Need some help (1 Viewer)

Alright guys.. bear with me. This is my first post and I am relatively unfamiliar with the technology available today.

I am closing on a new home in a few days and am trying to figure out what I should do for my TV setup in the family room.

I have currently:

LG 55LM8600 55" 3D HDTV
Pioneer VSX-1021K Receiver (i really like the unit as it has a good bit of features and a ton of inputs)
Apple TV (3rd Generation)
Sony BDP-S5100 (i think... its currently packed deep in a box somewhere in my garage) Bluray Player

I will also be connecting a Verizon FiOS HD DVR box to the system.

My dilemma is that I don't know what I should really do from a setup standpoint. I will be mounting the TV on the wall above a media stand. I have been entertaining the idea of a soundbar but I want to use my receiver to control the volume level and change inputs, which it is my understanding that I can't do with an active SB. That being said, if i were to forgo the receiver and use an active soundbar, how much of a sacrifice will I have to give in terms of sound quality?

What other options do I have and what would you all recommend? Passive soundbar? Wireless speakers? I am open to suggestions from the resident experts here.

Thanks

D

Are there not speakers currently attached to the receiver? You don't need both a receiver and a sound bar.

Carl, I should have clarified that in my original post. I have some Bose bookshelf speakers that are larger than I would prefer for my new setup and a Yamaha center speaker. Of which, I will be retiring in the move.

I'm not necessarily looking for a 5.1 setup like I currently have since I don't ever use it really. Our family mostly just watches television shows and sports games. What I am looking for is a speaker setup that will yield a clean setup and be able to saturate the room with quality sound. I also like the idea of the receiver option because I can eventually add a wireless set of outdoor speakers for my second zone on to the patio.

In your situation I would buy a pair of small speakers and hook them to your existing receiver rather than getting a sound bar. That's what I currently use in my home. I downsized to a stereo sound system from 5.1 when I moved from a house to an apartment. 5.1 is a nice luxury, but you can get really good sound from two speakers.

Would it be worth it to opt for a center channel as well? What speakers would you recommend for a space sized around 15x15?

Atlantic Tech passive soundbar.

schan1269 said:

Atlantic Tech passive soundbar.

Click to expand...

Have a model in mind?

What kind of budget do you have in mind? How big is too big for the speaker size? Are you going to have a sub with the new setup?

Doug Mehnert said:

Have a model in mind?

Click to expand...

They only have one that fits your goal of no surround speakers.

By the way, even if wireless speakers were an option, your AVR doesn't have preouts.

ArmSC said:

What kind of budget do you have in mind? How big is too big for the speaker size? Are you going to have a sub with the new setup?

Click to expand...

I was thinking somewhere in the 300$ range.

There is nothing at $300 that is "room filling".I use the BA TVee25 in two bedrooms...they are adequate.$300 is "adequate".

Here are what I see as some options for you since you're bringing your own AVR to the party.

[*]Passive soundbar + powered sub $270. If you want to go the soundbar route
[*]Bookshelf speakers of your choosing + powered sub for a nice 2.1 or get two sets of the same bookshelf speakers to make a 3.1 with one spare speaker
[*]Full 5.1 set with only the front 3 + sub. Something like this set or this set if you want small speakers.
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The only issue with a 3 channel LCR is if the Pioneer can't do center, without the surround active.If it can, great.If not...up your budget for the Atlantic Tech 7 channel soundbar.Or...sell the Pioneer (not getting much for it).