TV speakers

[bradiston]

Whether it's me or not I can't tell, but I'm finding the audio on movies is becoming increasingly hard to pick up. Sure, some accents might as well be in another language apart from English, and the sound engineers on movies just don't seem to get that dialogue is far more important than guns and cars exploding. But it makes for a totally intolerable constant volume adjustment on the remote.

 

So, I'd like to invest in a decent set of TV speakers. But no idea where to start. Budget maybe around 1500 THB. Would that cover it? Soundbar? Bluetooth? How say you guys?

Edited February 19 by bradiston

[farang51]

It's not you and I doubt that new speakers will make much of a difference. I usually always watch TV shows and movies with subtitles on, and when watching movies with guns and cars exploding I am usually constantly turning the sound up and down so I can hear the dialogue and so I do not bother the neighbours too much. I believe I paid around 5.000 baht for my speakers.

[scubascuba3]

I've noticed the same thing, low volume often on these TV apps, plus TVs don't have good quality speakers.

 

I bought some speakers, the bluetooth quality was poor so i sent them straight back, a better idea is to use earphones connected via bluetooth, works well. Range 10m max

[Serenity_Now]

its a common flaw with todays movies and tv
and of course tv's themselves
idiotic that we have to buy sound bars or surround sound speakers
so here is a web  link that may or may not help you

 

adjusting settings on  your tv

[Serenity_Now]

1 hour ago, bradiston said:

 

So, I'd like to invest in a decent set of TV speakers. But no idea where to start. Budget maybe around 1500 THB. Would that cover it? Soundbar? Bluetooth? How say you guys?

this also depends on the make of your tv
if its Samsung seek out a Samsung sound bar
or do a web search for your tv and what sound bars are the most compatible

[recom273]

I never have an issue, i love my 5.1 surround system, and I love the detail that sound engineers put into sound production these days, but I dont think spending 1500B will really help you. 

 

Maybe look for a good soundbar?

[sometime]

Had this wired setup for 15 years, TV - PC - music player all linked to the amp, not much wireless then.

Did this because the sound from the TV was crap, even with the 2 speakers plugged into the TV sound just not good, the amp make the difference.

 

[giddyup]

21 hours ago, bradiston said:

Whether it's me or not I can't tell, but I'm finding the audio on movies is becoming increasingly hard to pick up. Sure, some accents might as well be in another language apart from English, and the sound engineers on movies just don't seem to get that dialogue is far more important than guns and cars exploding. But it makes for a totally intolerable constant volume adjustment on the remote.

 

So, I'd like to invest in a decent set of TV speakers. But no idea where to start. Budget maybe around 1500 THB. Would that cover it? Soundbar? Bluetooth? How say you guys?

That's why I make sure everything I download has subs.

[Chongalulu]

17 hours ago, recom273 said:

I never have an issue, i love my 5.1 surround system, and I love the detail that sound engineers put into sound production these days, but I dont think spending 1500B will really help you. 

 

Maybe look for a good soundbar?

Had that system in my house in UK that I inherited. Eventually just found it oppressive and deafening on occasion when the idiots turn up the volume on action movie sounds effects and music such that other members of the family in other rooms complained. You're in a domestic situation not a cinema. 

[newbee2022]

21 hours ago, bradiston said:

Whether it's me or not I can't tell, but I'm finding the audio on movies is becoming increasingly hard to pick up. Sure, some accents might as well be in another language apart from English, and the sound engineers on movies just don't seem to get that dialogue is far more important than guns and cars exploding. But it makes for a totally intolerable constant volume adjustment on the remote.

 

So, I'd like to invest in a decent set of TV speakers. But no idea where to start. Budget maybe around 1500 THB. Would that cover it? Soundbar? Bluetooth? How say you guys?

Reasonable Soundbar starts from 5-6.000 Baht.

Alternatively you can switch on subtitles. Helps a lot for me. And it's for free🙏

[Korat Kiwi]

There are some decent Soundbar out there. 

 

Try and get one with a seperate subwoofer.  Most subs nowadays are BT so you don't need to wire them in.... And you can adjust them so you don't sound like the local hoon with his duff duff boom box. 

 

I have a Polk Audio set up back in NZ and it was/is fantastic.  My Yamaha stereo rarely got used as a result. 

 

I don't think 1500 baht will get you much unfortunately. 

