Author Topic: Home Theater Audio Setups  (Read 3177 times)

hans

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Home Theater Audio Setups
« on: November 27, 2006, 11:51:33 AM »
So now that I've got my new TV, I need to upgrade (put together) a sound system. I'm not familiar with home theater components (brands, quality, etc) since I've mostly been into the recording/pro audio components until recently. So I need some suggestions for what to look into/stay away from. I'm thinking of starting with a simple 2.1 solution but I want to be able to move to a 5.1 if I decide I want more speakers. I already have a subwoofer so I'll need a 5.1 receiver and some decent stereo speakers. I'm thinking 6" speakers.
What do you guys run at home?
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micah

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2006, 12:27:46 PM »
I pieced my "system" together about 5 years ago:
I have a 5.1 panasonic receiver
two Bose 6" Shelf Speakers
a Bose Center Speaker
and a 10" subwofer (i forget the brandname)
I don't use rear speakers because I live in an apartment.

all of mine cost me around $800 but nowadays you can buy a nice packaged system for a couple hundred or less.
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ober

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2006, 01:18:35 PM »
I run a Yamaha 6.1 reciever with 2 Bose "surround" floor speakers:

http://www1.epinions.com/Bose_601_Series_IV_Speaker__black___Floor_Standing_Speaker_601_IV

Mine are a light wood color and they sound excellent.

I can hook you up with a guy that will tell you exactly what you want to get... he's a home audio freak.  What's your budget?
« Last Edit: November 27, 2006, 01:28:49 PM by ober »

hans

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2006, 03:33:17 PM »
I'd like to keep it in the $500 to $1000 range. Something slightly better than entry level but it doesn't have to be high end (I've got my studio for that). This is just to make watching movies more entertaining.
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hans

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2006, 03:38:36 PM »
Onkyo Receiver - TX-SR504
Polk Stereo Speakers - M10
Polk 10" Sub - PSW10BK (already have)

And possibly for a 3.1 system
Polk Center Channel - CSM

See what he thinks of that or how to modify it.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2006, 04:04:08 PM by tgm »
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jkim

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2006, 04:49:21 PM »
My friend would definitely approve of your Polk selection

ober

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2006, 07:42:13 PM »
Umm... I'm pretty sure he'd recommend stuff you've never heard of before.  For instance, he things Bose is shit.

And to be honest, the stuff he has pretty much kicks total ass.

Govtcheez

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2006, 08:40:44 PM »
> he things Bose is shit.

Bose isn't all shit.  Their marketing is great, it's just their speakers that suck.

hans

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2006, 09:15:24 PM »
No highs, no lows, must be Bose.

I'm game for lesser known brands as long as they're good. I've just been out of the home audio world. My brother keeps me up on car audio stuff and I'm well versed in pro audio but other than the cross over brands (like Focal, JBL, etc) I'm just not sure what's good quality stuff these days.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2006, 09:19:49 PM by tgm »
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KnuckleBuckett

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2006, 10:03:24 PM »
:thumbsup:

Hello!  I am the audio snob that ober had mentioned.

1) Problem with Bose, Infinity, Yamaha, Polk, and their ilk, is that you can get much higher quality sound and far higher build quality for reasonable amounts of money.

2) Odds are if you have heard of the brand name with a few notable exceptions they blow.  Poor quality, and sound that grinds on the ears after a very short period of time.

3) How do you know what to buy?  Everybody has different tastes, however the best way to determine if you are going to be happy with a piece of gear for the long term, is to listen to your music on it.  Pick a few cuts that you know very well and are comfotable listening to repeatedly.  Play at least two of the cuts all the way through.  If you have trouble making it through without being annoyed and or bored, keep looking.

You see a lot of these "brand name" manufacturers over amplify a ton of fake highs and mid-highs.  Or fake base.  Either way they may catch you attention in the showroom, but listening for long periods will be annyoing.  You will get restless and want to do other things and be elsewhere.  A good component or good system is listenable for hours (remember movies are almost always at least two hours).

4) Actually want a few brand suggestions?  Okay.  Fine.  

Sony ES (only ES), Pioneer Elite (only Elite), Outlaw Audio (for the money they are probably unbeatable these days great personal US service too), Sunfire (Bob Carver from the former and famous Carver audio owns and designs here), Monitor Audio (Silver RS6 are great speakers), Parasound, B&W, JM Lab, Proac, Vandersteen (really amazing for the money), Soliloquy, Krell, Mcintosh, Jeff Rowland, Pass, (last four a bit pricey but as solid as they get good for 40 years trouble free), Rotel, Definitive Technology, Audire, and B&K to name a few.  The brands I just mentioned are great across their entire price range and can be trusted to back their products implicitly.  Again this is just a sampling of a few producers of really great lasting, sounding, and well backed audio and home theater gear.

5) Where to buy.  Look around for a decent audio salon.  Sometimes this is a pain in the a$$.  These types of companies have few dealerships and watch them closely.  I purchase a good deal of equipment from fellow audio snobs at www.audiogon.com.  Great site with great equipment and reasonable pricing (well usually).

6) Got your equipment?  Woo hoo.  Few things to know…  

Do not use crap speaker wire.  Go nuts and get decent 10 or 12 AWG Monster cable or better.  Even Radio Shack carries decent speaker cable.  It should cost at least $1/ft.  Same with interconnects.  Though there is better out there Monster is a good standard.  Interconnects and speaker wire connectors should be gold not silver.  

Set the speakers up as far apart as you are from them.  Equilateral triangle style.  Facint straight out.  Listen to a well known cut toeing them in about ½” at a time until solo vocals lock into place in the center of the room and the speakers “disappear”.  Now switch the plus and minus connections at the rear of the speakers (with the equipment off), and try it again.  It is a personal choice as to which way you will prefer it, however I tend to find the best listening with the +/- reversed.  Some preamps and or receivers have a switch for this on the front panel (180 phase in/out).

7) Recommended on the cheap starter system for 2.0 or 2.1.

Speaker cables, power strips, and interconnects = Monster Brand http://www.monstercable.com/home_av/connectors/audio.asp

Speakers = Monitor Audio, Silver RS6
http://www.monitoraudiousa.com/products/silver/rs_series/rs6.htm

Receiver = Outlaw Audio, RR2150
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

Source(s) = Sony ES or Pioneer Elite or Pioneer non-Elite at the higher end of the line

Subwoofer = The Silver RS6 speakers have a great bottom end, but if you still need more base response… try one of these.

Sunfire,
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/lfm1.html

Outlaw Audio
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/lfm1.html


Hope this godawful long thing has helped someone out there!

If you have more questions I will atttempt to be a bit shorter with all future responses.

Knuck

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Re: Home Theater Audio Setups
« Reply #10 on: November 29, 2006, 01:43:33 PM »
The setup in my guest room has a Technics receiver, five 6" sony speakers, and a yamaha woofer. It does a fine job and the receiver is freagin great.

A few months ago my dad decided to upgrade the speaker system downstairs after he got his new tv to the yamaha YSP-800 and kept the old yamaha speaker. I was sceptic of the "single" unit, but it really does an amazing job in the room it is in. Plus, no wires saves space and look damn good:
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