home theater speakers/surround sound

[pchotsauce]

I am planning my home theater for my basement and I had a few questions about audio equipment. I've asked around but I'm just trying to get a good idea before I purchase anything and have everything well planned out before I actually start the process

Do I want to stay away from HTIB? If so, Is 7.1 surround sound HTIB worth the extra money and are there a decent number of movies/blu rays that support 7.1 surround sound so the rear 2 speakers wouldn't go to waste?

Is there anyway to combine a HTIB along with other speakers/receiver and have good quality sound?

If a separate receiver and speakers/subwoofer is the way to go then how to you go about the speaker arrangement? I don't know anything about speakers outside of the HTIB--do you usually need the same number of speakers that you would need for a HTIB? How do you know what speakers are meant to be placed in front of the room and the ones that are meant to be placed at the back of the room that contain the background noise?

 

[Transmaniacon]

I would avoid HTIB, unless your on a tight budget or are just looking for a basic upgrade from TV speakers.

Set-ups can vary.

At the minimum, you can have a 2.0 setup, which is just a front left and right

Adding a sub woofer gives you 2.1

From here, the next step up would be 3.1 or 5.1, 3.1 would mean adding a center channel, and 5.1 adding a center channel and left and right surround.

For movie watching, 5.1 is ideal. Some movies support 7.1, but its easier to upgrade to that later when 7.1 becomes more mainstream.

 

[sholling]

My advice is to shoot for quality over quantity however if you are running wires in the walls or under carpet that hasn't been installed yet then this is the time to wire for 7.2 even if all you can afford to buy right now is a really good 3.1 system. You can always go back later and add the side and rear surrounds as money becomes available.

You don't give a budget or any dimensions for the room. Information like that will help members give you informed advice. Also keep in mind that if your basement sounds like a concrete echo chamber then you may have to budget for some sort of acoustic wall treatments. You'll find an area elsewhere in the forum that can help you with that as you go forward.

 

[pchotsauce]

thanks for the advice. If I weren't going to go with a HTIB then I would definitely want to atleast have the 5.1 setup becuase I really want to have the surround sound coming from around the room

do the speakers have certain names for its specific placement purpose in the room? I briefly looked online at home theater speakers and they didn't specify whether they were front center, left or right speakers, or rear surround sound speakers. I also saw celing speakers but I didn't know if they were necessary

The next time I go to the house I'll get the exact measurements

thanks again

 

[Transmaniacon]

Typically your front speakers are the biggest because most of the sound comes from these. A common setup would use 2 tower speakers placed on either side of the TV for your front left and front right sounds. A center channel is usually smaller than the fronts, and is placed below or above the TV to handle detailed sounds like dialogue. Surround speakers only see occasional use, and are typically small bookshelf speakers called satellites.

Ceiling speakers are used for people who don't want to see their speakers, or can not conveniently place them, this typically happens with the surround speakers.

 

[pchotsauce]

I was looking at the Denon DHT591BA 5.1 system

Best Buy has it advertised on their website and the reviews sound pretty good for it.
Would this be an inexpensive yet a good start for a decent sounding surround sound system that's still a step up from the HTIB?

 

[sholling]

I you want to go with a bargain I'd look at speaker/subwoofer packages from SvSound or Hsu Research and then pick out a receiver to drive them that meets their needs and provides the features that you want.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Lets put it simply - Most HTIB suck:
First - Due to size of small sat speakers , sub has to all the heavy lifting thu effectively makes it easily acoustically locatable.
Speaking of sub - they are typically weak and cheaply made.
Even if you planning to use this htib in smaller space - you need to be preparde to have very average (to poor) SQ while playing music or even listening to movie dialog (latter can be partially fixed)

In short like sholling already said, but nicely - don't waste your money on HTIB - they suck, they are almost impossible to upgrade and in overall bad investment.

Start with few good speakers and add then budget allows

 

[pchotsauce]

I looked at the SvSound speakers and subwoofers. If I were to buy 4 of the same speaker for the room does it depend on how they're hooked up to the receiver that determines the sound that comes out of it?

I guess what I'm trying to say is: Does the reciever have specific outputs for rear surround speakers, and front center, right, and left speakers?
So if I were to buy 4 of the same SvSound speakers and hook them up would the back 2 speakers have more of the surround sound rather than the front speakers?

