Surround Sound for Gaming/Movies?

SativaSam

SativaSam

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Hey guys I am in need of some help as to what to ask for for Christmas to enhance my game room. I just recently bought a 42" LCD 1080p LG TV so I'm fine there, but I cannot decide on what to get surround sound wise.

Home theater, or just surround sound? And if so, which model is best? Can anyone recommend me a nice set? Mainly wanting to play videogames and watch blurays. I already own a ps3, so a home theater system with bluray player built in is useless to me.
 
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First question that you have to answer is, how much are you planning to allocate to this?

Second question is do you want to do this all at once or are you OK doing it piecemeal in a couple of steps?

You can do surround sound with any of these not-so-expensive HTIB setups (home theatre in a box), though you usually get what you pay for.

The better/cleaner solution is to do it with a AV receiver and standalone speakers, though that gets more expensive than a HTIB setup.

One item to look into is the Pioneer VSX-1020-K 7.1-capable AV receiver that's in the Amazon Gold Box for today only, discounted down to $299 for the day:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039XQQX0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=039Q2N45YXHZCVVN7ZWK

Reviews on it are pretty good and it's quite a good price on it. It's not the only option out there, though it's a good one for the price point it's been discounted to.

You'd obviously need speakers to go with it, as well as speaker wire, though the decisions of that are as varied as receivers.

Once you figure out what your budget is, then it gives you a starting point to work from.
 
[quote name='SativaSam']http://bfads.net/Ad/Walmart-2011/Page7

The Black Friday Walmart ad leaked, and I found this Samsung Bluray Home Theater system for $198 wifi ready. It's 5.1 surround sound, 1000 watt and has a receiver built in. Is it any good? I'd LOVE one for that price.[/QUOTE]

Those sound systems are a joke... they're basically equal to TV speakers but you get 5 of them along with a shit subwoofer. I doubt that thing could run at 1000 watts for even a split second. This is basically an "dummies" version of a sound system in that it's easy to set up and it produces sound. It would be better to save your $200.

Ideally, a good set up will cost you roughly $400. If this is your first set up, you'll want a set up that gives you an actual receiver, a powered subwoofer and a quality set of speakers. I found this via a quick search and it looks like a good first system to me. And yes, Vanns is a reputable dealer and Yahama makes great audio equipment.
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/details/502559897/yamaha-yht-395bl
 
I bought a $200 Sony Home Theater in a box setup back in 2006. Supports Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1. It sounds awesome, and I have been really happy with it. I have my 360, PS3 and Media Box (6TB of blu ray rips) hooked up to it.

Nowadays you can get a nice setup (Sony, Yamaha, etc) for $300 or so that will sounds great, support 5.1 and 7.1 Master HD audio, and have multiple SPDIF and HDMI inputs.

You don't need to spend a ton to get a really nice sounding system. Definitely go with a decent brand name though - avoid the crappy Wal-Mart brands.
 
I found this Sony bluray Home Theater System that is 5.1 1000 watts for 278$ has internet apps such as Netflix, Hulu, Pandora etc and wireless ready, also has USB ports for iPods and a bunch of other stuff.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-BDV-E570-5.1-Blu-ray-Home-Home-Theater-System/16608494

It has really really good reviews from a lot of people, and I am pretty much settled on buying this one. Just wanna get some CAG opinions on it first.

EDIT: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-BDV-...6ft-HDMI-Cable.-Bundle/16792252#ProductDetail What's the diff. between these two? Seems like for 1 dollar more you get a 6ft hdmi cable as well...confusing.
 
Some people have already said the speakers you keep linking are not much better than tv speakers. The subwoofer isn't a powered subwoofer (I believe), and there's absolutely zero chance that thing is actually able to push out 1000watts of power at any time.

I personally think it's hard to get a decent subwoofer for under $250 (not saying it can't be done), but I certainly wouldn't recommend a whole set-up for that price.

You even said a system with a built in blu-ray player would be useless to you, yet that's all you keep linking. Your ps3 already has apps for Netflix (and I think Hulu), so not sure why those features are so noteworthy to you either.

If you want to get a HTiB, get one with a real receiver is my suggestion. And look for clearance items or open box items from authorized dealers (so the warranty is still guaranteed).

Or save up a little money and buy piecemeal. Like get a receiver and 2.1 speakers to start, then a center channel when you can, then the surrounds/rears.

