New Pioneer 5.1 System $89 shipped with google checkout!!

[Delbert]

Originally posted by: TheShiz

Originally posted by: Delbert

Originally posted by: radioouman

Originally posted by: Stoerm
This doesn't look like something I could connect to a DVD player, 360, and Media PC all at once. I assume I'd need a more robust system with oodles of inputs. Then again, I know next to nothing about all of this. Someone please let me know if I'm wrong and should get in on this deal. Thanks!

Looks to me like it has an analog input, 2 optical, and 1 coaxial input.

Any idea how to select between the different inputs? I didn't see anything on a close-up of the remote.

on the remote about half way down there is a section called "audio input" it has buttons for

xbox 360 (optical input 1)
dvd/dvr (optical input 2)
digital (rca style digital connection)
analog (stereo rca input)

Ah, the remote has a cover over several buttons on the bottom half. I see it now. Thanks. I used your login and it did take a long time to download the instructions. I mirrored it if anyone wants the owners manual a bit quicker. I think I am going to give this a try. I'll just have to wrap it for myself and put it under the tree. The Wii can only do analog but the HTPC and Xbox can each do digital so this should work.

 

[AMDBOY]

wow! This seems like a pretty nifty set up for $99. 99 You get a name brand 5.1 system, with speakers, and FREE shipping. Seems pretty good to me. However, if you want a more robust system: (Originally posted by: Stoerm )
(This doesn't look like something I could connect to a DVD player, 360, and Media PC all at once. I assume I'd need a more robust system with oodles of inputs. Then again, I know next to nothing about all of this. Someone please let me know if I'm wrong and should get in on this deal. Thanks!) Then maybe try and catch a lower-end name brand receiver on sale like this Sony 500W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver Sony STRDG510 or this: Pioneer VSX-517-K . Question: can these Klipsch - ProMedia 2.1 Multimedia Speaker be used for small home theatre set up?

 

[boha]

Yikes, the sound quality of this is not so good.

A key specification for all audio equipment is Total Harmonic Distortion, or THD. It's measured as a precentage. As you might imagine, it indicates the amount of noise?sounds that AREN'T your music/movie soundtrack/game/etc.?introduced into the audio system as the music/etc. is amplified. That is, higher percentage = more noise = worse sound.

Now, really nice stereo equipment should have a measured THD of less than 1% (really? shoot for 0.1% if you can). Remember, you're buying an amp to hear the MUSIC not the NOISE. This basic $199 amp from Pioneer has a measured THD of 0.9%; not too shabby. The Pioneer system in the OP has a measured THD of . . . 10%. Yikes.

Many computer speakers (even nice ones that cost hundreds of dollars and feature Dolby Digital processors and digital inputs) don't even publish this specification, so I respect Pioneer's choice to publish their abysmal rating. (I never buy audio equipment that doesn't publish (a) the RMS power rating and (b) the THD/noise.) I would consider buying this for a basic setup, but know what you're getting into: the sound out of this system will not be very clean.

 

[boha]

Then maybe try and catch a lower-end name brand receiver on sale like this Sony 500W 5.1-Ch. A/V Home Theater Receiver Sony STRDG510 or this: Pioneer VSX-517-K . Question: can these Klipsch - ProMedia 2.1 Multimedia Speaker be used for small home theatre set up?

Noise ratings from other products:
Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THD <= 1%
Pioneer VSX-517-K THD = 1%
Sony STRDG510 THD < 1%

Note that the receivers/speaker sets that have subwoofers have a separate THD rating that is much higher (7% for the Klipsch). The OP Pioneer system was 10%. It's OK for the sub THD to be higher; human ears have a much harder time distinguishing noise from signal at low, bass frequencies, so you won't notice it.

 

[zephyrprime]

Mine just shipped. woohoo!

 

[xyyz]

boha...

thanks. i was just about to jump on this.

i guess my old cambridge soundworks dtt-2500's will have to last a bit longer.

 

[Raider1284]

Originally posted by: AMDBOY
Question: can these Klipsch - ProMedia 2.1 Multimedia Speaker be used for small home theatre set up?

I have these speakers hooked up to a receiver so they will work, but you have to trick the sub to get it to work. The speakers just use normal speaker wire and will be plugged right into the back of the receiver. But to power the sub I had to use the lineout connection(the big headphone jack, forget the exact name) and use converters to get it hooked up to the sub(which uses the normal headphone jacks).

It's a little jerri-rigged, but it sounds WAY WAY better then the crappy built in TV speakers.

Feel free to ask if you need more instructions to get it setup, took me awhile to figure it out.

 

[compnovice]

Originally posted by: boha
Yikes, the sound quality of this is not so good.

A key specification for all audio equipment is Total Harmonic Distortion, or THD. It's measured as a precentage. As you might imagine, it indicates the amount of noise?sounds that AREN'T your music/movie soundtrack/game/etc.?introduced into the audio system as the music/etc. is amplified. That is, higher percentage = more noise = worse sound.

