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Building my first 5.1 home theater and my budget is about $500. I've already spen $200 on a receiver (Yamaha RX-V373) This leaves me with $300 to spend on speakers. That being said I don't want to max out my budget if I don't have to. I'm currently looking at these and these. Any opinions on those HTIAB speakers? I'm no audiophile so crazy amazing sound isn't that important to me, I'm just looking for something that will sound good and won't bankrupt me. The system will be used for TV/Movies, video games and occasionally music.
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Mar 20, 2014 18:14
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You bought a good receiver, get some decent speakers. $250 will get you four of the Andrew Jones Pioneer speakers - http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/dp/B008NCD2LG/ Then save up for the center channel and subwoofer later. These speakers actually work really well without a subwoofer so you won't feel like you're missing out. BTW the speakers go on sale for under $100/pair every so often, so if you don't mind waiting, you can get them for an even better deal - http://camelcamelcamel.com/Pioneer-SP-BS22-LR-Designed-Bookshelf-Loudspeakers/product/B008NCD2LG If you get them for $100/pair, you'll have enough left over for the center channel speaker. Edit: You can save even more if you get the receiver manufacturer refurbished, if that doesn't bother you. BANME.sh fucked around with this message at 18:37 on Mar 20, 2014 |
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Mar 20, 2014 18:21
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BANME.sh posted:You bought a good receiver, get some decent speakers. If he's watching movies, I'd say the center channel is much more important than the surrounds. I would start with a 3.0; upgrade to 3.1 and then 5.1 when you can afford it. You could buy the bookshelf speakers now and then upgrade to towers later, reusing the bookshelf speakers as surrounds. KillHour fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Mar 20, 2014 |
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Mar 20, 2014 18:51
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Yeah that's a smarter idea actually. You might even be totally satisfied with a 3.1 setup all together, but it's up to you. I find surround to be overrated anyway.
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Mar 20, 2014 19:01
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I'm not putting everything together until around May so I don't mind waiting for a deal. I bought the receiver as a refurb for 179+ tax so I feel like I did pretty well there. I was considering starting with some good bookshelves and a sub and working up from there, but I just don't know enough about this stuff to assemble things myself. There also aren't any stores in my area where I can go and listen to different speakers to see what I like.
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Mar 20, 2014 19:07
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Dale Meets Wall posted:This leaves me with $300 to spend on speakers. You're in the price range where small money can buy significant upgrades. Speakers last a long, long time (I still use daily the speakers I bought 15 years ago). I would recommend the same Pioneers BANME.sh does, except I'd get a pair of them and a center channel. Then either add another pair of bookshelfs as surrounds or when the inevitable upgrade bug bites, relegate the Pioneers as surrounds and get new fronts. I'd suggest also checking these Polks if the separates route looks interesting: Fronts: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290269 Center: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290274 Add a subwoofer if you decide you need one. You can get any cheap pair of bookshelf speakers as surrounds and switch those Polks to surrounds if you upgrade your front speakers somewhere down the line. That said, if you decide you want to go with packaged speakers that Energy setup isn't bad, if not particularly good value for money either.
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Mar 20, 2014 19:43
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qirex posted:Yeah, I know about Aperion and I've heard good things, I'll keep them in mind if I can't find anything I like locally. I super turbo-hate all the Klipsch tweeters I've heard, it's a shame they bought Energy and made them the cheapass brand, I used to like their stuff. A 6" driver isn't a hard requirement but I'm probably not going down to 4 since the main point is to have better mid-to-low bass without depending on my sub. I'm cross-replying in this thread as well, Qirex, since your inbox is full. I own the Sierra 1's and would be willing to discuss them and the others from your list I've auditioned.
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Mar 20, 2014 22:29
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BANME.sh is there signicant difference between the speakers you posted and these? These seem like a good deal at $100 shipped.
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Mar 20, 2014 23:04
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Dale Meets Wall posted:BANME.sh is there signicant difference between the speakers you posted and these? These seem like a good deal at $100 shipped. The BS41's were the first in that lineup. After those came the BS21's, and now the BS22's. The latest BS22's are designed by a famous speaker engineer who's designed speakers costing $70,000 for other companies. I haven't demoed any of the previous versions, so I can't say how they compare. But considering the BS22's drop in price to around $100 every few months on Amazon, it's probably worth waiting for.
