Change from Logitech Z5500 Speakers

ukgeezer1

ukgeezer1

ukgeezer1

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5 Nov 2010
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118
Hi

I have used the Z5500 for many a year and have been so pleased with them, however baby comes along and need to get sensible with the living room setup. Costco are doing a deal for a JBL soundbar and wireless sub for 249.99 which seems quite a good deal.
I don't watch handfuls of films that I used to anymore. has anyone moved from a 5.1 setup to soundbar setup? what are your thoughts?
Thanks
Lee
 
if your looking for a soundbar then yamaha are the best on the market

i recently bought their cheapest soundbar which is soon going to be replaced by a newer model.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18538496

the YAS-101 can be had for £159-£169 brand new

the YAS-201 is basically the YAS-101 with the £75 subwoofer added into the package.

this is the £75 sub available separately or as par of the 201 package

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio-visual/speaker-systems/subwoofers/yst-fsw050__g/?mode=model

you can also get this one for £5-15 more which i think is a much better deal for the money

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio-visual/speaker-systems/subwoofers/yst-fsw100__g/?mode=model

so i would pair the YAS-101 with the YST-FSW100

if you really want to splurge the cash then yamaha make the 401

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/au...rtual-surround-systems/yht-s401_w/?mode=model


or there is a new 101 coming out soon called the YAS-152

this has bluetooth streaming and a smartphone app compatibility so it can be controlled by your phone,but it isn't available yet and i'm thinking it will be near the £250 mark when released (with no subwoofer).

if you can live without bluetooth and want a sub the YAS-101 and YST-FSW100 for around £250 together or get the 101 for £160 and think about a sub later on.

that is a 2.0/2.1 setup basically which tries to replicate surround sound, and it does so quite well for what it is.

this one

http://exceptional-av.co.uk/product.php?fdProductId=1199&gclid=COvy2Letr7kCFbHItAodYFEAdw

is a 3.1 setup for £320

if you want to spend more money than £320 then their are these

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio-visual/hometheater-systems/digital-sound-projector/

to look at, but they cost a lot of money.


going from true surround sound to a soundbar setup is a downgrade. but soundbar's are for people who do not want wires or have the space for multiple speaker's, amp's and sub's, etc. so they arent catering for the same market.

so you have to look at why your looking at a soundbar now instead of a better 5.1 setup, to see whether a soundbar is for you.

i have the YAS-101 on it's own which cost me £159 delivered.

i find the bass on it to be pretty good, I may upgrade to a seperate sub in future but for now the soundbar is more than adequate on it's own for my needs.

i also have the Z5500's and that is a much more powerful system, especially in the bass department but overall as a package as well.

if you want a similar soundbar i would be looking at the Yamaha YHT-S401 SoundBar minimum.
 
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ukgeezer1 said:
Thanks for the info, I have taken note, much appreciated

This is the soundbar I have been eying up
http://www.whathifi.com/review/jbl-cinema-sb400

are WhatHiFi respectable for their reviews?
Click to expand...

i would trust avforums for their opinions over what hi-fi which tend to favour companies that spend large amounts of money on adverts in their magazines.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-cinema-buying-setup-general-help/1769293-sound-bars.html

http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-cinema-buying-setup-general-help/

you could always start a thread in there.

but looking at the JBL it doesn't have any dolby decoder's what so ever whereas the yamaha range can decode anything. no dolby digital or DTS encoding what so ever.

so it's basically a 2.1 system with only stereo decoding.

this may have an impact on audio when you watch say a blu ray, or a high quality feed where the yamaha will be able to process such a feed, whereas on the JBL it will be need to be downgraded to stereo before being sent to the soundbar.

although looking at a US forum the JBL does have some very good reviews and comparable with the sony ct-260.

me personally i'd rather stick to a brand that is known for being the best in the business, why buy a jag when you can have a rolls royce for similar money?
 
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i think the Yamaha YHT-S401 SoundBar is the one to go for imo.

since your used to using a sub already you will want a sub, no soundbar on it's own can match a proper sub, it's physically impossible.

and the YHT-S401 is a 3.1 system with some clever bouncing technology. the centre speaker is essential for dialogue, although the cheaper yamaha's do have a "clear voice" option which boost's dialogue, the additional centre speaker on a 3.1 system is the preferred solution.

it's a little over your initial budget but it would be money well spent.

it totally depends on how much you value quality though, if you do not value sound quality that much then i'm sure the JBL, or the cheaper yamaha or even the xenta soundbar will suit your needs.
 
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