My first ht! Not much room - Blu-ray Forum

andy149n · 05-01-2009, 02:03 PM

I recently just got a new (my first!!) hdtv and now I've become obsessed with wanting to have a better sounding system. Since this would be in my bedroom the most I would be able to fit in here is 5.1 (if that). My father is big into ht's and was basically telling me what to get and I needed some input before I go start finding speakers to audition and spending money on a receiver. He suggested I pick up a sony STR-DG920, 2 Polk Audio Monitor 50's, and Polk Audio PSW111 8 in. sub. Seeing is how this is my first time diving into this I wanted to get some opinions on if this would be a good starting point. As far as the other 2 speakers he has a couple sony's that he is planning on giving to me.

Tru2theBlu · 05-01-2009, 02:07 PM

If I don't ask, someone will. What is your budget? That will decide everything.

Fors* · 05-01-2009, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy149n

I recently just got a new (my first!!) hdtv and now I've become obsessed with wanting to have a better sounding system. Since this would be in my bedroom the most I would be able to fit in here is 5.1 (if that). My father is big into ht's and was basically telling me what to get and I needed some input before I go start finding speakers to audition and spending money on a receiver. He suggested I pick up a sony STR-DG920, 2 Polk Audio Monitor 50's, and Polk Audio PSW111 8 in. sub. Seeing is how this is my first time diving into this I wanted to get some opinions on if this would be a good starting point. As far as the other 2 speakers he has a couple sony's that he is planning on giving to me.

Without knowing a budget, I'll just throw this out there.....

First, welcome to the site!

Next, I don't see a mention of a center speaker above in your post. I am assuming this is an oversight, but if you are looking for good performing "entry" front speakers on a relatively tight budget, then the 50's should do the trick. Also, I am ssuming you want to start out with a 5.1 set-up because you mention your father giving you his Sony's as surrounds it seems. I would suggest the Polk CS1 or CS10 as a center channel to timbre match the 50's. The 50's are actually on sale on NewEgg for $89.99 each....which is a very good price.

Polk are not known for their subs, as they are considered more for their speakers. I don't know your budget on the sub alone, but there are other subs for the price of the PSW111 that could easily give you better performance for the same price point, (i.e SVS, HSU or eD subs.)

Lastly, for a bedroom set-up this could be a bit much/overkill perhaps, if space is as tight as you mention in your post. Not sure of your bedrooms' dimensions?

Perhaps if you could provide a budget and room dimensions, we could provide better info.....?

Aerodude73 · 05-01-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forsberg21

Without knowing a budget, I'll just throw this out there.....

First, welcome to the site! - Next, I don't see a mention of a center speaker above in your post. I am assuming this is an oversight, but if you are looking for good performing "entry" front speakers on a relatively tight budget, then the 50's should do the trick. Also, I am ssuming you want to start out with a 5.1 set-up because you mention your father giving you his Sony's as surrounds it seems.

I would suggest the Polk CS1 or CS10 as a center channel to timbre match the 50's. The 50's are actually on sale on NewEgg for $89.99 each....which is a very good price.

Perhaps if you could provide a budget and room dimensions, we could provide better info.....?

Sounds like you're off to a good start so good luck. If you're interested, I'm selling my Barely 1-month old (getting an upgrade!) Polk CS10 Center speaker. PM me if you want - check out the info Here.

andy149n · 05-01-2009, 02:33 PM

My budget will be around $1000-1200. I'll have to figure out the room dimensions in a bit once I can hunt down the tape measure. As far as the center channel speaker goes I did forget to mention that I was looking at one of the polks you mentioned. My dad is in love with polk audio and I think he's just trying to get me into them as well. Room could be 14x12 or so by guessing at it.

Fors* · 05-01-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy149n

My budget will be around $1000-1200. I'll have to figure out the room dimensions in a bit once I can hunt down the tape measure. As far as the center channel speaker goes I did forget to mention that I was looking at one of the polks you mentioned. My dad is in love with polk audio and I think he's just trying to get me into them as well. Room could be 14x12 or so by guessing at it.

Sounds good. I think the info I provided above would be a good start to look into for your bedroom set-up. Also, I can back-up Aerodude73 about his Polk CS10 for a center speaker that he is selling in the above post. It is basically new and in mint condition, I'm sure.

By the way, I like your dad's (and yours) taste....

