looking to put in 7.1 surround sound

[Onceler]

I need some recomendations for speaker systems for my home theater
preferably one with more that one HDMI input/outputs preferably 3 or more
please help

 

[Rio Rebel]

Start with This Thread .

Then determine your budget and needs.

 

[Onceler]

I looked at that thread and am still confused is what I need to buy a reciever(is this what I need?) and speakers seperatly or is there a kit that has all I need,I don't want one with a DVD player in it as I intend on using my PS3 to play movies,but also need inputs for it(HDMI),my camera(HDMI) and preferably an extra HDMI just in case.
Also I don't know if this helps or not but the speakers will be hanging down from the ceiling.

 

[CalvinHobbes]

An A/V receiver would be needed, prices can vary depending on options, same goes for speakers. You can buy a 7.1 "home theater in a box" which may be perfectly fine for your needs or you can put together a $10,000+ system.

Start with a budget and then figure out all of your current and future requirements.

 

[erwos]

Yeah, you really need a budget before anyone can tell you what to buy.

FWIW, jr.com has an Onkyo TX-SR605 for $400 shipped. That's probably a pretty good choice right there, although it only has two HDMI inputs (and one output). If you need more HDMI inputs, you can get an IR-switched HDMI switch pretty cheaply from Monoprice.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Onceler
speakers will be hanging down from the ceiling.

Are you talking about just the surrounds and rears, or the front three as well?

I would suggest trying to get the front three lower down if possible.

Also, are you sure you need/want 7.1? If you can't set it up well in your particular room or if 7.1 is going to mean getting lower end speakers vs. 5.1, then it might not be the way to go.

 

[krotchy]

Just for reference.

The "kit" you are referring to would most commonly be called a home theater in a box (HTIB). Comes with Receiver, Speakers and Subwoofers (the 3 components you need). An HTIB might be dooable and fit your bill exactly, but it is much less flexible and almost always they will be missing something comparatively.

Your requirements sound somewhat similar to mine, 3 HDMI inputs with Audio Processing, 1 out, 7.1 and whatnot.

I ended up with this setup which might be a good jumping off point for you, also the satellites are ceiling mounted and the mounts were dirt cheap from monoprice Brackets = [price I paid including shipping]:

Onkyo 705 Receiver (7.1 3 HDMI In, THX Select2 Certified) [610]
Bic Acoustech H-100 Subwoofer [250]
Athena LS-100B Front Speakers [125 for both]
Athena LS-C100B Center Speaker [125]
Athena LS-50B Satellites [140, or 70 dollars per set of 2]

Total price ~1250 dollars total (I think it was actually 1247.96 lol). I didnt buy this stuff all at once, Initially I just had the receiver and a $230 7.1 box-o-speakers (Onkyo SKS-HT540 Kit) , which were nice but lacking for my main room. They found a second life in my bedroom though and I still like em. I then did some more research and found the Athenas would be a great bang for my buck, especially since they were all going on clearance as I was looking. Then I found the Bic after hours of scavaging the AVSforum subwoofer forum. In the end though I am 100% satisfied with my purchase, as the setup packs a great punch and has amazing clarity.

Back onto your subject though, what budget are you looking at, because this will shift recommendations alot. If you got 10000 to spend, I would definitely change my recommendations.

 

[s44]

Crappy 7.1 <<< Good 2.1

 

[dmw16]

I started off thinking 5.1. Then I decided the room wasn't really going to lend itself to it and I dont feel like running wires in my apartment.

Then I was thinking 3.1, but found that to I could divert the money for a center channel into two very good speakers and have a great 2.1 setup. Depending on your long term goals, you may want to think about a 2.1 or 3.1 system to start with and build from there. The downside to a HTIB is if you decide you want to upgrade you generally have to toss pretty much everything.

I also needed 2 HDMI inputs and 1 output with audio processing. I went with the Yamaha HTR-6160 receiver. I found it on ebay for about $400 shipped.

Below is what I bought to build my 2.1 system (w/ approx prices including shipping)

Receiver: Yamaha HTR-6160 ($410, ebay)
Subwoofer: BIC H-100 ($250, ebay)
Speakers: Rocket RS450's ($495, av123 forum)
Cables: Everything ($120, blue jeans cables)
Surge/Battery: APC AV1300 ($135, bestbuy)
Total - $1410

What you get totally depends on your budget, but I am very happy that I went with a really get 2.1 setup rather than trying to squeeze a 3.1, 5.1, or 7.1 system in.

