Soundbar confusion

[Firegod]

Hey

So it would appear some soundbars have just x1 hdmi (with eARC) and others have x2 hdmi (an hdmi with eARC and then a regular HDMI in). I'm confused, how does this work on a setup that involves a TV, a Blu-Ray player and a set top box.


I thought all external sources would connect direct to the TV, then you'd have x1 HDMI from the TV to the soundbar. Is that right? Would sound come out when flicking between the sources? Reading some of the manuals, for those with x2 hdmi, the manual suggests attaching (for example a Blu-Ray player) into the other HDMI directly on the soundbar. Why would that be? And what happens in my case where I have another device left.

EDIT: Is it just there to be used in case you are short of HDMI inputs direct to the TV? That would make sense.

Thanks!

 

[Firegod]

I'm basically torn between BOSE Smart Soundbar 600, Sonos Beam Gen 2 and the Denon Home 550. For my parents TV. Needs to be compact and sub is a no no.

 

[hornetstinger]

Ideally you want multiple HDMI inputs on the soundbar as well as E-ARC. Not all TV's support E-ARC, and not all TV's output all codecs to E-ARC, ie some TV's don't output anything with DTS, so that means for regular DTS 5.1, DTS HD, and DTS HD, you'll only get two channel PCM. Also as you said you could run out of inputs on the TV

so if your DTS doesn't output DTS, then you'd plug all sources to the soundbar, then HDMI video out from the soundbar to the TV, and reduce the TV's own speakers.

It just gives you more choice, better to have HDMI inputs on the soundbar, then just ARC-EARC - if you need to later you are stuck.

 

[Firegod]

Thanks, understood.

And with all of that said, I'm leaning towards the Sennheiser AMBEO Mini (which only has the x1 eARC). lol.

Sennheiser Ambeo Mini review: huge Dolby Atmos from a compact soundbar

The Sennheiser Ambeo Mini takes on the Sonos Beam as the biggest little soundbar around

www.techradar.com

 

[hornetstinger]

If you're not fussed then even 2channel audio PCM via optical is fine, and it will work, it probably just won't have the dynamics of a properly decoded and downmixed DTS/DD track.

Pretty much any soundbar will be upgrade over stock TV flat panel speakers.

I've used a Q Acoustics QTV2 and I would be happy with that for bedroom system it does lack midrange/bass from the BMR drivers. Still impressive for the money, it has four subwoofer drivers around the back also. Simple to use, no inputs to fiddle with on the soundbar.

Using sound out from the TV to soundbar means whatever is on the TV screen will be outputted to the soundbar.

The issue I've had with HDMI E-ARC is sometimes changes from E-ARC on to off, if the product is off then TV reverts to optical. That would be a pain in the ass, there should be a option to force E-ARC sound to on, and never change.

One reason I dislike HDMI it attempts to do smart stuff and if it doesn't get signal back saying it's connected it throws a wobbly. Wheras with non sync video/audio connections it will always send that signal, no matter if the other component is off, disconnected, cable removed etc.