Getting the best soundbar for your large TV

Bought a new and large LED, 4K, Ultra High Definition TV and now want a soundbar to go with it? Here are buying tips
 
Here is my new Samsung 60 inch 4K UHDTV. Without the soundbar. Notice it sits on an IKEA console that is 40 cm wide, yet there is little space in front of the TV. How to put a soundbar??
 
First, to get the best deal on th TV, I suggest you get it without any free item deals. They say the items are free, but actually if you really just want the TV, insist on it and you'll likely end up with a better deal. Also, you likely don't need or won't want the free items. So drop them. Then when you're ready, and when you've listened to the TV enough to know the difference the soundbar will make, go for it. 
 
The Sonos Play Bar that Richard na on your home wifi is an excellent but expensive system. 

There are very many models of soundbars. I'll just say from as low as Singapore dollar (SGD) 199 to S$. 2399. Here the most expensive I would consider is the Sonos soundbar that goes for $1200. With all the features of the Sonos system, this is a great product. But if you listen and compare, as an audiophile you would really want to match it with the Sonos subwoofer otherwise it sounds incomplete and lacks the punch. But then you'd end up spending $2399 total. But have a great system that's ready to expand anytime. The sound is crisp and beautiful, the bass is deep and huge, and the Sonos app is easy and robust. To equip your whole house to play the same Music everywhere, just keep adding more Sonos units. 
 
The Sonos Play 5 has a 3,5 mm auxiliary input jack. Then you can feed music into other Sonos speakers using the Play 5. 

An option I considered was the Sonos Play 5. It has a 3.5 mm auxiliary headphone jack to play music from external sources without using the Sonos app and wifi. The sound of the Play 5 is deep and beautiful even without a subwoofer. Price is around S$ 1000 to $1100. The problem is, new TVs don't have a 3.5 mm out. Not even RCA outs that you can use with an RCA to 3.5 mm cable. New TVs have optical cables and HDMI Return cables and there are no cable converters to 3.5 mm jacks. So this Play 5 is not really an option, though I wanted to add the new Play 5 to my happy set of Sonos speakers. Too bad. 
 
The subwoofer on the Sony HT-CT390. It's larger and has a fuller sound than a number of other brands and model tried. 

Okay, so now what to get. I listened to a lot of models, and finally decided on the Sony HT-CT390. It was the best sounding among different brands. It comes with a wireless subwoofer and a remote that allows you to control the sub volume separately. Stereo separation is clear. And the sounds are crisp. I could hear much richer detail in my music using this Sony model compared to very many others. The key difference was the larger diameter of the midrange speakers compared to the tweeter size mid speakers on most soundbars. Attachment to the TV is simple using the included optical cable.  
 
The large and flat format of the Sony HT-CT390 soundbar with wireless subwoofer delivered the best sound among many models tried. 

Another great thing about this Sony model is the price, it goes for $599! At this price, you can even get a Sonos Play 3 for an extra room. But the Sony sounds really great and the functionality is clean and simple. And the problem on size and how to place this in front of the TV without the huge trouble of wall mounting was solved by the small wall mounts that can act as stands. Thanks to the guys at Harvey Norman Singapore for the insights on this. 
 
So here now is the 60" Samsung 4K LED UHTV with a Sony HT-CT390 soundbar positioned vertically and the wireless subwoofer on the left side. A beautiful and beautiful-sounding set-up at special prices thanks to Harvey Norman. 

That's it for now. Watch what you watch! Check out YouTube documentaries from Trey Smith. Or Hagmann & Hagmann episodes. 
God Bless! 





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