Posted: 1/2/2009 12:00:02 PM EDT
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Recently grabbed a Samsung 32" HDTV and a Sony BDP-S350 Blu-Ray player. Do not have surround sound at this time for it, and am now looking into it. Was planning to purchase it when I got the TV and Blu-Ray player, but wanted to ensure I had enough money for presents & the holidays and such. Anyways, I have been told to 'build my own' system, using different brands for speakers and the receiver and such. I'm completely new to the sound arena, the only surround sound system I have ever purchased was for my dad, and it is a Sony 800W system. Pretty nice, but I want better with Blu-Ray.
I've been eyeing Sony's HT-SS2300 system. 1000W, HDMI connection, 'matching' with my Blu-Ray player. Amazon has it for ~$350 at the moment, should I jump on it? On Sony's site, one of the reviews complains that the audio system doesn't decode DTS-HD (wtf is that?! haha), and neither does the Blu-Ray system we both have. Is that something to even worry about? Sorry for the long-winded post, just wanted to give those who know what they're talking about the most about my system. Thanks in advance. |
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I'm sure there is a specialty store in your area that only deals with home theater systems. Go visit them so you can get an idea of what's POSSIBLE.
My not so humble opinion is that it's NOT possible to get anything good in the way of surround sound systems that comes shipped in ONE box. OR that sells for just 350 dollars. If you're not willing to spend over 1000 dollars on your surround sound systems, my honest recommendation is "Don't even bother." And for 1000 dollars you could get a very marginal system, nothing to write home about. Sound quality is very important to me. So much so that 500 dollars per speaker is a good starting point for me. CJ |
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Yeah, it helps to know you're dealing with school. I've never yet known someone in college who had ENOUGH money to spend as he wanted to.
Well, when all else fails...lower your standards! Seriously, I'd rather have good stereo than mediocre surround sound. You might consider that option. CJ |
Well, right now I'm stuck using the speakers on the TV.. so you can just imagine the quality of that.  Frustrating spending money on the TV, then on the Blu-Ray player and movies, and monthly digital cable fees and having to listen to some crappy TV speakers that shouldn't have to be used.
What would you recommend I do? Have as much fun with this as you want, if you want to list me the highest-end set-up you can imagine to make me jealous and drool, go for it. I really don't know too much about any of this, I've learned more in the last 6 weeks with the HDTV purchase and Blu-Ray research and stuff than I have in quite awhile. |
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I would go with this receiver: www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo-TX-SR606-7-1-Dolby-TrueHD-and-DTS-HD-Home-Theater-Receiver-TXSR606/sem/rpsm/oid/208513/catOid/-12884/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
And scrounge around for some speakers and a sub-woofer - for now. Upgrade sperakers/sub-woofer when you are able. Hook your BluRay player and display (TV) up with HDMI. Maybe get them to give you a deal on some middle-range speakers/sub - after Christmas and new models coming out ............. open-box .... used .... whatever .... All-in-one is "OK", but why not build a system incrementally around a highly-rated receiver????? |
I've been recommended Onkyo a few times now. If I go that route, I may be waiting another month or two to save up so I can get speakers at the same time, instead of the receiver just being pretty near my other electronic toys. 
So I should just take the plunge and go 7.1 over 5.1? Obviously, it will be better, but I've been told not many Blu-Rays truly make use of it yet. |
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I've been recommended Onkyo a few times now. If I go that route, I may be waiting another month or two to save up so I can get speakers at the same time, instead of the receiver just being pretty near my other electronic toys.
So I should just take the plunge and go 7.1 over 5.1? Obviously, it will be better, but I've been told not many Blu-Rays truly make use of it yet. I have a 606 and am still at 5.1, so I can't answer your question. A spreaker upgrade is my next step. I just got the 606 (my 7YO Onkyo 5xx died), upgraded my front-projector, have an HD/DVD and new Panasonic DMP-BD35 BluRay player - also Dish-HD (722 DVR).. All hooked together with HDMI. The 606 is vary nice - even with my legacy speakers/sub. Others may want to correct me, but you probably could just get 5 PC-speakers (skip the sub for now) and use on your 606 and get some real ones later. The 5 PC-speakers would be center/2xfront/2xrear. The 606 speaker set-up is quite sophisticated, so you would have to re-calibrate later - which is no big deal. This would get you a lot better sound than you have now with just the TV speakers. |
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I've been recommended Onkyo a few times now. If I go that route, I may be waiting another month or two to save up so I can get speakers at the same time, instead of the receiver just being pretty near my other electronic toys.
So I should just take the plunge and go 7.1 over 5.1? Obviously, it will be better, but I've been told not many Blu-Rays truly make use of it yet. I have a 606 and am still at 5.1, so I can't answer your question. A spreaker upgrade is my next step. I just got the 606 (my 7YO Onkyo 5xx died), upgraded my front-projector, have an HD/DVD and new Panasonic DMP-BD35 BluRay player. All hooked together with HDMI. The 606 is vary nice - even with my legacy speakers/sub. Blu-Ray and cable are all HDMI, and the audio will be HDMI, I won't look at anything else. If I go with the 606 receiver, what sort of speakers should I get? I have a friend who has been advising me as well, but I want as many opinions as possible. I like to learn, not just be told what to get, though it doesn't really show in this thread haha. Friend recommended me this: NewEgg link |
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I've been recommended Onkyo a few times now. If I go that route, I may be waiting another month or two to save up so I can get speakers at the same time, instead of the receiver just being pretty near my other electronic toys.
