So, it's been a few years since I bought a TV...they don't have picture tubes any more,

Anyhoo, the picture is excellent but wtf is the matter with the sound? We tried all afternoon to adjust it but it still sounds like everyone is speaking from inside a tunnel or something. I also don't like that theatre effect where the music and sound effects are ultra loud but you can barely hear the dialog.

I really dont watch enough TV to invest in a home theatre setup. Is there a way to get better sound with this thing?

babynoz said:

So, it's been a few years since I bought a TV...they don't have picture tubes any more,

Anyhoo, the picture is excellent but wtf is the matter with the sound? We tried all afternoon to adjust it but it still sounds like everyone is speaking from inside a tunnel or something. I also don't like that theatre effect where the music and sound effects are ultra loud but you can barely hear the dialog.

I really dont watch enough TV to invest in a home theatre setup. Is there a way to get better sound with this thing?

One solution, is to invest in a soundbar. It can be placed, below the TV if it is mounted on the wall. I had some sound issues, when I first purchased my Vizio HD, and the soundbar solved them. As for cost, they run about $200 and up. Mine is an INSIGNA, soundbar. It was about $200. Hope that helps.

shorttrini said:

babynoz said:

So, it's been a few years since I bought a TV...they don't have picture tubes any more,

Anyhoo, the picture is excellent but wtf is the matter with the sound? We tried all afternoon to adjust it but it still sounds like everyone is speaking from inside a tunnel or something. I also don't like that theatre effect where the music and sound effects are ultra loud but you can barely hear the dialog.

I really dont watch enough TV to invest in a home theatre setup. Is there a way to get better sound with this thing?

One solution, is to invest in a soundbar. It can be placed, below the TV if it is mounted on the wall. I had some sound issues, when I first purchased my Vizio HD, and the soundbar solved them. As for cost, they run about $200 and up. Mine is an INSIGNA, soundbar. It was about $200. Hope that helps.

Thanks. This one is an Insignia LED/1080p made by Lg for Best Buy. I tell ya, I am beside myself. I bought this set because my old one is turning green and I didn't want to spend a lot of $$, only to find out that now I gotta but some extra crap.

[Edited 3/26/11 17:40pm]

unfortunately, only the most high end HDTV's seem to come with audio to match their video capabilities.

Fortunately, you can find external audio systems with very good performance for very decent cost.

If you are looking for something to be better than the TV's speakers, I would recommend a sound bar also. Purchase one that has 3.1 capabilities. They will include a separate subwoofer which will further increase the performance.

You'll be VERY happy you did when you hear the difference, even in comparison to your old TV set.

JerseyKRS said:

unfortunately, only the most high end HDTV's seem to come with audio to match their video capabilities.

Fortunately, you can find external audio systems with very good performance for very decent cost.

If you are looking for something to be better than the TV's speakers, I would recommend a sound bar also. Purchase one that has 3.1 capabilities. They will include a separate subwoofer which will further increase the performance.

You'll be VERY happy you did when you hear the difference, even in comparison to your old TV set.

Thanks a million, I thought I was doing something wrong.

What happened to the days when you could buy a tv and just plug the damn thing in?

[Edited 3/26/11 17:58pm]

babynoz said:

shorttrini said:

One solution, is to invest in a soundbar. It can be placed, below the TV if it is mounted on the wall. I had some sound issues, when I first purchased my Vizio HD, and the soundbar solved them. As for cost, they run about $200 and up. Mine is an INSIGNA, soundbar. It was about $200. Hope that helps.

Thanks. This one is an Insignia LED/1080p made by Lg for Best Buy. I tell ya, I am beside myself. I bought this set because my old one is turning green and I didn't want to spend a lot of $$, only to find out that now I gotta but some extra crap.

[Edited 3/26/11 17:40pm]

I know...that's how they get you... But, after having an HD set for the last 6 months, I would NEVER go back to standard def. If I were you, I would do your research on soundbars. There is also the ViZIO, soundbar, which is pretty good as well.

shorttrini said:

babynoz said:

Thanks. This one is an Insignia LED/1080p made by Lg for Best Buy. I tell ya, I am beside myself. I bought this set because my old one is turning green and I didn't want to spend a lot of $$, only to find out that now I gotta but some extra crap.

