Please recommend some sound options for my TV

[ibex333]

I got a 51' Visio LED 3D TV, and I love it, but it's sound really sucks... It can get fairly loud, but the sound is muddy or garbled. I cannot make out the words in movies. Many times the music drowns out speech which is even more annoying.

I live in a New York City apartment, in a large building and I got neighbors all around me who love to complain to the management as soon as they hear any loud noises. So I need room filling sound, but not something that will make neighbors' walls shake.

First I was looking at sound-bars, but they seem to be best for wall mounted setups. My TV is standing on a small glass top stand. Also SoundBars are extremely expensive. There are some cheap Visio ones but quality is horrible. Anything better costs $300+

I was thinking about adding two floorstanding speakers, but I know nothing about how these things operate. Don't they need an amp?

Also do I need to buy any audio cables separately to make this setup work? I want to be able to use it right away.

My budget is $100-200 but I want to spend as little as possible.

 

[MustISO]

In your case a soundbar would probably be the best thing. There are decent options under $250.

Speakers would require some type of receiver/amp.
If you're going to do just front speakers I would go for a left/right/center configuration for the best sound.

Powered speakers may work depending on the output from your TV or cable box/DVR.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Problem with most cheap soundbars is that they are 2.0 and NOTHING does more for "words in movies" than having a center channel. There are some 3.1 soundbars, but given how the neighbors suck I don't think OP can get away with a sub. That might be a solution though.

Buy this:

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SC-H...ustomerReviews

And never plug in the sub.

 

[Raincity]

Yes the Panny is a good pic in my opinion. Robert Herron reviewed it last year and showcased it on HD Nation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olfCmNEkSJo. You may have some luck using the sub with proper placement and using something cheap like this http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbrande...crete-Step-Stone-71200/100333077?N=5yc1vZarm0 to help minimize acoustic coupling.

 

[infoiltrator]

Does your TV have RCA sound jacks "out"?
If yes
http://www.amazon.com/iMBAPrice%C2%AE-PREMIUM-6-Feet-Stereo-Plated/dp/B001VIYYCK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413339290&sr=8-1&keywords=rca+stereo+cable

if you can live probably without remove control of sound
http://www.amazon.com/Lepai-LP-2020A...keywords=lepai

comes with 2 amp power supply, I've gotten him from them. 12 Volt 5 or 6 Amp LCD monitor bricks are much better
http://www.amazon.com/Intocircuit-Ad...d+power+supply
or
http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Power-...d+power+supply

these are good sound for the price, easy to drive, and no intense base to annoy neighbors.
Speakers should be raised till tweeters are at or near ear level at your most common listening position. Milk crates, cinder blocks, Home Depot buckets ( upside down and covered,lol), or whatever make acceptable speaker stands

Dayton speakers (when I bought mine there was one version $50, I suspect the $60 ones below may be the ones to choose, rather than the $40)
http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-B...ayton+speakers

http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-B...ayton+speakers

Micca
http://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42-Boo...ayton+speakers

http://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bo...ayton+speakers

monoprice
http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-1082...ayton+speakers

if you need to take sound from headphone jack
http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-3-...rds=3.5+to+rca

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Audio-C...rds=3.5+to+rca

 

[s44]

All those links make it look more complicated than necessary, but yes I think 2 bookshelves + T-amp make sense.

 

[ibex333]

Great advice. Thanks very much!

 

[Super56K]

I went through a similar deal and ended up with the following:

Denon e300 5.1 receiver
Micca MB42x bookshelves
Micca MB42xC center

I've tried soundbars, and hated one that I purchased that was quickly returned. I've listened to some others that friends and family have, and didn't think they were worth it at all.

I was actually planning on getting a pair of Micca MB42x's and a T-amp, but with the new TV I recently purchased (also a Vizio) I found I wanted more HDMI inputs and really wanted better audio. So, I ended up going all in and buying a 5.1 receiver. IMO the Micca MB42x bookshelves alone are very nice, but the center channel was worth the extra cost for 5.1 audio mixes.

The e300 also helped solve another problem for someone like me who also has to worry about noise and neighbors: big swings in volume.

You know the drill, increase volume to hear dialogue and then holy-god the room's shaking when something loud happens. I configured it with the Audyssey mic and enabled dynamic volume and EQ. So, it stays fairly even while still sounding very nice. I was actually impressed by how well it works in practice.