Topic: how to start with a good home theatre system?

[comitatus]

i have no idea how to build one nor do i even know how to throw the right questions...

all we have around the house are panels with players, and as much as possible i'd like yo perform the install myself... if it wouldn't be so difficult.

thanks

[oweidah]

1. budget

2. select place to install ht and prepare room acoustics / electrical connection / ventilation /
wall brackets for your surround speakers (if needed) HT seats para sa pdvd members na makikinood hehehe joke

check your a/v components
    audio video receiver
    speakers - fronts / center / surrounds / subwoofer
    dvd/bd player
    interconnects - rca analog cables / hdmi / digital coax or optical toslink
    speaker cables
    LCD, plasma projector or crt
    automatic voltage regulator (avr)/ line conditioner - to protect your gears

_______________________________
unsolicited advice on ht.audio hobby :

audition

TRUST YOUR EARS EYES and WALLET... coz at the end of the day, YOU NOT US will sit back relax and enjoy (or mabuwisit) sa mga gears mo. remember - what you hear at the a/shops showrooms demos might not be the same when you install it in your place. be aware of glib-tongued salesmen and store sulsultants?    and dont believe daw sa snake-oil merchants  
    
GOODLUCK!
    

[streetsmart]

i have no idea how to build one nor do i even know how to throw the right questions...

all we have around the house are panels with players, and as much as possible i'd like yo perform the install myself... if it wouldn't be so difficult.

thanks

First question (and related ones) -- In which room will you set it up? Do you have a dedicated room? What are the dimensions of the room? Is the room enclosed or does it open to other spaces?

[pekspert]

Will you use a projector? If yes, would you know where the wires from the back will run to the front (ie. run from the side, over the ceiling)? I would suggest over the ceiling para nakatago (but it will entail more costs since you have to re-paint the entire room).

Get a good projector (1080P, i really like the new JVC), screen (something like 120" glass beaded with a good gain) and a receiver (no. of channels depends on the size of your room, if you can accomodate 7-9 channels/dual subs then go for it).

[Invinciible]

i have no idea how to build one nor do i even know how to throw the right questions...

all we have around the house are panels with players, and as much as possible i'd like yo perform the install myself... if it wouldn't be so difficult.

thanks

it all depends on how far you want to go with it really...  as previously mentioned by the other wise posters, it'll depend on what kind of system you want (hitb? full ht gear? 5.1? 7.1? some room treatment?), your budget?  the characteristics of the room itself...  also it would be best to figure out from the get go how important aesthetics are for you, as hiding wires and such are much harder if you take it by the moment.  

for me a very good av receiver is always important, as it will be the one powering and connecting almost everything else to each other...  setting up shouldn't be that hard, except maybe if you have to mount surround speakers to walls (and consequently wiring said speakers in an aesthetically acceptable fashion) as some of us have either been forced or chosen to do...  

[barrister]

i have no idea how to build one nor do i even know how to throw the right questions...

all we have around the house are panels with players, and as much as possible i'd like yo perform the install myself... if it wouldn't be so difficult.

thanks

Easy lang yan sister.  You can do it yourself.  

Si Miss tonedeaf nga, siya mismo ang nag set-up:
http://www.pinoydvd.com/index.php?topic=70807.msg726357#msg726357

Atty. tonedeaf has a blog, by the way: http://y2kb.blogspot.com/2005/10/music-to-my-ears.html




=================================




Build a 5.1 sound system.  Parts --- 1 AV receiver, 5 speakers, 1 subwoofer.

AV Receiver:  Yamaha RX-V765
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=5028422&CTID=5000300

5 speakers:  Wharfedale Diamond 9 series --- 1 pair DIA 9.5; 1 piece DIA CM; and 1 pair DIA SR (or DIA 9.DFS)
http://www.wharfedale.co.uk/Products/ProductSeries/tabid/77/PID/10/language/en-GB/Default.aspx#detail

Subwoofer: SVS PB10NSD
http://www.mkcinternational.com/PB10NSD.html

Get the SVS from our member sir mike c, the official Philippine distributor. http://www.pinoydvd.com/index.php?topic=92640.180

[iiinas]

Build a 5.1 sound system.  Parts --- 1 AV receiver, 5 speakers, 1 subwoofer.