 

[sholling]

I looked at the SvSound speakers and subwoofers. If I were to buy 4 of the same speaker for the room does it depend on how they're hooked up to the receiver that determines the sound that comes out of it?

I guess what I'm trying to say is: Does the reciever have specific outputs for rear surround speakers, and front center, right, and left speakers?
So if I were to buy 4 of the same SvSound speakers and hook them up would the back 2 speakers have more of the surround sound rather than the front speakers?

A modern audio-video receiver (AVR) will have speaker connections for the center, left and right fronts, left and right surrounds, and left and right rear surrounds, and a connection for a powered subwoofer. It's pretty simple. You connect the left front speaker to the left front output on the back of the receiver etc. Once everything is connected you run the receiver's automatic setup program and it will detect the speakers and attempt to balance their outputs.

Generally if you buy speakers from SVSound they will come as part of a 5.1 or 7.1 package deal with a subwoofer. There are options but not a lot.

 

[pchotsauce]

that makes alot of sense. I didn't know the receiver detected the speakers and balance their outputs. I was afraid that if I bought 4 of the same speakers that the 2 rear speakers would sound the exact same with the same output as the front 3 speakers rather than have the surround sound effect
So I'm guessing the Denon DHT591BA 5.1 system is still considered a HTIB?
And the basement is 1600 sq ft total but is separated into sections so the room that would be used for the theater isn't the size as the entire basement but should still be a big enough rectangular shape for a 120-130in screen and atleast 2 rows of seating
I saw some in-wall speakers from Emotiva for $139 a pair and a center speaker from SvSound for $199. So if I were to buy 4 in-wall speakers and use the rear 2 speakers for the surround sound along with the center speaker that would be more of my price range. then I would just need a subwoofer and receiver that I can afford
I still need to buy a projector which I was planning on spending around $1000 for. A few people recommended the Optoma HD20, but I also saw the Epson Powerlite Cinema 8100 for $1,349 but I'm not sure which one comes more highly recommended

 

[sholling]

When selecting speakers you'll want to make sure that the front 3 (at least) are timbre matched so that you don't have a noticeable change in sonic signature as a sound transitions from the left to the center to the right. For a subwoofer you need to size the sub to take into account the listening area and anything that is open to it.

For individual product ratings I highly recommend reading the main site for pro reviews as well as picking up advice in these forums and reading the stickies. There's a wealth of information at your fingertips.

 

[pchotsauce]

so it wouldn't be a good idea to have the same front left and right speakers along with a center speaker from another brand or model?

Does Emotiva make front center speakers?

I guess I could buy the front 3 speakers from SvSound and then the 2 rear surround speakers from Emotiva since I could get them for about $60 cheaper

 

[pchotsauce]

one more question:

Is fluance a decent brand?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

one more question:

Is fluance a decent brand?

Not, stay the f$%^$%^ away from them

 

[SopRage]

Man, if I was putting together a nice theater with two rows of seating and a huge screen, I'd be looking at a pretty significant investment for audio. ... well beyond a HTiB.

What are you looking to spend?

 

[sholling]

so it wouldn't be a good idea to have the same front left and right speakers along with a center speaker from another brand or model?

Does Emotiva make front center speakers?

I guess I could buy the front 3 speakers from SvSound and then the 2 rear surround speakers from Emotiva since I could get them for about $60 cheaper

The most important to match are the front three (critical) but if you listen to 5.1 channel music like concert DVDs then a timbre match all the way around is a really good idea. If they're within budget the review of Emotiva's 5.0 speaker system was quite good although there has been a model change since that review. I believe the ERM-6.2 is the replacement for the ERM-1 but can't swear to it. I haven't heard these personally so I can't tell you much about them except that they are 4ohm speakers meaning that not just any receiver will drive them. You'll need to find a receiver rated for a 4ohm load. Most inexpensive receivers are designed for an 8ohm load. Emotiva has also introduced a line of subwoofers but at first glance they appear to be a bit too small for anything bigger than a small bedroom.

If it's the bi/dipolar design of the Emotiva surround that grabs you SVS has a similar option (+$150) for their 5.1 packages.

