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Hob_Gadling posted:It isn't conspicuous consumption if you don't spend the whole budget, is it? kimcicle posted:...they are losing their hearing... They won't be able to tell anyways, and nobody that knows enough to identify a pair of speakers as B&W is going to be impressed by your Denon - even if it's a nice Denon. Buy a Marantz or splurge on an entry-level McIntosh stereo amp (MC152) and pair it with a separate preamp from Outlaw if you really want to impress your snobby neighbors. KillHour fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Sep 9, 2014 |
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Sep 9, 2014 23:20
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I got the new speakers in, and went ahead and hooked them up, and I can't set anything right on the receiver I have now because I don't have the remote. Can't start the calibration, can't do the eq manually, only thing I can seem to do is choose from a couple presets. Sounds worse than it did before honestly, messed up levels or something. It's annoying, now I gotta wait for the receiver to get here, I went ahead with the x2100.
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Sep 10, 2014 08:34
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Got the x2100 in and setup, I only had a couple days to mess with the previous setup but I think the poor quality was related to the TV only outputting stereo via the optical, but didn't mess with it much. Only issue I'm having is the sub seems to be underperforming, though I know it's capable of more, still puts out the bass during music. Also, what is the best option to use when playing stereo content, such as older TV shows or games?
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Sep 14, 2014 05:29
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Has anyone done an outdoor setup before here? I'm hosting a bonfire/movie night, so I figured I'd try an outdoor movie theater thing. I was also thinking of going for a PA system speaker setup, but know nothing about that. I can't imagine these speakers would be the greatest audio quality though, but I don't want to drag the speakers and receiver out of my living room. Does anyone have any advice, or can point me the correct way?
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Sep 15, 2014 23:53
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How large of an area/how many people are we talking about? You're on the right track looking at PA stuff for this kind of thing. PA speakers are generally high-sensitivity designs with good power handling, to allow for high SPL, which is something you definitely need when doing outside sound in areas larger than a common patio. Decent PA speakers don't have to be super expensive, you don't need top of the line JBL line arrays or anything unless you're hosting a major concert. Have a look at DJ supply stores etc. in your area, there are loads of budget DJ/PA stores online too. Don't be afraid of brands you've never heard off before, there isn't a lot of brand crossover between PA and home audio. For power, you're looking for at least 500 watts per channel. If you're going to be running subs as well, figure at least twice that, with an active crossover and separate amplification for tops and subs. Luckily, PA amps are quite cheap for the power you get. I know Behringer gets a bad rep, but their Europower amps and iNuke class-D amps are inexpensive and powerful, and their crossovers work great too. Don't forget to look for used gear. DJ/PA gear is generally built to shrug off abuse by careless roadies. It's built to last, and bands/DJs generally like to upgrade their gear quite often. You can easily get your hands on ~1000-2000 watts per channel worth of amps, with assorted crossovers etc. complete with flight cases around half of what new gear would cost. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 10:51 on Sep 16, 2014 |
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Sep 16, 2014 10:34
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Ugh.. so my onkyo NR414 has finally poo poo the bed and doesn't work at all anymore. It started a while back with small annoyances (flaky network, HDMI weirdness) and now I get no sound out of it at all, unless I power cycle it about 10 times (it just doesn't pick up on the hdmi audio, no matter what device/input I use). It's 2 years and 2 months old, so it's out of warranty. I've looked online and other people are bitching about the same exact problem on their forums, and there's no solution. Onkyo is basically like "welp, sorry". The whole thing has really put me off Onkyo and I won't be buying their poo poo again. So, onto my question, has anyone had any experience with refurbished Marantz gear? accessories4less has the NR1403 refurbished for $270. It's $400 everywhere else with no variance at all. Am I asking for trouble here? It does still come with a 1 year warranty so.. gently caress it, just pulled the trigger. Between the warranty, the 30-day DOA return policy, and some really old anecdotal evidence I found online that factory refurb Marantz are usually indistinguishable from brand new, the risk seems fairly low. Please I read that these barely get warm when on, which would be a welcome change after wondering when the Onkyo is going to spontaneously combust inside my cabinet. I can stand in front of it and feel the heat rising from 5 feet below. CheddarGoblin fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Sep 17, 2014 |
