Home Theater Virgins- The official thread

Driver_King · 11-16-2008, 03:01 AM

My coined "Home Theater Virgins" phrase has been in my signature for many months now. I figured why not start a full thread. I will be discussing the basics here and what it all means for you.

Surround Sound:

Why do you need it? Many people will agree with the statement that audio is half the experience. Some people would say it is more; many less would say it is less of that. To not like surround sound here are some possible poor excuses:

1) I don't like experiences
2) I don't like surprises
3) I don't like the theaters (

)
4) I don't like big speakers and wires all around me (many ways around both)
5) I can't enjoy music or movies because I don't want to

Well, if you don't fall in between any of those categories, you should be able to enjoy surround sound.

What really is surround sound though? Surround sound provides the depth, soundstage, ambiance, offers better panning effects (from speaker to speaker), and more. If you feel that you are just watching a movie, you aren't doing something right. It is all in the experience.

What is the big deal about HD Audio and True HD and DTS HDMA and PCM and all that jazz?!? The difference is in what you hear or in lossy codec terms (DTS, DTS HR, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus), what you don't hear. With lossless codecs, you are able to interpret everything better. Vocals and voices are better, instruments sound more alive, explosions feel like explosions, breaking glass sounds like breaking glass, rain sounds like rain, the soundstage is more open, ect. With lossy codecs you miss things during lossy compression where data is squeezed for more room (very practical by DVD standards) and data is lost. With Blu-ray, you have more space and therefore are enabled to have 100% of the data, identical to the directors intended master audio, playing in your home cinema.

Do you have to have special speakers that make HD sound work? No.

What if I don't want large speakers? There are many choices and brands that offer small speakers. If bookshelves are too big and compact bookshelves just aren't convenient enough, this package offers the world's smallest omnipolar speakers for an affordable price, without sacrificing good sound quality.

What if I want small speakers or large speakers but don't want to see wiring? I will say that Monoprice has many in-wall cables and wall plates suitable for in wall/ceiling applications for clean installations. I can also say that by going with "wireless" surround sound, you do sacrifice sound quality. Nonetheless, Rocketfish are great solutions to your wireless surround sound needs.

What do I need to get HD sound? You need an up-to-date Blu-ray player, two HDMI cables (from your Blu-ray player to your HD-audio capable receiver (a receiver with HDMI 1.1 repeating that accepts PCM over HDMI or any receiver that has multichannel analog inputs) and from your receiver to your TV or monitor), the disc, the settings, and the rest of your theater.

What if I'm on a tight budget? You can do a few things:

1) Save if it is less than $500 or so.
2) PM me.
3) Start a new thread.

Budget systems:

Most importantly, one of our most trusted and liked websites, Monoprice, has practically every single cable you would want or need. Plus, they sell it for cheap! They have basically all home theater cables, wires, internet cables, switches, adapters, and more. All of their cables have a lifetime warantee and are always built with quality.

~$500

Polk RM6750 + Onkyo 607

$1695 Shipped

Polk Monitor 60's + Polk CS2 + Polk Monitor 30's + Elemental Designs A2-300 + Onkyo 875

Polk Audio's Official eBay Direct Store is here. All products sold their come with full warantees.

Important and useful links:

Cables & Connections:
Home Theater Connections
Guide to Optical, Coaxial, & Speaker Cables
HDMI Cables
Banana Plugs

Home Theater Audio:
Home Theater Audio Codecs- In detail
Understanding Dialog Normalization
More Lossless Audio Help
Understanding & Using Test Tones
HD Audio on your Playstation 3
The Difference Between Bitstreaming and Linear PCM
Receiver Decoding or Player Decoding- What Is Best

Multichannel Music:
SACD Guide
DVD-Audio and Dualdisc Guide

Receivers:
Connecting Older (Non-HDMI) Receivers to Get Lossless Audio
Calibrating Your Audio Manually with an SPL Meter
A Guide to Bass Management
A Guide to Amplifiers

Speakers:
Speakers 101
Impendances and Sensitivities of Speakers
Bipolar, Dipolar, & Direct-Radiating Surround Speakers
Setting Your Speaker Size
Proper Speaker Placement
Horizontal Center Channel Speakers Problems
Bi-amping and Bi-wiring Speakers
Complete List of Speaker Manufacturers
Master List of Speaker Review Thread
Bookshelf Speaker Options
Why You Should Stay Away from Bose
Exotic Speakers Anyone?
DIY Speaker Stands

