Hi everyone - my first post on here - I am not a Naim owner yet but am pondering a MuSo2 + Qb combo - my question is about using the MuSo as a soundbar.
I have a Samsung The Frame TV 55 mounted on the wall above a fireplace, like a lot of people I guess. It has a weedy same brand soundbar sitting below it on the top shelf of a mantlepiece. We don’t have any decent audio in this room and I was thinking of a MuSo2 to act as a music streamer and also a soundbar for the TV as described in the product information - sounds a splendid idea in theory at least!
However the MuSo2 is quite a bit bigger (especially - it’s deeper front to back), than the existing soundbar, and won’t sit on the shelf which is about 200mm wide. So it might have to go off centre on top of the small shelving media unit to the right of the fireplace where we have the DVD player, router, set box etc.
My question is - does anyone have experience of locating a soundbar say 1.2m to the side of centre, and below the TV - does your brain struggle to deal with the sound if it isn’t smack in the middle under the TV? I noticed it has a setting to cope with being in a corner - but I guess that is to do with boominess of bass etc rather than centring up an offset soundstage?
For music use we probably won’t be sitting down much it’s more for background ambient music radio etc, so it won’t be so much of a problem as when nailed into the armchair watching the TV
Also:
Does anyone have experience of a MuSo2 with a Samsung The Frame TV in general? It has HDMI Arc or an optical output if by any chance that doesn’t work properly
It’s really best placed below the tv screen if you wish to use it effectively for tv sound. Move your current speaker and try it for yourself.
The loudness settings relate to wall and corner proximity and adjust the dsp; nothing to do with stereo / soundstage.
Optical output will always work; hdmi/arc can be temperamental due to no standards existing between manufacturers.
Thanks Robert_h that’s more or less what I thought - might have to look at some other option then. I might have a go moving the soundbar about to try it out that’s a good idea - although the wiring is all buried and need to remove the mantle piece to get at it - looks neat and seemed like a good idea at the time… Appreciate your help and the other insights too - thanks again
While the muso is fantastic, its size doesn’t lend itself to work as a soundbar as it needs a hefty cabinet under a tv, which a lot of people can’t always accommodate. I borrowed one for the weekend and tried it watching Star Wars at a friend’s house; the tv was mounted on the wall, nothing underneath it, and best I could do was plonk it on the coffee table in front. It wasn’t ideal.
If you are looking for a better soundbar then there’s a Sony one a7000 which would better suit.
Based on my experience with the Samsung Q950A and Q930B soundbars (I have both), a Samsung Q990C soundbar (or the (990B if still available) would be a far better proposition than the Mu-so, even before you take eARC into account (which addresses most if not all of the issues with ARC).
Thanks for your thoughts Ansible212 - I had looked at those and it’s good to hear some real life experience to weigh uo with the optimism of the people selling you stuff! - I was hoping to upgrade the TV sound and magically get a decent music system at the same time. Would a pairing like Uniti Atom and a pair of floor standers either side be a better bet do you think - quite tempted by that idea - apart from the decor / household apocalypse and the actual money of course - will be a lot of nose holding going on I suspect - thanks again
When I bought my Nova and Neat Motive SX2s, I originally intended to replace my Panasonic 5.1 soundbar for TV viewing. That lasted about 30 minutes, in part, to be honest, because of convenience.
The Samsung 950A took everything to another level (especially with Dolby Atmos or DTS-HD soundtracks on 4k Blu-rays, but even when streaming video).
The only downside of the 950A was the instant desire to upgrade the TV (from a Panasonic 55" OLED to 65" OLED, which was retired to a second room, which ultimately led to the purchase of the 930C soundbar).
If you want to keep things simple, I would go for a soundbar like the Samsung (purchased at the right time i.e. when the price has dropped significantly and Samsung are offering cashback on purchases) combined with a decent stereo system for music (e.g., the Atom, Star or Nova or similar).
Looks like I may need to have a think about the way forward, and also start saving up!
But good to hear your experience, we’ve been down the “expensive electrical purchase turns out to be less of an improvement than anticipated” road a few times - nothing worse, while “well it was a bit pricier than I thought, but I haven’t regretted it” is a far better outcome! thanks for your help
Thanks robert-h that is useful to know that sounds a bit like what we’d end up doing so will probably swerve that idea, and will look into the Sony. cheers for your help
Depending on the model of Samsung TV, Samsung soundbars can use the TV’s speakers via Q-Symphony hence my suggestion to go down that route (the Q series soundbars generally come out top in reviews too, for what it’s worth).
(Never tried Q-Symphony as I only have Panasonic TVs, so can’t comment on how effective it is).
Thanks for that - in fact I had just pressed the button on a Samsung 800C - couldn’t reach as far as the lofty heights of the 900 series for “background music/radio + watching the odd scandi drama, Newsnight and the footie”. I am sure it’ll be great for my aging ears. Plus it’ll hopefully avoid ARC connectivity problems which it appears is a big issue with Samsung TVs, and the Q Symphony thing also of course . I may get something by Naim for other rooms at some future point though, always liked the idea of the build quality and legendary sound for proper music. Not far to Xmas I guess - thanks again for your advice
Hope it works out for you. I’ve been really impressed with Samsung soundbars. The Mu-so Qb2 (and the Qb before it) have been far more attractive to me. A very nice package, which fits into almost any environment without dominating it and sound very nice. Plus they work with an Atom/Star/Nova, or for the seriously flush NSC 222s etc.
. I may get something by Naim for other rooms at some future point though, always liked the idea of the build quality and legendary sound for proper music. Not far to Xmas I guess - thanks again for your advice