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angor
Nov 14, 2003
teen angst

jonathan posted:

Nope. Use one of the Sub Pre Out's from the receiver, run an rca cord from that to one of the "Line in" on the subwoofer.

Set the subs crossover/high pass filter to off or turn it up to the max setting (This removes the circuitry from the equation and lets your amp handle bass management)

Set phase to 0*

Set your gain to 11 o'clock

Run audyssey setup on your receiver and follow the isntructions.

RCA cables look like this: https://www.google.ca/search?q=rca+...iw=1366&bih=600

You only need to use a single one.

When you say I only need to use a single one, I'm a bit confused. Sorry if I'm being retarded about this.

If I take a 2 RCA to 2 RCA cable and take it from the line in (R&L) on the sub to this: http://goo.gl/slmWf then plug that into the top Pre-Out Subwoofer spot on the amp will that work?

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Hob_Gadling
Jul 6, 2007

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Grimey Drawer

Ak Gara posted:

I have 10 satellites

The big question here is how do you want the system to work? 10-channel power amps are easy enough to find for a reasonable price. For example:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=300-815

Ak Gara
Jul 29, 2005

That's just the way he rolls.

Hob_Gadling posted:

The big question here is how do you want the system to work? 10-channel power amps are easy enough to find for a reasonable price. For example:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=300-815

I'm using a 5.1 surround sound system for games music and movies. As I have a second set of satellites that are just sitting there doing nothing, I was thinking of putting them to use to boost the sound as well as even out their position.

That MA1240, did I read it right, it's listed as 40 watts @ 8ohms, and my speakers are 4x63+69 center. (sustained, non RMS)

My current system is a Z5500, is there a big difference between the SVS PB1000's 10 inch 20hz sub and the Z5500's 10 inch 33 hz sub?

Battered Cankles
May 7, 2008

We're engaged!

Ak Gara posted:

...shove 2 sets of speaker wires into each of the terminals?

This results in reduced impedance seen by the amplifier; if the amp isn't built specifically to do this (this is a feature you will pay for), it will overheat. Fire is possible, damage is near certain. Please don't try this.

Why don't you buy a 5 channel amp and run RCAs from your receiver?

Edit: does your 5.1 receiver have B main channels? You can add speakers to those channels. Now you need a 3 channel amp.

Battered Cankles fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Jan 3, 2013

qirex
Feb 15, 2001

Also keep in mind that adding more speakers might make it sound worse. If you have that "B" channel try playing some music through two sets of L and R at the same time and see if you actually like it.

Ak Gara
Jul 29, 2005

That's just the way he rolls.
I don't have a receiver, and the only amp I have is built into the sub. 3 x stereo audio goes into the sub, (left, right, back left, back right, center, and sub) then the sub has 5 mono speaker wire terminal clips.

whatupdet
Aug 13, 2004

I'm sorry John, I don't remember
Is there a big difference in sound quality between DVD and Bluray? I know the spec differences between DD, DTS, DD+, TrueHD & DTS-MA but as we have 2 receivers in the house that are older (non-HDMI) and only support DTS-ES, DTS 96/24 & DD EX I'm debating if I should spend more money right now to buy a new receiver for the superior sound or wait.

UncleGuito
May 8, 2005

www.ipadbackdrops.com daily wallpaper updates deserving of your iPad

kloa posted:

Check the manual for pass through. I have a cheaper receiver and it doesn't convert component to hdmi.

I tried enabling HDMI passthrough and that didn't seem to do anything, unfortunately.

parasyte
Aug 13, 2003

Nobody wants to die except the suicides. They're no fun.

whatupdet posted:

Is there a big difference in sound quality between DVD and Bluray? I know the spec differences between DD, DTS, DD+, TrueHD & DTS-MA but as we have 2 receivers in the house that are older (non-HDMI) and only support DTS-ES, DTS 96/24 & DD EX I'm debating if I should spend more money right now to buy a new receiver for the superior sound or wait.

In theory the BD-supported variants of DD/DTS are lossless and just like having a 6-channel LPCM stream, which some discs have as well. Both TrueHD and DTS-MA support higher sampling rates and sample sizes than normal, but few movie discs will use 24/96 or 24/192; as I understand it most movie audio mastering is done at 48 in studio so there's no reason to use a higher sampling rate for final discs. Music blu-rays will support those, however.

