Can sound bars really replace or come close to a surround sound system?

I ask because I'm considering getting one. My application would of course be for movies & music, but most importantly gaming. I was originally going to buy on of those high end gaming headsets, but why not just buy surround sound and use it for more?

Then I discovered sound bars and they're pretty reasonable. I'm not an audiophile by any strecth. Just want something that will sound decent at a reasonable price. Found a couple on Amazon that I'm looking at...



Thoughts?

*Hopefully patrick sees this thread

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by stangfoeva

Can sound bars really replace or come close to a surround sound system?

I was told no by a couple of places last month. The sound bar is basically just another set of speakers similar to what is in an LED/LCD blaring at you from the front. Whereas the surround system gives you that 3 dimensional theater effect.

 

If anything it makes it sound louder. Although I have a Bose 3-2-1 system in a smaller room. It's a two speaker setup and works pretty well for bouncing sound off walls to give a surround effect.

It's expensive though. But the best way it to buy a proper setup and start wiring speakers around your room.

 

Well I was gonna answer but I'm not Patrick so I probably don't know what I'm talking aboot.

 

no, certainly not. It does give you usually better sound than just the TV, but not to the level of a system. Do a little research for what you want, and you should be able to find something at a reasonable price.

Also, I'm not a fan at all of Coby products. The sound is bad and they don't last.

 

With the exception of Gary thanks for the advice guys. My living room is pretty small (apartment sized) so the bar may be enough for me. I'm gonna text Patrick, aka P-Money and tell him to read this lol

 

 

Lol you did not just all me that in public!

But yeah, you've gotten good advice here. Coby = no. And they are decent in a pinch, but won't get you surround sound. I didn't click on your links yet, but even decent surround systems are cheap these days! For gaming, I'd just go with a cheap Logitech system. They're really NOT bad. I still rock my $70 Logitech 2.1 system that I got at Office Depot. For $70 you can't beat it just for easy listening.

 

P-Money, eh?


if you're in an apartment, I'd be careful about what you choose for a system vs how pissed off you want your neighbors to be. I've wanted to pull the trigger on a good system for a while now, but I don't think the downstairs lady would enjoy it too much. One good viewing of Saving Private Ryan and she'd have me evicted! lol

 

So Jason is THAT guy!

 

Dang! No wonder Coby is so cheap. I'm gonna browse Amazon for logitech surround sound systems tomorrow

BAHAHAH!!! Got no one below me, but they are on the sides. I'm sure my neighbors will love to hear me playing Black Ops II an 3am lol

 

Needless to say, when I get to the point where I'm not sharing a wall/floor/ceiling, there's going to be one hell of an audio system in my place.

 

 

buddy of mine has a pair of Cerwin Vega speaker towers. They're massive to say the least, and at a quarter power they'll shake the hair on your legs 20 ft away. Certainly impressive, but not for a surround sound system. Regardless, they play music right well.


For reference purposes, that TV is a 55"









he used to have a better pic.

 

dang!! does he throw parties at his place?

 

What were y'all doing? Planning his next angioplasty?

 

This.

 

he's a med student. That's a program they can use to study whatever it is that med students study.