Question about Sound Bar kit... (1 Viewer)

[brianspiegle202]

need help from any home theater buffs or techies!!!

I recently bought a samsung 65 inch slamsung ks8000 4k hdr tv, I also bought the samsung k550 sound bar WITH the rear speaker package. I also purchased the hdmi 2.0a cables for all my connections. the system sounds beautiful and everything works perfectly, that being said. I don't really feel "surrounded" by the sound. i have minimal surround effect with the levels cranked up to max (6) and I even bought speaker stands for my 2 rear speakers to put them lower and closer to the couch. now I've been looking at other systems, one in particular is the onkyo hts-5800 system, it is built for dolby atmos, has 5 speakers and a sub woofer in the package, and a 4k receiver with 7.1 channel support (i believe) if I want to add more speakers. I was looking at the specs and I see the onkyo is like 115 watts, but my samsung sound bar is like 340 i think. that seems like a big drop in wattage. does this matter? should I stick with the sound bar? my big thing is I'm trying to future proof my system for a little while and I just don't like that I can't upgrade my samsung system simply by connecting more speakers or anything, I'm just stuck with what I have. if that's the case I'm leaning toward returning it and going with the onkyo receiver/system.

 

[ArmSC]

You bought a soundbar. One of the big limitations of a soundbar is they are what they are. There's no expansion or even replacement of speakers in the system. You're limited to what you got when you opened the box.

If you're looking for something to build around or upon then you'll want to get an AVR and speakers. The set you identified if a pre-pack and should do nicely for what you're looking for. There are a few guys running similar sets that really like them. For the same money I think that you could probably put together a setup that could be better but it just wouldn't come in one box. The speakers would also be bigger as most of those prepacks have satellite sized speakers. If that's what you're looking for then you just might have a winner.

 

[brianspiegle202]

thanks man!

 

[ArmSC]

You're very welcome. If you want recommendations or have questions feel free to ask.

 

[brianspiegle202]

I'm gonna up the budget to suit what I need.

I want to get a Yamaha that supports 7.2 so I can add in the future. but I am going to shop around for a better speaker setup (5.2 for now, and I'll add the other 2 later)

I just have 2 questions

1. If I buy a Yamaha with 7.2 channel, am I required to use 7.2? like will it work with only a 5.2 set up for now?

2. if I spend 4-5 on the receiver, what is a good 3-4 hundred dollar 5.2 speaker set up?


this is the reciever I'm looking at purchasing and I'm thinking about using this site to do it.

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...-ch-x-90-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html

and these are the speakers I'm looking into


http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...tem-superior-to-bose-acoustimass-black/1.html


these seem like a really good decision, and I'm honestly gonna be lost if I'm wrong lol.

I'd like to add that I'm relatively new to high end merchandise, and I'm not very tech savvy. the best options for me are packages with subs and stuff included.....some of the specs are wayyyy out of my league as far As know how. I just can't wrap my head around the idea of creating a frankensteins monster of a unit.

thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[Al.Anderson]

You can use a 7.2 receiver at anything less with no problem.

The links don't work, but a couple of thoughts:
1) It's best to not go "receiver rich" and "speaker poor". Receiver technology changes nearly yearly, so you'll want to upgrade your receiver by the time you get good speakers; on the flip side, a good speaker will last 30 years. So go low-end on the receiver and move your budget into speakers, I'd say 30% receiver, 70% speakers.
2) Bose speakers suck. Drop that idea like a bad date and get something decent.

Here's a decent entry-level system:
https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V3...7321670&sr=1-4&keywords=home+theater+receiver
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-B...d=1487321814&sr=1-2&keywords=pioneer+speakers
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-C...d=1487321814&sr=1-4&keywords=pioneer+speakers

Or just go right to very good: (same receiver, just get the M22s to start if you have to)
http://www.axiomaudio.com/m22-bookshelf-speakers
http://www.axiomaudio.com/m2-bookshelf-speakers
http://www.axiomaudio.com/vp100-center-channel-speaker

 

[Edwin-S]

5.2? You are planning on running 2 subs? Is there any such thing as a 3-400 dollar speaker package with 2 subs that would be of any quality? I'm with Al.A on this. Spend the bulk of the money on speakers. The M-22s with M3s and a sub like the EP-175 would probably be a good place to start. They have a refurb EP-175 on for 291 Canadian. If you don't care about minor blemishes or color matching the sub and M3s to the M22 mains, you could get the set for approx. 967US by buying the stuff from their B-stock and refurb stores on their website. That's not a bad start on a 4.1 system. If the mains are set up properly, a center speaker can be dispensed with for the time being.

 

[ArmSC]

I want to get a Yamaha that supports 7.2 so I can add in the future.

Good idea as they are super easy to use and if you get one with network capability the phone app is very good.

1. If I buy a Yamaha with 7.2 channel, am I required to use 7.2? like will it work with only a 5.2 set up for now?
2. if I spend 4-5 on the receiver, what is a good 3-4 hundred dollar 5.2 speaker set up?

1. No you don't have to use all the channels on an AVR. You can do anything from a 2.0 to the maximum channels available. This goes for the sub outs too. If the AVR has two it doesn't mean you need to use both.
2. I think that I would start with a 5.1 speaker package as 5.2 speaker packages are going to be hard to come by. I would also step the receiver down to the $300-400 range and put more into the speakers. Since you linked A4L gear I'm assuming that you're ok with going with refurbs. The links didn't work but that's ok I'll go with my gut on recommendations.

So here is what I would look at if I had a total budget of $800-900 and was setting up a decent 5.1 system with room to grow.

AVR - Yamaha RX-V581 refurb $350 ( Costco link here if you're memeber they a good price on these $370 normally but it was on sale for $330 the other week) 7.2, true 4k, network, Atmos support and it's just super easy to use. If you want another option the Denon X1300W refurb $350 would also be a very good choice. More HDMI inputs and Audyssey room correction make this also a solid choice. It's not as easy as the Yamaha but if you need a plan B this would be a contender in my book.

Speakers - Pick one of these sets. You may need to add speakers wire and any interconnect cables. Subwoofer are all on the small size but better than any soundbar sub. The sub would be one of the first things I upgraded in these or added a second one too.

1. KEF E305 refurb $800 Ok I know it's over budget but this is really a good set and I would kick myself if I didn't at least throw it out there for you. Its a shame you didn't ask a month ago they had this on sale for $600 around superbowl time.
2. Canton Movie 95 $330 - Small two way cubes for a high WAF factor. I've not heard these but I would imagine they will sound good. My concern would be getting more in the future if you wanted to keep the same brand when you expand. If you don't care it's not a big concern.
3. Definitive Technology ProCinema 600 refurb $480 - Nice small satellite set that uses radiator technology. When you're ready to add speakers just get more from the ProMonitor line. The 800 and 1000 bookshelfs can be used for fronts while the existing ones get moved to the rear. (ProCinema 800 refurb $800 This is the upgraded set if you wanted to upgrade)
4. Pioneer AJ 5.1 bookshelf package $510 - Actual bookshelf speakers that are well reviewed and liked by many. These are not small speakers so be sure you have room for them. The larger size will allow a lower crossover for better sub integration. Sub is probably the weak point of the system but should do the job for a smaller room.
5. Polk TL1600 $330 - Basic 5.1 that has very small sats and a sub. They sound alright from what I can remember but will cross very high.