I am looking for something to outfit a cottage. Something small like 2.1 sound. Probably like most of you I have a litter of older audio equipment. I have no problem running an optical cable from a TV to an older pre HDMI receiver running some older speakers.

However my wife would prefer a soundbar or a cleaner installation (even if it just runs off the same optical or HDMI ARC cable) The last thread I could find here was in 2013. Any more recent reviews/feedback of soundbars that you guys may have used and recommend? Something in the 300 to 500 range would be best.

If you look at it from the side of what is inside most of these sound bar speakers, they need the .1 to be able to produce any form of base sound. Most of the subs that are included with these sound bars are not as good at the M2 speakers to produce the lower sounds in the price range you are looking for.

The advantage of a clean look comes down to how well you can hide the speaker wires. You are going to have to plug in the sound bar into something, and I don't know your room to know if it will be an issue.

Speaker cables are generally easy to hide behind skirting boards around the floor and I am going to guess with being in the Cayman Islands, that home construction and how your walls are built will play a roll hiding cables inside the walls.

Sound wise, you will not beat the sound of a pair of M2's compared to a sound bar around the price level that you are looking for. Reuse the old equipment that you have and go for better sound over looks.

It may be a bit beyond your price range but did you look at the AxiomAir?

Check out the Denon Heos 5. It fits your budget and offers better sound than the plethora of soundbar/subwoofer set-ups I have heard.

All, thanks for responding. If I go the speaker route I will just use some old Paradigm Cinema 110 v3 with matching stands I have. I have an old monitor audio 360 sub and an old denon AVR. However using the old gear just means it is not a clean as a little sound bar and a wireless sub. The sound quality will not be as good but WAF needs > audio needs this time.

I did hear a Denon Heos 5 and was really impressed. I will need to look into that.

I thought about the Air however honestly I haven't followed any of it at all.

Oh, and this is for a cottage in northern Ontario.

I would expect the Paradigm speakers and sub to sound much better than any soundbar or the Heos. I know you have WAF issues but try to get the speakers out from the wall and into the room and you'll be very happy. Maybe you can do that when she's not around :p.