Fly iq255 March 9, 2025, 6:59 p.m.

Sony Bravia owners - what's the best soundbar for sony bravia tv that doesn't break the bank?

Just upgraded to a 65" Bravia after my 10-year-old Samsung finally died, and WOW the picture quality! But... the sound is so thin it's like listening through a tin can.

Tried cranking volume but dialogue still muffled while explosions blow out my eardrums. Living in apartment so full surround system means angry neighbors. Need something that actually works seamlessly with Bravia and makes dialogue clearer without maxing volume.

Don't want something requiring 37 cables and PhD to install either. Budget is tight after splurging on the TV itself, and whatever I get needs girlfriend approval on aesthetics. Our living room is ~15×18 ft with open concept to kitchen. Mostly watching movies, some gaming, and sports on weekends. Any real-world recommendations from actual owners?

panda_rasta March 9, 2025, 11:20 p.m.

Bravia's built-in acoustic surface garbage marketing got me too. Returned my first soundbar because bravia remote wouldn't control it. Check compatibility FIRST

su131 March 10, 2025, 11 a.m.

my 4 stages of soundbar grief:

  1. buy cheap $80 one
  2. realize it sounds worse than tv
  3. return and buy midrange ($300)
  4. wonder why i didn't just start here

noodle March 10, 2025, 9:11 p.m.

Apartment dweller tip: measure your tv stand BEFORE purchasing. Got stuck with soundbar wider than my console table and it looks ridiculous hanging off edges

marss72 March 11, 2025, 12:30 a.m.

completely eliminated my "what did they say??" moments during movies with the sony ht-G700 system. vertical surround engine actually creates decent height illusion without ceiling speakers

RIDER March 12, 2025, 4:43 p.m.

Soundbars exist for a reason - not everyone wants their living room looking like mission control with speakers and wires everywhere. Peace at home worth the convenience tax

svr March 12, 2025, 10:24 p.m.

counterpoint - spent 30 min hiding cables and saved $200+ versus comparable soundbar. Worth the effort

bond3009 March 13, 2025, 1:04 p.m.

These smart tvs getting dumber i swear. Spent 3 hours trying to get my tv to recognize soundbar via hdmi-arc. Finally worked after 7 youtube tutorials and factory reset 😭

Proof01 March 14, 2025, 7:25 p.m.

✨ TV AUDIO SECRET THEY DON'T TELL YOU ✨ 

Most soundbars only process stereo/5.1 - your fancy tv downmixes atmos content before it even reaches soundbar. Check if yours passes through unprocessed signal or whole setup worthless