I have a Vizio M-Series TV and recently upgraded to the Vizio M-Series 5.1.2 soundbar. I was stoked because using CEC would mean I could control the volume with the Remote App on my iPhone. However I couldn’t seem to keep the Apple TV Remote connected and customer support suggested I switch to infrared control which removes all the modern features. Customer Service from both Vizio and Apple can’t figure it out.
I say all this to vent a little, but I really just want to know what modern soundbars you are using? Here are my criteria:
- Use my Apple TV Remote;
- Connect via CEC so that I can control volume with my phone;
- Great sound (although I’m not an audiophile so it probably doesn’t need to be the best.);
- Ideally it doesn’t have rear speakers, but a sub is okay;
Thank you in advance to anyone who reads and responds.
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Sonos arc, and like others say you can add a sub or 2 if you need more
I use a Sonos Beam, but I also use their smaller sub and a pair of rear “IKEA” speakers for surround.
The surround built in is really good and honestly I dont notice the rear ones and sometimes don’t turn them on. The sub however was needed for my tastes.
I was already invested in the Sonos world so it was an easier choice. I would have otherwise gone with one of the Bose Atmos offerings.
Great question my Apple TV sending pcm signals on my and is Messing up my soundbar. I get a loud static noise when I exit out of an app or flip through movies on Netflix . I have a lg s75qr and when I look at the app it’s says pcm . When I watch the Netflix etc on naive app on Sony tv says Dolby and I don’t have that sound happening so it’s the Apple TV
Sonos Beam (the old one unfortunately) + sub and 2 One’s. Very pleased and never wished for more.
Sonos Beam Gen 2, Sonos Sub & 2x Sonos One. The soundbar alone is a massive improvement on TV speakers.
I use both a pair of OG HomePods and an Ambeo Plus with my Apple TV 4K. I used HomePods alone for years, but minor hearing loss required something that better surfaced dialogue. The Ambeo excels at this, better than the recent HomePod update that enhances dialogue too. However, I find the HomePods have a more expansive soundstage, probably due to greater physical separation and being sublimely over-engineered. The HomePods crush the Ambeo playing music. I now use one, or the other, or all three, depending on the content I’m watching.
Still, for $999 on sale, I’m satisfied with the value of the Ambeo Plus, and I definitely don’t need a subwoofer, though they are available. The Ambeo Plus does work with the Apple Remote and supports HDMI-CEC, but with a caveat connected to my Sony Bravia. The handshake process on startup results in the screen blanking a couple of times. Sennheiser support was unhelpful in fixing this. It may the Bravia too, as the Sony HT-A7000 soundbar I tried had no problem negotiating with other devices, but it didn’t sound as good as the Ambeo to me.
My advice is to try a pair of large HomePods, especially if you can get them on sale, something very likely over the Black Friday weekend. If that isn’t enough, there is now an Ambeo Mini, though I would not pay $799, maybe $599 on sale?
I have a Klipsch Cinema 600 and love it!
Samsung Q990C. And I also use a Marantz SR7015 with Emotiva BasX A5. I had a Sonos before but it didn’t sound as loud or “oomfy” as my Samsung 11.1.4
Just got the same soundbar. I’m having very mixed results with it, and I’m suspecting my HDMI cable. Are you able to recommend any particular brand of cable that works for you?
Did you end up getting a new cable? I’m also wondering if a higher speed HDMI cable will be any better than the one it comes with in the box
I got the Belkin cables from the Apple Store.
I’m using two HomePods and I love it. Great sound, hubs for my IoT home, and they’re situated so that the sound is fairly immersive
Do you have any delay in sound at all? I have 2 HomePods and in the TV app and Plex, there’s a very noticeable delay with the sound.
Sonos soundbar with play1 rears. Does the job.
Sonos is the way to go.
Klipsch Cinema 1200. I use the HDMI-eARC video pass-through. It’s like I have a new tv. Audio and video quality are better than what I was getting with just the TV third party apps like Vudu and Disney+.
I have a Samsung HW-Q90R paired with my Samsung Q90 TV using ARC. The one annoying thing is the AppleTV remote does control the volume but there’s no on-screen indicator of the volume level. If I use either my TV or Soundbar remote they both bring up the on-screen graphic. Maybe there’s a workaround or fix for it but I haven’t seen it yet.
I have a Sonos 7.2.4 home theater system which consists of an Arc + 2 Subs (Gen 3) + 2 Era 300s paired with a Sony A95L (77 Inch size) and it’s amazing.
You can control the volume use the Apple TV Remote, Apple TV Remote from an iPhone, & from the control center when you select the Apple TV.