Question Low-Mid Range 2.1 Soundbar... with WIRED sub?

[THRobinson]

I have a Sony 2.1 soundbar dying a slow death after many many years of use. Sound has always been good, however, if volume too low, or parts of the video doesn't have much low-end the wireless sub will constantly cut-out and reconnect, and now it's doing it much more with that little pupf noise when disconnects.

Figured no worries, time to search for something new, only to discover, I can't find wired 2.1 soundbars.

Looking around $250CAD, maybe another Sony, or Samsung, LG, etc... ideally a brand I've heard of and has good reviews for. Not looking for some $1000 system, just something similar to my Sony HT-CT660... but ideally a wired sub since sits 3ft from the TV anyways.

Any suggestions?

 

[helpstar]

Which TV model are you using?
How do currently connect the soundbar to the TV? optical or HDMI?

 

[ohio_buckeye]

I’ve got no issue with a wireless sub. We’ve got a Sony one that’s 2-3 years old and the sub is across the room from the bar but has always worked pretty well.

 

[THRobinson]

Which TV model are you using?
How do currently connect the soundbar to the TV? optical or HDMI?

TCL 55R615 for the TV... for the longest time it was HDMI (ARC), then start of the year had 2 things happen, that almost make me wonder if it's the TV causing an issue... feedback/power surge or something.

Been using a Beelink GT1 Ultimate for 5yrs running CoreElec and streaming from my NAS... that's it... no satellite, cable, Netflix, etc... very simple setup. Beelink and Sony Soundbar both connected to TV with "premium certified" HDMI2.0 cables.

5yrs no issues, then start of January, the Beelink was working, episode ended, went to play the next one and screen went funny. Reboot and dead. Powers on, but HDMI no longer detected. Other TV in the house has the same Beelink, so did the whole swap cables, ports, boxes, etc... my Beelink is dead. Grabbed a new HK1... newer, but buggy... kinda hate it.

Then about 5 weeks later, the audio was either all bass, or would be all muffled with barely any high end. Again, tried different HDMI cables, but it's the only bar I have so couldn't swap it. Assumed speaker went maybe, then tried optical (which it is now) and sounds fine.

Now, a month later for the past few weeks, slight hiss/buzz and a very quiet pfff (pop) and sub light red... audio gets a bit louder or just more bass in that scene and pops back on again.

It's always done that. If vol too low it basically shuts the sub off because not enough bass to keep it active, but now it's constantly doing it.

Also the LCD display is so dim now, it's impossible to read unless midnight with the lights off.

The fact that the soundbar's HDMI and Beelink's HDMI both went belly-up within a month of one another, does have me concerned a bit.

New android box is on HDMI, sound is still optical.