Default Price Range before lossless audio codec becomes noticable?

[Gohanto]

I haven't listened to a lossless soundtrack as of yet (cables I need are arriving tomorrow) but I'm just curious if anyone has any suggestion about what price point speakers generally have the quality and resolution to differentiate between DD vs. TrueHD or DTS vs. DTS-MA (assuming amp and cables are top quality).

I'm sure this varies from person to person, but just look for a general idea.

[Slec]

I had an old HTiB and could tell the difference when I got an Onkyo 605. Even more so once I got my current setup. I think anything but the worst speakers will show a difference but YMMV. In my case it was $300 cause I already had the speakers.

[coolmilo]

The more money you can spend, the better it will sound (generally). There is a sweet spot however. The thing to do is visit a few home theater stores in your area and listen to their different offerings. This will help you put the together the best system within your budget.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by Gohanto

I haven't listened to a lossless soundtrack as of yet (cables I need are arriving tomorrow) but I'm just curious if anyone has any suggestion about what price point speakers generally have the quality and resolution to differentiate between DD vs. TrueHD or DTS vs. DTS-MA (assuming amp and cables are top quality).

I'm sure this varies from person to person, but just look for a general idea.

For audio quality only? I've seen Sony speakers for $100 each that deliver the goods, Klipsch at maybe $150 each.

The issue for most folks is the look - often, a speaker may sound great, but look pretty primitive. Sometimes you're paying more for carpentry than audio.

Some home theater in a box units look stunning, and sound horrible. By the time you're getting into good audio, it can be an issue of looks.

Just recommended Definitive Technologies to someone, take a look here for great audio in various price ranges.

http://www.definitivetech.com/Produc...l/default.aspx

Their ProMonitor series is outstanding; I have a lot of Mythos gear, and it receives universal accolades for sound. And reasonably priced, too.

[DC_Street]

I've put in about $1200 into mine and I can hear a HUGE difference! Gone in Sixty seconds is a fun movie to show off the difference between lossless and normal "dvd" audio because you can flip back and forth when Eleanor is screaming

[Gohanto]

Thanks for the advice. The ballpark value I always used for being able to tell DD from DTS was around $1k/pair (from a S&V review, confirmed it with my own ears at a friends place).

From what I gather the difference between lossy and lossless is noticable even on lower price point speakers?

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by Gohanto

Thanks for the advice. The ballpark value I always used for being able to tell DD from DTS was around $1k/pair (from a S&V review, confirmed it with my own ears at a friends place).

From what I gather the difference between lossy and lossless is noticable even on lower price point speakers?

Yes, it is. You don't need to spend $1,000 a pair to tell the difference. And price is not a good indicator...check out Bose for examples of how spending money is irrelevant. They sound hideous at twice that amount.

[Gohanto]

Originally Posted by Blu-Dog

Yes, it is. You don't need to spend $1,000 a pair to tell the difference. And price is not a good indicator...check out Bose for examples of how spending money is irrelevant. They sound hideous at twice that amount.

Thanks, although I wouldn't say price is completely irrelevant. Bose is more the exception to the rule. In my experience most speakers from decent companies like Klipsch, Polk, SVS, Def Tech, B&W, Axiom, or even upper brands like Revel and Krell... you'll get what you pay for and it's usually more personal preference between brands within certain price points baring a few rather exceptions like Polk subs.

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by Gohanto

Thanks, although I wouldn't say price is completely irrelevant. Bose is more the exception to the rule. In my experience most speakers from decent companies like Klipsch, Polk, SVS, Def Tech, B&W, Axiom, or even upper brands like Revel and Krell... you'll get what you pay for and it's usually more personal preference between brands within certain price points baring a few rather exceptions like Polk subs.

Agreed. The "quality delta" generally gets wider the more you spend. Brands can span that divide, even within their own product lines.

I went out, saw Sonus Faber Cremonas running on a Macintosh amp, figured I'd never have decent sound. There is little if any delta between those, and the Sonus Faber Domus models I wound up with - at about half the price. But I'm not using them in a 3000 square foot room, either. It all depends.

My oldest son got Klipsch units from Best Buy; they're fine, as long as you don't try to crank them at top volume the way you would with the top of their line. Very quality units; great sound; but not concert hall filling volume.

I've heard outstanding, discrete sound from very inexpensive speakers, but it was in places where it was a small room, or set up very well acoustically, and so on. There are ways to get very good sound without going broke, or brute-forcing your wallet into it.

[Big Daddy]

Spend the maximum amount you can afford on speakers. Unfortunately, there is no price point where you will be satisfied. If you buy $100 speakers, you will want to upgrade them in 3 months. If you buy $1,000 speakers, it may take you 6 months to upgrade them. I know of people who have $10,000 speakers and they are not happy and searching for that holy grail. It doesn't exist. We all suffer from the Upgraditis virus. It is highly contagious and there are no cures.

[Gohanto]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Unfortunately, there is no price point where you will be satisfied. If you buy $100 speakers, you will want to upgrade them in 3 months. If you buy $1,000 speakers, it may take you 6 months to upgrade them. I know of people who have $10,000 speakers and they are not happy and searching for that holy grail. It doesn't exist. We all suffer from the Upgraditis virus. It is highly contagious and there are no cures.

If this isn't a cure for upgraditis then it'll at blast keep it in remission for a few years.
http://www.ohgizmo.com/2008/02/07/je...-home-theater/

[BIslander]

There's another view that hasn't been represented yet in this thread. The relevant comparison is not between lossless and the lossy quality found on DVDs. Rather, it is between lossless and the lossy quality on BD. Some say the differences on BD are marginal to non-existant.

DD is encoded at 448 kbps on DVD and 640 kbps on BD. DTS is generally encoded at 754 or 768 kbps on DVD while the DTS core on BD is almost always 1.5 mbps. Those higher data rates on BD make a big difference and the quality of the lossy tracks on BD rivals lossless.

I became a fan of lossless several years ago when I discovered music on DVD-Audio and SACD. Multichannel high res audio sounds much better to me than the DD 5.1 and DTS tracks on the DVD-Video versions of those discs. But, I was surprised to discover the gap between lossless and lossy on BD is not nearly so dramatic because the legacy DD and DTS tracks on BD are less compressed. Frankly, I'm not sure I could pick out the lossless versions consistently in a blind test on my system in my room.