Complete noob needs advice!

Cleisthenes

Cleisthenes

Cleisthenes

Soldato
Joined
29 Jul 2013
Posts
8,694
Hi guys

So I've been thinking of getting some speakers to go with my tv, but I really feel very lost when it comes to this sort of thing.

I was looking at bookshelf speakers, but then I see that I need a receiver and amp etc etc.

I don't really want to spend much more than £100, and will certainly be buying second hand.

My tv has an optical connection, but I don't know whether this will be used?

Some clarification would be absolutely brilliant.

Thanks in advance.
 
First thing is do you have a freeview box, Sky or Virgin box or is it purely the TV alone that gives your viewing? Also do you watch DVD's or Blu Rays or do you have a games console? This will help is decide what is best for you.
 
MissChief said:
First thing is do you have a freeview box, Sky or Virgin box or is it purely the TV alone that gives your viewing? Also do you watch DVD's or Blu Rays or do you have a games console? This will help is decide what is best for you.
Click to expand...
I don't use it for TV, only for blu ray quality films and tv shows. I don't have a console nor any of those boxes you stated.
 
Ruark MR1'S but there above your budget £300. Cracking speakers I have mine hooked up to pc via DAC. Brilliant for music films and tv stretch your budget seriously if poss look them up
 
Cleisthenes said:
Hi guys

So I've been thinking of getting some speakers to go with my tv, but I really feel very lost when it comes to this sort of thing.

I was looking at bookshelf speakers, but then I see that I need a receiver and amp etc etc.

I don't really want to spend much more than £100, and will certainly be buying second hand.

My tv has an optical connection, but I don't know whether this will be used?

Some clarification would be absolutely brilliant.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Even secondhand, £100 isn't really enough to get everything you'd need to make a pair of bookshelf speakers work for what you've outlined unless you drop very lucky with some used gear right on your door step.

The challenges for you are multi-fold:

  • You need some way of controlling volume because the optical on the TV won't do that; so you need an AV receiver
  • £100 isn't much to split between a receiver and speakers: £40/£60. But ancillaries (speaker cables, interconnect, speaker stands) and delivery costs could easily add another £50~£60 to the bill.
  • £40 for a receiver and £60 for speakers means you're fishing in a pool of either rather old gear or stuff that was wasn't that good to begin with. That's not really a place to be if you're a novice. You can't afford to be too choosy. But trying to work out what's worth buying from what's not is going to be a big task.

I'm not saying that there aren't deals out there. But you will need to know what's worth a look. I've seen too many threads start like this and then become an endless series of "what about this...?" questions.

A soundbar would be a simple solution and within your budget. Something along the lines of the Samsung HWF350 (£99 with sub) that has an optical input. This kind of solution wouldn't normally be my first choice. However, it does fit the budget and is an easy and complete solution to improving TV audio.
 
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