• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Surround Sound Systems

I have a surround sound system from Best Buy with wireless rear speakers.  A Samsung. It wasn't expensive, it was really easy to set up, and it works great.  There are different soundscape presets, and 'Cinema' works GREAT for my living room.  I'm not hooked up to cable and haven't been for five years now (I watch TV shows on my computer in my office, smoking cigars) so I only use it for DVDs and love it.  But if I did it again (or when I replace it) I'd definitely go Blu-Ray.
 
~Boar
 
My system was $700 for the receiver and all 5 speakers + sub, its a Harman Kardon brand and I couldn't be more happy with it.   We watch TV, DVD's, and listen to music during parties.   I really love this brand for what its worth.
 
On the cheap!
 
hearing+trumpet.jpg
 
I like lots of the thoughts in this thread.  Given the concept presented, I would think family movie night is going to be somewhere other than your room but I too wanted to set up at least a minimal surround system in my room.  I went to a local thrift shop and bought Onkyo center and rear speakers for surround in my room...just so sports can get a little more loud...for $20 they work fine with the receiver and front speakers that I already had.
 
As in most other things, in audio and AV, you get what you pay for.
 
Doc
 
Well, my budget got slashed.  (Lost my case vs The Wife (c) in The People vs. New Dining Room Set).  So I started reading reviews of Dan's Monoprice selection.  That lead me to an Energy Take Classic 5.1 which lead me to the Pioneer SP-PK21BS, which is my current favorite.  I would like to hear them before buying so I'll see what the local stores have.  Thanks again to all for the recommendations.  I'll keep everyone updated.  Unless the rest of our furntiture suddenly becomes obsolete as well.
 
Madisound.  DIY.  Save $$$$.
 
Video games is the place to be if you want 7.1 or 7.2  sound.  Nothing like hearing someone walking up behind you while you play first shooter type games.
I agree with Doc.  TV sucks for sound.
 
While Emotiva are excellent, there are plenty of great deals on eBay for quality Power supplies.  
 
I did my research on surround sound and the real problem is not having a standard.  And someone did some research on how many movies have 7.1 sound.  I think the number was a total of 150 or so.  Which is really expensive to set a system up for such a small number.
 
Here's what we did in the 'great room'....
 
Left / Right front and surround:
 
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10837&cs_id=1083703&p_id=6816&seq=1&format=2
 
Center channel front:
 
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10837&cs_id=1083704&p_id=6317&seq=1&format=2
 
Receiver (latest version of what I have):
 
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V475-5-1-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00B981F2O/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
 
Could it use a sub...you bet.  Is it listenable....without question.  No regrets.
 
Tom, you may have unwittingly sealed your fate to an excrutiating afternoon of being bombarded by stupid questions from an AV noob. :)
 
BlindedByScience said:
Here's what we did in the 'great room'....
 
Left / Right front and surround:
 
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10837&cs_id=1083703&p_id=6816&seq=1&format=2
 
Center channel front:
 
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=108&cp_id=10837&cs_id=1083704&p_id=6317&seq=1&format=2
 
Receiver (latest version of what I have):
 
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V475-5-1-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00B981F2O/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
 
Could it use a sub...you bet.  Is it listenable....without question.  No regrets.
Click to expand...
 
That's a pretty nice looking setup.  I have been thinking about replacing my on-wall plasma speakers with a set of in-wall speakers.  I will have to look into these.
 
I went with this HTIB setup.
 
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hometheater-systems/home-theater-package/yht-597/
 
 
 Amazon had it for $400 at the time so it seemed like the best bang for the buck.  I didn't want to invest heavily with my 2yr old son touching buttons and climbing on the subwoofer, but I am satisfied with the sound we get.
 
We use mostly for DirecTV, Blu-Ray, and music on iPod.  4K passthrough and the CEC one-touch settings are fantastic features so we don't need to make 4 settings changes with 4 remotes to change between TV and something else.
 
We're very happy with the system as is.  For the price, I'm very happy with the Monoprice speakers and the Yamaha is a very decent receiver.  
 
If you want real 'thump', you'll need a subwoofer.  The Yamaha receiver will easily accommodate a subwoofer, just haven't gotten there yet.
 
My 5.1 system consists of nothing fancy...
 
