Newbie advise (1 Viewer)

[vincentRL]

Hi! I'm new on Home Theaters and I need advise.

I was planning to convert one of my rooms to a Home Theater / TV room. I was planning on a 7.1 system with a front projector. I'm a TV addict and a movie buff, I rarely listen to music.

My room is about 5m x 6m (16ft x 20ft). I've used JBLs before and I really like them but my friend suggests I go for B&W Speakers. They're a bit pricey, but they do sound great.

Anyway, I was planning to get a pair of JBL E80s for the front and a JBL EC35 for the center.

I have a few questions:

1.) Would the JBL E10s be sufficient for surrounds, or should I get something bigger? They look good aesthetically (other models are too boxy). They're small, would their sound be a compromise? Does size of surround speakers matter much?

2.) I've read somewhere that bi-wiring speakers isn't advisable. Why?

3.) I have an old JBL PowerBass PB12 Sub-woofer from an old stereo. Should I get a new sub instead? I was looking at Velodyne DPS subs. Will installing 2 subs make a difference?

4.) I haven't decided on what receiver to get. I'm looking at a Harman Kardon AVR635 or a Yamaha RX-V1600. The HK635 is priced much lower, but the RX-V1600 is THX certified, has HDMI input/output, and it has "presence" or front surround capability (does this actually work?). An HK salesman told me that their receivers have more "character" than Yamahas, Yamaha Receivers are more subtle and calm. Which one would you get?

5.) Lastly, I plan to install an LCD TV behind an automatic roll-down screen. The guy at the shop wouldn't recommend a roll-down screen and suggest I go for a fixed screen. He said roll-down screens tends to warp at the sides in the long run. How true is this?

Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Charlie Campisi]

Welcome to the forum. Usually when picking surrounds you want them to match your fronts so that when a jet flies from front to back it doesn't sound like a model airplane when it hits your surrounds. Try to stick with the same line of speakers, and ones that use the same size/quality drivers. You should read the faq/primer for the forum. Lots of good info in there to get you started.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

1) Ok - go for small surround speakers. You then tell the reciever that the rear speakers are SMALL and it will route all the low-frequency duties to your sub.

2) Bi-Wire: this is a bit of an audio myth. This comes from the old-school where tons of power is needed so the sound is good .. in the next room. This is not an issue for a HT system where you surround 1-3 seats with an array of 5 speakers.

3) Dont use 2 subs if you can avoid it. It can create complex interactions in the room unless you stack them. Stick with the old JBL and plan for the velodyne (or an SVS) as an upgrade if it cannot handle the HT duties.

4) I like Yamaha because of their neutral response (most music-philes prefer this). But it probably does not matter for a HT system. Dont pay extra for the model with "THX" as many of the RX-V series are as good/better, but Yamaha does not pay for the testing.

5) Dont know about the screen issue. Check out the Display Devices fourm.


In general: HT audio is artificial and highly compressed. You really dont need a "musical" speaker if you mainly watch movies.

What is important: try to get a matched set of speakers so as Charlie points out, the sound does not shift as sounds move around.

Hope this helps.