Ok, I'm not an audiophile: home theatre $$$ question

[vi edit]

All your "input" devices like the cable box, blu ray player, wii, ect will plug into your TV with whatever cables they come with. The TV will have a line out for basic stereo sound via RCA cables (red & white plugs) that will run from the TV audio out to your receiver. It will have RCA inputs that they can plug into.

 

[Edge1]

Thanks vi edit. Based on what 3cordcharlie was saying, I thought perhaps the TV would not come into play audio-wise.

I have a link to a Samsung plasma's specs that I've decided may be better than the Panasonic: http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/t...etail&tab=spec

 

[vi edit]

I don't know what your budget is for a TV, but something like this Samsung A630 LCD would work well for your room conditions.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LN52A6...5293786&sr=8-2

It's got a matte finish on the screen that works well in high glare environments. All plasmas and many LCD's are coming with glossy screens. This is one of the fewer higher end LCD's that doesn't.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Thanks vi edit. Based on what 3cordcharlie was saying, I thought perhaps the TV would not come into play audio-wise.

I have a link to a Samsung plasma's specs that I've decided may be better than the Panasonic: http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/t...etail&tab=spec

You can do it either way - either use the TV to feed audio back to the receiver, or connect each device to the TV for video, and to the receiver for audio.

If you run everything through the TV, you never have to switch inputs on the receiver. If run audio and video separately, you can listen to music AND have the game on TV.

 

[Edge1]

Ah, I see. I personally like option 2 where I run audio and video separately. A Harmony remote could be employed in the future to ease the process.

With regard to the TV, I believe I will stick with a sub-$1000 budget.

I am thinking the basement (the real home theatre) will eventually be a projector arrangement, with a 37" LCD available for regular TV/Wii operation. I'll actually be sharing that space with the kids, but they're growing up (9 & 11). A nice entertainment center (our current one) can accomodate a 37" LCD and that will do for that space in the interim. A projector could be for the real viewing down there. But that's getting pretty far ahead of myself, and way open to change. Also interested in a beverage refrigeration/bar setup down there. Its a pretty big space. Finished, 25x20, wall to wall carpet, cable hookup, recessed lighting, half bath.

Thanks again to everyone for guiding me through this process of changing houses and A/V experiences. I'm learning stuff!

 

[loudandclear]

Edge,

I shipped your ELT monitors this morning via FedEx and you should be getting progress emails as they travel.

About the glare differences between LCD/Plasma. Go to stores that has them on display and compare. I have noticed that many stores do not put LCDs right next to Plasmas to prohibit comparisons like that. Stores setup their lighting in the TV department to make things look optimum so maybe take a small flashlight to see it for yourself. I know our local Fry's puts the plasmas on a back wall area with very dim lighting there and the LCDs are out further into the area with normal lighting..... why... I don't know for sure and they surely won't tell me. It may not be an issue but i regret my choice and I also have a southern exposure of windows behind me with the TV on the far wall like your setup. It is most annoying when the TV has a low light scene on it..... the windows reflection glows on the screen.

I would shy away from feeding the Audio through your TV because of putting extra circuitry into the audio loop that is not necessary and will degrade sound quality. All of your source components (DVD/Cablebox/Wii....) will have a 2ch audio out that can be switched via the receiver.

you have many options and you will decide what works best for you and your family.

L&C

 

[Edge1]

Thanks loudandclear. Looking forward to those speakers! The reviews I've read are excellent, the price is very much what i was looking for, and everything's an upgrade for us at this point . I've got some friends whom I know will be real interested in their performance. Got 1 email already so thanks for that quick shipping.

Yours was one of those reputable voices that has me hesitating with plasma. Only consolation is that i could return it if needed, but obviously that's a big hassle. Plasma offers a chance to save a bundle that can be funneled toward the basement. Decisions, decisions. Least we got everything else set for now. A sub is not entirely out of the question but let's just say I'm not pushing it atm.

...and I'm convinced I'll run the audio from the inputs directly to the receiver. Thanks so much guys.

 

[loudandclear]

Only consolation is that i could return it if needed, but obviously that's a big hassle. Plasma offers a chance to save a bundle that can be funneled toward the basement.

Hey, if you're getting it locally and can return it without restocking fee, then by all means try the Plasma. They do seem to have deeper blacks in the price range you are budgeting for.

On the ELTs, I would plan on running a sub with them if you are going to watch movies/tv with deep bass. It removes much of the strain on the woofers.

 

[Edge1]

OH MY. So this is what you audio guys are talking about . These AV123 ELT 525s sound beeyooooootiful . They're "just" bookshelves, but are far better than anything I've ever owned before. The 80s-era Yamaha receiver doesn't appear to be a problem with them at all. Hooked up a cheap cd player I had laying around and its just fantastic. Thanks av edit for hooking me up with loudandclear at av123's forums. This has been a joy and will continue to provide joy for a long time. Gotta say also - the bass sounds pretty deep and rich, although I still plan to get a sub when the budget allows. The vocals also sound so clear. Like they're standing there singing in front of you.

