Can I buy system in stages? i.e. 2.1 now, amp later, then surround in future

[admin_exported]

Hi all, just joined hoping to get some advice...

I have a PS3 for Bluray and a Panasonic 42" plasma HDTV. Also got Sky+ on there. All sound is through the TV. Been fedup missing great sound for ages so want to get a better sound/speaker system. I have looked around and looks like to get a decent system will cost a few bucks so was wondering if I can do it in stages.... i.e. get just a 2.1 system now, then later on like in a few months get an amp and then further down the line the extra 3 speakers for full surround. If so I am unsure what's the best way to do this...

- Are all speakers compatible with all amps in case I get different surround speakers in future from the 2.1 I get now, or do I need to make sure they are a good match?

- What will the difference be between getting just 2.1 now or a 2.1 with an amp? Not interested in volume, only quality and clarity so will an amp do this, or is only for volume?

- Should I get the amp when I get the surround speakers and just go for 2.1 now?

If I can do this, I am sure its been asked many times, but what would be a decent entry level speakers and amp, so good sound for a decent price, like £100/£150 for 2.1, no more than £300/£400 for 5.1 with amp. Is that possible??? I am a newbie so I don't need the top of the range, I just want better sound than the TV for an affordable price!

Note: I am not interested in volume, just sound quality and clarity - at the moment sometimes I can't here vocals have to turn it up to then have to turn it down when music or ads come on. I can be turning up and down all the way through a film!

Hope you can help, I am new to sound systems.

Thanks a lot

 

[Anonymous]

oh btw, when I say amp maybe I mean receiver? and I should add I dont have much space for massive speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

If your not looking for big speakers then buy a 5.1 SATELLITE sound system, they are all compatible with each other, can`t go far wrong with that.

 

[d4v3pum4]

You could go for something like the Onkyo HTX-22HD system. It's 2.1 but you can add the other 3 speakers (center and rears) to make it 5.1. It can handle LPCM audio from your Bluray player over HDMI, so you would get High Def Audio e.g. Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio. I would not buy a system that is not compatible with LPCM over HDMI.

Otherwise I would look at something like the Sony STR-DH800 and Tannoy SFX speakers. The Onkyo 507 is slightly cheaper at £250. Other budget speakers to check out would be something like the Jamo HCS5 A102

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot... have been researching all night and from reviews and based on pricing have come down to something like the folllowing which is in fact 5.1 and receiver, may go for whole thing after all:

Onkyo SKSHT528 5.1 Speakers, ~£170
Onkyo TX SR507 Receiver, ~£250

If I could have something a bit less that would be great. One reason I chose the Onkyo receiver was because of HDMI audio, whereas I noticed some lower cost ones did not process the HDMI Audio and just had pass through. So I think it better to have HDMI Audio, right? If so would there be a lower cost alternative? Same for speakers.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, your choice of receiver gives you all the new sound codes. But is your choice of speakers a reality? You cannot expect a top sound from speakers that cost a little over a hundred quid.

Have a look at Canton Movie 150qx home theater system speakers.

Hier in Holland quite a few people use the Onkyo together with these speakers, their average rating is pretty good as well 9,1 out of 10.

Maybe you can find a review here by What HiFi

greetings Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I dont have that kind of money (saw them on Amazon US for $1,199.00[/b]). I want a system for an affordable price (<£300/£400) that will be much better than my TV on its own. Wouldnt the receiver and speakers above be at least "good"?? If the receive does a good job, then in a year or two maybe I can upgrade the speakers. But I am not looking for top of the range, just something that will give me a quality sound compared to my TV.

 

[lobby]

I think if you get can stretch your budget to £450-500 you can get a really good setup, this really depends if you want all the new hd audio codecs, i suspect you do. If so i would consider the Onkyo sr507 amp around £250, with £200 going on either the Tannoy sfx5.1 or Jamo a102hcs5 and the further £50 for cables. If this is beyond your budget then the Onkyo 22hd earlier mentioned will be fine, but i would also look around at other systems that allow you to just connect up your ps3 or blu-ray player and acheive hd sound, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and Philips may have systems that can do this, without further investigation i cannot tell you of any specfic models, but im sure there are a few out there.

 

[Anonymous]

After a lot of reading last night I kept coming back to the sr507 hence it being on my list, and both the Tannoy sfx5.1 and Jamo a102hcs5 kept popping up everywhere with positive remarks so maybe I should splash out a little more. There were so many makes and models, all new to me, that its hard to do a complete investigation into them all, but these ones kept popping up.

Your budget always goes up when you get involved in forums like this

One more question... can the 5.1 speakers be used without the receiver initially? If so where do all the cables go? I see 5.1 surround being sold everywhere without receivers and amps I assumed you can. If so then I may spend more on the speakers now, then get the receiver later to spread costs.

 

[d4v3pum4]

The speakers must be used with an amp. Yes, you do get 5.1 systems but the amp, decoding and processing equipment is housed inside the subwoofer. Maybe you're confusing them with an all-in-one home cinema in a box type affair but again, the amp is built into the player/decoder unit. Basically speakers require amplification.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your help on this... in the end I decided to go for a full 5.1 system and chose the Onkyo TX SR507 and the Jamo a102 5.1 speakers. Both seemed to have good reviews and seemed to be the minimum to get if you need a good system. It was over budget at £500 but if I can get the max benefit from it thats OK. The Onkyo was out of stock everywhere online so got them from Richer Sounds Cardiff who were fantastic. I chose the Onkyo over lower cost receivers because of the HMDI Audio capability, which I believe to be the best for HD. I almost went for the lower cost Tannoy SFX 5.1 (£100 less) but people said the Jamos were better so went for them.

As I have nothing to compare to, I cant say this setup is great or not. It is of course much better than the TV sound which I am happy about, but to be honest it does not "blow me away". Maybe my expectations were too high, OR I need to now spend time working on the receiver settings and speaker positions. Although I cant really move the speakers much so will see what I can do with the receiver.

Cheers all.

 

[Anonymous]

"Didn`t blow you away" maybe someone forgot to tell u that all this new stuff must have a run in period, to settle, adjust to the acoustics of your room, have patience it will come, maybe not today or tomorrow but it will come, then u will be surprised.