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Mar 20, 2014 23:09
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edit: fixed it with a tiny mixer
signalnoise fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Mar 24, 2014 |
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Mar 21, 2014 01:18
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BANME.sh posted:You bought a good receiver, get some decent speakers. Thanks for the advice. These went on sale today for $86 so I bought a pair. I'll get to test them out Tuesday.
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Mar 23, 2014 14:01
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I just got a FiiO D3 DAC and I have it hooked up to my PC via optical cable. Everything works great, but something odd that I noticed is that I can still control the volume in Windows. How does that work, exactly, since it's all digital? Edit: Oh, I guess the digital stream is still processed through Direct Sound in Windows, which can do volume control and other effects. BANME.sh fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Mar 25, 2014 |
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Mar 25, 2014 03:41
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BANME.sh posted:I just got a FiiO D3 DAC and I have it hooked up to my PC via optical cable. Everything works great, but something odd that I noticed is that I can still control the volume in Windows. How does that work, exactly, since it's all digital? Volume control can, and often is done in the digital domain. For every 6dB of volume reduction, you lose 1 bit of resolution. That sounds like a terrible thing, but if your DAC is connected at 24bit playing 16bit files, you can theoretically get up to 32dB of digital attenuation before data becomes audibly lost. Assuming well-written software handling things right, of course. Handled well, digital volume control is preferable to passing the signal through an analog pot. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Mar 25, 2014 |
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Mar 25, 2014 03:49
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Cool, thanks.
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Mar 25, 2014 03:56
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eddiewalker posted:Volume control can, and often is done in the digital domain. For every 6dB of volume reduction, you lose 1 bit of resolution. That sounds like a terrible thing, but if your DAC is connected at 24bit playing 16bit files, you can theoretically get up to 32dB of digital attenuation before data becomes audibly lost. Assuming well-written software handling things right, of course. This is very misleading. You don't lose bits or lose resolution. As long as proper dithering is occurring, and presumably in any sane consumer setup that's all taken care of without you having to think about it, the only bad thing that happens when you turn the volume down is that the signal-to-noise ratio gets worse. That is, of course, no different from an analog volume control.
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Mar 25, 2014 21:34
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I thought analog S/N ratio was analogous to digital bit depth.
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Mar 25, 2014 22:00
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Yes, it is. The s/n spec on analog gear is a best case number, and the common statement that 24bit audio has a s/n of about 144db is likewise a measure of best possible performance. In both cases the reality will always be worse as you deviate from ideal settings. But my point was just there is no "loss of resolution" from turning the volume down digitally, it's just noisier, which is exactly what you'd expect anyway. Usual caveats about proper dithering, caveats about the caveats since you don't really need to worry about dithering, etc etc.
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Mar 25, 2014 23:08
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Dale Meets Wall posted:I'm not putting everything together until around May so I don't mind waiting for a deal. The Pioneer speakers are 33% off on Amazon right now. They seem to go on sale about every 3 months.
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Mar 26, 2014 06:22
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TheMadMilkman posted:The Pioneer speakers are 33% off on Amazon right now. They seem to go on sale about every 3 months. I already bought those, along with Pioneer SP-C22 center channel. The Center hasn't arrived it, but I got the bookshelves yesterday and I love them. The lows an bass is great for what they are, but I'm a guy that wants more punch so i'll be adding a sub soon. Any suggestions? Budget would be 100-150$ if possible.
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Mar 26, 2014 14:28
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Dale Meets Wall posted:I already bought those, along with Pioneer SP-C22 center channel. The Center hasn't arrived it, but I got the bookshelves yesterday and I love them. The lows an bass is great for what they are, but I'm a guy that wants more punch so i'll be adding a sub soon. Any suggestions? Budget would be 100-150$ if possible. I picked up a PSW10 on Amazon for like $82 a month or so ago to match up with my BS-22s. Everybody seems to poo poo on that sub, but it works well for me 98% of the time. The other 2% of the time being when I'm obnoxiously blaring hip hop, with the sub turned way up, and there's a punch near 20Hz. In that case I get a noise from it not being able to push enough air (I'm not sure what the phenomenon is called, but it's just kind of a stifled struggle by the woofer). I'll save for a better sub in the future, but for now it's doing well enough because I can't go  on a nice sub yet.