Now, really nice stereo equipment should have a measured THD of less than 1% (really? shoot for 0.1% if you can). Remember, you're buying an amp to hear the MUSIC not the NOISE. This basic $199 amp from Pioneer has a measured THD of 0.9%; not too shabby. The Pioneer system in the OP has a measured THD of . . . 10%. Yikes.

Many computer speakers (even nice ones that cost hundreds of dollars and feature Dolby Digital processors and digital inputs) don't even publish this specification, so I respect Pioneer's choice to publish their abysmal rating. (I never buy audio equipment that doesn't publish (a) the RMS power rating and (b) the THD/noise.) I would consider buying this for a basic setup, but know what you're getting into: the sound out of this system will not be very clean.

I ordered it before I read this.. Well, All I can hope now is that it will be better than the inbuilt speakers of my generic tv

 

[Stoerm]

I ordered. Reviews seemed pretty good overall. I used to be into THD ratings and such, but I suspect that the only way it would really make much of a difference to me is if I was spoiled by an amazing system (unlikely to happen in the near future). The 360 remote pushed me over the edge. If I get it soon, I'll let you all know.

 

[boha]

Originally posted by: Stoerm
I ordered. Reviews seemed pretty good overall. I used to be into THD ratings and such, but I suspect that the only way it would really make much of a difference to me is if I was spoiled by an amazing system (unlikely to happen in the near future). The 360 remote pushed me over the edge. If I get it soon, I'll let you all know.

Tell me about it. I held out on buying an HDTV for a long while because I knew I wouldn't be able to hang with SDTV broadcasts once I did. (I was right, but now you can get most broadcast stations over the air in HDTV, w00t!)

I didn't mean to foist my personal standards on anyone; I just wanted to shed some light. If the noise doesn't bother you, this is a tremendous deal for a well-featured <$100 system.

 

[foghorn67]

Does buy.com suck at shipping? They haven't shipped my order yet. I live 30 minutes away from these guys, and they are going to make it a challenge for me to get it at a decent time.

 

[foghorn67]

wow. Spent 19 minutes in the queue for customer service. I have had to listen to awful versions of Christmas songs and the Circle of Life.

 

[TheShiz]

did you get them on the line? i can't believe they still show this as in stock and they haven't shipped any in a long time

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: TheShiz
did you get them on the line? i can't believe they still show this as in stock and they haven't shipped any in a long time

I waited 44 minutes in the queue. Either my call dropped or they hung up on me.
--edit 1--
Oh the ironing!!! Guess what they started to play for the queue music...Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time."
9 minutes into my 2nd attempt.

 

[foghorn67]

I would hate to sound like Debbie Downer from SNL but here is my bad experience so far.
Ordered on the afternoon on 12/3 PST. Buy.com is in CA. Not expecting it to ship on 12/3, but it's within possibility. Used Google Checkout for the order.
Tuesday. Nothing. Status says my CC was charged on 12/3 but item not shipped. Note this, there is a quiz later.

Decided to call around noon-ish. Tried to use discretion and used my personal cell, 44 minutes of waiting in the queue w/o talking to a live person at all. My call dropped. Could have been them, could have been my carrier/phone.
Called again, in queue for twenty minutes. Hung up and wondered if they were all on lunch or in a dept meeting.

Called sales, so I could talk to a live, breathing person. Live and breathing does not necessarily mean intelligent. I told him I knew he couldn't resolve me issue, but if he could route me to a CS supervisor, that would be great. No supervisors on duty for CS. He won't be in until tomorrow. Apparently, they are bossless for hours at a time. Any wonder why nobody picks up the phone? He transfers me to the queue, yeah the same one. Spend 29 minutes on hold. Finally someone picks up.

Me:Where is my shipment? I was hoping to get it by the weekend.
Rep: It shows it's in processing.
Merocessing?
Rep: Yes, it takes about 1-2 to process.
Me: What about shipping?
Rep: It takes about 3-5 to ship out.
Me: Wait, I thought the shipping itself took 3-5 days.
Rep: No, it takes 1-2 to process, and 3-5 to ship out.
Me:Let me get this clear, it will take 4-7 just to exit the wherehouse, then it's in the delivery guy's hands?
Rep:Yes, that is correct
Me: Why? Aren't you an etailer? Why does it take so long to process and shipout?
Rep:It's our policy
Me: Why does it say ships in 1-2 business days?
Rep: That is against our policy
Me: Umm, does one dept talk to another out there? Okay, is there anyway you can get that shipped by tomorrow?
Rep: No. Against our policy. In fact we are a drop shipping company, it will ship from a vendor.
Me: There is nothing stating that when I ordered that. What region or state is the item shipping from, so I can get a guess on when it will actually get to me once it ships?
Rep: I cannot disclose that
Me: Why not? You already charged my VISA via google checkout. There are an awful lot of secrets to keep from a customer who already paid.
Rep: If that is way you feel...
Mekay cancel the order, asap.
Rep: That will take 3-5 days to process.
Me: What year is it? This isn't 1999. I would expect my funds to flag my account in 24 hours.
Rep: That is against our policy.
Me: Okay fine, cancel it, but I want this in email stating that is in process now.
Rep: I can't do that until tomorrow.
Me: (audible) Just email me saying that's in process, I need something in writing. otherwise it's your word against mine. By the way, I will file a dispute with VISA if this isn't settled in a timely manner.
/end call

After that, some research. I found on Google's own checkout policy that they cannot charge my card unless it's 24 hours or less before it ships.
http://checkout.google.com/seller/policies.html
item 2b.

