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    What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?

    Water Closet
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    • DashrenderD
      Dashrender @scottalanmiller
      last edited by

      @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

      @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

      @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

      @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

      So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

      Also, what is the life expectancy from either the processor or the amp?

      Amps nearly last forever.

      Well, at least there is that.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • DashrenderD
        Dashrender @scottalanmiller
        last edited by

        @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

        @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

        @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

        @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

        So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

        Also, what is the life expectancy from either the processor or the amp?

        Amps nearly last forever.

        What if any kind of power filtering does anyone use?

        jmooreJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • scottalanmillerS
          scottalanmiller @Dashrender
          last edited by

          @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

          @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

          @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

          So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

          Way better quality, and the ability to upgrade the processor (or the amp) without replacing the other. Receivers are the darling of the vendors because new technology means replacing everything, even the radio tuner. But in reality, amps, tuners, pre-amps, attenuators, displays, connectors and most other pieces are good for decades. Only the technology in the digital processor ages, so they take one minor part and make you keep re-buying all the expensive, important parts to replace that one.

          My 20 year old Marantz are still better than most anything anyone I know owns, and weren't all that expensive even then.

          DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • DashrenderD
            Dashrender @scottalanmiller
            last edited by

            @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

            @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

            @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

            @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

            So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

            Way better quality, and the ability to upgrade the processor (or the amp) without replacing the other. Receivers are the darling of the vendors because new technology means replacing everything, even the radio tuner. But in reality, amps, tuners, pre-amps, attenuators, displays, connectors and most other pieces are good for decades. Only the technology in the digital processor ages, so they take one minor part and make you keep re-buying all the expensive, important parts to replace that one.

            My 20 year old Marantz are still better than most anything anyone I know owns, and weren't all that expensive even then.

            OK, definitely some value there, but when my receiver was the same cost as just the processor in this case, I'm not sure it's worth it to someone in my position.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • jmooreJ
              jmoore @Dashrender
              last edited by

              @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

              @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

              @jmoore but he would need 3 of those amps to have surround sound, assuming a powered sub.

              Not to mention what the power drain might be from all of that. Granted it could be very close to what I have today for power use.. I'm not entirely sure.

              But 4 powersupplies vs one, I expect some inefficiencies to make 4 require more more even if all other things are equal - but I do leave the possibility that these are so much more efficient vs my Pioneer to make it negligible.

              no no, i missed surround sound requirements, my fault. no reason to have that many amps. just go up until you find the amp that covers your needs. i thought you already had speakers too

              scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • scottalanmillerS
                scottalanmiller @jmoore
                last edited by

                @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                @jmoore but he would need 3 of those amps to have surround sound, assuming a powered sub.

                Not to mention what the power drain might be from all of that. Granted it could be very close to what I have today for power use.. I'm not entirely sure.

                But 4 powersupplies vs one, I expect some inefficiencies to make 4 require more more even if all other things are equal - but I do leave the possibility that these are so much more efficient vs my Pioneer to make it negligible.

                no no, i missed surround sound requirements, my fault. no reason to have that many amps. just go up until you find the amp that covers your needs. i thought you already had speakers too

                I have five monoblocks in case I use them for surround sound 🙂

                jmooreJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • scottalanmillerS
                  scottalanmiller
                  last edited by

                  Simple surround sound improvement tip... if you don't need it due to crappy seating, simply remove the center speaker for improved sound quality. The extra center channel is the biggest source of audio quality loss in those setups.

                  RojoLocoR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • jmooreJ
                    jmoore @Dashrender
                    last edited by

                    @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                    @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                    @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

                    So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

                    Also, what is the life expectancy from either the processor or the amp?

                    the benefit will be better sound and longer lasting equipment. when you bunch everything up together in a receiver you will get 5-10 years from them on average because of all the heat. with separate components you will get double and longer. I have a friend who has Mcintosh and those must be approaching 30-40 years by now and still work great. receivers just don't last that long because of the heat build up

                    DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • jmooreJ
                      jmoore @Dashrender
                      last edited by

                      @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                      @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                      @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                      @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                      @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

                      So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

                      Also, what is the life expectancy from either the processor or the amp?

                      Amps nearly last forever.

