|
Silver Member Username: TpizzlePost Number: 297 Registered: Apr-05 | so ive been trying to stick with just a powered sub that has speaker inputs, but im starting to think i might be better off with a reciever also. can someone please list EVERYTHING i would need to buy if i were to invest in a pretty good music/dvd sound system. so far i im thinking powered sub, speakers, and reciever. is there anything else i need to be looking at? |
|
Silver Member Username: TpizzlePost Number: 298 Registered: Apr-05 | if a reciever is necessary my dad has a sony str-D315 186watt reciever. is this any good, i dont see a subwoofer input on the back though. but with a powered sub does the reciever even need a sub input or is it strictly used for the speakers? |
|
Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1693 Registered: Mar-05 | Here's one way to go if you're on a very tight budget: RECEIVER: Panasonic sa-xr55 pure digital 7.1 receiver, $230 shipped from amazon.com SUB: Dayton 10" sub from partsexpress.com for $100 or 12" for $140 shipped SPEAKERS: Athena AS-B1s from audioadvisor, $100/pair or AS-B2.2s for $250/pair or (best overall performance) Ascend 170s from ascendacoustics.com for $340 shipped |
|
Silver Member Username: TpizzlePost Number: 299 Registered: Apr-05 | what do you think of this? http://cgi.ebay.com/Home-Stereo-Theater-Kenwood-KR-V6040-Receiver-plus_W0QQitemZ 5802445984QQcategoryZ32861QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
|
Gold Member Username: Thx_3417Post Number: 1200 Registered: May-05 | db-bass, Evening Not bad, but only Dolby pro-logic, anyway just brief bit of fact and history.... There's a whole lot to it, so an AVR Audio Video Receiver, this is the heart or the brains of the sound system, with phone, tape, aux, radio tuner, and the wondrous delights of Dolby decoding with four types Dolby pro-logic Dolby pro-logic II one for moves the other mode, is for music. Dolby pro-logic II is simulated version of trying to recreate Dolby digital discrete 5.1 with just a little bit more crosstalk errors being added due to the nature of the Dolby pro-logic II matrix circuitry, as for Dolby Pro-logic it's a fine playback process. Dolby digital 5.1 discrete and no crosstalk errors with centre channel bleeding into the left and right channels, as well as the surrounds, or split-surrounds as they are called and like Dolby pro-logic with the crosstalk of front information like music or certain types of front effects or masking the original sound, that was mixed on the dubbing stage. And then there's Dolby digital surround-EX with an adapted and modified Dolby pro-logic circuitry to open up the split-surrounds with opened sound field the back surround, not only does it work with, Dolby digital surround-EX films but all with split-surrounds from early films like "Explorers" ok got this so far.... So a good AVR is what you should be looking for there are, many manufacture names and models as well to name a few like "Yamaha, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony, Outlaw and Harman Kardon, some come with great technical specifications as well as powerful onboard amplification. THX is a name to look for though it's only a badge, but it's a badge with guarantee the product you have chosen is going to have the best sound performance for the playback of motion picture soundtrack whether its mono stereo Dolby Stereo or Dolby digital, and dts, dts-ES is to be heard or felt with 6 full spectrum channels 20Hz to 20KHz and the .1 LFE Low Frequency Effects channel producing or rather enhancing the films presence. LFE is standard on Dolby digital and dts soundtracks only. Also the use of an AVR on the affordable market cost, will give the opportunity to leave some extra money over for the matching loudspeakers three for the fronts like good highly efficient bookshelf types and if used throughout going into the surround chain, the timber balance will be spot on due to matching voicing frequency response power handling and sensitivity, without the need for your to compromise the wholeness of it all. Loudspeakers like JBL B&W KEF are some to really look at...and JBL as been in the motion picture industry since 1927 Al Jolson "The Jazz Singer" "you ante heard anything yet" the birth of the talkie, and everyone said it won't catch on, and 78 years on sound with film is still with us, and has come a long way from the "Vitaphone" from 1927 to dts film sound on a CD-ROM came full circle in 1993 with universals "Jurassic Park" now then. Sub bass only a descent 18inc can truly present the lower frequencies down to 20Hz or just a bit lower to 18Hz this is only an extension of better headroom of the sub and the cut-off for Dolby digital and dts is 120Hz, some sub bass units come with amplification installed into the unit, without the need of using an external stereo amplifier with crossover unit to run it all. EQ like some home THX EQ's like Rane which is not bad at all offering wide bands and narrow bands of EQ centred at 1/3 octane based on ISO standards, this will help get the timber change from one loudspeaker to the other corrected as with loudspeakers being in different spaces of the room, even if the room is laid out with the home cinema principle in mind it can still be of balanced when you are in the sweet spot or the centre of the room, and once EQ for these minor in-room errors all will be well to play a film with startling cinematic realism with soft dialogue to loud dialogue and effects like exploding Death Stars depth charges volcano's earthquakes twisters etc, etc all this with unrelenting pressure..... Ashley |
