New HT system to set up

[oliveoil]

Hello all,

I have been planning to purchase a new HT system for a while. Before I go out and buy, I was planning to do some research and this forum is very helpful. There are too many components to a good system, however, and this is confusing me further.

I live in an apartment with a small living room, and I sit close to the TV (4-5 feet at most). I'm planning to purchase the Sony D series LCD 720p or the equivalent Samsung 720p (both priced at around 1,400 USD). My proposed audio system is the Onkyo 606 with some sort of speakers (no large towers since I do not have space).

I have too many questions and I hope anyone can help.
- Is the 720p a good choice for my setup? I believe Sony have Motion-flow which is great for watching sports or PS3. I would be willing to buy a 1080p but only if I really have to as it is much more expensive. My choices are Samsung and Sony LCDs preferably.
- My friend is proposing to forget the receiver option and buy one of Samsung's complete home theater systems which should be enough and save me 700-800 dollars. I have read about the lack of support for lossless audio from such systems, multichannel analog, TrueHD, etc, but again I'm not sure if its worth it to go for a Onkyo + speaker/subwoofer setup.
- My budget is flexible upwards but keep in mind that I do not plan to pump up the volume of the audio system to the max as I live in an apartment block with neighbors. Not to forget my small setup. My real confusion lies in the audio system (cheap HT systems vs. build your own).

Thanks in advance.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by oliveoil

Hello all,

I have been planning to purchase a new HT system for a while. Before I go out and buy, I was planning to do some research and this forum is very helpful. There are too many components to a good system, however, and this is confusing me further.

I live in an apartment with a small living room, and I sit close to the TV (4-5 feet at most). I'm planning to purchase the Sony D series LCD 720p or the equivalent Samsung 720p (both priced at around 1,400 USD). My proposed audio system is the Onkyo 606 with some sort of speakers (no large towers since I do not have space).

I have too many questions and I hope anyone can help.
- Is the 720p a good choice for my setup? I believe Sony have Motion-flow which is great for watching sports or PS3. I would be willing to buy a 1080p but only if I really have to as it is much more expensive. My choices are Samsung and Sony LCDs preferably.
- My friend is proposing to forget the receiver option and buy one of Samsung's complete home theater systems which should be enough and save me 700-800 dollars. I have read about the lack of support for lossless audio from such systems, multichannel analog, TrueHD, etc, but again I'm not sure if its worth it to go for a Onkyo + speaker/subwoofer setup.
- My budget is flexible upwards but keep in mind that I do not plan to pump up the volume of the audio system to the max as I live in an apartment block with neighbors. Not to forget my small setup. My real confusion lies in the audio system (cheap HT systems vs. build your own).

Thanks in advance.

Apartment dwellings are always an interesting scenario to deal with.

Firstly, let me say that if you will be sitting 5 feet from the TV, a 36"-42" 720p LCD will be good enough.

Secondly, lossless audio doesn't need to be blared to the point of shaking walls, floors, furniture, picture frames, etc., in order to hear the extra clarity. A common misconception with Hi-Def audio is that it needs to be louder in order to be appreciated. Besides, a good subwoofer will have a volume control on it and the receiver will also have an internal individual volume adjustment control for each speaker (including the subwoofer) as well. Regardless of the volume, you are still getting upwards of 6Mpbs more information through your speakers. I recommend putting one together from parts as you will be able to build upon that in the future if you ever get a place more conducive to a louder HT setup or a house. Only spend the money once instead of twice? Always sounds like a plan to me.

EDIT: And let me say one more thing. Because of the quality of the lossless audio on my Blu-rays, the audio track of a movie now comprises of 70% of my movie viewing experience. 25% is picture quality. The last 5% is reserved for the story/acting/cinematography/etc. That's the kind of difference a good audio setup can make in your viewing experience!

[oliveoil]

Thanks, Petra. It seems 720p is sufficient for me, and a 40 inch would look extremely large from 5 feet distance. I think I'm leaning towards 40inch LCD Sony/Samsung with Onkyo 606 + speakers.

Any idea if Motionflow on Sony makes a large difference and if Samsung have a similiar feature in their LCDs?

[Colglizity]

tell your friend he's an idiot for suggesting an HTIB (Home Theater in a Box). But, ya know, say it in a nice way...

[oliveoil]

lol, well he was suggesting it based on my setup and price difference. Any ideas of wat kind of speakers I can get to complement Onkyo 606. I would prefer smaller sets. I have looked at the Bose ACOUSTIMASS 5.1 system but it is quite expensive and I know for a fact that I can find better speakers for same price. Perhaps Yamaha?

[Rob71]

Originally Posted by oliveoil

lol, well he was suggesting it based on my setup and price difference. Any ideas of wat kind of speakers I can get to complement Onkyo 606. I would prefer smaller sets. I have looked at the Bose ACOUSTIMASS 5.1 system but it is quite expensive and I know for a fact that I can find better speakers for same price. Perhaps Yamaha?

No, no, no.

Seriously, you can get better sound for a lot less. For the size your looking for have you listened to a set of Klipsch Quintet III's? Don't pay $500 for them though they go on sale pretty regularly.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1122654018549

[nigsy116]

I have the onkyo 606, you won't be disapointed if you go with this one.
The sound quality even at low volume settings is incredible

Are you sure you need a 40" screen and only sit 5ft away??

Why not go for a smaller screen and see if you can get a 1080i/p for the same price.

[The Guardian]

For $1500 USD he should be able to get a 40" 1080P Sharp or Sony, even...

[Johnny Vinyl]

I wouldn't normally recommend buying a 1080p set of 42" or less, but in your case I would. You'll be sitting really close to it (much closer than the recommended viewing distance), so you'd definately benefit from a 1080p.

