Sound bar query

50Twuncle

We need a soundbar - our flatscreen TV has terrible sound quality and volume
I am thinking of an LG SK1 Bluetooth Soundbar - £66 (AOL)
Our bedroom TV is only 32" - so the size is good
Does bluetooth refer to the input (connection to TV) or output (headphones) ?
Does it have to be wall mounted, or do they sit under the TV ?

Le_Kirk

Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the industrial, scientific and medical radio bands, from 2.400 to 2.485 GHz

For best results connect TV to sound bar using an ARC cable. You could connect using Bluetooth but only if your TV has Bluetooth capability.

50Twuncle

Le_Kirk wrote: »

For best results connect TV to sound bar using an ARC cable. You could connect using Bluetooth but only if your TV has Bluetooth capability.

Our bedroom TV is connected via (magic eye) coax cable to the sky box downstairs - I am not even sure whether it receives stereo audio or not ?
The TV does not have bluetooth

flashg67

On most low end ones the bluetooth refers to receiving and playing the sound from an external device such as a phone etc. My Panasonic of similar price only does this.

Just checked and above looks correct as per the manual - https://www.lg.com/uk/support/support-product/lg-SK1

Paul_DNAP

The Bluetooth is a red herring for your purposes, you'd never connect the TV to the soundbar with blueteeth.


The connection it has for the TV is an "optical in" which is a TOSlink fibre optic. You'll need to check if your TV has a "optical out". (Also you'd need a cable, the contents does not list one). There is also a 3.5mm stereo input jack, so you could use that to go to the TV's headphone jack.


There does not seem to be a HDMI input for HDMI-ARC with this soundbar.

50Twuncle

I am still trying to figure out whether the LG soundbar (https://www.argos.co.uk/product/8657338) is suitable for our TV https://www.lg.com/uk/monitors/lg-29MT31S...
I am due to collect tomorrow

I don't have optical out
Would a old fashioned Headphone socket do ?

RumRat

It only seems to connect via Bluetooth or Optical, so, no, it's not suitable for that TV.
Have you thought of a couple of PC speakers?

50Twuncle

What about USB ?

Paul_DNAP

50Twuncle wrote: »

What about USB ?

The USB port on that soundbar is only for playing back music files stored on a USB memory stick.


I've had a quick flick through the manual for that soundbar, the only way to connect a TV is through an optical TOSlink, and that monitor does not have an optical output, only HDMI.


So a soundbar with HDMI connection is required, or one of those devices that take HDMI ARC and splits out an optical signal.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neoteck-Extractor-Optical-Converter-Splitter-DAC-1080P/dp/B01GH4MEYC/ref=sr_1_3?crid=23MIL56N1IYNH&keywords=hdmi+to+toslink+converter&qid=1563809083&s=gateway&sprefix=hdmi+to+toslink+%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-3


But it would be neater to just get a better soundbar, that one is Argos' best price for a reason.

50Twuncle

It says "Just connect it via Bluetooth, USB or an optical audio connection"
Which I assume is input

googler

You don't necessarily need a soundbar.

Do you have a HiFi system, a music replay system, in the same room as the TV?