Post by: johnthakur on January 20, 2013, 02:46:00 AM
konica minolta business solutions
Post by: GetLoose on May 29, 2006, 08:40:00 PM
JBL SCS300.7. http://www.jbl.com/home/products/product_d...cat=SCS&ser=SCS
Post by: GetLoose on May 30, 2006, 09:24:00 PM
Post by: twistedsymphony on May 31, 2006, 05:49:00 AM
GOOD setups that work with both will either use substantially larger speakers for the fronts or separate front speakers just for music playback.
With that said I like the packages Cambridge Soundworks puts together. http://www.cambridge...ater&type=store
I myself have a piecebuilt system using mostly Cambridge Soundworks speakers.
The #1 driver is how much you can afford... give us a price point and we can show you the best systems that fall under that price... even a $50 difference opens up a world of different options and better systems.
Post by: C o s m o on May 31, 2006, 06:59:00 AM
I'll add my $.02 as well.
While JBL makes very nice systems, any package set like that will leave you wanting more. Like TS noted, music won't sound very good. The small satellite speakers are only really good at delivering one type of sound-directional (treble). Music is dynamic, using both highs and lows together. What you end-up with is screeching guitars from the small speakers, and bass from one corner of the room. It just doesn't sound great.
The same applies to home-theatre sound for movies. You get female voices and ambient sound just fine from the small speakers, but a man's voice comes from the same one corner of the room as the bass guitar on the soundtrack. No matter where in the 5.1 sound field the low-frequency sound comes from, it's always delivered through the subwoofer alone.
Again, as TS suggested, piece your system together. The larger surround speakers will be SO MUCH better. If you buy this, you'll start noticing what I described above before long, and you'll look to replace the speakers anyway.
Think about something like this:
Infinity Primus 160 for $90/ea <--Front and rear
Infinity Primus C125 for $130 <--Center
Yamaha 150w 10" Down-firing Sub for $250
Just some examples of what you can do for $750 and get superior sound. I'm not an infinity fanboy as much as I just like bigger speakers. These are all affordable and good quality
Have fun!
Post by: GetLoose on May 31, 2006, 07:40:00 AM
Post by: lostboyz on May 31, 2006, 08:35:00 AM
just showing a different end of the spectrum
Post by: zombie4rave on May 31, 2006, 09:10:00 AM
This post has been edited by zombie4rave: May 31 2006, 04:13 PM
Post by: C o s m o on May 31, 2006, 08:39:00 AM
QUOTE(GetLoose @ May 31 2006, 08:11 AM) 
Thanks for the suggestions, The price range I was looking for was up to $350. And thats Internet price. Ive found that speakers that you can get for $350 online go for $699 at Best Buy, Circuit City and Crutchfield. Have any of you heard of Jamo Speakers? I went to a Audio video store and the guy there was saying that Jamo are the best ones to get.
Home Theater Magazine seemed to like them. I've never listened to them myself.
Post by: twistedsymphony on May 31, 2006, 01:12:00 PM
IMO you should expect to pay twice as much on audio equipment then you do on video equipment but most people do it the other way around, or worse by making audio equipment an afterthought.
My best advice to you would be to put all your $$ into a good set of front loudspeakers... just left and right fronts. Get something with enough gusto that you don't really need a sub woofer. Preferably something with at least 1 8" woofer a mid range and a tweater... at very least. If your receiver is worth it's weight you can set it up to just use 2 speakers. As you get more $$ add in a couple of large-ish satellites (2 or 3 ways with at least a 5" driver) then get a good solid center channel (you can pickup a CS centerstage for <$100 and it's one of the best center channels you can get). Once you've got the 5 pick up a big ass powered subwoofer. no less then 12", preferably downward firing. If you've got decent front loudspeakers and a big sub you'll get much less directional noise at the low end (not to mention you'll appreciate the sub a whole lot more). Finally you can top it off with your 6th or 7th channel by picking up a matching satellite or 2 or another center channel.
