SoundBar or Amp for a gaming room.

Oddney

Oddney

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Hi all just trying to find some information on wither to get a sound bar or amp and speakers for my gaming room
TV i have is LG OLD55C14LB 4K, connected is a Xbox series 4 and ps5, i watch Netflix and amazon prime and Disney plus as well as other 4k content.

I'm using the tv speakers ATM which aren't great, and the room isn't massive.. i have an old LG LHB755W 5.1 system that's not being used not sure if it can be used or bits used I'm sure I've asked this before, but i finely got the gaming room sorted 75% just need to sort some wiring etc :) its taking ages. now i need a sound system in there. budget isn't the best ATM with what's going on etc.

i do like the idea of an AMP and speakers 5.1 would suit me because of the size of the room. any ideas please.

would I be better with the sound bar with the size of the room..
problem i find with sound bars is they are very expensive for what they are, you can prob get a good amp and speakers for the price of a decent sound bar etc

amp and speakers if brought would be wall mounted, sound bar if brought would be under the tv on a shelve etc

all information is very much welcomed as i need some decent sound for watching my movies, the tv speakers are killing me.
 

lucid

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The answer depends on two immediate questions:

1.) Do any of your games and other content make use of DTS audio?
2.) Do you want to make use of the advanced gaming features on the TV such as ALLM, VRR and 120Hz?


There are two ways to deal with sound in an AV/gaming room. You either pass the HDMI signal through and AV amp which then splits off the picture component to pass to the TV, or you put picture & sound in to the TV and let that pass the sound out to a surround system. Each has its pros and cons.

Where you're putting sound through an AV amp then it has to handle all the picture goodies such as 4K (obviously) but also Dolby Vision (this will ensure HDR and WCG needs are covered), Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode and 120Hz from your PS5. This means checking the specs on any AV amp/AV receiver which is when you'll find that you won't be able to get away with the lowest cost box at £300. You're going to have to drop £500+ then spring for the speakers on top of that.

Maybe you were already prepared for the amp cost or maybe you weren't, but even if you were then you're probably now thinking about the alternative of letting the TV deal with passing out the sound. That solves the ALLM, VRR and 120Hz questions since those picture features will be dealt with directly by the TV. However, TVs tend to be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to dealing with audio as a pass-thru signal. The issue centres mostly around DTS.

Your C14 OLED is better known as the C1 and this covers the C14/C15 and C16 variants. It has HDMI ARC/eARC and Optical out. What it doesn't have is the ability to pass DTS audio in any flavour.

The lack of DTS support isn't an issue for streaming content or for TV stuff (Freeview / Freesat / Sky / Virgin) as the best they'll use is vanilla Dolby Digital 5.1 (DD5.1) or the Atmos-enhanced but lossy version covered by Dolby Digital Plus (DD+). You'll get a maximum of DD via optical. Standard ARC (on a sound bar/AV amp) is a minimum if you want DD+. For the sake of completeness, Dolby True HD from a Blu-ray or 4K disc requires the eARC connection on any accompanying audio gear.

Where the source outputs DTS in any flavour though you're stuffed if you put the sound through the TV. It doesn't understand it and it won't pass it through. This will affect you is any of your content carries DTS sound such as console games or rips of BD discs. The fall-back is to set any source to pass out just basic stereo PCM (2.0 PCM) but then of course you lose the benefit of the discrete channels for centre, surrounds and the sub. The signal would have to be processed using ProLogic II or similar to create a pseudo-surround effect.

An alternative where eARC is available is to have the DTS bitstream signal sent from the source as multichannel PCM. That would retain all the information as discrete channels and allow the amp to produce better quality surround without falling foul of the DTS roadblock. Or it would if the LG TVs didn't screw this up. (Arggghhh!!!). They have a bug that means they convert any 5.1 PCM in to 7.1 PCM which then messes up the channel allocations. If you'd set your console to output PCM then this would also affect the DD/Dolby True HD signals too since everything is sent out as multichannel PCM.