[Crazy Noobie]

I know what you are talking about, as I had the same problem with my TV. I feel most average TV's are so-so. You pay for what you get. You can't expect a cheap TV to sound first class. So I went out and purchased me the latest new TV and soundbar to go with it. All I can say is, WOW.... The sound is more then perfect. I purchased a Samsung 75" Neo QLED 4K, wall mounted and a Samsung Q-Series Soundbar with two back speakers and a woofer (HW-Q990). The entire system is top of the line and set me back 90,000 baht. But in my eyes every baht spent was worth it. I am in heaven every time I watch TV or a movie now.

[RHINO Pete]

Volume booster. An app for android. Works great on my android box and fire stick

 

[AAArdvark]

Try a cheap set of wired ear buts and see if that helps. 

[AAArdvark]

1 hour ago, RHINO Pete said:

Volume booster. An app for android. Works great on my android box and fire stick

 

TV

[donmuang37]

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I've noticed the same thing, low volume often on these TV apps, plus TVs don't have good quality speakers.

 

I bought some speakers, the bluetooth quality was poor so i sent them straight back, a better idea is to use earphones connected via bluetooth, works well. Range 10m max

I agree with scubascuba3 that good quality over the ear headphones can make speech much cleared.  My hearing is deteriorating (worked around aircraft for 23 years) and it has become hard for me to understand dialogue on some TV shows.  Furthermore, while my wife and I like to be in the same room in the evening, she isn't interested in TV.  So, I can watch the show that I like (mostly documentaries, travel shows, etc.) and she can talk to her daughters who living in Germany while we are in the same room and at the same time.

 

Note, that on my Samsung TV, I can only get headsets from Samsung sub-brands (AKG and JBL) to connect via Bluetooth.  The TV won't recognize other brands.  Not sure if it is just this model or all Samsung TVs, but I suggest you try to connect headphones to your brand of TV before you buy the headphones.

[Patanawet]

23 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I better idea is to use earphones connected via bluetooth, works well. Range 10m max

Me too. I bought BLUEDIO Bluetooth headphones (about 2,500 Baht  Lazada -- not sure if genuine or not).  I think that Bluetooth version 5.2 is good (less latency -- sound/vision synch.).
The awful mixing of sound tracks was a bit of an uproar some time ago and one series on TV was re-mixed to make speech tacks easier to make out.

[scubascuba3]

35 minutes ago, donmuang37 said:

on my Samsung TV, I can only get headsets from Samsung sub-brands (AKG and JBL) to connect via Bluetooth.  The TV won't recognize other brands

Maybe that's an age of TV thing, my new Samsung connects to my Lenovo 200 baht earphones, surprisingly good

[RayWright]

Know the feeling. I tend to use a set of Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones, so drowns out any local noise as well. Do have a cabled Sound bar setup + Sub-Woofer, but being slightly Mutton Jeff;  tend to crank it. Have agreed with my neighbour to only use it during F1 races. Roll on Bahrain on the 2nd March.

[recom273]

2 hours ago, Crazy Noobie said:

I know what you are talking about, as I had the same problem with my TV. I feel most average TV's are so-so. You pay for what you get. You can't expect a cheap TV to sound first class. So I went out and purchased me the latest new TV and soundbar to go with it. All I can say is, WOW.... The sound is more then perfect. I purchased a Samsung 75" Neo QLED 4K, wall mounted and a Samsung Q-Series Soundbar with two back speakers and a woofer (HW-Q990). The entire system is top of the line and set me back 90,000 baht. But in my eyes every baht spent was worth it. I am in heaven every time I watch TV or a movie now.

 

I agree, well worth it. I think I paid 100K+ for a 5.1 system inc. a Yamaha tuner that was in the sale - I would say, in Thailand, that's entry level. Last Sunday we were watching The Grand Tour, the sound was spot on, the cars were in my living room. i'm also blown away every time you watch some quality viewing with a good soundmix. My wife loves it too - horses for courses I guess.

[Patanawet]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe that's an age of TV thing, my new Samsung connects to my Lenovo 200 baht earphones, surprisingly good

One thing I would recommend ---- try headphones in shop first. Some look great but sound awful (take a movie along on a thumb drive typical of your usual viewing).

[RayWright]

4 minutes ago, Patanawet said:

One thing I would recommend ---- try headphones in shop first. Some look great but sound awful (take a movie along on a thumb drive typical of your usual viewing).

Also check the comfort factor, especially if you're into a streaming or movie marathon. 

