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Best Option for TV Speaker

MacMan2013

MacMan2013

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 7, 2023
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Now I have a better streaming device (the Apple TV box is a huge improvement on my old Amazon Fire Stick), I'm thinking its time for a sound upgrade. It seems there are two choices, a single Homepod or a couple of paired Homepod Minis. I was wondering if anyone has tried each of these possibilities and which would give me the best sound.
 
I have 2 older HomePods and I luv em and sometimes I wish I had 2 more, lol.
Just my opinion but forget about using HomePods(2 not 1) as a tv sound source. Let's make believe you never had the idea of using the minis :)
For the money, you can get a decent sound bar that will sound better.

lol, I had to delete half of what I had typed.
To me, there are 3 types of tv sound. A sound bar to make the tv sound louder, sound bar with 2 rears for surround sound and there's wanting dolby atmos.
 
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AL2TEACH said:
I have 2 older HomePods and I luv em and sometimes I wish I had 2 more, lol.
Just my opinion but forget about using HomePods(2 not 1) as a tv sound source. Let's make believe you never had the idea of using the minis :)
For the money, you can get a decent sound bar that will sound better.

lol, I had to delete half of what I had typed.
To me, there are 3 types of tv sound. A sound bar to make the tv sound louder, sound bar with 2 rears for surround sound and there's wanting dolby atmos.
Click to expand...
Sound bar sounds like a good start, any particular brand you'd recommend?
 
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I have two HomePod minis below my wall mounted TV. I did not purchase them for this reason, I just wanted to try them in stereo mode paired with the Apple TV. They sound fine, but I’d go with the SONOS Beam.

The minis sound better than the TV speakers at high volume, but only slightly. Dialogue is better on the TV at low volume.
 
A 3.1 (Left, Right and Center channel + 1 subwoofer) is the minimum for a tolerable movie experience, IMO. Nearly all the dialogue comes from the center channel, up the volumn on that. The stereo speakers is where all the KA-BOOM! so I turn that to tolerable levels.

5.1 is gives you the best bang for your buck since a lot of movies support 5.1. 7.1 is overkill. I only have one Blu-Ray that supports 7.1. The sound is glorious.
 
I have a decent quality home stereo system which I had used, I also tried a Sonos Beam but eventually settled on a pair of HomePods 1. There was nothing wrong with the Sonos but the integration of the HomePods with my AppleTV and the Apple Remote made it the most convenient system to use with what to me is very good sound quality.
 
I would go with sound bar as well, make sure it supports Dolby ATMOS and has Airplay 2 built in. My old 2.1 Samsung died so I replaced it with a Samsung 5.0 model HW-S61B I didn't want the sub woofer on the floor anymore so I chose the 5.0 option. If extreme bass is your thing then go with the X.1 option. Wall mounted just below wall mounted TV is a sweet look. TV speakers are just plain terrible you don't have to spend lots of money on a sound bar to get much improved sound. As other have commented, Sonos is sweet but very expensive.
 
OP, you are asking a VERY BIASED crowd and getting answers that show that bias. It's like asking those strongly political (party) one way or the other which is the better party/platform? Or a group of passionate Coca Cola drinkers, what is the best soda? Of course you are going to get pounded with Apple HP recommendations because we are very much Apple people... and HP is the only speaker Apple makes.

IMO, sound quality is as important as video quality. So if you've put some money into a great TV and a great streaming box, don't shortchange the audio. If nothing else, the speakers you choose will outlast... and be just as good... long after both the TV and AppleTV have been outdated/failed and replaced... probably SEVERAL times. Good speakers can easily last 10-20 or more years. There are people in this forum with speakers purchased back in the 1970s-80s that still sound as good as day 1.

Since HP "smarts" depend on audioOS (a fork of tvOS), I expect HPs to be software obsolete much sooner than the speaker portions themselves go bad. Note how second generation cannot even stereo pair with first generation from only a few years ago. That complete "smarts" dependency for use dooms the speaker portion to be "thrown out with the bathwater" when those "smarts" age only a few years... just like we have to replace iDevices and Macs over and over even if the tech guts are still fine.

And without HP "smarts" they are useless. In addition, with no AUX input, they are heavily "married" to Apple sources & hardware. What if you want to put up an antenna and get free over-the-air HD? What about a game console? What if you want to hook up cable? Blu Ray player? What if Aunt Meg brings a VCR over to show the old family movies? How do you get all that non-Apple stuff playing on HPs?