Subwoofers:
Understanding Subwoofers
Subwoofer Positioning & Standing Waves
A Guide to Bass Management
How Crossover Networks Work
How to Build Subwoofers and Upgrade Speakers
DIY Subwoofer Risers
List of Subwoofer Manufacturers
Master List of Subwoofer "Owners Thread"
Elemental Designs A2-300 Review

Miscellaneous:
Home Theater Gallery- Start Your Own Journey and Get Recommendations
Movies with 7.1 Surround Sound
What the Professionals Have to Say
Surround Sound for Your Headphones

...

prerich · 11-19-2008, 05:48 PM

Very nice thead!!!! Excellent work my good man!

Driver_King · 11-19-2008, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

And that's good to hear! We'll be here to help you when the time comes.

We can't wait.

RIPSeanTaylor21 · 11-19-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearyt

nice thread.......

This thread shouldve been here a while ago...GOOD JOB OP!

aramis109 · 11-19-2008, 07:25 PM

Quote:

What do I need to get HD sound? You need an up-to-date Blu-ray player, two HDMI cables (from your Blu-ray player to your receiver and your receiver to your TV or monitor), the disc, the settings, and the rest of your theater.

I think it'd be a good idea to clarify what kind of receiver is needed (ie one that doesn't just do passthrough via HDMI or one that has analog inputs) and maybe give some examples of entry-level receivers like the Onkyo 606/605 and the Yamaha 663.

Nice thread!

Driver_King · 11-19-2008, 07:50 PM

Is that better?

Scooby Blu · 11-19-2008, 07:57 PM

Now lets hope our new members FIND this wonderful piece of work before posting !

Well done Driver King !

jomari · 11-23-2008, 11:14 PM

i had to pay someone to lose my virginity

it was weighing me down.

seriously, a great thread driver king! albeit partial to polks, im happy to say, its a great start!

crazyBLUE · 11-24-2008, 12:13 AM

DOES THIS GUY KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT !!!!

O I remember he's helped me MANEY TIMES !!!!!

GOOD THREAD DK !!!

dukenukem · 11-24-2008, 04:31 AM

Very nice thread.

Blove23 · 11-26-2008, 07:36 PM

I finally got my first home theater system and I just wanted your opinion on my system.

Hitachi 55hdx99 with power swivel
Denon AVR- 2309CI
Klipsch RF-82 floorstanding
Klipsch RC-52 center
Klipsch RB-61 rear
Definitive Technology Supercube 1 subwoofer
Panasonic DMP-BD-30 blu-ray
Sony PS3
Microsoft XBOX 360

Blove23

garageinc2001 · 11-26-2008, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blove23

I finally got my first home theater system and I just wanted your opinion on my system.

Hitachi 55hdx99 with power swivel
Denon AVR- 2309CI
Klipsch RF-82 floorstanding
Klipsch RC-52 center
Klipsch RB-61 rear
Definitive Technology Supercube 1 subwoofer
Panasonic DMP-BD-30 blu-ray
Sony PS3
Microsoft XBOX 360

Blove23

Except for the XBox thats a pretty sweet system! J/K Congrats on the new set up!

Driver_King · 11-26-2008, 09:49 PM

Sounds good.

CH108 · 11-27-2008, 10:59 AM

Well I just ordered an Onkyo 606 and was thinking of getting Polk Monitor 50's for the fronts and a Polk CS2 for the centre haven't even decided on a subwoofer yet.

Oh well it's a start...lossless here I come.

Driver_King · 11-27-2008, 02:28 PM

How about an eD A2-300? That is their Europe counterpart apparently.

As for speakers, I'd also take a look at the Monitor 60's, which is best with the CS2.

awongshing · 11-27-2008, 06:22 PM

Hey Blove23 that's a nice set up you've got there. I'm working on home theater right now.
Al.

CH108 · 11-28-2008, 08:10 AM

ah thanks that looks good.

KB24SD · 11-28-2008, 09:09 AM

Just Ordered 2 M70's myself. Newegg had to good of a deal to pass up on them.

