Hi all! Need help buying my first home theater system.

Samer

Samer

Audiophyte
My name is Samer, and this is my first post... :)

So I'm ready to set up my first home theater system. And after a little research I learned that one better go for a separate amplifier and speakers than those set in a box systems.

I have found a surprising good price for a Yamaha HTR-2067 Receiver that I'm very tempted to buy. It has Dolby® Digital Plus and DTS Digital Surround technologies. My first question: Will I be disappointed that I lack Dolby Atmos and YPAO? Like is there a HUGE difference that I should not buy this AV Receiver?

My second question is regarding the matching of the speakers. I tried to learn about all the watts, ohms and kHz... But I'm such a noob :confused:. How to know what to match when the describtion is like this:
  • --- 100W per Channel (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 0.9 % THD, 1 ch driven)
  • --- 70W per Channel (6 ohms, 20Hz-20kHz, 0.09 % THD, 2 ch driven)
  • --- 135W per Channel (6 ohms, 1kHz, 10% THD, 1ch driven, JEITA)

So its obvious I need a 6 ohms speakers.... But how many Watts?? 70, 100 or 135W? I also read that the amplifier should exceed a little bit the amount of watts of speakers but not blow them out :eek: Can someone please suggest a perfect match of speakers for this? It will guide me greatly!

My main goal for this is to watch movies. And I usually watch them with a usb flash plugged in the tv. So will it still work just fine with the amp? or Do I need to plug it in the receiver although it lacks a usb port and bluetooth.. o_O

Any help would be much appreciate it! :)
 
H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
Any help would be much appreciate it! :)
1. What is your budget? Your total budget for all components and speakers?
2. Does your TV have an HDMI/ARC connector?
3. It sounds like you want a surround system... right?
4. What kind of surround? 5.1? 7.1? Atmos? 5.2? 7.2? etc... (if you know).
5. How big is your room and how loud do you like to listen?
6. How many seating positions are critical to have audiophile sound?

Samer, you can see there is no one-size-fits-all answer to your question(s). Tell us a little more about what you want and how much you're willing to spend, and we can give you better advice.
 
H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
My first question: Will I be disappointed that I lack Dolby Atmos and YPAO?
In my opinion, you won't miss Atmos but YPAO is useful, especially for a surround system and until you become somewhat more experienced. YPAO will compensate for different speaker distances from your seat, balance the volume of all speakers, and make sure you didn't wire any of them backwards. Even experts often use YPAO, (or Audyssey), to provide a starting point from which they can tweak to their liking. I would suggest getting an AVR w/ YPAO or Audyssey.

My second question is regarding the matching of the speakers... its obvious I need a 6 ohms speakers
Not exactly. Think about a garden hose. The amount of resistance a hose offers depends on how much water it's trying to carry. Speaker resistance also varies w/ the sound.

Speakers don't just have one resistance, like 4 or 6 or 8 ohms. Their resistance varies with the frequency and volume of sound fed to them. And if the resistance changes, how does a manufacturer measure the power of an AVR or amp? They don't measure with actual speakers. They measure using defined and set parameters. Let's look at one...

"100W per Channel (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 0.9 % THD, 1 ch driven)"
This says your AVR can produce "100W per Channel" IF... (and it's a BIG "IF"):
> Assume a load, (speaker), with constant 6 ohms.
> Assume a constant frequency/tone of 1kHz
> Assume a signal size, (volume), small enough not to drive circuits beyond 0.9% Total Harmonic Distortion
> Assume all available power is going into ONLY ONE CHANNEL

Then they give you a couple other examples of power using different parameters. They are usually useful for reference, but don't reflect real customer usage.

They don't mean you need 6ohm speakers, just that they measured with a 6ohm parameter. Other AVRs may publish specs using 4 or 8ohms.

Answer the questions I asked in the post above, and we'll try to help you pick something you'll be happy with.
 
