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Are there any go tos for trying out a new surround system? I added some speakers to mine and am looking for movie or game content to try on it. So far, I played some Forza Horizon and watched an episode of Squid Game, it was kinda cool to feel like the PA system in the latter was really coming from above me.
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Jan 17, 2022 21:36
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The beach landing scene in Saving Private Ryan is known for crazy good surround mix.
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Jan 17, 2022 21:41
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Alfonso Cuarón's Roma. Seriously. Sounds better than most blockbuster.
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Jan 17, 2022 23:48
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I can vouch for Roma's audio being awesome even though the film itself is way overrated
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Jan 17, 2022 23:55
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Incessant Excess posted:Are there any go tos for trying out a new surround system? I added some speakers to mine and am looking for movie or game content to try on it. So far, I played some Forza Horizon and watched an episode of Squid Game, it was kinda cool to feel like the PA system in the latter was really coming from above me. Sicario, specifically the border crossing scene.
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Jan 18, 2022 00:02
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So I have an LG OLED 55" C9 down in my basement and a pretty bare bones Vizio all in on 5.1 system thats basically a sound bar with satellites and a little powered sub from the previous TV I had down there, never bothered to upgrade the sound system when I got the TV. Its not an overwhelmingly huge room but as I've picked up more Vinyl over the last year or so I'd like to maybe improve on what I have, so I'm kind of thinking of going a couple different directions here. 1. Getting a new stereo receiver or integrated amp and leaving the sound bar as is for audio for the TV/switch/xbox. 1a. removing the soundbar from the equation and just hooking up the optical from the TV to said new receiver/amp 2. Buying a dedicated home theater receiver and putting together a bigger home theater system. I have a pair of Polk T15s that I used in my old apartment hanging around somewhere and can use those as bookshelf speakers or possibly try and find some more powerful ones, I feel like floor speakers would be too much for the space, I would likely add a subwoofer if I went with option 1/1a. Obviously I can change the TV/xbox up to stereo output for audio, and have been mulling over moving my Switch up to the living room for more family/friends oriented things like group Mario Karting and what have you. In the current set up I have and Xbox Series X (which I use as a bluray player and for video streaming) and Nintendo Switch hooked up via HDMI to the TV and a toslink cable fun from the TV to the soundbar. From there I have an RCA from the record player to the sound bar as well. In addition to music I watch some TV down there, chiefly sports and some 4k cinema as well as playing games. I've read through the last 10 pages or so and seen quite a few folks recommend the Denon Receivers from Costco but can't seem to locate them on the Costco website any longer? Other units I've looked at have been the Yamaha R-N602 https://www.crutchfield.com/p_022RN602/Yamaha-R-N602.html and for a full Home Theater Receiver the Yamaha RX-V4A https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...vLeJs8wL-PXplD8 I've owned a number of Yamaha products in the past, when I last paid attention to this stuff I really liked the sound I got from them, not sure how they're thought of now but I know everyone will hear and like things differently. Other units I've looked at if going for the 3.1 or 5.1 route https://www.crutchfield.com/p_033AVS660H/Denon-AVR-S660H.html?tp=179 https://www.crutchfield.com/p_642NR1510/Marantz-NR1510.html?tp=179 I'm really out of the loop on a lot of this stuff, its been about 10 year since I last bought anything independent audio wise so I'm sure theres stuff I'm not considering and overlooking but I know this tends to be the place to start when putting together a system of any kind. I'm just not sure which would be more beneficial for me, option 2 seems like the more logical but option one seems easier and I'm asking myself if it will really be necessary at 6' away from the TV to do a 3.1 or 5.1 system or if stereo will be fine.
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Jan 18, 2022 00:15
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I'd say stereo system if you were going to build a vinyl listening setup. But it doesn't sound like you have the space for discrete setups like that? Also consider if you'll be using the OLED and Xbox for more film viewing. A surround or atmos-capable setup might be good for long-term growth. Also you'll likely want to use ARC (audio return channel) to connect to a receiver since it provides access to the newer sound setups while Optical is capped. The Costco Denon is recommended because it's one of the few (and affordable) receivers that can take full advantage of the HDMI 2.1 specs like VRR so it's a good choice for the LG oleds which are generally feature-rich. The online site is pretty unreliable and you'll have to drop by a CostCo to check for any in stock. FilthyImp fucked around with this message at 03:47 on Jan 18, 2022 |
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Jan 18, 2022 03:38
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Incessant Excess posted:Are there any go tos for trying out a new surround system? I added some speakers to mine and am looking for movie or game content to try on it. So far, I played some Forza Horizon and watched an episode of Squid Game, it was kinda cool to feel like the PA system in the latter was really coming from above me. Opening track of David Gilmours Live at Pompeii on Blu-Ray.
