what to put where (1 Viewer)

[sam7931]

I have a small apartment and am trying to decide how to best use my equipment. My tv connects via optical cable to a rather cheap visio sound bar. It does the job for being a good apartment neighbor. Last week on a while I bought a sherwood rx-4503 2 channl receiver on a while thinking it would be good for an office stereo paired with sony sf-5000 floor speakers. Then I thought I spend more time watching tv...maybe I should put the soundbar on in the office and use the new gear for tv. The receiver does "virtual" surround which I suspect is no worse than what the sound bar is doing for the same. The tv only has optical out and then rca stereo out. The receiver will take rca stereo out.

So...will I be happier staying with my sound bar over a digital 5.1 connection or moving to an analog stereo input to what are likely far better speakers?

 

[gene c]

If you already have the Sony speakers then try them with the Sherwood for a while and see if you like them better than the Visio. Stereo can sound very good if you sit in the "sweet" spot. Virtual surround modes generally don't work very well. I wood take the Sherwood/Sony over the Visio and I don't care for Sherwood receivers or Sony speakers. They're not all that bad but I prefer other things.

A 5.1 surround sound receiver (using the Dolby ProLogic or DTS Neo:6) and 5 small bookshelf speakers would have been much better, even without a subwoofer. Apartment friendly as well.

Optical Out on 99% of tv's is only stereo, not 5.1.

 

[schan1269]

Gene should say...

"Optical out on TV's is only 5.1 from its own tuner, 99% of the time"...Meaning you are stuck in 2.0 purgatory on any ancillary devices...

Also, your Vizio on a toslink is only in 2.0 anyway. I would almost venture a guess your TV has a better DAC than a Vizio soundbar.

 

[sam7931]

Oh there's a great deal I'd rather have too, but seeing the receiver on sale for $50 shipped..well I can wait much longer for something I'd rather have or start using it today. I did not know most toslink would be 2.0, sounds like I may need to hook up the sherwood and try out the sonys for the tv.

 

[schan1269]

Toslink is only 2.0 for YOUR soundbar.

Toslink carries 5.1, if your audio was capable of doing something with it. Also, a TV is not intended to be the hub of the system.

 

[sam7931]

Toslink is only 2.0 for YOUR soundbar.

Toslink carries 5.1, if your audio was capable of doing something with it. Also, a TV is not intended to be the hub of the system.

Ahh gotcha, the bluray player feeding everything is a lg bd-670. Basically right now I know nothing is really ideal, its just making the best I can do on a budget

 

[schan1269]

Apparently(even though I've always done it...) we can't post Ebay links...

But search Ebay for the Onkyo RC330. With shipping it can be had around $130 from Accessoriesforless. That is less than direct from their site.

Edit, just checked, today, to me the shipping is $28. It costs $119.99.

If you want 5.1, that is darn near as cheap as it gets...while being a decent AVR.

 

[sam7931]

What would a 5.1 receiver benefit me at this point if I'm only planning to have 2 or 2.1 speakers?

 

[schan1269]

1.The ability to run HDMI everywhere.
2. The ability to include .1 correctly.
3. Future expansion.