Sound System

[lamaros]

I'm thinking of getting a new sound system, I don't have much at the moment..

Spending between AU$500-$1000 depending what offers best value. I don't have many ideas as yet.

Anyone know a good site for reviews, advice and the like? Or care to make suggestions themselves?

[Arrrgh]

I'm thinking of getting a new sound system, I don't have much at the moment..

Spending between AU$500-$1000 depending what offers best value. I don't have many ideas as yet.

Anyone know a good site for reviews, advice and the like? Or care to make suggestions themselves?

Don't fall for any speaker cable hype.

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/04/1354224

Sensible Sound magazine has good reviews. Most of the other audio magazine just exist to push over priced crap from their advertisers.

AVS forum is good too.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=88

[Moaner]

James Randi is my hero.

I wish I could offer advice but I'm of no help.  I was actually just thinking a couple days ago about replacing my aging home stereo system.  Only thing I can offer is that I've been very happy with my Polk Audio stuff.

[bhodi]

Honestly, what offers the best value is a decent non-bose 5.1 speaker set. You don't have to buy your speakers individually to get good sound, the kits aren't too bad. I don't have any specific recommendations, those will come from the websites posted, but just be aware that you CAN get good sound if all the speakers come in the same box :)

Just don't buy it at best buy and you'll be fine.

Edit: I assume this is for home theater.

[Righ]

Just don't buy it at best buy and you'll be fine.

I don't think that Best Buy Australia are affiliated with the stores that you are thinking of.

So what do you plan on playing? DVDs, VHS, CDs, records, cassettes, 8 track, DVD-A, SACD? If its primarily for listening to CDs, do you need to spend money on other sources or multiple channels right now? In lower priced systems, two speaker solutions will typically outperform surround systems for fidelity and spacial perception, simply because you are able to spend more per channel on speakers and amplification.

[Phildo]

I'm a big fan of Pioneer or JBL.  What I've been contemplating lately is replacing my 5.1 system with two high-quality studio monitors and a sub.  Significantly better sound quality.

[lamaros]

Just don't buy it at best buy and you'll be fine.

I don't think that Best Buy Australia are affiliated with the stores that you are thinking of.

So what do you plan on playing? DVDs, VHS, CDs, records, cassettes, 8 track, DVD-A, SACD? If its primarily for listening to CDs, do you need to spend money on other sources or multiple channels right now? In lower priced systems, two speaker solutions will typically outperform surround systems for fidelity and spacial perception, simply because you are able to spend more per channel on speakers and amplification.

It will get used for TV, DVD and CDs, but as far as sound quality goes I care most about CD quality. I basicly have nothing decent at the moment except for some handy headphones (Grado SR80s and Sennheiser HD570s), so I need to spend money on everything.

However I'd rather spend money on stuff that I can imporove later by spending a little bit more rather than getting a system that is ok but stagnant.

I'd probably consider spending even more (up to $2k, perhaps) if it was really going to be worth it.

[Lt.Dan]

Where abouts do you live in Australia?  Clef Hi-Fi in Melbourne are genuinely helpful and have a great listening set-up.  THey are a hig end AV shop but do stock a prett good range of stuff at entry level (mainly Marantz and Cambridge Audio).  They can switch between ten or so speaker set-ups from the same CD or DVD source.  That, and they are having a sale at the moment too.

If I were in your shoes (which I am since I'm considering the same) I'd go for a musical AV receiver for around $1k and get two decent bookshelf speakers for around $600 (the pair).  You could also look at a dedicated CD source but you're probably looking at $500+.
- easy expansion down the track if you get enjoyment from it - add a sub or centre speaker, upgrade bookshelf speakers to floorstanders and move the bookshelfs to rears. 
- huge improvement over TV speakers
- will give you much better sound than a tinny home theatre in a box set up or smaller sub/sat set-ups.

Best advice is not to get bogged down in specs and reading mags.  Go and listen to some equipment.  Take some discs you're very familiar with. For CDs take something bassy, something vocal, something fast, and something with big dynamic range.  When I did my testing I took Kid A and Ella Fitzgerald.

Your other alternative is a box-mover, but the set-ups there don't really cater to listening sessions (if they even offer that). 

