Spec me a new 5.1 Surround sound system please

Shep_Cobain · 29 Feb 2008 at 11:16

Hi guys,

Finally ive decided to get my 5.1 Surround Sound System.

Right i was thinking on the Creative Gigaworks g5500w (£200), simply for the wireless rear speakers...

What i need the system to do is to allow surround sound for my Xbox 360, Wii and Sky+/Sky HD box...

Will this be ok or can you spec me on any other systems???

The max i wish to spend is approx £300

Cheers guys

Biffa · 29 Feb 2008 at 11:55

Nearly everyone in here will tell you that its worthless spending less than a grand, me if I was going from just TV speakers to the Gigagworks kit I'd probably be happy

Shep_Cobain · 29 Feb 2008 at 12:02

ok, cheers.

chaparral · 29 Feb 2008 at 12:51

OOPs...

Shep_Cobain · 29 Feb 2008 at 13:17

chaparral said:
OOPs...

?

badbob · 29 Feb 2008 at 13:19

You need to spend at least a hundred billion on a 5.1 system. Any less that that don't bother..

For £300, go stereo.

Liverpool-Lad · 29 Feb 2008 at 13:32

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/2137

Shep_Cobain · 29 Feb 2008 at 13:44

badbob said:
You need to spend at least a hundred billion on a 5.1 system. Any less that that don't bother..

For £300, go stereo.

yer mate... thats your personal opinion. My friend has a £50.00 Logitech 5.1 setup and it sounds awesome...

Im not trying to argue but i just asked which is best... G550W or another one... for example Samsung?

Biffa · 29 Feb 2008 at 14:25

The thing is not everyone wants studio quality sound, they just want the equivalent of their TV speakers but in surround sound for the effects.

In that case I would say go for the G550W if it has the features you want, just buy it from somewhere that takes returns with no quibbles and unpack it carefully.

badbob · 29 Feb 2008 at 14:25

My friend has a £50.00 Logitech 5.1 setup and it sounds awesome.

Heard anything better? I've used 5.1 PC speakers..awful. My advice is to go for stereo, it'll sound 10x better than a £300 5.1 system. And build quality will be far better. Still if you're not bothered then any POS £300 HTIB will do you.

Biffa · 29 Feb 2008 at 16:23

So how would you compare something like the Creative Gigaworks, or high end 5.1 PC Speaker setup to something like the following Sony kit:
HT-SS500 5.1 (£150)
HT-DDW890 6.1 (£250)
HT-SF1100 5.1 (£300)

Are they all POS as well? Or just not up to the rarefied stratospheric quality levels of your hearing?

Margaret · 29 Feb 2008 at 16:27

badbob said:
For £300, go stereo.

You are kidding me, right?

badbob · 29 Feb 2008 at 16:28

Biffa said:
So how would you compare something like the Creative Gigaworks, or high end 5.1 PC Speaker setup to something like the following Sony kit:
HT-SS500 5.1 (£150)
HT-DDW890 6.1 (£250)
HT-SF1100 5.1 (£300)

Are they all POS as well? Or just not up to the rarefied stratospheric quality levels of your hearing?

Let's just say I wouldn't want any of them if they were free

Rather have
NAD C315BEE £149.95 plus
Q ACOUSTICS 1010 SPEAKERS (PAIR) (BEECH) £70

You could then move the 1010's to rears later on, and get something better for the front end. Wireless speakers are crap btw. Either you have to use batteries, or run a AC/DC cable..

You are kidding me, right?

Nope.

Margaret · 29 Feb 2008 at 16:31

I'll take 5.1 over Stereo anyday, for music however I'd just use Stereo mode or so, unless the 5.1 speakers were absolutely terrible and cheap. However a £300 5.1 setup won't be terrible, at all.

Sometimes I just think you're being over pedantic for the sake of it.

badbob · 29 Feb 2008 at 16:33

I'll take 5.1 over Stereo anyday

Depends on the kit, and the source material. I'd rather watch a film on my Kef Reference/Audiolab/Lexicon in stereo, than much cheaper 5.1 system, in 5.1

for music however I'd just use Stereo mode or so

Your 5.1 £300 system will be a sat-sub, which are lousy in stereo.

However a £300 5.1 setup won't be terrible, at all.

Wrong.

Sometimes I just think you're being over pedantic for the sake of it.

Nope.

Margaret · 29 Feb 2008 at 16:35

badbob · 29 Feb 2008 at 16:39

What's so funny? You don't need to spend thousands to get decent audio. I can gurantree a NAD amp and standmount speakers will urinate all over a £300 HTIB and PC speakers for sound, build quality and upgradability. It won't be 5.1 but it'll sound miles better.

It's like you trying to state that a onboard video is as a good as a 8800GT...for a small outlay you can get far better performance.

oh my PC audio system is Arcam Alpha 9, Yamaha AV amp, B&W 601, CC6 and Kef Coda 9's :-D

basically "low end gear" that's no longer used for the main systems.

james.miller · 1 Mar 2008 at 09:06

because you have lost touch with with other peoples needs and insist that if it isnt good enough for you, it isnt good enough for anybody else. im not the only person who is sick to death of you recommending kit 5 or 10 times the budget the op wanted, it is a complete waste of time.

christ, even Nimby knows better than that. and he's so far out there that even you look small time lol

Nogimmix · 1 Mar 2008 at 09:15

I'm selling an excellent Sony 5.1 system, which comes with wireless rear speakers. Only had it for 2 months and selling due to moving to a new house.

I did have a 360, PS3 & SkyHD connected and they all sounded great.

Check the for sale section for more details.

badbob · 1 Mar 2008 at 11:48

james.miller said:
recommending kit 5 or 10 times the budget the op wanted, it is a complete waste of time.

You fail at maths. :rolleyes:

How is my recommendation of the NAD and 1010 speakers @ £220 5x more than £200? You CAN spend thousands but you don't need to. There is a definite "sweet spot" in audio, much like in PC graphics...avoid the 7300GS, go for 8800GT, and quad SLI is a bit OTT.

A NAD amp isn't good enough for me...strange how I'm recommending it for the OP. :rolleyes:

It'll still be 10x better than any PC 5.1 system.

This is a computer forum, so I'm expecting the negative replies...go on a Hi-Fi forum and people own Celeron's not bothered, but spending cash on nicer gear..