SUCCESS!!

These are beautiful-looking speakers also, so the WAF is high. She didn't even blink just said "Oh OK". I know what that really means - they pass .

 

[vi edit]

OH MY. So this is what you audio guys are talking about . These AV123 ELT 525s sound beeyooooootiful . They're "just" bookshelves, but are far better than anything I've ever owned before. The 80s-era Yamaha receiver doesn't appear to be a problem with them at all. Hooked up a cheap cd player I had laying around and its just fantastic. Thanks av edit for hooking me up with loudandclear at av123's forums. This has been a joy and will continue to provide joy for a long time. Gotta say also - the bass sounds pretty deep and rich, although I still plan to get a sub when the budget allows. The vocals also sound so clear. Like they're standing there singing in front of you.

SUCCESS!!

These are beautiful-looking speakers also, so the WAF is high. She didn't even blink just said "Oh OK". I know what that really means - they pass .

Dude...number one forum violation...NO PICS!!!!



Glad they are working out for you. Give them a few weeks and they'll really open up and sound even better.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Good stuff! Hope you and Mrs. Edge1 enjoy.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Maybe I missed it but is there an LFE on there? If not it will limit you on your sub purchase. Not necessarily a bad thing but something to be aware of

Correct, there is no LFE for sub which means you are doing it the old school way with step down converters, crossovers, and pass-thru on the subwoofer if you use one. Not going to be able to use a cheapo to get those features, but $400-500 should be able to find something from one of the internet direct brands. But to do this it means that you run both the left and right channels to the sub's hot audio in, and then from the sub's hot audio outs you run to your speakers (you do not run wire directly from the receiver to the speakers).

The SVS PB10-NSD has those features on its amp. So do my ULW-10's (however they were discontinued a few years back which is why I didn't recommend them).


Edit: Just realized this had 4 pages and it was covered... Congrats on the ELT's they are really nice. A friend of mine has a set. I'm running 1 pair RS1000's, 2 pair RS750's, and a RSC200 in my theater with dual ULW-10's. Took me a while to build it (3 years), but I bought everything B stock (well, the RS1k's were shipped once for photos, same with one of the RS750's, the others were returns, but still got B stock pricing). I basically started with just a pair of 750's and went from there.

If I could have found them, I would have loved to have made my theater with Polk SDA SRS 1.2TL's... I have yet to hear another speaker which has imaging as good.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Correct, there is no LFE for sub which means you are doing it the old school way with step down converters, crossovers, and pass-thru on the subwoofer if you use one. Not going to be able to use a cheapo to get those features, but $400-500 should be able to find something from one of the internet direct brands. But to do this it means that you run both the left and right channels to the sub's hot audio in, and then from the sub's hot audio outs you run to your speakers (you do not run wire directly from the receiver to the speakers).

The SVS PB10-NSD has those features on its amp. So do my ULW-10's (however they were discontinued a few years back which is why I didn't recommend them).


Edit: Just realized this had 4 pages and it was covered... Congrats on the ELT's they are really nice. A friend of mine has a set. I'm running 1 pair RS1000's, 2 pair RS750's, and a RSC200 in my theater with dual ULW-10's. Took me a while to build it (3 years), but I bought everything B stock (well, the RS1k's were shipped once for photos, same with one of the RS750's, the others were returns, but still got B stock pricing). I basically started with just a pair of 750's and went from there.

If I could have found them, I would have loved to have made my theater with Polk SDA SRS 1.2TL's... I have yet to hear another speaker which has imaging as good.

If your 1ks are the original non-signature version, consider making the upgrade to the signature crossovers. It turned my 850s into much better speakers.

RSC200 stock to sig was hard to compare since I only had one of them and couldn't A/B.

 

[woofersus]

I'd look at upgrading the 750's too. They are a MUCH better speaker with the Danny Richie designed crossovers.


Congrats, Edge1. Those are nice little speakers. I have a pair that I upgraded with Ninja Master crossovers, NoRez, and Vampire binding posts. They currently occupy my computer setup and they sound great.

 

[Edge1]

I have a pair that I upgraded with Ninja Master crossovers, NoRez, and Vampire binding posts. They currently occupy my computer setup and they sound great.

OK, I have no idea what that means but it sure sounds great - thanks!

Thanks also 3cordcharlie and Yoyo et al.

vi edit - from what I can tell I'm not allowed to post attachments, hence no pics . I have a couple for fun, perhaps uploading to one of those image sharing sites and then posting a link would work?

Also, I was sort of under the impression that I could add a sub by:
1) using it as a "B" speaker with this old receiver or
2) actually wiring it to one of the ELT 525s.

Is that correct?

Also I did get the original TV from my first post in this thread, an LG 47" LCD 120hz, 1080p.

