Is a wireless home theater possible? (1 Viewer)

I should preface this thread by saying that I am very new to this area and for the life of me I have a hard time understanding all of the ABC's of this so I figure I need to start building and experiencing this stuff so I can comprehend how to add 1+1 in the audio world.

I thoroughly enjoy listening to music, watching tv, and movies as much as the next guy. I don't have the greatest hearing but i do enjoy the feel of being engulfed in sound when watching a movie.

I have been trying to research everything I can to determine a good entry level receiver that I can use for the next few years (hdmi 2.x, 4k support, wireless, bluetooth optional, ability to scale up if needed, etc.)

What I am wanting to achieve if possible is this...I want the flexibility of Sonos without the Sonos price tag basically. Receivers I have been looking at (denon, onkyo, yamaha, and I think i looked into a sony one too) all seem to need wired speakers attached for the home theatre sound, but seem to be able to connect to wireless speakers for "Zones" so I could play music some where else while I watch my movie.

Now I have seen that Polk is offering a system that appears to be really similar to Sonos, I think its call omni. Harmon Kardon also shows they are bringing something out this summer as well. Granted prices are a bit high, but the packaging appears to be better than Sonos.

I am curious to know if someone could help me clear the waters a bit, because I love the flexibility, ease of use, scalability, lack of wiring/drilling, but I hate the price for entry level. If there are any links you can provide or receivers you suggest please let me know! Thank you for your time.

1. Wireless speakers aren't wireless at all. They plug into the wall. Just like lamps.

2. It isn't cheap. Never will be. Aperion had a Summit(Summit is a company that is attempting to make "wireless" a reality) 5.1 for $3500.

3. Look up WiSA (or WiSa, I forget and don't care). Summit(see above) is the backing behind the protocol. Lots of manufacturers are supposedly bringing product forth. Not a single bit of it will be "entry level".

You want wireless?

Open up your checkbook. It will never be cheap.

By the way. The lowest cost AVR you can buy to even attempt "wireless" with?

Onkyo TX NR838.

Then you would need, additionally...

3 sets(or 4 for 7.1) of wireless audio transmitters. Onkyo sells theirs for $150 a piece. That is $150 x 6(or 8).

An amp for every channel. Parts Express sells amps for around $125 a piece. You need 5, or 7.

(I'm not doing the math accurately)

The above works out to about $2500...

And you still need speakers.

Have you ever heard the adage, "Good, fast, cheap - pick any two" (often applies in engineering as well as in software development - both of which I have a lot of experience).


It sounds like you want quality, convenience and a reasonable price, and I'm afraid as Sam mentioned, you can typically only get two of those at a time when it comes to home theater.


By the way, welcome to the forum!


Your post didn't mention anything about speakers or other components that you may already have. Do you have anything currently, or are you starting from scratch?


Generally speaking, the "quality" of a system is much more a function of the speakers themselves, rather than the AVR. In fact, based on the speed at which receiver technology changes, I feel the AVR is one of the more short-lived components in a system.


Whatever your overall budget for the system is, you should dedicate at least half to speakers alone, and split the other half between everything else (assuming, of course that you need speakers).


As for wireless, I think the idea of wireless is appealing for many reasons, but the reality of wireless is simply not that great. If wireless systems worked and worked well, there would be a lot more options out there, but the fact is that they are hard to come by because unless you drop some serious coin, they stink.

Are you looking for all the components to be wireless or just the rear speakers? Wireless rears seem more obtainable...not recommended but at least able to be done if you're willing to compromise. Also, what is your budget? Are you looking for a 5.1 or 7.1?