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Mar 26, 2014 15:30
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0zxy posted:I picked up a PSW10 on Amazon for like $82 a month or so ago to match up with my BS-22s. Everybody seems to poo poo on that sub, but it works well for me 98% of the time. The other 2% of the time being when I'm obnoxiously blaring hip hop, with the sub turned way up, and there's a punch near 20Hz. In that case I get a noise from it not being able to push enough air (I'm not sure what the phenomenon is called, but it's just kind of a stifled struggle by the woofer). It's called port chuffing, and it's caused because the port isn't tuned low enough to hit those real low notes, so air can't flow in and out fast enough without generating a ton of turbulence. If you turn your subwoofer down, that will be reduced (but obviously, it won't be as loud as you like). The problem with the PSW10 (I have one, and I like it, so don't think I'm just making GBS threads on it) is that it really can't go below about 35hz. If you disconnect all your speakers except for your sub and play a sine sweep, you can really hear it struggle. I'd be surprised if you even heard anything EXCEPT port chuff at 20hz. I have my crossover set to eliminate any subsonic frequencies so that I don't damage the subwoofer. The PSW505 is good to about 25hz or maybe a little lower. You get a lot less chuffing below that as well, because the larger driver doesn't have to work as hard (less excursion) to move the air, and the wide flat port hides the noise better than the round port on the PSW10. Unfortunately, there's really no way to know if you'll be happy with the PSW10 until you hear it (or you know you like loud bass or have a room larger than about 15'x15', which is probably the largest room I'd consider it for). KillHour fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Mar 26, 2014 |
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Mar 26, 2014 15:48
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KillHour posted:It's called port chuffing Good to know, that's exactly what it is. It really doesn't bother me. I just recently upgraded from a pair of donated Nova 10's so having basically anything below 100Hz is a godsend for me at the moment. My room is probably about 18x15 with an arch opened wall in the back that leads to a 10*15 dining room. I have no idea what that does for me sonic wise, it seems like it captures reflections for the most part, but that's just a conjuncture on my end. I'm happy with what I've got and I think I've made a really nice 5.1 system with grabbing everything on sale recently for right around the $500 mark total.
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Mar 26, 2014 17:09
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I woke up today, and I'm not getting any sound coming through my headphones, I tried with another pair, so it looks like a problem with the computer. I opened up control panel and it's recognizing that the headphones are plugged in, and the sound test even worked properly, but when I try to play something music, youtube etc. it just plays through the computers speakers. If I unplug my headphones from the jack and plug them back in, for a second they'll play through the headphones, but they go back to the speakers in a second. I really don't know what to do? Sorry if this is the wrong thread for this.
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Mar 27, 2014 18:59
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I couldn't find a better thread for bluetooth car adapter questions, so I'm posting here. I had this thing http://www.amazon.com/Kinivo-BTC450...uetooth+adapter for a few months and it worked great for both music and talking on the phone in my car. However, it crapped out on a 1.5 day, 1000 mile drive - not sure if it overheated or what. Now that I have to get a replacement, I'm not sure if I want to buy the same thing, or if you guys could recommend any alternatives. I'd prefer it to have auto connect, and keep it under $50.
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Mar 28, 2014 02:44
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I'm in the market for a powered sub for a 15' by 30' room, and I don't have a clue where to start. It will be complementing a 200W/ch stereo amp driving Mirage HDT speakers. The preamp has a crossover, so I don't need that or volume control on the sub. I'm willing to buy used, and I have test gear to vet anything, but I don't know what brands to look at really. Budget: $200, but cheaper is better if the quality is good. Items I'm finding in my price range: Klipsch SW110B JBL PSW-1200 Onkyo SKW204 Athena AS-P400
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Apr 1, 2014 19:17
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sliderule posted:I'm in the market for a powered sub for a 15' by 30' room, and I don't have a clue where to start. It will be complementing a 200W/ch stereo amp driving Mirage HDT speakers. The preamp has a crossover, so I don't need that or volume control on the sub. I'm going to assume you're in the US. The PSW505 is $199 on Amazon right now. http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-12-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B000092TT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396396576&sr=8-1&keywords=psw505
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Apr 2, 2014 00:56
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In Canada actually, so Amazon won't ship that here 
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Apr 2, 2014 15:24
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Is it possible to use the switch below for multiple HDMI inputs that output whatever audio is coming in via optical? And of course get the video on the tv (I know it'll do this at least - just concenred about audio). http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=5557&seq=1&format=2 My receiver only has 1 optical input (the 2nd one broke and wont hold the cable). I have a PS4, cable box and WDTV box to spit out video.
