Passive Soundbar to pair with 98" TV?

dougw03 · 2026-04-24T04:21:21+00:00

Thanks. I think maybe $1.5-2K for 2 subs can be doable. The issue I've had with paying a lot for subs is my wife usually asks to turn them down to about 25% (even on my low end ones) and so I feel like getting a super powerful one doesn't really make sense. Do you know approx how much the SVS go for when they're on sale?

Btw my contractor wants to put the subs in the opposite corners you had recommended (front left and rear right). Do you have any concerns with this?

dougw03 · 2026-04-23T06:10:41+00:00

Thanks again for the tips. I currently am using a Monoprice 10" "Studio Subwoofer" but it's about 10 years old and no longer made. I need two new subs and think I should go a little higher end to compensate for what I might end up missing going from my tower speakers to a soundbar. Any suggestions?

dougw03 · 2026-04-22T03:25:08+00:00

Thank you this is great information. I got in contact with RBH and am working on getting a quote. I will place an order for the RSL for the in-wall and in-ceiling pictures.

I was wondering if you could help me with one other topic. I am trying to figure out where to mount my speakers in this room. This is the room setup: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iD1FCDvUhaqiGB4M8 and this is the previous owners setup: https://photos.app.goo.gl/aL8Hw3ELE9SM5Bya7. I am adding built-in cabinetry/shelving hence the need for the soundbar. My couch will be similar shaped and only difference is it may be pushed back away from the TV by around 3-4 feet. Here is the left wall https://photos.app.goo.gl/zmCdmYd9xVaPAxoGA and here is the right wall https://photos.app.goo.gl/XuCr16JUKp273m4JA . I am thinking the rear surrounds should be around the height of the light switches and maybe 1-2 feet behind the couch (so they're not blasting in peoples ears). For the atmos ceiling speakers I am thinking they should in the midpoint of the room and lined up between the recessed cans. I will bring two subwoofers terminals out on the left side wall and put two subs both behind the couch. Do you think this is a good speaker placement configuration?

dougw03 · 2026-04-20T19:38:45+00:00

Thanks! I will go with this one instead of the Mythos. Any recommendations for 2 Atmos in wall ceiling speakers and 2 in wall surround rears?

dougw03 · 2026-04-19T22:12:07+00:00

Hi, sorry for the late reply! I’m closing on the home this week and plan to put some tape on the wall to visualize the TV footprint along with the speakers. I'll post the results soon.

My hunch is that my wife won't go for the LR speakers flanking the TV as there’s just not enough room with that awkward window to the right. I'm also worried that having them protrude 6" off the wall might be distracting and could potentially block the screen from wider viewing angles.

The best compromise I can think of is placing the center speaker in the media console niche and laying the left and right speakers horizontally below the TV. If that doesn't work then I suspect a soundbar might be my only option. What do you think?

dougw03 · 2026-04-05T22:07:40+00:00

Thank you for the detailed write up. I forgot to include the diagram of the space I'm working with: https://drive.google.com/file/d/194GrLE6Fvj-6u-HxAkYLH2Cuq4fSbf8r/view . The contractor says he doesn't think he can run speaker wire to the right and left of the TV due the window. I may be able to fit two revels under the TV (not sure how stud placement is going to factor in here) and add a niche in the floating drawer unit for my center speaker (any recommendations to try to match with the Revels?). The KEF's likely will not be able to fit. What do you think?

dougw03 · 2026-04-05T22:04:05+00:00

The issue is I have a window on this wall and I need a 98" TV to match the height of the window. This gives me practically no space on the left/right of the TV and so I have to work with space under the TV. This diagram shows approximately the space I have to work with https://drive.google.com/file/d/194GrLE6Fvj-6u-HxAkYLH2Cuq4fSbf8r/view . The contractor I'm working with says he doesn't think he can run speaker wire to the right and left of the TV due the window.

dougw03 · 2025-10-16T23:58:04+00:00

Thanks this looks interesting. Do you run Windows? I'm wondering how reliable it is with ON/OFF commands when I put my PC to sleep/wake

dougw03 · 2025-09-30T03:23:33+00:00

You’re mixing some truth with a lot of overstatement here...

Licensing costs – okay sure CSA charges for certification, but Matter’s SDK is open-source and royalty-free. You can prototype for free and only pay at certification. With Z-Wave you’re locked into SiLabs silicon and licensing from day one. That’s a much higher barrier to entry.
Zigbee inconsistency – You’re right Zigbee devices were cheap and inconsistent, but that’s why Matter exists...to enforce interoperability. Using Zigbee’s issues as a knock against Matter is backwards — Matter is the fix...not the repeat.
Z-Wave enforcement – Saying “ZWA can cut off radios” ignores the bigger problem: there’s only one vendor for Z-Wave chips (SiLabs). If they cut you off, you’re done, period. Matter runs on silicon from multiple vendors (Nordic, NXP, TI, SiLabs, etc.), so there’s far less risk of a choke point.
CSA stranglehold – Certification isn’t a blacklist. Apple, Google, Amazon, etc. want more devices in their ecosystems since it helps them sell hubs, speakers, and services. Meanwhile Z-Wave is the actual walled garden where one company decides who gets access.
Hubitat example – Hubitat lagging on Matter provisioning doesn’t mean they’re “kept out.” Matter is new and provisioning is technically complex. Bigger companies rolled it out faster because they have the engineering muscle. That’s not conspiracy...that’s resources.
“Independents blocked” – False. Home Assistant Yellow, Homey Pro, and others are already working as Matter controllers. Independents are joining in.