In conclusion, answer these few questions and I think you'll get a lot more help:
What is your budget?
What are your goals?
Do you have future upgrades planned?
What will you be using the system for?

 

[Onceler]

the front three will be lower
Also do the speakers draw their power from the speaker wire(that is what I am thinking) or do I need electrical outlets with the wire?

 

[Nohr]

Originally posted by: Onceler
Also do the speakers draw their power from the speaker wire(that is what I am thinking) or do I need electrical outlets with the wire?

Correct, the receiver/amp powers the speakers over the speaker wires.

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: erwos
Yeah, you really need a budget before anyone can tell you what to buy.

FWIW, jr.com has an Onkyo TX-SR605 for $400 shipped. That's probably a pretty good choice right there, although it only has two HDMI inputs (and one output). If you need more HDMI inputs, you can get an IR-switched HDMI switch pretty cheaply from Monoprice.

Is using the HDMI switching on your receiver a good idea? I've heard that HDMI is great for video, but the optical connections are still better for audio.

 

[krotchy]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob

Is using the HDMI switching on your receiver a good idea? I've heard that HDMI is great for video, but the optical connections are still better for audio.

Where did you hear that? If I had to pick Digital audio connects,
1st would be HDMI
2nd Coax SPDIF
3rd Optical SPDIF (though coax and opticals are really no different)

HDMI on the other hand is definitely a step above the 2 SPDIF formats because it can do much higher bittrates and allows for the High Definition codecs like True HD and whatnot. If you have an HDMI capable receiver (with audio processing) you definitely should be going in Via HDMI as your first priority, and only using Optical/Coax if you dont have HDMI as an option or if its a less used device and your HDMI ports are full.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Is using the HDMI switching on your receiver a good idea? I've heard that HDMI is great for video, but the optical connections are still better for audio.

Totally untrue. Optical (SPDIF, really) has less bandwidth for audio than HDMI, which is why SPDIF is limited to 2-channel PCM and plain DD-5.1/DTS, versus HDMI's 8-channel PCM, TrueHD/DTS-HD MA 7.1, and DD+/DTS-HD HR support.

 

[DanMart25]

You may want to take a look at speakers from BOSE.

 

[s44]

Originally posted by: DanMart25
You may want to take a look at speakers from BOSE.

... if you like getting ripped off for bad equipment.

 

[sdifox]

First of all, what are the dimensions of your room. 7.1 may in fact be worse than 5.1 if the room is not optimal.

 

[Muadib]

Without knowing how much you want to spend, this thread can't deliver.

 

[Onceler]

I don't know how much I will spend I want to say $2000 for reciever and speakers
but more if I need to

 

[Onceler]

no thanks,no speakers from bose I'm looking for serious ideas

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Onceler
I don't know how much I will spend I want to say $2000 for reciever and speakers
but more if I need to

$2000 will get you a nice set. You can certainly spend more, but you won't need to spend more to get a decent system.

With that budget you should be looking at buying receiver / speakers / subwoofer separately rather than a HTIB package.

 

[A5]

With $2000, I'd probably $4-500 for the receiver (Onkyo 605 will give you a lot of features for this price), $400 on the sub (look at HSU and SVS here), and $1200 on the rest (Look at the x-series speakers at av123.com). You'll be getting a hell of a system for that, and certainly something better than any kit.

 

[Onceler]

is there a huge difference between 5.1 and 7.1?My father thinks that going 7.1 is overkill but we will wire it for 7.1 just in case

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Onceler
is there a huge difference between 5.1 and 7.1?My father thinks that going 7.1 is overkill but we will wire it for 7.1 just in case

Not a big difference with most movies.

From what I understand, effective use of surrounds is becoming much more common on the HD movie discs but most of the time on regular material the surrounds don't even do that much.

 

[Onceler]

I still do not know what to get
I would like to have recessed speakers(in the ceiling poking down) but don't know what kind(what frequensy range) to get for the sideback and back speakers and I need to get whatever I need before they put in the sheetrock ceiling and it must be real soon
Someone please help
Thankyou