DonRSD · 05-01-2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy149n

My budget will be around $1000-1200. I'll have to figure out the room dimensions in a bit once I can hunt down the tape measure. As far as the center channel speaker goes I did forget to mention that I was looking at one of the polks you mentioned. My dad is in love with polk audio and I think he's just trying to get me into them as well. Room could be 14x12 or so by guessing at it.

onkyo 806 - $620
Polk CS1 center - $75
Polk T90E (2) - $280 (for both)
Polk Monitor 30s - $100 (pair)
Klipsch KSW 10 - $100

$1175 for me and i got an entire setup

the 806 is now like $995 @ amazon, guess i got it at the right time, and it was brand new with the new 's' seriel #

callas01 · 05-01-2009, 02:40 PM

I concur, sounds like a good place to start, the Sony 920 if you can find it is a very good receiver at its price level. If you cannot find it, try the Onkyo 606, Yamaha 663/665, or the Pioneer 919/1019. Speakers are a good entry place to start, Sub though, may I suggest that for $158 you can get an Acoustic Audio HD-Sub10 and it performs very well. Check out the thread here.

andy149n · 05-01-2009, 02:41 PM

Would this overpower my room? Not that I would mind because if I have it my way I'll have my whole house shaking! I just can't stand these tv speakers anymore after hearing his whole setup making the walls move.

callas01 · 05-01-2009, 02:43 PM

the nice thing is that although it may overpower the room, and you have a decent sized room, HT systems can also sound really good at low level....

Aerodude73 · 05-01-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy149n

Would this overpower my room? Not that I would mind because if I have it my way I'll have my whole house shaking! I just can't stand these tv speakers anymore after hearing his whole setup making the walls move.

Not unless You over-power it! Lol. My room is pretty much the Exact size, & I have 2 Subs & my equipment is listed below. It sounds great at low volume, great at mid-level volume, and Amazing for when I watch Blu's & need (want!) to Crank it up to FEEL the Speakers do their thang'!!

* (looks like "Callas01" & "Forsberg21" & myself were all writing the same reply at the same time!)

Fors* · 05-01-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by callas01

the nice thing is that although it may overpower the room, and you have a decent sized room, HT systems can also sound really good at low level....

+1...I was just going to say this. Even at a low level, it will sound much much better than the TV speakers you are listening to now.

crazyBLUE · 05-01-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy149n

Would this overpower my room? Not that I would mind because if I have it my way I'll have my whole house shaking! I just can't stand these tv speakers anymore after hearing his whole setup making the walls move.

ANYTHING WILL BE BETTER THAN YOU'RE TV SPEAKERS !

DonRSD & forsberg have good starter ideas !

andy149n · 05-01-2009, 02:51 PM

The thing about a sub is, I like bass but not a horrible amount. If I got a 10 or 12 inch sub as opposed to an 8 would it be too much more? Or can I just lower settings to reduce the amount it puts out so when I watch it at night with people asleep it doesn't rattle them off of their beds

Fors* · 05-01-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy149n

The thing about a sub is, I like bass but not a horrible amount. If I got a 10 or 12 inch sub as opposed to an 8 would it be too much more? Or can I just lower settings to reduce the amount it puts out so when I watch it at night with people asleep it doesn't rattle them off of their beds

A 10 or 12 inch sub really will not matter if you set it up correctly. You can adjust your settings and actually your receiver might even have a night mode (not sure about the Sony model) to help keep things down to a respectable level, including your bass.

callas01 · 05-01-2009, 02:56 PM

you can set the gain lower and then also make adjustments in the receiver too

callas01 · 05-01-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forsberg21

A 10 or 12 inch sub really will not matter if you set it up correctly. You can adjust your settings and actually your receiver might even have a night mode (not sure about the Sony model) to help keep things down to a respectable level, including your bass.

Yes, the 920 and up does

Aerodude73 · 05-01-2009, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy149n

The thing about a sub is, I like bass but not a horrible amount. If I got a 10 or 12 inch sub as opposed to an 8 would it be too much more? Or can I just lower settings to reduce the amount it puts out so when I watch it at night with people asleep it doesn't rattle them off of their beds

Remember, you can Shut the Sub off at nite if need be as well. I keep both on "AUTO" so they engage only when the source requires them to. At night, I obviously have the volume lower anyway so as to not worry about that (lower meaning after 10pm---my neighbor is pretty cool so I don't want to have that potential hassle)

Quote:

Originally Posted by forsberg21

A 10 or 12 inch sub really will not matter if you set it up correctly. You can adjust your settings and actually your receiver might even have a night mode (not sure about the Sony model) to help keep things down to a respectable level, including your bass.

+ 1. I think at least a 10 or 12" Sub will suit you better in the long run, & might save you from that dreaded disease, "Upgrade-itis" - where you look to get something Bigger/Better every 3-6 months!

brettallica · 05-01-2009, 03:00 PM

Another STR-DG920 fan here. I love mine, and they can be had for not too expensively. It does have night mode, but I never use it.

