If your TV has an optical out, use that. Everything that used to play through the TV speakers will go to this. Easy.
This only has two speakers in the bar, so it’s not going to help with center channel sound.
Check to see if your TV is set for “virtual surround” or some similar audio processing. Processing that emulates an expanded sound field often makes the stuff in the center quieter. Turn any audio processing off so you just get straight, direct, plain stereo. That might help with hearing dialog.
The best thing to help with dialog is get a center channel speaker, but that would require either a different sound bar or an AV receiver and appropriate speakers.
My recommendation for upgrading TV sound is an AV receiver and a minimum 3.0 configuration with 8" woofers in the left and right speakers, but I accept that many people don’t like having all the extra stuff.
On my old Vizio TV the audio crap is called SRS StudioSurround HD.
Thanks CraigThorn!
Looks like the height will just work too
Would this be an upgrade over the 2012 Samsung HW-E450?
Agree completely. I got the SB-3 model from Woot a couple years ago and it’s fantastic. Easy to install, reliable wireless, and the sound quality is beautiful in our home theater–and I’m not easy to please. I haven’t tried this newer model but Klipsch’s reputation for excellent sound is well deserved.
I have an older (2007) Sony HD TV, not “smart” in any way. It’s optical out will not pass thru anything external, except the Comcast box. I run a blue ray to the TV via HDMI, but while sound will play on the TV, nothing from the optical. I believe this is an old and not common setup. Replacing this TV soon.
Correction: The comcast box has optical out and I run from that to meyPolk bar - one of the few I’ve ever seen with 2 optical inputs.
Seems like a nice deal for a Klipsch setup. I currently have a Panasonic SC-PT670. Only running the Center, Two fronts and sub. Will this sound better/same/worse? I need a soundbar system like this because of limited space. A very small fireplace. Right now, the cords and components up there are a mess. I had planned on going with the Bose Soundtouch 300, but the prices are steep. Will the sound still blow me away?
I have the same issues. My hearing is terrible, I have hearing aids which nicely amplify both clear and garbled dialog. Sports announcers and newscasters I have no problems with. I watch zero regular TV but I need to sit down and check some shows and see how they are. Movies from the TV are impossible for me, that applies even in movie theatres. I see no way to tell the comcast box that I want plain stereo or anything else. The sound bar has little led that lights in a different color depending on the exact type of signal - 2 flavors I think - so I see the bar is receiving multichannel sound. The only decent sound I ever had was from the blue-ray, via optical direct to the bar. My blur-ray has croaked, I believe I will head for a store and get one, and start talking to people about my issues with dialog, and I will let them know I will buy from them, but I gotta love it or it comes back.
My other problem is the sound people in movie production seem to love to crank up the background music well over the dialog in many scenes. I know they would not really do that deliberately so I’m hoping with guidence and the right equipment my situation will improve. There are some sound bars which claim to be dialog focused, but to buy w/o trying is not what I want to do at this point.
I have one of these and the dialog and sound is amazing. Music as well. The Bluetooth at times is spotty when you too far away but this is ten times the sound of any tv brand sound bar. Love klipsch.
I ordered one of these myself. As others have stated, it gets pretty good reviews, and this is a great price.
But where does it ship from, and why would it take more than two weeks to get here?
The Klipsch R-20B handles dialogue very well. Voices are clear and understandable.
I have been waiting 5 years for today, the day I buy a proper klipsch soundbar! Thanks Woot
Just the first knuckle, then?
Loudspeakers can do only so much for the hard of hearing. Headphones are a much better option, if you are comfortable using them. The set I gave to my nearly deaf father changed his life. Amazon sells what looks like a good set from Sennheiser, a reliable manufacturer, for $52 (Sennheiser RS120 On-Ear Wireless RF Headphones with Charging Dock). The little transmitter plugs into the headphone jack on your TV (check that you have one), and the headphone itself contains NiMh batteries that recharge when you hang them on the transmitter; most sets of this kind work about the same way.
I’m finding that my soundbar audio cuts out on certain channels. In some cases I can switch channels to reactivate audio, then switch back to the problem channel. Cuts out again after a few seconds. Light stays green all the whike. In other cases sound cuts in and out on a set channel. Light flashes blue then back to green or amber. I have used both rca and digital outputs, direct to soundbar from good STB.
Sorry for the problem with the soundbar. Have you contacted Klipsch? You have a one-year warranty with them.
I’m having the same problem, was negligible when I bought it but three months later losing a lot of audio. Will definitely be contacting Klipsch.