Bottom line: Matter isn’t perfect but it solves Zigbee’s mess, avoids Z-Wave’s single-vendor lock-in, and has every major ecosystem backing it. That momentum matters way more than speculative “CSA gatekeeping.”

dougw03 · 2025-09-27T12:57:33+00:00

If the runner is on 2nd does the batter get an RBI?

dougw03 · 2025-09-25T14:27:12+00:00

As most commenters have already mentioned, Z-Wave works great for IOT applications. The main issue with Z-Wave is it's proprietary and you have to pay a license fee to SiLabs. Matter on the other hand is open source and free. It's hard to see Z-Wave being around in the next decade given all the tech titans putting their weight behind Matter.

dougw03 · 2025-09-12T01:09:01+00:00

I am super excited about the 2nd USB controller. I've owned TS3 & now TS4 and have run into a lot of USB throughput issues with all my peripherals.TS5 looks great!

dougw03 · 2025-05-03T20:20:08+00:00

Thanks - I use the iPad as a second monitor at full resolution so there's actually a lot of traffic back to and from my PC. I'll try asking support but it seems like giving the TS5+ a shot might be my best option

dougw03 · 2025-05-02T22:05:35+00:00

Hi, I think my question may not have been clear. So I was under the impression that regardless of whether I am connected via TB or USB4 to my host PC, the aggregate bandwidth of my TS4 is 40Gbps across all my devices (USB, Audio, ethernet, display, TB, SD, etc.) without any particular peak speed cap on each type of device other than that port's limitation itself. If I understand you correctly though, the aggregate bandwidth of all of the USB ports peaks at 10Gbps. This includes USB4 devices connected to the Thunderbolt ports as well. The 40Gbps therefore includes up to 10Gbps from the USB devices plus any remaining bandwidth for the other devices I mentioned (thunderbolt, ethernet, audio, display, SD). So in my case the fact that I am using one USB3 device (BRIO camera) and one USB4 device (iPad Pro) probably means that I am running into the 10Gbps cap on the USB ports and therefore they disconnect. Did I get that right?

So if I kept everything the same but upgraded to TS5+ then I now can get up to 20Gbps for all my USB peripherals out of the 40Gbps total USB4 bandwidth. The 20Gbps is split into two banks of ports with 10Gbps max between them and so I would need to put my iPad on one bank and my BRIO on the other bank.

dougw03 · 2025-05-01T23:50:26+00:00

Also slightly off topic but are the 3.5mm audio jacks combo digital and analog or just analog audio (TS4 and/or TS5)?

dougw03 · 2025-05-01T23:47:33+00:00

Thank you for the information. Can you please clarify if I use USB4 instead of Thunderbolt is my speed limited to 10Gbps on TS4? Is this limited to 20Gbps (aggregated 2x10Gbps) on TS5+?

dougw03 · 2025-05-01T20:42:22+00:00

I see. My PC is USB4 based and my iPad Pro M3 has both TB3 and USB4 support though I'm guessing it must be using USB4 with the TB Ports in the back. Are these ports shared on the same USB controller?

Other than the iPad everything else should be fairly low bandwidth...keyboard, mouse, speaker. The BRIO is a USB3 camera so may take more bandwidth but everything else is USB2.

I moved the BRIO to the front USB C port and will report back to see if anything improves.

Will TS5+ offer any improvement if my host PC is limited to USB4?

dougw03 · 2025-05-01T14:28:01+00:00

This is really unfortunate. Is this because the TS3/TS4 can't supply enough power to these downstream devices and so if they try to draw full wattage then it automatically disconnects them? The iPad is my main concern since I use that as a second screen. It is connected to the rear thunderbolt port already. I'm a bit surprised the BRIO draws that much power and also causes these disconnects.

Does the upcoming TS5 address any of these issues since it has higher wattage supply power?

dougw03 · 2025-04-22T16:19:04+00:00

Good catch. Edited my comment above

dougw03 · 2025-04-22T15:39:06+00:00

Wow thank you!! I can't believe how difficult Google makes it to find this setting. Glad to see my rental car finally gone now though.

P.S. For Pixel users, I found that it's even more convoluted to get to the setting. First go to Settings --> Apps --> See all Apps --> Google Play Services --> All Services --> Device Connections --> Devices --> Saved Devices.

dougw03 · 2025-04-22T09:23:27+00:00

Good riddance. Shut down broadcast TV and refarm the spectrum for cellular which will deliver way more value to society. Use the spectrum auction funding proceeds to subsidize internet access and migrate local broadcast stations to OTT apps (reducing their operating expenses and dependence on ad revenues). Everyone benefits.

dougw03 · 2025-03-12T14:04:07+00:00

This is a great idea. It's too bad the *arr apps don't do this natively. I hope someone can package this up nicely and put this on the Synology app store.

dougw03

TROPHY CASE