The subwoofer in my speaker setup (Sony SA-FT1H) came with an 8", and it works for me. My room is a little larger than yours, although not much.

JasonR · 05-01-2009, 03:07 PM

I see your dad saw my gallery!

That should be a great setup starting out! I love the 920, I just wish it had preouts. If you don't need them or desire separate amplification, then it's no loss. As a stand alone receiver, it is great!

As far as the Polks, I liked them a lot but just now recently upgraded to something different. For starting out they are nice, but would encourage you to go out and listen to every speaker you can and make an informed decision.

Enjoy whatever you decide on!

05-01-2009, 02:03 PM	#1
andy149n Member Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Springboro, Ohio Blu-ray collection:75	My first ht! Not much room I recently just got a new (my first!!) hdtv and now I've become obsessed with wanting to have a better sounding system. Since this would be in my bedroom the most I would be able to fit in here is 5.1 (if that). My father is big into ht's and was basically telling me what to get and I needed some input before I go start finding speakers to audition and spending money on a receiver. He suggested I pick up a sony STR-DG920, 2 Polk Audio Monitor 50's, and Polk Audio PSW111 8 in. sub. Seeing is how this is my first time diving into this I wanted to get some opinions on if this would be a good starting point. As far as the other 2 speakers he has a couple sony's that he is planning on giving to me.

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05-01-2009, 02:07 PM	#2
Tru2theBlu Senior Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Portland, OR Blu-ray collection:54 Trading Score:10	If I don't ask, someone will. What is your budget? That will decide everything.

05-01-2009, 02:33 PM	#5
andy149n Member Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Springboro, Ohio Blu-ray collection:75	My budget will be around $1000-1200. I'll have to figure out the room dimensions in a bit once I can hunt down the tape measure. As far as the center channel speaker goes I did forget to mention that I was looking at one of the polks you mentioned. My dad is in love with polk audio and I think he's just trying to get me into them as well. Room could be 14x12 or so by guessing at it.

05-01-2009, 02:40 PM	#8
callas01 Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Riverside, CA Home Theater Gallery:42 Blu-ray collection:230 DVD collection:47	I concur, sounds like a good place to start, the Sony 920 if you can find it is a very good receiver at its price level. If you cannot find it, try the Onkyo 606, Yamaha 663/665, or the Pioneer 919/1019. Speakers are a good entry place to start, Sub though, may I suggest that for $158 you can get an Acoustic Audio HD-Sub10 and it performs very well. Check out the thread here.

05-01-2009, 02:41 PM	#9
andy149n Member Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Springboro, Ohio Blu-ray collection:75	Would this overpower my room? Not that I would mind because if I have it my way I'll have my whole house shaking! I just can't stand these tv speakers anymore after hearing his whole setup making the walls move.

05-01-2009, 02:43 PM	#10
callas01 Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Riverside, CA Home Theater Gallery:42 Blu-ray collection:230 DVD collection:47	the nice thing is that although it may overpower the room, and you have a decent sized room, HT systems can also sound really good at low level....

05-01-2009, 02:51 PM	#14
andy149n Member Member since:Apr 2009 Location:Springboro, Ohio Blu-ray collection:75	The thing about a sub is, I like bass but not a horrible amount. If I got a 10 or 12 inch sub as opposed to an 8 would it be too much more? Or can I just lower settings to reduce the amount it puts out so when I watch it at night with people asleep it doesn't rattle them off of their beds

05-01-2009, 02:56 PM	#16
callas01 Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Riverside, CA Home Theater Gallery:42 Blu-ray collection:230 DVD collection:47	you can set the gain lower and then also make adjustments in the receiver too

05-01-2009, 03:00 PM	#19
brettallica Blu-ray Samurai Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Santa Cruz, California Home Theater Gallery:51 Blu-ray collection:79 Trading Score:6	Another STR-DG920 fan here. I love mine, and they can be had for not too expensively. It does have night mode, but I never use it. The subwoofer in my speaker setup (Sony SA-FT1H) came with an 8", and it works for me. My room is a little larger than yours, although not much.

05-01-2009, 03:07 PM	#20
JasonR Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Trading Score:12	I see your dad saw my gallery! That should be a great setup starting out! I love the 920, I just wish it had preouts. If you don't need them or desire separate amplification, then it's no loss. As a stand alone receiver, it is great! As far as the Polks, I liked them a lot but just now recently upgraded to something different. For starting out they are nice, but would encourage you to go out and listen to every speaker you can and make an informed decision. Enjoy whatever you decide on!

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