TV + Soundbar Combo £2000 [UK]

[Meritor]

Hey,

I’ll be moving into a new home in the next few weeks/month and I’m looking to get a new setup to replace my ageing one (Philips 43PUS6262 // Yamaha RX-V365 // Mordaunt Short 904i).

Due to space constraints I’m looking at dropping the AV Receiver and floor standing speakers in favour of a modern Soundbar. I don’t really know much about current audio tech or Soundbars in general so just looking to see what people would advise, depending on my TV choice I will have somewhere between £300-£500 available towards a Soundbar (this could be stretched ever so slightly if the additional cost is worth it).

When it comes to TV’s I’m torn between the Samsung “The Frame” 2021 QE55LS03AAUXXU and the LG OLED55C14LB, I believe both will meet my needs (I will be using a PlayStation 5 as the main input device to the TV for everything from gaming to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky, Spotify, YouTube etc etc you get the idea).

I’m open to other similar priced options within my budget (I would have stuck with Philips as I like the Ambilight feature but they seem so far behind as far as spec to price ration when compared with the competition that I can’t justify keeping the Ambilight feature).

Any and all suggestions and advice welcomed, if you need any additional info please feel free to ask, thanks for reading and I look forward to your replies

Have a great weekend,

 

[lucid]

Unless you need the brightness of the Samsung QLED screen, I'd go with the LG OLED. Get it from John Lewis. Their free warranty covers screen burn if that's a concern.

If you went for the OLED then the budget left would be £300. You won't get anything as convincing for surround in a sound bar as you had in your HT kit until you spend a lot more and go for something that supports wireless rear speakers (Yamaha Musiccast 400 soundbar @ £500 + pair of Musiccast wireless speakers @ £360), so focus instead on something that's decent with basic stereo. The Denon DHT-416S @ £249 is worth a look.

 

[Simmz]

Unless you need the brightness of the Samsung QLED screen, I'd go with the LG OLED. Get it from John Lewis. Their free warranty covers screen burn if that's a concern.

If you went for the OLED then the budget left would be £300. You won't get anything as convincing for surround in a sound bar as you had in your HT kit until you spend a lot more and go for something that supports wireless rear speakers (Yamaha Musiccast 400 soundbar @ £500 + pair of Musiccast wireless speakers @ £360), so focus instead on something that's decent with basic stereo. The Denon DHT-416S @ £249 is worth a look.

Pretty sure their free warranty doesn't cover burn in. You need to take protect place which is an extra £140 for the 5 years.

Meritor - Unless you can up your budget if you want a 2021 model, I'd look at a lg oled55cx5lb, Sonoc arc and two refurbished play 1 sl's. (can throw you a 15% off Sonos code). Which should hit you total of £2000. Will give you much more from what you are coming from. Otherwise, look to throw a soundbar in a bit later on, unless you really not overly bothered about sound, as £300 left for sound won't get much sadly.

 

[Meritor]

Unless you need the brightness of the Samsung QLED screen, I'd go with the LG OLED. Get it from John Lewis. Their free warranty covers screen burn if that's a concern.

If you went for the OLED then the budget left would be £300. You won't get anything as convincing for surround in a sound bar as you had in your HT kit until you spend a lot more and go for something that supports wireless rear speakers (Yamaha Musiccast 400 soundbar @ £500 + pair of Musiccast wireless speakers @ £360), so focus instead on something that's decent with basic stereo. The Denon DHT-416S @ £249 is worth a look.

The main idea of the frame was to move away from that “student / dormitory” type feel of a huge media centre, I will have very limited space in my new house and want it to feel more open and airy so trimming back the setup is one of the only things I can do, I’ll definitely miss the AVR and floor standing speakers as they’ve been great but it’s time to downsize (also the single cable for wall mounting would be very beneficial).

I’ve come to terms with that I’ll not be able to replicate the level of audio experience I have with my existing setup but I’m willing to make that compromise when moving into the new house. One of the other issue I’ll have is the space means that most furniture will sit right up against the walls so rear speakers will actually be level (side speakers) to the seating area so I don’t know how effective they will be for rear audio. I think a stereo setup will be when I end up at, it’s a compromise but it’s better than nothing.

Pretty sure their free warranty doesn't cover burn in. You need to take protect place which is an extra £140 for the 5 years.

Meritor - Unless you can up your budget if you want a 2021 model, I'd look at a lg oled55cx5lb, Sonoc arc and two refurbished play 1 sl's. (can throw you a 15% off Sonos code). Which should hit you total of £2000. Will give you much more from what you are coming from. Otherwise, look to throw a soundbar in a bit later on, unless you really not overly bothered about sound, as £300 left for sound won't get much sadly.

I buy most of my electronics from John Lewis as they are great for extended warranty and replacing defected products, so I’d be happy to take that extra insurance if it covers burnin as that’s a concern (I’ve seen the horror stories).

With moving home funds are “committed” to some degree, I’ll not be tight on cash but I don’t want to blow through all my savings to then find there is an issue in the house that I’ve overlooked (one option is to buy the TV first and then add a Soundbar later).

I do like the look of the Sonos Arc (all-be-it HUGE) and it boasts an impressive spec sheet (would be everything I could want/need), I think possibly holding on the Soundbar is going to be the best bet right now and once I’m in and settled I can look at it again.

As far as TV’s go does anyone have any opinion on the two mentioned or are there any others I should also be considering in this price range (£1500).

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Arcane]

I' m in the same boat as you, I've got approximately the same budget but need a 48" or smaller TV. As I game a lot there's really only the CX or C1 that actually has all the features enabled so seems a no brainer at the moment.

I'm waiting for real world reviews of the Denon Home 550 sound bar, it's been on my radar for a while as I'm a fan of the heos stuff and it will work as my hifi speakers as well.