HP is also limited to stereo at best. There are ZERO Apple rumors about going beyond stereo. A great home theater setup has been beyond stereo since about 199X. One can definitely hear a difference between stereo and- say- 5.1 surround sound because there are actual speakers behind, a center channel speaker for clearer voices and a sub for superior bass vs. what HPs can provide. Our ears can easily hear that difference. See post #8. That person is RIGHT!

Now, before the ADF jumps on this post to defend HPs, I fully admit HPs are great. They sound great. But their best use is as originally intended: music in rooms where you want great-sounding music but are not wired for sound. HPs sound surprisingly good for such a compact package. This use can work too, but it's basically a big improvement on the stereo speakers that came with the TV... not a home theater surround sound audio base.

So, if budget is going to stay so lean, I agree with post #6: Sonos Beam Soundbar as a start with an eye towards building out a full 5.1 (or more) system over time. If budget is not so pinched, I suggest the top-rated Sonos Arc as a starter with the same goal over time. If you catch the right refurb offer, it is not that much more than two HPs and it sounds incredible, is much more open and is made for your target use.

And if you can use what you might spend on an iPhone or Mac or two that will wear out or be made software obsolete in only 3-7 years, I suggest doing some thorough research to find yourself a great 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound setup: receiver + 5 or 7 speakers + subwoofer and going quality all the way (so you can be enjoying these to their fullest even 10-20 years from now). If budget is not constrained at all, maybe add a few more speakers above for full (& true) ATMOS (not the faux ATMOS implied by soundbar or 1-2 speaker marketing).

Whether the Sonos soundbar or this receiver option, you can start with as little as a single speaker or two and then build out the rest of the system over time. Either approach is much more OPEN than HPs, so you can easily hook any other source of video or audio up to it and enjoy it on your best speakers too. Both Sonos and good Receivers have full Airplay 2, so most of the benefits of HPs are available (the "smarts" shift to your AppleTV, iDevice or Mac, which you'll be regularly updating anyway). Apple Music is available on Sonos and you can play it from AppleTV, iDevice or Mac to a receiver-based system. I do this all the time myself.

Apple people love Apple stuff, so this will assuredly get pushback from Apple fans. Again, I agree HPs sound great. I just don't see them as ideal for this purpose even if they sort of work. You titled this thread "BEST option for TV speakers" and I wouldn't crown HPs as that... only best if limiting one's considerations exclusively to speakers from Apple Inc.

If you want to maximize the audio of your home theater, do it like the pros: there is no cinema or IMAX theater that only has 1 or 2 HPs down front somewhere. Go watch a movie and before the lights go down, take a good look around. You'll see many speakers down front, above, behind, left & right, etc. Why? Because that yields true theater sound... not 2 little cylinders or spheres parked down front. Replicate a version of THAT kind of setup in your home and your ears will be delighted by ANY source of sound for probably 2+ decades from this ONE purchase.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
Good speakers can easily last 10-20 or more years. There are people in this forum with speakers purchased back in the 1970s-80s that still sound as good as day 1.
Click to expand...

HobeSoundDarryl said:
that complete "smarts" dependency for use dooms the speaker portion to be "thrown out with the bathwater" when those "smarts" age only a few years...
Click to expand...

Not just a software issue. If the "smart" part of a speaker fails then you have to replace the entire speaker. Just happened to me with an original homepod. Repair cost is like $20 less than buying a new unit so it will just be thrown out. Long term best to put money in good speakers without the smarts that will last for a long time.
 
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MacMan2013 said:
Sound bar sounds like a good start, any particular brand you'd recommend?
Click to expand...
That would depend on what sound you want to hear? The size of the area and etc...
but seeing you might want the first kind of sound bar, there's Vizio, Sony, some Sonos.
I would stay within your price range or save for better. I know, a general answer, lol.
 
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MacMan2013 said:
Now I have a better streaming device (the Apple TV box is a huge improvement on my old Amazon Fire Stick), I'm thinking its time for a sound upgrade. It seems there are two choices, a single Homepod or a couple of paired Homepod Minis. I was wondering if anyone has tried each of these possibilities and which would give me the best sound.
Click to expand...
There are way more than two options. For example, one of our Apple TVs is connected to two Audioengine powered speakers. They look and sound amazing, and I can control speaker volume from the Apple TV remote. Another is connected to a Sonos soundbar, which is very unobtrusive and sounds okay (much better than the TV itself). Depending on budget and goals, you could also connect your Apple TV to an Atmos system and have multiple speakers for spatial effects. And yes, something like a couple of HomePod minis could work as well. It's really all about what you're after and what you want to spend.
 