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Jan 20, 2022 19:42
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I remember there used to be a bunch of demonstration DVDs for surround systems, there has to be a modern day equivalent, right? The ones I remember seeing were just DVDs that booted into a main menu with a bunch of clips from films with particularly good surround.
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Jan 20, 2022 19:55
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evobatman posted:Opening track of David Gilmours Live at Pompeii on Blu-Ray. Alternatively the opening track of Roger Waters The Wall on blu-ray is extremely good too.
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Jan 20, 2022 23:25
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Olympic Mathlete posted:I remember there used to be a bunch of demonstration DVDs for surround systems, there has to be a modern day equivalent, right? The ones I remember seeing were just DVDs that booted into a main menu with a bunch of clips from films with particularly good surround. Just search for Atmos Demo Disc. Official copies are somewhat rare. Unofficial copies are... quite prevalent.
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Jan 21, 2022 05:42
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Sticky posted:So I have an LG OLED 55" C9 down in my basement and a pretty bare bones Vizio all in on 5.1 system thats basically a sound bar with satellites and a little powered sub from the previous TV I had down there, never bothered to upgrade the sound system when I got the TV. Its not an overwhelmingly huge room but as I've picked up more Vinyl over the last year or so I'd like to maybe improve on what I have, so I'm kind of thinking of going a couple different directions here. I recently needed a simple receiver for music listening that could also handle TV duties. My room didn't really allow for surround sound so I ended up getting a Pioneer Elite SX-S30, it has a phono input, airplay 2, hdmi with 4k 60hz pass through (I'm not a console guy so didn't need 4k 120Hz), and it has two channels of amplification and a subwoofer out with actual bass management and room correction. The spec sheet says 80W per channel but realistically it's a 50W amp, has no trouble powering my little PMC bookshelf speakers. The slightly pricier but better version of this concept is the Marantz NR1200 but I couldn't justify the increased cost. If I had the room for surround channels I probably would have grabbed an NR1510 or NR1711, I just like slim receivers.
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Jan 24, 2022 16:20
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Yea I feel like its a similar situation, I could do a 5.1 system but I feel like it might overwhelm the room a little but we'll see. I'd love to have the 4k 120hz connections but just don't know if I want to spend the extra money on something thats Dolby Atmos when something like that would be even harder to set up down there. Leaning towards the Yamaha RX-V4A since it sounds like the 4k120hz enabling firmware update on that has been out for a bit.
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Jan 24, 2022 20:28
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Sticky posted:Yea I feel like its a similar situation, I could do a 5.1 system but I feel like it might overwhelm the room a little but we'll see. I'd love to have the 4k 120hz connections but just don't know if I want to spend the extra money on something thats Dolby Atmos when something like that would be even harder to set up down there. Leaning towards the Yamaha RX-V4A since it sounds like the 4k120hz enabling firmware update on that has been out for a bit. The current Yamahas all have 24gbps ports which cannot be fixed by firmware. This limits the resolutions and formats that can pass through. Denon and Onkyo have 40gbps ports on theirs.
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Jan 24, 2022 20:41
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qirex posted:The current Yamahas all have 24gbps ports which cannot be fixed by firmware. This limits the resolutions and formats that can pass through. Denon and Onkyo have 40gbps ports on theirs. well poo poo. guess I'm going to do more looking around.
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Jan 24, 2022 21:33
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Sticky posted:well poo poo. guess I'm going to do more looking around. There's not much looking to do, only Yamaha, Denon [also Marantz] and Onkyo [Pioneer, Integra] have released receivers under $1500 in the last 12 months.
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Jan 24, 2022 22:00
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I'll have to check my Costco for those receivers once I clear covid protocols but the Onkyo they have seems like a really good deal.