Samer

Samer

Audiophyte
Oh wow thanks for the awesome reply herbu!

To answer your questions:

1) I found the Yamaha HTR-2067 for 200$. And I'm willing to spend an additional 200$ for speakers. Total: $400. (May pay more if the speakers are really worth the price up to 500$ :D )

2) My TV has 2 HDMI's:
- HDMI IN 1 (STB)
- HDMI IN 2 (DVI)

So guess this means no HDMI/ARC connector...

3+4) Yes I want a 5.1 surround system (Sorry for forgetting to mention that!)

5) Room is quite big, around 4x4 meters. I prefer a clear and crisp sound over loud.

6) I donno what that question means :D
 
everettT

everettT

Audioholic Spartan
$200 is not conceivable for 5 speakers and a sub. One of the cheapest sets of speakers that sound good is the Andrew Jones Pioneer set, which would run you around $400 without a sub. I'd recommend start with a good pair of speakers and start building around that. 2 decent speakers are a lot better the 5 crappy ones.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
totally agree with Everett. on your budget I'd start with a stereo setup or maybe 2.1, though that's a tight budget. it'll be tough finding a decent sub. I really think you'll be happier with a good stereo setup to start and add on later as funds allow, than to spend a few hundo on 5 mediocre speakers that you might end up regretting.

*edit: I've not heard these , but they come very highly recommended here and 4 of them would come in under 500, shipped. that would be a decent start to a surround system provided you get an avr with a phantom mode, which shouldn't be difficult. you could add a sub, then a center channel later when you get the funds.

**edit: crap. just realized your budget includes the avr. 4 of those are probably out of range with an avr.
 
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H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
Samer,
Sorry, but $200 is not enough for any kind of even low-end decent 6 speaker system, (5.1). I agree with everettT and Pogre. With that budget the only thing you can do that will sound decent is 2 speakers. Consider these: http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html

There is good news. Two well-placed and balanced Left & Right speakers will provide a "phantom" Center. It means that dialog and sounds that are intended to come from the Center speaker in a surround system will actually sound like they are indeed coming from the center. You won't get the side and rear effects, but they really are a very small part of the total audio.

After you save another ~$200, you can get 2 more of the same speakers and use them for Left/Right Surrounds. Then after you save another ~$500, you can get a decent subwoofer.

6. How many seating positions are critical to have audiophile sound?
Think about a good movie theater. If you sit right in the middle, all sounds from all directions are balanced. But also if you sit on the left side, the sounds still sound balanced. Same if you sit on the right side of the theater, or the front or the back. No matter where you sit in the theater, the sound is right.

That doesn't happen by accident. It's the same in your home. If you put one seat right in the middle in front of your TV, it's easy to balance the sound for that seat. But if you have a sofa or several chairs, it can be difficult to have the sound balanced for every seat at the same time... especially bass from a subwoofer. Due to reflections in your room, bass will tend to be loud in one seat and soft in another. But it's too early for you to worry about that with a $200 budget since it can't include a subwoofer or even surrounds.

So get 2 good speakers, enjoy, and start saving some more $ if you're really interested in a decent home theater.

Note: Don't underestimate the quality and Wow-factor of just 2 Affordable Accuracy speakers and your AVR. I suspect they will blow you away!!! They have impressed a number of folks here whose home theater costs as much as a nice car.
 
Samer

Samer

Audiophyte
Thanks all for the replies!

I have not thought before about 2 speakers but now I will surely consider it.... But will 2 speakers give me good bass sound? Because I thought a subwoofer is critical for that...

