AV Reciever or stereo amp?

[md99]

Just bought my dad a new 37PFL5405 Philips lcd and a Sony bdp-370. The sound, as expected isn't too great from the tv so I'd like to get him a set of speakers.

Couple of things though, he's restricted to a two or at most three channel setup. Space is at an absolute premium too so I'm looking for really small speakers. Ideally I'd get him something like the Sony DAV-IS50 speakers (http://www.computerspeakersreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/tn-455207-is50speaker.jpg) but as far as I know they aren't available separately. Is there a viable alternative?

Furthermore, in relation to the thread title, if I were to buy a stereo/hifi amp is it possible to connect more than two speakers to these things? I'd rather not get a receiver as (a) it'll be wasted on his rather modest setup and (b) he wouldn't have a clue how to use it anyway. That and it'll probably save me a few quid.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

Id get a stereo amp. I use that for movies and i dont need surround sound. Its alot simpler to set up too and unless you need the av reciever to get more hdmi ports than the tv has OR you want to listen to radio you would get better performance in a stereo amp.

 

[professorhat]

I'd also go for a stereo amp and a couple of decent standmount speakers in this circumstance. If you're looking for really small speakers, it might be worth looking into a subwoofer as well (if possible) since something like the IS50 speakers you mention rely heavily on the included subwoofer in that package for the low end sounds - just using the small speakers on their own would give a very thin, reedy sound with any movie and be less than impressive. Not sure on your budget, but perhaps something like the B&W M-1 speakers combined with their ASW608 subwoofer should do the job nicely (though audition first to ensure this is a good combination). If the sub is a no go, you'll probably want to look at getting a bigger speaker so you don't miss out on decent bass when watching movies.

Of course, you could also look at something like the Q Acoustics Q-TV2 system which is ideal for small space requirements where the TV sound needs a boost.

 

[rendu]

I would probably buy him a soundbar which has everithyng that your dad would probably need and does not need space. The one from yamaha is both a subwofeer and a receiver so you have everything in the same pack. Pablo

 

[Anonymous]

If I was reduced to using a soundbar the chances are that I would stop watching movies.

Unless your dad lives in an egg carton then I can't understand why small speakers plus a sub can't be used.

The difference in sound quality is immense and even your dad would be able to tell the difference.

Work a bit harder on locating the speakers and forget all about soundbars.

 

[manicm]

Do not ever discount using a soundbar.

I've always been watching movies in stereo, and for DVDs one had to crank up the volume for dialogue - and it's worse for Blu-rays.

If you'll be investing in Blu-rays definitely investigate a soundbar - as dialogue here is an issue for movies.

 

[rendu]

Well, I would suggest to go and do a test in order to make an opinion. I have tested the soundbar of a friend of mine and it was really worth it. Not for audiophiles but, great experience if you do not want all the mess of speakers and cables.

Definetly it will give you better movie experience than only 2 speakers because it is meant to simulate a full surround enviroment which is totally imposible with only 2 speakers. Soundbars have improved a lot over the past years and even the reviews of What hi-fi are starting to consider these seriously.

http://whathifi.com/Review/Yamaha-YHT-S400/

 

[Anonymous]

Have you thought of using a 2.1 system meant for use with a computer. You can easily find small ones with really good sound. An easy to use alternative to "hi-fi" speakers and there's some great choices out there and an extremely good price.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

rendu:
Well, I would suggest to go and do a test in order to make an opinion. I have tested the soundbar of a friend of mine and it was really worth it. Not for audiophiles but, great experience if you do not want all the mess of speakers and cables.

Definetly it will give you better movie experience than only 2 speakers because it is meant to simulate a full surround enviroment which is totally imposible with only 2 speakers. Soundbars have improved a lot over the past years and even the reviews of What hi-fi are starting to consider these seriously.

http://whathifi.com/Review/Yamaha-YHT-S400/

Impossible for two speakers but possible for one??

