topic Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305 in Android TV

soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 14:59:19 GMT

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.

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

LightFoot — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 17:10:16 GMT

Hi @ch3nks

I would image most of the Sony Soundbars would meet your needs. Just make sure it has a HDMI out to connect to your TV HDMI ARC. That way the TV remote will fully control the Soundbar.

There is something available for most setups. I use a HT-ZF9 with SA-Z9R rear wireless speakers but the HT-RT3/5 with bluetooth may suit if you are on a budget.

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/home-cinema/t/sound-bars

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 18:30:40 GMT

hmmm £650 for the ZF9 is more than i want to pay really

i did look at the ht-xf9000 though?

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:09:03 GMT

@LightFoot wrote:
Hi @ch3nks

I would image most of the Sony Soundbars would meet your needs. Just make sure it has a HDMI out to connect to your TV HDMI ARC. That way the TV remote will fully control the Soundbar.

There is something available for most setups. I use a HT-ZF9 with SA-Z9R rear wireless speakers but the HT-RT3/5 with bluetooth may suit if you are on a budget.

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/home-cinema/t/sound-bars

so i've looked further at the ZF9, and it seems good but one possible snag.
the height of it is 6.4cm, but if it sat in front of my TV it would cover the IR port on the front of TV (that sits about 5.5cm from the base of the TV).

my TV sits on top of a TV cabinet, and there would be no other place to sit the soundbar. i'm guessing i would have this proble with most soundbars.

so do i have any solutions to get round this?

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

Marino.Manolo — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:26:49 GMT

HT-RT5

Enabling the IR Repeater Function (when you cannot control the TV), Pag. 37:

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/res/manuals/4570/45701182M.pdf

Manolo

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:30:43 GMT

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.

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

Marino.Manolo — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:35:28 GMT

Is supplied also with HT-RT5...

Manolo

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

LightFoot — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:46:40 GMT

Hi @ch3nks Here is an extract from the HT-ZF9 manual.

When the main unit obstructs the remote control sensor of the TV, the TV remote control may not work. In that case, enable the IR repeater function of the system. You can control the TV with the TV remote control by sending the remote signal from the rear of the main unit.

1 Press HOME. The home menu appears on the TV screen.
2 Select [Setup] - [Advanced Settings] on the home menu.
3 Select [System Settings] - [IRRepeater] The [IR-Repeater] screen appears on the TV screen.
4 Select [On].

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/res/manuals/4727/d1ff451e44dc39fc895aec29e654d9a6/47275332M.pdf

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:43:09 GMT

ah so the soundbar itself an act as an IR repeater, so i point to the soundbar and the soundbar then sends that IR on the TV... good to know!

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

LightFoot — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:43:43 GMT

@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.

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.

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

Marino.Manolo — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:46:23 GMT

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

Exactly...

Manolo

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 18:50:49 GMT

but i have the option of using either anyway?

good to have options.

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 20:48:41 GMT

@LightFoot wrote:
@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.
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.

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.

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

ch3nks — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 15:02:20 GMT

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?

Re: soundbar for Sony KD-43XD8305

First_Knight — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 13:12:40 GMT

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!

🙂