Need a good and reasonably priced soundbar to add to my TV/receiver set up - Suggestions?

I put this into ChatGPT and it told me I'm a moron.

Soundbar won't work in my setup.

So now I need to figure something else out


?? Your Current Signal Path (Correct Setup)

Right now you have the correct architecture:

TV (eARC) ? Denon AVR-S760H (eARC) ? KEF passive speakers (speaker wire)

The Denon is the brain:

It receives audio from the TV via eARC

It decodes Dolby Atmos / surround formats

It powers the KEF speakers directly

This is exactly how a home theater system should be wired.

?? What Happens If You Add a Soundbar?

Most soundbars are designed to replace an AVR + speakers. They:

Have built-in amplifiers

Expect to receive audio directly from the TV via eARC

Do NOT accept amplified speaker wire input

Do NOT act as passive speakers

So they are effectively a second, separate audio system.

? Can You Use Optical from the Receiver to the Soundbar?

Almost certainly no, and even if technically possible, it won’t behave correctly.

Here’s why:

1?? The Denon’s Optical Port Is an Input

On the AVR-S760H:

Optical is input only

It does not output optical audio

So you can’t send audio from the receiver to a soundbar that way.

2?? Even If You Split From the TV…

If you connected:

TV ? eARC ? Denon
TV ? Optical ? Soundbar

You’d run into:

Audio delay mismatch

Two devices decoding separately

Lip-sync issues

Potential echo effect

Soundbars introduce digital processing delay. Your KEFs (powered directly by the AVR) would play slightly faster than the soundbar.

You would almost certainly hear:

“Echo” or phasey/comb filtering sound

And there’s no reliable way to sync them perfectly.

?? Why This Is Fundamentally the Wrong Direction

You already own:

A capable 7.2 channel Atmos AVR

Quality KEF speakers

Proper eARC setup

Adding a soundbar would be:

Redundant

Lower quality than your current setup

Architecturally incompatible

A soundbar is meant for:

People who do NOT have an AVR.

You already have the superior system.

?? If Your Goal Is…
?? “I want better dialogue clarity”

Better solution:

Add a dedicated center channel speaker (KEF center)

This is what your AVR is designed for

This would be a massive improvement over trying to use a soundbar.

?? “I want more immersion”

Better solution:

Add surrounds

Add height/Atmos speakers

Add a subwoofer

Your Denon fully supports this.

?? “I want a cleaner aesthetic”

You already have a clean setup.
A soundbar would actually complicate things.

?? Best Recommendation For Your Setup

Keep:

TV ? eARC ? Denon
Denon ? KEF speakers

If you want an upgrade, add:

KEF center channel (biggest improvement)

Then a subwoofer

Then surrounds

?? Final Verdict

Can you connect a soundbar via optical?
? Not in a way that works correctly with your AVR-driven speakers.

Will it sync properly?
? No, almost certainly not.

Should you add a soundbar to an AVR system?
? No — it defeats the purpose of owning the AVR.

Look at Polk Audio Signature Elite ES35. Shaped like a sound bar.

What brand TV?

The polk is probably the best slim center there is. I'd avoid the Klipsch. You might really like the Polk. I have the regular signature series center and it is great. If you dont demo things side by side, you are right that you probably wont ever notice anything.

I'm now realizing there are white options out there. I could do a white standard size center speaker and mount it above the TV on my white wall and it won't look as odd..

The Polk ES35 has great reviews (also comes in white) so maybe I buy that and try it out and return if I think it sounds weird.

Thoughts on having one above my tv aimed downward? Will that sound weird?

quote:

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TV above fireplace

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Down vote.