This is the point where you circle back to the AV amp route.


The gear in your soon-to-be-completed room is going to change over time. It might take a while, but at some point there'll be new stuff out or current high-end gear might become available in the used market at attractive prices that temps you to swap stuff. It makes sense then to be prepared for the future.

If all you need right now is DD 5.1 then there's a chance you could get by with the LG LHB755 connected via Optical from the TV. This would give you time to think about which way to go on a proper audio setup.

If it was me, I'd install decent speaker cables in wall now ready for 5.1/7.1/Atmos should you ever want to go that way in the future. If the longest speaker cable run is going to be less than 10m then you don't need to go mad. Basic 1.5mm all copper (not CCA) is going to cost you far less to install whilst the walls are still accessible rather than after everything is finished and decorated. There'll be less mess too. Don't forget to install a sub lead. I wouldn't waste time and effort installing the LG speaker wires though. They're not up to the task of running decent speakers, and you'll need them if you plan to sell the 755. Tuck them in around the edge of the room.

At the moment your dilemma is sound bar versus AV amp. There are some very good sound bars around, but they're not cheap. Given what you now know about DTS audio then it would make sense to have a sound bar with at least one HDMI input (two would be better) to plug in a source directly, but that sound bar would still need to pass the Dolby Vision ALLM VRR stuff is you wanted the full gaming features.
 

Oddney

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so for audio my TV sucks :p tbh I've always wanted a AMP and speakers. so i will go that route. I think sound bar would be just a easy choice but I want to enjoy the sound and hear it not just listen.
any good amp/speaker combos you can recommend as a starting point please. budget isn't a lot, but i can rise the cash if needed. a few choices would be handy
 

lucid

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I would go for one of the Denon AV receivers new at £500-£600. There's the AVR-S660H at £499, but there's also the new AVR-X1700 on the Denon web site which looks to be like it might hit £550 at retailers. These are 5.1 though, not ATMOS.

For speakers then I would go used. You'll get far more bang for your buck. Aesthetics is down to the individual. You've had the LG with its front towers, so that suggests you might be open to something bookshelf / stand-mount or floor-stander size.

@hornetstinger might suggest you stretch for a really good sub, something better than comes with most manufacturer kits. I would agree in principle but suggest that you don't over egg the pudding here. A £500 ported sub such as the Monoprice M10 is an enormous box with prodigious output but would swamp a small to medium sized room with bass boom to the point where you just have to turn the sub down and ruin the effect. A sealed sub around a 12" to 15" cube with a 10" or 12" and 200-350W of power will sound tight and still sound deep thanks to some useful room gain. Have a look at used SVS SB-1000, SVS SB-1000 Pro, BK XLS200, BK XXLS400.

For main speakers, just make sure that at least the front 3 channels are from the same manufacturer and range. For surrounds, if it's vanilla 5.1 then in a smaller room you can't beat dipole speakers. They make a diffuse rear sound field. If you plan to go ATMOS at some point though then I'd go for small bookshelf speakers. They'll draw attention to their position more in 5.1, but they'll blend better with ATMOS speakers once you take that step.
 

Oddney

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lucid said:
I would go for one of the Denon AV receivers new at £500-£600. There's the AVR-S660H at £499, but there's also the new AVR-X1700 on the Denon web site which looks to be like it might hit £550 at retailers. These are 5.1 though, not ATMOS.

For speakers then I would go used. You'll get far more bang for your buck. Aesthetics is down to the individual. You've had the LG with its front towers, so that suggests you might be open to something bookshelf / stand-mount or floor-stander size.