Here's a solid receiver for $200 at Vann's.
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/clearance/538557121/denon-avr1611

It has 7.1 channels, plenty of HDMI inputs, and audyssey calibration software.

Even without a sub the receiver I linked and this set of 5.0 speakers (note: at time of linking they had a set for $269)
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/clearance/544012176/jamo-s606hcs3
would blow that Sony setup out of the water most likely. Yes it's $200 more overall than what you linked, but you get what you pay for (to a degree) with all electronics and home audio.
 
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The home theater in a box setup is just so much easier for me as I am not looking for top of the line speakers. Having apps and a bluray player are nice sure, but they're not determining factors. And once again, I do not have the money to allocate for a set of speakers + a receiver. This will be a Christmas present from my parents to me, and they gave me a budget for it and I'm just trying to find the best within that range. And a home theater system is definitely a better decision given my budget. I don't want to spend $200 on a receiver, and have 50-100 bucks for some crap speakers. I honestly doubt that the Sony systems I have linked are THAT bad in terms of sound quality.
 
It really sucks that to get a good sounding system, it seems like I will have to spend way beyond my budget. I just wanna watch Blurays and play my videogames with some powerful surround sound without spending ridiculous amounts. I was really hoping that BDV-E570 model was the best choice, but I guess not. Walmart's reviews had like 63 5* reviews, but somewhere like Crutchfield rates it at 4 with complaints.
 
[quote name='SativaSam']The home theater in a box setup is just so much easier for me as I am not looking for top of the line speakers. Having apps and a bluray player are nice sure, but they're not determining factors. And once again, I do not have the money to allocate for a set of speakers + a receiver. This will be a Christmas present from my parents to me, and they gave me a budget for it and I'm just trying to find the best within that range. And a home theater system is definitely a better decision given my budget. I don't want to spend $200 on a receiver, and have 50-100 bucks for some crap speakers. I honestly doubt that the Sony systems I have linked are THAT bad in terms of sound quality.[/QUOTE]

If you doubt it will be bad, then get it. It's your decision ultimately.
 
[quote name='SativaSam']It really sucks that to get a good sounding system, it seems like I will have to spend way beyond my budget. I just wanna watch Blurays and play my videogames with some powerful surround sound without spending ridiculous amounts. I was really hoping that BDV-E570 model was the best choice, but I guess not. Walmart's reviews had like 63 5* reviews, but somewhere like Crutchfield rates it at 4 with complaints.[/QUOTE]

First, power and quality are two different things. If you look at low end systems, you'll always see them advertise high watts (because they use useless peak watt rating, not RMS). Quality audio companies won't focus on power alone.

Second, you have to consider what you HONESTLY expect. If those $200-300 HTIBs were as good as more expensive set ups, why would the more expensive set ups still exist? There's a reason why they only sell HTIBs at WM and not any stand alone receivers/speaker packages.

You do have another option: computer speakers. Logitech makes some great quality 5.1 speakers, the only disadvantage with them being that they don't have multiple inputs (usually only support one optical) and adjustable features since there's no receiver involved.
 
I'm not distrusting anyone in this thread's opinion, I'm just asking what you guys think of the BDV-E570 model. I feel that out of the stuff I have looked at with the budget I am given, it's the best I can do speaker wise and it comes with the receiver.
 
It seems like the set is more about multimedia features than sound quality. You buy a sound system for sound, is my basic feelings on the topic. Those additional features add costs. BD playback, wi-fi and third party software/apps are nice but they add nothing to sound quality.

I know a few people who have HTIBs and are perfectly happy with the sound quality. But I cringe when I can hear the crackling highs and muddy bass, and wonder WTF is wrong with them.

My thoughts are to save your money but at the end of the day, it's your money and it sounds like you're enticed by the system. Hey, if all else fails, you can probably return it.:p
 
I pieced mine together piece by piece and ended up quite happy with it. I have a Samsung 7.2 Receiver that I picked up at Best Buy open box and it does what I need it to. Mix that with some good speakers and your set. Still need to get the sub woofer but my two fronts do pretty good on the bass.

I would suggest piecing it together over any all-in-one set as it allows for custom ability. None of my speakers cost me over $60 a piece and you can actually find really good deals if your will to look used on speakers. My Center Channel is an old Jensen that I found at a yard sale for $.50. Two fronts are Insignia's from Best Buy that were also open box.