|
Silver Member Username: TpizzlePost Number: 302 Registered: Apr-05 | wow i will never drive to an audio store if i need answers. thanks a bunch. so i think ill spend a little more than planned i might as well do it right if im goin to spend the money. how good of a system will $500 get. (maybe $250 on a reciever, $180 on sub, and up to $100 on speakers). am i close on these estimates or should i plan on spending less/more in certain areas? |
|
Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1702 Registered: Mar-05 | that sounds about right, though if you move up to $350 instead of $100 for the speakers I think you'll see a significant improvement especially if you listen to a lot of music. After that, moving from $180 to $400 on the sub would get you faster, tighter bass for music---the Daytons are fine for HT but the Hsu is better for music. |
|
Silver Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 800 Registered: Jun-05 | Eddie I think if he is more into music he could wait on the sub for a while and spend over $300 on his speakers. |
|
Gold Member Username: Thx_3417Post Number: 1207 Registered: May-05 | db-bass, I would say a little more than $500.00 and a little less than $4000.00, that will just about get you, a pucker system. Like I said, matching fronts has that is how it is, and will always be the beat way into achieving a smooth flow of sound images panning from one speaker to the next, all dubbing stages use matching fronts and music recording studios as well. And good high quality bookshelf ones placed all around the room and balanced with EQ, and designing the sub bass into it with say two 18inc subs, and if there's not the space for these mammoth fire breathing beasts, then install four 12inc subs, with the lowest frequency response that they will go down too. It's not all cake is it, and also look, at the PA professional equipment as well, as some of the names and models are fairly affordable too, QSC make some nice amplifiers with plenty of amplification, and its kind of comforting to know that you got it on tap. Ashley |
|
Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1710 Registered: Mar-05 | Tawaun, true, though there are $350 speakers that you DON'T want to use without a sub particularly for HT, like the Ascend 170s. I suppose the Polk RTi6s would deliver somewhat decent bass in that price range, but you give up the midrange and treble finesse of the Ascends. |
|
Silver Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 801 Registered: Jun-05 | No Eddie I wasnt talking about bass weight and power,but just a better overall speaker that he can build on,instead getting tired of and replacing them and shelling out more money for something he could have bought in the first place if he had more patience.Ive already been through this when my budget was his size and I opted for the cheaper speakers with the cheap sub and I ultimately came out of it unhappy,and I should have opted for the better speakers,thats something I wouldnt want to see someonelse go through,because it feels like you wasted your money. |
|
Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1714 Registered: Mar-05 | So you're saying he should get the 170s and live with only 70Hz extension for a few months? That's asking a lot...well at least for a basshead like me, LOL. I understand your point about buyer's remorse for going cheap, but the 170s without a sub are not a pretty picture especially for HT...with a sub, even a bad one like mine, they are excellent. |
|
Silver Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 802 Registered: Jun-05 | I see what you are, saying Eddie,but remember 95% of the music is 50 htz and above and movies about 80% is 50 htz and above so it is certainly worth the wait,because all it takes is to go over to friends house and then to come home and find out your system signifigently inferior to your buddys system not a good feeling it starts to become a question of pride. |
|
Silver Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 804 Registered: Jun-05 | I do have a couple of reconmendations you DB The Epos els 3,the most musical speaker I have ever heard at this price and they have a matching center and Sub,that is probably just as musical.Another choice I will give you is the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 a slightly warmer sound and they play a little lower in the bass to around 50 htz,but their are few speakers Ive heard regardless of price that are as accurate in the upper and midbass than the Epos els 3 a lot of costlier designs wish they had their accuracy in that region of the frequencey band.The cheapest choice is the Infinity Primus 150 the cheapest of the 3 not as good but the best I have heard for $199 a pr. which you can catch sales on at Circuit City for them and their whole setup and they can get down to the mid 40s.Epos els 3 $329pr.,Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 349 pr. |