OP, I would get a stereo amp, a pair of R90s from Monitor Audio (eBay for about £130 a pair) and a small sub (hide it by/behind sofa).

 

[Nohairnick]

Hi-

Seems no-one so far has answered your question "is it possible to connect more than two speakers to these things".

The answer is Yes- depending on the amp, some have two sets of speaker terminals and most subs work from pre-outs (or maybe a tape loop for the old skoolers) but a stereo amplifier will only be able to resolve soundtracks to two channels- left and right.

I'm no audiophile either and the purists will always say listen to music with a stereo amp- but you are talking about movies so go for an A/V receiver. It has so many extra features going for it as well (HDMI switching, etc).

Regarding the speakers,I agree with others here that dialogue will suffer when watching movies and a centre speaker is crucial for the dialogue. You say you are restricted to a 2 or 3 speaker solution- does this mean 3 across the front or 2.1? 2.1 is for stereo- the sub making up for tiny speakers. You really need 3.1 based upon what you say.

There are plenty of systems out there where you can buy the speakers piecemeal- get small left, right and centre speakers and a sub. I've got Tannoy Arena Lite satelites and they are excellent - and small. The sub is hidden away easily enough. I've also got an old panasonic home cinema in a box set-up which had tiny satelites- this was good for a few years as well.

Regards,

Nick

 

[rendu]

Gerrardasnails:rendu:

Well, I would suggest to go and do a test in order to make an opinion. I have tested the soundbar of a friend of mine and it was really worth it. Not for audiophiles but, great experience if you do not want all the mess of speakers and cables.

Definetly it will give you better movie experience than only 2 speakers because it is meant to simulate a full surround enviroment which is totally imposible with only 2 speakers. Soundbars have improved a lot over the past years and even the reviews of What hi-fi are starting to consider these seriously.

http://whathifi.com/Review/Yamaha-YHT-S400/
Impossible for two speakers but possible for one?? OP, I would get a stereo amp, a pair of R90s from Monitor Audio (eBay for about £130 a pair) and a small sub (hide it by/behind sofa). One speaker? You definetly should take a look at one of these soundbars without the cover.... they have many speakers with different functions for each channel. There are some which have more than 20 speakers..... Donït take me wrong, I have myself a proper 5.1 system and I would not change it for a soundbar but, if I had to buy something simple for my parents (> 60 years) without complications and easy to install and use I would definetly go for soundbar.

 

[professorhat]

Nohairnick:Regarding the speakers,I agree with others here that dialogue will suffer when watching movies and a centre speaker is crucial for the dialogue. You say you are restricted to a 2 or 3 speaker solution- does this mean 3 across the front or 2.1? 2.1 is for stereo- the sub making up for tiny speakers. You really need 3.1 based upon what you say.

You see I'd disagree there - a centre speaker is crucial in a surround setup to ensure smooth panning across the three fronts to the rears to immerse you in the movie, but it isn't at all crucial for dialogue as if you only have two front speakers, dialogue will simply be presented from both the fronts. Dialogue isn't removed if you don't have a centre speaker!

In this scenario, I'd definitely go for a stereo amp - you'd get much more for your money in sound reproduction compared to an AV amp which would just have a lot of features built in you don't require. And by omitting the centre speaker, you have more budget to spend on the two stereo speakers, again, getting more for your money.

Unless of course the OP thinks the situation may change in the future?

 

[Nohairnick]

Professorhat- I appreciate that the dialgoue is not lost, but using a centre speaker gives a greater deal of control.

My hearing is pretty shot -particularly at the frequencies of speech. Both my bluray player and AV amp have functions called 'dialogue enhancement' or similar and these boost the dialogue out of the centre speaker. I also turn it up in relation to the satelites- which for the most part are carrying effects.

OK- my requirements might be non-standard but there's no denying that -for watching movies- a receiver gives you far more control of the soundfield and listening environment.

Cheers, Nick