Considering ditching 5.1 for a soundbar; suggestions?

@spatialking Noted.

If anyone else wants to say, "I wouldn’t do it", Spatialking has that covered. Your work is done.

Anyone with advice about soundbars, please weigh in. I like movies but the fetish about surround sound/movie conditions doesn't grab me. A separate AVR, wires all over the place, additional speakers -- it's too much clutter. I have read there are good soundbars that can throw a decent soundfield for movies which can be cleanly mounted on the wall. That would be enough for me, especially if it meant preserving the maximum utility of the room for listening. Which is, for me, the priority.

i have always suggested to members that if they want to have 2 channel and a ht setup, that they do it in different rooms if possible.

you are the one that has to live with the decision of selling the ht gear and going with a sound bar if you decide to go that route.

is it going to sound the same, definitely not …..and i guess you have to ask yourself can you live with it ?

I used to be a big 5.1 guy…but when got into high end 2 channel …sold the home theatre stuff and ended up with a klipsch sound bar and wireless sub..Sounds great…. Ironically, get unsolicited comments on how good the tv sounds more than the 2 channel.

My bar is 20 years old and has functioned flawlessly….it is a Best Buy purchase…and, if I remember correctly, cost about $300. Suspect you could buy better now…especially if willing to spend more.

For me….I’d never go back to all that equipment and wires.  But that’s just me.

@riley804

The hope is that there will be a further renovation to the whole house. In that case, the TV will move upstairs and I’ll have the whole basement to myself. If that happens, there certainly won’t be a 5.1 in our living room.

I have to live with the decision of selling the ht gear; I also have to live with the decision of NOT selling. (WAF, in my case.) It’s an ancient Greek dilemma in 21st c. trivial form.

@ml8764ag
Great to know. I have a Klipsch sub, wired. Could that be hooked to a Klipsch soundbar?

@tvad
Thanks so much for weighing in. I think I agree with you. The content of what we watch is so good — so engaging at the level of meaning — that we need to hear a reasonable spectrum of tonality and clear dialogue. We want there to be a soundstage but we don’t need helicopters circling our heads. No disrespect to those who want the "movie" experience, but we can live without that Disney ride.