Home Theater help

Firecat · December 10th, 2008, 9:32 PM

Alright, I don't know squat about speakers etc. I don't want to spend more than $500. I'm putting in a Sony Bravia LCD and I'll have my PS3 (for Blu Ray movies). I don't have a DVD player at the moment. The room isn't too big, maybe 15x15 or so.

I like the tall speakers (the way they look).

These are two systems i'm looking at

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665361521

Which comes with a DVD player

and this one...

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665505557

I don't know if I should be looking at wireless, or how many HDMI connections I'd need etc.

What other systems are out there in my price range?

cvrefugee · December 10th, 2008, 10:23 PM

I have a set of Klipsch Quintet II paired with a JBL Northridge 12" subwoofer, sounds great to me.

the Interceptor · December 10th, 2008, 10:45 PM

I can only recommend to forget about that all-in-one crap and get a proper entry level surround receiver, a subwoofer and a quintet of nice entry-level speakers. It'll perform miles better than any of these do-it-all thingies.

Firecat · December 11th, 2008, 5:16 AM

That sounds like a lot of work.

I think I will avoid the tall speakers, may not work in my situation. I'm comparing these 2 now...

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665361527

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665368399

They both have plenty of HDMI connections. The first one has a much larger receiver and includes an upscaling DVD player. The latter doesn't. I don't know if I should even worry about the DVD player and just let my PS3 handle that. I don't understand why the call the second one "Blu Ray"..is it just because the receiver looks like the blu ray players?

Nabster · December 11th, 2008, 5:33 AM

Why do you need a DVD player... that PS3 is an upscaling DVD player in addition to being a blu ray.

Also, I've had a good sony 1000w 7.1 theater in a box, and it works excellent as a basic to lower mid range setup, as long as you get one with self speaker calibration. If you're set on a sony product, that's fine but personally I'd recommend something from denon. Speakers that come with a unit will work, but you'd do better with some higher end stuff, though if you aren't an audio freak you probably wont hear the difference.

Firecat · December 11th, 2008, 5:47 AM

I know at a minimum I need 2 HDMI, one for the PS3 the other for the cable box. I could use component cables for the latter, but I think HDMI is better. And yeah, I really don't need the DVD player.

and now i'm reading this stuff about Dolby Plus and True HD decoding which only the higher end models w/blu ray players are capable of. I wonder how much of a difference this all makes or if it matters with 5.1 channels only....yup, I'm not and audiophile.

I'm going to look at other makes, I was leaning towards sony because it seems less expensive plus it has that bravia sync feature which seems neat.

the Interceptor · December 11th, 2008, 8:40 AM

If you tell me where you are from, I might be able to dig out an alternative setup for you.

Firecat · December 11th, 2008, 9:18 AM

Orlando, Florida. Right now i'm searching for HDMI cables, didn't realize how expensive they are. Amazon has some for low prices, I just can't tell from the specs if they have a refresh rate of 120 or whatever other feature. I need 3 cables and don't want to pay a lot.

Hidden_Hunter · December 11th, 2008, 9:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firecat

Orlando, Florida. Right now i'm searching for HDMI cables, didn't realize how expensive they are. Amazon has some for low prices, I just can't tell from the specs if they have a refresh rate of 120 or whatever other feature. I need 3 cables and don't want to pay a lot.

HDMI cables are a giant scam, you can buy real cheapies that work just fine images/smilies/biggrin.gif

the Interceptor · December 11th, 2008, 10:19 AM

How 'bout this?

3 x pair of bookshelf speaker JBL Control 1 One: $278,97 (one to spare)
1 x subwoofer Yamaha YST-SW216BL: $99,89
1 x surround receiver Onkyo TX-SR505: $171,57

Total: $550,43

That exceeds your $500 limit, but is much more versatile, every single part can be upgraded in the future, and it'll make mince meat of every all-in-one system. That was just a quick search on Amazon, there maybe even are better prices to be found. And even if you're not an audiophile, you can hear the difference in an instant.

cvrefugee · December 11th, 2008, 10:30 AM

HDMI cables can be found for cheap at http://www.monoprice.com

6ft 28AWG

10ft 28AWG

Nabster · December 11th, 2008, 8:33 PM

I second the monoprice cables. Ordered a bunch from them, including optical audio, not a single problem and they are made quite well.

December 10th, 2008, 9:32 PM	#1
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	Home Theater help Alright, I don't know squat about speakers etc. I don't want to spend more than $500. I'm putting in a Sony Bravia LCD and I'll have my PS3 (for Blu Ray movies). I don't have a DVD player at the moment. The room isn't too big, maybe 15x15 or so. I like the tall speakers (the way they look). These are two systems i'm looking at http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665361521 Which comes with a DVD player and this one... http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665505557 I don't know if I should be looking at wireless, or how many HDMI connections I'd need etc. What other systems are out there in my price range? __________________

December 10th, 2008, 10:45 PM	#3
the Interceptor I LUV MY PRIUS!!! Joined: Feb 22nd, 2005 Last Online: 10:10 AM Location: Germany Posts: 3,519 Car: BMW E36 323i ultraleggera (-143 kg) Rep Power: 108	I can only recommend to forget about that all-in-one crap and get a proper entry level surround receiver, a subwoofer and a quintet of nice entry-level speakers. It'll perform miles better than any of these do-it-all thingies. __________________ "We have to laugh at the Germans, because they're so riddled with guilt about their history, they can't laugh at themselves." - Jeremy Clarkson Got a question regarding Hi-Fi of any kind? Then check my general audio thread.

