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Topic: Sound bar (Read 614 times) previous topic - next topic

Sound bar

I notice Scott was talking about a sound bar. How do they work and are they worth installing?
Michael j
Livermore, Ca for now

1987  Grand Villa 2900 Rear Bath Front 460 Gas Engine.

Re: Sound bar

Reply #1 –
Think of it as a amplified speaker system specifically designed for the TV.
The selected media item is not currently available. Dave Head & Megan Westbrook
Titusville, FL - The Great Outdoors
'98 270 buying this month
Toad is a 2018 F150 XLT

Re: Sound bar

Reply #2 –
Has to be better than the dime sized speakers in a TV. Miss the setup I had in our fiver, unfortunately I don't have the room for that system in the coach.....yet. However when if I move the TV to the ceiling I may have room for that system in the coach. The Bose sub woofer becomes a placement issue. On my "to do" list.

Roland
1993 U280 4341
2010 Jeep Liberty
The Pied Pipers

Re: Sound bar

Reply #3 –
Dave is correct. 

It is an amplified speaker set.  Ours is made by Samsung and it has a wireless sub-woofer.  When we acquired our coach it did not have the Bose amplifier.  It did have the cube speakers mounted and the sub built-in under the kitchen sink.  One of the first things we did was pull out the sub and the cubes when we replaced the old Trinatron.  We covered the holes with some 1" plastic covers.  Many companies make a sound bar - just Google.  Ours is rather inexpensive - about $250.00 +/- as we recall.

Roland - I believe we still had the tube TV when you came to help us - (rather saved my a**).
Scott & Carol Seibert
2001 42' double slide U320 - Sold
Previous - 2002 36' U320

Re: Sound bar

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Carol & Scott –

Roland - I believe we still had the tube TV when you came to help us - (rather saved my a**).

I don't remember seeing a flat screen, your mod looks nice. I am assuming you have no leaks in you TT, just gotta love those sharkbite fittings.

Roland
1993 U280 4341
2010 Jeep Liberty
The Pied Pipers

Re: Sound bar

Reply #5 –
We love our Roland. :D  Getting ready to change the kitchen faucet.  Wish you were here Mr. Shark Bite.
Scott & Carol Seibert
2001 42' double slide U320 - Sold
Previous - 2002 36' U320

Re: Sound bar

Reply #6 –
I would personally prefer individual speakers versus a soundbar, as you get a better surround sound and a overall better sound distribution.The only downfall would be the issue of routing the cables. I would think several small speakers are easier to hide than a large soundbar.
Once we get a coach and it needs an upgrade, I would choose a denon system with the boston acoustic speaker system... Around 450 for the whole system, but well worth it.

An alternative would be buying just a surround sound head unit, and purchasing a good set of automotive speakers, ie Alpine, as they can be installed inside the upper cabinets, therefore be hidden, but would give you a great sound as well.

Jus my two cents though
Donna & Stefan
Future Foretravel Owner

Re: Sound bar

Reply #7 –
The Sonos systems look good.                          Sonos Wireless HiFi Music Systems 

Haven't heard them though.  All wireless. There are other wireless systems out there too.  I think the 5.1 or 7.1 Surround Sound gives a total sound environment, however, for us I didn't want or need to spend the $$$.  Had two systems in our stix and brix and the sound bar works good for us.  imho.
Scott & Carol Seibert
2001 42' double slide U320 - Sold
Previous - 2002 36' U320

Re: Sound bar

Reply #8 –
Scott and Carol

I am curious as to why you did not add an am/fm receiver to go with the cube speakers and Bose sub woofer. When we acquired our Foretravel it had a Sony am/fm receiver, Bose cube speakers and a Bose sub woofer and it works and sounds great. When we upgrade the Trinitron TV we will keep our Sony/Bose 5.1 surround system.

Larry and Terry
Ex 2004 U270 36'

Re: Sound bar

Reply #9 –
Michael, a sound bar is as you probably know, simply a "bar" about 40 inches long and often about three or four inches tall and deep.

The idea us that you place it below your tv.  So in out house, the tv is mounted on a wall and the sound bar right below it is connected by wires.  It has small speakers but the technology used now gets very good sound from small speakers.  The intent here is that they are better than those in the tv.  The sound bar often uses a subwoofer larger speaker that is nit wired to the bar but does plug into 110

You may know all that.  Which leads to I am not sure it is the best option in a FT.  I imagine it depends very much on you tv's mounting system.  That bar needs to be near the tv that the sound comes from the tv.

Hope this helps.  If you need details of what I did in the RV, let me know.  Begins with a trip to Walmart to buy a Panasonic home system for about $140.

Happy auburn game !
Mike
2001 U320 4010 Build 5878 (Gus)
Wrangle Unlimited Toad
Nacogdoches

Re: Sound bar

Reply #10 –
@LTG - I looked for days for the amplifier after we got our coach and was convinced that it was mounted in some hidden spot in our pretty girl.  I also posted here on the fofum but still could not find.  I could not even find the speaker wire ends.  I presume the PO pulled the Bose amplifier so we had to find a way to get acceptable sound at a modest price.  The Sony TV was not working and we needed a solution.  Found the Smart TV and Sound bar at Best Buy.  Both were "floor models".  Purchased at a good price, got a 5 year replacement warranty and mounted in the coach.  As we had just acquired the coach and had a number of upcoming expenses - we opted for the route we chose.  We mounted the sound bar above the TV.  If we had an unlimited budget we would have had the mod done at FOT and gone with the surround sound option.  But then again if we had an unlimited budget we might have purchased a Nimbus or just had an IH-45 built for us.  Or we would have a number of homes around the world and fly from one to another in our Beech G35 or even a Piaggio P.180 Avanti.  Also can't forget the Hylas 46 yacht located in Jost Van Dyke or maybe Sani Maria, Greece in which case I would need a Lear.  HAHA 

The sound bar may not be the best solution for everyone but it has worked well for us.  At some time I might rework the sound system but for now we have other places to put those $$$...  New kitchen faucet, new wet bay faucet, MCD shades all around, new flooring, driver's seat and passenger seat reupholstered,  New house batteries, LED lights, solar.....just sayin....and the list goes on.  (the list is not comprehensive or in any particular order)  Please do not interpret that we are not thoroughly pleased with our pretty girl - She is all that we wanted/needed and more.
Scott & Carol Seibert
2001 42' double slide U320 - Sold
Previous - 2002 36' U320

Re: Sound bar

Reply #11 –
Sound bars are getting more popular and coming down in price; at least it looked that way on my last foray past the HDTV section at our local Walmart. I have been looking at that option, too. Our U225 did not come with any Bose fancy-shmancy stuff and the little LED HDTV I installed a year or two ago does not quite put out enough sound for my old ears.

I figured that I would just keep the sound bar in the closet and when we were parked lay it on the dashboard and plug it in. Not sure there are any reasonable mounting options in our coach.

And, by the way, when we were cruising our sailboat in the Sea of Cortez we would often take the kids to a petite crescent beach near San Carlos (a bastion of gringos). One of the houses ringing this beach was owned by "T" and "Jinx". T was a retired airline pilot. He and his wife had three places: a ranch in Montana, a house in San Francisco, and the beach place in San Carlos. They commuted in a Cessna P210. Ever since then I have thought that a P210 would make a really nice airplane for moving around the three places *I* would  have when my wife wins the lottery.

Assuming, of course, she'd tell me....

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."