Any cheap/decent 5.1 system?

Yeah I was thinking of getting an Onkyo, but there is just no way i'm getting silver, i hate that color!!! It doesn't match with my black sony. I'll probably either get the SR600 or just wait.
 
Does anyone know if the bass in the Onkyo S590 is bad? I mean I don't need the best bass but if its that bad then maybe i'll look for something else.
 
No, the S590 is probably the best you'll do for the price. It's only problem is that it uses a passive subwoofer so don't expect to be blown away by the quality of the subwoofer.
 
[quote name='Vinny']No, the S590 is probably the best you'll do for the price. It's only problem is that it uses a passive subwoofer so don't expect to be blown away by the quality of the subwoofer.[/QUOTE]

Can you explain the passive subwoofer in newbie terms? How much better are non-passive ones?
 
There are two types of subwoofers, passive or active (usually called powered).

A passive subwoofer receives it's power from the receiver. A powered subwoofer needs it's own power source so it needs to be plugged into a wall socket.

A passive subwoofer receives both the signal and power to run from the receiver. Because of this, during some peak moments (i.e., lots explosions), the receiver may struggle to provide enough power to all the speakers and the subwoofer at the same time.

A powered subwoofer on the other hand, always has fresh power directly from it's own power source. The only thing the receiver does for a powered subwoofer is send it the audio signals it needs to play.

It's not really an issue for most people though. You will only notice it if you compared a passive and powered subwoofer side by side or if you're an audio enthusiast.
 
[quote name='gokou36']Can you explain the passive subwoofer in newbie terms? How much better are non-passive ones?[/QUOTE]

Powered Subs have there own built in Amplifier, so you get a more bomming bass. Passive subs by all means aren't as bad as people make them sound. I prefer Powered Over Passive but for the price your spending that Onkyo is the best way to go. If you ever want to upgrade the Sub to a powered one there will be no problem with it hooking up to the receiver.
 
[quote name='Vinny']A passive subwoofer receives both the signal and power to run from the receiver. Because of this, during some peak moments (i.e., lots explosions), the receiver may struggle to provide enough power to all the speakers and the subwoofer at the same time. [/QUOTE]

Damn, does that affect anything? Like would it be out of sync? Have you noticed this in any movie or games?
 
[quote name='gokou36']Damn, does that affect anything? Like would it be out of sync? Have you noticed this in any movie or games?[/QUOTE]

No, no... it doesn't affect sound at all except for how deep and consistent your bass is. Like I said, sometimes it might struggle at really intense moments.

I don't have a passive subwoofer, mine's powered. But I have a refurb Onkyo HT-S790 and I can honestly say that Onkyo's values are unbeatable. For $200, you WILL NOT be disappointed with the S590 though from what I've read on it.
 
I was going to make my own thread, but maybe i'l just ask in this. I own a nice set of speakers along with a powered sub. The reciever I have is in storage rihgt now and I don't think it has an optical input. Anyone know of a cheap 5.1 reciever that has an optical input? I have the HD cable and the optical cable for my 360, now I just need the reciever.

Btw, is optical / digital sound way better? Is there a noticable difference...say in guitar hero?
 
[quote name='kevzik']
Btw, is optical / digital sound way better? Is there a noticable difference...say in guitar hero?[/quote]
I can't tell much of a difference. Some people even perfer the sound of analog over digital and vise-versa. The benifit having a Toslink is able to have the cable connected to your reciever and at the same time have the analogs connected into your telivision. So for late night sessions or whenever, you have the option to power off your sound system and switch to your TV-set's stereo without moving your ass from the couch to reconfigure wires in the dark.

Optical cables are only 5 bucks at monoprice.com, so there's really no reason not to try out digital.
 
Well I went out and bought the SR600 at circuit city for $270. I'm gonna get optical at monoprice to hook up to my PS3, which speaker wires should I get while i'm there as well?
 
I'm a bit lost... you were looking at a HTIB set and instead went with just the receiver? Are you using existing speakers or are you going to buy speakers now too?

Vinny, that Yamaha set is sweet. I'm actually considering it for another room.
 
I'd recommend getting Sony's HT-DDW900 5.1 system. Its last year's model and should be around $200 by now. Its what I've got and I'm very satisfied. I set up my receiver to where I have component input from my Wii and PS2 while I had my 360 Elite and my PS3 using the HDMI ports. I am a bit of a videophile though, so you don't exactly have to go the route I did.

The only drawback to my receiver model is that it doesn't have s-video, which kinda surprised me when I found out.

I'd take a picture, but I think the mess of cords and wires would frighten away skiddish first-time home theatre people.
 
[quote name='Slackerchan']I'd recommend getting Sony's HT-DDW900 5.1 system. Its last year's model and should be around $200 by now. Its what I've got and I'm very satisfied. I set up my receiver to where I have component input from my Wii and PS2 while I had my 360 Elite and my PS3 using the HDMI ports. I am a bit of a videophile though, so you don't exactly have to go the route I did.

The only drawback to my receiver model is that it doesn't have s-video, which kinda surprised me when I found out.

I'd take a picture, but I think the mess of cords and wires would frighten away skiddish first-time home theatre people.[/QUOTE]

I dunno about Sony's. They are nothing too great. Onkyo Products > Sony
 
[quote name='pimpinc333']I dunno about Sony's. They are nothing too great. Onkyo Products > Sony[/quote]

Well, Onkyo is pretty good stuff, but they are usually way more expensive. Sony is a good middle-of-the-road brand for those who want quality but can't afford the Onkyo price. And if you want to talk in terms of quality, the best on the market has to be Bang & Olfsen. It is just amazing how wonderful their stuff is and how resiliant they can be. Of course, anyone who can afford one of 'em probably isn't browsing this site...
 
[quote name='Slackerchan']Well, Onkyo is pretty good stuff, but they are usually way more expensive. Sony is a good middle-of-the-road brand for those who want quality but can't afford the Onkyo price. And if you want to talk in terms of quality, the best on the market has to be Bang & Olfsen. It is just amazing how wonderful their stuff is and how resiliant they can be. Of course, anyone who can afford one of 'em probably isn't browsing this site...[/QUOTE]

At first I was gonna go for a Sony or Samsung but people say Onkyo is better and that built in players suck. I thought only the DDW995 had HDMI that works with audio.

Does anyone know of some cheapass wall mounts? I want to mount the speakers to the sides of my TV stand but I want the speakers to face the front.

Should I get these speaker wires to replace the ones that came with the system? http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...cs_id=1023902&p_id=2748&seq=1&format=2&style=
 
The HTIB I purchased came with 24AWG wires. :whistle2:? I don't know how cheap Onkyo is, but you probably need to replace 'em.

I use this chart to determine the kind of speaker cable I should use.
 
Thanks for the help. The Yamaha looks nice, but I really only need a reciever. I guess I could be it, then part the speakers. ANyone interested in just the speakers lol? Hmm.
 
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