Also, forget the HTIB setup, buy componants and the Onkyo is a good choice. And as some others have said, you can get yourself some decent speakers for $500 or a bit less, which will give you a far superior audio experience than any HTIB. Later on, as your budget permits and/or when you move into a bigger place (maybe a house/condo), you can always upgrade the componants independently. Try doing that with a HTIB!

Good luck in your search and let us know what you ended up purchasing!

[oliveoil]

I live in Dubai and anything below 40'' comes only in 720p. On top of that, a 40'' Sony/Samsung 720p costs $1500 (and not the 1080p).

[jdc115]

Originally Posted by oliveoil

I live in Dubai and anything below 40'' comes only in 720p. On top of that, a 40'' Sony/Samsung 720p costs $1500 (and not the 1080p).

What is the construction like in Dubai? i would have thought a lot of the apartments are concrete and probably offer good sound insulation from the neighbors unlike typical apartments in the US where you can usually here the telephone conversation of your neighbor.

[oliveoil]

Originally Posted by jdc115

What is the construction like in Dubai? i would have thought a lot of the apartments are concrete and probably offer good sound insulation from the neighbors unlike typical apartments in the US where you can usually here the telephone conversation of your neighbor.

Yes its true, but my apartment block resembles the typical US type you described, which is rare here.

I have made my mind up about Onkyo 606 plus speakers, but I'm still contemplating whether to move up to 1080p. If I do, the whole system (TV + HT system) would cost me 3000+ dollars.

[The Guardian]

IMHO, at that viewing distance, you are better off with a 37" 1080p than a 40" 720p...

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by The Guardian

IMHO, at that viewing distance, you are better off with a 37" 1080p than a 40" 720p...

Actually, come to think of it, this guy might be right. The closer you are, the more detail is needed to be a clear image. I was thinking backwards in my previous post. Sorry.

And, if you want to find some great little speakers, check out the Bowers & Wilkins M-1 speakers. In Canada they are about $250 per speaker. I have them. They are quite powerful for a small speaker! The only downside is that they only come with wall mounts and bookshelf stands. Floor stands are sold seperately for them at $100/pair (I think). Amazing little buggers they are though.

[PNF]

Originally Posted by oliveoil

Thanks, Petra. It seems 720p is sufficient for me, and a 40 inch would look extremely large from 5 feet distance. I think I'm leaning towards 40inch LCD Sony/Samsung with Onkyo 606 + speakers.

Any idea if Motionflow on Sony makes a large difference and if Samsung have a similiar feature in their LCDs?

Actually.. its not that far..

I sit about 7 feet from TV and I have a 52"

Trust me, you wont regret getting a bigger TV. There is no such thing as too big.

[oliveoil]

Originally Posted by PNF

Actually.. its not that far..

I sit about 7 feet from TV and I have a 52"

Trust me, you wont regret getting a bigger TV. There is no such thing as too big.

Yes I won't regret it for sure. I'm just finding it hard to fit my budget as I am planning to go for Onkyo 606 + speakers + 40 inch 1080p. Things here cost so much more than in the US, especially TVs. I might have to sacrifice in two ways:

- 720p plus Onkyo + speakers

or

- 1080p plus HTIB

[oliveoil]

Final update:


I chose to go for 1080p and separate component sound system.

I chose the Sony KLV-40W400A LCD as it is the best priced full HDTV. I could not pay any more than 1900 dollars and it was only a bit more than the 720p. This shows how expensive TVs are where I live. Other full HDTVs like Samsung cost at least 500 dollars more. At least I didnt go for 720p, which I was about to buy before I changed my mind at the last second.

Of course I went for the Onkyo 606. Considering there are no dealers for Polk, Klipsch, and all the other good brands, I had to go for the expensive Bose 5.1 system. I know many ppl on this board won't approve, but I have looked around everywhere and there are no alternatives in my area. Of course I could have imported some other brand, but it's something I would like to avoid, especially as it means no warranty.

Hopefully my new HT will get some approval on this board, considering the super expensive prices here and the limited choices for speakers. Thanks again for all the great advice

[PNF]

Originally Posted by oliveoil

Final update:


I chose to go for 1080p and separate component sound system.

I chose the Sony KLV-40W400A LCD as it is the best priced full HDTV. I could not pay any more than 1900 dollars and it was only a bit more than the 720p. This shows how expensive TVs are where I live. Other full HDTVs like Samsung cost at least 500 dollars more. At least I didnt go for 720p, which I was about to buy before I changed my mind at the last second.

Of course I went for the Onkyo 606. Considering there are no dealers for Polk, Klipsch, and all the other good brands, I had to go for the expensive Bose 5.1 system. I know many ppl on this board won't approve, but I have looked around everywhere and there are no alternatives in my area. Of course I could have imported some other brand, but it's something I would like to avoid, especially as it means no warranty.

Hopefully my new HT will get some approval on this board, considering the super expensive prices here and the limited choices for speakers. Thanks again for all the great advice

Need pictures after



Where do you live again?

I think you can get a 46" W series for less than $2000?

http://electronics.pricegrabber.com/...kd=1/search=46

Also here, http://electronics.pricegrabber.com/...kd=1/search=46

So, I think you're paying a bit much for 40" W series when you can get it for around $1500!

You do live in the US somewhere.. right? I ordered mine from ABE of Maine and it arrived Within One week with White Glove delivery.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by PNF

Where do you live again?

I think you can get a 46" W series for less than $2000?

I think it was Dubai That certainly causes some limitations.

[oliveoil]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I think it was Dubai That certainly causes some limitations.

Yes prices in this region are expensive, someone mentioned to me that is partially due to the format (multi system), where in the US it is only NTSC. Anyways, I've checked every electronics store and it's the same all around. They rip us off with a big smile .