The front channels are Sony Floor Speakers
 
The Center channel is an Energy CC-10
 
The rear channels are Polk RM8 Wide Dispersion Array Speakers
 
The Sub is an Energy ESW-M8
 
The surround receiver is a 10yo Pioneer STR-DE835
 
All the speakers were recently purchased since I moved into my new house and the receiver I just can't kill...works great and has plenty of power and all the different fancy sound stages and the necessary 'db & Hz adjustments' for each speaker to fine tune it to the room.. The center channel speaker does a great job with isolating the voices so they can be heard legibly. The 8' sub shakes the house at 1/3 volume and the rear channel speakers really mess with you as they disperse the sound to the point you think something is right next to you...very weird, but cool....especially during football games. I use optical cables for sound connections from the components to the receiver and the single orange RCA cable for the sub...solid copper core wiring for the rear channels and the heavy stuff for the front and center channels.
 
I have my system isolated so I can either use it or not...I don't run everything through the receiver like most folks do which necessitates the receiver always needing to be ON to hear any sound. It performs admirably and is really all that I need...especially for the really high volume, blow-them-up movies.
 
I'm sure if you went with separate component speakers and a decent SS receiver, you should be able to buy a little less expensive now and upgrade the individual components as you see necessary down the road.  But I will tell you, I did a system using all MonoPrice in-wall and on-wall speakers with a powered sub in my buddy's Man Cave Shed I showed you guys a few years ago and it rocks during movies and NFL Sundays!
 
 
Nimrod said:
 
I did my research on surround sound and the real problem is not having a standard.  And someone did some research on how many movies have 7.1 sound.  I think the number was a total of 150 or so.  Which is really expensive to set a system up for such a small number.
Click to expand...
 
This is largely dependent on equipment. There are many receivers out there that do a very good job extrapolating audio for the additional 2 (4,6..) channels - some using the aforementioned loose set of standards and some with their own proprietary algorithms. I do certainly agree that keeping up with almost any of the home theater trends is a waste and that for most there isn't a discernible difference between systems. 
 
A tremendously popular product right now is the Sonos Playbar, which provides a really great mix between Audio and Video in how it is auto-sensing for TV but still puts an incredible amount of music right at your fingertips (Pandora, Sirius, Spotify, NAS Drives, etc.) It is also modular meaning you can add a sub and rears creating a full 5.1 as the fun filter permits. Depending on how you're setting up the panel you may want to look into soundbars in general.
 
The yamaha receiver is a nice piece though and if you do go the 5.1 route just do a little homework in terms of speaker placement and staging the equipment to get the most out of it. I would also opt for in-wall cable just because it's easier to identify +,- and maybe it's just me but I also seem to cross lamp-wire. Having a speaker out of phase can be difficult to identify without either using the calibrating mic or specifically looking for it. 
 
I have the Bose lifestyle "v" system.. Great inexpensive surround sound system, I have been very pleased.
 
Devil Doc said:
As in most other things, in audio and AV, you get what you pay for.
 
Doc
Click to expand...
 
....which is why I'll never lose sight of my vintage McIntosh amp / preamp combo, Doc.... :cool:
 
Yea, you gotta love those pretty blue meters staring back at ya. I'm envious, but I'm a tube o phobe. I can tolerate them in my pre, but output tubes scare the bejesus out of me. BTW, if you don't mind me asking, what's it cost to re-tube?
 
Doc
 
Devil Doc said:
Yea, you gotta love those pretty blue meters staring back at ya. I'm envious, but I'm a tube o phobe. I can tolerate them in my pre, but output tubes scare the bejesus out of me. BTW, if you don't mind me asking, what's it cost to re-tube?
 
Doc
Click to expand...
 
I had some ML equipment hammered in the Sandy flood and I sent them to a guy in NYC to get an idea of what it would cost to get them back up and running. The estimate was in the thousands with some of the tubes quoted in the $750 to $900 range.
 
My setup was on a budget as well, I wanted the best sound I could get within my price range, and excellent built quality as well.
 
My 5.1 System is a Martin Logan MLT-2 Here is the company's product page.
 
My AVR is a Onkyo TX-NR609 Here is the company's product page.
 
My speaker wire, banana plugs, HDMI cable, surge protectors and sub cables were all from Monoprice.
 
In the future I have the capability to expand to a 7.2, but for now that just means more power out of the 5.1.
 
I see separates in my future but that isn't until years from now and are all set up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top