Surround sound question

[Eliot]

In a couple of months time when i get a hdtv i was going to get surround sound and all that stuff ready for sky hd, i have a oppo dvd player with a optical out so do i need to buy a set of speakers, how much do i have to pay for a decent set of 5.1 surround sounds? thanks.

 

[Matblack]

so do i need to buy a set of speakers

Only if you want to hear the soundtrack

But seriously

Yes you will need to buy surround sound speakers to get 5.1 sound.

Speakers for multichannel sound come in two main flavours with a very special al a carte dish also available these are

Lifestyle
Audiophile
&
Sound Projectors

This is a generalisation and there is some crossover but we'll use this description as a starting point.

Lifestyle is a general description for little subtle speakers which are wife friendly and don't mess with the decor. The tend to be a compromise between performance and design and because the speakers are small they need a subwoofer to provide the lower frequencies.

Audiophile probably isn't the best description for the other option but it will do. These speakers are usually a lot bigger and more imposing but they have the advantage of being able to handle lower frequencies because they have more room for the drivers. Sound is directional by nature and although bass is less directional the lower the freqs your main speakers can handle the less directionality you will get from a sub which can be left to run the VERY low notes.

Lastly sound projectors, these are new and use a single box (an additional sub is advised) to cover the whole room with sound. I don't know much about these.

To power your speakers you will need an AV amp, this will take your optial out from your DVD player and turn it into powered channels which you can plug your speakers into.

Two questions

Whats your budget?
and
Whats you speaker type preference?



Here are a couple of examples

This is the KHT 2005.1 a lifestyle system

This is a KEF TDM install (or part of it, you can't see the sub or the rear chanels!)

heres the 15" subwoofer that goes with it!

As you can see the difference is quite litterally huge, the 2005 'egg' satalite speakers will fit in your hand, the TDM fronts probably won't fit in the back of a Renault Clio.

This is an AV amp

Looks complicated, and to a certain extent it is, it will take a whole load of inputs both audio and video and manage them for you, some can switch your video as well as audio signals and most will upmix stereo to 5.1 so you can watch your old stereo recordings (or TV) in 5.1. These vary in cost from low £100s to high £1000s depending on quality and functions.

In the case of both speakers and amp what you buy needs to cover the kind of sound quality you want and the design you like.

MB

 

[Eliot]

bascially i've agreed with my mum and dad that we need a new tv and surround sound and they told me to look into it, they have said they are gonna get a hdtv soon, and they agree with me that the lighting in war of the wrodls was laugable on our current tv speakers so i suggested surround sound with a subwoofer, but i'd imagine anything over 400 quid and they would spit their tea all over the shop so, i guess thats not enough, i take it the surround sound kits at high street electrical shop for 400 with a dvd player and speakers are rubbish then? Amps are real expensive arent they? maybe i sould think about a 32 inch lcd instead of the 37 inch phillps ambilight one.
EDIT: i suppose its relevant to say that this room is hardly huge, the tv is in the corner of the room and those large speakers probly wouldnt fit. basically a 42 ich tv would be the max size for this room, at the mo we have a 28' crt which is too small for the room, i think 37inch would be the ideal size, dunno if that helps or not.

 

[BF-Bert]

For a nice budget system try the AE Aego P2, nice small speakers yet a big sound and highly regarded.

http://www.acoustic-energy.co.uk/Product_range/Aego_series/Aego_p5II.asp