for some of the other subs I listed.

Finally, Andy doesn't know this yet, but ported subs need more careful placement in a room. Putting it in a room corner will add too much boost (boundary gain) to the lower end of the sub range. It needs to be away from a corner to maintain a flattish response. A sealed sub is more forgiving. In fact, it likes a room corner.
 
Honestly don’t think Hornet has actually tested any of the equipment he goes on about, just obviously bigger must be better.

He constantly dunks on Sonos stuff and yet my Sonos Sub Mini with its puny duel 6” woofers still makes me smile and puts out plenty of bass in my bedroom where I use it, watching the last episode of Loki this week and certain points were making the door shake and rattle.
 
Broken Hope said:
Honestly don’t think Hornet has actually tested any of the equipment he goes on about, just obviously bigger must be better.

He constantly dunks on Sonos stuff and yet my Sonos Sub Mini with its puny duel 6” woofers still makes me smile and puts out plenty of bass in my bedroom where I use it, watching the last episode of Loki this week and certain points were making the door shake and rattle.
Click to expand...

Dual 15" mine was making house shake and flex. I'd say for output one is plenty.
 
lucid said:
The Monoprice sub is good, but @MCFC_ANDY needs a sub to go in a bedroom, and so size could be an important consideration. Ported subs are larger than their sealed cousins. It's a little difficult to visualise, but the Monoprice sub takes up over 6 times the space compared to something like the BK XLS300. (236ltr vs 35ltr).

Another factor is it was over the budget, and it was a local collection only from Lincoln. That may or may not be an issue from South Wales, but it is a factor the same as it is for some of the other subs I listed.

Finally, Andy doesn't know this yet, but ported subs need more careful placement in a room. Putting it in a room corner will add too much boost (boundary gain) to the lower end of the sub range. It needs to be away from a corner to maintain a flattish response. A sealed sub is more forgiving. In fact, it likes a room corner.
Click to expand...


Yeah even the monoprice 10" is a big sub. Would be too big in small room. Performance is similar to pb1000 /pb1000 pro. Smaller driver than the pro but more power.
Guess who has one as well hehe
 
the bedroom is very small, watching oppenheimer last night, it feels flat, yes he odd thump, but nothing down low really. got my eye on a few, once bedroom down its onto living room, but going down the amp route there
 
MCFC_ANDY said:
the bedroom is very small, watching oppenheimer last night, it feels flat, yes he odd thump, but nothing down low really. got my eye on a few, once bedroom down its onto living room, but going down the amp route there
Click to expand...

If you plan to move it to bigger room, then look at something better. Unless you are just going to keep the small sub in the bedroom and buy a bigger sub for main system?
 
hornetstinger said:
If sticking to BK maybe P10-150-Gem for bedroom, Monolith Plus for main system? (or two)
Click to expand...
funny you should say gem as was looking at them yesterday, from what im reading its being said are saying the xls200 is better in nearly every way, they around 70 quid more than the xls200, though direct from Bk themselves, shame the black friday code doesnt apply to them
 
MCFC_ANDY said:
funny you should say gem as was looking at them yesterday, from what im reading its being said are saying the xls200 is better in nearly every way, they around 70 quid more than the xls200, though direct from Bk themselves, shame the black friday code doesnt apply to them
Click to expand...

Yeah XLS has better quality eminence driver. Did consider a XLS300 for PC system but got the 10" monoprice V2 for really good price.
 
the thing i got in my head thats seeding doubt is will the soundbar be able to use the sub to its full potential, as obviously when go down the living room route that a amp/receiver or what every they call them these days, then they will use the it fully, will the soundbar limit its abilities
 
MCFC_ANDY said:
the thing i got in my head thats seeding doubt is will the soundbar be able to use the sub to its full potential, as obviously when go down the living room route that a amp/receiver or what every they call them these days, then they will use the it fully, will the soundbar limit its abilities
Click to expand...

Don't see why. The sub will outclass the soundbar and cost more but a quality sub will help with the soundbars poor bass reponse, and better subs will be able to play higher frequency better. You'll need to use a high crossover in the sub, what soundbar do you have?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom