Yeah, there are a lot of self-professed audiophiles and home theater nutballs here, you are bound to get a lot of opinions.
I will throw mine in
I use Celestion speakers, they are very crisp, and produce accurate sound at pretty much ever range, the models I have lack some bass, so I would recommend if you got bookshelfs like these(100 watt, 6 inch cones, 91db sensitivity) you might want a subwoofer.
that said, a good pair of floorstanding speakers can go a long way
those are pretty burly, they have enormous bass, but still have a tight upper range, and are very clear. not to mention they can get loud as all hell(if you're into that kind of thing)
There are good speakers at every price point, one thing you have to consider is, what sounds good to you, might not sound so good to Joe audiophile from this board, Many speaker shops have listening rooms, if you can get to one, I highly recommend it.
Also, don't skimp on speaker wire,that really cheap radioshack wire works great for the cheap speakers, but as soon as you start getting the real hi-fi and powerful stuff, those tiny wires will cripple your sound.
well, are you a big movie fan? do you intend to be watching a lot of high-end DVDs with support for 20.50 or whatever sound set-up ?
if so, then go all out, get the most comprehensive reciever you can find, I recommend Sony there, they have some top notch recievers at great price points.
One thing I've noticed, with a lot of floorstanding speakers, is that they are no different than their bookshelf counterparts, they just have a built in stand, this I'm not to thrilled with, as they take up more space, harder to move, and generally don't sound any different, of course this isn't always the case, but that does happen, so watch out for that.
if you are a light movie watcher, then any system should do just fine.
remember that the center channel is one of the most integral parts to a 5.1 system, I think 70% of the work is done by the center channel, so don't be afraid to go a little bit more on the center channel. same with the subwoofer, a bad subwoofer will ruin the whole system, don't skimp out there either.
You're not spending enough money to get it too controversial though
I'd put in my usual two cents about my bang & Olufsen setup, but they're way out of most everyone's price range. Then someone will say B&O is too expensive for the price to performance ratio, upon which I say that so is a Ferrari, and then someone says the sound quality on B&O sucks, unlike on a Ferrari, to which I reply, "Have you even heard B&O speakers?"
Well, there you go. You're welcome
Seriously though, 5.1 to 6.1 does make an acceptable difference. If you can't hear it now, you'll hear it in time. It's all about what you can afford when it comes to this. it's kind of like RAM. Buy as much as you can afford.
You're not spending enough money to get it too controversial though
I'd put in my usual two cents about my bang & Olufsen setup, but they're way out of most everyone's price range. Then someone will say B&O is too expensive for the price to performance ratio, upon which I say that so is a Ferrari, and then someone says the sound quality on B&O sucks, unlike on a Ferrari, to which I reply, "Have you even heard B&O speakers?"
Yeah? So what happens when they have heard B&O speakers? They're no better than Bose really (ok perhaps a little better).
And christ, Mackies are studio monitors, not home theater speakers, different purposes.
You still haven't told us your price range. Anyways go check out some audio boards such as www.audioreview.com (many think they suck or something but still a good guide). Also check brands such as Axiom, Paradigm and places like Cheap Home Theater.
I think I'm partial to the Series 2000. I own the main speakers, really good sound.
So how many people have I annoyed after this post?
Price range is negotiable... (my wife is not to thrilled about the whole idea)
i would like to stay under $1500.
As for receiver i picked up Sony STRDE995, i think for the price is one sweet receiver.
Also on a side note.. i just got InFocus X1 projector, if anyone of you is thinking about buying a new tv, i would seriously consider that, it is only $1000 now, and it is absolutely awesome.
Nothing wrong with going with a 5.1 set-up now and then adding two additional surrounds later. That's what I'm going to do. Your ideal set-up will depend entirely on the dimensions of the room all this stuff is going into. My home theater's about 16x20 feet with thin Owens-Corning insulation all around the walls plus some plain old floor carpeting on top of that. Even with all this sound damping, my set-up doesn't use a very powerful subwoofer. Instead I have Definitive Technology BP7001SC L/R mains that have integrated 1500W powered subs with 10" cones (with the volume control turned way down)
Somebody already suggested the Paradigm brand above. Those are probably going to offer you the best bang for the buck. Even their Reference line is fairly inexpensive as home theater junkie speakers go.
I typed a lengthy reply last night that was lost to a safari crash
Here's a rehash.
5.l has 5 discrete channels.
