Members trailsofsin Posted January 3, 2013 Members Share Posted January 3, 2013 Originally Posted by Ron Burgandy Samsung soundbar 2.1 setup. Do not like it. Worst $350 I could have spent. I just picked up a soundbar/sub setup to replace my old receiver/2-way speakers (10" woofers). So far so good. Not necessarily "better" than the old setup but different. The sub is great for the low end, but the whole thing doesn't really have a lot of meat in the low mids. With the old system when it got really cranking you could feel the air being pushed by the speakers; it was a physical experience to listen to music at loud volumes. The soundbar/sub can't do that. No desire for surround sound - I find it disorienting/distracting for movies/TV, and {censored}ty for music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trailsofsin Posted January 3, 2013 Members Share Posted January 3, 2013 Originally Posted by Ron Burgandy Samsung soundbar 2.1 setup. Do not like it. Worst $350 I could have spent. I just picked up a soundbar/sub setup to replace my old receiver/2-way speakers (10" woofers). So far so good. Not necessarily "better" than the old setup but different. The sub is great for the low end, but the whole thing doesn't really have a lot of meat in the low mids. With the old system when it got really cranking you could feel the air being pushed by the speakers; it was a physical experience to listen to music at loud volumes. The soundbar/sub can't do that. No desire for surround sound - I find it disorienting/distracting for movies/TV, and {censored}ty for music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PurpleTrails Posted January 3, 2013 Members Share Posted January 3, 2013 My stereo setup doubles as my home theater sound system; in the room I have my main setup in it is almost impossible to set up a surround sound system because of doors/openings/chimneys in every corner. I have a 55" Samsung LED, two Snell E.5 speakers being fed by Monarchy Audio class A monoblocks from an Adcom preamp. Everything but the LED is old but good. At some point I'd like to add a subwoofer or two, but I'd probably have to spend $2000-2500 to get good enough sound and SPLs to fill a room with a ceiling that goes up to 17', and it's not really a priority for me.If I were buying an affordable surround system I would probably look at the PSB Alpha speaker system as a starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PurpleTrails Posted January 3, 2013 Members Share Posted January 3, 2013 My stereo setup doubles as my home theater sound system; in the room I have my main setup in it is almost impossible to set up a surround sound system because of doors/openings/chimneys in every corner. I have a 55" Samsung LED, two Snell E.5 speakers being fed by Monarchy Audio class A monoblocks from an Adcom preamp. Everything but the LED is old but good. At some point I'd like to add a subwoofer or two, but I'd probably have to spend $2000-2500 to get good enough sound and SPLs to fill a room with a ceiling that goes up to 17', and it's not really a priority for me.If I were buying an affordable surround system I would probably look at the PSB Alpha speaker system as a starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FearTheVoices Posted January 3, 2013 Members Share Posted January 3, 2013 Quick explanationKlipsch reference series full setupDenon avrSamsung 63" plasmaXbox 360WiiSony Blu rayApple TV Dish hopper system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FearTheVoices Posted January 3, 2013 Members Share Posted January 3, 2013 Quick explanationKlipsch reference series full setupDenon avrSamsung 63" plasmaXbox 360WiiSony Blu rayApple TV Dish hopper system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bricks & Bones Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 Originally Posted by FearTheVoices Apple TV Dish hopper system Explain please... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bricks & Bones Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 Originally Posted by FearTheVoices Apple TV Dish hopper system Explain please... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TurboRotary13b Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 Originally Posted by Bricks & Bones Explain please... Those are two separate things that he didn't space.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TurboRotary13b Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 Originally Posted by Bricks & Bones Explain please... Those are two separate things that he didn't space.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 IMO good sound greatly enhances the video viewing experience. I am an advocate of putting most of your audio money into the speakers, they are the component with the most impact on quality and they will last a long time. If you can't afford a decent set, wait until you can. Surround sound is intended to have full range speakers in all positions, I can't understand why so many people settle for tiny speakers. IMO the amp/receiver is the least critical component, as long as it is adequate for the speakers. I have a set of Tannoy speakers in the Mercury range (low end for Tannoy) from several years ago. I spend about $1K for the set of five which included a matching center speaker (just a different shape). I previously bought a Definitive sub for about $450. I compared a lot of subs before buying and this one sounded much more accurate. I have a Sony 5.1 AV