Next up will be a center probably the Polk CS2. Then I will get a receiver. I've doing some research and here on the blu-ray.com forums Onkyo's seem really popular with people but on AVS people complain a lot about they're stability. I'm leaning towards going with a Pioneer Elite SC-07 or SC-05 myself.

aramis109 · 11-28-2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driver_King

Is that better?

Yes.

Nice job on the thread.

Driver_King · 11-28-2008, 04:12 PM

Onkyo has stability problems? What's up with all the FUD? There is so much misinformation out there.

11-16-2008, 03:01 AM	#1 (permalink)
Driver_King Blu-ray Champion Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Trading Score: (10) Collection: (26) HT Gallery: (96)	Home Theater Virgins- The official thread My coined "Home Theater Virgins" phrase has been in my signature for many months now. I figured why not start a full thread. I will be discussing the basics here and what it all means for you. Surround Sound: Why do you need it? Many people will agree with the statement that audio is half the experience. Some people would say it is more; many less would say it is less of that. To not like surround sound here are some possible poor excuses: 1) I don't like experiences 2) I don't like surprises 3) I don't like the theaters () 4) I don't like big speakers and wires all around me (many ways around both) 5) I can't enjoy music or movies because I don't want to Well, if you don't fall in between any of those categories, you should be able to enjoy surround sound. What really is surround sound though? Surround sound provides the depth, soundstage, ambiance, offers better panning effects (from speaker to speaker), and more. If you feel that you are just watching a movie, you aren't doing something right. It is all in the experience. What is the big deal about HD Audio and True HD and DTS HDMA and PCM and all that jazz?!? The difference is in what you hear or in lossy codec terms (DTS, DTS HR, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus), what you don't hear. With lossless codecs, you are able to interpret everything better. Vocals and voices are better, instruments sound more alive, explosions feel like explosions, breaking glass sounds like breaking glass, rain sounds like rain, the soundstage is more open, ect. With lossy codecs you miss things during lossy compression where data is squeezed for more room (very practical by DVD standards) and data is lost. With Blu-ray, you have more space and therefore are enabled to have 100% of the data, identical to the directors intended master audio, playing in your home cinema. Do you have to have special speakers that make HD sound work? No. What if I don't want large speakers? There are many choices and brands that offer small speakers. If bookshelves are too big and compact bookshelves just aren't convenient enough, this package offers the world's smallest omnipolar speakers for an affordable price, without sacrificing good sound quality. What if I want small speakers or large speakers but don't want to see wiring? I will say that Monoprice has many in-wall cables and wall plates suitable for in wall/ceiling applications for clean installations. I can also say that by going with "wireless" surround sound, you do sacrifice sound quality. Nonetheless, Rocketfish are great solutions to your wireless surround sound needs. What do I need to get HD sound? You need an up-to-date Blu-ray player, two HDMI cables (from your Blu-ray player to your HD-audio capable receiver (a receiver with HDMI 1.1 repeating that accepts PCM over HDMI or any receiver that has multichannel analog inputs) and from your receiver to your TV or monitor), the disc, the settings, and the rest of your theater. What if I'm on a tight budget? You can do a few things: 1) Save if it is less than $500 or so. 2) PM me. 3) Start a new thread. Budget systems: Most importantly, one of our most trusted and liked websites, Monoprice, has practically every single cable you would want or need. Plus, they sell it for cheap! They have basically all home theater cables, wires, internet cables, switches, adapters, and more. All of their cables have a lifetime warantee and are always built with quality. ~$500 Polk RM6750 + Onkyo 607 $1695 Shipped Polk Monitor 60's + Polk CS2 + Polk Monitor 30's + Elemental Designs A2-300 + Onkyo 875 Polk Audio's Official eBay Direct Store is here. All products sold their come with full warantees. Important and useful links: Cables & Connections: Home Theater Connections Guide to Optical, Coaxial, & Speaker Cables HDMI Cables Banana Plugs Home Theater Audio: Home Theater Audio Codecs- In detail Understanding Dialog Normalization More Lossless Audio Help Understanding & Using Test Tones HD Audio on your Playstation 3 The Difference Between Bitstreaming and Linear PCM Receiver Decoding or Player Decoding- What Is Best Multichannel Music: SACD Guide DVD-Audio and Dualdisc Guide Receivers: Connecting Older (Non-HDMI) Receivers to Get Lossless Audio Calibrating Your Audio Manually with an SPL Meter A Guide to Bass Management A Guide to Amplifiers Speakers: Speakers 101 Impendances and Sensitivities of Speakers Bipolar, Dipolar, & Direct-Radiating Surround Speakers Setting Your Speaker Size Proper Speaker Placement Horizontal Center Channel Speakers Problems Bi-amping and Bi-wiring Speakers Complete List of Speaker Manufacturers Master List of Speaker Review Thread Bookshelf Speaker Options Why You Should Stay Away from Bose Exotic Speakers Anyone? DIY Speaker Stands Subwoofers: Understanding Subwoofers Subwoofer Positioning & Standing Waves A Guide to Bass Management How Crossover Networks Work How to Build Subwoofers and Upgrade Speakers DIY Subwoofer Risers List of Subwoofer Manufacturers Master List of Subwoofer "Owners Thread" Elemental Designs A2-300 Review Miscellaneous: Home Theater Gallery- Start Your Own Journey and Get Recommendations Movies with 7.1 Surround Sound What the Professionals Have to Say Surround Sound for Your Headphones ... __________________ My recommended setup for Home Theater Virgins: Speakers:Polk Monitor 50's, Polk CS2 Center, and eD subwoofer or HTIB:Polk 5.1 system Receiver:Onkyo TX-SR606 or Onkyo TX-SR706 Monoprice-For all your cable needs My Setup Last edited by Big Daddy; 11-23-2009 at 08:53 AM.

