> my old Vizio bar is giving me terrible eARC handshake issues and audio delay Honestly, in my experience, the only way to completely avoid those annoying eARC handshake issues with a Sony TV is to stay within the ecosystem. I've tried many different brands over the years, and mixing brands always seems to cause lag eventually. Since you've got a tight deadline and need it to just work, I highly recommend the Sony HT-A3000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar. It is about 37.5 inches wide so it fits perfectly between those TV legs. Bravia Sync works flawlessly with it since it's Sony-on-Sony. You get actual Dolby Atmos, and setup takes like five minutes. No audio delay, no random drops. It runs right around $500, keeping you under budget.

Like someone mentioned, matching brands is easiest. But check RTINGS for latency tests. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 Dolby Atmos Soundbar is under 40 inches and works perfectly via eARC.

Any updates on this?

I got the Sony HT-S2000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar and Im really happy with it, no complaints. Quick tip: use the HDMI cable that comes in the box to avoid handshake drops. We actually lost the soundbar remote immediately because my dog buried it in the garden, hes obsessed with digging lately. Anyway, Bravia sync works so well we just use the TV remote.