Hi Alison
Ibrahim offers some good advice. I would add, however, that the Sonos Playbase
and Playbar – which are essentially the same thing but different shapes to
accommodate your TV – don’t have Alexa or Google Assistant built into them.
But these are not cheap, costing around £699. The Sonos Beam, which I haven’t
seen yet, is smaller and costs half that to my knowledge. I think it has the
Alexa voice service built into it. You do need the Sonos Controller to control
settings such as bass and treble, but the TV remote lets you control the volume
of the soundbar. And if you have an existing Alexa, you can get it to control
the Sonos to some extent.
There are lots of these things on the market so checking out reviews and
visiting somewhere like Richer Sounds or John Lewis is indeed your best bet.
Kind regards,
Jackie Brown
Email: jackieannbrown62@xxxxxxxxx
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Ibrahim
Gucukoglu
Sent: 05 January 2019 10:56
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: soundbar recommendation wanted
Hi Alison
A smart sound bar would mean that it would link to one of the personal
assistance such as Google or Alexa, however there are so many options on the
marketplace that it is difficult to recommend anyone particular brand. A Sonos
sound bar system will cost you in the region of £400, my personal
recommendation would be to read various reviews or visit an outlet such as
richer sounds or curries PC World and have a look at some. I am personally wary
of devices you need to control exclusively with your smart phone, a number of
manufacturers have had issues with access ability in recent months, which goes
to show that depending on app developers to maintain accessibility standards
when they change and add functionality in the apps is a somewhat risky
strategy. If you’re going to buy a sound bar, consider whether it has a remote
control which has easy to feel logically laid out control buttons. There are
many good sound bars on the market which don’t cost a fortune, so don’t be
afraid to explore your options.
Happy shopping.
On 5 Jan 2019, at 10:29, Alison May <chrisalismay@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:chrisalismay@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
I am not an alexa user. Would i still be able to use my iphone to use these?
What sort of cost am i looking at? I’ve never seen a soundbar. On amazon prices
vary tremendously and some sound some describe themselves as a smart speaker.
Is this the same thing?
Sent from my iPhone by Alison may
0777 315 8181
On 5 Jan 2019, at 9:30 am, Jackie Brown <jackieannbrown62@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:jackieannbrown62@xxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Hi Alison
I would personally recommend a Sonos Playbar, Playbase or Beam which you could
keep connected to your TV at all times, which is fully accessible with the
Sonos Controller app on your phone, and which lets you play music through your
system using your phone.
Kind regards,
Jackie Brown
Email: jackieannbrown62@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:jackieannbrown62@xxxxxxxxx>
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > On Behalf Of CJ&AA
MAY
Sent: 05 January 2019 09:04
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] soundbar recommendation wanted
Since purchasing our flat-screened tv I don’t find it particularly easy to hear
and I don’t like the tone either.
My hope is that a soundbar might address this.
The only way I currently get round this is to enlist my sighted husband’s help
connecting up the tv to our hi-fi system’s surround sound but once the
programme I need this for is ended, it has to be disconnected in order that the
hi-fi can resume it’s usual function.
So, what I would like is
A fully accessible soundbar which I can keep connected to the tv all the time;
Bluetooth capability so it can also act as speakers for the podcasts and music
I have on my iPhone.
Is this feasible?
If so, any recommendations?
Alison
