Soundbar connection and functionality

Home Theatre
1

I don’t have a fancy Home Theatre system, just a cheap Samsung TV.
The SQ is abysmal so I’m looking at adding a soundbar.
The Sonos Beam is on my list of potential buys but I’m wondering if I’m aiming too high given the quality of the TV. I just want the TV to sound better with clearer dialogue. We rarely watch films at home so it’s more for Sky & Netflix boxsets.

I only have an optical out from the TV. This would allow me to connect the Sonos, but am I correct in thinking that would not allow the soundbar to process Dolby Atmos? How much would this affect the performance of the soundbar?
Would the soundbar perform better if I also purchased a TV with a HDMI Arc output?

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

Regards,
Steve O.

2

We were Sonos for TV and incidental listening in the Kitchen and bedrooms. Had many problems with the Sonos App after a couple of years of trouble free listening.
In the end I gave my Sonos Beam to my brother and put MuSo’s everywhere. MuSo 2’s in the Bedroom and on the Lounge TV and a QB2 in my wife’s office.
No more problems and far superior sound.
It also means if we’re sitting in front of the fire on a winters evening, we’ve still got a Naim system to listen to😊

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3

Make sure you get the soundbar the same width as your Tv.
I’ve got the Sennheiser mini with Atmos under my TV and it’s transformed watching TV Especially David Attenborough nature progs on iplayer .
Plus streamed music doesn’t sound bad either. But not as good as my Star

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4

Unfortunately, the Muso 2 is a non starter as the soundbar will need to be wall mounted.

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5

That is definitely possible, but would require a degree of DIY proficiency :wink:

6

Excuse my ignorance but why does that matter?
I was hoping to use whichever I soundbar I choose on my next TV too.

Edit
I’ve just looked at the Sennheiser and only see a HDMI connection. Is that the case?
Would rule it out for the current TV …

7

I think it would come into the room too much if put on a shelf. It’s a good deal deeper than the soundbars I’ve seen.

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8

No it has an optical input.

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IMG_77973264×2448 1.21 MB

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9

The mini is only 3.9” deep

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10

Yes the sound would be a lot better. You really want eArc and if you want any other player adding, connect that to the soundbar. Don’t underestimate the quality that can come from a tv with a good soundbar and good HDMI cables.

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11

The sonos beam is currently on offer at Currys £339 which is the offer price from the last “black friday” deals 2024.
Our samsung tv was about the same price, certainly under £400. We dont use it for anything other than regular tv so dolby digital via freeview / bbc iplayer etc. Im pretty sure we dont get dolby atmos. It’s good and a step up from the lg sound bar we had previously.

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12

We just bought a Sonos Beam 2 at the reduced price for DD and partner and they think it is brilliant. It has an eARC and handles Atmos really well bearing in mind it is just a soundbar. The price saving is signifiant compared to RRP. Highly recommended.

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