                      What if any kind of power filtering does anyone use?

                      i use Furman for power filtering. can't remember the model right now. had it about 10 years now

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • jmooreJ
                        jmoore @scottalanmiller
                        last edited by

                        @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                        @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                        @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                        @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                        @jmoore but he would need 3 of those amps to have surround sound, assuming a powered sub.

                        Not to mention what the power drain might be from all of that. Granted it could be very close to what I have today for power use.. I'm not entirely sure.

                        But 4 powersupplies vs one, I expect some inefficiencies to make 4 require more more even if all other things are equal - but I do leave the possibility that these are so much more efficient vs my Pioneer to make it negligible.

                        no no, i missed surround sound requirements, my fault. no reason to have that many amps. just go up until you find the amp that covers your needs. i thought you already had speakers too

                        I have five monoblocks in case I use them for surround sound 🙂

                        that certainly works and would sound great

                        scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • scottalanmillerS
                          scottalanmiller @jmoore
                          last edited by

                          @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                          @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                          @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                          @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                          @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                          @jmoore but he would need 3 of those amps to have surround sound, assuming a powered sub.

                          Not to mention what the power drain might be from all of that. Granted it could be very close to what I have today for power use.. I'm not entirely sure.

                          But 4 powersupplies vs one, I expect some inefficiencies to make 4 require more more even if all other things are equal - but I do leave the possibility that these are so much more efficient vs my Pioneer to make it negligible.

                          no no, i missed surround sound requirements, my fault. no reason to have that many amps. just go up until you find the amp that covers your needs. i thought you already had speakers too

                          I have five monoblocks in case I use them for surround sound 🙂

                          that certainly works and would sound great

                          It does a good job. Used to have a full B&W system too, back before they went consumer.

                          jmooreJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • jmooreJ
                            jmoore
                            last edited by

                            I don't have expensive equipment but for speakers i use phasetech and boston accoustics. Phasetech twoers were $2500. Boston surrounds are just their taller bookshelves and don't remember price. Sub is an 18" phasetech, don't remember price. I can literally hear it pound down the street and pictures do come off the walls. I use marantz for pre-amp around $800 i think and qsc for my power amp around $600 if i remember. I use Furman power filter which was $300-400 range i think.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • jmooreJ
                              jmoore @scottalanmiller
                              last edited by

                              @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                              @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                              @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                              @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                              @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                              @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                              @jmoore but he would need 3 of those amps to have surround sound, assuming a powered sub.

                              Not to mention what the power drain might be from all of that. Granted it could be very close to what I have today for power use.. I'm not entirely sure.

                              But 4 powersupplies vs one, I expect some inefficiencies to make 4 require more more even if all other things are equal - but I do leave the possibility that these are so much more efficient vs my Pioneer to make it negligible.

                              no no, i missed surround sound requirements, my fault. no reason to have that many amps. just go up until you find the amp that covers your needs. i thought you already had speakers too

                              I have five monoblocks in case I use them for surround sound 🙂

                              that certainly works and would sound great

                              It does a good job. Used to have a full B&W system too, back before they went consumer.

                              b&w was good stuff too

                              scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • jmooreJ
                                jmoore
                                last edited by

                                Someday I want a Rotel system, that stuff is unbelievable. It changes people who don't care about music to people who can't live without it

                                DashrenderD scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • DashrenderD
                                  Dashrender @jmoore
                                  last edited by

                                  @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                  @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                  @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                  @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

                                  So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

                                  Also, what is the life expectancy from either the processor or the amp?

                                  the benefit will be better sound and longer lasting equipment. when you bunch everything up together in a receiver you will get 5-10 years from them on average because of all the heat. with separate components you will get double and longer. I have a friend who has Mcintosh and those must be approaching 30-40 years by now and still work great. receivers just don't last that long because of the heat build up

                                  Not exactly a fair comparison with Mcintosh there. 😉

                                  I got 10 years out of my last receiver, and I replaced it not because it failed, but because I wanted/needed 4K passthrough. Heck come to think of it, I have a 20+ year old Pioneer receiver in the garage running that setup just fine.

