help for a Home Audio newb

[TitusTroy]

I'm new to the Home Audio game as I've always been mainly concerned with video quality while leaving the audio to my TV speakers...it always sounded fine to me but I now want to listen to Audio the way it was meant to be heard...I currently have a 50" Samsung DLP (I'm also most likely going to upgrade soon to the Panasonic 58" VT25 series) along with the Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-ray player...currently have the TV connected to the Blu-ray player and my Tivo box via HDMI

I'm in the market for a quality home Audio system but because I live in an apartment in Manhattan I can't go all out and purchase a killer 5.1 or 7.1 system (too loud for my space)...but at the same time I want to have better sound then what is coming from my TV speakers...I know HTIB and soundbars aren't the best options but is that my only option at this point?...I would even be willing to buy a high quality 2.0 system as a starting point and upgrade in the future

but I'm a total Audio newb and have no idea what I need to look for...I have done a lot of reading online but am still uncertain on things...I believe uncompressed PCM and/or Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD is what I need but I have no idea which parts to purchase that will give me the best sound quality and connection options now and in the future...does the receiver have to decode or can my Blu-ray player do it?...how many HDMI inputs are needed etc

can anyone recommend a beginners Home Audio setup...I really have no budget, either a separate speaker/receiver combo or even a HTIB or soundbar (although cheaper is always better) but I do want to get a noticable upgrade in audio quality...I watch a lot of Blu-ray's and also HD channels using my Tivo box...I purchased a ZVOX 325 system a few months back and honestly was not that impressed and returned it

any help would be appreciated...Thanks

[MrBoylan]

Hey, there,

Welcome to the forum! Sorry for the delay but we've been a bit busy here. Perhaps you noticed out brand new web site design that just went live yesterday? www.bigpicturebigsound.com - we're very excited as it is the first major redesign since the site was launched over 5 years ago.

In answer to your question, there is a wide range of options available to you but you should consider a few things before making a choice. Of the current packaged Blu-ray HTiB systems, I really like the Panasonic SC-BT230. It includes a built-in Blu-ray player with Netflix and Pandora streaming capabilities, a built-in iPod/iPhone dock, that allows you to play music or videos from your iPod on the big screen (through the spreakers), it comes with 5 small speakers and a powered sub which actually sound pretty decent for the size (and particularly for the price). It also includes a few external audio inputs (analog and digital) for connection of devices like a cable box or other set-top box and/or a game console. For around $300, it's a steal. I've set one up in a Manhattan apartment for a friend and she was thrilled with it.

But... the user menu is a little klugey and the unit does not support Blu-ray 3D discs. You mention the 58-inch VT25 as being a potential future purchase. This is a killer 3D-enabled TV, and to take full advantage of it, you'd want to have a Blu-ray 3D player. You'll also need a 3D-enabled receiver, so it can pass through the 3D signal from source to display. So if 3D is something you're into, then the BT230 is really not an option.

Ideally, for greatest flexibility, you should either look for a Blu-ray 3D HTiB system, *OR* a 3D-ready HTiB system that does not include a player at all (you could use your BD60 with it until you're ready to upgrade to a Blu-ray 3D player). And for greatest flexibility and highest performance, then you should consider a separate receiver, speakers and Blu-ray3D player - all separate components. This will give you the best performance, the most inputs, and the highest upgradeability. Even if the receiver becomes obsolte for some reason in 5-10 years, the speakers will still be fine as will any source components. Also, it's kinda hard to find one manufacturer that makes really great receivers *and* speakers, so choosing components allows you to mix and match brands for greatest value and performance.

Features to look for in a receiver now are 3D-compatibility (HDMI 1.4a), audio return channel (also an HDMI 1.4 thing), on-board decoding of the latest codecs (DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, etc.), auto-calibration and video upconversion (important only if you plan to hook up non-HD components). In an apartment, it's not likely you really *need* 7.1-channel output, but it's nice to have it so you have options. You also might want to explore Dolby PLIIz (height channels), which can give you a more immersive sense of space and surround sound.

Of the current crop of budget receivers, I like the Onkyos and Denons. You can get a Denon with pretty much all of the features described above for around $350. It will serve you well for many years and supports 3D passthrough whenever you decide to upgrade to 3D. It has on-board decoding of DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, Audyssey Auto-calibration, HDMI transcoding - pretty much anything you could want for good high quality basic surround sound. The AVR-591 only lacks HDMI upconversion of SD sources, but you can always do this in your TV, or in your Blu-ray player. It also lacks the extra 2 channels of amplifiers if you decide to do Dolby PLIIz, but if you choose to go with height channels, then you can buy an inexpensive 2-channel amp to do so. Here's a link to the AVR-591 on Amazon:

AVR-591 on Amazon.com

For speakers, you can certainly start off with a 2-channel, 3-channel or 2.1-channel configuration and add the surround channels later. When you run through your Audyssey auto-calibration, it will detect which channels are in use, and will route sound appropriately for that configuration. I would recommend at least starting out with a center channel so you can get nice clear dialogue. You can get by with two speakers but having a dedicated center channel speaker will allow you to tweak the center channel levels to your liking. For inexpensive but high quality speakers, I like Polk, NHT, Energy and the new Motion Series from MartinLogan (a little more expensive, but worth it). You can match these with any good subwoofer which you will definitely need if you want to stay with small main speakers). There's a nice 8-inch Polk subwoofer that sells for a little over $100 that offers great performance for the money.