6.1 is 5.1 with the addition of a discrete rear surround. The discrete L&R surrounds have the rear surround matrixed back out. Yes, 6.1 is less ?discrete? than 5.1
7.1 is 6.1 but plugs two speakers into the rear surround channel.
8.1 is 6.1 or 7.1 but with a matrixed 'up' channel derived from the L&R surrounds. This can be accomplished with the addition of any ole prologic receiver.
Don't even get me started on 9.2 channel surround.
Here are my suggestions:
Don?t buy a complete surround sound setup all at once. Instead, spend more money on quality amplification and just a pair of good speakers. In general, a pair of high quality speakers and a quality amp will sound much better than a cheap surround receiver and a full set of cheap speakers.
I would recommend a 5.1 or higher speaker from Denon, Harmon Kardon, Onkyo, or Sony ES. Then spend the rest of your money on a pair of speakers. In a year or so when you have more money to put into the system. Upgrade with a center channel, surrounds, or a subwoofer. While this may not be as impressive to youngsters who look only at blinky LEDs and the number of speakers, it will in fact sound much better even on DTS and DD encoded DVDs. Otherwise, a couple years from now, you?ll need to scrap both a mediocre receiver and a whole slew of speakers to make a minor improvement in sound.
I recently upgraded from a JVC receiver to one made by Denon. Both are rated at the same number of watts but the Denon sounds clearer, crisper, more transparent, more balanced, less harsh, and simply more ?real?. Even anti-audiophile friends immediately commented on the difference without being prompted or even notified of the change.
Get a good receiver and only a pair of speakers initially. In the long run, you?ll save money and have a higher fidelity system.
Oh yeah, I just saw your comment on the InFocus X1. I just picked up one myself after my old projector crapped out. If you haven't got the VGA->Component adapter for progressive DVD playback... go get it immediately! The difference over Svideo is phenomenal.
Klipsch makes outstanding speakers for people on a budget. I have a pair of 10 year old Kg3.2 that will blow your socks off. I only paid 300 a piece for them.
Now if money is no object, the best I've ever heard was a setup with Definitive Technology's BP3000. Un. Bee. Leevable.
Oh yeah, I just saw your comment on the InFocus X1. I just picked up one myself after my old projector crapped out. If you haven't got the VGA->Component adapter for progressive DVD playback... go get it immediately! The difference over Svideo is phenomenal.
Here's the thing though...
I want to run all cables in the walls, so what's the maximum lenght of component cable?
Another option is to get component -> VGA adapter and looooong VGA cable, but these things are a bit pricey ($300 for 50' VGA as it needs amplifier).
Before X1 i had InFocus 425z, and it doesn't even come close as far as picture quality goes.
Hey does your remote has backlight feature? Mine does not, i called InFocus about that and these bastards :-) told me that there's been a 'production change' and newer X1s do not include it.
Oh forgot to comment on AV123, they look great, what do you folks think about these?
I've always been a fan of Velodyne for subs. Particularly the HGS series (which seems to be discontinued). The Digital Drive series looks pretty good, but I haven't heard it yet. Unfortunately, I didn't see any prices, which usually means they're high.
If you keep looking, I'm sure you'll be able to fin a 50' vga on sale for $30 (in the US). Some people have good results with these even without amplification. However, I've always found these to cause ghosting and dot-crawl. This is partially a result of zero-shielding and the additional adapters required when hooking up to rest of my component video gear. I suppose if you're running a home-theater PC, then the vga would have fewer connections. Fewer connections/adapters equals better picture quality. I'm currently using a 50 foot component cord from my amp to the X1. The only adapter necessary is a $20 vga->component adapter. Over this distance i've found the coax nature of component wire to be superior to vga. High end vga cables sometimes have adequate shielding as well. This is probably why you saw that one priced at 300.
Either way, you should try the un-amplified signal first. If you don't notice any problems with the picture, then adding a video amplifier stands to actually make the signal worse.
Yep, my remote has the back light.
But I only use my receiver's learning remote.
If you want opinions on those speakers (onix Rockets at av123) then you should read the thousands of posts at avsforums. (link posted above) There are literally thousands of posts and dozens of threads on these speakers. You'll likely find people with your exact configuration of X1 and Sony STRDE995.
Yeah? So what happens when they have heard B&O speakers? They're no better than Bose really (ok perhaps a little better).
I don't know, man. I worked in a pretty intense environment at Turner. I spent a lot of time with the audio guys on the projects I was working on for air, and I developed a pretty sensitive ear for it all. The Beolab 1s that I run in my home go beyond acceptable accuracy of sound reproduction. They're a real pleasure to listen to and to look at.
but hey, whatever I'm happy with them, and I'm the only person i have to impress Just don't go comparing B&O to Bose. The aesthetics in relation to visual and auditory reproduction are in two totally different ballparks...