If you're just looking for something you can get NOW that makes noise behind you just go pickup a home-theater in a box that offers 2-way speakers and the biggest subwoofer in your price range.
I took the piece built approach. I paid about $600 (total) for my fronts, they were in the dent & scratch department and valued at $800 a piece... every 6 months or so I'd spend a few hundred on the next bit of the system until it was complete... Now I've got a system worth over $3K and it knocks the socks off of anyone who stops by
Sure it took about 2 years to completely build it but all the speakers have a 10 year warranty and the only thing I have to worry about becoming obsolete is the receiver.
Post by: Fredmac on June 02, 2006, 04:55:00 AM
I am on the way to buy a 5.1 system and what about wireless rear speaker? its a good deal or not? my wife don´t want cables all around the living room...
thanks
Post by: lostboyz on June 02, 2006, 06:16:00 AM
Post by: davinator456 on June 02, 2006, 08:48:00 AM
About the whole piece together a system versus a 'box' or 'package' system...
I had planned on just getting a system for around 3-5 hundred bucks from best buy or somethin- i have a DECENT stereo for music- but it could be better and mostly id like to have surround sound for 360 and movies... ( my current speakers are just shelf stereo speakers with like smalle (6 or 8 inch?) woofer, a mid range and a tweeter combo)
anyway i guess my question is whether i get a packaged surround sound system, or piece it together- what do i need to look for to hook it all up right...
im going to be getting the sony wega 42" rp lcd which basically has all the inputs/outputs you could ever need-- but what type of inputs/outputs does the receiver need to have to properly hook up with my 360 and my tv.
also- a lot of the packaged systems have a receiver/dvd combo thing...? would it be best to just have an audio receiver..?
and finally if i piece together a system- what would be a good receiver/speaker combo for a fair price
(twisted) i didnt want to spend a lot of money but i dont want a shitty system either so i think id rather build it slowly like you TS, but i dont have a friggin clue where to begin!
maybe i should incorporate the speakers i have now for the front, get a sub and some rear speakers and a receiver and id be better off... then get some slammin front speakers later and a center channel down the line...
i was also looking at this setup
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Panasonic-H...roductDetail.do
any input is appreciated.
This post has been edited by davinator456: Jun 2 2006, 04:03 PM
Post by: lostboyz on June 02, 2006, 09:06:00 AM
As far as receiver and speakers, ill let twisted answer because my idea of a piece together system is cheap buys and garage sales
Post by: zombie4rave on June 02, 2006, 11:55:00 AM
QUOTE
I too am looking for a surround sound system, and i am on a budget.......
Speakers are going to have the largest overall impact on how your system sounds. Electronics change constantly but a good set of speakers will last you years . I'd invest more of your budget in good quality speakers and pick up a decent reciever to power them. Like I said before, I'm a big fan of Klipsch but that's just me. I think there's also something to be said for buying speakers from the same manufacturer/product series. This will assure you that they are all tonally matched for more seamless surround effects. Its tough to give someone a recommendation without knowing an exact budget. That said, if you really don't want to spend a lot there are some decent packaged systems out there. This one from Athena got a pretty good review
Micra 6
I'd stay away from the combo units and spend the money on the best reciever you can afford. Even the low level recievers now have a decent set of features and inputs. The biggest difference you'll find is that higher end units have much better quality amplifiers and signal processing. If nothing else, you can use your 360 for a DVD player and you'll have much more upgrade flexibility in the long run. You'll need an optical digital input on the reciever and a component input on the tv for the 360 connection.
Post by: twistedsymphony on June 02, 2006, 01:54:00 PM
I DEFINITELY agree that you should NEVER EVER buy an amp/dvd combo... you might as well try to get your system out of a cracker jack box. The general rule of thumb is the more segregated the system the more professional it is. Systems that run in the $100K range use separate decoders and individual amps for each channel, sometimes even external cross overs and amplification after the crossovers... systems on the clearance rack at WallMart are combo units...
