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Clarity needed (1 Viewer)

Drtrcr22

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Im a rookie at this I have owned a 1000 watt in the box DVD theater system by Samsung jt4100 series I believe. Why is it that a lower wattage system that of entry levels like the onkyo hit-s3700 or the Yamaha yht-3920ubl just to name a couple have better richer and crisper sound quality deeper and all around bass quality. Now I'm not looking for a 10 grand system. I love bass in action movies I want to feel it like I'm there and I want to be surrounded with what's going on. My system now just doesn't do that now. I don't know if it's drivers or something more complex. So that's where I need clarity of how it actually works. Thank you
 
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Mike Frezon

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The big difference for you, Matt, could be because the Samsung J4100 has a passive subwoofer when I know, from experience, that the Onkyo S5400 has a powered sub. I've not heard the Onkyo 3700. If you are looking for the oomph of bass from action films...a powered subwoofer can make a big difference.

My son has had the S5400 since 2012 and has never been disappointed by it. It can really feel his room with some loud, dynamic audio. I recommend the Onkyo HTiBs quite a lot on these pages based on his experience. And they are totally upgradeable (lots of inputs for new sources).

But there may be other reasons. I'll add a link to Amazon's specs on your Samsung system and see if we can get any other opinions from our in-house experts on the subject. :thumbsup:

:welcome: Welcome to the Home Theater Forum!
 
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Drtrcr22

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Thank you for your input. I was really satisfied when I first go it and now that we have bought a house the room size has changed and I can't hear my rears and the fronts sound mutters at times and I know it the positioning of the speakers in the front they are to close together. I still haven't figure out how to properly set my room up cause my living room is oddly shaped it's not rectangular or square it's got a 3ft offset past the middle of the room. Like an L shape persay. Almost like at one time it was two seperate rooms cause also at the middle of the room is a 2.5ft section of wall.
So this is the reasoning for the up grade and I'm not totally convinced that I shouldn't move to a 7.1 but to me the room size doesn't constitute for a 7.1
 

Mike Frezon

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You'll read numerous discussions on these pages about how the room itself is the most important factor in determining any HT set up.

Maybe in your case you just need to re-calibrate the system based on the new configuration. Room dynamics (space, materials, walls, curtains, rugs, seating placement) all have huge impact on the sound. If your system has a audio calibration system (like Audyssey) built in, you should definitely run it and keep at it until you are happy.

It's the same principle as making sure you don't have bright sunshine pouring in through a window onto your TV and impairing your ability to see the image.

Subwoofer placement is also key in getting the most "bang for your buck." You might start a thread in the speaker forum describing your system, dilemma, and asking about the best subwoofer placement. Absent that, move things around (as best you can) to try out different speaker configurations. Also don't be afraid to play with your speaker settings to tailor the sound to what you like best.

Good luck and keep us posted as to how things work out. And bring on any and all questions you have as you figure this out.
 

David Willow

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The thing to keep in mind when looking at systems is this. Plastering "1000 WATTS" on a system is a marketing ploy that is just about meaningless. Never buy a system based on how many watts it has.

Are you looking to replace your Samsung? There is no upgrade path other than replacing the whole set (the speakers are 3 ohm which is not standard and can/will be an issue if you use any other speaker with the receiver).
 

Drtrcr22

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The information is good I have moved the sub tried it on both sides of corner I've tried at an 45 degree angle in the corner I've tried with the port firing into the corner I've put it behind my cabinet to try and get better resonance I've tried just bout every corner I have heard difference. I have put it in the spot which I like most redone the fronts sounds better. Still can't hear the rears all that much. While I've improved the quality of sound I'm hearing still not happy with the over product so I have most definitely decided to upgrade unfortunately I don't have deep pockets and I do have a family. So I'm going to say a budget of 500 for another htib for now. Looking for 5.1 or even 7.2 even though I don't think the rooms big enough to support one. I will get measurements and would like to see what you folks think. What small budget system is exceptable. Now I'm a firm believer you get what you pay for so I'm not expecting a lot but more than what I got now. Thanks again
 

Mike Frezon

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In that first part of your post, Matt, you described what is known in these parts as a "sub crawl" of sorts. :thumbsup:

Location, location, location! :D

As for the second part of your post, you'll find my recommendation up in post #2. The Onkyo HTiBs are pretty darn good. Don't get scared by the price but here's their latest and greatest. It has many, many great features...and like I reported earlier they are very upgradeable and sound great. If it's too far outside your budget you might be able to find a recent year's model for a better price. Or, there are other, smaller Onkyo systems. But it all falls under that old saying..."you get what you pay for."

