New to Home Theater. Need help with connections.

[Dante Rising]

I'm new to the home theater arena, and could really use some help assuring that I get my connections correct the first time. I have the following hardware, and would greatly appreciate advice on how to connect everything:

1 Onkyo TX-SR508 receiver
1 Panasonic 50PZ800U plasma TV (4 HDMI (3R/1F),analog audio inputs, PC video/audio inputs, digital audio, analog audio outputs)
1 Sony Playstation 3 (HDMI)
1 Xbox 360 (HDMI)
1 Panasonic BR player (HDMI)
1 pair of Klipsch XF-48 floorstanding speakers (internal self-powered amplifier, Line-level RCA jack or high-level speaker binding posts)

Is it better to use the line level connection, or the high level speaker binding posts as the connection of choice for the Klipsch speakers?)

Thank you!

[igotcabada]

you would make the following connections:

Sony PS3 --HDMI--> Onkyo 508
XBOX 360 --HDMI--> Onkyo 508
PanasonicBD Player --HDMI--> Onkyo 508

Onkyo 508 --HDMI--> PanasonicTV

For the Klipsch speakers, I believe you would have to use the binding posts with your receiver. The line RCA line in connection would be used if you had preouts ( I might be wrong here ) Here is user manual.

Do you have a cable box that also uses HDMI? There are 4 HDMI inputs on your receiver, so you could connect that to it as well. Even though the 4 HDMI ins on the back of the 508 are labeled BD/DVD, VCR/DVR, CBL/SAT, GAME they are assignable and don't necessarily have to be used by those components.

[Dante Rising]

Originally Posted by igotcabada

you would make the following connections:

Sony PS3 --HDMI--> Onkyo 508
XBOX 360 --HDMI--> Onkyo 508
PanasonicBD Player --HDMI--> Onkyo 508

Onkyo 508 --HDMI--> PanasonicTV

For the Klipsch speakers, I believe you would have to use the binding posts with your receiver. The line RCA line in connection would be used if you had preouts ( I might be wrong here ) Here is user manual.

Do you have a cable box that also uses HDMI? There are 4 HDMI inputs on your receiver, so you could connect that to it as well. Even though the 4 HDMI ins on the back of the 508 are labeled BD/DVD, VCR/DVR, CBL/SAT, GAME they are assignable and don't necessarily have to be used by those components.

Yes, I forgot to mention cable TV. It connescts to the plasma not via HDMI, but rather the standard cable input.

[igotcabada]

then you should be all set, just make sure you don't waste your money on expensive HDMI cables

[Dante Rising]

The 508 does not have pre-outs so my only option is to use the high gain inputs. Got it. Any recommendations on speaker wire?

Also it was recommended to me that "The best way to setup using the high gain inputs for level matching is to set the Klipsch 48's gain control about half way , maybe a little less, then make the rest of the adjustments in the onkyo."

Could someone please explain how/where gain control is setup? From the advice, it seems that this is not done with the receiver.

Sorry for my ignorance. There is alot more to absorb here than when I was researching my HDTV.

[igotcabada]

Originally Posted by Dante Rising

The 508 does not have pre-outs so my only option is to use the high gain inputs. Got it. Any recommendations on speaker wire?

Also it was recommended to me that "The best way to setup using the high gain inputs for level matching is to set the Klipsch 48's gain control about half way , maybe a little less, then make the rest of the adjustments in the onkyo."

Could someone please explain how/where gain control is setup? From the advice, it seems that this is not done in with the receiver.

Speaker wire

As for your gain question I'm not sure. It doesnt appear that their is a gain knob on the back of those speakers. Maybe someone else would know.

[Dante Rising]

Originally Posted by igotcabada

Speaker wire

As for your gain question I'm not sure. It doesnt appear that their is a gain knob on the back of those speakers. Maybe someone else would know.

I did see this on one review:

'"There's no way to individually balance the XF-48's low- and high-frequency amps - perfectly sensible, since unlike "power tower" designs with active-subwoofer-only sections, the Icon's low-frequency side covers the full bass-to-midrange spectrum."

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[Tom from ct]

I tried to start my own thread, but I'm too NEW, to do that. Sorry for using your thread.

I've never really set up a full system before, and I'm not having much luck getting it all to work.

I have:
Sony Grand Wega KF-60XBR800
Onkyo Receiver TX- SRTX601
Samsung Blu ray BD- C5500
Samsung SMT- CS320 Cable Box
Google Chrome

If anyone has a link or suggestion on how to wire these all together, It would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

BTW: I did try to hire someone to do it, but they were either Really Expensive or wanted to sell me updated components that I'm not ready to buy yet.

[CtrlCtrlFast]

Originally Posted by Tom from ct

I tried to start my own thread, but I'm too NEW, to do that. Sorry for using your thread.

I've never really set up a full system before, and I'm not having much luck getting it all to work.

I have:
Sony Grand Wega KF-60XBR800
Onkyo Receiver TX- SRTX601
Samsung Blu ray BD- C5500
Samsung SMT- CS320 Cable Box
Google Chrome

If anyone has a link or suggestion on how to wire these all together, It would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

BTW: I did try to hire someone to do it, but they were either Really Expensive or wanted to sell me updated components that I'm not ready to buy yet.

Just plug hdmi cables from your blu ray player and cable box into a hdmi input on your onkyo and then one from the output on your onkyo to an input on your tv. i believe the google chrome just plugs into a hdmi port on your onkyo.