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New Here, Deciding on new HT system or current system

post #1 of 3
11/23/09 at 6:39pm
Thread Starter 
I just moved into a small place, that is a garage converted into a 1 bedroom apt, so my living room is about the size of a 1 car garage. I have been using my computer to watch movies / play games using a Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speaker System (505 watts) and have just gotten a 46" samsung LCD tv cheap (under $200 on an auction site) which I was going to put in the corner of the room a few feet from my computer setup. My computer monitor is where the center speaker is set, and has been used as the focal point.

I have a couple of extra satellite speakers from the same type of speaker setup that a friend no longer needed so I was trying to see if it would be possible to add the extra speakers and have 2 channels/zones for the room, so that if I am playing games on the computer I can have sound using the computer as the focal point, and if I am watching a moving, or playing a game on the tv I can switch channels / zones and have the tv as the focal point. Is this something that would be possible? Main reason I was trying to do this was to save some money, its a small room so I dont need a real powerful setup, and I would like to have some money left available to get a PS3 or bluray player soon, so I am trying not to spend to much.

So, is this possible? Should I just get a small HT 5.1 setup? Any thoughts, suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Edited by Skiliq - 11/23/09 at 10:32pm
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post #2 of 3
11/24/09 at 5:28am

Use 2 sound cards.  For games, send the output to your current sound system's speakers.  Add a 5.1 channel external sound card and use a 5.1 speaker system for movies.  Sharing speakers between the two systems will be difficult unless you add some type of switch box between the two sources.  But they may cost as much as a cheap set of powered stereo speakers.

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post #3 of 3
11/24/09 at 1:31pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the suggestion Robert, however I don't think that will work for me. I have the full 5.1 logitech speaker system for the computer with 4 satellite speakers from the same type of set with a broken controller, and the sound for the TV was going to be coming from an xbox and a bluray player once I get one, so I fail to see how an external sound card would help me out?

If getting a switch or amp or something to setup 2 separate channels isnt the best idea, would it be possible to use the satellite speakers from the logitech for now and buy a sub and receiver and stop using the logitech sub and controller? For the logitech system the controller plugs into the sub and the front, rear and center speakers plug into the sub, and the controller acts like the receiver with the optical / coax / analog wires plugging into the back of it.

Here is the info on the speakers from Logitech's website

Left/Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1khz, @ 10% THD)
Center: 69 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
Rear Left & Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
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