So I should just take the plunge and go 7.1 over 5.1? Obviously, it will be better, but I've been told not many Blu-Rays truly make use of it yet. I have a 606 and am still at 5.1, so I can't answer your question. A spreaker upgrade is my next step. I just got the 606 (my 7YO Onkyo 5xx died), upgraded my front-projector, have an HD/DVD and new Panasonic DMP-BD35 BluRay player. All hooked together with HDMI. The 606 is vary nice - even with my legacy speakers/sub. Blu-Ray and cable are all HDMI, and the audio will be HDMI, I won't look at anything else. If I go with the 606 receiver, what sort of speakers should I get? I have a friend who has been advising me as well, but I want as many opinions as possible. I like to learn, not just be told what to get, though it doesn't really show in this thread haha. Friend recommended me this: NewEgg link Let others chime in on the speakers - I'm way behind on this myself ..... |
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Let others chime in on the speakers - I'm way behind on this myself ..... Okay, will do. Thank you for the responses, I appreciate it. You have me pretty much fixed on the 606, just have to decide how to tackle this from a money standpoint. There are a few on here that have the 606 and are also pleased with it. Others may want to correct me, but you probably could just get 5 PC-speakers (skip the sub for now) and use on your 606 and get some real ones later. The 5 PC-speakers would be center/2xfront/2xrear. The 606 speaker set-up is quite sophisticated, so you would have to re-calibrate later - which is no big deal. This would get you a lot better sound than you have now with just the TV speakers. Definitely upgrade when able. |
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Frankly, Onkyo is good but for your budget, you won't be buying speakers that are good enough to hear any difference between an Onkyo receiver and a Pioneer receiver or a Sony receiver...if there even IS an audible difference. So I'd suggest that you don't spend extra money on a higher priced receiver and spend less on a Pioneer, Sony, or other more middle-of-the-road receiver.
Personally I would recommend Pioneer. Even though my tastes run toward VERY high end gear, which can cost as much as a luxury car in today's market, I still appreciate Pioneer equipment. Pioneer equipment is well represented in my systems. I don't think you'll make a bad purchase if you buy Pioneer. As for speakers, the ONLY way to choose speakers is to listen to all available speakers within your price range. Period. Never buy speakers by reputation or recommendation because what sounds good to someone else may not sound good to you. And avoid Bose at all costs. That is overpriced, overrated, hyped junk. CJ |
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606 owner here coupled with Ascend Acoustic 360's in a 5.1 set up. 
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I would go with this receiver: www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo-TX-SR606-7-1-Dolby-TrueHD-and-DTS-HD-Home-Theater-Receiver-TXSR606/sem/rpsm/oid/208513/catOid/-12884/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do And scrounge around for some speakers and a sub-woofer - for now. Upgrade sperakers/sub-woofer when you are able. Hook your BluRay player and display (TV) up with HDMI. Maybe get them to give you a deal on some middle-range speakers/sub - after Christmas and new models coming out ............. open-box .... used .... whatever .... All-in-one is "OK", but why not build a system incrementally around a highly-rated receiver????? |
| My suggestion would be to check ebay for some good deals on Athena speakers. I have been through many decent speakers over the years (Boston Acoustics, Polk, A/D/S, etc.) and my favorite speaker so far for an economical home theater is the Athena WS-60. If you look hard enough you can find barely-used ones for $150/pair. The WS-100 towers can also be had for a very nice price if you look hard enough. The WS-60 is great as a center channel speaker, and sounds better than previous Polks and A/D/S speakers I had for the center and it has a nice wall mount. I also had some Athena Point 5's that were very nice for for the money. |
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If you are on a small budget:
http://www.consumersearch.com/home-theater-systems |
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I ordered the Polk Audio 6750's off of Amazon yesterday, $211, shipping included. Be sure to update the thread w / a review when you get them. From what I have heard, they are an excellent choice for the guy starting his HT on a budget that didn't want to go down the HTiB road of fail. Yes, I've been down that road and took pictures of the Fail sign at the end. |
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I ordered the Polk Audio 6750's off of Amazon yesterday, $211, shipping included. Be sure to update the thread w / a review when you get them. From what I have heard, they are an excellent choice for the guy starting his HT on a budget that didn't want to go down the HTiB road of fail. Yes, I've been down that road and took pictures of the Fail sign at the end. I absolutely will. It will probably be 3 weeks or so though, honestly. |
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Bump Would the Onkyo 506 be okay as well? I'm just having a hard time justifying $400 for a receiver at this point in time, and the 506 is ~$220 on newegg right now. Negative Ghostrider, the 506 will not process audio via HDMI like the 606 does. With the 506 you'd have to run an optical cable (not so good) from either the player or the TV to the AVR for the audio and you wouldn't have the lossless codecs. You'll find the AVRs that only "passthrough" the HDMI audio going pretty cheap on the websites right now. For someone w/ Blu-ray and some shiny new speakers I just can't see a use for one of them. Onkyo 606 NIB for $335 Shipped Sony 720 for $220 Between those two, I'd go w/ the Onkyo myself. Here is a thread comparing the different entry level receivers, and the thread author really seems to know his shit. 