Comments
(Value of fidelty per dollar ammount is a completely subjective.)
What's your budget?
5.1 theater setups run anywhere from $200 to $200,000...
I will throw mine in
I use Celestion speakers, they are very crisp, and produce accurate sound at pretty much ever range, the models I have lack some bass, so I would recommend if you got bookshelfs like these(100 watt, 6 inch cones, 91db sensitivity) you might want a subwoofer.
that said, a good pair of floorstanding speakers can go a long way
http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.p...oduct_Id=14911
those are pretty burly, they have enormous bass, but still have a tight upper range, and are very clear. not to mention they can get loud as all hell(if you're into that kind of thing)
There are good speakers at every price point, one thing you have to consider is, what sounds good to you, might not sound so good to Joe audiophile from this board, Many speaker shops have listening rooms, if you can get to one, I highly recommend it.
Also, don't skimp on speaker wire,that really cheap radioshack wire works great for the cheap speakers, but as soon as you start getting the real hi-fi and powerful stuff, those tiny wires will cripple your sound.
Should i bother with 6.1? Receiver supports that, but is there a big diff?
I'm looking 4 something 'small', right now i own a pair of pbs speakers and think these are great, but these are kind of big..
From the above you can guess i'm not sitting in my room 10h/day with my eyes closed listening to Bethoven....
For a moment i was even considering... Bose *ducks* but i've heard these are a bit too pricey for quality they offer.
I need ideas! C'mon guys this is usually a 'quite controversial' topic :-)
if so, then go all out, get the most comprehensive reciever you can find, I recommend Sony there, they have some top notch recievers at great price points.
One thing I've noticed, with a lot of floorstanding speakers, is that they are no different than their bookshelf counterparts, they just have a built in stand, this I'm not to thrilled with, as they take up more space, harder to move, and generally don't sound any different, of course this isn't always the case, but that does happen, so watch out for that.
if you are a light movie watcher, then any system should do just fine.
remember that the center channel is one of the most integral parts to a 5.1 system, I think 70% of the work is done by the center channel, so don't be afraid to go a little bit more on the center channel. same with the subwoofer, a bad subwoofer will ruin the whole system, don't skimp out there either.
I'd put in my usual two cents about my bang & Olufsen setup, but they're way out of most everyone's price range. Then someone will say B&O is too expensive for the price to performance ratio, upon which I say that so is a Ferrari, and then someone says the sound quality on B&O sucks, unlike on a Ferrari, to which I reply, "Have you even heard B&O speakers?"
Well, there you go. You're welcome
Seriously though, 5.1 to 6.1 does make an acceptable difference. If you can't hear it now, you'll hear it in time. It's all about what you can afford when it comes to this. it's kind of like RAM. Buy as much as you can afford.
Originally posted by piwozniak
Help me out guys, i need something decent, i'm not an audiophile by a long shot, just need something for dvds and music.
Not too expensive :-)
(sub too)
thanks a bunch, there so much stuff out there....
any suggestions truly appreciated.
peace
What computer do you have? I found this the other day looking for the same thing.
http://www.jbl-encounter.com/default...06091562619712
Good Luck.
Originally posted by piwozniak
Help me out guys, i need something decent, i'm not an audiophile by a long shot, just need something for dvds and music.
Not too expensive :-)
(sub too)
thanks a bunch, there so much stuff out there....
any suggestions truly appreciated.
peace
Sure man, get a 5.1 Reciever to hook up these. You can't go wrong.
Originally posted by LoCash
You're not spending enough money to get it too controversial though
I'd put in my usual two cents about my bang & Olufsen setup, but they're way out of most everyone's price range. Then someone will say B&O is too expensive for the price to performance ratio, upon which I say that so is a Ferrari, and then someone says the sound quality on B&O sucks, unlike on a Ferrari, to which I reply, "Have you even heard B&O speakers?"
Yeah? So what happens when they have heard B&O speakers? They're no better than Bose really (ok perhaps a little better).
And christ, Mackies are studio monitors, not home theater speakers, different purposes.
You still haven't told us your price range. Anyways go check out some audio boards such as www.audioreview.com (many think they suck or something but still a good guide). Also check brands such as Axiom, Paradigm and places like Cheap Home Theater.