In practice it hardly matters; the lossless tracks are unlikely to sound significantly better than the lossy DD/DTS tracks, unless you have a beautiful listening room and an expensive set of speakers. And 24/96 or 24/192 aren't going to sound any different unless you already can tell the difference between a music CD and SACD. Any audible difference in sound is going to come down to how the particular track is mastered.

Edmond Dantes
Sep 12, 2007

Reactor: Online
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ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL
How bad an idea is it to put my 5.1 subwoofer in a cabinet like this (the back would be open)? I'm designing it, so I could move it around a bit (or remove the floorboard in the subwoofer part, for example).


The cabinet is 6', which would put the l/r speakers at 3 feet from the middle (according to Dolby that would be a good placement), but my main problem is that I can't place it by the cabinet's side (room size and other furniture), so if putting it inside the cabinet is a bad idea, I'd have to re-design the bloody thing.

Ak Gara
Jul 29, 2005

That's just the way he rolls.
Is it a ported sub? If so, what direction?

Edmond Dantes
Sep 12, 2007

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ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL

Ak Gara posted:

Is it a ported sub? If so, what direction?

You mean the hole on the side? It's on the left. (It's a Logitech Z-680)

Ak Gara
Jul 29, 2005

That's just the way he rolls.
I don't really know anything about speakers, but it might effect the sound quality if you cover up the port by surrounding it with a cabinet. Looks like a very nice design though. The Z-680 is almost identical to the Z-5500 isn't it?

I'm really impressed by my Z-5500's sub. 32 hz @115db and maybe 20 hz at around 96db, I wish I knew for sure that a SVS PB-1000's 18 hz would be worth the price.

Edmond Dantes
Sep 12, 2007

Reactor: Online
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ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL

Ak Gara posted:

I don't really know anything about speakers, but it might effect the sound quality if you cover up the port by surrounding it with a cabinet. Looks like a very nice design though. The Z-680 is almost identical to the Z-5500 isn't it?

I'm really impressed by my Z-5500's sub. 32 hz @115db and maybe 20 hz at around 96db, I wish I knew for sure that a SVS PB-1000's 18 hz would be worth the price.

Yeah, it's the 5500's previous model. I didn't get the 5500 at the time because it was a pain to exchange the stock cables and I needed some extra length (that's what the guy at the store told me anyway). The sub looks to be the same one in both models, in any case.

I was planning on leaving some extra room on the port side... and seeing as it points forward I wasn't sure if it was going to affect the sound, but I was looking for some confirmation. :I

Ak Gara
Jul 29, 2005

That's just the way he rolls.
It might work there, I don't know how much space to give a sub's port hole.

trilobite terror
Oct 20, 2007
BUT MY LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON THE FORUMS!

Edmond Dantes posted:

How bad an idea is it to put my 5.1 subwoofer in a cabinet like this (the back would be open)? I'm designing it, so I could move it around a bit (or remove the floorboard in the subwoofer part, for example).


The cabinet is 6', which would put the l/r speakers at 3 feet from the middle (according to Dolby that would be a good placement), but my main problem is that I can't place it by the cabinet's side (room size and other furniture), so if putting it inside the cabinet is a bad idea, I'd have to re-design the bloody thing.

Regardless of where the port is, that sub's gonna vibrate. Covering the port or putting a cabinet wall in its line of fire might make the vibrations worse- and it may severely impact the sound that comes from the sub or even damage it. But even if the port is facing out and unobstructed, the sub's vibrations are still going to travel through the cabinet. It's tough to predict how that would impact your listening/viewing experience. It might not be a big deal or it might make everything loving unbearable. If you're planning to stand your TV/other speakers/media player/games console/picture frames/assorted knickknacks on the cabinet too, it's worth considering how the sub's vibrations might impact them as well.

If the sub must absolutely be there (and can't go in the back of the room or in a corner somewhere) my one big suggestion would be to maybe cut the bottom out of the cabinet under it so that it's resting directly on the floor. Maybe cut a square out of the floorboard, leaving the front/back edges intact so that you maintain visual continuity.

Edmond Dantes
Sep 12, 2007

Reactor: Online
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Electric Bugaloo posted:

If the sub must absolutely be there (and can't go in the back of the room or in a corner somewhere) my one big suggestion would be to maybe cut the bottom out of the cabinet under it so that it's resting directly on the floor. Maybe cut a square out of the floorboard, leaving the front/back edges intact so that you maintain visual continuity.

