Lost and I don't want to make a mistake (1 Viewer)

[GregHC]

1st post and I hope it is in the right place.

I'm currently running a Sony Wega TV, and have the Sony Speakers Towers. I'm hoping to upgrade to a better sounding system, but I'm not sure on how to proceed. I don't listen to music too much, and the room it is going in has cathedral ceilings.

I was thinking HTiB, because of I don't listen to alot of music, but will I be making a mistake when I want to upgrade to HD TV (in a year or so). Will a HTiB sound decent in an open room with cathedral ceilings.

If I do go with a better receiver, what features should I look for. With an odd shaped room, should it contain speaker setting device like YAPO. Knowing I'll be going HD is there a minimum number of inputs or any type that is a must have.

The next step Speakers, should I go with 6.1 in a box from a reputable maker, Should I go with 4-5 decent bookshelves, a good center and good sub? Or start with 2 Good floor, and a center.

My budget is around 1k. (I'm not really looking for brands just advice on how to start)

 

[ChrisWiggles]

for 1k, i'd look towards a decent receiver, and a package of speakers from a reputable brand, rather than an htib. This will probably get you the best performance. You could spend, say

 

[Ted Lee]

when it comes to speakers, you have a lot of flexibility and there really is no wrong answer. here's a brief breakdown:

sub-sat system: nice if size is an issue. you typically get small satellites plus a powered sub. jbl has a nice set for about 500 bucks. other brands will also have decent ones at that price point. great for home theater, but not so good for music.

bookshelf sized: nice if music will play a higher priority in your listening. plus, when you get a stand-alone center-channel, it's typically pretty good quality. remember that, for ht, your center speaker is the most important one.

floor sized: floor standing speakers almost always sound better for music then a sub/sat system. but they're more expensive and by the time you're done building your speaker set, you'll have spent quite a bit more then i think your budget calls for. but, like you said ... you can always build slowly.

imo, i think the floor sized and center speaker is the best route. i think it's smart to take your time and build up your system slowly ... especially when it comes to speakers which you'll probably keep for a really long time.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I disagree completely with this part. Superior monitors are always better than inferior, but more full-range floorstanders a line down at the same price. I personally wouldn't get into floorstanders unless I were spending more than a few grand on speakers. Music performance demands quality sound, not just full-range. A sub will do more than enough to fill in the lowest octave or so, and some monitors can extend very deep indeed.

 

[GregHC]

Thanks for the help.

I'll probably end up going with the bookshelves or Sat, since I'll mainly be using it for DVD's.

 

[Ted Lee]

i disagree completely with your disagreeing with me!

i did say "almost always", but, in my experience, if all things are equal, then the floor standers will sound better.

of course, a superior monitor (like tannoy's) will always sound better then an inferior floor-stander. it just depends on what you get.

 

[Cam McFarland]

For now, get an Onkyo HT-660 HTIB for $399.00( I got mine for $299.00).
Get all ya need to get going, upgrade as required.

Move the cheapie into your bedroom later....







But I'm an idiot..............dont listen to me

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Yes, I would prefer equivalent floor standers but almost always they:

1) cost a lot more money

2) cost that much more that you could move to a superior monitor a line up, and get superior sound.

I'm not talking between a monitor and it's respective matching floorstanding version, but between two speakers at the same price, one being a floorstander, and the other being a monitor from a more expensive line. I would always opt for the better monitor, since for music it is way more important to have the better sound/imaging, whatever, and for movies you'll have things crossed over to the sub anyway, so the slight loss of bass capabilities isn't that big a deal. And assuming you have a good sub anyway, you can work that into your mix too to fill in the lowest octave a little bit where the monitors will roll off a bit.

 

[GregHC]

Ok true newbie question,
What is a Monitor?
I thought it was what hooks up to your computer (a TV like device)

Ok, I'm guessing your talking about the whole speaker system as opposed to just 2.

From the helpful glossary tems, which I should have read, "With regard to audio playback, it refers to the speaker systems used in the monitoring and mixing room, which may be commercial models but can also be models designed for consumer use that are often better than the commercial models.
"

 

[ChrisWiggles]

I was using the term here simply to mean something like a "bookshelf" or stand-mounted speaker, as opposed to a floorstanding speaker. Usually smaller, 2-way speaker, and needs a stand, that's all I meant. I was not referring to studio monitors, although they certainly are similar, though not always the same. They are usually self powered, and they can also tend to be near-field, but that's a little off-topic.

 

[DanielKellmii]

Greg, don't worry about a YAPO. The radio shack SPL meter is $40-$50 and works fine. Maybe 20 minutes on your part to get started, and then some tweaking down the road. Buy that and get a calibration disk. It will be worth it. Don't forget to add some $$ in for the cost of good speaker wire. It is worth the price, and the cost can be a surprise.

I have a big room with 10 foot ceilings. You should have a look/listen at the Onkyo HT-S760. I really enjoy the sound and the features. Usually you can get it for under $500, but the included speaker wires are awful. They must be changed to something better. The biggest drawback for that system is that the speakers are big. Very tough for a wife or girlfriend to accept. I really couldn't tell a difference between the 760 and other set-ups until I got into to $2000 plus range. But that is just my opinion.

I agree with the writer who mentioned that the Watts game isn't worth playing. Just listen and let your ears decide. If you look close enough and pay attention to the specs, you can see a lot of games being played.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Since you already have SONY tower speakers.... I'll save you some money.

Reciever: You'll need a 5.1 reciever. There are upto 5.1 music channels in HDTV I hear, so you won't NEED 6.1 Buy a SONY STR-895 reciever for $175

Speakers: You have a L/R pair, you just need a center and some surrounds. Ebay has a set of these on Ebay for $59 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=32861)

Subwoofer: Now you'll have a lot of money left over from that $1000. Spend it where you'll feel it, just visit www.svsubwoofers.com and look around.

 

[DanielKellmii]

There are some 6.1 DVDs out there right now. Most notably, The Lord of the Rings disks. But 5.1 is dominant and looks to be that for the time being. Greg, 6.1 is nice, but I wouldn't let that be a big factor.