soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

[ch3nks]

I have a Sony KD-43XD8305 (Android TV) and looking to add a soundbar.
What options do I have that will integrate seemlessly with my TV? ie be able to continue to use the TV remote and not have to use a second remote to control the soundbar?

My TV has a STB connected via HMDI for live TV (HD with DD5.1 on select channels) and a BDP-S6700 blu-ray player. A PS4 Pro may be added to replace the blu-ray player at some point. The Sony TV remote controls all my devices (via HDMI CEC).

I have the Plex app installed and use that to play tv shows/movies from my plex server. Content has audio formats up to and including DTS-HD.

So what options do I have? Ideally i'd be happy to use the soundbar as the permanent sound ouput for everything, but don't really want to have to use seperate remote for the soundbar.

[Marino.Manolo]

"IR-Repeater is built in on the HT-ZF9"

Exactly... 

Manolo

[ch3nks]

but i have the option of using either anyway?

good to have options.

[ch3nks]

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@LightFoot wrote:

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@ch3nks wrote:

that's a bluetooth device?
how would that help when using the TV remote to control the TV?

oh wait, you mean the IR repeater... i think the TV came with one of this, wonder if i can find it.

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Hi @ch3nks  Just to be clear the IR-Repeater is built in on the HT-ZF9. You don't need the one that came with the TV. Quite simply the soundbar picks up the signal from the front and repeats it out of the rear of the unit.

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well i found the IR cables that came with the TV, however these seem to be for controlling other devices, ie NOT for extending the IR range of the TV itself. the port is labelled "IR blaster".

that manual you provided isn't for my TV, and those settings mentioned in that manual don't exist on my TV.

Ideally i had wanted to test that the TV could have done this before commiting to spending the money on a soundbar.

i'm still on two minds as the height of the soundbar is pretty much at the same point as where the bottom of the viewing area of the screen is. it might encroach just a little on the viewing area. i see no easy way of raising the height of the TV without making it totally unstable.

[ch3nks]

looking more at the ht-zf9, i'm condfused about the atmos support.

as my sony TV is an android tv, i have plex installed that plays my content (some of which has DTS-X and Atmos sound tracks).

would i actually get Atmos audio from the soundbar? i'm reading conflicting reports that as the TV itself doesn't support Atmos then the soundbar wouldn't give me atmos either (even though the content being played has atmos track).

everything i'm playing is being played direct from the TV (Netflix, amazon prime, plex).

also, what about DTS etc? what i get that from the soundbar from content played direct from the TV?

[First_Knight]

Hi,

I know your question was from a while ago & I would hope you found a solution by now, but just in case you did not, or even if you did buy a 'suitable' soundbar that may not be to your liking now, you could always try mains powered 2 channel stereo speakers like Creative Labs Gigaworks T20 or T30 or T40 (if you are NOT looking for surround sound) connected to the headphone out - no requirement for 'extra remotes', or infra red/buetooth anything.

This is what I use on a Sony Bravia KDL43XE8396 - but I live in a relatively small flat with neighbours close by, & don't need or want, nor can afford upwards of £350 (I tried multiple 'cheaper' soundbars - all worse than tvs built in speakers) for just the soundbar part of surround sound (whether 2.1, 3.1, 5.1, or 7.1 or other 'Dolby DTS' / 'Dolby Atmos' type stuff).

Depending on above model of Gigaworks chosen even the T40 should be cheaper than a cheap & nasty (under £200) soubdbar AND sound waaaaay better.

I bought T20 model twice, older ones 'series 1' for an old Samsung 32" non smart tv (10 yrs ago - they still work fine), & T20 'Series 2' (both sets are currently an 'out of date models') a few months ago from Amazon for £70, which I use on my 43" Sony Bravia 4k Android TV.

Where I live I could only find ZF9 & HTX 8500 - (way too much money!) sounding any better than crap cheaper models of soundbars and obviously also waaaay better than my tv speakers and/or T20's, & I hope better than T30/T40 that I have NOT listened to!

🙂