I currently own a hodge-podge home theater setup made from different speakers that I've collected over the last few years. Well not surprisingly, it sounds like crap. I want to upgrade my system with a more cohesive set and I'm down to two choices. In one corner are the Logitech z-5500 "computer speakers". They're 500 watts of THX certified goodness and I've read nothing but great things about them including several reviews that tested them in a home theater setup. Across the ring from them are the entry level HTIB systems from Panasonic (SC-HT05), Samsung (HT-DB600), and Sony (HT-DDW660). I already own a DVD player, so that isn't a factor.
Now normally, I'd just head to a store and listen to them all for myself, but that isn't possible because I live in the middle of no-where. So I need your help. How do these HTIB systems compare to the z-5500's? The z-5500's are more expensive (about $70), but are they better? Has anyone else made this comparison?
As a side note, if anyone could tell me why my current setup sounds like trash, that would be nice. I have Sony floorspeakers for the fronts ($100 ea), a Sony sub ($100), JBL N-Center ($100) and JBL N-24 for the surrounds ($50 ea) with a JVC 6000VBK receiver ($150). Now that adds up to be $650 in audio equipment, so it seems like it should sound a lot better than it does. But when I switch to a surround mode, it sounds like total crap. The center is fuzzy sort of like static and almost no sound at all comes out of the floor speakers or surrounds. I've tried adjusting everything I can adjust (levels, modes, etc) on the receiver, but nothing helps. For the past two years I've just been running the system in stereo mode w/sub because that's the only way it sounds half-way decent. Is it the receiver that's crap or do I just have a bad setup here that I should sell off and replace with a cohesive unit from above?
- Falc
Now normally, I'd just head to a store and listen to them all for myself, but that isn't possible because I live in the middle of no-where. So I need your help. How do these HTIB systems compare to the z-5500's? The z-5500's are more expensive (about $70), but are they better? Has anyone else made this comparison?
As a side note, if anyone could tell me why my current setup sounds like trash, that would be nice. I have Sony floorspeakers for the fronts ($100 ea), a Sony sub ($100), JBL N-Center ($100) and JBL N-24 for the surrounds ($50 ea) with a JVC 6000VBK receiver ($150). Now that adds up to be $650 in audio equipment, so it seems like it should sound a lot better than it does. But when I switch to a surround mode, it sounds like total crap. The center is fuzzy sort of like static and almost no sound at all comes out of the floor speakers or surrounds. I've tried adjusting everything I can adjust (levels, modes, etc) on the receiver, but nothing helps. For the past two years I've just been running the system in stereo mode w/sub because that's the only way it sounds half-way decent. Is it the receiver that's crap or do I just have a bad setup here that I should sell off and replace with a cohesive unit from above?
- Falc
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