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Surround Sound

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osugrad21;1042947; said:
Thanks for the advice folks.

Dunno if Im looking for anything as major as some of you are listing...just a decent little system to play some music and hear the crowd.

The high ceiling already amplifies the sound so much, Im not sure I need a system on 'roids.
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I have two systems currently in use in my living room. One consists of a Kenwood receiver and Cerwin Vega speakers that I bought about 12 years ago in college. They're ridiculously loud if I want them to be and perfect for watching football games. I also have a KLH speaker set and JVC receiver I bought from my sister for $50 when she needed to get rid of her ex-boyfriend's crap. I use that for watching movies. A friend of mine has a $12,000 speaker system. 95% of the people on this thread, website and world can't tell the difference in the sound of the systems when watching a football game or watching the average movie. If you don't have high-end listening needs you don't need high end components.

Most of the people who feel the need to buy ridiculously priced home entertainment components couldn't tell the difference between their speakers and mine if the name on the front was the same. They're kind of like the people who say you can't be a real Pink Floyd fan if The Wall is your favorite Pink Floyd Album- jackasses.
 
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Here is a very nice Onkyo amp that uses Class "D" tech to deliver great sounding bass and voices. And it's built like a tank.
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Cathedral ceilings can help the bass immensely! Combine this with the av123 tower speakers and you'll be on your way to great and affordable sound! B&H Photo has them for $499.

Onkyo A-9555 Integrated Digital Stereo Amplifier
Other products by Onkyo
 
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osugrad21;1042947; said:
Dunno if Im looking for anything as major as some of you are listing...just a decent little system to play some music and hear the crowd.
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Some other options worth looking at:

HSU's package system with their ventriloquist satellites and the STF-2.

$549.00


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The Athena Micra 6 is a decent little performer (although the sub doesn't touch the one from HSU) and Best Buy has it for $449.

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You can get 5x of the smallest Aperion bookshelves at $100 a pop (still need a sub).

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Fry's usually has some pretty good deals on Polk (among others).

BTW Taos why in the hell are you recommending a two channel amp for a home theater setup?
 
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I've been buying stereo equipment for 30+ years. And I've seen and heard
tons of systems. I've owned tons of stuff.
Remember Quardafonic sound? The first attempts at surround sound? That didn't take. There are tons of examples of technology that have been fads or attempts by companies like Sony to sell us technologies that they develop. Betamax? DVD-A? SACD?
Honestly, the very best surround sound I have heard was a professionally installed Bose system. $$$$ That was probably big bucks. Most Bose stuff is plastic crap. (their noise reducing headphones are very good) I once owned the famous Bose 901's.
But, I digress. The reason I tell people to buy the best quality they can afford is quality sound is easier on your ears for longer periods of time.
If your av system basically sounds more natural,(like real, live sound/music) you will get more use out of your investment. More enjoyment. You can play louder music/movies if you want with less fatigue from distortion. Less headaches.
If all your going to do is watching football or sports, don't bother with quality speakers and amplification. That just makes sense. Spend your money on a big HD tv. :biggrin:
 
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Hsu makes some great stuff for the money. Very good subwoofers.

My reasoning for a 2 channel amp is simple. You avoid the complexity and expense of all those speakers and set up.

Complexity doesn't equal good sound. (professional setup aside)

Simplicity will get you closer to great sound and cost less!
 
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Here's an article from 2005 that's interesting....
August 15, 2005
7.1 Audio Surround Sound Thoughts

Awhile back I posted about having a 7.1 surround sound system. In that post I mentioned that I had become frustrated at the lack of surround sound audio options. I want music in high quality DVD surround sound so that the money which was put into the system isn?t a loss.
Since then I?ve found some sources of surround sound audio. In fact, over the last couple of days an old friend of mine has pointed me to such a source. Many years ago he and I used to listen to MOD music files. Those are computer music files which are very limited in its output but, back in the day, it sounded pretty good. In fact, the MOD scene is still going. For an example of this type of music check out the Mod Archive (it?s all free).
It turns out that one of the musicians that we liked back then has moved on to putting out their own CDs and, surprisingly, 5.1 channel DVD audio.
So what does all of this have to do with the subject of 7.1 surround systems?
7.1 Audio Surround Sound Thoughts
 
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A two channel only setup for a home theater means that the LFE channel is lost.

All those fun kick you in the gut rumbles that you see at the movie?

Zip, zilch, nada. Gone.

A two channel only setup means that if you aren't sitting in the sweet spot then the dialogue from the TV is going to be coming from somewhere other than...the TV.

The center channel is essential in centering the sound stage. Yes you can run a phantom center (actually you can't with your suggestion as there is no decoder in the amp) but having a physical center does make a difference.

Am I opposed to starting with a good set of mains and building from there?

Absolutely not.

But your recommendation leaves no upgrade path. That is just bad advice for the primary use of the system.

There are very legitimate reasons for the design decisions made in the multi channel world. Furthermore most modern DD/DTS receivers have automated set up routines that will level match the speakers and set the timing based on their distance from the main listening position. They do it well enough that going back over it manually I've only had to adjust levels by .5db or so here and there (which is inaudible). Yamaha's YPAO, Onkyo's Audyssey and Pioneer's MCACC all do an impressive job.

Do I remember Quadraphonic sound? Yeah in fact I just popped in a DVD-A of Alan Parson's quad master of Dark Side of the Moon copied from the master tapes.

SACD & DVD-A? Yeah I was an early adopter and have been listening to both for years. I've been buying both almost exclusively for a long time.

Quite simply red book CDs can't touch either format.

Quadraphonic mixes & high fidelity digital formats failed for the same reason that compressed formats have begun to dominate, joe public is more interested in convenience over quality.

Thank God for the movie industry, if it weren't for them dragging the audiophile tweakers along kicking and screaming we'd still listening to monaural 78 rpm vinyl.

Posting some idiot bloggers rant about the lack of native 7.1 recorded audio is completely irrelevant to this discussion.

I'll leave you to your shakti stones and your green CD pens.


---BTW grad you can always in wall speakers for your surrounds (and your fronts for that matter) if externally mounting a set of speakers in the desired location is an issue.
 
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If you're looking to keep it simple, check the Logitech Z-5500 for $400 (cheaper if you find the right place online). It's simple enough, yet has plenty of more in-depth options. Also has multiple connections available. If I were buying speakers for my home, it would most likely be these. (I know it may be less of the "home theater" look that many like to go for...)

edit: like I said, can be found cheaper elsewhere. Newegg has them for $220 right now.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/224&cl=us,en

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What are the opinions about the difference between surround sound systems and the sound bars they offer now? I need a surround sound upgrade with a DVD player and was wondering if I should do so separately or get in all-in-one system. I would prefer wireless but not a huge annoyance if not. Thoughts?
 
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Well I'm 2/3 of the way to my new setup.... Just bought a Panasonic TC P55VT50 on sale today... Then ended up purchasing a Pioneer Elite SC 63 for less than the price of an SC 61....quite stunned by my haul told... Last thing left.... Speakers but that will be several years
 
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