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Hob_Gadling posted:Find better stores. Harman/Kardon notwithstanding (they make nice stereo amps) the stuff you listed is designed to compete with price and looks, not quality of sound. Both sides of the Atlantic should have at least the brands mentioned in OP; I've purposefully left out the more esoteric (and often, expensive) models. Hah i thought so, thanks guy, there's a home theater store on my way to work i'll pop in and see whats what.
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Jan 5, 2012 20:59
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canada jezus posted:Hah i thought so, thanks guy, there's a home theater store on my way to work i'll pop in and see whats what. Don't forget craigslist, kijijijijijijij, and online retailers. They're usually much cheaper than brick & mortar stores.
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Jan 5, 2012 22:23
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I'm only looking for, well i'm not even sure yet. I think just 2.0 mostly music but i'll hook it up to the tv anyway since you know, it'll be there and all. Online retailers i'm fine with though, but how will i know what the speakers sound like? Also craigslist doesn't really exist here. I think we have like one post on it and its a thai hooker.
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Jan 5, 2012 22:35
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canada jezus posted:I'm only looking for, well i'm not even sure yet. I think just 2.0 mostly music but i'll hook it up to the tv anyway since you know, it'll be there and all. Speakers you should definitely listen to. I was under the impression you were looking for a receiver. What area are you and what is the closest large city to you ?
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Jan 5, 2012 23:19
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Brussels (belgium) is the nearest large city for me, to be honest idk even know where to look for this equipment. Every electronics store, i find just carries the ones i mentioned up above. Ah scratch that, found something nearby, carries: Cedia, bose, bowers&wilkins, loewe, future automation, sonos. edit: oh wait more, NAD, kef, geneva and some brands that only do projectors or like control panels. No exact inventory though. Oh right, my living room house and living room aren't very big, does this impact the kind of stuff i'll need to buy? canada jezus fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Jan 5, 2012 |
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Jan 5, 2012 23:45
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canada jezus posted:Brussels (belgium) is the nearest large city for me, to be honest idk even know where to look for this equipment. Every electronics store, i find just carries the ones i mentioned up above. Ah scratch that, found something nearby, carries: Cedia, bose, bowers&wilkins, loewe, future automation, sonos. the smaller the room, the less woofer you need. So if you're going for loud low bass tones, a smaller room works to your advantage. It doesn't make much difference for higher frequency (as far as loudness goes). I would recomend staying away from the bose stuff, and go into the stores with a budget, and get them to demo some equipment for you.
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Jan 6, 2012 01:56
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Okay, so I guess my last question was too vague. So, I'm liking the looks (and prices) of this reciever and this speaker set. Anything I need to be aware of or will these work well together?
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Jan 7, 2012 06:24
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I can't really say much about that reciever, but those speakers are pretty shabby. I'd go for two Polk monitor 60's (99.99 each on newegg)add a CS1 center channel (64.99) and you're off to a decent start. from there you can add a sub and surrounds if you want. It'll cost more in the long run, but sound far, far better.
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Jan 7, 2012 08:32
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That set's already at about the top end of my budget, though. Is this speaker set any better? I'll be honest; I'm even half-tempted to get these. Sure, they're not terribly good, but I also don't know too much about what I'm doing, so maybe that won't be such a bad thing?
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Jan 7, 2012 08:46
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inklesspen posted:I also don't know too much about what I'm doing, so maybe that won't be such a bad thing? You're willing to put $500, blind, into a set that you'll use for years to come? Are you sure you don't want to do even cursory listening to what's out there before committing into something? Take a look at this chart before buying:  Decide what features you want from your receiver. Analog to HDMI conversion is one of the big ones: it's what allows you to connect Wii and other devices that don't carry HDMI into your receiver and still connect to TV with just one HDMI cable. If you find there's a feature that you want but can't find there, keep looking (and tell us, we can help you look). You can do the same comparison for Pioneer, Denon and Yamaha if you want to. After that, decide whether you want to buy speakers separately or in one set. Generally the packaged speakers are cheaper but don't sound as good. No matter which way you go you really, really should listen with your own ears to them before buying. Visit a hi-fi shop, buy somewhere that allows no-questions-asked returns. Getting surround sound is pointless if it doesn't sound good. If you want everything in one package, take a look at packages like Onkyo HT-S7409. If you want to buy separates, get front left, right and center channel speakers first. You can easily add more speakers later. Separates can create a much better system, and certainly one that fits your tastes and budget better. To repeat the most important point of OP: if you like how it sounds, it's good. Nothing else is really important compared to that one single thing.
