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n2oinferno · 12-03-2013, 08:59 PM

Does the Vizio soundbar have an optical input? It'd really help here if you gave us model numbers for what you've got, otherwise we have nothing to look at. You may be set to go already, but just missing a cable.

edit: I just looked at the Vizio site, and I'm pretty sure every single soundbar has optical input. /edit

If you're even considering any of the above, stop now. Bose is decent but far overpriced for what it is, and there are really no worthwhile theater in a box systems anymore. Especially when the blu ray player is the amplifier, and part of it dies, so then you're stuck with a dead amp or a dead blu ray player. And the reported wattage can be fudged, so don't trust those either. I actually downgraded a couple months ago from an Onkyo receiver I was running in 2.1 with some old Onkyo bookshelf speakers and an 8" subwoofer. Ended up with a Sony HT-CT660 soundbar, and I'm pleased enough that I could recommend it. Do demo it in a store first though, if you're interested. Got mine from Best Buy during a 250 dollar one day sale. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HT-CT660-46-Inch-Wireless-Subwoofer/dp/B00C25I5TE"]Amazon.com: Sony HT-CT660 46-Inch Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer: Electronics[/ame]

I like it, it does its job fairly well, and sounds nearly equally good for my purposes, compared to my previous set up. I have a toddler and another on the way and I was tired of finding Hot Wheels that had been stuffed into the port hole of the subwoofer. I also wasn't going to invest a grand into new tower speakers because the kids will trash them. Maybe in the future when they'll leave my stuff alone. I was really close to getting the new Andrew Jones engineered Pioneer sound bar ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-SB23W-Andrew-Soundbar-System/dp/B00EHBPF6W"]Amazon.com: Pioneer SP-SB23W Andrew Jones Soundbar System: Electronics[/ame]), but it only has optical in, and not HDMI. Not all, but a lot of TVs will convert a 5.1 signal into 2.1 when going out through optical, so to get that "fake, kinda sorta, but not really, because it's still all in the front" surround from a soundbar, I went with the Sony. Both should be on display at Best Buy if you want to demo them. I can tell you right off the bat though, the Pioneer has a better cabinet (wood vs plastic and metal) and a warmer sound, and is better for music. But I use my TV for gaming, TV shows, and movies.. not music.

Right now my setup is HDMI from the TV into to the soundbar, and then my PS4, Wii U, and Xbox 360 all HDMI into the sound bar. Very easy to set up.

12-03-2013, 08:59 PM	#7
n2oinferno Praise Helix! Join Date: Jan 2011 Drives: Accord 2.0T, Silverado Location: Upstate SC Posts: 2,859 Thanks: 428 Thanked 2,208 Times in 1,072 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s)	Does the Vizio soundbar have an optical input? It'd really help here if you gave us model numbers for what you've got, otherwise we have nothing to look at. You may be set to go already, but just missing a cable. edit: I just looked at the Vizio site, and I'm pretty sure every single soundbar has optical input. /edit If you're even considering any of the above, stop now. Bose is decent but far overpriced for what it is, and there are really no worthwhile theater in a box systems anymore. Especially when the blu ray player is the amplifier, and part of it dies, so then you're stuck with a dead amp or a dead blu ray player. And the reported wattage can be fudged, so don't trust those either. I actually downgraded a couple months ago from an Onkyo receiver I was running in 2.1 with some old Onkyo bookshelf speakers and an 8" subwoofer. Ended up with a Sony HT-CT660 soundbar, and I'm pleased enough that I could recommend it. Do demo it in a store first though, if you're interested. Got mine from Best Buy during a 250 dollar one day sale. [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HT-CT660-46-Inch-Wireless-Subwoofer/dp/B00C25I5TE"]Amazon.com: Sony HT-CT660 46-Inch Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer: Electronics[/ame] I like it, it does its job fairly well, and sounds nearly equally good for my purposes, compared to my previous set up. I have a toddler and another on the way and I was tired of finding Hot Wheels that had been stuffed into the port hole of the subwoofer. I also wasn't going to invest a grand into new tower speakers because the kids will trash them. Maybe in the future when they'll leave my stuff alone. I was really close to getting the new Andrew Jones engineered Pioneer sound bar ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-SB23W-Andrew-Soundbar-System/dp/B00EHBPF6W"]Amazon.com: Pioneer SP-SB23W Andrew Jones Soundbar System: Electronics[/ame]), but it only has optical in, and not HDMI. Not all, but a lot of TVs will convert a 5.1 signal into 2.1 when going out through optical, so to get that "fake, kinda sorta, but not really, because it's still all in the front" surround from a soundbar, I went with the Sony. Both should be on display at Best Buy if you want to demo them. I can tell you right off the bat though, the Pioneer has a better cabinet (wood vs plastic and metal) and a warmer sound, and is better for music. But I use my TV for gaming, TV shows, and movies.. not music. Right now my setup is HDMI from the TV into to the soundbar, and then my PS4, Wii U, and Xbox 360 all HDMI into the sound bar. Very easy to set up. Last edited by n2oinferno; 12-03-2013 at 09:18 PM.