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Jan 24, 2022 22:20
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I am pretty dumb about audio equipment. I have a Fluance turntable, a preamp, and some bookshelf speakers I've been using for the past year or so. I recently bought a house and it had me thinking that I wanted to get a stereo system like I saw growing up in the 80s and 90s. I went out and bought a CD and realized I don't have a single optical drive in my house. My wife's car has a cd player but mine doesn't even have that. Is there any reason I can't just look for a pawn shop or used electronics place and pick up an old Pioneer setup (I don't even know what all the stuff is called)? What would be a decent approach here? I'd like something I can setup in my office and maybe tie the turntable and a CD player into. I was hoping to spend less than say 500 or 600 bucks starting out in case I don't stick with CDs. I have so much tinnitus and hearing loss that audiophile stuff is going to be lost on my poo poo hearing. Is that realistic? My google fu is just bringing up either ebay or Crutchfield which seem to be opposite ends of the audiophile spectrum.
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Jan 25, 2022 03:13
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Hekk posted:I am pretty dumb about audio equipment. I have a Fluance turntable, a preamp, and some bookshelf speakers I've been using for the past year or so. I recently bought a house and it had me thinking that I wanted to get a stereo system like I saw growing up in the 80s and 90s. I went out and bought a CD and realized I don't have a single optical drive in my house. My wife's car has a cd player but mine doesn't even have that. Is there any reason I can't just look for a pawn shop or used electronics place and pick up an old Pioneer setup (I don't even know what all the stuff is called)? What would be a decent approach here? I'd like something I can setup in my office and maybe tie the turntable and a CD player into. Don’t get a pawn shop setup unless you really know your poo poo....and even then. In your shoes, if I wanted an old school style matching setup from new components I would buy this: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_022AS501B/Yamaha-A-S501-Black.html (also in silver) https://www.crutchfield.com/p_022CDS303/Yamaha-CD-S303.html goddamn, prices have really gone up post-pandemic. The CD player used to be like $200. Both the integrated amp and the cd player can be had for a lot less (like $350 for the amp, $200 for the player) during seasonal sales like Black Friday/etc if you feel like waiting. The CD player used to be available in silver in the US but it was discontinued here for stupid reasons. If you like the silver amp and want a matching CD player, there’s a thriving industry of people importing the identical Japan-only model in Silver on eBay. Costs are roughly the same, maybe 100-200 more. There’s also a separate radio tuner that’s like $200 if you want it. The AS501 is an integrated amp instead of a receiver, so no built in tuner. I think it looks pretty cool with the separate tuner, very 1980s. If you’d rather have a matching receiver (and spend a bit less on your amp section), here are two options: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_022RS202/Yamaha-R-S202.html https://www.crutchfield.com/p_022RN303/Yamaha-R-N303.html There are way pricier and more capable/beefy receivers and integrated amps that I didn’t mention but might be worth looking at depending on what your eventual house hifi goals are.
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Jan 25, 2022 03:32
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This is good. Thank you for the response. So maybe a better approach will be for me to find a mini “hi fi” system to hold me over while I shop around for higher quality stuff at a more reasonable price (or more realistically I budget for dropping a few grand without the wife getting upset). I saw a thing on Tech Moan talking about those being the sweet spot for inexpensive forgotten tech that weren’t complete poo poo. If I can get something that plays discs now, I can plan out furniture and stuff to hold the higher quality equipment I eventually want to pick up.
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Jan 25, 2022 15:39
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Hekk posted:This is good. Thank you for the response. So maybe a better approach will be for me to find a mini “hi fi” system to hold me over while I shop around for higher quality stuff at a more reasonable price (or more realistically I budget for dropping a few grand without the wife getting upset). I saw a thing on Tech Moan talking about those being the sweet spot for inexpensive forgotten tech that weren’t complete poo poo. Do you have an idea for what kind of equipment you want? What budget? Aesthetic? Capability? What kind of speakers do you want to have? What gear do you already have now? You mentioned a preamp and (I assume powered) speakers? A lot of things will play CDs and output audio. No reason you can’t get the CD player you want now, connect it to your speakers, and build up a hifi around it later.