I would also advise against wireless speakers... There are LOTS of cable options that would make the wires completely invisible. Baseboard heaters typically have a small lip on the bottom that you can run wires under and out of view. Monster has a great line of FLAT speaker wires that can be run under carpet without any noticeable bumps. The most professional install would be to go to home depot and buy some speaker wire wall receptacles and run nice thick wires through your walls. If you want to spend a little more you can even get some decent wall speakers that build right into your walls themselves for the best WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). For regular speakers you can get decent speaker stands that allow you to run the wires up inside the stand. Good quality floor standing speakers will have the hookups on the bottom so you could even run the wires up through the floor.
IMO wireless speakers are over priced, under powered and generally sound like total ass for the amount of money they cost. The biggest problem is that they're usually battery operated and use internal amplification. Any amplifier that runs on batteries and fits in a 4x6 box with the speaker is going to have the audio quality of a cheap radio... because that's basically what it is. and because all the money was spent on the internal amplification they usually cheap out on the speaker itself. That's not to say they don't make good sounding wireless speakers, because they do, you'll just pay 2 to 3 times as more for them.
I also agree on the point about buying all the speakers from the same brand... I'd even go as far as to suggest the same LINE of the same brand. All of my speakers are Cambridge Soundworks for this reason. Because they're all from the same brand they all use similar parts and they all have similar tonalities. I started building my set when they were on the edge of phasing out the "Classic" series for the "Newton" series. Because of this I was able to get my fronts and sub much cheaper then MSRP... Also because of this by the time I went to add the rears I couldn't find them anyway and had to get CS Newton series speakers. Thankfully they were matched close enough to the fronts that it still matched tonally.
I'd have to disagree somewhat on the Speakers over receiver idea mentioned.... while it's true that a quality set of speaker will last a long time... (day I say a decade, at least). I think that for quality a solid amplifier is the key. A good amp can make so-so speakers sound fantastic... however the most amazing speakers in the world will always be limited by an underpowered amp. It's true that Amps/Receivers wont last you as long but IMO they're far more important in the quality equation.
If you're looking to piece build a system the first thing you have to do is determine your goals... How big is your room, how is your room arranged, what kind of content will you typically use your system for? (movies and games, or music ?) What devices do you plan on hooking up to it... Classic Game consoles? (you'll want Dolby Pro Logic IIx support) Modern Game consoles? (you'll want an optical port with Dolby Digital support)Next Gen DVD players? (you'll want Dolby Digital ES and DTS EX support) SACD/DVD-A players? (you'll want 6 or 7 channel analog pre-amp inputs) etc.
Once you have those questions answered RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH... hit up some AV forums (no this one doesn't count) see what other people are using and why, pick up some AV magazines and read reviews.
Once you've got that underway go shopping... And when I say shopping I mean NOT at big box stores... a good rule of thumb is if the store doesn't have a listening room avoid it like the plague. Most Bestbuys/Circuit Citys are only concerned with moving products, they could care less about the buyers post-purchase experience. I wouldn't buy from them unless you had a very specific model speaker or receiver in mind that you KNEW you wanted to buy and they had it cheaper or were closer then any other store.
Part of the reason I went cambridge soundworks was because there was a cambridge soundworks store near me. I read lots of reviews and there were a few brands/model lines that were in my price range and looked good but CS were one of only ones I had an opportunity to listen to in a professionally set up environment. There were a few others but after listening to them first hand I was sold on them.
Tweeter is probably the only big box store that has decent listening environments. I would imagine some of the larger CCs or BBs might but when "shopping" around you're better off doing it somewhere where the staff knows what they're talking about. Local mom and pop shops are often quite good for this stuff too...
Another thing about the AV forums... is you might find people in your area that will let you go listen to their setups. Also lots of small AV start up companies will send around demo equipment for people to try out, they usually setup the demo recipients through these forums so see if one is stopping by in your area.