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Sep 17, 2014 17:36
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the nicker posted:Ugh.. so my onkyo NR414 has finally poo poo the bed and doesn't work at all anymore. It started a while back with small annoyances (flaky network, HDMI weirdness) and now I get no sound out of it at all, unless I power cycle it about 10 times (it just doesn't pick up on the hdmi audio, no matter what device/input I use). The recall page mentions loss of audio specifically, I don't know if they'll authorize a free repair for other HDMI issues, but it sounds like you should qualify. Edit: saw your edit after I posted, but maybe you can get the repair done and sell it or keep it for a backup or second system. The Dude fucked around with this message at 22:07 on Sep 17, 2014 |
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Sep 17, 2014 22:05
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The Dude posted:You (and anyone with a pre-2013 Onkyo receiver who has HDMI issues) should check to see if your unit is eligible for Onkyo's recall: http://www.onkyousa.com/Support/service_info.php (direct link for USA: https://repair.onkyousa.com/na/003_2012.php?country=USA) Holy poo poo.. this is exactly my issue. Network connectivity and HDMI audio. If only I had waited another few minutes before ordering this marantz.. maybe I can cancel.
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Sep 17, 2014 22:08
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the nicker posted:Holy poo poo.. this is exactly my issue. Network connectivity and HDMI audio. If only I had waited another few minutes before ordering this marantz.. maybe I can cancel. Onkyo is really good about handling RMA issues. Always call them first. Edit: email this guy: jose.torres@us.onkyo.com He'll set you up. Can someone put this email in the OP? KillHour fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Sep 18, 2014 |
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Sep 18, 2014 06:45
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KozmoNaut posted:How large of an area/how many people are we talking about? Okay, I can find the speakers easy. Now the problem is how to easily get the audio from a DVD/Bluray player into it. I can't seem to find a mixer with one of these inputs that isn't thousands of dollars. And these speakers wouldn't plug into a home theater receiver. I guess I still have to figure out how I'm connecting the two. Any ideas?
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Sep 19, 2014 15:01
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IUG posted:Okay, I can find the speakers easy. Now the problem is how to easily get the audio from a DVD/Bluray player into it. I can't seem to find a mixer with one of these inputs that isn't thousands of dollars. And these speakers wouldn't plug into a home theater receiver. I guess I still have to figure out how I'm connecting the two. Any ideas? They probably have XLR inputs. You can get XLR to RCA adapters.
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Sep 19, 2014 15:17
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IUG posted:Okay, I can find the speakers easy. Now the problem is how to easily get the audio from a DVD/Bluray player into it. I can't seem to find a mixer with one of these inputs that isn't thousands of dollars. And these speakers wouldn't plug into a home theater receiver. I guess I still have to figure out how I'm connecting the two. Any ideas? You don't need mixers unless you want to put more than one source to the same speaker (like for karaoke, or something). You can go straight from RCA to your amp/active speaker with something like this, if 1/4 inch: http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-Cable-CPR202-Dual-Inch/dp/B000068O17/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1411137367&sr=8-11&keywords=rca+to+xlr Or something like this, if XLR: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Cable-Store-Foot-Male/dp/B0026K8X7O/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1411137367&sr=8-8&keywords=rca+to+xlr
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Sep 19, 2014 15:37
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IUG posted:And these speakers wouldn't plug into a home theater receiver. They will, but it depends on a couple of things. Home audio equipment is usually set up for bare speaker wire. Some low-end PA speakers will take bare speaker wire directly, but most will have a 1/4" jack, XLR or SpeakOn connector. All of these carry the exact same signal, ie. an amplified speaker level signal. All you need to connect one of these speakers to a home audio amplifier is an adapter. You can also buy a speaker cable of the correct type and cut off the plug on one end, or you can buy the connectors and cable and make your own. SpeakOn connectors can be assembled/disassembled with a screwdriver, no soldering needed. The biggest issue here is whether your receiver can deliver enough power to drive the speakers at a reasonable level.
