Audio.... (posted here because I'm a newbie...)

[johnjohansen]

I acquired some Yamaha AS-355a speakers recently very cheap. I can't find ANYTHING about them at all online. They're tower speakers and they seem to be fairly nice.

I'm wondering what if, given the amount of money I want to spend (much less than those in the 'Home Theater' or 'Audio' sections of this site), I should get a surround-in-a-box type thing, or if I should just get a receiver, center, and rear speakers, and keep my towers for the front left/right.

Suggestions?

Right now I'm driving it from a cheap receiver that came from a in-the-box-surround-sound set in the late 90s..... Theoretically it's a 5.1 setup, but I don't have the rears plugged in, and all the inputs are analog.

PS3 -> (hdmi) -> tv -> RCA cables -> receiver -> L/R/Center speakers + powered sub (the powered sub and center speakers are RCA branded and came with the receiver, oh and it isn't very powerful at all...)

So...I'm looking for advice. I don't want to spend much money at the moment. I'm not an audiophile and I don't buy into monster cables and amplifiers that cost more than my car. I just want a reasonable quality setup that won't break the bank.

I want to find the best bang for your buck price point for audio.

--buddy

[Canada]

Have you heard of monoprice cables.
http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp

I personally have Belkin cables I undoubtedly over paid for them as well.

Receiver Pioneer http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...gon=&langid=EN

[Clark Kent]

Many people recommend the Onkyo 606 receiver as a solid value for entry level lossless audio. The older Onkyo 605 receiver also works as an option.

[aramis109]

Biggest thing- what's your budget? Even when it's not very much it's the best starting point before people can give you advice.

Can't find anything on those speakers, so maybe someone else can come in and assist. However, guessing from that, they may be pretty old. But if they sound good to you, they can be a good starting point.

HTiB are typically not that recommended around here, but Onkyo puts together a decent one that combines the Onkyo 605, 7.1 speakers, and a dvd player for around $730.

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-SP908...6732283&sr=8-2

That may be more than your needs. Personally I'd recommend using the speakers you have if you think they sound decent and getting a new receiver, then upgrading the speakers as you go if you decide to go that route. You can get into a Yamaha or Onkyo for around $299 if you do some shopping.

[johnjohansen]

I decided to pick up an Onkyo 606 based on the reviews here, using the live.com 25% cash back to sweeten the deal.

Now I have to decide what else I might want to buy and when. For a true 7.1 setup, I'm not sure where I'd put the rear speakers, since currently my couch is against my rear wall....

--buddy

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by johnjohansen

I decided to pick up an Onkyo 606 based on the reviews here, using the live.com 25% cash back to sweeten the deal.

Now I have to decide what else I might want to buy and when. For a true 7.1 setup, I'm not sure where I'd put the rear speakers, since currently my couch is against my rear wall....

--buddy

Sounds like you should just stick to 5.1, then. Some rooms just don't work with a 7.1. Honestly, out of all the movies I own, I think only two of them are true 7.1 anyway.

[johnjohansen]

Actually the speakers I have are the Yamaha NSA-355a. I still can't find ANYTHING at all about them, except for one page which says absolutely nothing.

Anyone happen to have a really old yamaha catalog laying around?

--buddy