Sound bar, tv, and receiver help

[jd141922]

I cant get sound through my tv speakers or soundbar when I connect using my yamaha sound system. I have 5 speakers in the living room but would like to use the sound bar that's in front of the tv.

the components are 1 55 in LED Vizio tv, 1 vizio soundbar, 1 Yamaha receiver.

 

[jsmithepa]

Sound bars, typically have limited useability, they are meant for people who don't want, for whatever reason use discrete, separate speakers.

I don't have the patience to analyze each of your components, am just going to repeat, a receiver wants to be hooked up to discrete speakers. I don't know if your "sound system" is a receiver or one of those all-in-one boxes (which is even worse and still more limiting).

A sound bar, designed with the intention to be directly hooked up to your TV, tend to be self-powered and your "sound system" wants to talk to UN-powered speakers.

Now if you like the look of sound bars, you can always buy a sound bar-like center speaker but then you will add L+R and surround + SW etc.

 

[jd141922]

Sound bars, typically have limited useability, they are meant for people who don't want, for whatever reason use discrete, separate speakers.

I don't have the patience to analyze each of your components, am just going to repeat, a receiver wants to be hooked up to discrete speakers. I don't know if your "sound system" is a receiver or one of those all-in-one boxes (which is even worse and still more limiting).

A sound bar, designed with the intention to be directly hooked up to your TV, tend to be self-powered and your "sound system" wants to talk to UN-powered speakers.

Now if you like the look of sound bars, you can always buy a sound bar-like center speaker but then you will add L+R and surround + SW etc.

Yeah that's kinda what im afraid of. I like more sound coming towards instead of above me. I like more speakers so I was hoping there was a way to incorporate the soundbar and tv speakers as well as the over head speakers. it seems simple but I guess it isn't! haha

 

[jsmithepa]

If your sound bar is one of those that simulates surround, you cannot use it in conjunction with the other speakers, it's designed to be stand-alone. You have a prayer if the sound bar manual mentions you can converter it to L+R, or a Center.

I too like my Center to be like a sound bar right underneath the screen, for that purpose I have a Yamaha NS-310. The Polk TL-3 is also sound bar-like, and if money no object, a Mythos 7 center is a great center that looks sound bar-like.

If your sound bar is just sitting there doing nothing, you can always take it apart, bypass its built-in electronics and directly connect your sound system to it, assuming impedance OK and you are handy doing that sort of thing.

 

[jd141922]

I'm technologically challenged for all that it's a Vizio sound bar that came with a subwoofer and 2 speakers. Does that help if it can do left right or center?

 

[americanaudiophile]

Adding the soundbar to the existing 5 speakers won't work. Just screw up the balance.
If you think it might sound better than your front speakers you could replace your center channel by using a speaker to line level converter to connect the center channel to it. Replacing your L/R fronts with it doesn't make any sense because it will not give you enough separation between the two channels. If you want to use it as your subwoofer (your don't mention having one) then you could connect the line level subwoofer out on the receiver to the aux input.