11-19-2008, 05:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
prerich Sound Check Join Date: Dec 2007 Trading Score: (0) Collection: (0) HT Gallery: (0)	Very nice thead!!!! Excellent work my good man! __________________ Audio Note AN-E/D (modded Snell E) (LCR), Klipsch Heresy LCR backup, Definitive Technology BP1's and BP2's rear 2 15inch Subs, 2-8 inch transmission line Subs (rear) Yamaha RX-V663BL, Yamaha M-80 Power Amp, 2 Yamaha mx830 Power Amps Yamaha XM 6150 Power Amp, Sony TA-N80ES Power Amp,LG BH-200 Super Blu player, BD/HD-DVD-HTPC, Da-lite 16:9 106" Screen, Panasonic Projector, Phillips 42 inch HDTV.

11-19-2008, 07:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Driver_King Blu-ray Champion Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Trading Score: (10) Collection: (26) HT Gallery: (96)	Is that better? __________________ My recommended setup for Home Theater Virgins: Speakers:Polk Monitor 50's, Polk CS2 Center, and eD subwoofer or HTIB:Polk 5.1 system Receiver:Onkyo TX-SR606 or Onkyo TX-SR706 Monoprice-For all your cable needs My Setup

11-19-2008, 07:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Scooby Blu Special Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Trading Score: (0) Collection: (0) HT Gallery: (7)	Good Show ! Now lets hope our new members FIND this wonderful piece of work before posting ! Well done Driver King !

11-23-2008, 11:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
jomari Blu-ray Guru Join Date: Nov 2007 Trading Score: (0) Collection: (0) HT Gallery: (18)	i had to pay someone to lose my virginity it was weighing me down. seriously, a great thread driver king! albeit partial to polks, im happy to say, its a great start! __________________ System is very busy now. Thank you for visiting KONAMI ID portal. We apologize for the inconvenience. We would like you to try to access again in later.

11-24-2008, 12:13 AM	#9 (permalink)
crazyBLUE Blu-ray King Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: portland oregon Trading Score: (1) Collection: (239) HT Gallery: (100)	DOES THIS GUY KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT !!!! O I remember he's helped me MANEY TIMES !!!!! GOOD THREAD DK !!! __________________ Displays : SAMSUNG~1080P /~/ SONY --- ELITE SCREEN (106 Dia.) Audio : PIONEER ELITE /~/ EMOTIVA ( x 3 ) Speakers : BOSTON ACOUSTIC HORIZON SERIES /~/ POLK TSi SERIES Subwoofers :DAYTON ( x 2 ) /~/ POLK ( x 1 ) /~/ ALL 3 PASSIVE Power Conditioner : MONSTER Blu's ~~~~~~~~ 264