[Edited 3/26/11 17:40pm]

I know...that's how they get you... But, after having an HD set for the last 6 months, I would NEVER go back to standard def. If I were you, I would do your research on soundbars. There is also the ViZIO, soundbar, which is pretty good as well.

Oh yeah they got my clueless ass good. I never even heard of a soundbar in my life,

babynoz said:

shorttrini said:

I know...that's how they get you... But, after having an HD set for the last 6 months, I would NEVER go back to standard def. If I were you, I would do your research on soundbars. There is also the ViZIO, soundbar, which is pretty good as well.

Oh yeah they got my clueless ass good. I never even heard of a soundbar in my life,

They have been around a while and they work GREAT!! The other night, I was watching, "Black Hawk Down" and those battle scenes were, off the hook!! I thought they were shooting into my bedroom...

shorttrini said:

babynoz said:

Oh yeah they got my clueless ass good. I never even heard of a soundbar in my life,

They have been around a while and they work GREAT!! The other night, I was watching, "Black Hawk Down" and those battle scenes were, off the hook!! I thought they were shooting into my bedroom...

Yeah, I guess my only option is to spend more money...I just hate feeling like a chump.

babynoz said:

shorttrini said:

They have been around a while and they work GREAT!! The other night, I was watching, "Black Hawk Down" and those battle scenes were, off the hook!! I thought they were shooting into my bedroom...

Yeah, I guess my only option is to spend more money...I just hate feeling like a chump.

You live and learn...

have you played about with the sound settings in the menu? it might have options to enable deep bass, or it might be stuck on psuedo surround sound or something. there might be a button on the remote that circles through various options and you pressed it by mistake

even the crappest tv shouldn't sound like you described, and LG shouldn't be that bad. you might also have the settings wrong on your dvd player or cable box, especially if you have connected via hdmi. try changing hmdi audio output from lpmc to raw or vice versa and then play with the tv sound menu options

unique said:

have you played about with the sound settings in the menu? it might have options to enable deep bass, or it might be stuck on psuedo surround sound or something. there might be a button on the remote that circles through various options and you pressed it by mistake

even the crappest tv shouldn't sound like you described, and LG shouldn't be that bad. you might also have the settings wrong on your dvd player or cable box, especially if you have connected via hdmi. try changing hmdi audio output from lpmc to raw or vice versa and then play with the tv sound menu options

Yep, we spent a perfectly nice, sunny afternoon playing around with the settings you mentioned. Some settings improved the sound slightly but it's still weird. My son says I need a different cable box to properly access all of the hd features.

Damn these newfangled gadgets...

babynoz said:

unique said:

have you played about with the sound settings in the menu? it might have options to enable deep bass, or it might be stuck on psuedo surround sound or something. there might be a button on the remote that circles through various options and you pressed it by mistake

even the crappest tv shouldn't sound like you described, and LG shouldn't be that bad. you might also have the settings wrong on your dvd player or cable box, especially if you have connected via hdmi. try changing hmdi audio output from lpmc to raw or vice versa and then play with the tv sound menu options

Yep, we spent a perfectly nice, sunny afternoon playing around with the settings you mentioned. Some settings improved the sound slightly but it's still weird. My son says I need a different cable box to properly access all of the hd features.

Damn these newfangled gadgets...

so do you have the sound problem regardless of what you are playing back? is it the same on dvd and cable tv?

what cables are you using to connect your devices, and what settings do you have to connect them? ie HDMI with RAW or LPCM? maybe you are outputting 5.1 from the cable box instead of 2.0 and that's the problem

Most of these tv's have speakers that only push a meager 10w so, it the sound that comes out of them, will most time, not always be the best. As I posted in my previous post, before I purchased the soundbar, I experienced "tinny" sound and "volume spikes", no matter if I used the the DVD or game system. Believe me, it is nothing that he did wrong, it's just the way it is. HD, was designed for clearer picture and great sound. That being said, all that great sound cannot be heard through 10w speakers. It's lilke putting on sweater a size too small. Once he gets that soundbar,(if he decides to), things will be allot better.

babynoz said:

So, it's been a few years since I bought a TV...they don't have picture tubes any more,

Anyhoo, the picture is excellent but wtf is the matter with the sound? We tried all afternoon to adjust it but it still sounds like everyone is speaking from inside a tunnel or something. I also don't like that theatre effect where the music and sound effects are ultra loud but you can barely hear the dialog.