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Sep 19, 2014 16:08
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I have listened to my new speakers (Andrew Jones Pioneer center and bookshelves 3.0 set-up) for a couple of weeks now. Initially I was happy with them but with each passing day they are sounding even better. Break-in time is real thing I guess. I feel that a subwoofer is still necessary; I can imagine someone being happy with my current set-up but I am missing the bass. So when camelcamelcamel emailed me yesterday regarding the price drop on the Polk 505 subwoofer I jumped on it. Time will tell if the money was well spent, I should have the subwoofer in one week. I will report back after I set it up and use it for a while. If you are trying to set up a home theater on a budget I strongly recommend camelcamelcamel and looking for open box deals (Best Buy is where I got lucky but I imagine most electronic stores have open box deals).
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Sep 19, 2014 16:14
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KillHour posted:Can someone put this email in the OP? Done and done.
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Sep 19, 2014 16:18
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Hey all quick question. I have been out of the loop for a while on the audio side of things. In my entertainment room downstairs I have what seems to be a pretty good set up. However, one component, the speaker system, is fairly old and I wanted to know if I would notice any difference with a speaker upgrade. I have a nice LED TV, A Yamaha Receiver that is on the lower end but supports 5.1 surround at around 100W per channel, and seems to crank up fairly well. I pass through DTS-MA while playing Blu-Ray movies on my PS4. My question is the sound system is an old Sony 5.1 system, bought stand alone (It didn't include a receiver) of which I paid around $349 for back in 2001. It costs of 5 speakers and a subwoofer. The speakers are ceiling mounted and are book shelf size pointed down and are positioned nicely. Sound seems fine to me, but I am not sure if I am missing out on anything better. I have just been used to these for so long. I feel like I may be missing out on some awesome sound effects in the mid/upper range. Being that these speakers are 13 years old, still function accordingly without any defects so far, have there been significant upgrades done with recent lines of speakers? I was eyeing Amazon and was looking along the lines of a $300-400 5.1 set up in similar fashion to how I have it set up today. It would really just be a speaker overhaul replacement. This may be hard to gauge, but has there been significant speaker improvement in this style of package?
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Sep 19, 2014 17:08
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Utnayan posted:Hey all quick question. Speaker technology hasn't really changed in 50 years let alone 13. So no, modern home theater in a box speakers aren't really any different or better than your sony's if they're functioning properly (if the woofers have foam surrounds, they're probably still good but they could be starting to rot. Probably still good though). However, your budget sony's probably aren't amazing speakers. Can you improve on them? Absolutely.
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Sep 19, 2014 17:21
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Utnayan posted:Sound seems fine to me, but I am not sure if I am missing out on anything better. Why not take a trip at your local hi-fi shop and listen to what money can buy?
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Sep 19, 2014 17:31
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Thanks guys. Yeah I should probably do that. I cannot seem to find any high quality shops with good service in the Twin Cities. I am sure there are some though so I should check around. Really the only place I have is Magnolia inside Best Buy and can listen. But it is hard to hear when there are about 50 other systems going off at once.
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Sep 19, 2014 18:34
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Utnayan posted:Thanks guys. The minimum requirement is a listening room where you can listen to one setup at a time. If the place doesn't have that it's not a hifi shop. I'm tempted to suggest you visit this place just because it might blow your mind. http://hifi-sound.com/index.php
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Sep 19, 2014 18:53
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Utnayan posted:Thanks guys. You're in a major metropolitan area. You haven't looked hard enough.
