2.0 (Polk ES15/ELAC Debut ConneX DB41) vs High End Soundbar + Sub (Samsung Q900C)

[tweeter]

Hi, I'm currently looking for a low footprint setup for my TV about 7 feet away.
I have no intentions of upgrading the speakers to anything of a bigger size nor past a 2.1 configuration (the sub would be purchased later).
I can get the Q900C (soundbar + sub) for ~$600 and these two speakers seemed like the best passive (+ WiiM Amp) and active options of this size in the price range.

Would either of these speakers in a 2.0 configuration (later 2.1) really be better than the flagship soundbar?
Are there any bookshelf speakers of the same size that would perform better than the ELAC DB41/Polk ES15?
For this scenario would the DB41s be "better" than the ES15? I can't find any comparison between the two likely because normally passive speakers would not be compared against active.

 

[staticV3]

Hi @tweeter! Welcome to ASR.

In the US, I'd do Adam T5V+WiiM Ultra.

Adam currently sell the T5V refurbished for $180 a piece, with full warranty: https://us.adam-audio.com/products/t5v-refurbished

You won't get the same bass extension as with the Q900C's sub, but you'll get better stereo playback, proper room correction capabilities, Klippel NFS-tested performance, and much more flexibility for future upgrades.

 

[tweeter]

Hi @tweeter! Welcome to ASR.

In the US, I'd do Adam T5V+WiiM Ultra.

Adam currently sell the T5V refurbished for $180 a piece, with full warranty: https://us.adam-audio.com/products/t5v-refurbished

You won't get the same bass extension as with the Q900C's sub, but you'll get better stereo playback, proper room correction capabilities, Klippel NFS-tested performance, and much more flexibility for future upgrades.

Thanks for your response! As I mentioned I'm not interested in any future upgrades. I was wondering if there was really a big performance difference between a 2.0 setup with speakers of this size and the top of the line soundbar combo.

I'm curious could you share why you'd recommend the T5V over the other two mentioned speakers? The ES15 should be comparable to the ES20 with less bass extension and I would assume the DCB41 performs better given that it is an ELAC at a higher price point

 

[staticV3]

As I mentioned I'm not interested in any future upgrades.

the sub would be purchased later

Is this not a future upgrade?

So with the WiiM setup you could freely choose from 1000+ different subs, whereas with the soundbar you'd be stuck with the default sub, which may or may not suffice.

I'm curious could you share why you'd recommend the T5V over the other two mentioned speakers?

It's a well designed active loudspeaker, and it has been measured on a Klippel NFS.

I would assume the DCB41 performs better given that it is an ELAC at a higher price point

I would never assume a speaker's performance from its make, nor its price tag.

 

[DVDdoug]

The soundbar has separate speakers for the surround channels, including a center and angled speakers to bounce the sound off of walls or the rear & side channels in an attempt to give you a sense of surround/immersion.

And without a separate subwoofer you lose the "point one" LFE channel. (With stereo speakers and surround sources, the other channels are mixed-down for stereo, but not the LFE.)

 

[tweeter]

Is this not a future upgrade?

So with the WiiM setup you could freely choose from 1000+ different subs, whereas with the soundbar you'd be stuck with the default sub, which may or may not suffice.


It's a well designed active loudspeaker, and it has been measured on a Klippel NFS.


I would never assume a speaker's performance from its make, nor its price tag.

Sure, to clarify then I mean to say given a 2.0/2.1 system with no additional upgrades to incorporate a surround system is there a significantly notable difference between a high end sound bar and speakers around this size and price range? Or have we gotten to the point where this is comparable? For my own purposes the difference in sub wouldn't matter simply having a sub in either case to ensure bass extension is enough.

 

[tweeter]

The soundbar has separate speakers for the surround channels, including a center and angled speakers to bounce the sound off of walls or the rear & side channels in an attempt to give you a sense of surround/immersion.

And without a separate subwoofer you lose the "point one" LFE channel. (With stereo speakers and surround sources, the other channels are mixed-down for stereo, but not the LFE.)

Yeah if I never expect to move past a 2.1 system the immersion of the soundbar setup would be preferable. I guess I'm wondering how much of a step down in quality the performance/sound would be for media consumption and if it would detract enough that the immersive qualities wouldn't be "worth it." I can assume the answer with a cheap soundbar but was wondering if the answer is different with Samsung's flagship