If you do go for a HTiB just don't get one of the cheap Blu-Ray combined pieces of shit. They don't do anything that they say they will do. I was not happy with my sound system until I had a real receiver and I was shocked how much of a difference it made.
 
Can anyone recommend a different setup for me then? I'm just wanting some surround sound & a good receiver. No bluray player or any crap like that.
 
[quote name='SativaSam']Can anyone recommend a different setup for me then? I'm just wanting some surround sound & a good receiver. No bluray player or any crap like that.[/QUOTE]

What is your total budget?
 
If you are looking for a decent HTiB, Onkyo's a are pretty good. I would recommend this:

Onkyo HTS-5300

If you join the club (which I think is free), you can get it for $270. It's a refurb, but it has a year warranty. I bought a similar one a few years ago and not had any problem with mine. Looked like new when it arrived. Not top of the line, but is pretty decent. You can google it for reviews and decide for yourself.
 
My best advice from a lifetime as an audioholic and former A/V salesperson. Don't buy the BDV-E570 or any other HTIB. I would recommend buying a decent receiver for the money. Then pick up some older speakers used on the cheap. I would recommend the Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble II system. This was my parents first Home Theater system back in the day ad impressed me quality wise for the price back then. I actually just picked up a set for $20 on eBay this summer to put 5.1 in one of my spare bedrooms.

It's a great starting point that will sound good with a nice receiver. Then when you have money if you want to upgrade pick up a powered subwoofer and go from there.

Though with a good enough receiver a powered sub isn't as important as people make it out to be unless you love bass, and I believe if a HTIB sounds good to you youd love the Ensemble II system for years to come.
 
[quote name='ferant316']My best advice from a lifetime as an audioholic and former A/V salesperson. Don't buy the BDV-E570 or any other HTIB.[/QUOTE]

I could not agree more! I am still an A/V Salesperson, and HTIB's just do not have the same build quality, sound quality, inputs or upgrade ability that a stand alone system will offer.
 
Well I'd be fine with something like what biscuit linked, does anyone have anymore suggestions like that one? Receiver + speaker combo
 
[quote name='SativaSam']Well I'd be fine with something like what biscuit linked, does anyone have anymore suggestions like that one? Receiver + speaker combo[/QUOTE]

My first sound system was actually an Onkyo HTIB as well, the HT-S790, and it was definitely a great value. But their receivers seem to have reliability issues. After two years, my receiver's outputs got lazy (not sure of the actual term for it) and would not output sounds if they sat idle too long (so I had to go to the test tone mode and jack up the volume). Recently, when I bought my new receiver, I kept seeing a lot of issues with Onkyo receivers and avoided them completely. Doesn't surprise me since their receivers run so damn hot...
 
[quote name='SativaSam']Well I'd be fine with something like what biscuit linked, does anyone have anymore suggestions like that one? Receiver + speaker combo[/QUOTE]That's a good place to start, since the Onkyo HTIB setup is an OK lower-end receiver and some starter speakers.

The Onkyo setup will be better than any HTIB because it won't be a BluRay player or DVD player with some receiver-like functions grafted onto it.

If you don't go with the Onkyo setup with receivers + speakers, a good starting point would be the Onkyo 509 receiver (or any other low-end receiver) and the Energy Take Classic 5.1 speaker set. I have Energy speakers and they're great sounding speakers with warm, rich sound.

That setup will lean you towards $700 or so, though you can find the Energy Take Classic 5.1 set on sale randomly for $200 - $300. Normally is $400.

[quote name='Vinny']My first sound system was actually an Onkyo HTIB as well, the HT-S790, and it was definitely a great value. But their receivers seem to have reliability issues. After two years, my receiver's outputs got lazy (not sure of the actual term for it) and would not output sounds if they sat idle too long (so I had to go to the test tone mode and jack up the volume). Recently, when I bought my new receiver, I kept seeing a lot of issues with Onkyo receivers and avoided them complemtely. Doesn't surprise me since their receivers run so damn hot...[/QUOTE]My Onkyo SR-TX876 has been running since middle-2009 without any issue. Yes, it does get hot, which is why I have a cooler on top of it and since that's been added, it's run great without any issues.
 
I used to have this one on my home theater with my Epson 8350, i highly recommend this HTIB, they sound great for a level entry audio system. And it comes with Audessy which will automaticaly calibrate your speaker placement for best sound possible.

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S540...TREC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321397598&sr=8-1

Another option is this (This is my current setup right now) Except for the reciever.