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Sep 19, 2014 19:05
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KillHour posted:Onkyo is really good about handling RMA issues. Always call them first. The Dude posted:You (and anyone with a pre-2013 Onkyo receiver who has HDMI issues) should check to see if your unit is eligible for Onkyo's recall: http://www.onkyousa.com/Support/service_info.php (direct link for USA: https://repair.onkyousa.com/na/003_2012.php?country=USA) Thanks y'all. I was able to cancel the Marantz I ordered and there's already a box on the way from Onkyo for me to send the broken one in. Faith in Onkyo restored for now. I don't know how I managed to not find that link in my initial search, even in their own forums.
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Sep 20, 2014 06:21
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I'm in need of some advice on wiring my setup please. I am remodeling my living room so I am able to run some cables/conduit through the walls. That being said, I will be hanging my TV over the fireplace mantle. I want to have all of my AV equipment in a closet about 10 yards away towards the back corner of the room. An HDMI cable from the closet to the fireplace mantle should be sufficient, but I'm not sure what I need to do about the IR sensor. Would I need to run a sensor from the closet to the fireplace mantle as well? Any suggestions are appreciated. Edit: I found this IR-RF gadget which may solve my problem http://www.amazon.com/Next-Generation-Remote-Control-Extender/dp/B000C1Z0HA/ref=pd_sim_e_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1A7XBKCDY7QFMK9PSQ41 mls fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Sep 20, 2014 |
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Sep 20, 2014 18:52
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Okay, thinking more about this outdoor PA-style setup for my setup. I know people were talking against me getting a mixer, going for a receiver, but I was wondering about this setup, if it would work. This to convert the audio from HDMI to RCA outputs: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Premiu...=hdmi+audio+rca Going into this little mixer: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Behringer-5...=item3ce7c7a62f Coming out these speakers: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Rockville...=item5afee3499f I imagine I'm also going to need an amp in there somewhere? Am I on the right path here? I figured it would be hard/expensive to find a home theater receiver that can do a good job at powering the PA speakers at a reasonable level, which is making me look at this route.
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Sep 22, 2014 03:04
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Yeah, you need an amp between the mixer and the speakers. A Behringer should do nicely if you're buying new, otherwise check out Craigslist for used PA power amps, they can usually be had for a couple hundred bucks for a good name-brand model from people who are upgrading.
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Sep 22, 2014 08:56
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KozmoNaut posted:Yeah, you need an amp between the mixer and the speakers. A Behringer should do nicely if you're buying new, otherwise check out Craigslist for used PA power amps, they can usually be had for a couple hundred bucks for a good name-brand model from people who are upgrading. Alright, so it looks like I would need this, and it fits the setup for my plans (only doing 2.0 sound for outdoors anyways): http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PQA3...s=Behringer+amp Which also means I can cut out that mixer. Just get those speakers, this amp, and that HDMI audio exporter. And then some long cables, and I should be fine.
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Sep 22, 2014 14:08
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Pyle doesn't have the greatest reputation among pros, but some of that is probably brand snobbery. It's pretty much the same thing with all of the cheap brands.
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Sep 22, 2014 14:33
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Yeah, for a few friends in the backyard, I'm sure it'll be fine. If this is a constant thing, then I'll spring for a better one if this one craps out.
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Sep 22, 2014 16:15
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I'd be worried about a Pyle clipping and ruining my speaker coils, not that the amp will die. 380 Watts @ 8 Ohms into a speaker designed to handle 400 watts should be fine. Except if it's delivering that 380 watts clipped (square wave), you're not getting enough movement on the speaker cone and the speakers will overheat. Edit: Look on Craigslist for active PA speakers. Then you don't need an amp. KillHour fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Sep 22, 2014 |
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Sep 22, 2014 19:27
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I've been waiting on sales on some sound bars and still haven't sprung for any. There currently is a minor discount on Sony HT-CT260H and Polk N1. Are either of these worth that price point (remember that everything is more expensive for no reason in Canuckistan) or should I wait some more? Edit: vvvvvvv ...what? Jan fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Sep 23, 2014 |
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Sep 23, 2014 14:28
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Could someone recommend a bluetooth gaming controller for Android? I really like the logitech PS-like controllers but I can't find any that are bluetooth. http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-940-...tech+controller
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Sep 23, 2014 14:31
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I just wanted to tell someone that would understand my disappointment with Sears the other day. I was just browsing in the mall, killing time with my wife and we went into the sears electronics department. I asked where the surround sound receivers were and the young sales girl (19 or 20 years old?) Directed me to a display with three sound bars but had no idea what a receiver was and they had none in stock. She had never heard of one, and did not understand it when I told her, nor did she understand why I would not be satisfied with a sound bar.