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Jan 7, 2012 15:47
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I read the OP, yeah. I just don't want the expense and hassle of buying speakers one at a time yet. Buying sight-unseen worked fine for my current HDTV and the one before it, too. Maybe I've used up all my AV karma on that. I'll have a poke around the city if there are any good shops. I just figured the experience would be "here are three options, I hope you were planning on buying one of them".
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Jan 7, 2012 18:26
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My 8 year old Philips HTIB is on its way out, so now I'm looking for a quality receiver. I saw in the OPs that the TX-NR709 is highly recommended, however, that price cut doesn't seem to extend to Canada. The TX-NR609 is similarly priced here, so I'm wondering if I lose any major features by dropping down to it? I plan on hooking up my computer with an HDMI from my video card so I can use it on my TV. There'll also be an Xbox (component) and Wii (component) going into it. I'm also looking at getting some speakers, but since I live in a small apartment I really don't want to invest in anything super-high quality. I was looking at either buying this Pioneer set or getting a bundled deal of the NR609 and some Onkyo-branded speakers. e: oh, since the sub would be using an RCA cable, would I see any difference if I use a premium one from monoprice over the manufacturer supplied one? Rukus fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Jan 7, 2012 |
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Jan 7, 2012 18:44
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inklesspen posted:That set's already at about the top end of my budget, though. Is this speaker set any better? I haven't heard these speakers in particular, but I do use the same brand and this looks like a pretty good deal if you must by a package: http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/544779013/boston-acoustics-cs2310b
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Jan 8, 2012 00:09
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Anybody have issues where the audio takes 2-4 seconds to start playing from a Pioneer receiver? I got this VSX-821 and when scrolling around the HDMI/DTS/Dolby stuff doesn't show up unless audio has been playing continually for 2-4 seconds. After that, as long as audio is playing its fine, but it seems like it needs a few seconds to warm up before it's willing to play audio. This is all while I'm playing sources via HDMI (from a boxee) if the box is idle none of these icons show up. edit: dur, wrong receiver name. ILikeVoltron fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Jan 17, 2012 |
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Jan 8, 2012 07:11
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Am I going to blow something up if I connect my old 5.1 subwoofer to a new 2-channel receiver that doesn't have a subwoofer output? My parents got us a 2.0 system with a pair of Bose 201s, but I find the bass is lacking. I'd like to connect my old HTIaB system's sub to the new receiver somehow. I know poo poo all about stereo wiring and the internals. If I plug the old sub's -/+ leads into one of the left or right channels on the receiver, also occupied by the speakers, am I asking for trouble? The sub also has another lead for 'subwoofer control' for the old system, which end with a 2 pin connector or something. This is an RCA sub. It doesn't plug into the wall on it's own, it only has the -/+ wires and that 'subwoofer control' lead. No volume control. No speaker inputs. DadWilly fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Jan 8, 2012 |
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Jan 8, 2012 16:23
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Safetyland posted:If I plug the old sub's -/+ leads into one of the left or right channels on the receiver, also occupied by the speakers, am I asking for trouble? I guess I have to ask, why would you want to do this? I mean other than sending the wrong frequency over to the sub and the wrong levels out to it, I guess it could work. It's not going to blow up or anything but really, why would you want to do that?
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Jan 8, 2012 22:42
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Because I obviously don't know what I'm doing and I feel like I need more bass from the whole package.
