Cheapest Atmos setup for Apartment.

[harryneopotter]

I know I am gonna get a lot of flak for this thread, but my hands are tied so do not have any other options.

Recently I bought a decent TV (65 C9) for my room (a private bedroom in a shared 3 BHK on second floor). While I do have external speakers (Blaupunkt TS-100 Towers https://www.amazon.in/Blaupunkt-TS-100-BK-Channel-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B07MTXCFVX ), I am kinda yearning for a good surround/immersive sound experience to compliment the visual experience of an OLED. As it is a rented accommodation shared with 2 other flatmates on second floor, I do not want a very loud sound system which would disturb the flatmates or the nice people living downstairs on first floor. For the same reasons, it is not possible to get a fully fledged Atmos setup with wall mounted surrounds and ceiling mounted height channels. So "upfiring speakers" is the only option for me (that is what I think). It is a decent sized room (16 x 11 x 11 I think). Ceiling is either 10 or 11 feet (not sure). I have attached a rough drawing of the room layout. Ceiling is flat but there is a fan right in the middle of the room (which I can switch off). Sadly as it is a rented place, I do not want to run cables via ceiling or mount anything there (drill holes and stuff).

For surrounds I can probably put them on the headboard (slightly higher than ear level) or side tables (lower than ear level). Watch TV either sitting on the bed or lying down. The viewing distance from TV is around 10 feet (11 feet - headboard and TV mount).

Now in my budget (50k) I am thinking of these two options:
1. LG SL8YG Soundbar + SPK-8S wireless surrounds (5.1.2 setup with upfiring speakers on the bar itself costing around 35-40k)
2. Onkyo HT-S7800 HtiB (5.1.2 setup with upfiring Front LR channels, costing 45-50k)

I am leaning towards the LG setup for two reasons:
1. Will connect easily with the TV and supports HDR10 and DV
2. So much easy to install and clean setup/looks.

But the dilemma is, the Onkyo setup looks better in terms of performance (on paper) with a proper atmos enabled receiver and better subwoofer. But do I need such firepower for a shared flat? 90% of my usage is Movies/TV shows and youtube. For music, even TV speakers are fine for me (I do NOT have a sensitive ear for details). My main motive is to get the immersive experience of Atmos. I am sure both these options are better than my current setup for immersion.

I do plan to get a proper HT room in 2-3 years from now, but this setup will still be used in my Bedroom even after that.

Any guidance will be appreciated.

P.S.: Is there any chance my existing speakers can be used with any standalone AVR?

 

[pkhammu2005]

LG soundbar supporting HDR or DV doesn't have anything to with sound, ur tv wd take care of it. I hope this soundbar has ARC support.

 

[harryneopotter]

LG soundbar supporting HDR or DV doesn't have anything to with sound, ur tv wd take care of it. I hope this soundbar has ARC support.

Yes, I know. But with HDR and DV support, I can plug any device (Firestick 4k or PC for example) to the soundbar and it can pass through the HDR video to TV directly. Which is why HDR and DV on the sound system is a desired feature.

 

[pkhammu2005]

Ur oled has inbuilt apps which u can play thru arc on ur sound bar. Why duplicate the whole process?
Or am i missing sth?

 

[harryneopotter]

Ur oled has inbuilt apps which u can play thru arc on ur sound bar. Why duplicate the whole process?
Or am i missing sth?

I have heard that some apps do not pass Atmos via TV to the soundbar (ARC) like Netflix. so you need to connect an atmos enabled device (like Firestick) to the soundbar to pass Atmos and DV signals.

 

[pkhammu2005]

You are completely not correct.
U need premium subscription for Netflix to get atmos,it will surely pass atmos thru arc,as i used it.
Also firetv 4k stick doesnt play atmos but only 4k video,atmos only restricted to prime video(none of their shows r in atmos for india).

 

[avtar2008]

Well, i also live in a rented private room and recently bought a 5.1.4 atmos setup and I can advice one thing that if you intend to confine your sound within walls and still have good movie experience, i think both wont exist together. Either you can do some room acoustics or you have to keep volume pretty low, where you wont get that immersive experience.