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Sorry I haven't kept up with this.
Bought speaker wire today, received the receiver last week, but I haven't been home to look at it until now. Did people with the 606 use a y-cable from the red/white RCA to the purple RCA on the receiver for the woofer? It kind of confused me when there wasn't a speaker wire spot on the receiver for the sub. |
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For under a $1000 you can get the Onkyo HT-S9100THX widely considered the best home theater in a box. A 7.1 THX Certified system.
For under $800 the Onkyo HT-S7100 a very good home theater in a box 7.1 system that does HD audio. For a little more than a $600 the Onkyo HT-S6100 a good home theater in a box 7.1 system that does HD audio with basically a little less speaker than the HT-S7100 and a little more powerful version of the 606 stand alone receiver. IMO the best bang for the buck. |
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For under a $1000 you can get the Onkyo HT-S9100THX widely considered the best home theater in a box. A 7.1 THX Certified system. For under $800 the Onkyo HT-S7100 a very good home theater in a box 7.1 system that does HD audio. For a little more than a $600 the Onkyo HT-S6100 a good home theater in a box 7.1 system that does HD audio with basically a little less speaker than the HT-S7100 and a little more powerful version of the 606 stand alone receiver. IMO the best bang for the buck. Thanks, but I've made all my purchases. Grabbed an Onkyo SR-606 or something and Polk Audio 6750's to start. I need to grab a VGA cable+optical cable for my 360, can't get it on surround sound connected directly to the TV, and the system is finished. |
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For good cables (video, audio, computer) cheap...
http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp |
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Ok, I have my Cable Box/DVR connected via HDMI to the receiver. I have my Blu-Ray player connected via HDMI to my receiver. I have HDMI going from the receiver to the TV. I can get cable with surround sound, but I cannot get Blu-Ray on the TV.
What could the problem be? Also, I have an Xbox 360 that is connected directly to the TV at the moment. I ordered the Xbox VGA cable and a optical cable. Should that work to get surround sound, the VGA to the HDTV and the optical cable to the receiver? |
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Ok, I have my Cable Box/DVR connected via HDMI to the receiver. I have my Blu-Ray player connected via HDMI to my receiver. I have HDMI going from the receiver to the TV. I can get cable with surround sound, but I cannot get Blu-Ray on the TV. What could the problem be? Also, I have an Xbox 360 that is connected directly to the TV at the moment. I ordered the Xbox VGA cable and a optical cable. Should that work to get surround sound, the VGA to the HDTV and the optical cable to the receiver? did you set up the onkyo digital inputs and such? |
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Ok, I have my Cable Box/DVR connected via HDMI to the receiver. I have my Blu-Ray player connected via HDMI to my receiver. I have HDMI going from the receiver to the TV. I can get cable with surround sound, but I cannot get Blu-Ray on the TV. What could the problem be? Also, I have an Xbox 360 that is connected directly to the TV at the moment. I ordered the Xbox VGA cable and a optical cable. Should that work to get surround sound, the VGA to the HDTV and the optical cable to the receiver? did you set up the onkyo digital inputs and such? You mean assigning them? Yeah, I think I did it right. If not, then no, no I didn't. Though the audio calibration with their little mic thing was pretty cool. Those were some funny sounds. |
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Ok, I have my Cable Box/DVR connected via HDMI to the receiver. I have my Blu-Ray player connected via HDMI to my receiver. I have HDMI going from the receiver to the TV. I can get cable with surround sound, but I cannot get Blu-Ray on the TV. What could the problem be? Also, I have an Xbox 360 that is connected directly to the TV at the moment. I ordered the Xbox VGA cable and a optical cable. Should that work to get surround sound, the VGA to the HDTV and the optical cable to the receiver? did you set up the onkyo digital inputs and such? You mean assigning them? Yeah, I think I did it right. If not, then no, no I didn't. Though the audio calibration with their little mic thing was pretty cool. Those were some funny sounds. Yea thats what I meant, so try this: If the cable input is working, then unplug the cable box hdmi, and pulg the blu ray into that input. Plug the cable into where you had the blue ray. Also go into the blu rays console menu, and see if you have it set to output digital sound, not analog. |
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Got everything (but the 360, still waiting for the optical cable) set up and calibrated. Watched Black Hawk Down. Holy shit. That was incredible. I just finished it about 10 minutes ago, and my heart is still pounding, that's an even more intense movie when you have serious sound.
Thanks for all of your help everybody, I sincerely appreciate it. |