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR50...2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1321397737&sr=1-2

Then get:
Polk Audio Monitor 50 or 60 (if you could go to Monitor 70 its much better)
Polk Audo Monitor 40 for Surround
Polk Audio CS2 for Center
Polk Audio PSW-505

All speakers are available at Newegg.com

Another great brand for entry level speakers are the ENERGY 5.1 Micro which is on sale right now at newegg for 199.99. all you need is reciever and subwoofer.

NOTE: The onkyo HTIB comes with a small guage wires, i highly recommend buying atleast 14 Guage speaker wires. you can get high quality wires and cables at monoprice.com.
 
[quote name='coopx']That's a great deal, i would recommend that and a good reciever, but if the OP is really on a tight budget, the Onkyo HT-5400 is wat i recommend.[/QUOTE]I'd also second that recommendation.
 
Well how is the Onkyo HT-5400 sound wise? Like I said guys this is a gift from my parents, and I wanna respect their wallets by not going overboard for some videogames. As long as the receiver functions, and the sound quality is pretty nice (I can't exactly explain how "good" I want it to be) then sure, I'll order it.

My problem is that there are SO many options in terms of surround sound. There are ones like the BDV-E570 with speakers, receiver and multimedia, there's the receiver + speaker combos, just the speakers, just the receiver and wires etc etc etc and it boggles me down.

I'm just wanting a receiver + surround sound speakers that sound great but it seems that for them to sound "Great" for some movies/video games it's gonna cost a lot more than I'd really wanna ask my parents to reason with.
 
[quote name='SativaSam']Well how is the Onkyo HT-5400 sound wise? Like I said guys this is a gift from my parents, and I wanna respect their wallets by not going overboard for some videogames. As long as the receiver functions, and the sound quality is pretty nice (I can't exactly explain how "good" I want it to be) then sure, I'll order it.

My problem is that there are SO many options in terms of surround sound. There are ones like the BDV-E570 with speakers, receiver and multimedia, there's the receiver + speaker combos, just the speakers, just the receiver and wires etc etc etc and it boggles me down.

I'm just wanting a receiver + surround sound speakers that sound great but it seems that for them to sound "Great" for some movies/video games it's gonna cost a lot more than I'd really wanna ask my parents to reason with.[/QUOTE]Reviews on the HT5400:

http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=E0vDTvzSC-XS2gX6pMTEDg&ved=0CD8Q8wIwAQ
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/755716-REG/Onkyo_HT_S5400_HT_S5400_7_1_Home_Theater.html
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S540...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

From the quick look at some of the reviews, it looks like there's some quirks to the HT5400, though nothing fatal by any means.

I think if this will be a gift from your parents, I think the HT5400 is a good way to go. I'd personally spring for some 14 gauge speaker wire from Monoprice instead of the stock cable and it'll sound better with better speaker wire.
 
[quote name='SativaSam']Well how is the Onkyo HT-5400 sound wise? Like I said guys this is a gift from my parents, and I wanna respect their wallets by not going overboard for some videogames. As long as the receiver functions, and the sound quality is pretty nice (I can't exactly explain how "good" I want it to be) then sure, I'll order it.

My problem is that there are SO many options in terms of surround sound. There are ones like the BDV-E570 with speakers, receiver and multimedia, there's the receiver + speaker combos, just the speakers, just the receiver and wires etc etc etc and it boggles me down.

I'm just wanting a receiver + surround sound speakers that sound great but it seems that for them to sound "Great" for some movies/video games it's gonna cost a lot more than I'd really wanna ask my parents to reason with.[/QUOTE]

Yap, Onkyo HT-S5400 is the best IMHO with your situation, 7.1 DD truehd/dts-hd with 4 surround speakrs., 2 front, 1 center, 1 sub. dont forget that it also comes with audessy which helps a lot cuz you dont need to manually caibrate the speaker setup. I say go for it. Its a future proof with 3D compatible and etc..
 
Alright so I'll just ask them for the Onkyo HT-S5400. 7.1 surround sound, and has a receiver. I guess that's all I need? And it'll sound pretty darn nice?
 
[quote name='shrike4242']

My Onkyo SR-TX876 has been running since middle-2009 without any issue. Yes, it does get hot, which is why I have a cooler on top of it and since that's been added, it's run great without any issues.[/QUOTE]

Not saying it's a major problem, but it seemed like that's one thing I kept seeing mentioned over and over again in regards to Onkyo receivers. With other receivers, complaints would be stuff like "poor upconvesation", "video lag", or stuff like that.