I really dont watch enough TV to invest in a home theatre setup. Is there a way to get better sound with this thing?

I just plug my components into my stereo receiver. I refuse to buy any accessories after dropping a grand on a TV. For $1000 they could at least throw in some rabbit ears. These used to be standard issue.

And the way they mix the sound on new movies and TV shows is ridiculous. I shouldn't have to crank the volume up to hear people speaking. Then a every few minutes get my eardrums blown out by deafeningly loud music and sound effects. What is wrong with these studios? Louder is not better. If I want loud I know how to operate the volume button. It's a conspiracy I tell ya. A goddamn conspiracy.

[Edited 3/27/11 8:36am]

therevolutionwillnotbe said:

unique said:

babynoz said:

Yep, we spent a perfectly nice, sunny afternoon playing around with the settings you mentioned. Some settings improved the sound slightly but it's still weird. My son says I need a different cable box to properly access all of the hd features.

Damn these newfangled gadgets...

so do you have the sound problem regardless of what you are playing back? is it the same on dvd and cable tv?

what cables are you using to connect your devices, and what settings do you have to connect them? ie HDMI with RAW or LPCM? maybe you are outputting 5.1 from the cable box instead of 2.0 and that's the problem

I played a couple of dvds and the sound was still weird.

My cable box is not hd...my son says I still need an hd cable box. I am also thinking of getting the sound bar.

I am using the cables that came with the set.

nd33 said:

therevolutionwillnotbe said:

I just plug my components into my stereo receiver. I refuse to buy any accessories after dropping a grand on a TV. For $1000 they could at least throw in some rabbit ears. These used to be standard issue.

And the way they mix the sound on new movies and TV shows is ridiculous. I shouldn't have to crank the volume up to hear people speaking. Then a every few minutes get my eardrums blown out by deafeningly loud music and sound effects. What is wrong with these studios? Louder is not better. If I want loud I know how to operate the volume button. It's a conspiracy I tell ya. A goddamn conspiracy.

[Edited 3/27/11 8:36am]

It sounds fishy to me. I wouldn't buy anything until you get some tech head over to scope it out. Are you sure you haven't connected L&R of a surround sound output to your tv? That would mean music and FX would be super loud, with next to nothing in the dialogue dept as dialogue comes out the center channel on a 5.1 surround setup. Have you tried plugging anything else in to your new tv like a DVD player?

I guess I could ask my neighbor to check it. He's really into audio and his setup sounds great.

babynoz said:

unique said:

so do you have the sound problem regardless of what you are playing back? is it the same on dvd and cable tv?

what cables are you using to connect your devices, and what settings do you have to connect them? ie HDMI with RAW or LPCM? maybe you are outputting 5.1 from the cable box instead of 2.0 and that's the problem

I played a couple of dvds and the sound was still weird.

My cable box is not hd...my son says I still need an hd cable box. I am also thinking of getting the sound bar.

I am using the cables that came with the set.

you don't need an hd cable box to fix the audio, and you shouldn't really need a soundbar. what make and model is the tv, and have you tried googling to find out if it's a common issue with the set or read the reviews?

unique said:

babynoz said:

I played a couple of dvds and the sound was still weird.

My cable box is not hd...my son says I still need an hd cable box. I am also thinking of getting the sound bar.

I am using the cables that came with the set.

you don't need an hd cable box to fix the audio, and you shouldn't really need a soundbar. what make and model is the tv, and have you tried googling to find out if it's a common issue with the set or read the reviews?

Description in reply number 2.

From what I have read on the review sites and the techie sites, it's a fairly common problem with the low and mid range tvs, regardless of the make and model. It seems that only the most high end sets have decent sound.

unique said:

babynoz said:

I played a couple of dvds and the sound was still weird.

My cable box is not hd...my son says I still need an hd cable box. I am also thinking of getting the sound bar.

I am using the cables that came with the set.

you don't need an hd cable box to fix the audio, and you shouldn't really need a soundbar. what make and model is the tv, and have you tried googling to find out if it's a common issue with the set or read the reviews?

I agree you shouldn't need anything else to hear some half decent normal sound. TV's are so thin these days, they don't have the internal space for very good speakers, but your first post mentioning people sound like they're speaking inside a tunnel makes me think something is set very wrong! It sounds like the TV (or whatever is feeding the TV ie cable box, DVD player etc) is adding artificial ambience/reverb to the sound.