There are lots of speaker choices out there but it's hard to suggest anything without a budget to work with. But I'll toss out some other options just because they're popular:

• The Audioholics Store has a sale going on Infinity's entry priced and easy to drive Primus line. Two P362 tower speakers, plus the matched PC350 center, and two P152 bookshelves for use as surrounds would run about $800 plus the cost of a properly sized SVS or HSU subwoofer. The Primus are really good the money, fill a large room well, and if you're handy with tools can be made even better.
  
• Or a step up might be a pair of EMP Impression E55Ti towers, E5Ci center, and E5Bi bookshelves for use as surrounds for about $1300 plus a good sub.
  
• Or for a small to medium room Axiom's M22/VP100/QS4 line for about $1200 plus a nice Hsu or SVS sub.
  
• Or if you like Klipsch (they can become fatiguing to some) their RB/RC/RS 10, 15, or 52 series of bookshelves, centers, and bipolar surrounds depending on budget ($1200-2000) might be a good choice when paired with a Hsu or SVS sub.

All the above are fine speakers but your best sources for subwoofers are SVSound, Hsu Research, and Elemental Designs. Conventional speaker companies just don't do subs as well and the bang for the buck difference is huge. Be sure to have them size the sub to your room. FYI Hsu also has 5.1 packages based on their outstanding subs and inexpensive HB-1 speakers.

 

[pchotsauce]

I'm not really sure what I'm looking to spend for audio. I still have to buy the projector which I think I'm pretty set on buying the Epson Powerlite 8100 for $1,349 I believe is how much it was

the prices for the Emotiva 6.2 speakers at $139/pair would be a reasonable amount to spend for the speakers but I don't see any center speakers made by them.

SvSound had a center speaker for $199 but if it's not a good idea to mix the front L and R speaker with a different brand of center speaker then I guess I could get the front 3 speakers from SvSound and the rear surround speakers from Emotiva
...unless there are other comparibly decent speakers less expensive than these

the sub and receiver I'm guessing are going to be the most expensive part of the audio so the least inexpensive of these I could find without losing much quality would probably be the best for now

 

[sholling]

I'm not really sure what I'm looking to spend for audio. I still have to buy the projector which I think I'm pretty set on buying the Epson Powerlite 8100 for $1,349 I believe is how much it was

the prices for the Emotiva 6.2 speakers at $139/pair would be a reasonable amount to spend for the speakers but I don't see any center speakers made by them.

Emotiva ERM-6.2 speakers are $299 each and you use 3 of them for the left right and center. They are also 4ohm so you will need a beefier receiver.

SvSound had a center speaker for $199 but if it's not a good idea to mix the front L and R speaker with a different brand of center speaker then I guess I could get the front 3 speakers from SvSound and the rear surround speakers from Emotiva

I'm not sure why you're hung up on the Emotiva surrounds. I'm sure they're nice speakers but they aren't the only ones making bipolar speakers. SVS also makes a set as an option. But let's look a what they are used for. You can use conventional bookshelves for side surrounds and place them at ear height for the tightest possible sound. Or place bi/dipolar speakers 2-3 feet above head height to give a more defused sound. It's a matter of personal taste.

the sub and receiver I'm guessing are going to be the most expensive part of the audio so the least inexpensive of these I could find without losing much quality would probably be the best for now

The general rule of thumb is to earmark 2/3-3/4 of your audio budget for the speakers and sub, and 1/4-1/3 of your budget toward a receiver. If you're in the US and don't need 3D capability a really good option might be a factory refurbished Onkyo TX-SR707 receiver ($500) from Accessories For Less. The 707 is rated for a 4ohm load. That will save you about $200 and it has everything you might want except 3D support (HDMI 1.4). However they run hot and will need plenty of ventilation. If you would rather have 3D support and limit yourself to 8ohm speakers then you can sometimes find the newer Onkyo TX-SR608 for $500 if you catch a sale.

 

[pchotsauce]

I'm not really hung up on the Emotiva speakers I just had somone recomend them and I saw they were reasonably priced.
But the emotiva speakers I was referring to was the in-wall speakers UAW-6.2for $139/pair. I wasn't sure if those could be used for front L and R speakers