receiver that is unfortunately old enough to not have HDMI, but I don't use it for routing video. It sounds fine. My Viewsonic TV is fine, nothing special, but good for the $500 I spent on it a few years ago. (prices are probably lower now) I do not recommend the $140 Samsung Blu-Ray player I use, the quality of the signal is fine, but the user interface sucks. At a total cost of about $2K its not a high-end system, but a solid mid-level system. To maximize the quality I have a room dedicated to viewing and listening, with blacked out windows and the speakers properly located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 IMO good sound greatly enhances the video viewing experience. I am an advocate of putting most of your audio money into the speakers, they are the component with the most impact on quality and they will last a long time. If you can't afford a decent set, wait until you can. Surround sound is intended to have full range speakers in all positions, I can't understand why so many people settle for tiny speakers. IMO the amp/receiver is the least critical component, as long as it is adequate for the speakers. I have a set of Tannoy speakers in the Mercury range (low end for Tannoy) from several years ago. I spend about $1K for the set of five which included a matching center speaker (just a different shape). I previously bought a Definitive sub for about $450. I compared a lot of subs before buying and this one sounded much more accurate. I have a Sony 5.1 AV receiver that is unfortunately old enough to not have HDMI, but I don't use it for routing video. It sounds fine. My Viewsonic TV is fine, nothing special, but good for the $500 I spent on it a few years ago. (prices are probably lower now) I do not recommend the $140 Samsung Blu-Ray player I use, the quality of the signal is fine, but the user interface sucks. At a total cost of about $2K its not a high-end system, but a solid mid-level system. To maximize the quality I have a room dedicated to viewing and listening, with blacked out windows and the speakers properly located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 For the surround music skeptics, try watching one of these on a good system and I think you will change your mind:Steely Dan-Two Against Nature DVDReturn to Forever: Returns - Live at Montreux [blu-ray] Roy Orbison-Black & White Night DVD or Blu-RayMeat Beat Manifesto - In Dub DVDFor a good example of surround in movies the Lord of the Ring movies sounded great and used surround very effectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted January 4, 2013 Members Share Posted January 4, 2013 For the surround music skeptics, try watching one of these on a good system and I think you will change your mind:Steely Dan-Two Against Nature DVDReturn to Forever: Returns - Live at Montreux [blu-ray] Roy Orbison-Black & White Night DVD or Blu-RayMeat Beat Manifesto - In Dub DVDFor a good example of surround in movies the Lord of the Ring movies sounded great and used surround very effectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rufus21 Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Tiny apartment, so not really a "home theater system", but fairly decent audio/video setup for the space. Have an old Denon 3300 AVR that was going into a Parasound HCA 1500 amp, a pair of Paradigm Studio 20 speakers, and a 32" Sony Bravia TV. The Denon started acting a bit wonky, and I haven't got around to sending it out for repair, so I bought another low end Denon for cheap. Sadly, no preamp outs to connect up the the Parasound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rufus21 Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Tiny apartment, so not really a "home theater system", but fairly decent audio/video setup for the space. Have an old Denon 3300 AVR that was going into a Parasound HCA 1500 amp, a pair of Paradigm Studio 20 speakers, and a 32" Sony Bravia TV. The Denon started acting a bit wonky, and I haven't got around to sending it out for repair, so I bought another low end Denon for cheap. Sadly, no preamp outs to connect up the the Parasound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oops-A-Paisley Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Originally Posted by Hard Truth For the surround music skeptics, try watching one of these on a good system and I think you will change your mind: Steely Dan-Two Against Nature DVD Return to Forever: Returns - Live at Montreux [blu-ray] Roy Orbison-Black & White Night DVD or Blu-Ray Meat Beat Manifesto - In Dub DVD For a good example of surround in movies the Lord of the Ring movies sounded great and used surround very effectively. There's many concert DVD's which sound fantastic Vai at the astoria is a fine example. But!!!!!!! thats not really what was being said. it's not scepticism, just a misunderstanding,.. I think people really mean playing any stereo track through a 5.1 even on direct and stereo mode is just not worth it, have your 5.1 and get a seperate system especially for vinyl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oops-A-Paisley Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Originally Posted by Hard Truth For the surround music skeptics, try watching one of these on a good system and I think you will change your mind: Steely Dan-Two Against Nature DVD Return to Forever: Returns - Live at Montreux [blu-ray] Roy Orbison-Black & White Night DVD or Blu-Ray Meat Beat Manifesto - In Dub DVD For a good