Can I get some speaker / receiver advice?

[kidalot]

Hi there, I am a complete newb when it comes to home theater stuff.

I have a PS3, bit annoyed at the increasing number of blu-rays that have DTS-HD Master and no DD 5.1. I have a very basic crappy sound system that only decodes DD 5.1, any blu-rays with DD TrueHD still plays in DD5.1 but DTS-HD Master plays in 2.1, which is why I'm so annoyed with movies that don't have more audio tracks, surely they can fit it into a blu-ray?

My Goal: I want the ability of decoding DTS-HD Master and Dolby TrueHD cheapest solution

I have: Extremely cheap and old 5.1 sound package (Logic3). The 5 speakers are connected to sub woofer and the sub woofer is connected to the receiver via 9 pin DIN.

What I want to know: Can I get away with just buying a receiver or would I need another sub. I've looked at a few receivers and can't see away of connecting my current equipment to it.

I'm not looking to spend much, possibly £300 overall, I just want to know what I have need to save up for.

Any help appreciated, thank you.

[callas01]

the cheapest receiver I can think of will be the Sony DH-800 or Onkyo 507.

You will not be able to use your current speakers, so you are going to need to save up to buy speakers and a new sub.

[kidalot]

Originally Posted by callas01

the cheapest receiver I can think of will be the Sony DH-800 or Onkyo 507.

You will not be able to use your current speakers, so you are going to need to save up to buy speakers and a new sub.

That's a huge blow, wonder when the prices of speakers and receivers will start coming down.

Why are there so many blu-rays without a DD5.1 track?

[Steve]

Originally Posted by kidalot

That's a huge blow, wonder when the prices of speakers and receivers will start coming down.

Why are there so many blu-rays without a DD5.1 track?

It's a pain when you have one of those systems that you can't use any of the components with anything else. I seriously doubt you're ever going to see the prices of speakers and receivers 'coming down' any time soon.

With regular DVDs, Dolby Digital was a requirement in the DVD spec (as I understand it), but that's not the case with blu-rays. Therefore, studios who use DTS HDMA rather than Dolby TrueHD usually don't go to the trouble of also including a DD track.

[quest88]

Originally Posted by kidalot

That's a huge blow, wonder when the prices of speakers and receivers will start coming down.

Why are there so many blu-rays without a DD5.1 track?

It's your decision when and if you decide to jump into the world of home audio. You can do this as inexpensive as possible but the overall quality can suffer. I would suggest an Onkyo HTib that can handle all the new codecs. If you are patient you may be able to get a whole package for less than 600 dollars.

[Pycroft]

Listen OP,

If you want something of quality, you are going to have to pay. Like the last poster said, you can get a fine, entry level Onkyo HTIB for around 500-600 bucks. Look refurbished, maybe a bit cheaper. Save, and spend. I, too, wish that I could buy 1,500 dollars worth of stuff for 200, but it just ain't going ot happen to either of us, so no use in complaining.

[Diggger]

Originally Posted by kidalot

Hi there, I am a complete newb when it comes to home theater stuff.

I have a PS3, bit annoyed at the increasing number of blu-rays that have DTS-HD Master and no DD 5.1. I have a very basic crappy sound system that only decodes DD 5.1, any blu-rays with DD TrueHD still plays in DD5.1 but DTS-HD Master plays in 2.1, which is why I'm so annoyed with movies that don't have more audio tracks, surely they can fit it into a blu-ray?

My Goal: I want the ability of decoding DTS-HD Master and Dolby TrueHD cheapest solution

I have: Extremely cheap and old 5.1 sound package (Logic3). The 5 speakers are connected to sub woofer and the sub woofer is connected to the receiver via 9 pin DIN.

What I want to know: Can I get away with just buying a receiver or would I need another sub. I've looked at a few receivers and can't see away of connecting my current equipment to it.

I'm not looking to spend much, possibly £300 overall, I just want to know what I have need to save up for.

Any help appreciated, thank you.

I also have a cheap HTIB system (Yamaha), but am looking to slowly upgrade.
I cannot afford to buy everything at once, my question is where to start? Do I get a new receiver and use my old speakers or do I get new speakers and use my old receiver? Which option will I see a difference in audio quality?
I guess maybe in both but what is the best route to start?
Thanks

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by Diggger

I also have a cheap HTIB system (Yamaha), but am looking to slowly upgrade.
I cannot afford to buy everything at once, my question is where to start? Do I get a new receiver and use my old speakers or do I get new speakers and use my old receiver? Which option will I see a difference in audio quality?
I guess maybe in both but what is the best route to start?
Thanks

Check the impedence of your speakers. If they're not 4, 6 or 8ohm, you're better off not using them with a different setup as they could potentially damage the receiver. Check the output of the receiver as well. If it's not capable of decent wattage at full load- then they may not be able to adequately power new speakers either. Bottom line is the answer isn't an easy one and you may need to start completely from scratch.