|
Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1717 Registered: Mar-05 | > all it takes is to go over to friends house and then to come home and find out your system signifigently inferior to your buddys system not a good feeling it starts to become a question of pride. LOL yeah I can see that, though I'm somewhat fortunate in that all of my friends have far worse audio than I do! |
|
Gold Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 2162 Registered: Jan-05 | They must use a DreamMachine for their Hifi needs..... LOL |
|
Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1724 Registered: Mar-05 | One does, in fact. Especially unfortunate since he has an awesome projector. You know Paul, for such a size freak I'm puzzled why YOU don't buy yourself a projector...they're very cheap nowadays, you can get a good one for $1000 even. |
|
allen robertson Unregistered guest | I'm always bothered by people who say 95% of music is above 50hz. I can't disagree more. Maybe, and I have never seen this proven either,a good percentage of the notes of a composition are above 50hz and what that percentage is, is unknown; but music HAS TO BE TAKEN AS A WHOLE! If you leave out, lets say 10%, then the whole meaning, emotion and movement of the soul that music can accomplish, is lost. The foundation of ALL music has to be heard and felt to completely understand a composers or movie makers intent. The intention of art is to move the soul, engage the intellect, enrich our lives and maybe even change us. Most people who say that 95% of the music is above 50hz have been brainwashed by the Stereophile philosophy. The editor is a brit and has been pushing brit mini-monoitors for over 20 years. Those speakers were designed for small british flats and are nothing more than life-style products. They look good and fit into small british apartments and are made by his british friends. He also started the,"What bass is there is of good quality." nonsense. The composer determines what "Bass should be be there.", the amount and the depth. The speaker should not. A better percentage and terminology I would use is, if 100% of the bass that was supposed to be reproduced, based on the composition, is not reproduced then you are only experiencing about 10% of the emotional content that the composer intended. Remember music and all art is a WHOLE. It is not acceptable to cut out a part of it. Take Michelangelo's David for instance. Cut off Davids' head and see if you feel the same about the sculpture. Also this not about being a BASS FREAK. It's about preserving the whole and about everything matters in a piece of art and all parts are important and cannot be left out. Why do you think conductors work so tirelessly rehearsing their orchestras. They know that tone, timing, volume AT ALL POINTS in the composition are vitally important. No composer ever writes in his composition that it is acceptable to perform this music by eliminating or reproducing at a much lower level than I intended, the lower notes in the composition. That whole 95% of the music is above 50hz is total Stereophile marketing to sell mini-monitor foolishness. It is NOT TRUE and if you really want to start losing interest in your music and movies then follow that philosophical(marketing) foolishness. |
|
Gold Member Username: Paul_ohstbucksPost Number: 2166 Registered: Jan-05 | After that, moving from $180 to $400 on the sub would get you faster, tighter bass for music---the Daytons are fine ==================== LOL I'll bet Eddie's doesnt even know what a real subwoofer sounds like. |
|
Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 1729 Registered: Mar-05 | geez Paul, do you ever get tired of patting yourself on the back for buying your $1200 SVS? I mean, is there ANYTHING else in your life you have to be proud of? I feel sorry for you, you seem so empty and sad sometimes. |
|
allen robertson Unregistered guest | I think Edsters' advice for a $500 system is perfect. Here is a review of the $100 Athena's http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/athena_asb1.htm Also go with the $150 Parts Express sub http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-634&raid=25&r ak=behnew |
|
Anonn Unregistered guest | hey edster don't be so harsh on Paul, he just needs a little more love and attention from his wife isn't that obvious? Pauls mommy probably beat him as a child and made him wear dresses thats why he's such a macho dude now |
|
Silver Member Username: T_bomb25Dayton, Ohio United States Post Number: 805 Registered: Jun-05 | AR we have something about that subject on another thread, if you wanna go argue your point,frankly I dont think you have much to argue with or about, all you have to do is look at a octave chart,it appears you are another idiot talking out of his as@! |