I am calling again after reviewing that line, and I will do my best to nicely assert that they violated Google's Checkout policy, and I will expect them to meet policy requirements.

 

[TheShiz]

ouch, you should email google checkout too, bad buy.com!

i'm patient, so i'll wait a few weeks, I think buy.com will come through

 

[imported_dfifo]

Originally posted by: foghorn67
Decided to call around noon-ish. Tried to use discretion and used my personal cell, 44 Called again, in queue for twenty minutes.

I've never expected anything super fast from big e-tailers. This time of year, they take forever. I guess I'm more patient though. I usually give them 3 full business days before I start to wonder. Newegg takes a week to get anything to me so I'm used to delays. I've seen cases though were the electronic paperwork is actually moving slower than the shipping process. I've had cases where I don't get my shipping confirmation for 4 days .. only to find that my order was already shipped and scheduled to be delivered the next day.

In my case, I ordered from WOOT and received my shipping info in 2 days and the system in 5 business days.


As for the THD rating, I don't even know what that means. It probably doesn't sound as good as an HK or Onkyo HTIB, but it sounds alot better than any computer speakers I've owned and has more digital inputs than some of the cheap-o 5.1 systems for half the price. Best purchase I've made in a long time.

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Man, some people seem to be having terrible luck for some reason ??? Personally, I've never had an order not ship from BUY.COM within a day or two unless it was not in stock, and always received notice if such was going to be the case. Perhaps this is an item that ships direct from the manufacturer, which is the case for a LOT of electronics these days. Hence the use of the term "drop ship". BTW, that is also why you now often have to deal with the manufacturer direct for returns.

Or maybe it's a regional thing ?

All I know is that on BF, after missing out on the 50" Pany Plasma for $1199 at Micro Center, I came straight home and did all my Christmas shopping on-line instead. Got all my presents for others, plus "my" presents too. Placed sizeable orders with BUY, Amazon, Tower, Deep Discount, Newegg, and Discovery. As of 12/06, I have a small part of my Amazon and Tower orders, and nothing from Discovery. My Newegg order broke a new record and was here (from CA) in 2 days. As for BUY, I had everything I ordered by 11/28, including a DVD Rec/VCR combo unit that "drop shipped" direct from Samsung and some CDs/DVDs that shipped USPS from CA !

Note : I used "free" standard/ground shipping on all my orders except Newegg.

 

[AMDBOY]

Midnight Rambler said "All I know is that on BF, after missing out on the 50" Pany Plasma for $1199 at Micro Center, I came straight home and did all my Christmas shopping on-line instead. Got all my presents for others, plus "my" presents" Yea, sounds like the way to go & beat the crowds. Hey did you see the Hitachi 50" plasma @ Best Buy before BF? They had like 6 in store and had 1 left . They were in the ad, and going for $999. after an instant savings. It looked pretty nice. Sounds like you shopped smart, and productive.props to you.

 

[AMDBOY]

Raider1284, hey thanks for the info. They (Klipsch speakers) are only $99 at Best Buy right now. I'm pretty cheap. This seemed like a quick way to get quality speakers for a cheap price. I think I also have some in storage(junky cluttered garage) that the wife has been complaining about for sometime now. I'll have to do a search and rescue this weekend in the garage. I may be asking you in the near future. Thnx.

 

[foghorn67]

Update. Order finally shipped on 12/8. They could not cancel in time. I have the option of keeping it, or refusing delivery.

 

[imported_justal]

Just ordered one... the price is a little bit higher now ($101 & change after the $10 Google check-out discount). But still a good price... searching Amazon I found it for a lower price, but the shipping charges more than make up the difference (e.g. $79 for the unit plus $76 shipping, or $99 for the unit plus $35 shipping).

 

[almega]

Price is back to $99 before Google discount

 

[Sniper82]

mine has said sent to warehouse for 3 days

WTF gives?

 

[Vario]

Specs are not very good on it. Id look into the onkyo 5.1 home theater in a box instead. You can sometimes get it as cheap as about $150 and the quality would be VASTLY better than that pioneer. That pioneer has some pretty meager power specs, probably why they don't bother to list it on Pioneer's website.

2 x right/left channel speaker - external - 25 Watt - 200 - 20000 Hz - 4 Ohm - wired 1 x center channel speaker - external - 25 Watt - 200 - 20000 Hz - 4 Ohm - wired 2 x right/left rear channel speaker - external - 25 Watt - 200 - 20000 Hz - 4 Ohm - wired 1 x subwoofer - external - 30 Watt - 45 - 200 Hz - 4 Ohm - wired