Surround sound system, no DVD player max £500

[admin_exported]

I have a Samsung 37" telly and a Linksys DMA2200 Medica Centre Extender (has a DVD player and does all the clever media centre thingy, like an xBox360) I use for playing back lots of movies, normal TV and I like to listen to music. The TV speakers are fairly rubbish (2x10W) and on some films I have to put the volume to the max and even then its a push. I'm looking for a 5.1-type system (DMA has HDMI, digital optical and co-ax out and the TV has digital optical out). I'm not the world's greatest audiophile but it does need to play music reasonably as well.

I have seen the Sony HT-IS100 and this is the kind of thng I'm looking for - the amp is in the sub so no extra boxes. I don't want/need another DVD-based system but there are not many speaker sets out there. I don't have the room (mainly WAF) or budget for separate amp I think so I'd just like your advice. There used to be loads of surround sound systems but now they all come with DVDs or are just speaker sets which require an additional amp (the DMA does have an amp, but nowhere does it state its power output, but the total system power use is 18W and it only has stereo photo out aside from the digital outputs so I'd be surprised if its any better than the telly speakers.

Thanks!

 

[Gerrardasnails]

bmcconalogue:
I have a Samsung 37" telly and a Linksys DMA2200 Medica Centre Extender (has a DVD player and does all the clever media centre thingy, like an xBox360) I use for playing back lots of movies, normal TV and I like to listen to music. The TV speakers are fairly rubbish (2x10W) and on some films I have to put the volume to the max and even then its a push. I'm looking for a 5.1-type system (DMA has HDMI, digital optical and co-ax out and the TV has digital optical out). I'm not the world's greatest audiophile but it does need to play music reasonably as well.

I have seen the Sony HT-IS100 and this is the kind of thng I'm looking for - the amp is in the sub so no extra boxes. I don't want/need another DVD-based system but there are not many speaker sets out there. I don't have the room (mainly WAF) or budget for separate amp I think so I'd just like your advice. There used to be loads of surround sound systems but now they all come with DVDs or are just speaker sets which require an additional amp (the DMA does have an amp, but nowhere does it state its power output, but the total system power use is 18W and it only has stereo photo out aside from the digital outputs so I'd be surprised if its any better than the telly speakers.

Thanks!

I think this will be very difficult. Most systems like the one you describe come with a dvd player and the box is the amp/receiver as well. The others (Sony do lots) are all in one packages and the sub can have the amplification in it but a dvd player is normally included also. If you can get the all clear at home, your best bet is a slimline receiver like the Cambridge Audio 340R (£200) or 540R (£250) - they are only 10cm tall and then a package like the Tannoy SFX 5.1 (silver £140) or (black £200), the Kefs 1005.2 (£230). The receiver could be placed on top of the subwoofer, under your screen?

 

[d4v3pum4]

Sony are probably your best bet. The HT-SF1300 (tallboy) and HT-SS1300 (bookshelf) and recently revamped HT-SF360 & HT-SS360 models might also suit. The '360' models are just rebadged 2300's so search for the older models, you might get a bargain. Do you have a Sony centre nearby, where you could demo. I've always found Sony all-in-ones better than most of the other dross that is out there and some of them actually sound pretty good, so I would imagine that their home cinema packages are also quite good.

Not all amps are great big ugly things, Cambridge Audio 340R & 540R models are quite compact and sound the bizz too.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

d4v3pum4:
Sony are probably your best bet. The HT-SF1300 (tallboy) and HT-SS1300 (bookshelf) and recently revamped HT-SF360 & HT-SS360 models might also suit. The '360' models are just rebadged 2300's so search for the older models, you might get a bargain. Do you have a Sony centre nearby, where you could demo. I've always found Sony all-in-ones better than most of the other dross that is out there and some of them actually sound pretty good, so I would imagine that their home cinema packages are also quite good.

Not all amps are great big ugly things, Cambridge Audio 340R & 540R models are quite compact and sound the bizz too.

Look at the title of the post d4v3pum4..... (no dvd player).

 

[d4v3pum4]

None of the models I mentioned have a DVD player or have I missed something?

 

[Garth Man]

http://whathifi.com/Review/Sony-HT-IS100/

Best bet really, if the dvd player is not needed as space saving also

 

[Gerrardasnails]

d4v3pum4:None of the models I mentioned have a DVD player or have I missed something?

I suspect, as he didn't mention the need of a bluray player and specified he didn't want a dvd player, that he wanted speakers and amplification only - sorry if I've got it all wrong (I've only had a quick look and the Sony models you mention are BD player systems).

 

[d4v3pum4]

They don't have any player included, they simply match the finish of Sony's latest Bluray players.

 

[clle]

I have the sony htst 1300 (although now old model) - quality is good and sounds better than is100 imho. It is just amp and speakers - I use PS3 for DVD's.

Thanks

 

[Gerrardasnails]

d4v3pum4:They don't have any player included, they simply match the finish of Sony's latest Bluray players.

I beg your pardon then.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the tips. Barring the HT-IS100 (I need to go listen to it, the review on this site said its not very good for music, but I'm not sure of their definition of good) everything else has a separate box the size of a DVD player.

In which case - can someone explain to me why Sony's HT-SF1300 etc are more expensive than than their systems with similar specs with DVD players? Seems like aside from the one option above I'll have to have a separate player sized box then I might as well have one with a DVD player at £150 cheaper.

Equally, and I know I know nothing about hi-fi equipment, so please be gentle with your responses, but why can computer speakers like this be so much cheaper with 5.1 505W output, amp built into the sub, THX certified? This has digital inputs so could do the same job.

 

[d4v3pum4]

Better quality components and materials?

As for the Logitechs, I wouldn't worry too much about THX certification, it used to mean something but these days they seem to stick it on anything. Also going by questions on other forums, the Logitechs are fine for PC's and basic setups but once you need to connect multiple sources to them, it can be confusing.

You can't beat physics and larger speakers are better, simple as that.

Demo if you can before buying so that you're happy before you buy. Take some CDs with you but in the end, a budget AV system can't compete, even with a basic integrated hifi amp and bookshelf speakers when it comes to music. An AV amp has to drive 5 or 7 channels, a hifi amp only drives 2 so therefore better amplificaiton is achieved for a similar amount of money. Also take power figures with a pinch of salt as most are utter garbage and do not resemble real life figures.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again!

I think I'll head off to a sony centre and have a listen to some of these setups. Physics I get, which is why I am surprised by the reviews of the sony HT-IS100 (I watch movies more often than I listen to music, but I'm difficult and do want both from the one thing) that it is so good. Those speakers are tiny - are they really any good, or just good for their size?

 

[Anonymous]

Follow on question (sorry, but I really don't know what I'm talking about) about the Cambridge 540R. Am I right in my understanding that for the best music quality using a stereo amp and just driving the front speakers is best. Is that why speakers are bi-wireable (told you I had no clue, right?) so that the same AV amp can drive them as stereo when listening to music or 5.1 when watching movies (not sure how easy this would be to set up with my DMA, but I have a Harmony remote so should be able to have an activity for listening to music which resets the amp without changing the DMA settings).

Would that be the optimal setup, and are floorstanding full-blown speakers better than satellites plus a sub? Once again thanks for not treating me like the idiot I clearly am about these things.