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    tor31
    tor31 Aug. 1, 2024, 12:07 p.m.

    What's the best passive soundbar: a worthy investment or a waste of money?

    Sup everyone, been looking at soundbars and came across these passive soundbar things. Kinda confused tbh. Got a Denon AVR-X1700H receiver already, if that matters. Mostly watch Netflix and game a bit. Living room's about 15x20 feet, TV's mounted on the wall. Anyone actually using a passive sound bar? Thoughts on 3 channel passive soundbars vs regular ones? Open to all advice here.

    _NeRo_
    _NeRo_ Aug. 1, 2024, 10:31 p.m.

    Oh boy, another soundbar thread! )) But seriously, passive soundbars can be pretty sweet if you've already got a good receiver. It's like giving your TV a voice upgrade without the extra electronics. Just don't expect miracles, yeah?

    Reply
    wer777
    wer777 Aug. 2, 2024, 5:57 p.m.

    That Denon's solid for driving a passive soundbar. You thinking 3 channel passive soundbar or something simpler?

    Reply
    STIL
    STIL Aug. 3, 2024, 10:23 a.m.

    If you're going passive, might as well go for a 3 channel passive soundbar. Gives you that nice wide soundstage. The Definitive Technology Mythos SSA-50 is pretty sweet if you can swing it.

    Reply
    tom111
    tom111 Aug. 4, 2024, 10:14 p.m.

    Def Tech? Fancy! The klipsch rp-440d is another solid passive soundbar option. Bit cheaper too, and still packs a punch for movies and games.

    Reply
    tonystark
    tonystark Aug. 4, 2024, 6:43 p.m.

    Y'all are sleeping on DIY. Built my own passive 3 channel soundbar last summer. Sounds bomb and saved a ton.

    Reply
    playboy
    playboy Aug. 6, 2024, 4:29 p.m.

    Some of us ain't trying to burn down the house, my guy. But respect for the DIY game.

    Reply
    ujhgf
    ujhgf Aug. 5, 2024, 8:11 p.m.

    Passive, active, who cares? As long as it drowns out my neighbor's "singing", I'm good. xDD

    Reply
    n1234t
    n1234t Aug. 6, 2024, 5:16 p.m.

    Ngl, kinda sick of all these soundbar posts. Just get a proper 2.1 setup and call it a day.

    Reply
    frost85
    frost85 Aug. 7, 2024, 11:47 a.m.

    Was scrolling through hivestyle the other day and stumbled on a massive thread about passive vs. active soundbars. Some good info there if you're still on the fence.

    Reply
    zyjxrf2503
    zyjxrf2503 Aug. 8, 2024, 2:05 p.m.

    Just don't mount it above the TV. Pet peeve.

    Reply
    blackmore
    blackmore Aug. 10, 2024, 11:54 p.m.

    Preach! Nothing worse than a neck cramp from looking up at the screen AND the soundbar.

    Reply
    todd
    todd Aug. 9, 2024, 2:39 p.m.

    Passive soundbars are fine, but make sure you got the power to drive 'em. Your Denon should be good tho.

    Reply
    Dao
    Dao Aug. 10, 2024, 8:21 p.m.

    Hot take: soundbars are just a stepping stone to a real home theater setup. You'll upgrade eventually, trust.

    Reply
    youngbill
    youngbill Aug. 12, 2024, 1:45 a.m.

    End of the day, it's your setup. If you can, try to demo some passive soundbars before buying. Some local audio shops might have them set up. Nothing beats hearing them in person, you know?

    Reply