fujishig

Speaking of receivers... I've held off getting a larger 4k TV for my living room until the new standards are solidified (so sometime this year or next). But my receiver doesn't do HDR pass through or any of that, so I have to replace it. Is this a good time to buy, or are there going to be compatibility issues with HDMI 2.1 and should I just wait until that's commonplace?

DVD Josh

As more and more people go with soundbars receivers are becoming a little passe (not that I would ever go that route). But none of the major brands should have issues with 2.1 (Sony, Onkyo, Pioneer, Yamaha, etc.).

fujishig

I have a soundbar for the bedroom where I'm not going to put a full setup, but I figured people that invest in a living room setup still get receivers? Or do they get a soundbar and just forego actual surround sound?

E Unit

Tough one there Fujishig. At the CES, LG and Samsung have announced some new models that will have HDMI 2.1. So new receivers this year and/or next will probably have 2.1 as well. But honestly, I’m not sure what content you’ll need 2.1 for, other than 120 fps stuff. But pretty much every receiver on the market now (2018 and later) will keep you future proofed for a few years. But if you’re just looking to have a good surround system, any good receiver on the market now will fill 90%-100% of your needs.

But yes, if you plan on putting in a full surround sound, get a good receiver for it.

mattysemo247

Before we moved to our new house, I was using a receiver with two fronts, a center, and a sub in our livingroom. When we moved, I didn't really want to set it up like that again, so I have a Yamaha soundbar with our sub hooked up to it and it sounds great. Sure, it's not as good as a 5.1 or 7.1 setup, but it does a pretty good job since it's not our main viewing area either.

soundman2

If you have BD or 4K player with 2 HDMI out - you can send one out to your receiver and one out to your TV. That should for now solve the bypass issue.

story

As soon as you buy your receiver, the next new technology will come out in six months. That's why my top-of-the-line receiver doesn't have bluetooth. Oy, I wish it had bluetooth. :/

candyrocket786

Picked up a Q90 soundbar to replace my dead Onkyo.

I have to say, I'm very impressed with output and the minimal setup.

milo bloom

My wife would love to ditch our receiver and speakers for a space-saving soundbar, but every one she orders online and tries out sounds like crap and she sends it right back.
Also, what we really need is a receiver with, like, 10 HDMI inputs for all our games and stuff. Is there anything out now that can do that?

E Unit

Ha, if your wife is comparing a dedicated setup sound system to a soundbar, she’ll be disappointed every time. No soundbar fully replicates that kind of sound. Soundbars are solely for those utilizing a confined space, and usually have not heard a full home sound system like your setup.

Most HDMI inputs I’ve seen in a receiver is around 5. However, the top of the line ones - like the Denon 13 channel 8500 which sells for $3k - has 8 inputs. The usual for most receivers is around 4 or 5.

candyrocket786

I'd say the Q90R does a pretty good job of coming close to a full sound system. Not sure about those other soundbars.

fujishig

The main problem I've seen with soundbars is that for most setups, you're directing the input to the TV and then the TV has an optical (or HDMI?) out to the soundbar, and at least for the tvs I have that only outputs stereo. Otherwise, you'll need a soundbar that can accept multiple inputs AND devices that can output video and audio separately.

PerryD

I bought a LG SL6Y soundbar on sale with the matching rear speakers for my family room TV. Considering the MSRP of the package (around $600, but I paid half that), it is just satisfactory. It can no way touch the quality of my 7.1 home theater. The soundbar comes with a wireless woofer, but don't expect any bass response under 200 hz like a true subwoofer would perform, and the tiny wireless rears sound like the rears used in the early 90s in prologic setups, nothing like my 4 full range rear speakers in my 7.1 setup, just more for ambiance.

That said, my 55" OLED C6 had really bad built in speakers and the soundbar addressed that problem, and I now get a nice full sound for TV and movies in that space.

spainlinx0

Maybe an HDMI switcher for any inputs that aren't lag sensitive? Then you can have one receiver input for 3 or 4 components, and there are switchers that are remote controlled.

candyrocket786

So with my Sammy I'm using the ARC connection between the the two ( tv + soundbar) which allows me to toggle my audio output between the soundbar or tv when viewing something onscreen. Seems to work flawlessly.

milo bloom

She's obsessed with reducing "clutter". She'd love to get rid of the entire DVD and CD collection and watch it all on streaming, same with books.

But there's times when she's working at home and wants her music playing through the sound system and the soundbars simply don't measure up.
She's tried a couple of times, but nobody can make one that doesn't sound muddy to her (and me).

MeridithHartt

If you have plans to upgrade your speakers soon then for sure, it is the right time to buy AV receivers. With upgraded speakers, including streaming audio and HDMI, you can get better results with the new receiver. Though home theatre receivers could be a great option but as an audiophile, I consider these stereo receivers a good alternate with impressive sound quality. Actually, I saw them at my friend's home, and their sound quality was very Hi-Fi.

Probably, you can also plug stereo receiver with your smart TV, PlayStation or Blu-Ray player because it includes video source. By the way, if you want receiver only for watching videos and movies etc. then no doubt, AV receivers are also enough good. You can consider this guide before purchasing receivers for home theatre.