Here's are a few links to speakers I have listened to and like for a small space:

MartinLogan Motion Series - truly high-end sound for a budget price - the smallest Motion Series speakers sell for $199 each, and the smallest center channel is $299, so you could get started with a 3-channel system for $700 or a 5 channel for $1100 (plus subwoofer). It might seem expensive but aren't you talking about buying a TV that sells for $3500? Wouldn't spending 1/3 of that on audio make sense?

Polk RTi4 Bookshelf Speakers - also excellent for the money, and currently available for less than half list ($150 for a pair)

Polk Center CS10 Channel Speaker - a good solid but affordable center channel and great match for the RTi4s.

Polk Monitor 30 satellite speakers - these would make a nice rear-channel match for the RTi4s above.

Polk PSW10 10-inch Powered Subwoofer - a nice affordable powered sub for any of the above systems.

Energy Take 5 system (complete 5.1 system including subwoofer) - Energy is a Canadian company that makes excellent, affordable speakers. For $399, you can get a complete 5.1 system that fits well in an apartment but can definitelyfill a room with sound. Joe Lozito, one of the BPBS founders, has these in his Manhattan apartment (paired with a 100-inch projection screen) is is quite happy with them.

anyway, these are a few of the recommendations I would make for a high quality, inexpensive surround sound system. With the Polk or MartinLogan systems, you could put them together a piece at a time, but for a flat $399, that Energy system is a compelling option as well.

Good luck and let us know if you have any additional questions. BTW, using our affiliate links above will lead to a small commission for the web site on your purchase.

Regards,

-Chris

[TitusTroy]

hello Mr. Boylan thanks for the in depth response...very helpful...after I originally posted I started doing some heavy online research and everything pretty much matches your recommendations...I've since decided to forego the HTIB or soundbar and go with a semi-respectable dedicated speaker setup...I'm going to start out with a basic 3.0 configuration (2 fronts and a center) because of my apartment situation but one that still leaves me with future upgrade options

I was mainly looking at 2 sets of front floor speakers, the Aperion Intimus 5T Tower Speakers and the Polk Monitor 70 series...the Aperion's seem to get great reviews and they offer a risk free 30 day trial but the Polk's seem really nice as well with a much lower cost...I was leaning towards the Aperion's because I felt that a 'cheaper' set of speakers might not sound as good as a more expensive one...but if I can get the same quality sound at an affordable price then it would be ideal...those RTi4's you mentioned look really good and I might just go for those instead...would I notice a difference in sound quality between the $450 Aperion's vs the $150 Polk's?...for the center channel the CS10's would be my pick as well if I went with Polk

for the receiver I also was going to go with the exact Denon AVR-591 that you suggested...I was torn between the AVR 591 and the Onkyo TX-SR608 initially but think the Denon is a better buy...would the higher model 791's give me HDMI upconversion of SD sources?...either way I don't watch too much SD anymore so it's really not too big of a deal...one big question which I can't seem to find the answer to anywhere is this: would I be able to receive DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD if I only have a receiver, 2 front speakers and a center channel?...or are those formats reserved only for 5.1 and higher systems?

I want to leave out the subwoofer for now because the bass might be too much for my apartment...I'm still worried about a dedicated speaker system sounding 'too loud' for my apartment but hopefully I'm making the right decision

the site redesign looks very good...much better layout and navigation...great job with the site...thanks again for your help

[MrBoylan]

I was recommending smaller bookshelf speakers due to the smaller space. But if you go with towers then you could set your front speakers to "Large" in your receiver and this will route the bass to the towers if you do not have a subwoofer. A subwoofer is really recommended, even in an apartment, if you want to get the best bass response. You can set the levels so as to provide decent bass without being overly boomy or overpowering. But that's your call if you'd prefer the simplicity of tower speakers. We've reviewed some of the Aperion speakers and they're also an excellent choice. I've never done a head to head with Polks vs. Aperion, but for a comparable spend, you'd probably get similar performance.

Here are our affiliate links for Aperion and for the Polks on Amazon, in case you decide to buy online:

• Aperion Audio Speakers
• Polk Audio speakers on Amazon.com

As for the Denon AVR-791 or Onkyo TX-SR608, these are also good choices, adding powered output for a pair of height channel or rear (7.1) speakers as well as additional zones of output in case you wanted different music on in the living room vs. the bedroom. Upconversion on these inexpensive receivers really isn't the exceptional so I wouldn't consider that a real upgrade from the AVR-591. You'd be just as well off letting your TV do the upconversion.

As for adding the rear channels, this will really give you a more immersive movie viewing experience. If it's running wires to the back of the room that you're concerned about then consider the Polk Wireless Surround/FX which offers real discrete rear channel surround without any wires between the receiver and speakers. It's notr available to order yet but should be soon. I heard a demo of it at Polk's HQ a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty impressive. You can read more about it here:

• Polk Audio Goes Wireless with Subs and Wireless Surround/FX

Good luck and let us know what you decide to get.

-Chris