Don't discredit no-name speaker makers. Some of the best quality stuff can come from some guy in his basement. I have a friend who enters speaker making competitions all the time. he's made a few sets that cost him less then $100 that rival mine
If you're interested in speaker building pick up a parts-express catalog from their website. Each catalog includes a DIY speaker project with detailed instructions and a parts list. VERY cool stuff if you have the tools and the ambition. on that same note... never buy speakers from guys in vans, especially white vans.
Amps and Receivers are a different boat all together. IMO you're better off going with a quality name brand. I personally prefer Marantz. My father had a Marantz receiver and it sounded amazing, when I got mine I shopped around and found a nice one cheap ($800 receiver marked down to $500) it's been going strong for about 4 years now and I love it. Big Box stores DO often carry decent ones but you'd be better off doing your research else where and again only using the big box once you know EXACTLY what you want. RMS is the only TRUE power raiting, if you can't find the RMS power output for an amp don't bother buying it because it's probably Junk.
.... I could keep going but I think this is a good place to stop for now.
Oh and I'm Pinning this topic... this is just too good a discussion to not be pinned
Post by: davinator456 on June 02, 2006, 02:51:00 PM
I got a good idea of where to begin- RESEARCH... i think rather than blow a 3-5 hundred bucks on some crappy system -ill keep researching, and when i decide what i want i'll prolly start off with a receiver and some tower type speakers for the front L and R channels, then sublater then add a couple other speakers as i can.
but for now my stereo gets decent sound, and has the ability to piss off my apartment neighbors (but its a college town so no one would complain no matter how loud it got practically.)
time to research!
This post has been edited by davinator456: Jun 2 2006, 09:53 PM
Post by: TNdad on June 20, 2006, 02:24:00 AM
http://www.sonystyle...DVDDreamSystems
Post by: PrO... on June 20, 2006, 09:56:00 PM
you can find it fot cheaper
Post by: amb7247 on June 25, 2006, 09:49:00 PM
I got my speakers from B&H Photo/video. THere are many good brands other than JBL. But I got them because of the reputation preceeds them as a good speaker manufactuerer. But others like Polk, Paradigms, and some others offer great sound to. Just don't get them at best buy or you'll pay alot more. Better yet visit your local audio retailer and see if they have speakers that you are looking for and have a listen.
My setup is:
Onkyo TX-SR702 Receiver
Marantz MM9000 AMP
JBL E80 fronts EC-35 center and E-30 for rears.
This post has been edited by amb7247: Jun 26 2006, 04:53 AM
Post by: MJFOSTER77 on August 15, 2006, 10:23:00 PM
You can't leave out good cables too. They are a very important part of this equation too.
Post by: treacle on August 18, 2006, 11:19:00 AM
QUOTE(GetLoose @ May 29 2006, 10:11 PM)
I was wondering if anyone can recommend me some great Home Theater Speakers. Looking for a subwoofer that pumps out 150 watts, and has 5.1 to 7.1 surround sound. Ive seen a bunch of Speakers from JBL, Jamo, Polk Audio and Infinity. Ive had a set from JBL before which I thought worked great, the only problem was that if you listened to music it didnt sound that clear. Im also looking to use this system with my Sony STR DA2ES Reciever, Samsung 50 Plasma TV and of course my XBOX 360. Heres a link of the JBL's. The specs looks pretty good. Thanks for the help.
JBL SCS300.7. http://www.jbl.com/h...d...SCS&ser=SCS
Has anyone tried these new pioneers yet? They are made for x-box 360!
http://www.pioneerel...6743267,00.html
Post by: harvinstl on September 21, 2006, 01:05:00 AM
http://www.fluance.c...uan5speaks.html
Check for them on eBay, they have a store on there as well, and normally it is like $10 or $20 cheaper.
For your sub,
http://www.partsexpr...tnumber=300-633
You can step up to the 12" for about $25 more.
Receiver
Join club onkyo and save a few bucks as well.
http://www.shoponkyo...c...1&ext_war=1
Add some 16gauge wire and you should be good to go.