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Apr 3, 2014 19:26
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Vintersorg posted:Is it possible to use the switch below for multiple HDMI inputs that output whatever audio is coming in via optical? And of course get the video on the tv (I know it'll do this at least - just concenred about audio). The optical is output, so yes, it will split off the audio coming in from the selected HDMI and deliver it to your receiver. What receiver do you have?
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Apr 4, 2014 00:08
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So I recently moved in to an upstairs apartment, and half of my tv stand is sitting on the tile in front of the fireplace. In the interest of being a good neighbor I am trying to reduce any vibration to my downstairs neighbor. I already out an area rug under the legs if the stand to reduce noise/vibration transmission, but is there anything else I can out under that to make it even better? I was thinking of just getting some foam and putting it under the carpet, but I don't know if that will actually do anything. Any suggestions?
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Apr 4, 2014 15:29
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There are rubber disks to put under the legs of washing machines to reduce transmission of vibrations. Maybe something like that. e. If you've got an old style thick mousepad, you can cut it up for that purpose as well.
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Apr 4, 2014 15:41
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KillHour posted:The optical is output, so yes, it will split off the audio coming in from the selected HDMI and deliver it to your receiver. I have a Sony STR K900. The store I went to didn't have those models in but had a optical hub, still just as good. Only one cord out to my receiver and everything else is plugged into it. Altho I still need multiple HDMI cords but it's one trade off for another.
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Apr 4, 2014 15:57
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Not sure if this is the best place, let me know if I should go to one of the other threads. My receiver / speaker combo is a bit old (2001 era Denon AVR-2800 powering 2 JBL S310 speakers) but IMHO it still sounds really good. We use the TV for HDMI switching, and use the optical out to the receiver. The main sources/uses are TV/cable through a Tivo, Netfliix through either the Tivo or a Chromecast, Pandora from any of the previous devices or an iPhone, or just mp3s from iPods / iPhone music collections. There will probably be a Apple TV in the future, and there's occasional DVD usage, but I don't plan to upgrade to Blu-ray. 80% of the usage is video / 20 % audio. I want any replacements to sound good, but I'm not golden eared and the sources aren't 100% audiophile sperg quality, so the replacement doesn't need to be. The big issue with the current system is my wife hates the big floor standing speakers, and wants to add surround sound. She would very much like it if the audio also came from all of the surround speakers to create more of an immersive effect during parties and the like, but that's probably a function of the receiver. Of course, it still needs to "sound great". A complicating factor is the layout of the room. Moving the couches or the TV are non-negotiable. Here are some drawing of the room: 2D layout:  3D layout:  Originally, I was going to go with something like the Energy Take Classic system, but I read some reviews and thought one of the NHT systems like the NHT Super Surround 5.1 or the Absolute Zero 5.1 Surround Package would be nice too. The latter is pretty much at the top of my price range, and I'd have to add mounts for the fronts. So, first question, is the Energy Take system going to be a big downgrade from what I already have, and if so, what's the current consensus thinking on something good in the $1000 - $1500 range?. I probably spent $1200 or so on my current speakers 14 years ago, so I shouldn't cheap out at this time. Are the NHTs good, or should I put together something else? Secondly, speaker positioning is a challenge with this room layout. I was thinking of putting the speakers in the corners, and have no clue where to put the sub. We could wall mount, or put in shelves for the speakers if that would be better. Looking for some advice on this. To make life simple, I'll just leave off upgrading the receiver for now. I probably won't have much money left over to do it right now anyway if I go for decent speakers, and it's perfectly fine right now.
