Where do I start to upgrade my audio?

[steinooo]

Hi all,

I am a hi-fi newbie, and wonder what the best way would be to enrich the sound quality of my devices which I use through my TV.

I have a Toshiba LCD, a Virgin TiVo, an Xbox 360, a PS3 and an Acer Aspire Revo R3610 to provide my entertainment.

I started by connecting a 2.1 Logitech system to my TV via the 3.5mm stereo jack output on the TV, but I have come to realise this is probably a complete noobs way to do this.

I don't have a price guideline, I would simply like to know all your advice on what items I need to improve the sound quality. I may be wrong but from what I've read I believe a starting point may be a AV receiver and a set of 2 speakers to plug into it.

thanks in advance

 

[lucid]

There are plenty of "Spec me" threads. For your requirements I'd suggest going straight for the 5.1 speakers from the word go rather than buying Hi-Fi speakers. The typical recommendation list usually ends up looking like this:


Best value/lowest cost 5.1 audio systems with HD audio decoding

• Onkyo HTS3405 av receiver & speaker package kit - £249 - Perfect if you want a one-stop solution and you aren't likely to upgrade
• Sony STRDH520 av receiver & Yamaha NSP285 speaker kit - £149 + £100 = £249 - Great entry-level system and a perfect starting point for the budding AV enthusiast

Step-up AV Receivers - 1080p scaling or network features

• Sony STRDH820 Scaling AV receiver - £249 - features video upscaling to 1080p and improved audio circuitry
• Onkyo TXNR509 Network AV Receiver - £289 - features ethernet port and DLNA compatibility - play music files from your Home PC/NAS drive and also stream music from internet radio and online music services such as Napster

Step-up AV speaker packages - better audio performance - sweeter treble, deeper and more solid bass

• Yamaha NSP40 - £120 - bigger and beefier version of the NSP285
• Boston Soundware XS/Harman Kardon HKTS9/Tannoy SFK5.1 - all pitched at £199 in the discounters. Choose whether you want small form factor or more conventional looks
• Kef KHT1005.2 "Eggs" - £229 - beefier sub and higher performance satellites

Step-up AV Receivers - 1080p scaling and network features

• Pioneer VSX921 Scaling Network AV receiver - £399
• Onkyo TXNR609 Scaling Network AV Receiver - £449

 

[steinooo]

Thank you for that, although I can't afford the space for speakers outside of the corner of the room where the TV is, hence I wondered if there was a way of buying some quality front speakers to get the best in my situation.

I have heard you can achieve virtual surround sound using a sound bar, but I think they look a bit ugly. I'm quite open to ideas of virtual surround sound though.

 

[lunarwolf]

although I can't afford the space for speakers outside of the corner of the room where the TV is, .

not sure what you mean by this. do you have room for floorstanding front speakers? do you have a budget? what size is the room? and finally is this for movies only or will you be listening to music as well? if so what type of music?

 

[steinooo]

not sure what you mean by this. do you have room for floorstanding front speakers? do you have a budget? what size is the room? and finally is this for movies only or will you be listening to music as well? if so what type of music?

What I'm really after are little speakers I can rest on the cabinet either side of my TV. I've no idea if these produce a decent sound though. I could put speakers on stands behind the TV at a push but they'd be at funny angles.

No budget at this stage just wondering what my options were in terms of what is available.

Movies and TV only really, only very rarely music.

 

[shadow_boxer]

Sony STRDH520 av receiver & Yamaha NSP285 speaker kit - £149 + £100 = £249 - Great entry-level system and a perfect starting point for the budding AV enthusiast

This is what I'd be looking at as a great starting point. A basic AV receiver, yes you won't get networking capabilities or HD Audio decoding, but given you have a Revo for streaming and PS3 for Blu Ray discs (which can play HD Audio).

I went for a basic all in one package from Best Buy, Yamaha YHT294 (Yamaha RXV367 AV receiver and the Yamaha NSP285 speaker package) for less than £200. Massive improvement over my previous DVD 5.1 all in one system. Speakers pack a decent punch and are very discrete.

 

[steinooo]

This is what I'd be looking at as a great starting point. A basic AV receiver, yes you won't get networking capabilities or HD Audio decoding, but given you have a Revo for streaming and PS3 for Blu Ray discs (which can play HD Audio).

I went for a basic all in one package from Best Buy, Yamaha YHT294 (Yamaha RXV367 AV receiver and the Yamaha NSP285 speaker package) for less than £200. Massive improvement over my previous DVD 5.1 all in one system. Speakers pack a decent punch and are very discrete.

I just looked up AV receievers with network, I had no idea they existed! Although yes you're right, I have no requirement for new equipment to view movies so a bog standard AVR would be fine from what I've heard.

As for your speaker suggestion, as good as they look, I can't really afford the space for speakers outside of the corner of the room where the TV is. Hard to explain but you'd understand if you saw my room. So I think i'm after 2 x really good small speakers I think

 

[lucid]

Re the Sony STRDH520:

This is what I'd be looking at as a great starting point. A basic AV receiver, yes you won't get networking capabilities or HD Audio decoding, ...

Actually you do get HD Audio decoding with the 520. It's the cheaper 510 that doesn't do HD decoding.

 

[lucid]

re: speakers. I stand by my original recommendation of a 5.1 speaker package.

1) you don't need to use all the speakers. Set up the amp with just the front L, C, & R plus the sub. This is a 3.1 system.

2) a compact system like this will give you much deeper bass than a pair of small Hi-Fi speakers....and it will be better balanced even at lower listening volumes.

 

[steinooo]

re: speakers. I stand by my original recommendation of a 5.1 speaker package.

1) you don't need to use all the speakers. Set up the amp with just the front L, C, & R plus the sub. This is a 3.1 system.

2) a compact system like this will give you much deeper bass than a pair of small Hi-Fi speakers....and it will be better balanced even at lower listening volumes.

wow, I didn't know you could do that. This is the reason I posted!

This may sound silly, but will the audio computer "know" if I only have 3 speakers plugged in, so as not to send the sounds to the rear? If so, does it process the sound differently at all?

 

[lucid]

The PC can send 5.1 just as normal. The amp does the work of changing the sound processing to match the speaker configuration.

 

[steinooo]

The PC can send 5.1 just as normal. The amp does the work of changing the sound processing to match the speaker configuration.

Can I assume that by PC you mean input sources to the amp like TV?

Am I right in thinking if the amp sorts all the sound signals out, that if it detects I only have 2 front speakers, then it doesn't just ditch the signals that are intended for the rear speakers?

Quick question, what HDMI port would I use going from the TV to the AMP as the output from the TV?

 

[lucid]

Think about it from the point of view of a dvd player. It doesn't know or care how many speakers are attached to an amp. It just sends out the signal you choose from the disc. That choice is usually DD or DTS or Pro-Logic; but you don't choose Pro-Logic for 3.1or DD for 4.1...No, its the amp that sorts all that out and steers the sound according to the number of speakers being used. What you have to do when setting up the amp is specify which speakers are connected, but that's a one-time thing.

HDMI from the TV: If you TV has ARC and the amp supports it then a HDMI 1.4 cable from the amp's vodep output to the TV will do the job.

If your TV doesn't have ARC the connect a HDMI and also an optical just for sound from the TV's Freeview tuner. All the rest of your sources connect direct to the amp.