Post by: CHRONIC 5000 on September 23, 2006, 07:33:00 PM
Specs at yahoo shopping http://tech.yahoo.co...07dv/1991477118
Post by: vexamus on September 29, 2006, 04:05:00 PM
There's a big issue that I have with those who couple decent equal power receivers with "home theater in a box" speakers and swear by it.
There are some boxed systems that sound great, I will admit and for the money you can't beat the prices that are out there just to get some halfway decent 5.1 in your house.
The thing is that many folks who own say a Kenwoon 7.1 THX Select reciever, will put sizable speakers up front and then tiny speakers for center and surround. This is an obscene waste of such a reciever's capabilities(and many like it, Yamaha, Zenith, Onkyo(mid ranged), etc, to name a few). Those receiver amps are equal power.
That means equal power potential to each channel.
There's a misconception that somehow the rear channels and center channels are somehow dryer and eq'd at the amp to be strictly supplementary in nature. Those of you with one of the mid ranged 5.1 or 7.1 systems, toss some big speakers in the rear as an experiment and you'll soon see that full power, rull range will emerge beautifully from the rear channels. In addition to that, those who use tiny speakers(I'm talking to you Bose users) are missing out on a great amount of sonic detail that is included in dvd's and games.
Bose's solution to this is make a wide-ranged sub and tiny drivers for high frequencies and directional focus.
The best way to do it is have large speakers at all corners, perferably equal in size and frequency response. They don't have to be insane home theater speakers they can just be regular shelf speakers with 8" drivers. The bigger though, the greater the headroom and the better it will sound overall.
My setup is a Denon 4306 with Klipsch F3's up front, F2's in the rear and a C3 for center channel. I suppose I'm a Klipsch fanboy but I got a real great deal on them.
Music is fantastic, Movies and games are insane. The system is extremely well matched to the amp they are connected to. However, my setup obviously isn't cheap and obviously isn't for everyone so I'm not preaching it.
There are however certain elements you can include in your setup even if you're on a budget.
Peace.
Post by: signal2noise on November 23, 2006, 10:40:00 PM
If you want your games to be loud and in surround and that's it, there is a lot out there that is good an cheap. Probably fine for gaming but if you want great music you will need to upgrade later. Check DEALNEWS for a good rundown on current promotions from various sites.
The ATHENAs are well regarded and a step up from that, proably possible to put together a good musical package for the $300 range.
For not to much more HSU makes phenominal subwoofers for not much and they have a package deal with surrounds that would probably satisfy most for a long time, certainly likely to be better than low to midrange products by sony, jbl and the like. Not much might be closer to $550 all up and in but at least you would have a sub that would rival subs costing over a grand.
My setup is an HSU sub plus speakers that run close to $800 each. But I don't expect I will have to upgrade them for another couple of decades.
The thing with speaker is they make the most difference of any HT single component. Pay a little now and if you care about your music a lot like I do and you will just have to pay more later.
I would really go with the HSU setup if you can swing it, otherwise might as well go cheap and consider it a temporary investment.
Post by: bact on December 13, 2006, 02:29:00 PM
call ultima electronics or www.definitivetechnology.com
Post by: three11 on December 26, 2006, 02:19:00 PM
Pioneer 600W 5.1-Channel Home Theater System for Xbox 360.
Model: HTS-GS1
Its great, sound is good awesome, built in receiver, matches the look and feel of the xbox 360, 2 optical inputs, and comes with a media center universal remote that controls your xbox , pioneer system and tv.
The TV I am using to compliment my xbox and sound system is the Olevia 537H 37" LCD TV running xbox 360 at 1080i. Great TV!
Post by: SphtKr76 on January 03, 2007, 07:34:00 PM
Post by: Seyser on February 09, 2007, 08:38:00 AM
Post by: Deekstar on March 03, 2007, 05:29:00 PM
Model: HTS-GS1
also got this one fantastic sound all round got settings for everything also if your to lazy to run cables you can set up virtual surround using all the speakers at the front of the room got pioneer stuff in the car so thought why not cost me £150 ($300) from www.play.com price may have gone up though its also got the cool remote that does your xbox as well and lots of other connectivity options
Click
Post by: licenz2kill on April 25, 2007, 09:38:00 PM
You could say im a fanboy.