example of surround in movies the Lord of the Ring movies sounded great and used surround very effectively. There's many concert DVD's which sound fantastic Vai at the astoria is a fine example. But!!!!!!! thats not really what was being said. it's not scepticism, just a misunderstanding,.. I think people really mean playing any stereo track through a 5.1 even on direct and stereo mode is just not worth it, have your 5.1 and get a seperate system especially for vinyl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mogwix Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 - 42" LG PlasmaThe TV was a gift from my roommate's brother. It doesn't have any analog audio outputs so I can't hook it up to my stereo receiver. Up until two days ago we had a 32" Philips LCD. The picture was fantastic but it was just too small for the living room. I think this is one of LG's cheaper screens. It looks ok. Not great, but ok.- Sony stereo receiverI bought the sony receiver from a pawn shop for $40 because my old Denon receiver {censored} the bed. It sounds fine but has no digital inputs and no subwoofer output. I'm looking for a receiver that has a dedicated subwoofer output and a high-pass filter for the speakers.- pair of Sharp speakersThe Sharp speakers are from an old stereo my sister gave me for Christmas like 15 years ago. I have my eye on some Klipsch or Paradigm bookshelf speakers. People keep talking {censored} about the Klipsch reference series but I think they sound fine, they've come way down in price so I'm close to buying a pair.- Polk 10" powered subThe Polk sub I bought on sale for $99... it actually kicks ass. My setup isn't great but it sounds way better than all of my friends' setups. I definitely need some new furniture, though. My TV stand is just a bunch of 5/8" plywood I screwed together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mogwix Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 - 42" LG PlasmaThe TV was a gift from my roommate's brother. It doesn't have any analog audio outputs so I can't hook it up to my stereo receiver. Up until two days ago we had a 32" Philips LCD. The picture was fantastic but it was just too small for the living room. I think this is one of LG's cheaper screens. It looks ok. Not great, but ok.- Sony stereo receiverI bought the sony receiver from a pawn shop for $40 because my old Denon receiver {censored} the bed. It sounds fine but has no digital inputs and no subwoofer output. I'm looking for a receiver that has a dedicated subwoofer output and a high-pass filter for the speakers.- pair of Sharp speakersThe Sharp speakers are from an old stereo my sister gave me for Christmas like 15 years ago. I have my eye on some Klipsch or Paradigm bookshelf speakers. People keep talking {censored} about the Klipsch reference series but I think they sound fine, they've come way down in price so I'm close to buying a pair.- Polk 10" powered subThe Polk sub I bought on sale for $99... it actually kicks ass. My setup isn't great but it sounds way better than all of my friends' setups. I definitely need some new furniture, though. My TV stand is just a bunch of 5/8" plywood I screwed together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kenny Powers Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Don't skimp. I was on this journey about a year ago and quickly found the difference between your price range and $1200. It's a slippery slope though. I ended up with a marantz receiver and definitive speaker setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kenny Powers Posted January 5, 2013 Members Share Posted January 5, 2013 Don't skimp. I was on this journey about a year ago and quickly found the difference between your price range and $1200. It's a slippery slope though. I ended up with a marantz receiver and definitive speaker setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITROHOLIC Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by TurboRotary13b Thanks.. I actually just got a PS1 too.. I'm waiting on my mod chip to come in so I can have some real fun with it. is it a big box one? use it as a cd player 46 inch sony kdf series (still works great come at me bro) pioneer vsk1121 jbl es100 towers homebuilt center cheap ass dayton audio rear speakers (cats knock em over so ill dgaf and have some 30$ a pair {censored}ers) 4 SI 18s on the way crown drivecore 2500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITROHOLIC Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by TurboRotary13b Thanks.. I actually just got a PS1 too.. I'm waiting on my mod chip to come in so I can have some real fun with it. is it a big box one? use it as a cd player 46 inch sony kdf series (still works great come at me bro) pioneer vsk1121 jbl es100 towers homebuilt center cheap ass dayton audio rear speakers (cats knock em over so ill dgaf and have some 30$ a pair {censored}ers) 4 SI 18s on the way crown drivecore 2500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tom LP Posted January 6, 2013 Members Share Posted January 6, 2013 Originally Posted by Kenny Powers Don't skimp. I was on this journey about a year ago and quickly found the difference between your price range and $1200. It's a slippery slope though. I ended up with a marantz receiver and definitive speaker setup. You're not kidding about the slippery slope. my basement system; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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