Newbie Looking for a Surround Sound System

Hi Ryan, welcome to the forum!

As with so many things, the answer includes "it depends"...

A few thoughts on the system you listed.
- Klipsch speakers are one of the few brands of speakers where I generally urge someone to listen and audition them in person for a while before committing to buying them.  Klipsch speakers use a unique horn tweeter that produces a unique sound.  Many people like it (they are popular speakers, after all) but some people find them excessivly harsh and fatiguing after listening for extended periods of time.  Take listening material you're familiar with and give them a listen.  Only your ears can tell you what sounds good to you.

- How important are in-ceiling surround speakers to you?  While they provide a nice, clean installation, they come at a performance cost.  All things being equal, in-ceiling speakers will never sound as good as traditional standalone speakers.

- The $369.97 for a "High-performance cabling package" is to be expected from a salesman.  As you read these forums, you'll find that all this "premium" cabling is a waste of money.  Folks around here get their cables from online resources like monoprice.com.  Buying expensive cables is a waste.  Avoid anything with "Monster" stamped on it like the plague.  I'm not being facetious...

- The $600 for installation does seem a bit steep at first, but if that includes installing the in-ceiling speakers and running speaker wire in the walls, it's not THAT bad.  Especially if you're not that much of a do-it-yourselfer, then it all comes down to whether its worth it to you.  I've run lots of speaker wire myself and it's not that difficult.  Folks around here are happy to help walk you through the setup, too, which can be daunting.

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OK, those are my quick thoughts on the above system, but I've got a couple of questions for you!

- Tell me about the room you're putting this in.  How big is it?  Is it an open plan, or pretty closed off?  I assume you already have a display - what make/model?  How far back do you sit?
- Do you have Blu-Ray, or are you planning to make the jump any time soon?
- What other sources do you want to hook up to the system?  Cable/Satellite (HD) game systems, VCR, etc.
- Have you thought about getting a good universal remote control to use with the system?
- In terms of running speaker wire, do you have access to an attic or basement?

Sorry if this is a lot, but there are SO many options out there, the more we know about your goals, the better we can help!

My first comment is: If you told the salesman your budget is around $1500, then why did he quote you a system for over $2200?  There's a mighty big difference there.

My first rule is decide how much you really want to spend, and stick to it.  Knowing more about the room size, installation issues that Jason mentioned, and what you expect the system to be capable of will help us answer.  How loud?  At what level of audio quality?  Do you need the receiver to switch the video signal?

First thing, replace the Klipsch sub with an internet direct sub.  Up the budget for this (take it from the overpriced cable price).  Check out the PB12 NSD from SVS for $600.  Then absolutely listen to the speakers.  Klipsch is popular, but I, like many others, do not like them.  Be sure to listen for 30 minutes or more.  They sound good (to me) at first, but I find they become fatiguing after listening for a while.

 Ryan,

Just an FYI...  The 'rear' speakers are not really in the rear.  They are properly known as 'surrounds' and they should be placed on the side walls in line or just behind the listeners. Ideally, they should be a foot or 2 above the listener.

No other brand to recommend (other than include internet direct companies in your search).  Best thing to do is listen.  We all have our own tastes.

For a receiver, the Pioneer is a nice unit, but there are alternatives out there that may provide more bang for the buck.  Since you have the Wii, a key feature you will want is analog-to-digital video upconversion.  This will allow you to connect the Wii to the receiver using analog component video, but still run only a single HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV (keep in mind with a surround sound setup, the TV is no longer the "hub" of the system, the receiver is - so all sources run through the receiver).  As you probably already know, you'll want a receiver that is HDMI 1.3 repeater (meaning it will accept the Blu-Ray lossless audio formats over HDMI) and you'll need at least 4 HDMI inputs (3 for now, at least 1 for expansion).

I've been a fan of Onkyo receivers for a long time.  Amazon.com currently has the 607 for a pretty amazing price (just over $400).  It has all the key features you'd need and is pretty highly regarded around here.  Onkyos do have a reputation for running "hot" so it's not recommended if it's going to be stuffed in an audio cabinet with little air circulation (of course, this shouldn't be done with any gear...).  Another comparable model would be the Denon 1910, but you're not likely to find a price anywhere near the Onkyo.

For the speakers, I forgot to mention eariler that in a 5.1 system, the surrounds are generally placed to the sides of the listening position - however from your description of the room (being open to the kitchen) this might be a more difficult installation.  Any thoughts on that?  You could also go in-wall instead - provided the placement works out.  Also, to clarify, using in-walls for surrounds isn't that bad in terms of performance.  Better to use in-walls for surrounds than for fronts.