Post by: 89c4l98 on May 17, 2007, 07:40:00 AM
QUOTE(licenz2kill @ Apr 26 2007, 12:08 AM)
Do a little reasearch on KLIPSCH. they have the best sounding equiptment i have ever heard. KLIPSCH ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You could say im a fanboy.
I have a klipsch center channel, powered sub, and surrround speakers.. they are the best.. but cost $800-$1200 for em... mine were free
thanks my old job,....Post by: Bandit5317 on September 10, 2007, 09:27:00 PM
Post by: flashfreak on December 15, 2007, 12:55:00 AM
I used to have a logitech z2300 that my dad bought me for a christmas years ago. When setting up a system for my friends, i'd get em a z5300 which was very great, good sound and nice enough.
Sometime around when i got my 360, i upgraded to the logitech z5400. I LOVE it! Got it for AU$250 which is awesome, and it is one of the best small systems i have EVER heard. It has 1 6ch input (or 3 seperate stereos), 2 optical and a component. Oh, and a wireless remote unlike the cheaper models. I have read in this thread that music sounds bad from home theatre setups, but obviously mine is differently. I absolutely love the way it sounds out of this system. It can be cranked so loud, and it will remain clear. This system is a huge step up from logitechs crappy x 5.1 series. The system is awesome for gaming. I run the optical from the 360 and have dolby digital. I run the PC just into the stereo input and have it running on dolby plII music (the best preset).
Watching transformers on HD-DVD, with this thing cranked, the noise at 1 hour 56 mins in shakes the house. Like hwne i have it maybe 3/4 of the way up the whole way through, things are vibrating in my room and it sounds perfect. When the specific scene hits, this up the other end of the house are vibrating. I can seriously compare the setup in my room to the cinema, just obviously on a smaller scale. Im using a 40" samsung lcd.
Anyway, thats my input. This system rocks, but much to my disappointment, logitech has discontinued it, as they did with the 5300. I sent em a complaint email cos this is the perfect system. Now its a crappy 1 input wired remote gaming system (the g51) or the all out 5500.
Anyway, it rocks!
Post by: joeyj92077 on December 26, 2007, 09:33:00 AM
Post by: Bandit5317 on January 02, 2008, 01:27:00 AM
QUOTE(joeyj92077 @ Dec 26 2007, 11:33 AM)
I would look into investing into some klipsh speakers. They cant even be blown using a really nice studio reciever. There more on the expensive side, but overall very loud + great quality sound.
The power handling rating on the speakers and the power output on the receiver determines whether or not they can be blown, and that applies for all speakers. But yah, they are great speakers.
Post by: jlgent on February 06, 2008, 06:55:00 PM
http://manuals.harma.....,P12SW sm.pdf
Post by: swaneejuggalo on February 27, 2008, 04:00:00 PM
Post by: Rustmonkey on April 12, 2008, 12:06:00 PM
Anyways, long story short, we initially paid only around $500 for the reciever and speakers, but did end up getting nearly 50% off of retail prices as my wife was a Bestbuy employee at the time - I'd say retail on it all was around $900 - when we got it, we had only paid $200 for our Sanyo TV on clearance @ walmart - but it was still a great system that my buddies enjoyed coming over and playing games/watching movies.
Sound changes everything - along with a good CALIBRATION of that sound - invest in a sound meter and it will astound you at how much better everything sounds when you have the channels correctly adjusted.
Now granted, my setup doesn't sound nearly as good as my brother-in-laws Dennon/Deffinative setup, but in contrast, he did spend at least $3000 more than me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
This post has been edited by Rustmonkey: Apr 12 2008, 07:08 PM
Post by: thomasz on June 09, 2008, 03:40:00 AM
Post by: xbox360king on October 26, 2009, 07:39:00 AM
Post by: Soleil He on September 05, 2011, 02:29:00 AM