Recommendations for good quality TV sound

[jayne lee wilson]

I haven't got a specific budget. I already have a lot of kit of various sorts - so one option is to rummage around to find the long SPDIF cable (or even buy a new one) and connect the TV in the living room to the DAC and see what the quality is like. However we do have two rooms with TVs, and we often use the smaller one. I don't think that the Sharp TV has SPDIF out - though i can check.That would probably need another solution.

The KEF LS50s - can I afford them? Yes - but would I go for them? Perhaps not. They do seem to have a very good spec and very good reviews. Many years ago a friend bought some KEF speakers - they were very good for the time, but much larger than those new ones - and I guess a completely different style. I wasn't sure about the KEF advert which shows a turntable, and under that what looks like an LP rack. In the LH side of that there are some LPs, but also another pile of what might be LPs stacked horizontally! Maybe that's OK these days - I thought horizontal stacking wasn't recommended, unless one was trying to flatten a warped LP. However, I'm not really likely to go back to LPs - though I might get one of the turntables stored somewhere around working again.

How do those KEFs stack up against larger "reference" speakers? If they are really good then I would definitely look at them - though they might be overkill for TV rooms.

IIRC, I never got the chance to hear a classic KEF speaker..... but the marque has a wonderful pedigree, and have always been innovators, very successfully too over several decades. HiFiNews just reviewed (6/2021) the latest KEF LS50 Meta, and the very detailed tech and subjective review was full of praise on every level... a miniature masterpiece indeed.

Best to do the usual drill: ask yourself if you really need them & how personal usage would go, check out the tech specs to find the suitable model, and - of course - try to get a home trial if you ago ahead (even if I might be tempted to take a gamble....). Especially in The Pandemic Years, most good dealers will allow this, even if you have to wait for the demo pair (which are usually well run-in, very helpfully...)

Good luck with your choices!

[cat]

I always had problems with dialogue on my mid-range Samsung TV. Tried a sound bar but that didn't help. Now I have a 5.1 speaker system connected via an optical cable rather inelegantly run in a cable guide across the floor to the coffee table, with the front speakers on the (wide) coffee table. Works great, especially as I can download MKV movies with a choice of TrueHD Atmos and DTS-HD audio.

[mikealdren]

I've gradually updated mine over the years, always incorporating my stereo amp and speakers with a centre speaker and two rears. My current setup uses a Denon box that has every imaginable input and output, I feed it from a Sky box or DVD and usually listen in 5 channel format although I use stereo for music on the rare occasions that any is broadcast. The centre and rear speaker are fed directly from the Denon, the HiFi speakers from the Denon via my Hifi amp. The sound is pretty good and it adds a lot of atmosphere to programmes (even things like cricket). A decent centre speaker is important, I just use old bookshelf speakers at the rear.

I have heard amazing 'theatre' demos (from BluRay not TV) with lots of channels and Dolby Atmos but it's not really of great interest to me.

[richardfinegold]

I always had problems with dialogue on my mid-range Samsung TV. Tried a sound bar but that didn't help. Now I have a 5.1 speaker system connected via an optical cable rather inelegantly run in a cable guide across the floor to the coffee table, with the front speakers on the (wide) coffee table. Works great, especially as I can download MKV movies with a choice of TrueHD Atmos and DTS-HD audio.

So do you have an amplifier, or an AVR? The TV by itself won’t manage all 5 speakers without one, correct?

[cat]

So do you have an amplifier, or an AVR? The TV by itself won’t manage all 5 speakers without one, correct?

I'm using this, although I somehow got it for a third of the price on that page.

[Dave2002]

IIRC, I never got the chance to hear a classic KEF speaker.....

To be honest at the time they were better than my large Goodmans speakers - which I still have - but they weren't a lot better. However large and "older style" do not fit in with mrs d's line of thinking, so the small KEFs if they really are that good might do the trick - satisfy some sort of requirement. That's based on style rather than performance, though. One thing about the newer KEFs is whether KEF have done something a bit, shall we say, "clever", with a range which maybe goes up to more than twice the basic price, but possibly including various wireless options which I've not had time to check out yet

Best to do the usual drill: ask yourself if you really need them & how personal usage would go, check out the tech specs to find the suitable model, and - of course - try to get a home trial if you ago ahead (even if I might be tempted to take a gamble....). Especially in The Pandemic Years, most good dealers will allow this, even if you have to wait for the demo pair (which are usually well run-in, very helpfully...)

Interesting about dealers and home trials - though most dealers have also marked up their prices a bit too.

I don't particularly want someone coming to give me "advice", just lend me the speakers for a week or so.

Just had words with my friend who has gone into this sort of thing at great length and expense. Seems he's now up to around 19 speaker surround sound, so he could probably start to play some of Mr GG's compositions - if he fancied - which he probably doesn't, and also if he could get a source format of multi dimensional sound.

[richardfinegold]

I'm using this, although I somehow got it for a third of the price on that page.

Are the speakers connected wirelessly? If so is the signal sent by Bluetooth? Do you listen to music with this?

