Question TV sound sucks - sound bar? Replace TV?

[Mashuguna]

I have a 10 year old flat screen and the sound stinks - some shows are so muddied that we cannot understand the dialogue. The image is fine though. And the ancient Roku is dying.

I'm on a budget. Should I replace everything with a smart TV? Keep what I have and add a sound bar and new Roku? I am not sure where the cost of a new TV makes more sense that replacing parts.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[liamwhalley20]

What kind of budget are you on and which country?

If you like the picture quality and it is just the sound bothers you then it would be good to give it a little extra sound with a sound bar

 

[jsmithepa]

No known new TV gives good sound, so if sound is your only concern, go for external speakers, ANY external speakers. In your case a 3.0, L+C+R soundbar would be nice.

No I don't have recommendation, am not salesman.

 

[Wolfshadw]

No known new TV gives good sound, so if sound is your only concern, go for external speakers, ANY external speakers. In your case a 3.0, L+C+R soundbar would be nice.

No I don't have recommendation, am not salesman.

I'd agree with this. The last TV I had with lousy audio, I added a small set of PC 2.1 speakers to the audio output.

-Wolf sends

 

[hang-the-9]

I have a 10 year old flat screen and the sound stinks - some shows are so muddied that we cannot understand the dialogue. The image is fine though. And the ancient Roku is dying.

I'm on a budget. Should I replace everything with a smart TV? Keep what I have and add a sound bar and new Roku? I am not sure where the cost of a new TV makes more sense that replacing parts.

Thanks for any advice.

Used soundbar, if you like the screen TV and size. If not, now is a good time to talk yourself into replacing the TV. And still get the soundbar

Used is fine to get, just test it out. I just purchased an almost $300 Vizio with wireless sub and rear speakers for $80. A mile away from the WalMart I was shopping at. Popped open craigslist on my phone, saw what was out there, 4 hours later I had a better soundbar than the best they had in the store, for 1/3 the price.

This one sounded better to me than some of the higher end brands they had in the 2-300 range https://www.walmart.com/ip/VIZIO-Sm...ZhpPGRG1Yoj10BjTWAa31Af6KLulwkDsaAhzOEALw_wcB
This is the one I got used for $80 https://www.vizio.com/audio/home-theater/sb3851d0.html

 

[Alabalcho]

Before you embark on that journey: Apart from Roku, how you get TV programming - aerial? set-top box? There's a chance (check thread, widely reported) that sound from HDMI-connected Roku won't pass to external speakers connected over audio out (optical or analogue).

If your TV' picture is nice, why not invest in a AV receiver between sources and the TV (just as a monitor)?