No, unfortunately corners and "back of the room" are out of the question... the room has no corners (one side is a floor-to-roof window, and the other is a hallway), and the subwoofer actually has the decoder/inputs, so I would need to get some 10-meter optical cables and the cables to connect the computer if I wanted to put it next to the couch, for example... while not impossible, it would be expensive and a bit of a hassle.

I'll see about making the cabinet smaller (maybe removing a set of drawers) and putting the l/r speakers in stands; that should make room for it.

Thanks again.

The Aguamoose
Jan 10, 2006
"Yes, I remember the Aguamoose..."
As I watch a lot of films I've been considering buying a surround sound system for my tv but really just something relatively cheap, simple and easy as I know very little about audio. I was initially going to go for a simple home theater package along the lines of http://www.just-electricals.co.uk/product_detail.aspx?p_id=206 but the more I looked for reviews and read up on the subject (though I barely understand the basics) the more I got convinced to spend a bit more and do it properly and get a receiver etc. Being from the uk Richer Sounds seemed to be the place to go, and I was trying to put together a cheap 5.1 set when I stumbled on this offer which seemed much cheaper than getting everything separately, at least with this receiver: http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/home-cinema-system-deals/pah011076

I don't really want to pay any more than this (cables etc aside), so is this a good deal to go for, and if not why, and what should I be doing differently? I know the OP recommends going to listen to the speakers before buying which I will be doing anyway as the deal is only in-store.

Ak Gara
Jul 29, 2005

That's just the way he rolls.
Funny enough I was almost going to go in Richer Sounds today.

As for the TXNR414, I haven't heard good things.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1415258/the-official-onkyo-tx-nr414-515-616-problems-thread

Also, I don't think it can do 4k passthrough, and I'm unsure if it can do 1080p

I'm considering my first proper AVR and I think I'm going for a Yamaha RX-V373. It can do both 4k passthrough and 1080p capable. Range from £200 to £250 on Amazon, that's just the AVR though, you'd still need speakers.

[edit] If only Richer Sounds sold SVS or Rythmik. :(

Ak Gara fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Jan 7, 2013

whatupdet
Aug 13, 2004

I'm sorry John, I don't remember
On the back of my subwoofer it has Left/Right Line In, L/R Line Out, L/R High Pass Out, is it okay just to hook up a RCA cord to just one line-in? Any benefit/detriment to having both L/R used on the Line In?

Finally what is the Line Out and High Pass Out for? The very tiny instruction booklet that came with the subwoofer does not mention anything about them.

Thanks.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

whatupdet posted:

On the back of my subwoofer it has Left/Right Line In, L/R Line Out, L/R High Pass Out, is it okay just to hook up a RCA cord to just one line-in? Any benefit/detriment to having both L/R used on the Line In?

Finally what is the Line Out and High Pass Out for? The very tiny instruction booklet that came with the subwoofer does not mention anything about them.

Thanks.

It's for setup flexibility. Not everyone uses a receiver with a discrete sub-out/line out. Those connections allow you to run speaker wire to the sub and then speakers if thats your only option, like say you're using some vintage amp from the 70's.

Generally if you're using a semi modern receiver with a "sub out" with an RCA connection, you would run a single cord to one of the "line in" on the sub.

On the subwoofer, set phase to 0* if it allows, and turn the crossover dial/low pass to the off, or the highest setting. Set the sub volume or gain knob to 11 o'clock.

After that, Run your receivers calibration setup. Adjust the gain knob on the sub when the receiver tells you to until it stops complaining. Once finished, in your receiver set your speakers to "small", set the crossover for the subwoofer to 80hz (In the receiver settings).

This will give you a good starting point for blending the sub in with the speakers for a good match. It's also matches THX's standard who're agreed with by industry professionals. If you find that bass is lacking, consider making small adjustments from within the receiver settings. Try to avoid using the analogue dials on the sub itself.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN
4k upscaling and/or passthrough is not a feature that I would put much weight into. I have it. It's useless.

