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Suggestions for bluetooth speakers for entertainment unit

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Deal Fanatic
Jul 7, 2004
6948 posts
2695 upvotes

Suggestions for bluetooth speakers for entertainment unit

With little audio/video knowledge, I need some help.
I bought a 55" Haier at Costco for $499.
I bought a Sony HTCT380 sound bar at a very good price of $235.
The problem is I can't get the soundbar to work with the TV. I've tried everything.
The speakers on the TV aren't as bad as I thought they were. But the TV is on the Stand, I"m wondering if when I wall mount it, it will affect the sound a great deal as the speakers will be against the wall?

So I'm thinking either return the TV, and find another TV. But I'm okay with the TV quality at $499, any other 55" you're looking at $700+ minimum.
Or returning the soundbar and get a decent bluetooth speaker just to play music, and have something in my built in entertainment unit. I have three shelves on my unit, and with only Roku, it's pretty bare. Not looking for a full sound system.

Can anyone offer any advice? If I buy bluetooth speaker for music looking in price range of $150-$250.
6 replies
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
35606 posts
18999 upvotes
A Bluetooth speaker is just a bad idea for something like this. They're not supposed to comprise home sound systems as the vast majority of them are mono or single-point stereo at best. Only one I've seen that supports real/separate-speaker stereo is the UE Boom and you have to buy two of them to make that happen...and they're not cheap.

Plus BT streaming often sucks for quality, esp. if you end up streaming SBC (which you have no control of).

I don't understand how you can't get the Sony soundbar working. It has ARC, HDMI, and S/PDIF, and analog input. If you can't get any of those working it sounds like either the unit (or the TV) is broken or you just don't know what you're doing. Perhaps have a friend or something help you out with it? Furthermore the CT380 has Bluetooth itself, so you could use that as your "Bluetooth speaker" as well and it's probably going to be better suited to a living room than any portable speaker you're going to find.
Deal Fanatic
Jul 7, 2004
6948 posts
2695 upvotes
Thanks for the reply. The bluetooth speaker was just going to be for music, nothing to do with the TV, and I'd just use the TV speakers.
My TV doesn't have ARC or S/PDIF. I've tried a converter, but still no luck. I've tried every possible way. So frustrated I had enough. It's the TV rather than the soundbar. I don't know what I'm doing but I've had numerous people try and help and I can't get it working.

I'm currently using the soundbar for music, but seems strange to use it for music and not be able to use it with the TV. And thought maybe I could find somethign nice to fit in my entertainment unit shelf.
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
35606 posts
18999 upvotes
You bought a TV in 2015 that doesn't have ARC? I find that hard to believe given it's been like 5 years since ARC debuted and within 2 years of that I think every TV I've seen has had it. However if it doesn't, it must have some sort of audio output, no? Is there a website link to the model/manual somewhere?

Even that other thread with the guy with the LG that had no outputs, it still supported ARC as far as I remember.

In regards to audio from the TV though, are you using the tuner/OTA for TV viewing? Or is it Netflix (built-in the TV) or other services you're trying to get audio from? 'Cause usually otherwise you don't need audio from a TV given most sources are external these days.

As I said though if you want real stereo from a "Bluetooth speaker" you'll have to get something like two UE Booms and one of them is the price of your whole Sony soundbar. There's certainly other BT-compatible systems out there (other than the portable speaker type) but those are just going to be similar to the soundbar you have now anyway. I mean you can go ahead and try out some portable speakers if you wish but I doubt you'll find anything that suits the room better than what you have there.
Deal Fanatic
Jul 7, 2004
6948 posts
2695 upvotes
Yeah it's kinda stupid no ARC and no optical output. It has coaxial. I bought a converter coaxial to optical, but just can't seem to get it to work.
Frustrated because in a perfect world I'd keep the TV and soundbar, but I just can't get it to work.
http://www.costco.ca/Haier-55E3500-55-i ... 22603.html
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
35606 posts
18999 upvotes
No ARC is pretty ghetto :( Are you getting a red light on the optical output of the converter? It's plugged in right? (Some people don't realise such converters need power and some don't come with AC adapters in the box.) Is there perhaps a setting in the TV menus to enable the coaxial output? Have you tried the converter on another device (BD player, DVD player) with a known-working coaxial output?

Maybe you should get a different TV (assuming still in Costco's 90-day return period) instead of ditching the sound bar for portable bluetooth speaker(s).
Deal Fanatic
Jul 7, 2004
6948 posts
2695 upvotes
Yeah light is red. I tried again today , couldn't get it working. I don't know what to do anymore. Guess I'll take the TV back. Sucks because Id on't mind it and it was only $499. Now I'll have to spend an extra $200+. Think I'll wait until Black Friday, hopefully something decent then.

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