Hi to all~
I wanted to surprise my husband with some upgraded audio equipment for Christmas however I really do not understand any of this. I came across this site while researching endlessly for some audiophile god to give me some sound (no pun intended) advice. At this point, you guys might as well be teaching me Chinese algorithms in Russia because I am now thoroughly confused and frustrated. My issues are beginner baby questions and I know that I am out of my league in this forum, however...the more I research, the more I am ready to call off the dogs and give up so....ya'll are my last hope.
These are my issues/parameters:
-I love music and we both enjoy chilling out on the weekends just listening to music and having some drinks after a long week (who can't relate on this forum?). Typically it is through our phone or old CD's.
-My goal is to hear a clearer/cleaner audio sound. Recently he bought an LG sound bar (with a subwoofer?? I honestly have no clue what that is so who knows what I really have).
- Room is our living room with 18' cathedral ceilings and is very open. Our TV is in a built in on the far right, with a fireplace in the middle and additional shelving on the left (not sure if that matters but I assume speaker placement may be an issue)? We will not live in this house forever so I am not interested in getting speakers installed all over.
-I don't really jam on tower speakers because they will just seem awkward and appear like an afterthought given the design of the room.
-Budget max $4k but would like to be all in with TT&L around $3500
-Went to Best Buy Magnolia room and they said I needed a Rotel integrated amp RA-1570 ($1600) and Bowers and Wilkens CM5 or CM6 series bookshelf speakers ($1600-$2000). Huh???
1. I have no clue what they are telling me
2. Are they selling me the best product for my needs or just the best product that they can offer me given their selection?
3. Information/reviews on the Rotel RA-1570 is adequate but I do not get a sense that this is some sort of life changing piece of equipment among the others out there?
3. Do I need to suck it up and get tower speakers instead of bookshelf.
4. As an audiophile, would you all want your spouse giving you this as a gift?
5. Lastly, I really, really don't have a clue so even your answers must be "dumbed down"
LRT, $3500 is a magnificent budget to start. The world is your oyster. You asked for "simple". Fortunately, "simple" is my forte, so let me give this a shot.
The most simple system is stereo. That means 2 channels... a Left and a Right speaker. Fortunately, 99% of music, (whether it comes from a CD or a phone), is in stereo. So with only 2 speakers, you can reproduce most music just as it was produced.
When you start adding channels/speakers, you move into what people commonly call Home Theater or Surround. TV shows, whether from satellite, cable or antenna, and movies on DVDs or Blurays typically have 5 channels. In addition to your Left and Right, they add a Center, a Left Surround and a Right Surround. The Center goes just under or over your TV. the Left Surround goes on the left side of your seating position, the the Right Surround on your right.
In this surround configuration, almost all voices come from the Center channel. It makes sense because you see the person talking on your screen so you want the voice to sound like it's coming from the person. In fact, most of what you see on the screen has its sound coming from the Center. Some of the stuff from the left of your screen will come from your Left, and ditto for the Right.
Sounds that are off the screen, like maybe a car door opening, or a floorboard creaking, or a phone ringing, or a doorbell, will come from your L or R Surround so it sounds like it's happening at your side.
Knowing all this, you can see why your Left/Center/Right speakers are by far the most important. For music, (stereo), you only need Left/Right. For TV/Movies, a Center is also important, and Surrounds are fun.
People have suggested you get an Audio/Video Receiver, (AVR). This is one component that can handle everything you want. It is the central command center. You connect your cable/sat box to the AVR. You connect your DVD/Bluray player to your AVR. You connect your TV to your AVR. You connect your phone to your AVR. And you connect all speakers to your AVR.
When you want to watch or listen to something, you simply tell the AVR which input to use, and which speakers to use. Today's AVRs, though very smart, are pretty simple to operate. Most stuff can be selected with one button.
Now you have a few things to think about.
1. Do you want this system ONLY for music listening, (stereo)?
2. Would you also like to use the system/speakers for TV/Movies?
3. Do you want to start w/ 2 channels but maybe add surround at some future time?
Sorry, but just a little more info might help. You CAN use your system for TV/Movies with only 2 speakers. (And it will likely sound a ton better than your soundbar.) Please forgive me, but I'm gonna move just a bit past "simple" here.
Your AVR knows how many speakers you have, and it ultimately sends ALL sounds in the TV/Movie soundtrack to whatever speakers you have. So if you start with just 2 speakers, (left/right), your AVR knows it. All sound in its Center channel will be split equally between the Left & Right. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives you what is called a "phantom" center.
Think of it this way. You can detect the direction of a sound because you have 2 ears. A sound wave coming from the left will hit your left ear a fraction of a second before it hits your right. That timing difference is enough for your brain to tell you where the sound is. If a sound hits both ears at the same time, your brain tells you it's right in front of you.
So think of a Left and Right speaker. Your AVR sends exactly the same signal to both speakers, and the sound from each speaker hits your ears at exactly the same time. Your brain tells you that sound is right in front of you. So TV with only a Left/Right speaker, when properly balanced, still sounds like it's coming from the TV directly in front of you.
Now, all that said, here are my recommendations:
1) Get an AVR. (We can make some real good recommendations.)
2) If your use will be 90% or more music, get 2 speakers. (Again, we can help.)
3) If you'll also do a fair amount of TV/Movies, get 3 speakers. (Add a Center.)
4) If you really like the idea of surround for TV/movies, get 5 speakers.
One more complication. Only VERY expensive speakers can handle low bass. Low bass needs a big speaker to reproduce. So God created Subwoofers. They are a separate speaker designed to ONLY produce low bass. In your price range, one will be necessary to compliment your regular speakers, whether it's for music or TV/movies. It gives you another thing to think about.
When you go to a movie theater, you can physically feel the low bass thump you in the chest in an explosion, thunder, or monster stomp. When you listen to the 1812 Overture, you can physically feel the cannon shots. Is that important to you? How much you want to "feel" will determine how much you'll have to spend on a subwoofer.
Please think about these things. Tell us how you expect to split your time between Music and TV/Movies, how many speakers you want to start with, (2, 3 or 5), and how important low bass is to you. Sorry for the long answer. And by the way, you sound like a very nice wife.
