Home Theater Questions...

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thehstrybean

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2004
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Alrighty...I recently go hooked on the idea of setting up a home theater in my room...I have a little TV, and the speakers are teh bad...So I want to hook up my DVD player to my TV, but not have the TV speakers...I already bought a reciever...(My Ebay Linkage)...I'm going with a 5.1 setup...any suggestions on speakers? On where to mount the speakers? (Height, ect...)


Cliff Notes:
1) Tired of TV speakers & want good sound quality
2) Bought Pioneer reciever (linkage)
3) Which speakers and placement suggestions?
4) ....
5) Profit!!
 
minendo

minendo

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2001
35,560
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Originally posted by: Raiden256
Impossible without a budget amount
Click to expand...

Obviously not much since he bought a non-fully functional pos receiver.
 
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thehstrybean

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2004
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It works...except for the manual volume control, which I never use anyways...I'm looking to spend ~$100...
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
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Ideally, you want the tweeters across the front at the same height as your ear level.
 
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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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670
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You can't even get a mediocre 5.1 speaker setup for $100, at that price you'll get dog-awful.

$100 might buy you a decent pair of bookshelf speakers, then add more speakers later.
 
minendo

minendo

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2001
35,560
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Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
You can't even get a mediocre 5.1 speaker setup for $100, at that price you'll get dog-awful.

$100 might buy you a decent pair of bookshelf speakers, then add more speakers later.
Click to expand...

KLH pwns j00.
 
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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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670
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Originally posted by: thehstrybean
Bump...anybody?
Click to expand...
Those KLH "speakers" will give you surround sound it is true, how (un)listenable it will be is up to you.

People may not swoon at the awesome sound of 3" paper cone satellites and the massive 6" "woofer."
 
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ToeJam13

Senior member
May 18, 2004
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First off, I would not purchase from Best Buy. Here are a few reasons.

Second, I would suspect that 550W value. It's definately not the amount of power per speaker, it's most likely combined. Since the subwoofer is rated at 50W, the remaining five are most likely rated at 100W each. I would also bet that's not rated in watts (RMS), but the more sketchy watts (peak). If so, then they are most likely rated at 70W-RMS each. Your Pioneer receiver will most likely be higher than that, so don't expect to crank it all the way.

Third, cheap subwoofers tend to sound very muddy. I have never heard any that are not. So go in, listen to them, and see if you like them.
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
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In all honesty, the system you are putting together is not very good.
At low levels, in a dorm room or bedroom, it will sound ok but not great.
100 watts, peak to each channel is fine. Denon has some nice sounding receivers that put out less. More power and headroom is nice to avoid clipping but at lower levels you should be ok.
Set up will be critical with this system. Put the sub is a corner, get the speakers at ear level as much as possible. The closer the height matches on the L, C and R speakers, the better movies will sound. Try different placements to achieve the best sound.
I use an SPL meter to set mine up but you can do it without one:
Start a movie. Turn the center and rear channels all the way down. Raise the volume on the front speakers till they are at the volume you want to watch the movie at. Raise the volume of the rears till you can hear but not pin point them. Now raise the volume of the center channel till it sounds like the dialogue is coming from it and not so much the fronts. Open a beer and enjoy.
 
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thehstrybean

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2004
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Thanks...I know it's not a great system, but my room is small with hardwood floor, and everything has an echo in here...I'm gonna put the sub right next to my bed, so it won't have to be that loud, so hopefully not too much distortion...I really wish my reciever would get here...then I have to hard choice of speakers...They don't have to sound AWESOME, (I'm not an audiophile), but they do need to sound great...I work in the soundbooth at my school, so I'm used to BIG systems...little home theaters are a little small for me...Overall, what are some good speaker suggestions? (Cheaper is always better...)
 
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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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If you can spend $200-400, Onkyo makes home theater in a box systems with much better speakers than the KLH.

If you really can't spend much, get the KLH locally, from a place with a good, low-hassle return policy and if possible where you can listen to them first. At low-mid volume and with movies instead of music they may be listenable.
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
778
126
Originally posted by: thehstrybean
I'm gonna put the sub right next to my bed, so it won't have to be that loud, so hopefully not too much distortion
Click to expand...
Don't think of the sub as you would a speaker. The frequencies from the sub are in a much lower range than the rest of the speakers. You could have the sub behind a couch (or under your bed) and it would probably be fine. You don't "aim" a sub like you do a speaker.

 
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thehstrybean

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2004
5,727
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I finally got my speakers...My only problem is, when I plugged everything up, the rear surround speakers don't have any sound...I played music from my computer into the reciever, and it only comes out the front two...The rears just don't seem to work...I don't know if it's the reciever or what...any suggestions?
 
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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
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Most audio formats are only 2-channel stereo.

Did you get a manual with the receiver (if not try Google). Most receivers have "DSP modes" like "concert hall", "theater", "jazz club" that will send information to the back speakers, but note the back speaker sound is not supposed to be as loud or as notcieable as the front speakers.

> from my computer

If you used a digital connection it will only be stereo for music and games. Only DVDs will be 5.1.

If you used 6 analog cables you can get surround from games, and from music _if_ you set up the music player and possibly the soundcard drivers properly
 
olds

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,121
778
126
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Most audio formats are only 2-channel stereo.

Did you get a manual with the receiver (if not try Google). Most receivers have "DSP modes" like "concert hall", "theater", "jazz club" that will send information to the back speakers, but note the back speaker sound is not supposed to be as loud or as notcieable as the front speakers.

> from my computer

If you used a digital connection it will only be stereo for music and games. Only DVDs will be 5.1.

If you used 6 analog cables you can get surround from games, and from music _if_ you set up the music player and possibly the soundcard drivers properly
Click to expand...

I know they wouldn't with DPL but wouldn't they be the same with DD?
 
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cheesehead

Lifer
Aug 11, 2000
10,079
0
0
It's a bit late now, but garage sales are THE way to go for speakers. I have a pair of Advent Legacy II's that I purchased for only 30$; they beat the snot out of almost anything else under 200$.
Try the DSP settings. If you don't have any, try connecting the front speakers to the back. It may just be that you have bad speakers.
Alternately, Outpost.com sells a few Sherwood recievers. I own one (the 6108, I believe), and it's pretty nice for the 75$ I paid for it.
 
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thehstrybean

Diamond Member
Oct 25, 2004
5,727
1
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I tried switching the speakers, and they are fine...I tried all the DSP modes, and nothing...I can't figure it out...Maybe my DVD player just need s to be plugged up in 5.1 setup...I'll try...thanks..
 
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