Home Theater

[ssv]

Hi Guys,
I am planning to buy a Home theater system. I don't know very much about this. I do have DVD Player Sony DVP - S530D. So I need to buy receiver and speakers.

But I don't know what are all the features i look for.

Anyone can help me ?

[nightwing7]

u need to get reciever and speaker.

I suggest for speaker the Bose 5.1 set (i think there called AM 10 or AM 15), they are so powerful that i cant find a reciever that can do there full potential, so im stuck with my 500 watt ( it so loud even at 10% volume!!!)

and for ur reciever, ur gonna need, im not sure if ur DVD player has the DD or DTS decoder on it, so its safer just to buy a reciever with a built in decoder for both DTD and DD. I like the new line released by Harmon Kardon, the Kenwood has an affordable THX reciever and Sony has one of the cheaper 6.1 recievers. If u wanna know more about really good recievers check this out

http://www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=62565&forum=8

[DeeGee]

Hi ssv,

For your home theater quest, a better way is to go to http://www.audioreview.com . I'd stay away from Bose for their perfomance/price ratio. The cheaper line speakers from B&W, PSB, Paradigm, etc. would give you much bigger bang for the buck.

Anyway, go to audioreview for your theater answers?

Good luck.

DeeGee

[Jeff Muller]

Go to http://www.hometheaterforum.com

[nightwing7]

i'd have to disagree, bose gives the most amazing sound, my friends have some of the audio equipment stated, and bose blows them away. It is expensive, but if u want highend sound, bose is the way to go, the others are good alternatives though, but just to clarify bose is the best!

[nightwing7]

i guess its just how u hear it

[d4n13l]

Actually many people dont like Bose, they are over priced for what they are. Im not saying that every single Bose speaker made sucks... some are OK, but you get much better value from other manufacturers. I have a pair of Monitor Audio 705 PMC's which cost £1500 ( I got them cheaper as they were being discontinued ), so I know what I am talking about. I used to get a monthly Hi-Fi magazine and read all the reviews, Bose speakers werent really ever given high ratings. Bose have been very heavily criticised by many as being over priced for the sound they produce. I found that they lacked punch and clarity when I listened to some, not a very enspiring sound for speakers at the price. Most people tend to buy Bose purely on the basis of "Brand Name syndrome", same as people buy Sony.
You are right about one thing though, when it comes to spending out large amounts of money on HiFi, what matters most is what sounds best to you. So if you like the sound of Bose above everything else then get Bose, but make sure that review the competion or you could end up paying more for less. If you pick up any decent high end HiFi magazine then you will find that Bose are never that highly rated.

[snowmoon]

Another place to read and discuss home theater with a bunch of HT geeks is...

http://www.avsforum.com/

[d4n13l]

[nightwing7]

I got a good price for the speakers and i like how it sounded compared to polk audio and others, it gave better reponse for classical music. so im happy cause of the deal i got and price.

[d4n13l]

That is true... Bose are good with classical music, they just arent "all round" rockers... thats all. Most speakers are "better" at one type of music than another, it depends what you listen to really.

[ssv]

Thanks for the responses

Any one can suggest alternative good speakers other than bose.

For the receiver, I planning to buy Denon or Yamaha . But I don't know which brand.(my budget around $1000).

I heard the receivers comes with THX is better.is it true.
Is there any brand which has Dolby Digital ,Dolby Prologic ,DTS and THX. I am not familier witht this terms also.

[d4n13l]

The best thing to do would be to read some home cinema mags, they have loads of reviews of speakers and all sorts. Or look for similar sites on the web, its not really worth asking most people what to buy as they will normally say the same stuff as them; unless they know a lot about what they are talking about. If you plan on spending big money then it would be wise to go down to a HiFi store and listen to different setups... remember, you dont have to buy it from them.

[nightwing7]

Instrumental classical and hip hop get good clear sharp sound. If you want louder stuff do as d4n13l says and go to your local store. Oh if you want a real powerful bass, get a powered sub rather than a passive.

[MPereira]

ssv:

You should also consider the number/type of connections for audio/video input/output. A good home theater system shoud be prepared to integrate a variety of other equipments than only TV and DVD. Are you planning to buy/upgrade a VCR? What type: VHS or S-VHS? A MD player/recorder? Think about digital input/output for the audio subsystem.

Digital optical is preferrable over digital coaxial in/out.

As for video, component (Y/Pc/Pb) in/out is slightly better than S-Video and both are way superior than composite (RCA).

Some Yamaha models (and other fine brands too, like Denon or Onkyo) have a RS-232 port for upgrade of some features. JVC has a model that have USB connection so you can connect your PC and play/record music.

Just for your information...

Good luck.

