I need suggestions for new surround sound setup...

R

r00

Weaksauce
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Jun 2, 2004
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I want a new surround sound setup that will work for: My iBook's Airport Express base station, my Xbox's audio and possibly my TV as well.

I know you often need a reciever or something of that nature to connect all these things up so i am going to try and give as much info as i can so that the audio guru's on here can offer up their advice.

My airport express uses a standard 8mm headphone style jack, the xbox uses the same old A/V yellow/white/red that it is supposed to use. The TV doesnt have any audio out, its mad old and only has A/V in and Cable in...

I want to spend around $400 and i would like to have a remote to turn the volume up and down and possible change the source of audio (like airport to xbox to tv or whatever)... i got addicted to 5.1 surround when i bought my Altec Lansing 251 5.1 surround sound speakers for 40$ off the egg a year ago... They work great still, i got an awesome deal, but i am ready for a couch shaking experience.

I really enjoy the experience of being able to sit on my futon and watch like starwars and feel like i am in a theater of my very own...The setup will be something like this: TV on a tv stand against the wall with about 6 feet of available space to the right and a little less than that to the right (because my desk will be there) the room is about 20 feet deep from the tv across to the other wall but i figure the couch will be about 10-12 feet from the TV to my ears (sitting back against the couch).... Better yet here is a mini diagram of what i invision... and you guys can alter as you see fit.

layout.jpg


any advice you guys can offer would be awesome. I dont need some super 1000 watt system, but i definately need an upgrade from the 60 watt system im using now, and id like to be able to install it in whatever house/apartment i move into after i finish college next year.
 
r00 said:
... I dont need some super 1000 watt system, but i definately need an upgrade from the 60 watt system im using now...
Click to expand...

What equipment is it that you have right now?
 
r00 said:
i got addicted to 5.1 surround when i bought my Altec Lansing 251 5.1 surround sound speakers for 40$ off the egg a year ago... They work great still, i got an awesome deal, but i am ready for a couch shaking experience.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
Shoponkyo.com has refurb TX-SR302 for $119 shipped. Sign up for a membership at clubonkyo.com for a $10 bonus credit off the $129 price. It is a pretty limited unit, with only two digital (optical and coax) inputs, spring-clip speaker terminals, and only composite video switching. However, it has multichannel analog inputs and an adjustable sub crossover. Those are much more important features.

If it is anything like the SR500 that I had some years back, it would do a quite respectable job, and beat your <$150 options at Best Buy or Circuit City.

A decently modern TV will have ruimentary video switching anyhow. You're going to need a new one, because you need output of some kind to integrate it with any speakers other than the ones in the TV. If you can get by on listening to your cable and antenna content on these speakers, then you can still use it. You should look into a better TV. I saw a deal on a refurb 30" Philips widescreen CRT for ~$300 a while back. Maybe it's still alive.

That's going to need to come out of a different budget later, because 5.1 for a decent surround HT setup is pushing it.

I've heard that this speaker set doesn't utterly suck.

ACOUSTIC RESEARCH HC6 Home Theater Speaker System
4 Two-Way Satellite Speakers, 1 Center-Channel Speaker, 1 Powered Subwoofer / High-Gloss Black Finish ... more info
Mfr. Part # ARHC6B
J&R Item # AR ARHC6
ACOUSTIC RESEARCH HC6 Home Theater Speaker System from ACOUSTIC RESEARCH see all ACOUSTIC RESEARCH products
Availability:
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$269.88

4 Two-Way Satellite Speakers, 1 Center-Channel Speaker, 1 Powered Subwoofer / High-Gloss Black Finish

# The Acoustic Research AR HC6 Home-theater Surround speaker system consists of four satellites, a center Channel speaker and a powerful long-throw Subwoofer for high-performance surround sound. A one-step solution for any person buying a home-theater Component Receiver or amplifier, each speaker in this system is exclusively matched for superior Audio integrity. AR's acclaimed reputation for over 50 years attests for solid dependability and assured pleasure. 4 Two-Way Satellites have 3 1/2" woofer, 1" Tweeter each and handle from 20 to 100 Watts per channel RMS @ 8 Ohms (8" H x 5 3/8" W x 6 3/4" D)
# 1 Two-Way Center-channel has two 4" woofers surrounding a 1" tweeter, handling 20 to 100 Watts @ 8 Ohms (6" H x 13" W x 6 3/4" D)
# Powered Subwoofer has an 8" long-throw woofer and an Integrated 100 Watt amplifier (16 1/8 " H x 10 1/2" W x 14 3/8" D)
# Overall frequency-response range = 28 Hz - 20,000Hz ± 3dB
# Glossy Piano-Black Finish
# Magnetically shielded satellite speakers
# Speaker wire required but not included

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Code=AR+ARHC6
 
In the past ten minutes i have acquired some Aiwa speakers... i dont know what model but i read the labels on the back (it said TS-MW7U) and this seems to be the general scheme...

i believe there are 4 satellite speakers, and 1 center all 65watts with the red/black input on the back... and a 65w sub....


NOTE: these were free, so if they seem to be of no use its ok... but i figured that they might be useful in keeping the cost down and getting a receiver that is that much better because of it...
 
Well, you'll need a receiver to listen to them or any other speaker. If it is anything like my SR500, that Onkyo I linked you to will drive typical speakers to well over reference level in a space as small as your diagram indicates.
 
r00 said:
layout.jpg
Click to expand...

You'll want to scoot that TV closer to the desk so that the right speaker has as much space around it as possible. Corners placement for speakers is generally a bad idea. However, subs quite typically sound thier best in corners. Your sub might sound good in the corner to the right of the TV stand, or in the corner behind the small couch. Placement in the corner beside the couch will take a cable of quite decent length.

Can you sell those speakers and/or your computer speakers to enhance your budget?
 
The altec Lansings are going to a friend for about what i paid: 30-40 bucks... which can be added to the budget.. .and those Aiwa are mine now, so can be sold if i need to... but i figure 65wattsx5 speakers = 325 watts + the Sub @ 65 = 390... which isnt great but is respectable... no way i can use a receiver to amplify them past the 65 without sounding bad?

i guess my new goal would be to get a good receiver and some audio cable to hook all of them up to the airport and the xbox,,, try them and upgrade if needed...
 
Speaker wattage numbers aren't used like that. They are a maximum power handling that can be fed to them. It's the amplifier (in the receiver) that does the feeding.

If I had it to do, on paper, I'd sel the Aiwa set for $100-200, and roll the money into your TV upgrade budget. As I said before, withou any audio output, there's no way that you're going to hook your TV into a receiver for cable/antenna viewing.
 
i suppose that i can trade in the old ass 32" RCA tv i have for a 100$ 26" i got from costco about a year ago,,, it has an audio out i think... the question is: is it worth the cut in size for surround sound discovery channel? it would make more room on the TV stand for the fish tanks..... and its hella lighter...
 
I would get an Onkyo 5.1 5x65w amp that only $119. Retail $200.

Its the SR302 and it has digital optical in and has sub outs and hookup for 5 surround speakers.


THESE receiver is really nice. Listen to godsmadclown. I bought one on his advice and right now I'm getting a digital sound card (M-audio 7.1) hooked to the amp's digital in and im getting a 400w powered sub. Its going to be a nice setup, itll be 4.1 (no need for 5.1 when the front speakers are on your desk right there).

You might need a TV that can do audio out in order to get that to the receiver and to your surround speakers.

If you want a quality high quality DVD-watching TV, you might to upgrade to a nicer TV.
 
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