@hornetstinger might suggest you stretch for a really good sub, something better than comes with most manufacturer kits. I would agree in principle but suggest that you don't over egg the pudding here. A £500 ported sub such as the Monoprice M10 is an enormous box with prodigious output but would swamp a small to medium sized room with bass boom to the point where you just have to turn the sub down and ruin the effect. A sealed sub around a 12" to 15" cube with a 10" or 12" and 200-350W of power will sound tight and still sound deep thanks to some useful room gain. Have a look at used SVS SB-1000, SVS SB-1000 Pro, BK XLS200, BK XXLS400.

For main speakers, just make sure that at least the front 3 channels are from the same manufacturer and range. For surrounds, if it's vanilla 5.1 then in a smaller room you can't beat dipole speakers. They make a diffuse rear sound field. If you plan to go ATMOS at some point though then I'd go for small bookshelf speakers. They'll draw attention to their position more in 5.1, but they'll blend better with ATMOS speakers once you take that step.
Click to expand...


what price range are we talking on the Av's with ATMOS.. + speakers

and has anyone got any setups of an av and speakers i could see for ideas please.
 

Oddney

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£3000 i dont have :( oh well.. on another note someone has offered me a

Logitech Z906 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System, THX, Dolby & DTS Certified system for my LG LHB755W 5.1 system this would be better right?​

looks better also ?
 

CapitalOne

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I use a sonos set up. A beam gen 2, 2 threes (only because I had them so 2 ones for a new setup) and a sub. Sounds great, easy to set up and works off eArc (to be fair, I have a one of those 48“ gsync LGs and it’s on a PC).

I am no audiophile, but it sounds great and more or less on budget I think?

eta obv. fewer wires.
 

hornetstinger

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CapitalOne said:
I use a sonos set up. A beam gen 2, 2 threes (only because I had them so 2 ones for a new setup) and a sub. Sounds great, easy to set up and works off eArc (to be fair, I have a one of those 48“ gsync LGs and it’s on a PC).

I am no audiophile, but it sounds great and more or less on budget I think?

eta obv. fewer wires.
Click to expand...

E-arc might not support all formats. My c9 does but the newer ones don't

Sonos are overpriced. Their "sub" isn't that good considering the price. Dual 6.5" afaik and questionable frequency response.
 

CapitalOne

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hornetstinger said:
E-arc might not support all formats. My c9 does but the newer ones don't

Sonos are overpriced. Their "sub" isn't that good considering the price. Dual 6.5" afaik and questionable frequency response.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, works for me though. Yes they are expensive but it’s easier for me as I sonos everywhere else. Just an alternative suggestion.

Expert, I am not!
 

hornetstinger

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CapitalOne said:
Fair enough, works for me though. Yes they are expensive but it’s easier for me as I sonos everywhere else. Just an alternative suggestion.

Expert, I am not!
Click to expand...

Also locked in eco system they're like apple with limited connectivity. Can you connect two consolesand and a bd player directly into the Sonos? No it has one hdmi I put so you have to route through TV. A avr has multiple hdmi inputs and hdmi outputs


This outclass the Sonos sub by a massive amount. And it's cheaper

Monolith by Monoprice M-10 V2 10in THX Certified Select 500 Watt Powered Subwoofer - Monoprice.com

Monolith™ by Monoprice™10" THX® Certified Select 500‑Watt Powered SubwooferMassive Output. Low Distortion. THX® Certified.The Monolith™ THX® Certified Select S
www.monoprice.com

Plus standard RCA inputs not relying on wireless
 

CapitalOne

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Hey, you are the expert I don’t have those problems just thought it was worth a shout.

I’ll admit the downside of having to update 18 odd sonos devices every other month or so!

On top of the PCs, and the other devices.

However I’m not sure I could get a better surround gaming experience for my old ears.
 

hornetstinger

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I'm not up on my avrs but quick search shows if you want full Atmos avr you're looking at Denon 6700 which is about £2000

Lower models may decode Atmos but don't have the amplifiers for those speakers.

If you're on a lower budget rather trying to get full Atmos 7.1.4 or 7.2.4 just for for better quality 5.1 or maybe 7.1
 
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