There are a ton of popular speaker brands, and it's been a long time since I auditioned anything.  Polk and Definitive Technology are popular. I am partial to PSB and Paradigm.  What other speaker brands did the dealer you met with carry?

I will second David's suggestion of getting a subwoofer separate from the rest of your speaker system.  Many good speaker manufacturers don't make good subwoofers (Paradigm is one notable exception, IMO).  While it's imperative that the front three speakers match each other, and it's nice if the surrounds match, the same is not true for subwoofers.  The SVS PB12-NSD is very highly regarded if you can swing it budget-wise.  It's little sibling, the 10-incher isn't bad, either and will still outperform the Klipsch.

Nothing, really - just a second output for the same .1 LFE channel.  You can achieve the same thing with any 7.1 receiver and an RCA Y-cable.

There is no such thing (technically) as 7.2, as there is only one LFE channel.  However, some manufactures include a second sub pre-out connection and the marketers call it 7.2.  Some even go so far as treating the second pre-out independent (so you can set different distance and trims).  Either way, the same signal is always sent to both.

Have a second pre-out makes it a little easier to have 2 subwoofers.  I would not purchase a receiver just for this feature.

17 feet from a 40" TV is pretty far - I sit less than 10 feet from my 65" set.

I doubt it very much. I just use a good surge protector. Not an expensive one, just a good one.


The usual suspects are Aperionaudio.com, Axiomaudio.com, Audioinsider.com and Ozhometheater.com (Swan), Edesignsaudio.com, and a couple of others that I'm sure I forgot to mention. Theaudioadvisor and Saturdayaudio.com also have good deals once in a while as do Vanns.com, Onecall.com and Newegg.com. Newegg.com has some great deals on Polk Monitor series speakers. The sale was supposed to end on 2-28 but they're still listed on the website. Electronics-expo.com, jr.com, westerstereo.com, the list goes on and on. Buying last years models on closeout is a great way to save a bunch of money on some pretty good speakers. Not all of them have in-ceiling speakers, though.

As for the receiver on a budget, the Denon 590/1610 for around $329 (msrp $379) is also a real good deal. It includes Audyssey MultiEQ and not just 2EQ.

hey guys!!im looking for some help on buying a sound system that would be good for both movies and audio,i live in india and would need to knw bout availability as well.ive not owned many speakers besides an old bose set of speakers that i dont even knw the model of.ne way since my knowledge of these things is not much, i would require suggestions on the entire set up.as in about receiver,woofers,floor standing or bookshelf etc.my budget would be around 600-800 $.and also can anyone give me some suggestions on the following speakers,axiom m 80,mirage nanosat and klipsch rf 7.i knw they are way over my budget but if they are really good then i have a relative in the us who can help me with the shipping.

Hi Blake,

The Axiom M80's are 4ohm speakers.  They need a pretty good receiver (amp) to drive them.  The Axiom M60's are nearly as good and are 8ohm..  The Klipsch's are something you really need to listen too.  Some folks love them, some hate them.  There's not much in between.  Forget the BOSE. 

I think your best option is to listen to speakers locally.  Although Axiom gives you 30 days to decide, the shipping back to Canada would be expensive.

Thanx david.i really need to make up my mind now.lets say i get the m 60s, are they harsh??i read a few comments that say they sound too bright.if they are good then wht receiver would u suggest?thanx in advance.

 IMO, no, they are not harsh.  Harsh to me is Klipsch.  These are not like that at all.  

I still recommend listening locally...

Their are no general consensus on any speaker system mini or other.  The best fit is the speaker system that fits your budget and sounds better to you than all the others you listened to.  

After reading all the posts to this thread.  I would suggest that you move your prime seating area from 17 feet in half  to the 8-9 feet range.  Not only will your visual experience improve so will you audio experience. 

I agree with CB.  No sound system is going to effect your viewing experience more than moving your viewing distance in to 8-9 feet.  With a 40" screen at 17 feet, the eye cannot fully resolve HD, so purchasing an HD screen is useless at that distance as far as resolution is concerned.   You also aren't going to get the full benefit of stereo imaging from the mains, unless they are 20+ feet apart.  If the plan cannot accomodeate a shorter viewing distance, look at putting the TV on another wall.

has anyone heard of these qs8 by axiom.just wanna know if i could use two of these as front speakers without a woofer????

QS8's are terrific surround speakers.  They will not work for fronts.  Checkout the M22's for about the same price.