AV Receiver:  Yamaha RX-V765
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=5028422&CTID=5000300

5 speakers:  Wharfedale Diamond 9 series --- 1 pair DIA 9.5; 1 piece DIA CM; and 1 pair DIA SR (or DIA 9.DFS)
http://www.wharfedale.co.uk/Products/ProductSeries/tabid/77/PID/10/language/en-GB/Default.aspx#detail

Subwoofer: SVS PB10NSD
http://www.mkcinternational.com/PB10NSD.html

Get the SVS from our member sir mike c, the official Philippine distributor. http://www.pinoydvd.com/index.php?topic=92640.180

lupit ng line up ni sir barrister. great recos! 

[comitatus]

thanks guys! is there a necessary skill required for the install? is there a specific yardstick to measure which ones good or bad?

thanks again.

@barrister

how much naman kaya yan? estimate?

[blued888]

I think the stuff barrister mentioned is around 85k.

~25k for the Wharfedales, 33k for the SVS PB10-NSD and ~27k for the RX-V765.

Very important yung sound characteristics ng speakers because some sound laid back, some neutral, some a bit forward. So since you and Carlo777 frequent AV shops naman, I don't think auditioning is a problem.

Wharfedale is cheap compared to other brands (Infinity, JBL, Polk Audio, Klipsch, Paradigm, etc.)

[comitatus]

I think the stuff barrister mentioned is around 85k.

~25k for the Wharfedales, 33k for the SVS PB10-NSD and ~27k for the RX-V765.

Very important yung sound characteristics ng speakers because some sound laid back, some neutral, some a bit forward. So since you and Carlo777 frequent AV shops naman, I don't think auditioning is a problem.

Wharfedale is cheap compared to other brands (Infinity, JBL, Polk Audio, Klipsch, Paradigm, etc.)

thank you sir...medyo dumb question but what do you mean by..."some sound laid back, some neutral, some a bit forward"

though carlo777 frequents av shops, he also does not know these things...and remains uninterested in any form of audio enhancements and almost most music or sound related stuff in-general

[barrister]

@barrister

how much naman kaya yan? estimate?

Cheap lang yan kumare.  Around P90K+ total siguro.  

(Edit -- nag post pala si sir blued ng price, I think his price is more accurate.)

is there a necessary skill required for the install? is there a specific yardstick to measure which ones good or bad?

Installing is easy.  You just connect the parts together with cables.  

But choosing the right components will require some research.  That's why I went straight to the specific models, since I didn't want to bore you with a tech discussion.

But if you want to do some of your own research, here are some principles that you can use as starting points:

1.  The power of your receiver and the size of your speakers will depend on the size of your room.
2.  Receivers must be properly matched with speakers.  Different receivers and speakers each have their own sound signatures, or sound qualities and characteristics unique to each manufacturer and model series. Even high quality receivers and speakers will sound bad if they are not properly matched with each other.  
3.  Speakers must be positioned correctly in order to produce a proper sound field.

[comitatus]

Cheap lang yan kumare.  Around P90K+ total siguro.  

(Edit -- nag post pala si sir blued ng price, I think his price is more accurate.)




Installing is easy.  You just connect the parts together with cables.  

But choosing the right components will require some research.  That's why I went straight to the specific models, since I didn't want to bore you with a tech discussion.

But if you want to do some of your own research, here are some principles that you can use as starting points:

1.  The power of your receiver and the size of your speakers will depend on the size of your room.
2.  Receivers must be properly matched with speakers.  Different receivers and speakers each have their own sound signatures, or sound qualities and characteristics unique to each manufacturer and model series. Even high quality receivers and speakers will sound bad if they are not properly matched with each other.  
3.  Speakers must be positioned correctly in order to produce a proper sound field.