Some modern TVs have excellent speakers short of deep base, so augmented with a sub woofer may be all you need. What TV are you using?

I have 15 year old monitors, one with a Yamaha soundbar and HSU sub, the other with a high power Pioneer receiver, Snell main speakers a small center, and a big HSU sub. That sounds pretty good, I like full sound and to feel the bass drum when I'm watching high quality video.

As said, what is your budget and you really need to audition speakers. Everyone's ear is different. And everyone's compromise is different.
 
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For longevity the best option may be a receiver with dumb speakers. Not only are "smart" speakers problematic if the "smart" part fails, any speaker that requires electronics to work can be a problem. I have some expensive Paradigm self-powered speakers that are great until they stopped working. There is a control module which has the connections to my computer, power, the speakers as well as the off/on and volume controls. I was having problems with it and contacted the manufacturer. That part is longer available.

I started grumpily looking at replacement speakers thinking I would have to toss something that cost in the 4 digit category. Luckily the electronics started working again so I have my fingers crossed.
 
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PLEASE think about the room your TV is in when thinking about a soundbar. They really do need walls to bounce the sound off of to sound right (or even normal!). I had a Sonos Beam and sold it because in my room, with a wall on the right side and open to the kitchen on the left, the sound was not good. I had the Beam on almost full volume all of the time, because you could barely hear anything due to the open space; the sound simply disappeared on the left side. Dialogue volume was especially bad, and we were forced to use dialogue mode (which limits the bass as well, if I remember right) almost all the time. The experience was not good.

This is not a knock on the Beam, rather a reminder to check the dimensions of your room. If you have an open wall on one side, you may want to look at a dedicated 2 (or more) speaker setup.

PS. For the record, after the Beam I went to a 2x Homepod Mini stero setup, and it sounded similar minus the bass. The Mini's were a bit better, though, because the sound was more straight towards the couch than the Beam was (to my ears anyway). I've since upgraded to 2x Homepod 2's in a stereo pair, which is much better than the Mini's - I definitely was missing the bass. Far less tinkering with the sound settings than the Beam, and can run at 1/2 volume with no issue. Again, this is me in my setup. Just my two cents.
 
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OK I am coming from someone who has an Apple TV 4K, a full Yamaha Atmos surround system, and paired HomePod 2. The HomePod 2's are great, But remember they are what we in the audio world call near field speakers, that is great to sit in front of at a desk or a few feet away but don't expect anything more. But considering the cost of a pair of HomePod 2's if you leave out music they are a piss poor choice for TV viewing. Spend your money on a Polk Audio, or Klipsch sound bar with subwoofer, or a fully powered surround system and don't look back. My Yamaha surround system uses Polk audio speakers and a Klipsch subwoofer.

Please consult with the people at Crutchfield. I have been a customer of Crutchfield for 48 years I highly recommend them. https://www.crutchfield.com/
 
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Thank you everyone for your advice. My TV is a very basic model. Frustratingly, I can afford better but I have no space in my apartment for the large TV I really want, so I'm focusing on what I can do something about, the sound. I think I will have to do some more research into all the options suggested before I make a decision.
 
MacMan2013 said:
Thank you everyone for your advice. My TV is a very basic model. Frustratingly, I can afford better but I have no space in my apartment for the large TV I really want, so I'm focusing on what I can do something about, the sound. I think I will have to do some more research into all the options suggested before I make a decision.
Click to expand...
I really like my HomePods for Music. I cannot believe the sound that comes out of them from Apple Music. But with TV you really need a center anchor for the dialog and that is not that good in the HomePods. The big problem I have with the homepods is they do not have a dedicated app to control them it just does not work well from the Home App. Sound Bars and self powered surround system often have control apps but also a remote control.
 
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Soundbars can give you clean loud spl, sound pressure levels, ie dB’s, but truly not great imaging. The basic 3 way triangle rule applies. Your right and left speakers need separation for brain to process the info, the primary sound and reflected sound. It’s psychoacoustics , dsp tricks try but fail. Get decent separate speakers, separate them 8-10 feet apart, toe them towards the seating.
 
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