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Jan 8, 2012 22:47
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I was in a similar situation myself and from what I could tell there's a few other components needed to make it work like a different amp (...not that there seems to be a whole lot of 2.1 standalone amps), or something to split the signal (uh, crossover?) and a sub amp, or just a sub amp that works with regular inputs and passes the signal through to the satellites. I think I saw one of the latter for $50ish but supposedly had some issue with the crossover function, like it didn't filter out the frequencies above whatever setting properly. And that's all assuming the sub doesn't have some funky specs, which could definitely be the case with passive ones that come with packaged systems.
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Jan 10, 2012 00:43
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I don't know whether to post this in the Quick Questions megathread, or here, so I guess I'll post in both. Can someone please tell me why the Polk Audio CS1 Series II Center Channel Speaker has an MSRP of $199.99 and the Polk Audio CS2 Series II Center Channel Speaker has an MSRP of $299.99? Just 50 extra Watts of Peak Power is worth $100? I'm thinking about picking up one of these, and don't know if it's worth it to get the CS2. Advice/opinions/information? Thanks!  Polk Audio CS1 Series II Center Channel Speaker - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290211 Polk Audio CS2 Series II Center Channel Speaker - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290213
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Jan 10, 2012 20:00
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eightysixed posted:I don't know whether to post this in the Quick Questions megathread, or here, so I guess I'll post in both. More than just peak power is different. Cone size, cabinet size as well. What speakers/fronts do you currently have? Overall the cs2 is a great center, so is the cs1. The new cs10 and cs20 are nice as well. I have had the cs1, cs2 and now the cs20. Overall, the sound from the cs20 seems better, even though it's hardly different than the cs2. Really a toss up. What's ur budget?
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Jan 10, 2012 21:37
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eightysixed posted:Can someone please tell me why the Polk Audio CS1 Series II Center Channel Speaker has an MSRP of $199.99 and the Polk Audio CS2 Series II Center Channel Speaker has an MSRP of $299.99? Just 50 extra Watts of Peak Power is worth $100?
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Jan 10, 2012 21:40
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TDD_Shizzy posted:What speakers/fronts do you currently have? Overall the cs2 is a great center, so is the cs1. The new cs10 and cs20 are nice as well. I currently have 2 Fisher STV-880 (both have a 15" woofer) floor standing speakers for my FL and FR speakers. 150W and 8 ohm. They are a dated product, but are in absolute mint condition, and I don't think they sound that bad to be honest. Due to the condition, and my listening satisfaction, I think I am going to keep them for now. I don't really have a budget, I'm just going to slowly upgrade and want reasonable quality at a reasonable price. These 2 center speakers came highly recommended, so I wanted to make sure I knew which one to get. Maybe I'll just spring for the CS2.
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Jan 10, 2012 21:59
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The best one to get, that you can build around later is the cs2. It's worth the money, especially if you have the room to fit it properly. It will match with a ton of towers down the road when you do replace your fronts.
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Jan 10, 2012 22:07
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TDD_Shizzy posted:The best one to get, that you can build around later is the cs2. It's worth the money, especially if you have the room to fit it properly. It will match with a ton of towers down the road when you do replace your fronts. That's what I was thinking too. Newegg doesn't list the dimensions. Amazon shows 7.75" high, 11.13" deep. How long is it?
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Jan 10, 2012 22:11
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eightysixed posted:That's what I was thinking too. Newegg doesn't list the dimensions. 21" http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/recent/cs2/
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Jan 10, 2012 23:13
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eightysixed posted:21" Yeah it's pretty damned big, takes up most of the space on the middle layer in my stand. That said it's an excellent value, I think I got mine for something like $90 shipped last year.
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Jan 11, 2012 05:02
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The Gunslinger posted:Yeah it's pretty damned big, takes up most of the space on the middle layer in my stand. That said it's an excellent value, I think I got mine for something like $90 shipped last year. I ended up buying another TV stand to fit that Polk CS2, also newegg changed the price to $109 or so the day after I paid $140, ended up getting a newegg gift card for $30.
