Proposed soundbar - check

Yorkie1

I have an old Sony Bravia TV KDL-32EX524, which i'd like to connect a soundbar to, in order to perk the sound up.

Here's the specifications of the TV.

I have in mind the Sony HT S2000 soundbar. Not because it's a Sony, but becaue the reviews seem good, I can't go any wider than 80cm, and it doesn't have a subwoofer (I have no room for one).

There are multiple HDMI ports on the TV; I have one connected to HDD recorder, and another to a cable which I can plug into my laptop for a better iPlayer picture. There is also the standard aerial cable coming into the HDD from the aerial and then onto the TV.

Are the TV and soundbar compatible, do you think? I realise that, depending on this TV's connections, I might not get Dolby Atmos (?), but otherwise woudl it work?

NB. I'm aware of this thread, which is similar, but I think my TV is slighly newer than the one involved in that thread, and has more connectivity.

Thanks.

flaneurs_lobster

Others may be able to confirm but I don't think you will be able to connect a soundbar via any HDMI socket that doesn't have Audio Return Channel (ARC) - and I don't believe your TV has any.

You will be able to use an optical cable to connect.

You won't get Dolby Atmos.

JSmithy45AD

Yep, optical cable and no Atmos (not that it would be great from a single soundbar regardless of the advertising spiel). It'll certainly be better than the built in speakers.

SiliconChip

I didn't bother buying a soundbar, I just hooked up my TV to my hi-fi system (Denon DM39) through an optical cable to play the sound through the system's speakers (Kef Coda 7). 

Vitor

Optical connection only with a 15 year old TV but the soundbar will be fine for when you upgrade the telly.

MyRealNameToo

Yorkie1 said:

I have an old Sony Bravia TV KDL-32EX524, which i'd like to connect a soundbar to, in order to perk the sound up.

Here's the specifications of the TV.

I have in mind the Sony HT S2000 soundbar. Not because it's a Sony, but becaue the reviews seem good, I can't go any wider than 80cm, and it doesn't have a subwoofer (I have no room for one).

There are multiple HDMI ports on the TV; I have one connected to HDD recorder, and another to a cable which I can plug into my laptop for a better iPlayer picture. There is also the standard aerial cable coming into the HDD from the aerial and then onto the TV.

Are the TV and soundbar compatible, do you think? I realise that, depending on this TV's connections, I might not get Dolby Atmos (?), but otherwise woudl it work?

NB. I'm aware of this thread, which is similar, but I think my TV is slighly newer than the one involved in that thread, and has more connectivity.

Thanks.

The TV and soundbar both support Optical so that is fine, the soundbar only has a single HDMI port so optical is the way to go. As well as Optical not supporting Atmos it doesnt support the lossless codecs like DTS:X or Dolby TrueHD. 

Will still probably be a reasonable step up from the original TV sound just it won't get the best out of it. I agree with others that ATMOS from a single soundbar is never going to be very good. 

SiliconChip said:

I didn't bother buying a soundbar, I just hooked up my TV to my hi-fi system (Denon DM39) through an optical cable to play the sound through the system's speakers (Kef Coda 7). 

Most hi-fi systems won't have a digital in and so you would need to buy a DAC to get an analogue signal to go into the hi-fi - obviously there are some exceptions. 

I used to do similar with a forerunner of the Denon micro system but with Mission speakers but never really got on with it too well with the absence of vocals coming from the person on screen. It did result in me buying a Denon AVR and Mission center speaker and it all snowballed from there... currently running a 5.2.2 system with Arcam AVR and Kef R speakers

Undervalued

MyRealNameToo said:

Yorkie1 said:

I have an old Sony Bravia TV KDL-32EX524, which i'd like to connect a soundbar to, in order to perk the sound up.

Here's the specifications of the TV.

I have in mind the Sony HT S2000 soundbar. Not because it's a Sony, but becaue the reviews seem good, I can't go any wider than 80cm, and it doesn't have a subwoofer (I have no room for one).

There are multiple HDMI ports on the TV; I have one connected to HDD recorder, and another to a cable which I can plug into my laptop for a better iPlayer picture. There is also the standard aerial cable coming into the HDD from the aerial and then onto the TV.

Are the TV and soundbar compatible, do you think? I realise that, depending on this TV's connections, I might not get Dolby Atmos (?), but otherwise woudl it work?

NB. I'm aware of this thread, which is similar, but I think my TV is slighly newer than the one involved in that thread, and has more connectivity.

Thanks.

The TV and soundbar both support Optical so that is fine, the soundbar only has a single HDMI port so optical is the way to go. As well as Optical not supporting Atmos it doesnt support the lossless codecs like DTS:X or Dolby TrueHD. 

Will still probably be a reasonable step up from the original TV sound just it won't get the best out of it. I agree with others that ATMOS from a single soundbar is never going to be very good. 

SiliconChip said:

I didn't bother buying a soundbar, I just hooked up my TV to my hi-fi system (Denon DM39) through an optical cable to play the sound through the system's speakers (Kef Coda 7). 

Most hi-fi systems won't have a digital in and so you would need to buy a DAC to get an analogue signal to go into the hi-fi - obviously there are some exceptions. 

I used to do similar with a forerunner of the Denon micro system but with Mission speakers but never really got on with it too well with the absence of vocals coming from the person on screen. It did result in me buying a Denon AVR and Mission center speaker and it all snowballed from there... currently running a 5.2.2 system with Arcam AVR and Kef R speakers

Even then, based on my experience, there were problems getting the sound properly in sync with a TV of that generation. Although the TV had an adjustment in the settings for this purpose I found it needed to be set differently for external sources (DVD etc) and even for Freeview HD compared to Freeview SD

Yorkie1

Many thanks everyone. I agree that the TV doesn't seem to have ARC so it would be an optical connection.

I also do have an eye to the future, although I suspect I probably won't look to upgraade the TV for some time while it still works. (As does the analogue one it is replacing).

That being the case, am I overpaying for what I'm likely to get out of it, so that it would be worth looking at a lower price / spec all-in-one soundbar? 

flaneurs_lobster

Yorkie1 said:

Many thanks everyone. I agree that the TV doesn't seem to have ARC so it would be an optical connection.

I also do have an eye to the future, although I suspect I probably won't look to upgraade the TV for some time while it still works. (As does the analogue one it is replacing).

That being the case, am I overpaying for what I'm likely to get out of it, so that it would be worth looking at a lower price / spec all-in-one soundbar? 

The quality of audio products is, of course, in the ear of the listener but generally you gets what you pay for. I've had two soundbars, the first was a Panasonic sub-£100, bought to match an old plasma TV. Poor, now used as a large Bluetooth speaker. Second is a Samsung, full price £500, bought for half that in Richer Sounds Open Box sale. Very happy with performance although I'm damned if I can tell Dolby Atmos from Stereo.

Don't think you'd regret spending that kind of money, recon that's the level where you'd expect to be hearing something approaching hi-fi.

Yorkie1

Fantastic. I'll go for the planned one, then. Much appreciated.

Yorkie1

Just checking re. the audio cable (which doesn't come with the soundbar).

Would this one from Currys be OK; or should I be looking at something like this from Richer Sounds?