Surround sound using Humax HD freeview box.

[admin_exported]

Hello, my amplifier stopped working so I've been searching for a replacement. I use a Humax HD freeview box. I have the 4 speakers I used with the Sherwood amplifier in the original place high up on the walls. I had acceptable sound from the speakers using the Freeview box , probably not true surround sound but it was better than the sound just from the TV.

Can you suggest what I could buy to give me sound from all four speakers? I used the TV for the fifth speaker previously.

Thanks.

 

[Timbot]

Any AV Receiver should do this. They tend to have a menu where you can select your speaker configuration so getting suround from your 4 speakers isn't a problem. Not sure if you could use the TV speaker as the centre though... Try the Sony STRDH810? Or something similar. Connect your Humax HD via HDMI to the receiver and the receiver by HDMI to the TV and off you go!

 

[roger06]

I had a Yamaha amp with a 'fantom' front speaker mode, i.e. dialogue would be spilt between front left and front right if you didn't have one. I guess you could use the TV's speaker to fill in. Not ideal though so getting a centre speaker should be high on your shopping list.

 

[Timbot]

I think you put it better then me- that's what I was trying to say. Looking back at my post, I don't think I made it very obvious though!

WRT getting a centre speaker, the general concensus is that it should be from the same manufacturer (ideally the same range) as your front left and right speakers so the tonal balance of the front sound stage is correct. (Mine isn't but that's another matter...!)

 

[roger06]

I think you put it better then me- that's what I was trying to say. Looking back at my post, I don't think I made it very obvious though!

LOL!

 

[cwalduck]

If you TV has an assignable line level in it can be used as the center speaker but only with amps that have pre-outs.

Connect the pre-outs for the center channel to the tv and the other speakers in the normal way, run the calibration with your TV at half volume (remember to turn it down when not using the AV amp)

I used to run this setup into a panasonic TV that had a Line level in, most TV's only have line level out so don't get these confused.