Audio help for TV, NEWBIE

The_Askinator · April 4, 2017

Hey guys,

So I have a Samsung KS8500 and I was wondering what would be the best bang for my one hundred dollars, it can be a bit higher, but nothing too over the budget. I've been looking at some older Vizio 3.1 soundbars for my budget (I'm fine buying pre-owned), but then also see these "systems" than are 5.1 surround sound but are way cheaper than their soundbar alternative.. So.. What do you guys say?

Needs:

Bluetooth/Wireless, So I can play stuff from my phone, I don't care if I need to connect a cable to my tv or not. Just need bluetooth so my phone can connect to it.
At least one subwoofer
Under 100$ USD, I'm fine with ebay pre-owned equipment, as long as it's not too old..
Nothing too crazy, I still have to make my tv area generally nice, so nothing to exotic..
Don't care about brand, even if it's from RCA..
I won't be primarily using it for music, but as long as it plays music loud and nice (with bass), it's all good.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2FTjuhtMnYZT1ZXOFVHY2ttTFE/view?usp=sharing

p.s. I know this is a repost, but I didn't see this sub-forum existed, so I'm trying my luck here..

Edited April 4, 2017 by The_Askinator
Just adding extra info.

dalekphalm · April 8, 2017

On 04/04/2017 at 6:51 PM, The_Askinator said:

Hey guys,

So I have a Samsung KS8500 and I was wondering what would be the best bang for my one hundred dollars, it can be a bit higher, but nothing too over the budget. I've been looking at some older Vizio 3.1 soundbars for my budget (I'm fine buying pre-owned), but then also see these "systems" than are 5.1 surround sound but are way cheaper than their soundbar alternative.. So.. What do you guys say?

Needs:

Bluetooth/Wireless, So I can play stuff from my phone, I don't care if I need to connect a cable to my tv or not. Just need bluetooth so my phone can connect to it.

At least one subwoofer

Under 100$ USD, I'm fine with ebay pre-owned equipment, as long as it's not too old..

Nothing too crazy, I still have to make my tv area generally nice, so nothing to exotic..

Don't care about brand, even if it's from RCA..

I won't be primarily using it for music, but as long as it plays music loud and nice (with bass), it's all good.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2FTjuhtMnYZT1ZXOFVHY2ttTFE/view?usp=sharing

p.s. I know this is a repost, but I didn't see this sub-forum existed, so I'm trying my luck here..

Please fix for Day Theme users:

Spoiler

Anyway, on topic, you're DEFINITELY not getting a good new 5.1 Surround Sound setup for under $100 USD. A Soundbar? Possibly. $100 ones probably sound decent. Or even pretty good to people who have never heard a "good" system before (and therefore no basis for comparison).

In terms of the "pre packaged" 5.1 systems, most are generally considered pretty bad by audio enthusiasts. With that in mind, for the "lay man", they're probably perfectly functional. Mostly your issue with any of those is that they're probably gonna be pretty low RMS wattage, and therefore will have audio distortion when cranking the volume too high.

So if you want to buy new? Honestly, you need to demo some different units to see if they meet your needs in the quality department. If you live near an Audio/Video store, or a big box store like Best Buy, you can sometimes get a demo in-store. Otherwise you might just buy a good looking one with decent reviews, try it out at home, and simply return it if you don't like it.

If you're willing to buy used, your options open up a bit... but honestly, your budget is still very low. Your TV is a $1700, by comparison

The biggest problem, I think, is gonna be finding one with Bluetooth connectivity and the ability to stream music from your phone. I wouldn't consider this an entry level feature.

Here are some random finds on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMPLETE-Yamaha-YHT-497BL-5-1-Home-Theater-System-RX-V373-Stereo-Receiver-/152499256682?hash=item2381a9fd6a:g:HfgAAOSwpkFY5UR8

This seems like a really good deal - $200, includes a pretty good receiver w/ good features. It DOES have "iPod/iPhone/MP3 Player" connect, but no Bluetooth or WIFI, so you'll have to jack the phone in (Likely via USB or via 3.5mm headphone jack).

Speaking of RCA...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RCA-RT2781HB-1000W-5-1-Channel-Bluetooth-Surround-Sound-Home-Theater-System-/272591894606?hash=item3f77be384e:g:LeUAAOSwWxNYxOyh

Just around $100 - and has Bluetooth. No idea on quality, etc.