90k? mahal pala, more expensive than most single tv purchase we've made...pang t.v lang ba yan? or i could use it na din as my sound system...=)

[streetsmart]

1.  The power of your receiver and the size of your speakers will depend on the size of your room.

Exactly. That's why the first question should deal with the size of the room, its shape, if its a dedicated AV room, if it opens to other spaces, etc.

Pretty hard to make any recommendation (other than sources) unless you know the characteristics of the room.

[comitatus]

Exactly. That's why the first question should deal with the size of the room, its shape, if its a dedicated AV room, if it opens to other spaces, etc.

Pretty hard to make any recommendation (other than sources) unless you know the characteristics of the room.

ok, i'll get the size of the room

thanks.

[barrister]

90k? mahal pala, more expensive than most single tv purchase we've made...pang t.v lang ba yan? or i could use it na din as my sound system...=)

Primarily for home video.  Puwede rin sa music.  

For music, I recommend setting the receiver at PureDirect (that's Yamaha's pure straight 2-channel).  The best option for music is still a separate 2-channel set-up, but I wouldn't recommend it ---- too much na talaga ...  .  

Mid-end set up lang yan, but it's good enough for me.  

Hindi naman masyadong magastos kasi audio system upgrades will be far less frequent than TV upgrades ----  promise  .

But if you have at least a mid-end multi-channel setup, the viewing experience will be way better.  Try watching a horror movie on that gear.  

[ditoy_eagle]

If you lack that kind of budget and you just wish to have a basic multi-channel system, you can always piece together a good setup by constantly looking at the marketplace. Daming good finds and affordable stuff being sold here everyday!

Cut in half agad, or even lower yung immediate cost if you buy pre-owned. Take note though that no warranty for pre-owned items. Good to purchase from pinoydvd members too since most people here take care of their equipment and know each other.

But if you want the latest in technology to be able to play all formats without problems- like Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio, hdmi 1.3, etc you better get the latest models.

When getting an AV receiver, best you find one with multi-channel inputs and pre-outs so you have options to expand.

[barrister]

Barya lang ni comitatus yan ... she's just too modest to say so ...  .

[oweidah]

thanks guys! is there a necessary skill required for the install? is there a specific yardstick to measure which ones good or bad?

thanks again.

dami po mag-volunteer dito mga gurus na mag-install para sa iyo o tumulong mag-install.

o ano? volunteers!!!?

[ditoy_eagle]

haha sus kung non-issue pala ang cost, naku daming pwde bilhin!  

For every system purchase, step one is to set your overall budget. From there, we can all pitch-in the best combination of gears, accessories and perhaps even acoustic treatment and remodelling of your own home theater environment hehe!  Also best for you to take a peek in the pinoydvd galleries to see the wonderful setups of our members here

[comitatus]

Primarily for home video.  Puwede rin sa music. 

For music, I recommend setting the receiver at PureDirect (that's Yamaha's pure straight 2-channel).  The best option for music is still a separate 2-channel set-up, but I wouldn't recommend it ---- too much na talaga ...  .   

Mid-end set up lang yan, but it's good enough for me. 

Hindi naman masyadong magastos kasi audio system upgrades will be far less frequent than TV upgrades ----  promise   .

But if you have at least a mid-end multi-channel setup, the viewing experience will be way better.  Try watching a horror movie on that gear. 

talaga ha

about the 90k, akala ko kasi mga 35k lang yan - 50k tops!

dami po mag-volunteer dito mga gurus na mag-install para sa iyo o tumulong mag-install.

o ano? volunteers!!!?

hahahaha why not, but baka too expensive naman yan and i hope a good lunch or dinner would be enough payment?


 

haha sus kung non-issue pala ang cost, naku daming pwde bilhin! 