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Jan 25, 2022 15:43
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Hekk posted:If I can get something that plays discs now, I can plan out furniture and stuff to hold the higher quality equipment I eventually want to pick up.
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Jan 25, 2022 19:10
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I really don't have much at the moment. A Fluance RT 82 , an inexpensive preamp with a set of higher quality tubes, and a pair of Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers. Those were all just stuck on an Ikea coffee table in my apartment. Now that I have an actual house and don't have to worry about packing up and moving all my stuff every couple of years I am looking to upgrade to something else. I don't have a particular aesthetic in mind or anything. I am really just getting back into physical media and am constantly frustrated at how painful and expensive it is to get vinyl pressings of the music I like to listen to. I had tapes and CDs growing up and I thought it'd be cool to finally have space to dedicate to a stereo setup so I can listen to music that isn't being streamed.
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Jan 25, 2022 19:18
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How often has Costco been restocking the AVR-S760H? I'm ready to pull the trigger and I don't know if I should just wait around or give in and spend the extra $60 for the refurb version.
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Jan 26, 2022 04:51
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What's the sanest place to find information about A/V receivers and reviews that aren't full of audiophile bullshit? I've got an Onkyo TX-NR515 that's coming up on a decade old that I picked based on recommendations here that I'm thinking of replacing. I am completely OK with an entry-level cheap receiver, I don't have any plans for an Atmos setup and only run 3.1. I do want something that can pass through 4K / HDR, which I guess means HDMI 2.1. I'd also really like HDMI-CEC that works, because right now I never have to use the receiver remote or a universal remote, I just control volume with the TV remote through HDMI-CEC, turn the receiver on when any connected device turns on, and the receiver chooses inputs based on which device was turned on. Where I am willing to splurge a bit is to get class-D amps in the receiver, but it's hard as hell to figure out which receivers actually have those! It seems like Pioneer used to put them in most of the Elite line, but have gone back to class A/B this year for mysterious reasons. I'm after class D amps for lower power usage / less heat, my TX-NR515 cooked its HDMI board once and was repaired under warranty, which was a pain.
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Jan 26, 2022 16:16
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Twerk from Home posted:What's the sanest place to find information about A/V receivers and reviews that aren't full of audiophile bullshit?
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Jan 26, 2022 17:02
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Didn't Pioneer have a ton of class D receivers just a few years ago?
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Jan 26, 2022 17:33
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Wibla posted:Didn't Pioneer have a ton of class D receivers just a few years ago?
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Jan 26, 2022 17:48
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qirex posted:Yes and in the interval Onkyo basically went out of business entirely so now on the relaunch of the brand they're being pretty considered with the models they release. I'm a little surprised tehy kept the Pioneer brand around at all. It’s an old brand with a lot of history behind it Also I’m sure they saw that the spun-off Pioneer DJ brand was doing pretty well on its own and decided to give it another go. And I imagine that ‘Pioneer’ has more cachet/resonance with normies than ‘Onkyo’
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Jan 26, 2022 19:51
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Lifespan posted:How often has Costco been restocking the AVR-S760H? I'm ready to pull the trigger and I don't know if I should just wait around or give in and spend the extra $60 for the refurb version. Costco has the Yamaha TSR-700 for $440 right now. Not sure if it'll meet your needs though.
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Jan 26, 2022 20:00
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Ok Comboomer posted:And I imagine that ‘Pioneer’ has more cachet/resonance with normies than ‘Onkyo’ In Norway, Onkyo means "oh failed HDMI, poo poo amp" for the newer crowd 
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Jan 26, 2022 20:21
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mariooncrack posted:Costco has the Yamaha TSR-700 for $440 right now. Not sure if it'll meet your needs though. I was looking at it last night, but it still says VRR and ALLM are coming in a future update and folks appear to be complaining that the update still hasn't happened. AVR companies blow at supporting their own tech, so I definitely want to buy something that does what I want right out of the box.
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Jan 26, 2022 20:45
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Wibla posted:In Norway, Onkyo means "oh failed HDMI, poo poo amp" for the newer crowd I think that's everywhere. They fixed my HDMI and it's been rock solid for years, at least.
