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.
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.
