Battle of the smart telly
TV add-on makes things easy on ears
I RECENTLY bought a new TV. It took me weeks to decide which one to get because of the many choices out there.
I took my Blu-ray to stores to check the quality and took my new TV home knowing that it is a 3Dsmart TV.
I assumed the speakers would be cool, considering the price of TVs these days.
The reality, though, is that most TVs give you a great visual experience, but not a great auditory one.
Many store assistants assume you will make your choice based on the quality of the picture and not the quality of the sound that comes out of the speakers.
I did a bit of research and found out that all TV brands today sell a speaker bar.
What is this? Well, it’s basically a long bar with speakers that is placed in front of your TV.
Depending on the brand you buy, it comes with a subwoofer, which enhances the much needed bass that modern TVs lack. So what should you look for?
The choices are endless.
First, who wants cables? Cables are old school and messy unless you mount a full home theatre system, but not everyone wants that. So I shopped around.
Sony has a few sound bars, but the most affordable range — the cool HT-CT260— has been discontinued. Some stores still have stock, though, and you can expect to pay about R2 900.
Samsung has many, but it also depends on what you desire. They vary between R4 000 and R7 000, but if you are willing to spend R7 000, you might as well buy the Harmon Kardon (priced at about R10 000 for the SB26), which is in a league of its own.
I think the LG sound bars are average and the only reason you should buy one is if you want to match your TV. So what do you do? Find a good dealer. Not all sound bars fit on any TV. And some look ugly just lying in front of your TV. Mountings for them are expensive and involve some DIY.
So if you have a Samsung or an LG TV, check your local agent for a suitable range. You shouldn’t pay more than R3 500.
I suggest you spend less than R4 000 on a sound bar — or opt for a home theatre system and check premium brands.
Sony has a few new ones in its range and its sound bar is much thinner and looks decent.
Most modern TVs have optical sound cables, so make sure you have those cables when buying sound bars. More watts does not mean better quality. Devices that look good or sound good will not necessarily do justice to your TV.
Here are a few systems I would recommend:
Harmon Kardon Sb26 — varied prices, about R10 000;
Jamo Torsten Soundbar — varied prices, about R12 000;
JBL Cinema SB400 — varied prices, about R8 000; and
Onkyo LS-B50 — varied prices, about R8 000. Happy shopping! Deon Govender is a DJ at East Coast Radio
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Twitter: @djdeong