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Jan 26, 2022 21:18
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IMO never buy anything with functionality promised in a future update. It would be nice if we could separate the signal processing from amps again just because the companies making the HDMI gear wouldn't have to ship 40 pound boxes all over the world and there's so much interesting stuff going on in the amplifier world right now. Alas, processors have been deemed a home installer/high end theater feature so you'll be paying thousands more for something with no amps in it. I'll probably be looking at 2 channel gear with ARC for myself since I never plan to go past stereo and stuff is actually modular. I could get a Bluesound Node and an Eigentakt-based amp [or something like the NAD C700] for the same price as a good receiver.
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Jan 27, 2022 00:39
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mariooncrack posted:Costco has the Yamaha TSR-700 for $440 right now. Not sure if it'll meet your needs though. This receiver has also been confirmed to be limited to 24gbps bandwidth on its HDMI 2.1 ports. That could be an issue with Series X/ps5/PC.
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Jan 27, 2022 00:54
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I don't know anything about speakers but I want to get a better setup for my current TV. I would like to get a decent setup for my small-ish living room. I will be mostly playing games and watching Netflix, and am not really interested in setting up surround, so a 2.1 or whatever I think would fit the bill nicely. This is what I have: Sony XBR-65X900E Yamaha RX-V377 Xbox One X I have some old, cheap dogshit speakers that I haven't even used in the past few years that I'd be replacing (only a left/center/right setup). Doing the absolute minimum research, I found the receiver I have supports ARC, which I would like to be able to set up to run the volume of the whole system off the TV's remote which would be nice. I never set that up on my old setup and it was a pain to use two remotes. So I guess what I'm really looking for is a recommendation for left & right speakers, and a sub, and would like it to be under $500. Floorstanding speakers would be fine, or ones that could mount on the wall. Not a big fan of the speaker stand aesthetic with small bookshelf sized speakers.
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Jan 27, 2022 05:47
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GentlemanofLeisure posted:I don't know anything about speakers but I want to get a better setup for my current TV. I would like to get a decent setup for my small-ish living room. I will be mostly playing games and watching Netflix, and am not really interested in setting up surround, so a 2.1 or whatever I think would fit the bill nicely. This is what I have: For 500 dollars(and your mild dislike of speaker stands), you will probably just want to get 2x floorstanding speakers. Don't really have the budget for a sub as well. Something like a pair of JBL Studio 570s(when they go on sale for 50% off, which happens frequently) or some JBL A170/80/90s would probably be your best bet and should come in just under budget. If you do decide to get a sub, the Dayton Audio SUB1200 or BIC America F12 are generally considered the best budget subs until you hit the 400 dollar price range and higher.
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Jan 27, 2022 15:36
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CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:For 500 dollars(and your mild dislike of speaker stands), you will probably just want to get 2x floorstanding speakers. Don't really have the budget for a sub as well. Something like a pair of JBL Studio 570s(when they go on sale for 50% off, which happens frequently) or some JBL A170/80/90s would probably be your best bet and should come in just under budget. If OP waits for something like the Jamo floorstanders to go on sale, they could get a Polk sub for like $120.
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Jan 27, 2022 17:43
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CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:Something like a pair of JBL Studio 570s(when they go on sale for 50% off, which happens frequently) or some JBL A170/80/90s would probably be your best bet and should come in just under budget. Ok Comboomer posted:If OP waits for something like the Jamo floorstanders to go on sale, they could get a Polk sub for like $120. Honestly, from these two posts, the ones I'm drawn to are the JBL A170's followed by the Jamo S 809's. The price is pretty close (360 vs 400 before tax). I'm by no means an audiophile so I'm tempted to go with the A170's since JBL's a name I recognize, they are a bit cheaper, and the reviews seem good. Unless someone here convinces me otherwise.
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Jan 27, 2022 20:57
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GentlemanofLeisure posted:Do you have a vendor recommendation for the 570's? Looks like the lowest they've ever been on Amazon is $250/ea but right now they're about $300/ea. I think the A170s are a great choice. If you can afford to stretch your budget a bit I think the 180s or 190s could only be better, but also you’re not missing out on a ton if the eventual goal is to add a subwoofer down the road. That said, 6.5” or 8” woofers will have a bit more reach than 5” will
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Jan 27, 2022 21:18
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