I think I'm partial to the Series 2000. I own the main speakers, really good sound.
So how many people have I annoyed after this post?
i would like to stay under $1500.
As for receiver i picked up Sony STRDE995, i think for the price is one sweet receiver.
Also on a side note.. i just got InFocus X1 projector, if anyone of you is thinking about buying a new tv, i would seriously consider that, it is only $1000 now, and it is absolutely awesome.
thanks
link
My still unfinished home theater:
http://www.eugenechan.com/gallery/hometheater
Somebody already suggested the Paradigm brand above. Those are probably going to offer you the best bang for the buck. Even their Reference line is fairly inexpensive as home theater junkie speakers go.
Also check out the brand PSB brand...
Here's a rehash.
5.l has 5 discrete channels.
6.1 is 5.1 with the addition of a discrete rear surround. The discrete L&R surrounds have the rear surround matrixed back out. Yes, 6.1 is less ?discrete? than 5.1
7.1 is 6.1 but plugs two speakers into the rear surround channel.
8.1 is 6.1 or 7.1 but with a matrixed 'up' channel derived from the L&R surrounds. This can be accomplished with the addition of any ole prologic receiver.
Don't even get me started on 9.2 channel surround.
Here are my suggestions:
Don?t buy a complete surround sound setup all at once. Instead, spend more money on quality amplification and just a pair of good speakers. In general, a pair of high quality speakers and a quality amp will sound much better than a cheap surround receiver and a full set of cheap speakers.
I would recommend a 5.1 or higher speaker from Denon, Harmon Kardon, Onkyo, or Sony ES. Then spend the rest of your money on a pair of speakers. In a year or so when you have more money to put into the system. Upgrade with a center channel, surrounds, or a subwoofer. While this may not be as impressive to youngsters who look only at blinky LEDs and the number of speakers, it will in fact sound much better even on DTS and DD encoded DVDs. Otherwise, a couple years from now, you?ll need to scrap both a mediocre receiver and a whole slew of speakers to make a minor improvement in sound.
I recently upgraded from a JVC receiver to one made by Denon. Both are rated at the same number of watts but the Denon sounds clearer, crisper, more transparent, more balanced, less harsh, and simply more ?real?. Even anti-audiophile friends immediately commented on the difference without being prompted or even notified of the change.
Get a good receiver and only a pair of speakers initially. In the long run, you?ll save money and have a higher fidelity system.
As for speakers... you might want to check out Rocket Speakers made by Onix
Everyone at AVSforums seems real enamored with them. Oh yeah... you should really check out AVS forums for lots of current opinions on audio gear.
www.nhthifi.com
Without a doubt THE best speakers on the market for the money. I will never go with anything else.
Now if money is no object, the best I've ever heard was a setup with Definitive Technology's BP3000. Un. Bee. Leevable.
Originally posted by dfiler
Oh yeah, I just saw your comment on the InFocus X1. I just picked up one myself after my old projector crapped out. If you haven't got the VGA->Component adapter for progressive DVD playback... go get it immediately! The difference over Svideo is phenomenal.
Here's the thing though...
I want to run all cables in the walls, so what's the maximum lenght of component cable?
Another option is to get component -> VGA adapter and looooong VGA cable, but these things are a bit pricey ($300 for 50' VGA as it needs amplifier).
Before X1 i had InFocus 425z, and it doesn't even come close as far as picture quality goes.
Hey does your remote has backlight feature? Mine does not, i called InFocus about that and these bastards :-) told me that there's been a 'production change' and newer X1s do not include it.
Oh forgot to comment on AV123, they look great, what do you folks think about these?
linky
Either way, you should try the un-amplified signal first. If you don't notice any problems with the picture, then adding a video amplifier stands to actually make the signal worse.
Yep, my remote has the back light.
But I only use my receiver's learning remote.
If you want opinions on those speakers (onix Rockets at av123) then you should read the thousands of posts at avsforums. (link posted above) There are literally thousands of posts and dozens of threads on these speakers. You'll likely find people with your exact configuration of X1 and Sony STRDE995.
This thread has over 3500 posts.
Originally posted by chych
Yeah? So what happens when they have heard B&O speakers? They're no better than Bose really (ok perhaps a little better).
I don't know, man. I worked in a pretty intense environment at Turner. I spent a lot of time with the audio guys on the projects I was working on for air, and I developed a pretty sensitive ear for it all. The Beolab 1s that I run in my home go beyond acceptable accuracy of sound reproduction. They're a real pleasure to listen to and to look at.
but hey, whatever