good separates system for about £400

raikesi · 28 Jul 2010 at 18:53

so basically i need a quality system to be hooked up to my pc. i will use it for games and music, mostly drum and bass.

also, would it be able to connect this system to my xbox and laptop as well as my main pc?

i am a noob at audio stuff so thanks in advance for your help guys!

lucid · 28 Jul 2010 at 21:56

You need an amp and speakers.

With the correct cables you'll be able to use more than one input - so yes, you can hook up the other bits you want.

R i c h e r S o u n d s is probably the place to start looking with your budget. Ask them for their recommendation of a basic £150 amp and £150 speakers, then work up to your budget by trying either a better amp or better speakers to see which gives the best result.

premist · 29 Jul 2010 at 09:37

Head on down to AVForums there's usually really good advice there.

Marsman · 29 Jul 2010 at 11:46

raikesi said:
also, would it be able to connect this system to my xbox and laptop as well as my main pc?

Yes, but you would need to use the Xbox's component cable, as stereo amps do not have digital input. You will get 5-6 inputs, so you can connect TV, PC, console, MP3 player, etc.

Can the Xbox use HDMI and component out, simultaneously?

Spud21 · 31 Jul 2010 at 02:03

Marsman said:
Yes, but you would need to use the Xbox's component cable, as stereo amps do not have digital input. You will get 5-6 inputs, so you can connect TV, PC, console, MP3 player, etc.

Can the Xbox use HDMI and component out, simultaneously?

Dont think so, as you would have to have a lead connected into the HDMI port and the display port on the back of the xbox and thats not going to work.

Could go for a cheap AV processor and just run it in stereo for the moment then add speakers as you wish as that will have digital inputs?

If it's mainly going to be for using with your PC, you may be better off getting a good sound card and a good set of active speakers designed to work with music making systems?

Marsman · 31 Jul 2010 at 02:27

One possibility would be to go for an AV receiver with HDMI, and use the HDMI pass through. Get some bookshelf speakers aswell. Possibly add a subwoofer at a later date if needed. Downside is, if there is no intention of getting surround speakers at a later date, a similar priced stereo amp will provide superior sound quality.

Could use the RCA audio out on the TV. As the Xbox will only be used when the TV is on, the audio will go from the TV to the amp.

raikesi · 1 Aug 2010 at 16:18

ok thanks guys ill go on your advice and have a look at some avr's and some sterio amps and speakers

tom_nieto · 2 Aug 2010 at 09:13

An AV amp in stereo is going to be limited in comparison to a stereo amp running in stereo... there must be a way to get HDMI and stereo sound from an X-box... does your TV have phono outputs? If so, you're effectively using your TV's inbuilt audio decoder rather than an AV amp.

EDIT: noticed you're using your PC. What display have you got?

krisboats · 2 Aug 2010 at 11:30

Wow there's some misinformation here. It is possible to run HDMI and seperate red/white and optical on the xbox. Namely through one of these (xbox hdmi dongle)...

It plugs into the component socket at the same time as having the HDMI plugged in. I use one for mine and i think it was a tenner off the bay. It has optical and left/right auido out.

The other option is an external DAC for the pc to run from optical to analogue. This should also make a difference to the sound quality and nice beresford ones can be had for around £80, again on the bay.