HEre is an awesome post regarding the issue:

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1449570/sound-off-4k-2160p-or-whatever-you-care-to-call-it-do-we-need-it/30#post_22784571

quote:


I work in film post production as a finishing artist for vfx and film titles and we often get demo's of the latest 4K projectors and prototype 4K monitors. Myself and the colorists typically evaluate the new gear to advise the execs/owners on what to purchase. In a real sense our task is to get past the hype - yes, even in the pro gear market hype is a big problem ; )

"I'd like to see 4K simply because it means seeing it natively as it was edited, not a scaled down version for home."


An understandable comment but not a very accurate one. Almost no feature films (excluding IMAX) are shot, posted and finished in 4K.
HD resolution is 1920x1080. DCP (digitial cinema projection) resolution is only 2048x1080. So 2K projection has the same top/bottom resolution as HD and is only 9% wider.
Doing the vfx and post on a 2K project can often cost as much as 50% more than doing the vfx and post on an HD project, so, a lot of A-list movies (most movies with budgets under 100 million and many "blockbusters" with budgets over that) are actually posted/finished in HD. These "HD" finished movies are converted to 2K (DCP) by either up-scaling them 9% or adding 64 pixel wide black columns to each side. 99% of the IMAX theatrical releases of "Hollywood" movies are high-quality up-rez's. The higher-end digital projectors (such as Christi) at theaters with larger screens read 2K DCP files and up-convert on-the-fly to 4K for projection.

Viewing native 4K content won't be much of a reason to upgrade to 4K TV's for another 10 years or so.

The Onkyo 414/515/616/717/818 are all great receivers. The reliability of them can't be judged from threads on forums because people generally don't post about them unless they have an issue.

Those Jamo speakers and sub, while well made, will be in line with what most home theater in a box sound like. On the flipside, the receiver is good enough that you could always use it, and if the upgrade bug happens to catch you, you could always sell the speakers and go for some stronger speakers down the road. The receiver is powerful enough and has a feature set good enough to be future proof for some time.

whatupdet
Aug 13, 2004

I'm sorry John, I don't remember
I had been using both Line In ports but now as I'm re-reading the quick start guide you would be correct, it says to use the Left Line In jack so I'll have to remove the right Line In, according to the manual the gain should be set to 12 o'clock and I can adjust that as needed, Low pass is set to disable and Phase is set to 0. Speakers have been changed to small and crossover has been changed to 80Hz from 100Hz.

Why would you avoid using the analog controls on the sub? For the most part I leave gain between 11 and 12 o'clock but every now and then when I want some loud bass on a movie I will turn it up to 1 or 2 o'clock.

DeltaEdge
Jun 28, 2008
What is the thread's opinion on Yamaha receivers? I'm looking to upgrade my old '05 receiver, and their line up has what I'm looking for. I was originally thinking of getting a Devon, but all their receivers lack component jacks in any capacity.

I'm looking for something in the 300-400 range if that helps. I've seen Onkyo mentioned a lot in this thread. Do they have a good quality receiver in that price range as well?

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

whatupdet posted:

I had been using both Line In ports but now as I'm re-reading the quick start guide you would be correct, it says to use the Left Line In jack so I'll have to remove the right Line In, according to the manual the gain should be set to 12 o'clock and I can adjust that as needed, Low pass is set to disable and Phase is set to 0. Speakers have been changed to small and crossover has been changed to 80Hz from 100Hz.

Why would you avoid using the analog controls on the sub? For the most part I leave gain between 11 and 12 o'clock but every now and then when I want some loud bass on a movie I will turn it up to 1 or 2 o'clock.

Generally it's better to use the receiver settings to boost the bass. If your receiver has Audyssey Dynamic EQ that can also work really well in lower listening levels.

The reason I don't use the volume knobs is because it can be a pain to get them back to exactly how they should be set for a faithful reproduction.

Ak Gara
Jul 29, 2005

That's just the way he rolls.

DeltaEdge posted:

What is the thread's opinion on Yamaha receivers? I'm looking to upgrade my old '05 receiver, and their line up has what I'm looking for. I was originally thinking of getting a Devon, but all their receivers lack component jacks in any capacity.

I'm looking for something in the 300-400 range if that helps. I've seen Onkyo mentioned a lot in this thread. Do they have a good quality receiver in that price range as well?

Check out the rx v373. Can be got for real cheap and has an auto setup like devon.

me your dad
Jul 25, 2006

I've got this Yamaha HTR-5730 receiver, paired with these Cerwin Vega LS12 floor speakers.

Is this a suitable power source for those speakers? I feel like the sound should overall be "bigger".

