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Can I use 2 soundbars on each side of tv?

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2 Soundbars, ONE on each side of TV???

In the house we are currently building, I prefer to NOT have the soundbar sitting on the fireplace mantle under the tv. (the whole idea of having a frame tv is to keep it from screaming ‘I’m a TV’) I’ll have cabinets with shelves on each side of the fireplace. I’m wondering if I can use 2 soundbars - one on each side of the tv/fireplace on the shelves? Or just one soundbar off to one side of the tv? I’m concerned that will make the sound weird if its not centered. Or is there another sonos option - maybe a surround system - that would allow me to not have a speaker centered on the fireplace below the tv but still provide great sound and clear dialogue?

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

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rattyAnswer

In short, this won’t work.

One soundbar takes a feed from the TV. The second would have to be grouped with it, and would suffer a small but obvious network delay. The second bar would also only deliver stereo, not surround.

And that’s before considering the acoustic nightmare of a Left/Centre/Right to the left of the TV and another LCR to the right…

I suggest you look into getting a Sonos Amp, with your choice of passive speakers mounted either side of the TV.

The Amp generates a phantom centre channel, for speech etc., and can optionally support wireless Sonos surround speakers and Subs.

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S

SandyBrownAuthor

Contributor I

@Kumar I can def make that spacing work. Speakers will be approx 10.5 feet apart. Seating will be about 12’ away from tv/speakers. Thank you!

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

@Stanley_4 I appreciate the reply! However, we will have a frame TV hanging on the fireplace above the mantle which is meant to disguise the fact that there’s even a tv there unless we’re watching it. So the goal is to have no speakers below, above, or beside the tv and have them located on the bookshelves to either side of the fireplace. We also prefer to stick with Sonos if possible so we can play music on them throughout our house and back patio using the app . We own several other Sonos speakers already.

But thanks so much for weighing in! I’m sure those Klipsch are great speakers! :-)

I have no idea how the Klipsch sound, I was looking at the form factor and the sound coming from a larger vertical distribution. If that design speaker, available from several vendors, doesn’t fit your shelves then pick the form factor that fits and is going to sound best.

I had similar speakers with my AVR, different brand Infinity TSS 4000, and preferred having them to the sides of the screen at screen height. Tried floor level and it sounded odd. I messed with the center channel, trying above and below the screen. I liked above for the sound but the speaker weight that high on my TV cabinet mount was just too wobbly. My Arc is now below the TV, if not for the wobble issue it would likely be above no matter how that impacted the Atmos setup.

If you are going to stick to Sonos speakers, well there aren’t any. Sonos does partner with Sonance and sells customized versions of some of theirs. No bookshelf types though.

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/architectural

K

Kumar

@SandyBrown There are plenty of bookshelf speakers that will suit, but my experience is limited to UK/EU makes, that, when available in the US, tend to be overpriced. But that apart, Dali Denmark make excellent sounding and looking speakers, that should suit a Sonos Amp very well, once a correct pick is made from their range. I have one of their smallest and also cheapest models in my dedicated to TV room, flanking a big plasma TV and they do full justice to the much costlier TV in delivering the combined audio visual effect.

The thing about speakers though: preference for how they sound is a subjective thing. And how they sound depends on where in what room they are installed. Ideally therefore you should be making the final selection after a listening test at home, with the speakers placed in the target space.

Good luck with the house build!

K

Kumar

And the last time I did a reader the favour of a link, Sonos rapped my knuckles, so you will have to look this one up on the Dali site yourself:

OPTICON LCR MK2

It may be the perfect one for you.

But only after an audition.

This one is made in Denmark. Not China. For what that may be worth.

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