Feel free to float any units you find here to get our reactions.
 

Drtrcr22

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Ok the system you have shown me is alittle above price range for me unfortunately so the two systems I have been researching are the yht-4920 Yamaha and the ht-s5800 onkyo any input on these??
 

Mike Frezon

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They look comparable.

Both have powered subwoofers (which is good). The Yamaha has an 8" sub versus a 10" sub on the Onkyo. I've read it over and over on this forum that bass reproduction is all about air movement and the bigger the subwoofer the better (in most cases). There are certainly other ingredients but, you get the idea.

The Onkyo 5800 also gives you a leg up by being Atmos-enabled. Instead of just 5.1...it's 5.1.2 because they have upfiring extra speakers in the fronts which reproduce the Atmos soundtracks.

Don't know if you'd be interesting in streaming anything via Bluetooth, but it has that capability, too.

Like I said above, my son got the Onkyo 5400 back in '12 and has been nothing but happy with it. Personally, I've had no experience with the Yamaha HTiBs. Maybe someone else ho has will chime in. I know many people like their Yammy receivers.
 

Drtrcr22

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I don't know a whole lot about atmos?? Haven't really heard of it until seeing it on here the only other thing I see is the Yamaha is 4K enabled and I didn't not see that with the onkyo any thought on that? Is there really a big difference with sound I know there is picture but I'm Not awareness of sound differences??
 

Mike Frezon

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Atmos is the newest, greatest rage in audio encoding. It's basic premise is to give you the feeling of sound being overhead. Very effective in scenes which feature falling rain, aircraft, etc.

Atmos is the latest audio spec...like 4k UHD is the latest video spec. Both are just making their way into the marketplace.

This is from the Amazon specs on the Onkyo 5800:

Ready for 4K UltraHD
The latest HDMI specification and HDCP 2.2 compatibility supports the latest formats and technologies planned for Hollywood content. The latest HDMI specs offer a significant increase in bandwidth (up to 18Gbps) to support new features such as 4K@50/60 (2160p), which is 4 times the clarity of 1080p/60 video resolution, and 4:4:4 color space.
 

Mike Frezon

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Since we're not talking about changing your TV/display...this discussion is all about the best sound and features to fit your budget.

The majority of sound impact will come from the speakers and subwoofer. That's something that you can't judge ahead of time unless you physically get a chance to hear a unit at a store or friend's house.

Whereas the receiver brings the various features you may (or may not) use. The receiver decides how many inputs/outputs (total connectivity), sound calibration, Bluetooth capability for wireless streaming, etc. It also, of course, brings audio encoding (not all receivers can decode Atmos soundtracks (the Yamaha can't). Each receiver also brings its own power ratings, etc.

So, to answer your question (if I understand it correctly) yeah--there can be big differences in sound. In fact, that's the whole reason you started this thread here, right? The size and layout of the room can have a big impact on how your system works to fill it with the kind of sound you want.

I'm pretty confident that either of the two systems you are looking at would kick your Samsung's butt--in terms of audio, video quality and features. .
 

Drtrcr22

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wow Bunch insistent yeah I love sound you have opened my eyes to atmos and have Almost made my decision for me however i will Ben sample both making a trip to good ole nfm this weekend
 

Drtrcr22

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One more question so what's it mean 5.1.2 I known the 5 I said speakers the 1 for sub what's the 2 I thought it was for zones
 

Mike Frezon

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The last .2 is usually the number of Atmos channels available.

And that is true in this case.

if you look at the Amazon link, you'll see a couple of illustrations. The "5" are the center, two fronts and two surrounds. The ".1" is the subwoofer. And the ".2" are the two extra upfiring speakers which are housed in the same cabinets as the two front speakers of the surrounds.
 

Drtrcr22

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Nebraska furniture mart. They have several home theater set ups that you can hear for yourself. They have a onkyo 7.2 set up with 10 Bose acoustimass for a grand but would still like to hear it
 

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