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Oct 5, 2014 20:01
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Citycop posted:I just wanted to tell someone that would understand my disappointment with Sears the other day. I was just browsing in the mall, killing time with my wife and we went into the sears electronics department. I asked where the surround sound receivers were and the young sales girl (19 or 20 years old?) Directed me to a display with three sound bars but had no idea what a receiver was and they had none in stock. She had never heard of one, and did not understand it when I told her, nor did she understand why I would not be satisfied with a sound bar. Why would you go to sears to buy stereo equipment in the first place. It's not the sales girl's fault they didn't carry what you were looking for.
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Oct 5, 2014 20:13
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Dude... it's loving Sears. Most people don't know what a receiver is. The only experience regular people have with home theaters is the PoS Bose HTIB they saw at Best Buy or the Crestron system they paid WAY too much money to have Stereo Advantage install and they still don't know to make the drat thing control the lights, so they don't even use it. KillHour fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Oct 5, 2014 |
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Oct 5, 2014 20:16
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I guess your right, I didn't go there to buy one, I was just browsing. I was under the assumption that these things used to be pretty common on the shelf.
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Oct 6, 2014 01:37
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So recent acquisitions for my bedroom. 2x Pioneer SP-FS52 & C-22 for a center. Powered from a Pioneer VSX-524. Klipsch R-12SW Sub. I can't say i'm disappointed. Solid performance all around. BUT! The FS52's have been relegated to rear channels. I hadn't even planned on having rear channels. Just 3.1 for movies and music. Turns out the FS52's still can't compete with the two Overnight sensations that I built. The FS52's just lack something. I'm not great with audio, no idea what the difference audibly is. I only suppose that I just like them better because I built them. Hoping to give the 52's another chance in front after I give them a month to break in and get used to them.
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Oct 6, 2014 11:23
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To be honest, I wouldn't expect the FS52's to compete with any of the BYO speaker kits out there. The Pioneer stuff is good entry level gear, but considering they can be had on sale for under 80 bucks each, and there's an entire supply chain that needs to make a profit I wouldn't expect them to perform to the same level of a 140 dollar speaker kit you have to build yourself.
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Oct 6, 2014 18:55
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Is there a follow-up or replacement in roughly the same price-range as the Onkyo TX-NR709 that includes S-Video? I have some retro systems that use it.
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Oct 7, 2014 08:40
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I'm looking for a center channel to match a pair of Energy CB20. How important is it to get the same brand? I'd like to spend $300 or less (preferably less).
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Oct 9, 2014 01:55
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me your dad posted:I'm looking for a center channel to match a pair of Energy CB20. This is the officially matching unit: http://www.amazon.com/Energy-CC-10-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B001RPXWX4 quote:How important is it to get the same brand? I'd like to spend $300 or less (preferably less). I've got separate brand fronts and center. It works just fine. You may need to fiddle a bit with receiver settings to get it working right (or just run Audyssey again). It's probably a good idea to get similar technology speaker (ie. no horn, ribbon etc. speaker as your CC). What you really want is your front soundstage to sound "seamless". If you can easily discern when sound moves from left speaker to center channel speaker and again to right speaker, it tends to take you off the movie. Easiest way to avoid that is to get same brand stuff, especially since people often buy all three front speakers at once.
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Oct 9, 2014 02:23
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