And I found an authorized seller of "Pure Acoustics" brand in my country... and while searching in their website I have found speakers called: Pure Acoustics Lord 5.1 Satellite set. You can check them here: http://www.pure-acoustics.com/design/v4/speaker.php?id=202

They are priced a little over 300$ which is something I can afford.... Do you think its a good match for the amplifier or should I dodge it and still go for the 2 speakers???? There is not much reviews about it except one on amazon that the seller looks blown away by it, you can check here: https://www.amazon.com/ACOUSTICS-LORD-5-1-SYSTEM-Theater/dp/B0057R1MRQ
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
The Philharmonic AA's are what you want. In addition to being Neutral sounding speakers, they have the most bass I have heard from an under $1000/pair in bookshelf speakers.
Start with a pair and a receiver, I don't know receivers well enough to advise you there, but I would look at refurbs from Accessories4less:
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/2.html?store_price[]=0-300

I think you will be comfortable with the bass of the AA's. They won't shake your room like a sub when Hulk stomps, but they are great for music (and they set off some rattles in my room when Hulk stomps, which surprised me).

The AA's and any decent AVR will give you impressive sound for music.

The surround speakers are not for listening to music (most of us agree, if it is recorded as stereo, you shouldn't really try to add surround processing, it messes up the sound quality). Surround speakers are most commonly used for movie effects - The bullet whizzing past your head (from front to back), or the glass shattering all around you. What this means is you can save some money on the surrounds because their content is not near so critical as music demands from your mains.
I like the idea of the surrounds not being easy to localize, so might suggest something like these bipole (they face two ways) speakers at $160/pr shipped. I also suspect that these are very easy to flush mount on the wall. But check in with us again when you are ready to buy the surrounds, this is just to give you an idea.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/mordcarn3blk/mordaunt-short-carnival-3-3.5-2-way-bipole-speaker-black-pair/1.html#!more

At this point, you can assess your system and decide when/if you want a sub, center, or both and which you want first.

Aw crap, I just noticed your comment about "in my country"!

That may rule out some of the options I have suggested.

Where are you so we can tailor our suggestions to your country?
 
speakerman39

speakerman39

Audioholic Overlord
The Philharmonic AA's are what you want. In addition to being Neutral sounding speakers, they have the most bass I have heard from an under $1000/pair in bookshelf speakers.
Start with a pair and a receiver, I don't know receivers well enough to advise you there, but I would look at refurbs from Accessories4less:
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/2.html?store_price[]=0-300

I think you will be comfortable with the bass of the AA's. They won't shake your room like a sub when Hulk stomps, but they are great for music (and they set off some rattles in my room when Hulk stomps, which surprised me).

The AA's and any decent AVR will give you impressive sound for music.

The surround speakers are not for listening to music (most of us agree, if it is recorded as stereo, you shouldn't really try to add surround processing, it messes up the sound quality). Surround speakers are most commonly used for movie effects - The bullet whizzing past your head (from front to back), or the glass shattering all around you. What this means is you can save some money on the surrounds because their content is not near so critical as music demands from your mains.
I like the idea of the surrounds not being easy to localize, so might suggest something like these bipole (they face two ways) speakers at $160/pr shipped. I also suspect that these are very easy to flush mount on the wall. But check in with us again when you are ready to buy the surrounds, this is just to give you an idea.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/mordcarn3blk/mordaunt-short-carnival-3-3.5-2-way-bipole-speaker-black-pair/1.html#!more

At this point, you can assess your system and decide when/if you want a sub, center, or both and which you want first.

Aw crap, I just noticed your comment about "in my country"!

That may rule out some of the options I have suggested.

Where are you so we can tailor our suggestions to your country?
Kurt, Fluance has a great deal on a set of Bi-Poles right now for $80 a set! Not a bad deal really. Just thought that I would mention it. Here is a link:

http://www.fluance.com/bipolar-speakers/sxbp-high-definition-bipolar-surround-sound-speakers