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Apr 7, 2014 17:12
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I have a pair of Audioengine A5 active speakers (the older version without remote volume control) hooked to the audio out on my TV. Unfortunately, my TV doesn't have the option to control the line out via the remote volume control, which is super lame. Since most of the shows and movies I watch all have different volume levels, I'm often having to get up and turn the volume knob manually like some kind of pre-historic caveman. I haven't been successful in searching, but does there exist a device which just wirelessly controls volume (preferably passively - meaning it doesn't amplify the sound to control volume,)? I own a similar passive volume control for my powered speakers for my computer, but would love a version that could be controlled via a remote control. The closest I could find was some hobby electronic kits that are basically a motorized potentiometer and some circuitry. The other option is getting a cheap receiver that has a line out (since the A5s are already internally amplified) that is controlled with the volume - but that sounds extreme, might as well sell the A5s and get regular unpowered speakers. Or break down and buy a better TV :/ EDIT: Reading back a few pages, maybe one of these hokey eBay kits combined with this, which I already own, might not be a bad idea... fack you fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Apr 11, 2014 |
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Apr 11, 2014 23:13
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So my company has instituted a "no headphones" rule throughout the factories. There is also a "no cellphone" rule in work areas. We are, however allowed to have music devices. What I have in mind is a little Class-T amplifier, screwed onto a bookshelf/monitor speaker powered off AC power. I can then plug either a Bluetooth receiver into it or an audio device directly into it via headphone jack. http://www.amazon.com/LP-2020A-Lepai-Tripath-Class-T-Amplifier/dp/B0049P6OTI http://www.amazon.com/NHT-SuperZero...ingle+bookshelf Just the most quick of searches would make this work pretty well, but I'm looking for more specific recommendations with focus on quality volume and smaller size. I half listen to music and half listen to podcasts and other spoken word. I want something that I can usually have quiet but can turn up loud to compete with other sounds/speakers. (yes the policy is going to turn the place into a nightmare) I like this idea because it's kind of stupid tacked together stuff which I'm into, maybe I would be better off with some sort of boombox or whatever else. Thanks for any input!
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Apr 12, 2014 21:39
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Why not just buy a set of active/powered speakers and skip the separate amp?
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Apr 12, 2014 21:58
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For future utility. I'm open to any type of suggestions though. What's a good product?
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Apr 12, 2014 22:26
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You can get a set of powered speakers from Logitech for not a lot of money. They sound decent and are built to stand up to the average PC gamer's abuse. Further up the sound quality scale, you have the Audioengine A2+ and A5+, which are both great speakers, but somewhat more pricey. Yet further up the scale and probably way overkill for your needs, you get into active monitor speakers. Brands like M-Audio, KRK and Behringer are affordable and offer a good value. There are also a lot of different Bluetooth/Airplay/UPNP speakers out there that integrate everything into a single box. Logitech, Pioneer, Libratone, Tangent, Jamo, Scansonic, Klipsch, TDK, loads of brands to choose from. And then there are the various iPhone/Android docks available, of course.
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Apr 12, 2014 22:59
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Let me clarify, I'm working in a factory and it may be exposed to chemicals, dust, adhesives and hopefully not too many drops. Size is important because it's going to be spending time in a locker as well as a workbench. It's also important that it be a one piece thing. I don't prefer to get a dock type thing as I will connect to it through RCA or 1/8". Taking some of your suggestion, I came across this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CKNOZCE/?tag=technbrgn-20 Way more money, but is pretty much the form factor I'd want. I would down-sample my music to mono or combine the signals and plug in my Bluetooth adapter/iPod. http://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Primus-Two-way-Bookshelf-Satellite/dp/B0045NCB32/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_30?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CWWRK0ZQTGQKR4XZS3H Or maybe one of these with a little amp attached to it. LRADIKAL fucked around with this message at 00:46 on Apr 13, 2014 |
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Apr 13, 2014 00:43
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You want something that can be moved a round a lot and thrown in a locker, so you pick those heavy particleboard things? There are plenty of units that solve your same problem for plenty of people. Search "Bluetooth speaker" already.
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Apr 13, 2014 00:56
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