Thread: surround sound help

Harvey Norman's... $1500 wont get you much quality tho, look for a package deal.

Originally Posted by laynlo

hi there, i am wanting to by a surround sound system i have $1500 to spend thats gotta get me a 6.1 as thats what i have pre wired my new house for.
i would prefer so nice chunky looking floor speakers for the fronts and for the 3 rears well they will all have to be wall/ceiling mounted so nothing huge.

Your budget won't buy anything brilliant, merely capable....but it is a start

Yamaha RXV-361B AV reciever $385 http://www.excelhifi.com.au/prod504.htm
Excel also has Yamaha NS50FB floorstanders for $350 http://www.excelhifi.com.au/prod333.htm
OR (a better bet for your budget) a Tannoy HTS100 speaker pack $1,235 http://www.excelhifi.com.au/prod514.htm

Eastwood HIFi in Sydney also has some Yamaha bargains such as this speaker pack for what appears to be something of a steal http://www.eastwoodhifi.com.au/yam_speakers.htm They've also got other gear that will fit into your budget (and of course plenty that won't - no it doesn't fit mine either).

Failing all that.........second hand is a very good option - especially if you are in a capital city - quite a few dealers are doing trade-ins so have used gear for sale.

How good and how loud/low do you want it to go? $1,500 is pretty much 'you wont be happy with this' level for 6.1.

Note that I'm biasing this towards the needs of home theater, where you are most likely to want good low end response.

General shopping guidelines.

There is no substitute for amplifier power output.

Good speakers are heavy.

If it advertises its "PMPO" (peak music power output) with a big sticker on the front, don't buy it. (PMPO = how much power does it take to instantly vaporise the output transistors).

If its in a general retail store, don't buy it.

If the speakers sound like hollow plastic boxes when you tap them, don't buy it.


Suggestion:

Buy a low end 6.1 set from a computer store - should cost you about $200 max, and save up for an amp ($600 plus) main speakers ($800 plus) powered subwoofer ($1000 plus if you have some dental fillings you want to remove) and satellites ($500 plus).

http://www.theloudspeakerkit.com/ is probably the cheapest Australian source of good quality speakers, but there are also other good Australian kits - see http://www.vaf.com.au for the more upmarket ones.

Otherwise - what Silent said!

I have no idea about this stuff,but I do know the guys at Eastwood HI FI and I can vouch that they are really fairdinkum.....There prices are competitive and won't offer you any B_ _ _l S_ _ _T

I had a Sub Woofer that stuffed up 10 months after I got it.No problem,they just raplaced the unit.

Greg

Hello, I have a Denon 2105 amp ( 18 months old 7.1, 90watts per channel) plus 5 x Wharfedale 8.2 speakers I was thinking of trading in at some stage. I have a Mirage sub too, but want to keep it. If you are in Sydney, you're welcome to come and have a listen. $1500 might just about do it.

hey guys might up the budget to an entry level home theatre surround sound system and keep away from the lower quality brands.
i have purchased a pansonic 50" plasma 1080p and a dvdplayer/media centre hdmi.
now i know i need:
2x fronts as stated chunky floor standers
1x front centre
3x rears that can wall/ceiling mounted
1x sub
1x receiver
have i forgot anything?

now i wanna get the best out of the 1080p but want an entry level sound sytem. this is for a 5mx6m room.

thanks for your replies guys
also after brand new at the moment

cheers

you could build some speakers from a kit, they will be a heck of a lot better than the ones in the shop for the same money...you could also buy second hand speakers, providing they are of a good brand known for surround performance, some older speakers will blow any of that harvey norman packages way !, buy a new amp though, better to have warranty on that sort of stuff...

...or, just buy a bit at a time, i only have 2 speakers, but they produce a decent rumble, i have them angled inwards so when you sit in the middle you'd swear it was surround sound, i'll get the rest of the speakers down the track when i can afford it one day...it's all about the quality of the sound . not how many speakers you have, 2 really good front speakers placed just right will blow the nickers of a cheap surround ...

with the subs, the cheep ones are really really really crap, anything half decient will start at a grand, but you can build a kit one too and save heaps or even buy a quality second hand...

your not going to get much for $1500, my amp cost a grand many yrs ago, and the newer models are still the same price, and that's just entry level, my speakers i bought as a kit for $600, and they will compete with anything on the marked around a grand, see that's $1600 already and i only have 3 pieces, my gear is all a bit old now and i don't even have dolby digital (just dolby surround) but it sounds better than what i'v heard in the shops for several grand...

oh and a another thing on front main speakers, some good floorstanding ones will produce a mighty kick, better than any cheap sub...