A/V setup

[Frak]

People need to understand speakers for music can be totally different from those that are used for HT. Some brands are going to be better than others if you want to play both, but brands like Klipsch are much better at HT unless you are shelling out for the Heritage Series of speakers, which is going to cost you thousands.

I agree. To me, it's what's more important to you and what you're using them for. Surround sound is cool and all...hearing an immersive sound all around. Great for movies. We just don't sit down and watch entire movies all that often. Usually channel surfing and stopping at a show here and there. Either that or sports. Surround isn't really valuable for something like those and can be too loud and distracting. I've found that a good soundbar can do what is needed here. Now, if you have a big room with the theater style seats and a huge screen, I could see it. I never thought I'd move off of my receiver with 3 speakers in front and 2 in back plus a sub, but the versatility of the Sonos more than makes up for it.

I currently have 8 Sonos speakers between the house, shed and outside. They are not the loudest things in the world, but they get loud enough for what I use them for.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

I agree. To me, it's what's more important to you and what you're using them for. Surround sound is cool and all...hearing an immersive sound all around. Great for movies. We just don't sit down and watch entire movies all that often. Usually channel surfing and stopping at a show here and there. Either that or sports. Surround isn't really valuable for something like those and can be too loud and distracting. I've found that a good soundbar can do what is needed here. Now, if you have a big room with the theater style seats and a huge screen, I could see it. I never thought I'd move off of my receiver with 3 speakers in front and 2 in back plus a sub, but the versatility of the Sonos more than makes up for it.

I currently have 8 Sonos speakers between the house, shed and outside. They are not the loudest things in the world, but they get loud enough for what I use them for.

It's hard for many to set up a dedicated home theater unless you have space to do it other than the living room. WAF is huge for many couples and "those huge speakers are not going into my living room" is a common occurrence.
When we moved to Ames, I wanted to put a TV above the fireplace in the house and get a sound bar to sit underneath. My wife was, "I have put up with all your gear in the living room for years, and you can put it all in the basement." She agreed to try the TV above the fireplace with the sound bar, Klipsch Flex Core 200 series. I set up the HT in the basement, and outside of ballgames and movies every now and then, we spend most nights just watching the TV up stairs with the sound bar. Need to work on her to get the Flex sub next.

 

[RedlineSi]

When we built our new house we did Sonos/Sonance everywhere.

We have a speaker in my wife's office, two in ceiling/sub in the great room, two in ceiling kitchen speakers, 2 in ceiling in the porch, In ceiling in the master bath, an Arc and Sub, with two rear in ceiling speakers in the basement TV room, a Beam on the gym TV, and a Move 2 for outside.

The system is so great to use together, and have music all over the house, etc. Also, the Arc, with Sub and rear speakers is really, really good.

Only downfall, the Sonos app still sucks.

 

[pulse]

I have some probably 20 YO PSB Image 5t towers, 8c center and 2b bookshelfs (surrounds) I'd let go for cheap. Had them mated to a Marantz SR8000 series receiver and they sounded very nice.

I have the same setup, except the 6t. Great for music too. Don't need a sub.

 

[cydsho]

As someone mentioned, you can use traditional speakers for many many years but the receiver technology changes drastically. Have 25 yr old speakers up front but when redid basement I added a 7.1 setup in walls. Sounded good but I just upgraded from an old oknyo 5.1 to a new basic Denon 7.1 HT theater and it completely changed everything. For a budget system pieced together over the years it sounds great.

 

[JEFF420]

i hooked up a RCA VCR to my 1970s panasonic turner this weekend.

we got speakers in the barn boys

 

[KennyPratt42]

We have a 'theater room' that was wired for 5.1 that we have two floor standings, two bookshelf, a center, and a 15" sub running on a receiver and amp. All mid level stuff that when new cost at least a few thousand combined (I picked most of it up used). Then upstairs in the large living room, that is open on one side, we mounted a Klipsch soundbar (got the largest size they sold at the time) that has a wireless 10" sub that I got on sale for several hundred. I have a pretty discerning ear for sound and it is pretty rare I notice much of a difference between the two setups other than the 5.1 will absolutely get louder if you ask it to. But the top to bottom range and clarity aren't markedly different between the two systems (there is a difference, just not enough of one to be noticeable with most content, particularly streamed content).

