Home Theater surround sound speakers... (1 Viewer)

[Mercennarius]

I currently have this 5.1 surround sound for my home theater:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+1000W+5.1-Ch.+Home+Theater+System+with+Upconvert+DVD+Player/9237836.p?id=1218065294300&skuId=9237836&st=samsung 5.1&contract_desc=null

And for the price its been really good (Less then $200 new.) But its now time for me to upgrade to a little more high end speaker setup and was wondering what everyone here would recommend. I am wanting something that delivers a rich tone. I have always been impressed with what Bose speakers sound like at the Best Buy or Bose stores. Something that would deliver that kind of richness or better possibly.


I'm actually looking for a used setup off ebay or the like, preferrably under $300. I might buy new but it would still need to be around $300. Whats the best 5.1 setup I can get in this price range? Can I use my current reciever with the new speakers?

 

[David Willow]

It is hard to tell from the link, but I'm betting there is nothing 'standard' about that receiver. I would doubt you will be able to get speakers to work with it. It may be time to start over.

You really need to get out and listen to more speakers. BOSE is one of the few brands that is almost universally disliked in forums such as this one.

Do you need small speakers like the ones you have or the BOSE? Can you be a bit more flexible with the budget?

 

[BrianParks]

http://www.acousticsounddesign.com/core/view_BigProduct.cfm?pid=1599&w=226
these little klipsch are probably the best sounding speakers in your price range......, but I think when most of us decided that our HTIB wasn't good enough, we first upgraded the receiver. You still made an investement that will improve your sound, and provided a strong foundation to attach which other component you want to upgrade next. You'd probably be suprised how much better your speakers will sound just hooked to a new pioneer receiver or something

 

[Jason Charlton]

Zachary,

Unfortunately, one of the problems with starting out with a lower-end HTiB system is that the typical upgrade path (updating receiver and speakers separately) is simply not possible because both the speakers and receiver were designed specifically for each other.

I downloaded the owner's manual for your system (found it here). Looking at the specifications, the speaker impedance is listed at 3 Ohms (page 74). Most A/V receivers are not rated for such low impedances (those that are are quite expensive and certainly beyond most folks' budget).

Also, if you look closely at the rear panel, you will see that these speakers have special connectors on them (i.e. not bare wire/binding posts). These proprietary connectors are there, in part, to make sure that someone doesn't inadvertently try to run other speakers from the same receiver, therefore, you can't just replace the speakers, either.

There aren't many systems available for your $300 budget that don't carry some compromises with them. Can you tell us what other sources you'd like to hook up to the system (cable/satellite, DVD, Blu-Ray, Playstation, Wii?) That alone is probably the biggest factor into what core features you'll want in a system. Also, what kind of TV do you have - is it HD and does it have HDMI?

 

[Mercennarius]

Thanks a lot for the replies!

I have use my TV for a lot, PS3/360/Blueray/U-Verse. Its a 40 inch Samsung 1080i TV. I dont need a top of the line surround sound, just something a little better then what I have. Mine works fine, I just wish the tones were richer sounding. I'm thinking my best bang for the buck setup would be used so i've been looking on Ebay at various setups. Lets say under $400, whats the best receiver/5.1 speaker setup you would reccommend??

 

[Mercennarius]

Also I wonder if there are Samsung speakers that I could buy that are a big upgrade over mine that would work with my receiver.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Originally Posted by Mercennarius

Thanks a lot for the replies!

I have use my TV for a lot, PS3/360/Blueray/U-Verse. Its a 40 inch Samsung 1080i TV. I dont need a top of the line surround sound, just something a little better then what I have. Mine works fine, I just wish the tones were richer sounding. I'm thinking my best bang for the buck setup would be used so i've been looking on Ebay at various setups. Lets say under $400, whats the best receiver/5.1 speaker setup you would reccommend??

Considering that you're faced with having to replace the whole system, and given a $300 - $400 budget, you're really looking at having to go with another HTiB system if you want 5.1 right away.

The Home Theater systems from Onkyo are generally considered the best options out there, because they are built around an actual A/V receiver that can support additional sources and will allow you to upgrade speakers later on down the road.

I'm not familiar with U-Verse (does that hook up via HDMI?) and assuming you're using your PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, you would need at least 3 HDMI inputs. A receiver that is "HDMI 1.3 Repeater" would be preferred - it will allow you to hear the lossless audio codecs on Blu-Ray. If that isn't available, be aware that any system labeled "HDMI Pass-Through" will require a separate digital audio connection for each HDMI device, and you won't be able to hear the best audio from Blu-Rays.

I can't offer much eBay advice - but if you can find a good deal on an Onkyo HT-S6200 (that's the lowest model that is HDMI Repeater) that would be a fine choice.

Onkyo also just came out with their new HT-S3300 system. You can get it on Amazon for under $350. While it's actually HDMI 1.4 certified (so you're covered wrt HDMI audio), it has exactly the number of connections you currently need (leaving no room for expansion) and it uses a passive subwoofer - which isn't preferred.

Originally Posted by Mercennarius

Also I wonder if there are Samsung speakers that I could buy that are a big upgrade over mine that would work with my receiver.

Your best bet would be to try contacting Samsung directly. Honestly, I don't think there's any chance they have any "better" speakers that would work with the receiver. These systems are all about being designed for a specific price point. The compromises they make in order to meet that goal are all the things that make the more expensive models easy to upgrade.

 

[Mercennarius]

Thanks again for the advice!


I currently run HDMI through all of my systems PS3/360/UVerse to the TV and then opitcal straight to my surround sound. I believe this is giving me the best video/audio quality transfer?


Also things for the recommendation on the HT-S6200, i've found them starting at $490 New buy it now on ebay. Looks like a great system...im thinking I may just sell my current surround sound setup to a friend for a around $100-$150 and that allow the HT-S6200 to be in my price range .

 

[Jason Charlton]

Originally Posted by Mercennarius

I currently run HDMI through all of my systems PS3/360/UVerse to the TV and then opitcal straight to my surround sound. I believe this is giving me the best video/audio quality transfer?

Actually, this is a very common misconception. Chances are very good that you weren't getting the best audio from your source components.

(EDIT: I had assumed you meant running a single optical cable from the TV to the home theater system - if you actually meant running optical audio from each component to the home theater, then you were probably OK and can ignore the next paragraph).

Most TVs do not preserve the digital surround sound information for external sources (even if they are input via HDMI). They are instead downmixed to stereo before being output via the TVs digital audio out jack. Only audio picked up via the TVs internal tuner is actually output as true digital 5.1.

The surround sound system receives the stereo signal and simulates surround sound using Dolby ProLogic or ProLogic II.

One of the benefits to having a true A/V receiver is being able to use the receiver as the "hub" of the system - routing both video and audio from all sources directly to the receiver, then having only a single video output from the receiver to the TV. Having a setup like this allows you to let the receiver do all the switching for you - you just select the input you want from the receiver and both audio and video are switched! No need to do anything on the TV except turn it on and off.

If you can swing the 6200 you will definitely experience a dramatic improvement in sound - particularly from Blu-Rays. The difference between Dolby ProLogic and DolbyHD/DTS-MA will be mind blowing! Be sure to check back in here when you get your new system (whatever it winds up being) and we can help make sure all is hooked up and configured correctly.