I be shocked if you can't turn this off and get normal clear dialogue coming out your TV sets speakers.

I work in TV sound and priority on everything is clear and upfront dialogue!

babynoz said:

unique said:

you don't need an hd cable box to fix the audio, and you shouldn't really need a soundbar. what make and model is the tv, and have you tried googling to find out if it's a common issue with the set or read the reviews?

Description in reply number 2.

From what I have read on the review sites and the techie sites, it's a fairly common problem with the low and mid range tvs, regardless of the make and model. It seems that only the most high end sets have decent sound.

insignia is just LG's branding for best buy

do you know what the exact model number is? it should be on the box or the tv. AV is a hobby of mine and i know the right people, i just need to know the make and model

also what cables are you using to connect each device to the tv

and what settings do you have the audio set to?

even cheap tv's should have a semi decent sound and not have a tunnel effect. what make and model of tv were you replacing it from? and what cables were you using to connect your previous devices?

my bets are that you just don't have it setup properly. it's probably a quick 5 minute solution. pix of the connections to see what's what, and the sound setup menu would make it easy, likewise knowing the model number

babynoz said:

unique said:

so do you have the sound problem regardless of what you are playing back? is it the same on dvd and cable tv?

what cables are you using to connect your devices, and what settings do you have to connect them? ie HDMI with RAW or LPCM? maybe you are outputting 5.1 from the cable box instead of 2.0 and that's the problem

I played a couple of dvds and the sound was still weird.

My cable box is not hd...my son says I still need an hd cable box. I am also thinking of getting the sound bar.

I am using the cables that came with the set.

I would invest in an HD box, along with HDMI cables. Most cable companies offer HD, at no extra charge and it is worth it. You are not getting the full benefit of HD, if you are using and watching TV through a standard definition box, even if you are watching, HD channels. Also, you don't have to spend an arm and a leg for those cables either.

Thanks for all the tips guys. I am not using old cables and we set the tv up according to the instructions. Double and triple checked the connections. My neighbor is on his way over for a hands-on diagnosis.

The model is Insignia/NS-32E570A11

babynoz said:

Thanks for all the tips guys. I am not using old cables and we set the tv up according to the instructions. Double and triple checked the connections. My neighbor is on his way over for a hands-on diagnosis.

The model is Insignia/NS-32E570A11

what cables are you using? can you post pix of the connections between units and the sound setting menus on the tv and the devices you are using?

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/insignia-ns-32e570a11/4505-6482_7-34109011.html

i actually came across that review before you posted the model number and found

so it sounds like you just don't have it setup properly

unique said:

Okay, the neighbor came over and re-checked all of my connections, checked the manual, adjusted the settings and even brought his state of the art dvd player over...no improvement. He agrees that the tv speakers are mediocre.

Maybe I'm just extra-picky. I will try the soundbar since I can return it if I'm not satisfied.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

babynoz said:

unique said:

have you played about with the sound settings in the menu? it might have options to enable deep bass, or it might be stuck on psuedo surround sound or something. there might be a button on the remote that circles through various options and you pressed it by mistake

even the crappest tv shouldn't sound like you described, and LG shouldn't be that bad. you might also have the settings wrong on your dvd player or cable box, especially if you have connected via hdmi. try changing hmdi audio output from lpmc to raw or vice versa and then play with the tv sound menu options

Yep, we spent a perfectly nice, sunny afternoon playing around with the settings you mentioned. Some settings improved the sound slightly but it's still weird. My son says I need a different cable box to properly access all of the hd features.

Damn these newfangled gadgets...

tell it like it is sister i hear you. a soundbarwhosit?

ZombieKitten said:

unique said:

have you played about with the sound settings in the menu? it might have options to enable deep bass, or it might be stuck on psuedo surround sound or something. there might be a button on the remote that circles through various options and you pressed it by mistake

even the crappest tv shouldn't sound like you described, and LG shouldn't be that bad. you might also have the settings wrong on your dvd player or cable box, especially if you have connected via hdmi. try changing hmdi audio output from lpmc to raw or vice versa and then play with the tv sound menu options

I have a tv from Aldi for gods sake and it sounds just fine to me, and I'm fussy. I agree there must be more to this, make sure there isn't protective film or tape or foam from the packaging over the speakers!!