Laserface
Dec 24, 2004

I have a limited amount of space for a home theatre system in my TV unit. I like my TV unit and dont feel that I should upgrade it just to get a new hi-fi.

Can anyone recommend a slim line/small form factor receiver? Im looking to pair it with some book shelf speakers in a 5.1 setup. I have been considering AudioEngine speakers for this but am open to suggestions of better speakers in the same price bracket as the P4s.

This is something in my price range (and in my country)
http://www.apollohifi.com.au/index....emart&Itemid=80

currently I run my xbox video via HDMI to the tv, my boxee HDMI to the TV, and both of those use optical to my current HTIB receiver. Ideally I want both devices running HDMI to the receiver, then one cable to the TV, and optical from the TV to the receiver for the odd occasion I am watching free-to-air.

nice to have but not required would be Airplay compatibility, or i-device docking.

Low Carb Bread
Sep 6, 2007

Anyone know how to solve this very basic but annoying problem?

I have a Yamaha 371 5.1 receiver to play music in my kitchen and an older, but higher end 7.1 receiver for both tv and music in the living room. For each I use an RCA to 1/8" wire to plug in my phone or a laptop. On the newer 371, every time I try to plug the male 1/8" into an audio source there is a lot of loud popping noise which did not happen with my other receiver. I'm assuming the other receiver has some built in filters to block out this noise that the lower end model does not have. Is there any modification that will prevent this? Alternatively I know I can plug in, turn the system on, and turn it off prior to unplugging but this is less convenient than just plugging in/out whenever I want. I'm imagining that there might be some adapter that might fix it but I don't know what it would be called. A sound dock would work I suppose but they're mostly $50+ and I also want to have the flexibility of using an iPhone, Droid, laptop etc

Hughmoris
Apr 21, 2007
Let's go to the abyss!
I'm looking at building my first home audio system. Best Buy has the Harman Kardon AVR 1700 5.1 for $199 this week, marked down from $399. Any thoughts on this receiver?
https://deals.bestbuy.com/upgrade+your+home+theater/product/6087397/harman+kardon++avr+1700+500w+51ch+av+home+theater+receiver

Laser Cow
Feb 22, 2006

Just like real cows!

Only with lasers.
Does anybody have any experience with wireless DACs? I bought a NAD DAC1 at the weekend and mostly it works awesome, then suddenly it'll stutter, like a CD skipping for half a second. It happens whether I'm streaming something off Spotify or if I am playing local files. Changing the channel or reconnecting the USB part fixes it for a while but eventually it starts skipping again. I've been searching for a while on-line and I can't find a single example of this happening to anybody else. I'm hoping I just got a duff one but I'm having a word with the shop this evening.

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Hughmoris posted:

I'm looking at building my first home audio system. Best Buy has the Harman Kardon AVR 1700 5.1 for $199 this week, marked down from $399. Any thoughts on this receiver?
https://deals.bestbuy.com/upgrade+your+home+theater/product/6087397/harman+kardon++avr+1700+500w+51ch+av+home+theater+receiver

For that price range, consider a refurbished unit from accessories4less. You will end up with a better unit. Personally I like Pioneer for ease of use, Onkyo for bang for the buck, and Marantz for looking really nice in the cabinet. Denon is basically Pioneer hardware wise and Marantz software wise, but Ugly like an Onkyo.

Some examples:

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR1612/DENON-AVR-1612-5.1-Channel-A/V-Home-Theater-Receiver/1.html

Denon 1612 which has MultiEQ room calibration (It also does subwoofer EQ which actually makes a night and day difference)

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKHTRC360/Onkyo-HT-RC360-7.2-Channel-Network-A/V-Receiver/1.html

Onkyo rc360 which is an Onkyo tx-nr609 without the overpriced THX badge on the front. It would STOMP the H/K in the ability to drive speakers to high levels. The amps used in that lineup are in line with seperate amps from audiophile companies. The auto calibration doesn't do subwoofer though, so while the hardware is better (7.2 with a better amp versus 5.1) the software is less powerful in getting your room to sound good. For your needs you may want to go denon, unless you take an interest in room measurements, then you could work around the calibration limitations of the onkyo by doing your own measurements.

jonathan fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Jan 14, 2013

jonathan
Jul 3, 2005

by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

Laserface posted:

I have a limited amount of space for a home theatre system in my TV unit. I like my TV unit and dont feel that I should upgrade it just to get a new hi-fi.