Other Melbourne hi-fi stores include Carlton Audio Visual, Audio Lifestyle, and Tivoli.

[lamaros]

Nifty info, I'm also in the melb area.

[SnakeCharmer]

As a former bose user, I would stay away from bose, personally...Or pretty much any all in one package.  You can get a nice receiver, 5 (or more) dvd disk changer, and a set of speakers for less money.  My biggest qualm with bose is the price...They're just way overpriced for what you get.  Plus, as with any all in one package, if the smallest thing goes out, the entire unit is basically dead. 

[bhodi]

Agree with everything here. Nothing beats bringing a bunch of CDs and listening. Many/most audio stores will have setups where you can do this. Remember to turn it up loud because even shitty speakers sound great at low volume. You want to get what you pay for.

I'm afraid I'm more on the home theater side of things, I have almost no knowledge of speakers and packages geared for music listening. The only thing to remember is if you're looking to expand your kit over time, focus on one thing at a time -- either spend your money mostly on speakers or mostly on your amp/other and upgrade the rest later.

[SnakeCharmer]

As far as a receiver goes, I'd look for (in no particular order):
6.1 or better (will push up your speaker cost a bit, but you can still go 5 speakers + 1 subwoofer and then add another later)
THX certification
100+ watts per channel (dedicated)
As tweakable as possible treble/bass settings in lieu of an EQ that are speaker specific
LOTS of inputs/outputs.  Especially HDMI as it's quickly becoming a standard.  3 in/3 out should do just fine.  2 in/2 out is passable, but would recommend 3/3.

Other:
Spend some cash on a good roll of insulated speaker wire, and only use the absolute minimum length you can use.  Rolled up / zip tied speaker wire ftl.  If you're doing an install in a house with an attic, buy a couple three sheets of plywood to use to roll around on while you're up working, and DEFINTATELY get a fish tape.  Solder / splice if only absolutely necessary, although using this and this can make for a really professional looking install, and you SHOULDN'T notice any loss in quality of sound.  If you live in an apartment, you can still have a stylish looking install by using something like these to run around your baseboards and such.  They can also be painted to match your walls to blend in even more.

Most mid to high end receivers come with the above.  A really good receiver is one that you won't have to upgrade for 10+ years.  It's a bit of an investment, but worth it. 

[Viin]

I picked up an Onkyo TX-SR605 on Amazon last month. It's awesome. And, if you are a Prime member, can't beat free 2 day shipping! (Do they have that in AU?)

Only 90 watts a channel (but that seems like enough to me?) but has 2 HDMI inputs w/switching/passthrough and a ton of other inputs.

Now I need to go source some speakers for it, but nothing at Best Buy or Ultimate Electronics seems worth the dough. (I have yet to find out what will happen if I use my 4 ohm speakers with the 8 ohm Onkyo ..  )

[Phildo]

I'm using this receiver, and its awesome:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/HomeEntertainment/AV-Receivers/PioneerReceivers/ci.VSX-917-K%7CS.Kuro

[Lt.Dan]

As far as a receiver goes, I'd look for (in no particular order):
6.1 or better (will push up your speaker cost a bit, but you can still go 5 speakers + 1 subwoofer and then add another later)
THX certification
100+ watts per channel (dedicated)
As tweakable as possible treble/bass settings in lieu of an EQ that are speaker specific
LOTS of inputs/outputs.  Especially HDMI as it's quickly becoming a standard.  3 in/3 out should do just fine.  2 in/2 out is passable, but would recommend 3/3.

You'll need to spend about $A2000 for a receiver with THX certification. 

The Onkyo linked in another post above is pretty well featured and also decodes DTS-HD and HD audio - very nice if you plan on getting bluray or HD DVD.  Onkyo also manufacture under the Integra brand.  An Integra 5.8 is equivalent to the 605.  Others you might want to listen to are Denon, Cambridge Audio, Marantz, and Sony.

HDMI inputs depend on your setup.  Depending on your DVD, HD set top box/PVR, console, and cable sources you might not need three inputs. Foxtel has shitty, shitty, shitty compression so you won't be needing one there.