 

[avtar2008]

When I was watching Avengers Endgame yesterday, I can easily hear it in friends room even after closing all door and windows

 

[harryneopotter]

Any suggestions on the primary question?

 

[apbinu]

Any suggestions on the primary question?

I feel LG SL8YG Soundbar + SPK-8S wireless surrounds makes perfect sense in above mentioned space. It will provide cleaner look (without compromising SQ), with less clutter space as it would eliminate wires running across which is the last thing you need in bedroom.

With LG SL8YG the sub is wireless & you have the leverage to move it around, same goes with the SPK-8S you can always hide it behind/around the headboard, just need to think about providing the power source to it.

Cheers,

 

[harryneopotter]

I feel LG SL8YG Soundbar + SPK-8S wireless surrounds makes perfect sense in above mentioned space. It will provide cleaner look (without compromising SQ), with less clutter space as it would eliminate wires running across which is the last thing you need in bedroom.

With LG SL8YG the sub is wireless & you have the leverage to move it around, same goes with the SPK-8S you can always hide it behind/around the headboard, just need to think about providing the power source to it.

Cheers,

There are power sockets on both sides of the bed near the headboard. I have power strips installed on both of them (1 for phone/laptop chargers and second for PC ups). So power for the surrounds should not be an issue.

My primary concern is, will the soundbar option be close to the Onkyo setup in performance for movies and show. Decent music is fine for me, but movie experience is what I am spending the money for. I don't want to regret a couple of months later that I could have gotten a much better experience with a few Ks more. If they are both comparable then I would prefer the convenience of the LG setup.

 

[apbinu]

My primary concern is, will the soundbar option be close to the Onkyo setup in performance for movies and show. Decent music is fine for me, but movie experience is what I am spending the money for. I don't want to regret a couple of months later that I could have gotten a much better experience with a few Ks more. If they are both comparable then I would prefer the convenience of the LG setup.

I'm just bit skeptical about the front left & right channel seperation, as its just one bar will it do proper justice to on sound effects on front left & right channel seperation? Don't have to worry about - Centre, Sub & surrounds too it will be perfect including high channel for your space as its closed environment & flat ceiling as you described.

I had auditioned Onkyo HT Atmos & was not very convinced. LG SL8YG was good, but it was without SPK-8S kit & bit of open space like in a reliance digital store which is not very ideal place to audition audio, however the Atmos effects was still convincing & expected to perform well in closed room.

I would suggest you to demo the sound bar (if possible) & then take informed decisions based on your experience.

Cheers,

 

[harryneopotter]

I'm just bit skeptical about the front left & right channel seperation, as its just one bar will it do proper justice to on sound effects on front left & right channel seperation? Don't have to worry about - Centre, Sub & surrounds too it will be perfect including high channel for your space as its closed environment & flat ceiling as you described.

I had auditioned Onkyo HT Atmos & was not very convinced. LG SL8YG was good, but it was without SPK-8S kit & bit of open space like in a reliance digital store which is not very ideal place to audition audio, however the Atmos effects was still convincing & expected to perform well in closed room.

I would suggest you to demo the sound bar (if possible) & then take informed decisions based on your experience.

Cheers,

Great. That helps a lot. Thank you so much. Yeah, it's a closed room so I am expecting the sound bar to be enough along with the surround set. Separation should be decent as that's literally the primary job of the sound bar (I am hoping). Will plan a visit next weekend to audition it. I did audition the Sony twins (8500 and Z9F) and they sounded good to me.

 

[apbinu]

Great. That helps a lot. Thank you so much. Yeah, it's a closed room so I am expecting the sound bar to be enough along with the surround set. Separation should be decent as that's literally the primary job of the sound bar (I am hoping). Will plan a visit next weekend to audition it. I did audition the Sony twins (8500 and Z9F) and they sounded good to me.

Sure, do share your experience post audition and let us know which one you choose in the end... all the best!