[d4n13l]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-10-23 16:18:47, MPereira wrote:
...
Digital optical is preferrable over digital coaxial in/out.
...
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
I am sorry , it is not. I have heard this before on this forum.
Coaxial is superior to optical - Dont forget that you should use a real digital coaxial cable (75 Ohm). If you buy any high-end Hi-Fi (thousands of £'s) then you will find that most of it doesnt even have Opitical In/Out, only Coaxial. Another thing to bear in mind is price, I have seen Coaxial cables costing £100's, not so with Optical. Optical connections are normally only provided on cheaper equipment, sometimes you will get Coaxial and Optical, then as the price goes up Optical disappears altogether.
However, on cheaper equipment, the optical may be better than the Coaxial. This is due only to cheap design and poor implementation: The equipment may process the coaxial and optical signals differently. Again, cheap design and poor implementation is to blame if so. A coaxial connection also may suffer if it is near a big source of EMF/EMI.
I must comment though that on low to mid range systems, the difference will be negligable. For top end equipment Coaxial is definately the best, you may not even have a choice.
Technically, Coaxial is better: It has less jitter.
It is a general consensus amongst HiFi snobs that Coaxial sounds fuller, with a richer, clearer sound.

P.S. Optical cables are also more fragile than their Coaxial counterparts.

[ssv]

MPereira,

Yes I would like to buy a receiver which has more type/connections . Right now I have DVD player, VCR some old sony model and Mini Disk Player.I will get Play station II soon.

I am thinking of buying Denon - 3802. any comments about this model.I think it supports all formats other THX.

[nightwing7]

d4n13l check this out its about the whole optial/coaxial thing http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=c7fb1a7ced8804524d5875e6b954fbc7&threadid=87384

[MPereira]

ssv:

Sorry, I´ll be of no help about this model. By the way, living in Brazil make things harder for the audio/video addicted. Keep looking!


d4n13l:

I checked nightwing7's kind collaboration to get more information about the optical/coaxial controversy. My suggestion was based on the information about the susceptibility of the coaxial cable to EMI and that some DVD models (e.g. Sony) sends the DTS signal through the analog and optical outputs only!
I don't have any idea about the lack of optical in/out in some hi-end receiver models, but I don't think this is related to quality issues. Maybe the inclusion of this feature would make them even more expensive than attractive!?!? But coaxial is fine and may perform well.

Good luck.

[d4n13l]

I read the posts on that link, it became apparent that a lot of the posts were made by idiots, self certified "experts". Citing reasons like "There is no difference as they are both digital" just shows them as clueless. I have read many 1/2 assed web pages giving mis-information, just like on any other subject. Anyways... like I said there is no real difference on low to mid range equipment, all I am saying is that Coaxial is a better connection, in "absolute" terms. I am not saying that a Coaxial connection is ALWAYS better than an Optical, it depends on the equipment, in most cases, there is no difference or a slight difference.
If you buy any high end product (£1000+) you are advised to use a high quality Coaxial connection as opposed to an Optical. The manufacturers even advise this. Personally I would rather listen to what the manufacturers have to say about it over anybody else.
Regarding the EMI interference with the cabling: you shouldnt keep your equipment near a source of EMI anyway! Your equipment is susceptable to it as well, as are the analogue amp connections and the speaker cabling. Not only that but any decent coaxial cable will be fully sheilded anyway.
Here is a link to a high end manufacturer of HiFi:
www.audiolab.co.uk/products/cables/introf.asp
If you look at what digital cables they sell (therefore MAKE) you will see that they only sell Coaxial. There equipment however DOES include an Optical out... but they dont make an Optical cable. Why? Because Coaxial gives better sound.


P.S. look around the site at their products... thats what I call high-end HiFi. Just look at the Home Cinema system they do, its just insane!


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: d4n13l on 2001-10-24 14:53:16 ]</font>

[snowmoon]

Daniel,

Hate to be pickey, but coax may be the better connector, but audio quality diffrence between working coax or optical connections is zero unless there is defective or non-spec signaling involved.

Audio quality is based totaly in the decoder and the amp, not in a working connector.

[d4n13l]

Coaxial gives better sound. Any true audiophile knows that. Unless you are an audiophile then I am trying to flog a dead horse.
If the working differnce was zero then answer me this:
Why is it that you can buy Coaxial cables for £100's?
Why is it that the manufacturer recommends Coaxial?
If there was indeed no difference, then wouldnt a cheap cable for each type of connection suffice? Wouldnt it eradicate the need for exotic cables?
How can you say that Coaxial is "better" if there is no difference in audio quality? Wouldnt that make them equal?
This is just logical thinking.

Audio quality is not based totally on the decoder, interconnects can make a big difference. I have a pair of £200 RCA interconnects between my amp and CD player - What most people spend on an entire system. When you have a Hi-Fi costing thousands, cables make a BIG differnce.