[Phildo]

THX certification is kind of a joke, actually.  Just because a system is theoretically capable of meeting THX standards, that doesn't mean it will still meet them in YOUR home.  And anyway, a system can still sound great without one.

Did you know: a theatre that is THX certified never needs to get that certification renewed?  So they could replace all their gear or, even better, never bother with maintenance and still proudly display that THX logo?  Nice money grab, Mr. Lucas.

[pants]

A few sites I've been checking for good advice.

dtvforum.info - they concentrate more on Digital TV and Home Theatre, but theres still some good stuff about speakers, amps and the like.
overclockers.com.au - their Hi Fi section - lots of good discussions there.
whirlpool.net.au - their Movies section - once again lots of good discussions there.

In terms of gear, I've heard good things about the Onkyo 605 that was listed above, but haven't heard it myself yet.  In terms of speakers, lots of people are raving about theloudspeakerkit.com.au - mob in Perth who ship out kit speakers.  Apparently you get great speakers quite cheap - putting em together is a piece of piss, then you have to finish the boxes which can take a bit more work, but you get great quality speakers for not a lot of cash.  Theres a mob in Melb where you can listen to em too which is handy.

[Viin]

... In terms of speakers, lots of people are raving about theloudspeakerkit.com.au ...

Hey thanks for posting this. Looks like they have some cool stuff, though I'm going to see if there's anyone in the US doing something similar (so if anyone knows of a good one ..). I like the idea of putting it together myself, would be fun!

http://www.theloudspeakerkit.com/

[Abagadro]

I picked up an Onkyo TX-SR605 on Amazon last month. It's awesome. And, if you are a Prime member, can't beat free 2 day shipping! (Do they have that in AU?)

Only 90 watts a channel (but that seems like enough to me?) but has 2 HDMI inputs w/switching/passthrough and a ton of other inputs.

Now I need to go source some speakers for it, but nothing at Best Buy or Ultimate Electronics seems worth the dough. (I have yet to find out what will happen if I use my 4 ohm speakers with the 8 ohm Onkyo ..  )

I'm using a 605 as well and like it except for a few minor quirks that I can live with (it's hot so had to set up a fan system and there is switching lag when you change video sources). I have a mixture of Polk/Infinity speakers and like them. They are not monstrously expensive.

EDIT: Oh, and you can jump up to the 805 if you really want THX cert and more power (plus some better BurrBrown DACs) for not a whole lot more money (around 750 US). I was going to get that but passed because it has some video lag/syncing problems that affected gaming. Supposedly you can tweak around that, but I didn't need the extra power for my room anyways so saved the cash.

[Viin]

I'm using a 605 as well and like it except for a few minor quirks that I can live with (it's hot so had to set up a fan system and there is switching lag when you change video sources). I have a mixture of Polk/Infinity speakers and like them. They are not monstrously expensive.

I'm curious, what's the ohm rating on your speakers? Apparently having low resistance speakers will cause your receiver to heat up a lot.

[Abagadro]

My mains are Polk RTi8's. They are 8 Ohms. Others are 8 Ohm as well.

The 605 runs hot because it doesn't have any active cooling, just a heat sync. It isn't enough to really cause problems (although there are stories of them frying if there isn't any air over them at all (like in a tight cabinet). Some speaker popping has been attributed to them getting hot though.

I just got an uber-quite 120mm fan and a 4-pin adapter and placed it on top of the hot spot with some rubber feet. Works like a charm.

[SnakeCharmer]

Onkyo makes (or made) a really good receiver.  IIRC, I think it's  the high end Sony stuff (think Lexus/Toyota).  But I've been a bit leary of Sony products the last couple years because they've been losing so much goddamned money.

Smoking deal on a 7.1 THX certified receiver...for 499.99 US

[Abagadro]

Onkyo has nothing to do with Sony.

[Abagadro]

Oh, just FYI that Pioneer (linked above)  DOES NOT do audio via HDMI so won't be good for your video set up if you plan to run HDMI from your source into your receiver.


EDIT: And I should note that one limitation of the 605 is that it will not matrix 7.1 from 5.1 sources (which are most of them). Since I think 7.1 is rather pointless, I have kept my 5.1 set-up and it isn't an issue for me.