Question Soundbar or AVR upgrade? (Atmos)

[jackstar7]

Howdy,

I'm in an upgrade pickle and just looking for some thoughts on this scenario.

I currently have and enjoy a 5.1 system via Pioneer AVR. But it's a little out of date and can't manage Atmos. So I've been investigating the additional costs to get a new AVR (~$300) +Atmos speakers (~$100) vs just trying to get my hands on a discounted/used Atmos soundbar (~$300-400).

I have an OLED TV and enjoy 4K media on the regular, and I think Atmos is the missing piece of my immersion puzzle.

The upside to the soundbar is that it would eliminate a lot of wires/clutter from the room. I've got a toddler running around and potentially eliminating the wires and speakers has a real appeal.

The downside seems to be a lesser experience in audio.

General thoughts? I'm leaning soundbar just because of the elimination of so many physical elements from the process, but have concerns that it just might not deliver "enough"...whatever that is.

Thanks folks.

 

[mdram]

avr and atmos speakers

a soundbar cant even match a 2.1 system, it wont do atmos justice

 

[nOOky]

AVR receiver and additional speakers. Hopefully you are mounting the speakers out of reach of a toddler so they can't yank the wires anyway. The sound quality experience will blow away any sound bar. Hopefully your current speakers are decent enough and you can match them with the additional ones you buy.

 

[jackstar7]

Guh. I was afraid of this.

Thanks for the opinions. I will likely go this direction. I was just hoping that the good reviews I'd read about the last couple LG Atmos bars meant they'd really upped the game.

 

[mdram]

remember that an atmos soundbar has to bounce sound off the ceiling.
i cant really see that working properly

 

[jackstar7]

remember that an atmos soundbar has to bounce sound off the ceiling.
i cant really see that working properly

I believe it works, and I'm going to have to use bouncing anyways as I don't have the means to add speakers to my ceiling. The ones I can just add atop my bookshelf look legit and all sound is bouncing, so I figure with calibration, it should work correctly.

 

[mdram]

I believe it works, and I'm going to have to use bouncing anyways as I don't have the means to add speakers to my ceiling. The ones I can just add atop my bookshelf look legit and all sound is bouncing, so I figure with calibration, it should work correctly.

https://www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/atmos-enabled-speakers

only kinda work

 

[jackstar7]

Seems like it would work in my living room, but I'm also backing down from this whole project as the costs just don't seem like they will be worth the return.

I know I will come back to this idea at a time in the future though, so I do appreciate the extra info.

 

[purbeast0]

I'd stick with a true 5.1 setup rather than some bootleg Atmos hack that it sounds like you are trying to do, whether it's with a soundbar or speakers. You said you can't even put speakers in your ceiling so you aren't even going to have an Atmos setup even if you go with speakers.

I would never throw money away on a soundbar in general. They are a waste of money.

 

[JEDIYoda]

https://www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/atmos-enabled-speakers

only kinda work

yeah but that just your opinion......

 

[anandtechreader]

To connect a desktop computer to a soundbar or AVR for Atmos, do we use the HDMI ARC port or just HDMI port of the soundbar/AVR? In the case of the former, we will run out of HDMI ARC port to connect to the 4K HDR TV because most soundbar/AVR has only one HDMI ARC port? Can the HDMI ARC port be used as input or output depending on how one connects the components?