Cheers,

Phil
 
H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
But will 2 speakers give me good bass sound? Because I thought a subwoofer is critical for that...
I'll say it one more time, and wish you well. $200-$300 is not enough for any decent set of Left & Right speakers and a decent Subwoofer.
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
But will 2 speakers give me good bass sound? Because I thought a subwoofer is critical for that...
https://www.amazon.com/ACOUSTICS-LORD-5-1-SYSTEM-Theater/dp/B0057R1MRQ
That is why I chimed in with the AA's. They have exceptional bass. You can get away without a sub for music (see more on this below), but you have to be selective to find speakers with good solid bass.
It really depends on what you listen to:
Movie explosions, effects, etc - No!
Pedal notes from an organ - No!
Jazz - Yes!
Acoustic music - Yes!
Classic Rock - Yes!
Dub-step - No!
Hip-Hop - No!
 
cel4145

cel4145

Audioholic
I'll say it one more time, and wish you well. $200-$300 is not enough for any decent set of Left & Right speakers and a decent Subwoofer.
Agreed. You can't eat steak on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich budget.

So start with the speakers and add the subwoofer later when you can afford it. Many people start out this way. Or buy whatever crappy speakers and sub you can manage to find for $200, but I'm pretty sure NO ONE here would recommend that.
 
Samer

Samer

Audiophyte
Ok! I understand all of your feedback and very thankful for it! Now check out what happened yesterday! :D

Its not that I didn't want to follow the advices here but I could not resist a deal on a 5.1 speakers that I bought yesterday!

It's the Polk Audio Blackstone LT1600! It is priced at 400$ and I got it for only 130$!!!! Please tell me who can resist that?? Especially after I read the reviews about it!

Now my concern is the opposite lol. If I should still go with the Yamaha Htr-2067 or something else?

I'm afraid since the amp lacks usb and my tv has no Hdmi/Arc port (Only Dvi and stb) I won't be able to play movies on surround sound witb movies on usb.

My Tv has Digital Audio Out (Optical) though! Is it needed?

Can you shed some light about the above concerns please?

Thanks!
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
I would never have bought those. you pretty much did what we all advised against. I still would have gone with the aa's and added on as your budget allows. at this point you might as well go with the cheapest avr you can find with the feature set you want. it won't really matter with those speakers.

that being said, you can use the digital optical out on your TV for surround sound provided your avr has the optical input if using your TV as the source. I'm sure there are alternative suggestions. someone will be on to chime in.
 
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H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
Its not that I didn't want to follow the advices here but I could not resist a deal on a 5.1 speakers that I bought yesterday! It's the Polk Audio Blackstone LT1600!
I hope you're really happy with your system for many, many years.
 
Samer

Samer

Audiophyte
Ah come on you guys! You sound too seriously pissed at me because I didn't get the AA's! But as I said earlier that in my country which is Palestine btw, its nearly impossible to buy just about anything you can find on the net. I heard their sound and they are fantastic and just what I need...

I'm thinking you should keep in mind there are newbie audioholics like me and maybe in a few time if I hear what I missed I can easily sell those for even $200 and get something more pro... Step by step..

But for now can you please help me with the connections :D
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
While may we disagree with your decision, I don't think anyone is pissed.
However, you can't expect us to endorse your decision. The speakers are the important decision. As long as you buy a competent AVR, you will not hear much (if any) difference while you will definitely hear a difference between speakers.
The AA's would not likely work out of country. They were close to $500 to ship to Canada, so I am assuming Palestine would be more!
You will not have any trouble getting help with your connections, just let us know when you have questions.
Go ahead and get everything set up. Enjoy it (good music is good even if your sound is not great).
Over time you will get used to your system and when you are ready to upgrade, come back and let us know what market you are in (Palestine) and we will do our best to help you find the best quality for your money!
 
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H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
You sound too seriously pissed at me because I didn't get the AA's!
Samer,
Why in the world would I, or anyone on this forum, be "pissed" because you bought some audio equipment... any audio equipment? You'll have to turn it up pretty loud to infringe upon my sensitive ears over here. You pay nothing for the advice you receive here, and there is no implied obligation. I really do hope you enjoy your system.
 
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