[Serenity_Now]

On 2/19/2024 at 4:29 PM, bradiston said:

Whether it's me or not I can't tell, but I'm finding the audio on movies is becoming increasingly hard to pick up. Sure, some accents might as well be in another language apart from English, and the sound engineers on movies just don't seem to get that dialogue is far more important than guns and cars exploding. But it makes for a totally intolerable constant volume adjustment on the remote.

 

On 2/19/2024 at 5:52 PM, Serenity_Now said:

adjusting settings on  your tv

there is adjustable settings in the audio
sitting room 
live
cinema ettc check out the link see if iy helps

https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/simple-fixes-to-make-dialogue-more-audible-on-your-tv/

[bradiston]

Thanks to everyone who replied. As a temporary measure I've switched on subs. They're slightly intrusive if you're focused on the screen, but definitely an improvement. As an avid YouTube for music user, headphones are absolutely essential. So I might well explore some Bluetooth headsets/buds or whatever, in that line. Multipurpose.

[kbb]

I've wrestled with this problem for years - Have tinnitus & so have major problems with dialogue. 

It's gotten so bad, that I rarely watch anything without subtitles anymore.

 

Over the years, I've tried soundbar & 3-5 channel systems.

Have also tried "TV Ears", which use proprietary technology for voices.  

From my experience, I'd warn against using headphones too often as they can actually cause more damage over time if not used carefully.

 

For a few years, I've used BT speakers that I set near where I watch TV. The volume is adjustable, so I don't drive my partner crazy (er).  

If you want to amplify voices, it can be a challenge to find speakers that concentrate more on the higher frequencies, rather than the booming Bass.

The rechargeable (non replaceable) batteries on my old unit just died, and so im looking to replace it.  

Ironically, cheaper sets may be better, since they skimp on the Bass. 

Expect to spend way less than 6000 baht.

 

Note the other challenge here is how well they connect with BT. 

Some models disconnect frequently, and then reconnect with an annoyingly loud "BONG".

So some trial and error may be needed. 

 

good luck ...

 

[Bruce1054]

18 hours ago, Crazy Noobie said:

I know what you are talking about, as I had the same problem with my TV. I feel most average TV's are so-so. You pay for what you get. You can't expect a cheap TV to sound first class. So I went out and purchased me the latest new TV and soundbar to go with it. All I can say is, WOW.... The sound is more then perfect. I purchased a Samsung 75" Neo QLED 4K, wall mounted and a Samsung Q-Series Soundbar with two back speakers and a woofer (HW-Q990). The entire system is top of the line and set me back 90,000 baht. But in my eyes every baht spent was worth it. I am in heaven every time I watch TV or a movie now.

Some people would say what a waste of money l say money well spent if you enjoy quality all round. Good decision.

[jas007]

It’s difficult to get a good balance between movie dialogue (usually the center channel on a surround system) and the rest of the soundtrack using just two speakers.  Typically, the TV settings or the streamer settings will allow for a two channel setup, which will simulate the center channel by distributing the center channel sound equally to the right and left speaker. That helps a little.

 

You might consider using a real home theater receiver and speakers, including a center channel speaker.  A 3.1 system or a 5.1 system. It wouldn’t have to cost too much, although you could also spend a small fortune, depending.

 

I’ve noticed that on my Apple TV box, there’s a setting to “reduce loud sounds.”  I haven’t tried it, but something like that might help.  Turning it on would allow you to increase the volume to have louder dialogue without bothering the neighbors every time there’s a loud portion of the movie.

[BigStar]

Good solutions here, no disagreements from me. Headphones probably best. Subtitles! Yes.

 

I can see a case for a home theater if you have the space, distant neighbors, and cash. OP, with his B1500, probably doesn't. Home theaters have never interested me personally.

 

I have a couple of good bookshelf speakers and a small amp, cheap on Lazada. Many of these amps have bluetooth as well, if your TV doesn't. You can run speaker wire to position the speakers near you. Worked fine for me for years, never saw a need for anything different. I can also use headphones, but I almost never do.

 

The media app Kodi can be configured to equalize sound so that it stays at a level volume. Not officially documented, found the method on a forum somewhere.

 

 

 

[Jai Dee]

5 hours ago, BigStar said:

The media app Kodi can be configured to equalize sound so that it stays at a level volume. Not officially documented, found the method on a forum somewhere.

 

There is an official addon that might do the trick called "Audio Profiles" which can be found in the Kodi Repository - see here.

 

It can save up to ten different profiles that include the settings from System/Audio, System/Display (optional), Player/Videos (optional), and the Kodi volume, among other things.

 

See also this topic on the Kodi Support Forum.