Can anyone recommend a slim line/small form factor receiver?

People generally are very happy with Klipsch and Polk speakers in North America, because they perform very well for the price. That may not be the same in your country.

The best slim line receivers right now are the Marantz slim line. They look nice, have good room calibration and are full of features.

The tradeoff is small amps mean very little power reserves. You can get around 30 watts out of them realistically (versus 80 or more from a big heavy receiver) so you will want to choose a speaker that is efficient. The efficiency rating of a speaker means more sound out of the available wattage.

If you don't plan on a subwoofer, find a speaker that has a frequency range that goes below 50hz, if you do, any speaker that extends below 80hz will be fine as the subwoofer handles below 80hz duties.

As for speaker efficiency, look for something rated above 90db per watt (Usually the value is advertised like "90db 1 watt at 1 meter)

The bigger the speaker, the higher efficiency (usually). I didn't see anything at your link in the bookshelf section that is very efficient, however if you're running a subwoofer, the Boston Acoustics speakers look like they would be fine, as well as the KEF and JBL stuff.

If you aren't running a sub, the other brands tend to trade off efficiency for better bass response.

No chance on floorstanding tower speakers for the front 2 ?

Laserface
Dec 24, 2004

jonathan posted:

People generally are very happy with Klipsch and Polk speakers in North America, because they perform very well for the price. That may not be the same in your country.

The best slim line receivers right now are the Marantz slim line. They look nice, have good room calibration and are full of features.

The tradeoff is small amps mean very little power reserves. You can get around 30 watts out of them realistically (versus 80 or more from a big heavy receiver) so you will want to choose a speaker that is efficient. The efficiency rating of a speaker means more sound out of the available wattage.

If you don't plan on a subwoofer, find a speaker that has a frequency range that goes below 50hz, if you do, any speaker that extends below 80hz will be fine as the subwoofer handles below 80hz duties.

As for speaker efficiency, look for something rated above 90db per watt (Usually the value is advertised like "90db 1 watt at 1 meter)

The bigger the speaker, the higher efficiency (usually). I didn't see anything at your link in the bookshelf section that is very efficient, however if you're running a subwoofer, the Boston Acoustics speakers look like they would be fine, as well as the KEF and JBL stuff.

If you aren't running a sub, the other brands tend to trade off efficiency for better bass response.

No chance on floorstanding tower speakers for the front 2 ?

Thanks. youve been helpful.

floor standing is kind of over kill, the room is only 3m x 5m, and the TV is on the long wall so we are pretty close to the TV. the current system (Pioneer HTS-GS1) works well but its THD is pretty rubbish in comparison, and the speakers are kind of small. I want somthing with a bit more range so I dont necessarily need a sub, or a sub that can be hidden away better since its not also acting as the receiver.

I was considering using AudioEngine P4s for the fronts, A2s on the rear and buying a decent center channel elsewhere since they dont make them. I have Klipsch Promedia GMX 2.1s on my Mac and love the sound so I guess thats a starting point. I hardly ever notice rear speakers so I am really considering not even having them, but then I think maybe its because my setups have always been HTIBs that arent that great in the first place...

considering the Marantz NR1403 + an apple TV as the 1603 only airplays audio, and working out what speakers later down the line.

Low Carb Bread
Sep 6, 2007

I have a living room about the same size and have a 5.1 system with two towers and an SV Sound 12" cylinder sub. There is no overkill. IMO you are better off with towers but those look like good bookshelves and will be totally fine - but I would get a sub.

trilobite terror
Oct 20, 2007
BUT MY LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON THE FORUMS!

Low Carb Bread posted:

I have a living room about the same size and have a 5.1 system with two towers and an SV Sound 12" cylinder sub. There is no overkill. IMO you are better off with towers but those look like good bookshelves and will be totally fine - but I would get a sub.

Laserface posted:

Thanks. youve been helpful.

floor standing is kind of over kill, the room is only 3m x 5m, and the TV is on the long wall so we are pretty close to the TV. the current system (Pioneer HTS-GS1) works well but its THD is pretty rubbish in comparison, and the speakers are kind of small. I want somthing with a bit more range so I dont necessarily need a sub, or a sub that can be hidden away better since its not also acting as the receiver.

