Looking for best budget sound bar

[jltabot]

I'm looking to pick up a 55" Vizio P55 for black friday and I'm also on the hunt for a decent sound bar on a budget.

I'm not entirely sure how big this budget is, but let's target ballpark $150-$300 (max).

I've been reading views on the Yamaha and Vizio sound bars. Some people recommend getting the same brand just so CEC works seamlessly. I thought I'd ask you all for your opinions, what options do I have in my price range. Best bang for your buck? Some features I'd like:

- HDMI CEC
- Google home assistant integration? Ideally I'd like my GH mini to communicate with the soundbar and output music through there
- Bluetooth
- Is ARC that much better than plain optical?

I'd be connecting an Nvidia Shield and PS4. I think my setup would be everything connecting to the TV, then all audio out to the sound bar. Or is it better to connect the shield to the sound bar, then to the TV?

Thanks!

[jwslam]

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- Google home assistant integration? Ideally I'd like my GH mini to communicate with the soundbar and output music through there

I found that when I connected Home to Soundbar by bluetooth, there would be jitters in the music. Apparently its a common issue. Probably much better if you connected through ChromeCast Audio / 3.5mm

https://piunikaweb.com/2018/07/12/go...g-looked-into/

[jltabot]

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I found that when I connected Home to Soundbar by bluetooth, there would be jitters in the music. Apparently its a common issue. Probably much better if you connected through ChromeCast Audio / 3.5mm

https://piunikaweb.com/2018/07/12/go...g-looked-into/

I probably didn't explain myself very well. I'm talking maybe a soundbar with integrated GH assistant. To my understanding, with the Nvidia shield... I can ask Google to play whatever music via spotify. If it's directly connected to the sound bar, I shouldn't have any issues with playback, correct? Which, hopefully, also doesn't turn on the tv whenever I just wanna listen to music.

I'm not entirely sure how bluetooth connectivity plays a role here, but I have a Chromecast Audio already hooked up to some old speakers and whenever I use a google home command to play music, I say something like "hey google, play *playlist* in the kitchen." Everything to my understanding is connected via wifi, so once it's casting, it pulls everything it needs from Spotify without any need for bluetooth.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

I have this one:
https://www.costco.ca/Vizio-SB3651-E...100371529.html

Absolutely fantastic. Works with Chromecast, Wifi/BT enabled, Spotify, ARC, etc. Would recommend. It doesn't have a built in mic, but it will integrate with Google Home.
I just run a single HDMI between my TV and the Soundbar, hooked it up to Google Home via my Home app, and it's been awesome ever since. The rear speakers/sub are also wireless from the soundbar itself, so it makes installation pretty easy.

[Kavy]

Go with the Vizio soundbar the integration with the tv is perfect and they sound pretty darn good. I got one for the bedroom and recently one for my parents and my living room bringing the total to 3 I have tried. It’s funny the more sound bars I hear the more I get frustrated at my basement home theatre costing so bloody much when I really can only turn it up a few times a year. Would have probably done things different.

I picked up this for the bedroom and my parents :
https://www.vizio.com/en-ca/audio/so.../sb2821d6.html

And have this is the living room but the 40” version which looks to be discontinued
https://www.vizio.com/en-ca/audio/so.../sb3851d0.html

Both I got from Costco with the first one around $180 (and sounds pretty decent to be honest) and the second one around $300 which i also think performs extremely well.

Edit: my Alexa finds the one soundbar but not the other and I can stream Spotify to the one. When I had a google home I could not stream to either.

[jltabot]

Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll look into these and check out reviews. From what I gathered so far, they’re really bang for your buck. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll also go on sale

[Kijho]

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I have this one:
https://www.costco.ca/Vizio-SB3651-E...100371529.html

Absolutely fantastic. Works with Chromecast, Wifi/BT enabled, Spotify, ARC, etc. Would recommend. It doesn't have a built in mic, but it will integrate with Google Home.
I just run a single HDMI between my TV and the Soundbar, hooked it up to Google Home via my Home app, and it's been awesome ever since. The rear speakers/sub are also wireless from the soundbar itself, so it makes installation pretty easy.

I came here to post this same one. I 100% love this sound bar because of the fact you can connect your Chromecast into the soundbar, and then 1 HDMI (ARC) goes up into the TV. Then with my Google Home, when I say 'turn on the TV' it turns on my TV, Soundbar, and Chromecast - all at once. Then when I say 'Play __ song' it syncs it through all of them and I get Spotify going through the Soundbar with the album on the TV.

But besides that, as a non audiophile person, I love the sound quality. Night and day compared to internal TV speakers. The subwoofer is very good and changed the entire movie / netflix experience for me. 10/10..

Costco is where I got mine too.

[jltabot]

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I came here to post this same one. I 100% love this sound bar because of the fact you can connect your Chromecast into the soundbar, and then 1 HDMI (ARC) goes up into the TV. Then with my Google Home, when I say 'turn on the TV' it turns on my TV, Soundbar, and Chromecast - all at once. Then when I say 'Play __ song' it syncs it through all of them and I get Spotify going through the Soundbar with the album on the TV.

But besides that, as a non audiophile person, I love the sound quality. Night and day compared to internal TV speakers. The subwoofer is very good and changed the entire movie / netflix experience for me. 10/10..

Costco is where I got mine too.

is $260 the regular price for one of these or is it worth the wait to see if there's a sale for BF or Boxing Day?

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

That's the regular price. You can hold out to see if it goes on sale, if you have the time to be patient.