Noob sound questions

[jambo_makaveli]

Looking for a bit of advice when it comes to the audio side of things, if a few people could help, it'd be much appreciated, as i havent got a clue when it comes to the whole audio side of things, its all mumbo jumbo to me.

i have a 32" phillips hd tv and a ps3 with over 30 blu rays so far.

the picture quality is great, cant fault it, it really is stunning, but when it comes to the sound, im beggining to get a little fed up. i like to watch my movies quite loud, as my house layout allows me to do so without waking the neighbours,lol. so when i have the movie up quite loud, the bass gets a bit rough and crackly, and basically its very hard to watch movies with the volume up really loud, also their is no bass option to adjust on the tv menu.

so i decided i'd look to go for surround sound as everyone raves about it, and it seems to be just as good as the picture quality, and both go hand in hand sorta thing.

only problem is, i havent a clue where to start.

i hear recievers, encoders, speakers, true hd, uncompressed, and lots of other things and its really overwhelming to know where to start.

does the equipment i buy go into my ps3?? or into my tv????

i also have an xbox 360 and a dvd upscaler hooked up to my tv, as the upscaler allows me to watch my region 1 dvd titles that are region coded, like american gangster. so ideally i'd like whatever i buy to work with all 3, but if not then my primary concern is my ps3, as that is what im using 6 out of 7 days a week.

im sorry if i come across as a real noob, i love movies, and have over 400 dvds and over 30 blu rays, bought the hd tv, and the ps3, but the whole sound aspect just really baffles me, i have no clue where to start. as i said any help or input would be greatly appreciated. im looking to just sorta get started, then maybe in a year or two i can really move onto the window shattering monster sytems that most people seem to have.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by jambo_makaveli

Looking for a bit of advice when it comes to the audio side of things, if a few people could help, it'd be much appreciated, as i havent got a clue when it comes to the whole audio side of things, its all mumbo jumbo to me.

i have a 32" phillips hd tv and a ps3 with over 30 blu rays so far.

the picture quality is great, cant fault it, it really is stunning, but when it comes to the sound, im beggining to get a little fed up. i like to watch my movies quite loud, as my house layout allows me to do so without waking the neighbours,lol. so when i have the movie up quite loud, the bass gets a bit rough and crackly, and basically its very hard to watch movies with the volume up really loud, also their is no bass option to adjust on the tv menu.

so i decided i'd look to go for surround sound as everyone raves about it, and it seems to be just as good as the picture quality, and both go hand in hand sorta thing.

only problem is, i havent a clue where to start.

i hear recievers, encoders, speakers, true hd, uncompressed, and lots of other things and its really overwhelming to know where to start.

does the equipment i buy go into my ps3?? or into my tv????

i also have an xbox 360 and a dvd upscaler hooked up to my tv, as the upscaler allows me to watch my region 1 dvd titles that are region coded, like american gangster. so ideally i'd like whatever i buy to work with all 3, but if not then my primary concern is my ps3, as that is what im using 6 out of 7 days a week.

im sorry if i come across as a real noob, i love movies, and have over 400 dvds and over 30 blu rays, bought the hd tv, and the ps3, but the whole sound aspect just really baffles me, i have no clue where to start. as i said any help or input would be greatly appreciated. im looking to just sorta get started, then maybe in a year or two i can really move onto the window shattering monster sytems that most people seem to have.

You have to buy a receiver that has HDMI input. Then connect the PS3 to the receiver with an HDMI cable. Connect all your speakers, including the subwoofer to the receiver. Follow the directions in the setup menu of your receiver to adjust everything. Also take a look at this thread on how to connect your speakers and how to calibrate them.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=38765

[MacDaddyOJack]

Well, if the PS3 is your player, it will never bitstream the new audio codecs (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HDMA) so you do not need a reciever capable of decoding those. However, the PS3 can decode TrueHD itself and may be able to decode DTS-HDMA in the future. It will then output that signal over an HDMI cable to your reciever. So, all you really need is a reciver with an HDMI input, two or three would be preferable.

[jambo_makaveli]

thanx for the help, very informative, so i want a receiver with hdmi input (preferably 2 or 3 hdmi inputs) and then after that its just a case of buying the speakers and hooking them up to the receiver???

thanx again

[jambo_makaveli]

also, would i need an amp, and what does this do, amplifies the sound, so really just making things alot louder???

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by jambo_makaveli

also, would i need an amp, and what does this do, amplifies the sound, so really just making things alot louder???

A receiver has an amp built into it. An amp is for separate components. Usually, professionals or financially well-off people buy separates. They consist of a Preamp, an Amp, and a Tuner. A receiver has all three built into one box and it is much cheaper. Separate amps can have a lot more power than receivers.

[jambo_makaveli]

great, this really helps alot, thanx for taking the time to help. no its quite clear. a receiver with hdmi, preferably enough for a few, then the speakers, which get plugged into the receiver. thanx again, very good of you to help. its much appreciated.

[JimPullan]

Thanks BigDaddy for your enlightenment to the new member question. It's refreshing to see some other here on the Forum willing to consult, not critisize. your answers were right on !!! [Jim]

Jim Pullan
Audio Excellence
http://www.audioexcellenceocala.com

[Doc_Stew]

Originally Posted by jambo_makaveli

great, this really helps alot, thanx for taking the time to help. no its quite clear. a receiver with hdmi, preferably enough for a few, then the speakers, which get plugged into the receiver. thanx again, very good of you to help. its much appreciated.

I highly recommend spending some time on AVSForum for more information. Those guys are VERY knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff. I learned a ton over there when I was doing research.

I have a PS3, and decided to get the Onkyo 605. I know a TON of people that are extremely happy with this receiver. It seems to be the best deal for a great receiver with HDMI capabilities. It also decodes the lossless audio, not that it's needed since the PS3 does it for you. But it may come in handy in the future. Irregardless, do your research first - but for $400, this receiver can't be beat IMO.