 

[kalrith]

vi edit - from what I can tell I'm not allowed to post attachments, hence no pics . I have a couple for fun, perhaps uploading to one of those image sharing sites and then posting a link would work?

1. Open account a pics.bbzzdd.com
2. Upload pics to pics.bbzzdd.com
3. Post links to pics in a post as follows: "
   
   " (without the quotes)
4. ...
5. Profit

There's also a little Insert Image button if you have the advanced editing options available, but it does the exact same thing as the IMG tags.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

OK, I have no idea what that means but it sure sounds great - thanks!

Thanks also 3cordcharlie and Yoyo et al.

vi edit - from what I can tell I'm not allowed to post attachments, hence no pics . I have a couple for fun, perhaps uploading to one of those image sharing sites and then posting a link would work?

Also, I was sort of under the impression that I could add a sub by:
1) using it as a "B" speaker with this old receiver or
2) actually wiring it to one of the ELT 525s.

Is that correct?

Also I did get the original TV from my first post in this thread, an LG 47" LCD 120hz, 1080p.

I think the way you'd want to hook up the sub is to take the speaker wires from the receiver (A) to the back of the sub. Then run speaker wire from the back of the sub to the speakers.

You'll need a powered subwoofer that has speaker level (high level) input / output on it in order to do this.

There are subs as cheap as $100 that can do this.

 

[kalrith]

There are subs as cheap as $100 that can do this.

I can verify this. I bought my used sub for $110 shipped off of ebay, and it has speaker level inputs and outputs.

 

[Edge1]

kalrith FTW!

Test setup (no TV - basement of current home) with old Yamaha receiver and absolutely horrible cd player (Nextech):

Closer look at one ELT 525. Not as "bright" appearing as the flash on camera would suggest. Appears darker at lower light levels:

The speakers were very well packaged and flawless. They are hefty. As you know, in the PC building world heft (weight) is a purely subjective but somewhat reliable indication of a Power Supply's quality. So I felt real good picking up one of these babies. No cheap construction here.

 

[Edge1]

I think the way you'd want to hook up the sub is to take the speaker wires from the receiver (A) to the back of the sub. Then run speaker wire from the back of the sub to the speakers.

You'll need a powered subwoofer that has speaker level (high level) input / output on it in order to do this.

There are subs as cheap as $100 that can do this.

Yoyo, I'll look around but again I'm pretty clueless with regard to assessing quality and features. If you have any suggestions on a sub with such features in that price neighborhood I would certainly welcome them.

 

[kalrith]

Yoyo, I'll look around but again I'm pretty clueless with regard to assessing quality and features. If you have any suggestions on a sub with such features in that price neighborhood I would certainly welcome them.

So, is your price neighborhood $100, or are you willing to spend more? Does it have to be a small sub and/or have a nicely finished exterior for WAF?

YOyoYO mentioned this sub previously, and it has the speaker level inputs and outputs. Spending a little more to get the 10" or 12" would be worth the money as long as they still get the WAF.

If you can spend a bit more and wait until they come back in stock, then I'll make the same recommendation I've made in a couple other threads:

If you don't mind waiting a little while to get it, I think the Bic F-12 for $182 shipped is a much better sub than the Polk. Here's a very long avsforum thread on that sub.

And don't worry that since your room is small and this is a 12" sub, that it'll automatically overpower it. That's what the volume knob is for

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Yeah, the sub recommendation is going to depend on budget, how large or a sub you can get away with, and how much you'll need based on the space and how loud you want to get.

Considering that you're planning another "real" home theater in another part of the house, I'm tempted to say just get a cheap one for this system.

 

[loudandclear]

Hey, glad you like the ELT's.

I ditto the rec on the Parts Express or Bic sub for being a good choice with the ELTs and bang for your buck marks. Your judgement on weight being an indicator of quality also holds true for speakers....... let me say it's not the most important thing but if a sub is something your 3yr old can pickup, run away from it before you know much else about it. Wood construction over plastic is preferred because plastic will likely resonate causing it's own sounds.

Also don't rule out used subs. Look on eBay/Craigslist for a local sale that you can check out before you buy. It may take a month of watching the ads but something will show up. You are located centrally between some large cities so it will happen. I recently bought a used Velodyne 10" servo sub and only gave $130 for it (no sales tax, no shipping) like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/Velodyne-Servo-...mQQptZSpeakers_Subwoofers?hash=item3efcc459cb. Sounds real good playing music with my remaining ELT525's. Just another option. I chose eBay because of the feedback security.... and since local I knew where they lived and they knew I knew it so they better be honest. :twisted: Of course anything used has some risk.

 

[Edge1]

Well for 75 bones and a reduced workload on the 525s, I just went for the 8" Dayton from Parts Express. Doesn't need to be world class. Just functional. I'll act now, apologize later (WAF) . Good thing is its small and can be hidden pretty well. Thanks guys!! Movies should be a blast for the whole family now. Really can't wait to move into the new place.