 

[ISUKyro]

I ditched the full system in lieu of a good soundbar when we moved. Been happy with it. Saves a lot of hassle and declutters a lot as both are hanging on the wall with no need for running wires and having a cabinet to hold the equipment. Now that physical media is essentially dead, there’s not much need to have a place for a DVD player and receiver.

I did the same. As soon as I found the JBL soundbar where the rear speakers are wireless and just a part of the main bar until you pull them off - I will never go back. Overall sound quality is solid. Max volume, sure it's a bit less, but for normal movies and TV I don't miss the extra power.

 

[Frak]

When we built our new house we did Sonos/Sonance everywhere.

We have a speaker in my wife's office, two in ceiling/sub in the great room, two in ceiling kitchen speakers, 2 in ceiling in the porch, In ceiling in the master bath, an Arc and Sub, with two rear in ceiling speakers in the basement TV room, a Beam on the gym TV, and a Move 2 for outside.

The system is so great to use together, and have music all over the house, etc. Also, the Arc, with Sub and rear speakers is really, really good.

Only downfall, the Sonos app still sucks.

The app could definitely be more user friendly. I just like that you can play music throughout the whole house or different music in every room just using your phone. No wires other than a power source. Also that you can buy one at a time and not drop a bunch of money all at once.

 

[dmclone]

I'm sad that in my lifetime we probably won't see a time where builders stop designing living rooms where it's nearly impossible to not put the TV above the fireplace. TV's above fireplaces are beyond dumb on every level, but it's what the customer think they want. I mean who doesn't love watching TV like you're at Buffalo Wild Wings!

On a positive, at least they've killed off putting dining rooms in new homes.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

I'm sad that in my lifetime we probably won't see a time where builders stop designing living rooms where it's nearly impossible to not put the TV above the fireplace. TV's above fireplaces are beyond dumb on every level, but it's what the customer think they want. I mean who doesn't love watching TV like you're at Buffalo Wild Wings!

On a positive, at least they've killed off putting dining rooms in new homes.

I thought having one over the fireplace would be a pain, until we mounted one above ours when we moved, and both my wife and I agree, it not bad at all, and gets the TV off the floor, freeing up more space for chairs and other stuff.

 

[Clonehomer]

I'm sad that in my lifetime we probably won't see a time where builders stop designing living rooms where it's nearly impossible to not put the TV above the fireplace. TV's above fireplaces are beyond dumb on every level, but it's what the customer think they want. I mean who doesn't love watching TV like you're at Buffalo Wild Wings!

On a positive, at least they've killed off putting dining rooms in new homes.

We offset our fireplace to put the TV to the side of it rather than over it. Love it as you can hang it to whatever height you want. But without the need for a cabinet below now, it really frees up space in the room.

 

[3TrueFans]

TV over the fireplace should be a misdemeanor.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

I dont know, looks good above my fireplace.

 

[dmclone]

I thought having one over the fireplace would be a pain, until we mounted one above ours when we moved, and both my wife and I agree, it not bad at all, and gets the TV off the floor, freeing up more space for chairs and other stuff.

It's not about it being a pain to hang, it's a terrible way to watch TV. The center of your TV should be close to eye level.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

It's not about it being a pain to hang, it's a terrible way to watch TV. The center of your TV should be close to eye level.

Hanging was easy, I meant a pain to watch, as you are always looking up. As the center being at eye level, you look up at a movie theater, the screen is never at eye level. Our larger TV, we use for HT is mounted at eye level, and really I cannot see much difference between the two, meaning I get a much better viewing angle looking at it from eye level as I do watching the one above the fireplace. As others have said, getting the TV off the floor frees up floor space for other things.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I'm a founding member of the "TV above the fireplace" club. Maybe it's because I'm tall, and maybe it's because my living room is big. But I'd rather look slightly upward at a TV than slightly downward. :shrug:

I did put my projector screen at about eye-level at the mid point. "But that's because it takes up the majority of the wall.

 

[dmclone]

Reddit - The heart of the internet

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[RedlineSi]

We made the above fireplace TV work in our great room and porch. It’s not too high in the great room and I got a pull down mount for the porch.

 

[viking63]

I have the same setup, except the 6t. Great for music too. Don't need a sub.

Really miss that setup. Damn WAF.