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New member Username: RjlouthanPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-07 | I have an onkyo 803 receiver that was given to me and want to add surround sound. Also want to have small discreet speakers in the room (without going in wall or ceiling mounts). Obviously like the look of the Bose cubes and Sony's Davis 10 system. Question is can I feed all of my components into the onkyo via optical inputs and then take the optical audio out from the onkyo and feed it into the optical in on the sony. All of the proprietary surround systems (like Bose and Sony) that offer small speakers require you to use their module to drive the speakers however they typically only give you one additional digital audio input. I realize that one option would be to put the onkyo back in the box and save it for a later time but it seems like a travesty to do that. Have looked around for small speakers but am afraid to purchase anything without hearing the quality first. So... 1. Is there any technical reason I could not use both the onkyo and the sony or bose? 2. Will I have audio delay issues because I'm using (in essence) to receivers? Thanks in advance for your help. |
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Bronze Member Username: Mr_audioSt. Louis, MO USA Post Number: 15 Registered: Dec-07 | There doesn't sound like any reason that it wouldn't work. However it does sound kinda busy and unfortunate. Busy meaning that you'll have two components instead of one, and unfortunate that the Onkyo will not be the component driving your whole system. The Onkyo is a way more capable amplifier for driving Home Theater and I have no doubts that it will sound better and louder. I've heard that Sony DAV-IS system and all kinds of Bose systems that cost over $3000. The Bose was the most impressive for the size and could get reasonably loud. The Sony sounded ok too but the volume topped out very quickly. When Sony made those "Dream Systems", they sounded actually pretty good, but the volume adjustment only went from like 0 to 60, and it had to be close to 40 to hear anything and all the way to 60 to get it semi loud. The other thing about the Bose and DAV-IS systems is that when you hear their displays, notice how close you are to the speakers. Anything that small will seem to sound full at that distance. Don't expect them to sound that full in your house. Anyway, with all that being said, http://hsuresearch.com/products/performance2.html Look at this speaker package from HSU. For 550 bucks you can get small speakers and a sub that is sure to sound good in a real setting(not in a display booth). There are certainly others than HSU, but this was just an example. Sorry, maybe this was not the direction that you would be willing to go, but I'd hate to see you use that Onkyo as a component switcher and hooking it up to a way lesser gimmicky component system. |
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New member Username: Edhill46Post Number: 1 Registered: Jan-08 | This is my first post. Have spent several moonths trying to resolve sound problems. I have Direct TV HD receiver, Bose Lifestyle System, and Panasonic 50" Plasma 720 TV. The sound is good With CD or DVD or even radio through the Bose, and with Star Wars on HBO. The problem starts with most TV programs and especially XM Radio. Shouldn't the XM sound as good as a CD? Bose says its Dirct TV, and vice versa. I have hooked up both the optical digital going out from the Direct TV into the Bose, and the rca cables going out from the Dirct TV to the Aux input of the Bose. The composite video has rca cables from, I think, the Direct TV to the TV back to the Bose input. How can I maximize sound quality? How likely is it that my optical glass is broken if the Bose Settings Menu indicates that it is getting a digital signal? Would a HDMI cable help at all? Or is the input from Direct TV only as good as the stations they are sending including XM? The last suggestion I got from Direct TV was to hire a surround sound expert (Geek Squad), but my installer sold me the Bose system and the Direct TV and hooked it up. Exactly how would you surround sound experts run the wires for max sound? Thanks! |
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Bronze Member Username: Mr_audioSt. Louis, MO USA Post Number: 22 Registered: Dec-07 | I would have to say that it sounds like DirecTV is sending you crap. If your sound is fine everywhere else and some TV stations and XM sound like crap, that's DirecTV. How would I wire your stuff? The optical input is the best you can do for sound quality. HDMI won't help you. HDMI is not an improvement over optical or coaxial. The fact may be is that DirecTV compresses all their material to a certain degree to provide you with all those stations. Most likely, the XM stuff is compressed as well. Just because it's digital doesn't mean that it automatically sounds better. It will sound way better than FM radio for sure, but not a CD. Digial TV from a dish or cable never looks or sounds as good as from a DVD. That whole "Digital picture and sound!!!" thing is a crock. It is digital, but it is not the best. Premium stations like HBO and Cinemax will always of the optimal picture and sound over other stations and XM. They have to. They are premium stations. Save your money and don't hire the Moron Squad. The fact is that you can only make the crap dish gives you sound and look so good. If you want DVD quality picture and sound from TV, the only way to get that is from your antenna with your HDTV tuner inside your TV. Anything else is second best. |