Help required: building a simple audio system for TV sources

[Conscript]

Hello!
I think this is my first post ever in this sub forum, as I'm after a bit of advice.

I'm looking to improve the sound set up for my TV and console gaming in our living room. Our TV is not exactly cutting edge, but more than adequate, but one thing that has always annoyed me about it, is that you can plug external speakers directly into the back of it - but if you are using any HDMI source, the sound will NOT output to these external speakers.

This was a huge ballache, because I used to have three sources when we lived in our flat - Freeview box, Xbox360 and Bluray player. I set up a 5.1 system using my Logitech Z5500s, but had to invest in an optical switcher and plug all three sources into the speakers via this. Not exactly an elegant solution, as it meant manually switching the audio source manually each time I switched the TV source.

We've since moved into a house and now that the PC has it's own room, the Z5500s have been recommissioned in their proper role as PC speakers. So instead of faffing around, I've just reverted to using the TV on board speakers in the living room. However, now that I'm a bit more settled, and have recently bought an Xbox One, I'd like to sort out a better audio solution - not necessarily 5.1, although that would be handy for gaming. But a friend of mine runs a pair of hifi separate speakers through an amplifier for his music and console gaming, and whilst I'm sure it's not a massively expensive setup, it does offer much better sound than my TV.

So I'm thinking I'd like to emulate his setup with a pair of decent hi-fi speakers but I have to admit, I'm a bit lost with where to start, so some musings/questions:
- I think I need a simple A/V receiver (as opposed to an amplifier) that I can plug my HDMI sources into (now only two - Youview box and Xbox One), which will then output HDMI to the TV and the audio to a pair of separate speakers. Is this is a good starting point for a simple setup?
- Will an AV receiver automatically switch sources? This isn't massively important, but it would be much nicer to be able to just switch on the Xbox and have the receiver switch to it automatically.
- I gather most audio receivers allow multiple inputs, and it would be handy if be able to plug in my Bluetooth audio receiver so I can play music from my phone without plugging it in as well. Is this feasible?
- Quality: I should point out, that I am by no means an audiophile. I don't mind spending a bit extra on good quality equipment, but I doubt very much that I would benefit from top end audio gear. However, given that I'm really finding my way here, I have no idea what sort of budget I should be looking for.

I know I'm being a bit vague, but given the above, I was wondering if there might be anyone who could give me just a few pointers so I know where to start looking to build myself a humble system. Are there any brands you'd avoid? Are there any simple receivers you might recommend? Am I completely off the mark in thinking AV receivers and amplifiers are different, and should I be looking at one or the other? Should I just forget trying to put my own components together and instead buy a home cinema speaker bundle from somewhere?

Any advice would be much appreciated, especially from anyone with similar modest expectations.

 

[Makhaira]

Spending around the 250 mark from somewhere like richer Sounds will net you a decent onkyo or yamaha av receiver setup with 5.1 speakers which should do you nicely. That'd be my personal suggestion as it's what I did a few years ago!

 

[Jano]

You may not need an AV receiver, you could get away with a cheap dac if your Yourview box has an optical out (which I think the Xbox one does). If so I would pick up a standard stereo amp and a pair of bookshelf/standmount speakers, along with a dac that could take the two optical connections and do it that way. You'd get much better value for money if your not bothered about getting a 5.1 set up.

 

[Conscript]

Spending around the 250 mark from somewhere like richer Sounds will net you a decent onkyo or yamaha av receiver setup with 5.1 speakers which should do you nicely. That'd be my personal suggestion as it's what I did a few years ago!

I did have a quick look at the RS website and saw a few Onkyo pieces...but they are not a brand I recognised so didn't pay much attention. I might look into them further. I shall probably pop into Richer Sounds at some point. Dealt with them in the past and always found them pretty helpful and knowledgeable. Cheers

You may not need an AV receiver, you could get away with a cheap dac if your Yourview box has an optical out (which I think the Xbox one does). If so I would pick up a standard stereo amp and a pair of bookshelf/standmount speakers, along with a dac that could take the two optical connections and do it that way. You'd get much better value for money if your not bothered about getting a 5.1 set up.

Thanks, I might look into that. However, I should add that even if I start off with a simple 2 speaker setup, I would eventually want to move to 5.1 at some point, if just for the Xbox.

Thanks for the replies gents, very helpful so far.

 

[TJM]

AV receivers are about to make/are making the jump to HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 (copyright protection for 4K sources, which will likely become essential for watching 4K material). You could buy an excellent receiver right now for £250 from Richer Sounds (the Denon AVRX2100), but you might find yourself wanting to replace it sooner rather than later, and receivers should ideally last for many years.

I would second Jano's suggestion - buy a stereo amp with a dac instead, but I'd recommend picking them up second hand to keep your costs down (most audio enthusiasts look after their equipment). If you later decide that you want more speakers or a subwoofer, buy a receiver around this time next year, when the next generation should be coming down in price (Denon launches new models in the summer and its mainstream models, like the AVRX2100, invariably half in price by the following spring). You should buy your receiver from a retailer as it is far more likely than any other audio component to have problems.

My last suggestion is to buy a pair of front speakers that you can incorporate into a larger setup later. A good pair will be expensive as the fronts do most of the work in any setup, but this is why you should buy second hand or from a clearance range at Richer Sounds (never, ever pay full retail for speakers). Something like the Monitor Audio BX5s would work well in a small to medium sized room, but do some poking around on the forums at AVForums and WhatHifi - there are countless threads discussing 2.0 setups and many great speakers to choose from.

Make sure that whichever fronts you decide on have an accompanying centre speaker (matching the surrounds matters a lot less and matching the subwoofer doesn't matter in the slighest).

Edit: Just to add - waiting for the right deal on speakers can get you a lot more bang for your buck. I recently purchased a pair of Cambridge Audio Aero 6s for £340 from Richer Sounds - originally £650, reduced to £399 to make way for the newer model and further negotiated down because they were ex-display and had a few scratches. I am not an audiophile at all, but the sound quality is superb and they will last for a very long time. RS Bromley has a few pairs in stock if you like the sound of the reviews.