The sad story of the TV soundbar.................

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67Dart273

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So I'm getti.........................GOTTEN pretty deaf. And my cheap Samsung TV doesnt help. The speakers are little, and they point down. Most the time the volume is 70% or more

So I experimented. THE ONLY audio output the TV has is "digital optical" So I bought an adapter on egag, and you have to screw with the digital audio delay in the menu, otherwise the "lips don't sync". It also had one other annoy problem---see later-- And so that went away, and I forgot about it

Finally, after the warrantee was up, I dug into the TV and "hacked" external audio output off the speakers, feeding isolation transformers with big caps in series..............because there are problems with DC feedback which we won't get into

I used these to drive a small stereo amp, with extermal speakers, which I used part of the time. This did not work all that badly, except the audio did not seem to be "linear". In other words sometimes when a loud commercial came on the level difference was VERY noticeable. But it worked OK

SO THE OTHER DAY I found this Vizeo sound bar set up, with a woofer and surround sound speakers in the local humane society thrift shop for 50 bucks. And dragged it all home

The inputs it has are RCA jack analog, 1/8 phone jack analog, "digital" (single RCA jack) and "digital optical"

SO I HOOKED THE DIGITAL OPTICAL CABLE RIGHT UP TO THE TV!!!

And then I was forced to remember..............not only do ya have to screw with audio delay, BUT THE OPTICAL OUTPUT IS NOT CONTROLLED BY THE TV REMOTE!!!!! IT IS A FIXED LEVEL!!!!

WTF????!!!!! NOW I remember!!! That is part of the reason I ditched that thing!!!!

SO I regressed and hooked my home-made output jacks on the TV to the analog input of the sound bar BUT!!! You must leave the TV speakers turned on as they are in parallel

AND HERE IS THE NOW PROBLEM!!!

With the (other) analog stereo amp/ external speakers, "there was" no problem other than quality. Now, the sound bar has "enough" digital crap inside it's guts, that EVEN THOUGH I'm using the "analog" inputs, THE SOUND BAR CIRCUITRY introduces JUST ENOUGH delay that there is a noticeable echo between the (now low level) TV speakers and the louder soundbar speakers

For now, LOLOL, I "fixed" it by turning the soundbar output up quite a ways, and so now the TV speakers are low enough that you simply can't hear them or the echo

I tell ya guys and girls. This is TWENTY TWENTY TWO. It is not 1948, nor 58, nor 78. It is not even 98. Yet the industry STILL can not seem to come up with VERSATILE equipment that can be made compatible
 
My wife bought a Harmon-Kardon soundbar a few years ago, despite my protests. I had similar problems, but my TV has an optical output so at least I was able to just plug it into the TV directly. It came with a remote of it's own but I was able to mess around with the TV/cable box remote until I could control the TV and soundbar with it. The problem I started having (other than lip synch) is that the stupid subwoofer is bluetooth and it quit pairing with the soundbar. Now they just sit and blink until I pull the power.

We've changed TVs and cable boxes at least twice since then so even if I could get it it to pair, I doubt I'd ever get the remote to work the soundbar again. To be honest, I'm kind of glad to be done with the stupid thing.
 
I have a nice Pioneer soundbar that had really good reviews from hearing impaired people. It's one of the best things I ever did. It's a "smart" bar and can even access the internet but I don't use any of that. I'm just glad I can hear the tv again.

Pioneer didn't sit right. It's a Yamaha. My bad.
 
When somebody invents something that will cut out all that damn loud background music/sounds I'll be first in line to buy!! Even in the simple hot rod channels the background music drowns out the dialog!! What the hell is wrong with the people who produce the TV shows/movies!! Why don't they want us to hear what the people are saying....may as well not have dialog if you're not supposed to hear it??? The actors are whispering but the background music is loud as hell!! I have to wear earplugs to the movie theatre, I can hear most everything just fine with the earplugs. What's wrong with these people!!!!:mad::mob::realcrazy::soapbox::mad::mob::realcrazy::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox:
 
When somebody invents something that will cut out all that damn loud background music/sounds I'll be first in line to buy!! Even in the simple hot rod channels the background music drowns out the dialog!! What the hell is wrong with the people who produce the TV shows/movies!! Why don't they want us to hear what the people are saying....may as well not have dialog if you're not supposed to hear it??? The actors are whispering but the background music is loud as hell!! I have to wear earplugs to the movie theatre, I can hear most everything just fine with the earplugs. What's wrong with these people!!!!:mad::mob::realcrazy::soapbox::mad::mob::realcrazy::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox:

OH BOY you sound like ME!!!
 
Why in the world would a guy so well versed in electronics ever buy a TV without audio outputs?

BTW- I picked up that same soundbar minus the sub for $5 at a garage sale about 3 months ago.

We LOVE it.

In fact, I took it and my laptop camping and it rocked the cabin.

They are about $150 new and the one with the sub is over $200.

What size TV do you have? IIRC walmart has pretty good TCL brand 43" for $232 or a 55" for $318.

One says RCA out, the other 1/8".
 
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Why in the world would a guy so well versed in electronics ever buy a TV without audio outputs?

BTW- I picked up that same soundbar minus the sub for $5 at a garage sale about 3 months ago.

We LOVE it.

In fact, I took it and my laptop camping and it rocked the cabin.

They are about $150 new and the one with the sub is over $200.

What size TV do you have? IIRC walmart has pretty good TCL brand 43" for $232 or a 55" for $318.

One says RCA out, the other 1/8".

I didn't. It HAS a fancy "high quality" digital optical output. BUT NOWHERE IN ANY of the literature, does it say a word about being uncontrollable level.
 
They expect you to pipe that into a receiver/AVR or stand alone DAC as is the rage lately.

I've never bought a TV without RCA inputs and outputs.

Was kinda hard to find in 1988. At least at my price point. Found a Samsung 19" even though 20's had been out for a while. Sacrificed that "state of the art" square edged tube for those ins and outs.
 
Doesn't do any good to amplify the sound or make it more clear because when you amplify it and make it more clear all it does if amplify the background sounds (music/sound effects). I tried sound bars and they make it louder all right but do nothing to lower (or mute) the background sounds/noises. I haven't found a solution yet!!!
 

That's somewhat true, but in my case this TV doesn't have adequate sound to start with. Tiny speakers "pointed down" and not enough power or "speaker"
 
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