[SOLVED] need advice on how to get clear dialogue sound for a new Home Theater

[Mashuguna]

We are considering building a brand new home theater set up including TV and any peripherals. The key frustration is the ability to hear movie and TV dialogue. We've tried several combinations of TVs, sound bars, speakers, etc. and we still have shows where the dialogue is so muddied we cannot understand it. It seems to be show specific - we either hear an entire series fine or the entire series is inaudible (e.g. Walking Dead is fine but Man in the High Castle is unintelligible).

What should I do about sound? I've found lots of advice on the TV. But I am really frustrated by sound bars and speakers. I've tried Vizio and JBL. I cannot make it work.

So...

What sound bar or speaker solution do you suggest for clear dialogue on all shows and movies? Is it a specific sand bar? Maybe settings for the center channel?

I do not really have a budget yet but I'd spend $500 or more to get clear dialogue at this point.

Thanks for any suggestions or options.

 

[kanewolf]

We are considering building a brand new home theater set up including TV and any peripherals. The key frustration is the ability to hear movie and TV dialogue. We've tried several combinations of TVs, sound bars, speakers, etc. and we still have shows where the dialogue is so muddied we cannot understand it. It seems to be show specific - we either hear an entire series fine or the entire series is inaudible (e.g. Walking Dead is fine but Man in the High Castle is unintelligible).

What should I do about sound? I've found lots of advice on the TV. But I am really frustrated by sound bars and speakers. I've tried Vizio and JBL. I cannot make it work.

So...

What sound bar or speaker solution do you suggest for clear dialogue on all shows and movies? Is it a specific sand bar? Maybe settings for the center channel?

I do not really have a budget yet but I'd spend $500 or more to get clear dialogue at this point.

Thanks for any suggestions or options.

Go audition speakers at a brick and mortar store. Your ears will be different than anybody else. If it isn't you that has problems, then bring the person with you to audition.
If you have specific shows that cause problems, get a DVD of that show and bring it with you.
Wireless headphones would be another option where the person with hearing problems can control the volume individually.

 

[Lutfij]

I'm curious enough to ask how you source your content in order to find that audio is muddled on one but pristine on the other...? I'm also curious to know what models of the above two listed brands you've tried and how they were paired to your setup in order to rule out perhaps an audio issue or issue with sound setup...? A surround sound setup on a PC is a slightly different from a surround sound setup with the audio coming from the TV(set-top box), to a degree.