Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny Opens at $60M Domestic on a $300M+ Budget: “Disastrous”

[Zarathustra]

Shiat, I'm still sitting pretty with the Logitech Z-5300e PC speaker system I got in 2006 for about $135. It was part of the reason why I eventually stopped going to movie theaters. Then when HDTVs hit the market, they were blowing theater screens away in terms of image quality and colors, and that's when I started to realize I could get a better movie-watching experience at home (in most cases). I can't even imagine what it's like with a proper home theater setup. Even before audio and video quality in the home started matching or surpassing movie theaters, I still preferred watching at home cuz I can pause the movie to go to the bathroom, rewind/skip back, not get ripped off in terms of food, there's no annoying people talking or messing with their cell phones, etc.

I have an old set of Logitech speakers that has been sitting unused for the better part of a decade because I just don't like how they sound.

They started out as a set of funky looking Z553's I bought when I was newly divorced and had a mostly empty apartment in 2012.



...but just like Bang Olufsen products from the 70's they were apparently more for looks than sound quality, or even physical quality as they died under the warranty period and were replaced under RMA

When I claimed my warranty on them, they no longer made the Z553's, and instead gave me a choice of replacements, none of which I really wanted. I asked them if they would allow me to upgrade to a set of Logitech z623 I had read positive reviews about if I paid the difference (it was going to be like a $10 difference or something), and they were going to check for me, and then magically just approved the Z623's without me paying anything. (My conclusion is that Logitech customer service is pretty **** good)



When I got the Z623's I had pretty high hopes, but I never wound up liking them. The got surprisingly loud, with a surprisingly potent bass for their size, but they never sounded what I would call "good".

That was in 2014 and started my adventure getting into real stereo products (separate amps, speakers, etc.) and I haven't looked back since.

I have actively avoided any "powered speaker in a box" system ever since. With the exception of high end powered studio monitors, I just don't think any of them are any good.

Same with me on all of that. Though if soundbars really are good enough these days, I'm not above using one after trying it out. It's just kinda hard for me to spend a few hundred bucks on something that only has 2.0 or 3.0 setup. Some soundbar systems do have a rear sub and satellites. The ones I've heard thus far haven't been the best though.

I could be persuaded to try a soundbar on the small TV in the livingroom. Right now it just has a crappy Dayton DTA-120 amp plugged in via a 3.5mm cable to the back of the TV and powering two old Infinity Primus 360 towers I used to use in my first home theater setup.

They were what I had kicking around and could easily install, and they ahve just kind of stayed there. For my mother in laws Brazilian telenovela's and the occasional local news, they are fine, but they are no home theater setup.

As with most things that were intended to be a temporary "good enough" solution, they have stayed there about 20 times longer than intended already

So I'd totally try a soundbar here, but for my real home theater system in the basement I am going to stay with separates.

 

[Brian_B]

That isn't the experience I have had with soundbars, but I'll admit I havent tried one in a few years.

I still prefer an independent receiver, speakers and subs though.

A good soundbar won’t beat a good 7.1 setup; but it will be a lot cheaper and a lot easier to install, and it will sound good. They beat a crappy receiver setup hands down and it takes a lot of investment and setup to get better than a good sound bar.

A bad soundbar will not sound as good though - you have to do a bit of research.

For most people they are awesome. Audiophiles will still want their copper free gold plated vacuum packed cables and tube amps for the warm sound though.

 

[DrezKill]

When I got the Z623's I had pretty high hopes, but I never wound up liking them. The got surprisingly loud, with a surprisingly potent bass for their size, but they never sounded what I would call "good".

I currently use a Z623 system as the speakers for my CRT TV and related consoles (6th-gen and earlier). I paid $90 for that speaker system a few years ago. Gonna have to agree with you 100% on those. I would definitely not call their audio quality "good" at all. Been looking for a replacement ever since I bought them, but I don't use my CRT TV enough to really care. Plus it's still better than the TV's built-in speakers.

That was in 2014 and started my adventure getting into real stereo products (separate amps, speakers, etc.) and I haven't looked back since.

I'd be the same way. I hope to get on that level some day.

...I just don't think any of them are any good.

I seem to remember that there were a bunch of good ones in the late 90s and the 2000s, though I don't recall the model names of most. My friend had a Klipsch Promedia 5.1 system in the early 2000s which was one of the best-sounding systems I ever heard in my life, but those things had high failure rates. They cost too much and didn't last very long. Satellites would die, control unit would die, subwoofer would die. But when they were working, dang were they awesome. And enough power in the sub to shake your whole house. But I've avoided Klipsch like the plague cuz of their durability/reliability issues, not because of their audio quality. In 2019 a different friend bought a Klipsch soundbar. Paid a pretty penny for it too. Sound was only decent (I mean it's a soundbar, not gonna be great) but within a year or two that thing was dead (and yeah that was after the warranty expired). So I see Klipsch quality is up to their usual standards. Wouldn't waste a single cent on them.

When I claimed my warranty on them, they no longer made the Z553's, and instead gave me a choice of replacements, none of which I really wanted.

Man I hate when that sh1t happens.

(My conclusion is that Logitech customer service is pretty **** good)

Never really had any issues with them when dealing with failed mice. I've been mostly satisfied with their customer service experience. Hasn't been too much trouble dealing with them, though on more than one occasion, both my brother and I have had to provide video evidence of broken/failing mice to them. As what happened with your Z-623s, they one time gave me a much newer, better (in some respects) mouse for free cuz the one that failed on me wasn't made anymore. I didn't even need to send the broken mouse in. They just wanted a picture of the tag on the mouse cord. For my bro, they gave him a massive discount on a new mouse, cuz I think his broken mouse had an expired warranty. They didn't offer me that when I had a mouse fail outside of the warranty, so I don't really know what the conditions for that are.

As with most things that were intended to be a temporary "good enough" solution, they have stayed there about 20 times longer than intended already

Hahahahahaha, I know that game, believe me! Shiat, that even happened with my username.

So I'd totally try a soundbar here, but for my real home theater system in the basement I am going to stay with separates.

Word, makes sense. I'd most likely do the same. I'm still using a very old AIWA 2.0 system with my HDTV (CX-NA202), which misbehaves and has strange issues. So yeah, I'm waaaaay overdo for an upgrade there. That thing has been my main TV speaker system since the late 90s! Again I took the approach of "it's better than the TV's built-in speakers" and then just kinda didn't bother with replacing them.

...it takes a lot of investment and setup to get better than a good sound bar.

Hhhmmm, well daaaang.

For most people they are awesome.

Gotta at least be better than my CX-NA202 system.

 

[Burticus]

I'll hesitantly watch it when it hits the regular streaming circuit. Not paying extra for Indy's Retirement Daycare Adventures

 

[Grimlakin]

Just saying find a friend with a good sound bar in their home. A good friend of mine was dead set on the full 7.1 speaker setup. I told him about soundbars. He got married, wife wanted to get rid of the big speakers. He said ok... got a good soundbar setup... and is SHOCKED at how good it sounds.

Plus soundbars like mine fully support dolby atmos and I can get a set of wireless surround dolby atmos speakers to go with it to complete the full surround setup if I so chose. No need for me though. I'm really satisfied with the sound bar I have already.

 

[Grimlakin]

Just tomexpand ove ran pioneer elite and Onkyo high end receivers with Atlantic technology speakers and had some bad *** setups. This spind bar easily equates to those 8 year old setups that were thousands.