Either way, it's still a very low rate, I'm sure. That Onkyo HTIB is pretty much unbeatable for the price.
 
[quote name='SativaSam']Alright so I'll just ask them for the Onkyo HT-S5400. 7.1 surround sound, and has a receiver. I guess that's all I need? And it'll sound pretty darn nice?[/QUOTE]I would buy some 14-gauge speaker wire from Monoprice and use that in place of the existing speaker wire. Not needed right out of the gate, though I use Monoprice 14-gauge speaker wire for my speakers and it sounds great.

[quote name='Vinny']Not saying it's a major problem, but it seemed like that's one thing I kept seeing mentioned over and over again in regards to Onkyo receivers. With other receivers, complaints would be stuff like "poor upconvesation", "video lag", or stuff like that.

Either way, it's still a very low rate, I'm sure. That Onkyo HTIB is pretty much unbeatable for the price.[/QUOTE]Back in the xx6 line of receivers, there were some issues with overhearing and other issues. I knew that going on and haven't had it be an issue and I've had a cooler (http://www.soundscienceaudio.com/AVCooler.php) on top of it since moment one. If I ran it for multiple hours without the cooler, it does get quite a bit warm, yes.

The 876 has a great upscaling chip, so video lag and poor upconversion aren't an issue with it. A lot of those issues were fixed with the xx7 and later series of receivers. If my 876 died, I'd get another Onkyo in a heatrbeat.

I do agree that the Onkyo HTIB is a great package for its price, no question.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']I would buy some 14-gauge speaker wire from Monoprice and use that in place of the existing speaker wire. Not needed right out of the gate, though I use Monoprice 14-gauge speaker wire for my speakers and it sounds great.

Back in the xx6 line of receivers, there were some issues with overhearing and other issues. I knew that going on and haven't had it be an issue and I've had a cooler (http://www.soundscienceaudio.com/AVCooler.php) on top of it since moment one. If I ran it for multiple hours without the cooler, it does get quite a bit warm, yes.

The 876 has a great upscaling chip, so video lag and poor upconversion aren't an issue with it. A lot of those issues were fixed with the xx7 and later series of receivers. If my 876 died, I'd get another Onkyo in a heatrbeat.

I do agree that the Onkyo HTIB is a great package for its price, no question.[/QUOTE]

I have an 876, and while it gets hot I never had an issue with that despite not using a cooler (only thing I had was a bad hdmi board, but it was a refurb and under warranty from onkyo, so it was a no issue fix). I just keep it on top of my A/V rack and don't try and stuff the behemoth inside a shelf or in a cabinet under a TV or something.

I upgraded to a 3008 like 6 months ago, and aside from it getting hot (which again, hasn't actually been an issue) it's been stellar too.

It's been my 4th Onkyo (a HTiB one- similar to a 504?, a 606, 876 and 3008). I still have the last 2, sold the 1st one, and gave the 606 to my brother and it's running like a champ too.
 
I feel that out of the stuff I have looked at with the budget I am given, it's the best I can do speaker wise and it comes with the receiver.
 
OP, not sure if your parents made the purchase yet, though the HT-S5400 is a Lightning Deal on Amazon at 9:15PM ET.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox/all-deals/ref=sv_gb_2 (Lightning Deals link)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VK0IPC (product page)

Currently $550 from Amazon, though I could see the Lightining Deal price being as low as $350 - $400. Probably will only drop down to $450, though something to think about, as you get a higher-powered receiver with better speakers with the 5400 vs 3400.

I did see from an earlier post that you were going to ask them for the 5400, so if they've purchased it, this gives them a cheaper option for buying it and they can return the other one. If they haven't purchased it, this is about as cheap as I can see it going.
 
[quote name='Vinny']^ A retailer had the HT-S5400 set for $250 during BF... can't remember who though.[/QUOTE]

Newegg?
 
That model w/ a lightning deal was the S7400 not the S5400 and I missed out on the refurb deal. I was asleep and it was like in the middle of the night when that deal popped up.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']That was a refurb, which does carry a 1-year warranty over a 2-year warranty.

My SR-TX876 is a refurb and has been working great since May 2009.[/QUOTE]

Onkyo's refurbs = new. Just saying.;)
 
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