December 11th, 2008, 5:16 AM	#4
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	That sounds like a lot of work. I think I will avoid the tall speakers, may not work in my situation. I'm comparing these 2 now... http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665361527 http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921665368399 They both have plenty of HDMI connections. The first one has a much larger receiver and includes an upscaling DVD player. The latter doesn't. I don't know if I should even worry about the DVD player and just let my PS3 handle that. I don't understand why the call the second one "Blu Ray"..is it just because the receiver looks like the blu ray players? __________________

December 11th, 2008, 5:33 AM	#5
Nabster Joined: Oct 15th, 2007 Last Online: 8:54 AM Location: Laramie, Wyoming Age: 21 Posts: 1,745 Car: 1969 Mustang Coupe - 01 Grand Prix GTP Rep Power: 86	Why do you need a DVD player... that PS3 is an upscaling DVD player in addition to being a blu ray. Also, I've had a good sony 1000w 7.1 theater in a box, and it works excellent as a basic to lower mid range setup, as long as you get one with self speaker calibration. If you're set on a sony product, that's fine but personally I'd recommend something from denon. Speakers that come with a unit will work, but you'd do better with some higher end stuff, though if you aren't an audio freak you probably wont hear the difference. __________________ ███████My car is greener than your car. █████████LegendZ live forever.

December 11th, 2008, 5:47 AM	#6
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	I know at a minimum I need 2 HDMI, one for the PS3 the other for the cable box. I could use component cables for the latter, but I think HDMI is better. And yeah, I really don't need the DVD player. and now i'm reading this stuff about Dolby Plus and True HD decoding which only the higher end models w/blu ray players are capable of. I wonder how much of a difference this all makes or if it matters with 5.1 channels only....yup, I'm not and audiophile. I'm going to look at other makes, I was leaning towards sony because it seems less expensive plus it has that bravia sync feature which seems neat. __________________

December 10th, 2008, 10:23 PM	#2
cvrefugee Joined: Aug 16th, 2004 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Corona, CA Age: 29 Posts: 3,761 Car: 2005 Scion xB Rep Power: 86	I have a set of Klipsch Quintet II paired with a JBL Northridge 12" subwoofer, sounds great to me.

December 11th, 2008, 8:40 AM	#7
the Interceptor I LUV MY PRIUS!!! Joined: Feb 22nd, 2005 Last Online: 10:10 AM Location: Germany Posts: 3,519 Car: BMW E36 323i ultraleggera (-143 kg) Rep Power: 108	If you tell me where you are from, I might be able to dig out an alternative setup for you. __________________ "We have to laugh at the Germans, because they're so riddled with guilt about their history, they can't laugh at themselves." - Jeremy Clarkson Got a question regarding Hi-Fi of any kind? Then check my general audio thread.

December 11th, 2008, 9:18 AM	#8
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	Orlando, Florida. Right now i'm searching for HDMI cables, didn't realize how expensive they are. Amazon has some for low prices, I just can't tell from the specs if they have a refresh rate of 120 or whatever other feature. I need 3 cables and don't want to pay a lot. __________________

December 11th, 2008, 10:19 AM	#10
the Interceptor I LUV MY PRIUS!!! Joined: Feb 22nd, 2005 Last Online: 10:10 AM Location: Germany Posts: 3,519 Car: BMW E36 323i ultraleggera (-143 kg) Rep Power: 108	How 'bout this? 3 x pair of bookshelf speaker JBL Control 1 One: $278,97 (one to spare) 1 x subwoofer Yamaha YST-SW216BL: $99,89 1 x surround receiver Onkyo TX-SR505: $171,57 Total: $550,43 That exceeds your $500 limit, but is much more versatile, every single part can be upgraded in the future, and it'll make mince meat of every all-in-one system. That was just a quick search on Amazon, there maybe even are better prices to be found. And even if you're not an audiophile, you can hear the difference in an instant. __________________ "We have to laugh at the Germans, because they're so riddled with guilt about their history, they can't laugh at themselves." - Jeremy Clarkson Got a question regarding Hi-Fi of any kind? Then check my general audio thread. Last edited by the Interceptor; December 11th, 2008 at 8:35 PM.

December 11th, 2008, 10:30 AM	#11
cvrefugee Joined: Aug 16th, 2004 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Corona, CA Age: 29 Posts: 3,761 Car: 2005 Scion xB Rep Power: 86	HDMI cables can be found for cheap at http://www.monoprice.com 6ft 28AWG 10ft 28AWG

December 11th, 2008, 8:33 PM	#12
Nabster Joined: Oct 15th, 2007 Last Online: 8:54 AM Location: Laramie, Wyoming Age: 21 Posts: 1,745 Car: 1969 Mustang Coupe - 01 Grand Prix GTP Rep Power: 86	I second the monoprice cables. Ordered a bunch from them, including optical audio, not a single problem and they are made quite well. __________________ ███████My car is greener than your car. █████████LegendZ live forever.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
DBS on display at local movie theater	edkwon	Photography	3	November 24th, 2008 9:43 PM
Concorde final flight documentary on HD theater channel right now	edkwon	Entertainment	2	December 4th, 2007 8:02 AM
Post your Home Theater!	cvrefugee	Technology	40	October 3rd, 2007 1:36 PM
'and you get this sense of theater and of drama and pantomime...'	edkwon	Top Gear	3	June 29th, 2007 4:48 AM
so i used to be home alone by now...	bone	Off-Topic	9	July 18th, 2005 5:26 PM

Welcome to the FinalGear.com Forums!