New Home Cinema System Advice

[Alec]

Sorry, just one more thing. Do you know of any reason why the speakers (q acoustics), wouldnt be ok with any of these amps, especially the cheaper onkyo...? I have ohms in mind specifically, as we dont understand it at all lol!

Oh, and if anyone has any cable reccommendations they want to give...but we're talking budget here. But then, if no one wants to, ill ask a separate question in accessories at some point.

 

[professorhat]

No, you won't have any issues driving the Q Acoustics package with any of those amps.
On HDMI cables, if you're getting the 506 (and therefore only using video), I'd go for something like the Cambridge Audio. If you're pushing HD audio through there as well, I'd be tempted to upgrade to the QED HDMI-P (NB - the price quoted here in the WHF review is for 7m - 1m cables are much cheaper). As with all things cable, best bet is to get some on money back guarantee and only keep the more expensive one if you think it makes a difference.
For optical cables, again for me, you can't go wrong with QED, though according to WHF reviews there are better out there for the money - I don't have any experience of these though.

 

[Alec]

We've found some deals on cable with the speakers, and some of the same sites are offereing decent cables, ao he'll probably go with that. He just pointed out to me that he has a hdmi and hes going to stick with the one hdmi route with his existing cable for now.

Cheers Prof! Thanks again.

 

[professorhat]

Most welcome!

 

[Alec]

Has anyone wall mounted the rears in that q acoustics package (the 1010is), and what did you use...?

 

[Anonymous]

Just to confuse the issue i thought id throw these into the mix! great speakers and cheaper than the q's so might leave more penny's for an amp

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/4281

 

[Alec]

Cheers, ill pass it on. Any help about wall mounting would be really helpful.

 

[Alec]

Anybody at all?

if i have no luck here ill post something in accessories.

 

[Alec]

Hello again.

Me mate has his system now - onkyo Onkyo TX-SR505 and Q Acoustics 1050 5.1 speakers.

Now, i didnt have to learn this when i got my hifi setup, so itll strike ye as a silly question, but should he use 3.5 or 4mm banana plugs...?

Also, he is just experimenting with the front two speakers and the sub just now, before putting it all together proper as it were. To begin with he was getting no sound with the optical lead from his ps3, and just very low volume with what i think is a component cable (he described it over the phone).

He rang me later telling me the sound was better (with component, he hasnt tried it again with the optical, which he thinks may be broken), as he had put the thingies back in that you have to take out while biwiring (not sure why he took 'em out in the first place).

Do you think that was the cause of the sound problem? Any other reason why things would be quiet? Reason i ask is he says now he has to turn it up to volume level 20 (how many are there) to really hear it.

If anyone has any thoughts (once you've stopped laughing), i and he would be most grateful for them.

 

[Alec]

you're still laughin aintcha?

 

[professorhat]

I'll be honest, it's really hard to offer advice here - I'm not laughing as I speak everyday to my friends who are exactly the same, but it looks slightly confused. Firstly, component is a video only cable, so this can't be providing sound - I'm guessing he's doing sound via standard RCA phono cables (standard red and white plugs). I'll be honest, I don't know about different sized banana plugs - to my knowledge a banana plug is a banana plug. I just looked them up on Wiki here and couldn't see anything about 3.5mm, they all seem to be 4mm so I'm not sure where this comes about. Hopefully someone else can help here if this is an issue.
On the PS3, it's possible he doesn't have the PS3 set up properly to export sound via the optical port. To do this, he needs to go to the Settings section on the PS3 crossbar, then go to Sound Settings, then Audio Output Settings and select Digital Out (Optical). Walking through that should get sound working from his digital optical output on his PS3 at least.

 

[Alec]

professorhat:I'll be honest, it's really hard to offer advice here - I'm not laughing as I speak everyday to my friends who are exactly the same, but it looks slightly confused. Firstly, component is a video only cable, so this can't be providing sound - I'm guessing he's doing sound via standard RCA phono cables (standard red and white plugs). I'll be honest, I don't know about different sized banana plugs - to my knowledge a banana plug is a banana plug. I just looked them up on Wiki here and couldn't see anything about 3.5mm, they all seem to be 4mm so I'm not sure where this comes about. Hopefully someone else can help here if this is an issue.
On the PS3, it's possible he doesn't have the PS3 set up properly to export sound via the optical port. To do this, he needs to go to the Settings section on the PS3 crossbar, then go to Sound Settings, then Audio Output Settings and select Digital Out (Optical). Walking through that should get sound working from his digital optical output on his PS3 at least.

Thanks, he seems to have it going now. the lead in qustion aparently looks like a hdmi at one end and has red white and yellow connections at the other, and cam ewith his ps3. he's reverted to optical now tho and its fine. We're pretty sure it all started working after he replaced the posts on the speakers (sorry, im not sure thats the correct term, but i refered to it in my OP - but then he says he also pressed a different button on the amp and cant remember which so that may be it, or a combination lol!).

Im glad someone else thinks its 4mm, added bit of insurance there. i was just unsure as some connections ive come across are 3.5mm so maybe i got confused. its a relief as he ordered loads of 4s lol!

Thanks for your time again.

 

[daveh75]

yep. banana plugs are usually 4mm. think if you've come across one's that are 3.5mm it could be that they were american in manufacture as they use imperial measurements. if your mate took the jumpers out between the posts on his speakers that would definately account for poor sound.

 

[Alec]

Thanks daveh75

 

[Anonymous]

al7478:Hello again.

Me mate has his system now - onkyo Onkyo TX-SR505 and Q Acoustics 1050 5.1 speakers.

Now, i didnt have to learn this when i got my hifi setup, so itll strike ye as a silly question, but should he use 3.5 or 4mm banana plugs...?

Also, he is just experimenting with the front two speakers and the sub just now, before putting it all together proper as it were. To begin with he was getting no sound with the optical lead from his ps3, and just very low volume with what i think is a component cable (he described it over the phone).

He rang me later telling me the sound was better (with component, he hasnt tried it again with the optical, which he thinks may be broken), as he had put the thingies back in that you have to take out while biwiring (not sure why he took 'em out in the first place).

Do you think that was the cause of the sound problem? Any other reason why things would be quiet? Reason i ask is he says now he has to turn it up to volume level 20 (how many are there) to really hear it.

If anyone has any thoughts (once you've stopped laughing), i and he would be most grateful for them.

PS3 does not give out any sound, it goes thru the receiver and why use component cables/optical cables when HDMI does it all for you, straight from the PS3 to the AVR receiver, job done.

 

[professorhat]

Stevefilmfreak:why use component cables/optical cables when HDMI does it all for you, straight from the PS3 to the AVR receiver, job done.
Because the Onkyo 505 doesn't accept audio through its HDMI socket, so you have to use optical for sound output.

 

[Alec]

Thought this was worth a bump for a quick question, didnt see the point in a new thread.

He got the Q Acoustics 1050 5.1 package in the end. long story short, he's asked me to check what people reccommned doing with the crossover dial on the sub, as we both have a limited understanding of what it does...?

 

[Alec]

bump again re my last post its a short silly question so hoped it could be out the way quickly.

hopefully thisll still be on page 1 in a few hours.

 

[Alec]

Um...please? Sorry, just the crossover thing then ill leave it, honest lol!