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Jan 11, 2012 06:09
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Hi thread, I could use some guidance. I am planning on putting together a decent audio system to replace the tinny crap speakers on my tv. My budget is ~$500.00 and I'm looking at the following options: Option 1: 3.0 starter system ONKYO TX-NR509 Receiver $220 Polk Audio Monitor60C x2 $240 Polk Audio CS1 Center $80 Option 2: 5.1 System with entry-level speakers ONKYO TX-NR509 Receiver $220 And this speaker set (or similar): Polk Audio RM510 5.1$300 Option 3: HTIB Onkyo HT-S7409 TX-NR509 Receiver and 5.1 speaker set $500.00 I've read the OP and have done a fair amount of research, but I'm still not sure what would make the most sense for me. My living room is not super large or anything so a 3.0 system would definitely get the job done for now. When I look at the specs of the other two systems, I just can't gauge the specs adequately enough to understand how they compare to each other or the 3.0 set. Also, am I reading things wrong or are the tech specs of the Onkyo set significantly better than the Polk set? Right now I'm leaning towards that set because it also includes the Onkyo NR609 vs the NR509. Halp!
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Jan 22, 2012 06:31
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Mikey Purp posted:Hi thread, I could use some guidance. I am planning on putting together a decent audio system to replace the tinny crap speakers on my tv. My budget is ~$500.00 and I'm looking at the following options: I don't know if it's because I'm not in America, but Newegg just gives me "We apologize for the inconvenience, but the item you are looking for has been deactivated. Here are some similar products that you may wish to consider".
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Jan 22, 2012 10:16
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Mikey Purp posted:I've read the OP and have done a fair amount of research, but I'm still not sure what would make the most sense for me. Movies or music, will you be upgrading later, does 609 have some feature you want that 509 doesn't? Run receiver comparison here: http://www.us.onkyo.com/prod_class.cfm?class=Receiver For music you want to get as good front speakers as possible. In your listed options that means the first set by a large margin. Speakers are the biggest thing (after source quality) that will affect what you hear. On the topic of upgrades, I tend to think that buying what you want right away and leaving some parts for later date is the way to go. You can't upgrade speakers in any other way than buying new and tossing the old; that's wasted money. Sound, looks and things like that are subjective. You'll have to judge them for yourself.
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Jan 22, 2012 13:42
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Hob_Gadling posted:Movies or music, will you be upgrading later, does 609 have some feature you want that 509 doesn't? Ah, yes should have mentioned that! Movies, Xbox and football games predominantly, music is secondary. I definitely want something with plenty of room to upgrade, but that I'll be happy with for at least a few years. I like the 609 because it's Thx certified and 7.2 channel vs the 509 which is only 5.1. I'm planning on doing 5.1 at a maximum right now due to size constraints in my apartment, I would like to upgrade to 7.1 at some point without having to replace my receiver. I guess for me it will boil down to the intangibles and how I want to approach the project. It seems to me that by going with the 3.0 set and slowly upgrading over time I would end up with the best quality speakers, although I would then probably need to upgrade my receiver at some point down the line along with purchasing a subwoofer, rear speakers, etc. I think I'm more leaning towards doing the opposite, meaning purchasing a better receiver with a serviceable speaker set, and then upgrading the fronts down the line. Is that the wrong way to go about it? Also, for movies and tv, how much of a difference is there between the three speaker sets by the numbers?
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Jan 22, 2012 16:51
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I would buy the receiver you want and see yourself needing 5 years down the road. Get something you can grow into, if you can spend $300 consider the denon1712. As for speakers, a simple 5.1 Polk system would probably keep you happy for a year or two, and then you can replace the fronts, center, etc as you save up for it. If you wanted a decent entry level set of speakers, try these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290146 and pair them with the Polk 10" sub. I have the above speakers and receiver in my bedroom and they do sound pretty good, def not the best things out there, but for around $500, it's a great 5.1 setup.