[cat]

Are the speakers connected wirelessly? If so is the signal sent by Bluetooth? Do you listen to music with this?

No I looked carefully at wireless options but it seemed I'd be paying a vast amount more for worse sound quality and connection problems, so decided to go with cables.

It's for the TV only, movies etc. I wouldn't use it for music, I prefer headphones for that or the set-up on my PC.

[Bryn]

Are the speakers connected wirelessly? If so is the signal sent by Bluetooth? Do you listen to music with this?

I do hope that anyone using a wireless connection for their speakers is taking all measures to ensure an ultra-clean electromagnetic environment when installing, i.e. the wireless equivalent to ultra-heavy duty oxygen-free pure copper or silver cabling.

[Dave2002]

I do hope that anyone using a wireless connection for their speakers is taking all measures to ensure an ultra-clean electromagnetic environment when installing, i.e. the wireless equivalent to ultra-heavy duty oxygen-free pure copper or silver cabling.

But which way do you stroke a wireless system - do you know how to do it?

[richardfinegold]

No I looked carefully at wireless options but it seemed I'd be paying a vast amount more for worse sound quality and connection problems, so decided to go with cables.

It's for the TV only, movies etc. I wouldn't use it for music, I prefer headphones for that or the set-up on my PC.

Right. That was why I asked Dave if he intended to use his sound system for music as well as video. Something like your system might work for just video viewing, but tends to sound pretty inadequate for music

[jayne lee wilson]

To be honest at the time they were better than my large Goodmans speakers - which I still have - but they weren't a lot better. However large and "older style" do not fit in with mrs d's line of thinking, so the small KEFs if they really are that good might do the trick - satisfy some sort of requirement. That's based on style rather than performance, though. One thing about the newer KEFs is whether KEF have done something a bit, shall we say, "clever", with a range which maybe goes up to more than twice the basic price, but possibly including various wireless options which I've not had time to check out yet

Interesting about dealers and home trials - though most dealers have also marked up their prices a bit too.

I don't particularly want someone coming to give me "advice", just lend me the speakers for a week or so.

Just had words with my friend who has gone into this sort of thing at great length and expense. Seems he's now up to around 19 speaker surround sound, so he could probably start to play some of Mr GG's compositions - if he fancied - which he probably doesn't, and also if he could get a source format of multi dimensional sound.

How many systems are you able to try? A good dealer usually has a wider experience, and won't offer you unwanted advice. They just set the system up and leave you with it (talking to them will soon reveal if they know what they're doing).. Prices are as ever up to the individual. If you wish to avoid contact with dealers altogether, just order online under the distance-selling regulations with right of return.

I would recommend getting the HFN issue for 6/2021, reading the KEF LS50 Meta review there, and thinking it all through.
It should go without saying, but doesn't that:

A) According to two senior reviewers: they are great with music; bely their size.
B) Connectivity is comprehensive so if your wireless isn't great there are other easy options.

But this is KEF for heaven's sake; they know what they're doing...!

[cat]

Right. That was why I asked Dave if he intended to use his sound system for music as well as video. Something like your system might work for just video viewing, but tends to sound pretty inadequate for music

Well I thought the thread was about good quality TV sound. Whatever your budget, I think that any system catering for both TV and music will be compromised to some degree, such that having separate systems will likely result in reduced costs and improved sound quality for both applications.

[richardfinegold]

Well I thought the thread was about good quality TV sound. Whatever your budget, I think that any system catering for both TV and music will be compromised to some degree, such that having separate systems will likely result in reduced costs and improved sound quality for both applications.

The thread was/is about TV Quality sound, but I thought it was prudent to ask if the same equipment was going to be used for music, since this is a music oriented site

[Dave2002]

There are differences of opinion about what is good quality TV sound - and also whether it is for music. I was in fact specifically thinking of music and opera when I started the thread, as I watched briefly some videos which I thought were let down by the sound quality. We watched the Glyndebourne production of Cunning Little Vixen a few days ago - the first time I'd seen it. I'd always wanted to see that, though I can't say that I was entranced by it as some others have claimed to be - and I write as someone who likes a lot of Janacek's music. The sound quality was adequate, but not stunningly good. In an opera I'd probably enjoy more, that level of sound quality would be barely adequate for me.

There are of course elements of personal preference.

For watching films the situation changes sometimes, and that may also depend on how the film was made. They may work better in surround sound. Throbbing bass may float your boat. Some films/Blu Rays/DVDs are produced with so much boomy bass - often due to the audio special effects - that speech becomes almost totally unintelligible. Those are not fun at all. Some players have features to improve the intelligibility of speech, or turn down the special effects. Probably most broadcast films would have some of the difficulties ironed out by the broadcaster, though I do recall a BBC production of Jamaica Inn which was widely criticised for poor speed intelligibility.

Finally, re those KEF LS50s - £1k is no problem, but if I "needed" to have a wireless system with connectivity to every device under the sun, I might consider paying more - but the price difference between the basic speakers, and the speaker "eco-system" is considerable. Is it easy to get that HFN review for 6/2001? Maybe a KEF dealer could send me a copy!