[d4n13l]

I forgot to mention that optical connectors suffer from bendy cable paths and from dusty interfaces. Also, with optical the signal has to be transformed into light and then back into "electricity".
At the end of the day it is like this: It is a consensus amongst audiophiles, (The people who spend thousands on equipment) that using Coaxial sounds better. Hi-Fi magazines, the people who make a living out of listening to music and reviewing equipment, also agree that using Coaxial sounds better. If you want to tell them that there is no difference, then go ahead - Im sure that they will smile...
Do any of you people who dont believe that coaxial sounds better have a hifi worth more than most peoples car - Do you think nothing of spending £3000 on a CD transport and DAC?... £5000 on a DD decoder and mono amps? £30 p/metre bi-wire speaker cabling?...
Oh well, each to his own. LOL


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: d4n13l on 2001-10-24 17:51:59 ]</font>

[snowmoon]

Daniel,

I think you missed the point. Dusty cables, bend problems do not equal working connector. Coaxial is the better interconnect because it has greater flexability, higer bandwidth for expansion, and a lower chance of problems. This is the reason that high end companies might recommend it. And your point about pulse-light-pulse. Using optical cable solves grounding issues and isolates your compnients from each other. The coax connection is not much different as it does pulse-electricity-pulse; It too requires an isolation step to prevent many problems, but cannot prevent grounding issues.

RCA and other analog interconnects are a totally diffrent story, as the cable signal properties directly affect the sound quality. I know plenty of people that use LXR balanced interconnects between cd-players and amps for the best quality. Analog is a whole diffrent domain.

To say that the same DD or DTS stream played over coax sounds better over optical ON THE SAME RECIEVER is crazy. PCM applications might sound better on coax due to the poor clocking on the SPDIF optical connection.

Your analogy is like saying that standalone DVD players are better than IDE DVD players because the picture looks better on your 8" crt projected on a hi-gain screen using a top of the line resampler onto a perfectly calibrated 100" screen than on you 15" monitor.

No, I don't have an extensive collection of hi-fi equipment ( I wish ), but I do quite a bit of research. I have no problem accepting that I am wrong IF you can show me an apples to apples comparison ( only the interconnect is diffrent and both are working at 100% ) where the sounds quality is diffrent.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: snowmoon on 2001-10-25 00:27:18 ]</font>

[alucard2050]

here's probably the best answer i can give. go shopping around. visit as many stores as you can. but, be careful with circuit city, its extreamly hard to get a straight answer out of them because they work on commission so their in it for the buck. listen to everything and learn about what's all compatible. it took me 3 years of this to get my theater just the way i like. except now i want HDTV. but thats later. i shopped not only for quality but for price also. i went to a Bose shop and listened to what they had. very interesting point was i found that their powered sub does all the work. the small satellite speakers were just tweaters. when the salesman plugged the hole to the sub, all the sound that filled the room was gone. it was very interesting. remember if you don't like it you can always take it back. last but not least, get a good warranty. its all in what you like.

[ssv]

Where can i get B&W speakers(in online).

[d4n13l]

snowmoon, I kinda would have to semi agree with you. However, NOTHING works at 100%, I am sure you know this. This is not a utopia, this is the real world.
All I can say is this: Some people just do the judging with their ears. As such, it is just accepted amongst audiophiles that Coaxial sounds better than Optical - That is all I can say. I dont know enough technically to explain why, but Im not ignorant in science: I studied Physics, Maths and Chemistry at college. I know what I said about RCA analogue connectors was besides the point. I just used that as an example of paying more for cables gives more sound.
I fully understand where you are coming from, beleive me. For an analogy, I think that we are argueing two sides of the same coin - Grey is black or grey is white?
A cable by itself is no use, there are other factors. If both cables were to work at 100%, which is impossible in reality, then YES I would agree; there would be no difference. But in laymens terms, Coaxial gives a better sound: Ask someone with "golden ears" that does "blind test" comparisons between the two.

It would be impossible to do a direct comparison of optical/coaxial interconnects as they both use different techniques and circuitry to transmit and recieve the signal. You cannot plug an optical connector to a digital RCA/BNC connection or vice versa. Your theory is solid I agree, but in reality it simply doesnt work like that. Just like the laws of electricity - the definition of an Ampere is a good example. You would have to first provide two connectors that work at 100% (an absolute impossibility in itself) and use the same transmit and recieve circuitry for each (another impossibility as one uses light, the other does not): This is an impossible comparison to make therefore it is an unfair question to ask. I think that we will just have to agree with each other.
There would be no difference between the two if you had two 100% working cables and used the same circuitry for each. However, this is just not possible. Coaxial gives the better sound as a result of all the other factors in the equation.


P.S.
The sound quality difference is more noticable with PCM than DD/DTS, you are quite right.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: d4n13l on 2001-10-25 09:57:26 ]</font>

[zzyzzx]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>For the receiver, I planning to buy Denon or Yamaha . But I don't know which brand.(my budget around $1000).</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Before you actually buy the Denon, first check to see if it's made in China. A lot of their stuff is now, and if I'm buying decent stereo / home theater stuff I would not want a cheap one made in China even if it has the Denon nameplate on it.