5.1 avr with speakers vs 5.1.2 dolby atmos soundbar with surround speakers

[Unicornrider108]

Hello everyone,
I have a set of 5.1 speakers already. Now if the budget of buying an AVR is same as that of buying a 5.1.2 dolby atmos soundbar system of good make (Vizio from US) , what should I go for ? Any views ? Anyone with experience of 5.1 vs 5.1.2 ?

 

[jbkar]

It's unfair to compare apple with orange.

We cannot compare AVR with Soundbar.

Obviously a 5.1.2 will win over a 5.1 (Both AVR) when other things like brand, power etc remains unchanged

 

[efernand1]

Hello everyone,
I have a set of 5.1 speakers already. Now if the budget of buying an AVR is same as that of buying a 5.1.2 dolby atmos soundbar system of good make (Vizio from US) , what should I go for ? Any views ? Anyone with experience of 5.1 vs 5.1.2 ?

Hi

Brand and model of the speakers you have? Accordingly based on the budget you have (you need to let us know) we can suggest the possible AVR to pair to these speakers.

Coming to a soundbar....they came into existence because of FLAT / SLIM TVs which could not house good decent loud speakers as output for the TV.

Very few soundbars are good and really produce the actual surround as you would get from an AVR. Try to audition the same movie content with soundbar and also a AVR system and then you will notice the difference.

Some also go in for soundbar due to limited space and may want to avoid clutter of wire all over the listening area.

End of the day it would be your call as in what actually appeals to you in looks, performance and of course budget!

All the best!

 

[Unicornrider108]

Hi

Brand and model of the speakers you have? Accordingly based on the budget you have (you need to let us know) we can suggest the possible AVR to pair to these speakers.

Coming to a soundbar....they came into existence because of FLAT / SLIM TVs which could not house good decent loud speakers as output for the TV.

Very few soundbars are good and really produce the actual surround as you would get from an AVR. Try to audition the same movie content with soundbar and also a AVR system and then you will notice the difference.

Some also go in for soundbar due to limited space and may want to avoid clutter of wire all over the listening area.

End of the day it would be your call as in what actually appeals to you in looks, performance and of course budget!

All the best!

Thanks for the valuable input

 

[Unicornrider108]

It's unfair to compare apple with orange.

We cannot compare AVR with Soundbar.

Obviously a 5.1.2 will win over a 5.1 (Both AVR) when other things like brand, power etc remains unchanged

Well what if the tree that is the budget is the same. My speakers are good all I need to buy is an AVR approx budget 35k. Now on same cost I can get a 5.1.2 soundbar from US which is having good reviews. Now obviously the main objective is to get the most immersive experience. So my doubt was will a 5.1.2 dolby atmos soundbar be able to produce the same effects (ideally should be better) as my previous avr + speaker 5.1 set up.

 

[efernand1]

Well what if the tree that is the budget is the same. My speakers are good all I need to buy is an AVR approx budget 35k. Now on same cost I can get a 5.1.2 soundbar from US which is having good reviews. Now obviously the main objective is to get the most immersive experience. So my doubt was will a 5.1.2 dolby atmos soundbar be able to produce the same effects (ideally should be better) as my previous avr + speaker 5.1 set up.
For information - my speakers are Energy Take Classic 5.1 and avr which I intend to buy is yamaha htr 3072 or Yamaha rx v4a. Sounbar in question is Vizio M512a

You have 5.1 speakers which will work well with 5.1 AVR....The Yamaha you mentioned will work well or even the Yamaha RX V4 too. Other brands like Marantz NR1510.

If you are considering Atmos then you need to see AVRs which are 7.1 or 7.2 like Marantz NR1711 or other models from Yamaha. Also you will need to invest in 2 additional speakers.

If your budget is limited and you want to get the best AVR, look out for pre owned AVRs which may be on sale in Classifieds section or OLX etc.

Based on the reviews and budget you have if you feel from a specs, functionality that the soundbar system would serve you better then you should go ahead with it. if you like your 5.1 speakers and not bored of the sound signature, get a good AVR and enjoy the playback.

 

[Unicornrider108]

You have 5.1 speakers which will work well with 5.1 AVR....The Yamaha you mentioned will work well or even the Yamaha RX V4 too. Other brands like Marantz NR1510.

If you are considering Atmos then you need to see AVRs which are 7.1 or 7.2 like Marantz NR1711 or other models from Yamaha. Also you will need to invest in 2 additional speakers.

If your budget is limited and you want to get the best AVR, look out for pre owned AVRs which may be on sale in Classifieds section or OLX etc.

Based on the reviews and budget you have if you feel from a specs, functionality that the soundbar system would serve you better then you should go ahead with it. if you like your 5.1 speakers and not bored of the sound signature, get a good AVR and enjoy the playback.

7.2 avr are above my budget and I have no intention of fixing speakers to my ceiling. That's why i am trying to understand the immersion that an upfiring 5.1.2 soundbar will produce in comparison to my 5.1 avr + speaker

 

[amrutmhatre90]

Few days back my cousin came to me saying he is buying 5.1 soundbar, should he consider avr + speaker combo
I explained my cousin proper HT (AVR+speaker) vs soundbar.

AVR + Speaker combo
Pros
- Configurable to your needs, can change speakers, amplifier or subwoofer and tons of ways of experiencing sound.
- 80% of the time sound better than soundbars
- long lasting, speakers can outlast a decade if kept properly

Cons
- expensive
- needs little knowledgeable person to set it up
- too much wiring and hassle of getting things setup

Soundbar
Pros
- Easy on pocket
- Super easy to setup
- non cluttered

Cons
- not configurable, if one channel or subwoofer is konked in a few years it will be difficult to change.
- cannot be mixed matched.
- atmos soundbars are gimmick, wouldn't give real feels of height channels.

But all comes down to what is your budget, how much you are willing to spend.

 

[efernand1]

7.2 avr are above my budget and I have no intention of fixing speakers to my ceiling. That's why i am trying to understand the immersion that an upfiring 5.1.2 soundbar will produce in comparison to my 5.1 avr + speaker

If you have read about Dolby Atmos and the various configurations of setup, it is not necessary to mount speakers on the ceiling. You can have a pair of speakers which are angled to direct sound to the ceiling. A lot of information over Google.

You will need to audition these kind of setups to understand better / read reviews which can help to steer your decision.

 

[Unicornrider108]

Few days back my cousin came to me saying he is buying 5.1 soundbar, should he consider avr + speaker combo
I explained my cousin proper HT (AVR+speaker) vs soundbar.

AVR + Speaker combo
Pros
- Configurable to your needs, can change speakers, amplifier or subwoofer and tons of ways of experiencing sound.
- 80% of the time sound better than soundbars
- long lasting, speakers can outlast a decade if kept properly

Cons
- expensive
- needs little knowledgeable person to set it up
- too much wiring and hassle of getting things setup

Soundbar
Pros
- Easy on pocket
- Super easy to setup
- non cluttered

Cons
- not configurable, if one channel or subwoofer is konked in a few years it will be difficult to change.
- cannot be mixed matched.
- atmos soundbars are gimmick, wouldn't give real feels of height channels.

But all comes down to what is your budget, how much you are willing to spend.

Thanks quite insightful