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Jan 22, 2012 21:58
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Can anyone suggest some short (6-12 inches) speakers stands that aren't outrageously expensive? I just want something that looks relatively clean and doesn't cost a ton. I just want to raise my front channels off the ground since I don't have any room on my TV stand.
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Jan 22, 2012 23:29
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I have used these. Might be a bit taller than you are looking for, but they are a good price. It's just particleboard, so they could be cut down pretty easy. http://www.amazon.com/SANUS-SYSTEMS-BF-16B-Speaker-Stands/dp/B00009WE0Z/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1327277629&sr=8-14
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Jan 23, 2012 01:15
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I live in a condo building and each floor has its own recycling room. Today I found a speaker system in it and brought it in to my condo to figure out what I had. I have an old lovely stereo hooked up to my tv and have been looking to upgrade in any way I can, even just as a temp fix until I can put together a proper system. The model number and "brand" don't seem to be coming up in google beyond a tiny photo on some chinese site so its some sort of cheaply made knockoff, but whatever it was free! It sounds decent enough as a 2 channel system. However, it appears to be some sort of 5.1 system, of which I know nothing. There are 5 small speakers and a subwoofer with volume/bass/center/rear volume controls. The back of the subwoofer has inputs/outputs that look like this (the photo is from amazon, and the model number is not for what I found):  The system I found doesn't have any sort of dvd/aux markings just the 8 inputs and the 5 outputs. My question is do I need a receiver to connect this to my samsung lcd 40b550 and xbox360 for 5.1? Thanks.
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Jan 23, 2012 07:51
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Mikey Purp posted:Option 3: HTIB I just bought the HT-S8409 (which as far as I can tell is that set with better speakers and more of them, basically) and I'm pretty pleased with it.
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Jan 23, 2012 08:39
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Mr.Showtime posted:The system I found doesn't have any sort of dvd/aux markings just the 8 inputs and the 5 outputs. What you have there on the sub is basically the amplifier inputs and outputs that you would usually find on a receiver. The only problem is that you need to somehow get the 5.1 sound decoded, since I bet the xbox does not have 5.1 RCA outputs. You could easily connect it as just stereo, though, using just the red and white RCA cables from your xbox into the AUX R/L inputs of the subwoofer. Hippie Hedgehog fucked around with this message at 14:53 on Jan 23, 2012 |
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Jan 23, 2012 14:34
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Can anyone recommend a decent soundbar? I'm not dying to eat up more space with large speakers, and I don't currently own a receiver. It seems like a soundbar would be the right choice, but I'm weary to pick up a $150 one and have it be just moderately better than the built-in TV speakers. I would like to stick to the $300-$500 range, but the cheaper the better. I don't live near any bigbox stores, so I can't exactly go demo them. Very few of them have reviews on NewEgg so I don't really know where to start. Yamaha soundbars on Amazon have good reviews, but they seem to be a bit out of budget. Edit: This might be perfect. Any advice for or against? Polk IHT 3000: http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Surroundbar-Entertainment-System/dp/B0036ORATQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Ragehaver fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Jan 24, 2012 |
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Jan 24, 2012 19:55
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I've been interested in getting a starter audio system and have had my eye on these quite well reviewed 5.1 Monoprice speakers: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090601&p_id=8247&seq=1&format=2 I guess I just want someone to reassure me that these speakers wouldn't be a total waste of money.
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Jan 24, 2012 20:07
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Paiz posted:I've been interested in getting a starter audio system and have had my eye on these quite well reviewed 5.1 Monoprice speakers: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090601&p_id=8247&seq=1&format=2 What's your budget? Although cnet reviewed the system well, there are better things out there for a bit more money. If you already have a receiver, and only want to spend $80 then they are probably your best bet. I still think you get what you pay for in speakers, and $200 will sound much better than $80.
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Jan 24, 2012 20:58
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