11-24-2008, 04:31 AM	#10 (permalink)
dukenukem Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Trading Score: (0) Collection: (28) HT Gallery: (19)	Very nice thread. __________________ ps3 80gb Sylvania NB501SL9 blu=100 movies norcent lt-3251 lcd hdtv sharp aquos 37d-62u lcd hdtv polk audio rm6750 speakers,monitor 50's(maple),cs10(black) onkyo605s

11-26-2008, 07:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
Blove23 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Philly Trading Score: (0) Collection: (43) HT Gallery: (0)	1st Home Theater Syetem I finally got my first home theater system and I just wanted your opinion on my system. Hitachi 55hdx99 with power swivel Denon AVR- 2309CI Klipsch RF-82 floorstanding Klipsch RC-52 center Klipsch RB-61 rear Definitive Technology Supercube 1 subwoofer Panasonic DMP-BD-30 blu-ray Sony PS3 Microsoft XBOX 360 Blove23

11-26-2008, 09:49 PM	#13 (permalink)
Driver_King Blu-ray Champion Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Trading Score: (10) Collection: (26) HT Gallery: (96)	Sounds good. __________________ My recommended setup for Home Theater Virgins: Speakers:Polk Monitor 50's, Polk CS2 Center, and eD subwoofer or HTIB:Polk 5.1 system Receiver:Onkyo TX-SR606 or Onkyo TX-SR706 Monoprice-For all your cable needs My Setup

11-27-2008, 10:59 AM	#14 (permalink)
CH108 Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: England Trading Score: (0) Collection: (99) HT Gallery: (0)	Well I just ordered an Onkyo 606 and was thinking of getting Polk Monitor 50's for the fronts and a Polk CS2 for the centre haven't even decided on a subwoofer yet. Oh well it's a start...lossless here I come. __________________ Equipment: Samsung LE46F8 46" LCD TV 1080p, Panasonic DMP BD30, Panasonic SA PT850 Home Cinema System

11-27-2008, 02:28 PM	#15 (permalink)
Driver_King Blu-ray Champion Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Trading Score: (10) Collection: (26) HT Gallery: (96)	How about an eD A2-300? That is their Europe counterpart apparently. As for speakers, I'd also take a look at the Monitor 60's, which is best with the CS2. __________________ My recommended setup for Home Theater Virgins: Speakers:Polk Monitor 50's, Polk CS2 Center, and eD subwoofer or HTIB:Polk 5.1 system Receiver:Onkyo TX-SR606 or Onkyo TX-SR706 Monoprice-For all your cable needs My Setup

11-27-2008, 06:22 PM	#16 (permalink)
awongshing Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Philly Trading Score: (0) Collection: (0) HT Gallery: (15)	nice set up Hey Blove23 that's a nice set up you've got there. I'm working on home theater right now. Al.

11-28-2008, 08:10 AM	#17 (permalink)
CH108 Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: England Trading Score: (0) Collection: (99) HT Gallery: (0)	ah thanks that looks good. __________________ Equipment: Samsung LE46F8 46" LCD TV 1080p, Panasonic DMP BD30, Panasonic SA PT850 Home Cinema System

11-28-2008, 09:09 AM	#18 (permalink)
KB24SD Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Diego Trading Score: (0) Collection: (134) HT Gallery: (0)	Just Ordered 2 M70's myself. Newegg had to good of a deal to pass up on them. Next up will be a center probably the Polk CS2. Then I will get a receiver. I've doing some research and here on the blu-ray.com forums Onkyo's seem really popular with people but on AVS people complain a lot about they're stability. I'm leaning towards going with a Pioneer Elite SC-07 or SC-05 myself.

11-28-2008, 04:12 PM	#20 (permalink)
Driver_King Blu-ray Champion Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Tampa Bay, Florida Trading Score: (10) Collection: (26) HT Gallery: (96)	Onkyo has stability problems? What's up with all the FUD? There is so much misinformation out there. __________________ My recommended setup for Home Theater Virgins: Speakers:Polk Monitor 50's, Polk CS2 Center, and eD subwoofer or HTIB:Polk 5.1 system Receiver:Onkyo TX-SR606 or Onkyo TX-SR706 Monoprice-For all your cable needs My Setup

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