I was considering using AudioEngine P4s for the fronts, A2s on the rear and buying a decent center channel elsewhere since they dont make them. I have Klipsch Promedia GMX 2.1s on my Mac and love the sound so I guess thats a starting point. I hardly ever notice rear speakers so I am really considering not even having them, but then I think maybe its because my setups have always been HTIBs that arent that great in the first place...

considering the Marantz NR1403 + an apple TV as the 1603 only airplays audio, and working out what speakers later down the line.

I can vouch for the P4's. My parents have a pair as L/R fronts for their small den home theater and they are well-performing speakers with impeccable fit and finish for the price. I can't comment on the black finish, but I've seen the white and bamboo variants and both look really snazzy. You shouldn't have much trouble filling a medium room with sound from them. That said, they're on the small end of HT, so they really benefit a ton from a subwoofer- even something fairly cheap like an entry level Polk Audio deal from Newegg.

As for using a pair of A2's as surrounds- you're aware that they are self-powered speakers, right? That's not to say that you can't use them as surrounds- in fact, I remember the Audioengine website having a suggestion somewhere on how to do it. Just know that it won't be as simple as "plug the speakers into the L/R surround jacks on your receiver." You'll need a way to bypass the amp output from your receiver and just send a signal without "over-amplifying." There are both wired and wireless solutions around. But to be honest, unless you've got a specific reason for having self-powered rears (like if there's absolutely no way to run wires to the back of your room or something), I would stick to passive speakers (maybe another pair of P4's).

OppyDoppyDopp
Feb 17, 2012
Great OP. I've just bought my first decent TV and am building a HTPC, so I'm looking into audio for the first time.

I don't want to spend a huge amount right now, so I was considering buying this or this - any advice? The former would have to be significantly better to justify the extra £50 (I'm not trying to be a penny pincher, but I've spent £800 already on this set up).

And here's a simple question that I don't know the answer to: My HTPC has one HDMI output. Would this be plugged into the audio or the TV? If it's the audio, how does the image get to the TV? I really have no idea how any of this works.

parasyte
Aug 13, 2003

Nobody wants to die except the suicides. They're no fun.

HTJ posted:

Great OP. I've just bought my first decent TV and am building a HTPC, so I'm looking into audio for the first time.

And here's a simple question that I don't know the answer to: My HTPC has one HDMI output. Would this be plugged into the audio or the TV? If it's the audio, how does the image get to the TV? I really have no idea how any of this works.

The devices at the center of the HTIB setups you linked are receivers, in (most) surround sound setups these days they are the centerpiece that switches all the signals, both in and out. Everything is plugged into the receiver, and you switch between devices using the receiver. The receiver itself has an output that you plug into the TV and that's how the video arrives at the TV.

couldcareless
Feb 8, 2009

Spheal used Swagger!
I purchased a Denon 1613 back in November from, refurb unit from accessories4less. It's been working like a charm and I love it, but one small issue has come up. Last week while in the middle of watching a movie, I noticed the display on the unit itself was acting funny. It went from standard display to just a bunch of gibberish, being drunk and having company over, I didn't think much of it.

The next day I noticed that the display on the unit no longer works and no amount of adjusting the dimmer on the settings or power cycling it seems to bring it back.

Now, I'm not overly concerned about this because the unit uses the TV for display, too, so there's no loss of information. I'm making an assumption that the 1 year warranty that came with the device will cover this.

Now my question is, how is Denon's customer service and should I bother contacting them about getting it repaired/replaced? Is it going to be a huge hassle for me, will I have to dig up a box/pay shipping/etc? At this point I'm just wondering if it's worth dealing with this issue as the unit still functions fine without the display.

Thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated.

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Smoking_Dragon
Dec 12, 2001

WOE UNTO THEE
Pillbug
I'm having trouble setting up a 5.1 speaker system with my new TV. Originally I was planning on using my old Sony speakers and just getting a new receiver (the old one doesn't support HD). However, the center speaker is too wide to fit between my TV stand and the TV screen and the TV is too thin to put the speaker on top of. Should I try to place the center speaker in another place or get some sort of thin sound bar? Also, I want to avoid running wires across my floor to the rear speakers. Are there any good wireless options that don't cost a lot? There are some speakers in my ceiling that I've never tested but I'm not sure how good they will sound since they will be different from my front speakers.

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