Soundbar and active subwoofer vs 3.1 home cinema

[nugget2014]

I have just this moment found out sound bars allow a active subwoofer to be connected (the ones i seen anyway)

now i am wondering. would a half decent soundbar £300ish and a good active sub (bk monolith) be as good as a 3.1 home cinema setup?

i wouldnt need to buy an a/v receiver. just hookup my devices to tv.

but then again i have already purchased some dali zensor 3's which i was going to use in my slowly evolving home cinema..

so should i still build it up slowly or get soundbar and bk monolith?

 

[Leeps]

I have just this moment found out sound bars allow a active subwoofer to be connected (the ones i seen anyway)

now i am wondering. would a half decent soundbar £300ish and a good active sub (bk monolith) be as good as a 3.1 home cinema setup?

i wouldnt need to buy an a/v receiver. just hookup my devices to tv.

but then again i have already purchased some dali zensor 3's which i was going to use in my slowly evolving home cinema..

so should i still build it up slowly or get soundbar and bk monolith?

Yes.

Seeing you've already purchased the Dalis, spend your money on a decent amp and the centre speaker, then add the sub as and when funds allow. A soundbar can't really compete.

I previously had a Monitor Audio Radius One passive soundbar (much better than most active soundbars at a similar price point, including the cost of my AV receiver), but having moved to separate left, right and centre speakers (using identical drivers to the Radius One), the whole sound field has opened up much better, and in my case integrates more effectively with the rear speakers.

The superiority of your speakers along with an AV receiver will be most noticed with movie sound tracks, which will have a great deal more presence. The only real benefit of a soundbar is the smaller overall space it takes up, but if you have the Dalis in the same room anyway, there's not much of an advantage.

 

[nugget2014]

with whatever tv i end up getting, sony kdlw905a or the newer 8 series i can afford the a/v receiver and maybe 1 more item. is a subwoofer (bk monolith) or the dali centre speaker more important in buying first? although the bk is out of my budget right now at £500 including accessories etc :s

will the centre give more bass to the whole experience or just for dialog and movie soundtrack bass? if it gives more bass in every area maybe i'll be satisfied without a sub for a year. i'm also going to buy my surrounds straight away first as im having installation. might aswell get the rears sorted at the beginning. will buy some cheap wharfedale 9.0's or something, all i can afford really. or will it mess things up having rears without a centre? if i dont get one.

 

[Leeps]

The centre speaker is the most important, then the sub, then the rears.

If I was in your situation, I'd get the wiring sorted for the rear speakers, but only fit the speakers when you can afford them.

Get the centre first. Without this, movies will sound terrible. You'll constantly be straining to hear the dialogue and overwhelmed by the effects.

 

[nugget2014]

i may have to save quite well then for the next 2 months and buy the centre and rears same time

 

[mrbarnett12345]

I have been suffering a similar dilemma choosing a system for my father. I'll start a separate discussion about it but, in short, I have concluded that even a £1000 soundbar is hugely compromised, either sonically, technically, or aesthetically.