                                  If, if I was an audiophile splitting this stuff out (even at the higher cost) would likely be valuable because I could retain the value of the less frequently swapped parts (amps, etc), while only swapping the parts that frequently get updated (processor).

                                  But as mentioned, my receiver cost $600. That's it, one and done. The above listed processor alone is $600, then we tossed in $1600 for amps - trashing the listed $1500 budget.

                                  Considering my needs, it's not providing real value to me personally. Those more into audio than I, Please enjoy the benefits of splitting those things out.

                                  jmooreJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • DashrenderD
                                    Dashrender @jmoore
                                    last edited by

                                    @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                    Someday I want a Rotel system, that stuff is unbelievable. It changes people who don't care about music to people who can't live without it

                                    lol - I've heard some damned good system, though because I am not a music person, I didn't bother learning the names of the gear. i.e. I heard good stuff, yet I can still live with out 😛

                                    scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • scottalanmillerS
                                      scottalanmiller @jmoore
                                      last edited by

                                      @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                      Someday I want a Rotel system, that stuff is unbelievable. It changes people who don't care about music to people who can't live without it

                                      I have a Rotel system in storage 🙂

                                      jmooreJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • scottalanmillerS
                                        scottalanmiller @jmoore
                                        last edited by

                                        @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                        @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                        @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                        @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                        @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                        @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                        @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                        @jmoore but he would need 3 of those amps to have surround sound, assuming a powered sub.

                                        Not to mention what the power drain might be from all of that. Granted it could be very close to what I have today for power use.. I'm not entirely sure.

                                        But 4 powersupplies vs one, I expect some inefficiencies to make 4 require more more even if all other things are equal - but I do leave the possibility that these are so much more efficient vs my Pioneer to make it negligible.

                                        no no, i missed surround sound requirements, my fault. no reason to have that many amps. just go up until you find the amp that covers your needs. i thought you already had speakers too

                                        I have five monoblocks in case I use them for surround sound 🙂

                                        that certainly works and would sound great

                                        It does a good job. Used to have a full B&W system too, back before they went consumer.

                                        b&w was good stuff too

                                        Nothing compared to my Totems, though.

                                        jmooreJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • jmooreJ
                                          jmoore @Dashrender
                                          last edited by

                                          @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                          @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                          @dashrender said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                          @rojoloco said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                          @dashrender They have a 5 channel amp that's 499. That would knock out the amp side, but I think your needs would be easily met by a simple, all-in-one AV receiver.

                                          So is there any real benefit to using a $600 processor and a $500 amp at this level compared to my $600 receiver?

                                          Also, what is the life expectancy from either the processor or the amp?

                                          the benefit will be better sound and longer lasting equipment. when you bunch everything up together in a receiver you will get 5-10 years from them on average because of all the heat. with separate components you will get double and longer. I have a friend who has Mcintosh and those must be approaching 30-40 years by now and still work great. receivers just don't last that long because of the heat build up

                                          Not exactly a fair comparison with Mcintosh there. 😉

                                          I got 10 years out of my last receiver, and I replaced it not because it failed, but because I wanted/needed 4K passthrough. Heck come to think of it, I have a 20+ year old Pioneer receiver in the garage running that setup just fine.

                                          If, if I was an audiophile splitting this stuff out (even at the higher cost) would likely be valuable because I could retain the value of the less frequently swapped parts (amps, etc), while only swapping the parts that frequently get updated (processor).

                                          But as mentioned, my receiver cost $600. That's it, one and done. The above listed processor alone is $600, then we tossed in $1600 for amps - trashing the listed $1500 budget.

                                          Considering my needs, it's not providing real value to me personally. Those more into audio than I, Please enjoy the benefits of splitting those things out.

                                          Understand that, its hardly ever fair when comparing against a Mcintosh. Anyway when i get time I will post again now that I know your requirements better.

                                          scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • jmooreJ
                                            jmoore @scottalanmiller
                                            last edited by

                                            @scottalanmiller said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                            @jmoore said in What do you like for a non expensive audio setup for surround sound TV/movies?:

                                            Someday I want a Rotel system, that stuff is unbelievable. It changes people who don't care about music to people who can't live without it

                                            I have a Rotel system in storage 🙂

                                            so jealous

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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