For every system purchase, step one is to set your overall budget. From there, we can all pitch-in the best combination of gears, accessories and perhaps even acoustic treatment and remodelling of your own home theater environment hehe!  Also best for you to take a peek in the pinoydvd galleries to see the wonderful setups of our members here

i'll think about that...=)

[iiinas]

great discussion guys, moved the topic to its appropriate place. 

[comitatus]

great discussion guys, moved the topic to its appropriate place. 

Woooops...sorry po sorry po

[ditoy_eagle]

If you go sa mga consumer stores like Abenson's or SM Appliance center, you can find a Yamaha receiver bundled with multi-channel speakers already for around P35T brand new.  A lot of HTIB systems around P10-15T are also cheaper alternatives. These are small speakers though, if you have a very small space then this might be good enough. But if you need power, and the real experience of a movie theater, the cheaper systems are not the best options.

A warning, if you constantly browse the pinoydvd forum, patay ka!  You will never be satisfied with your current gear! So upgradability is key and get components that are popular in the forums so in case you will upgrade to a higher-end model, may resale value pa sya hehe

[mike c]

one way to cut costs and control when you want to upgrade is (but still get way more performance than the built in tv speakers):

-start with the AV receiver recommended here and just 2 speakers for the left and the right.
-one day when you feel you can upgrade, i would humbly recommend a subwoofer
-after the 2.1 setup ... you can choose between a center channel or the surround channels

[thanks sir barrister for the recommendation]

[comitatus]

If you go sa mga consumer stores like Abenson's or SM Appliance center, you can find a Yamaha receiver bundled with multi-channel speakers already for around P35T brand new.  A lot of HTIB systems around P10-15T are also cheaper alternatives. These are small speakers though, if you have a very small space then this might be good enough. But if you need power, and the real experience of a movie theater, the cheaper systems are not the best options.

A warning, if you constantly browse the pinoydvd forum, patay ka!  You will never be satisfied with your current gear! So upgradability is key and get components that are popular in the forums so in case you will upgrade to a higher-end model, may resale value pa sya hehe

Yup, i looked at the galleries and they are very very attractive=)

one way to cut costs and control when you want to upgrade is (but still get way more performance than the built in tv speakers):

-start with the AV receiver recommended here and just 2 speakers for the left and the right.
-one day when you feel you can upgrade, i would humbly recommend a subwoofer
-after the 2.1 setup ... you can choose between a center channel or the surround channels

[thanks sir barrister for the recommendation]

thank you po

@everybody

the room i selected is a 40 square meter space, it's a dedicated room where i do my exercises (i dance a lot) so having a good audio-video set up will be nice.

[ditoy_eagle]

comitatus, you posted that you have pala a 50"' Pana LCD! Sus dapat malakas speaker setup mo nyan para bagay sa huge LCD mo. Forget the small cheap systems. Save up for what barrister proposed. It's a very good system already, and I think the cheapest with high-quality components. As sire mike suggested, you can do it one-step at a time. Or just max out your credit card if you want them all immediately 

[comitatus]

comitatus, you posted that you have pala a 50"' Pana LCD! Sus dapat malakas speaker setup mo nyan para bagay sa huge LCD mo. Forget the small cheap systems. Save up for what barrister proposed. It's a very good system already, and I think the cheapest with high-quality components. As sire mike suggested, you can do it one-step at a time. Or just max out your credit card if you want them all immediately  

Yuriko lalang po, that's my name=)

i'll be using a 32 inch lcd for the room i mentioned...maybe 42 inches we'll see...

and i'll never max out my credit card...nope...no way

[iiinas]

Yup, i looked at the galleries and they are very very attractive=)

thank you po

@everybody

the room i selected is a 40 square meter space, it's a dedicated room where i do my exercises (i dance a lot) so having a good audio-video set up will be nice.

hmmm.... this is a fairly big room, how's the room height 8,9 or 10 feet? but from seeing other members' set up, you will be needing a fairly big receiver to be able to power the appropriate floor standing speakers. and i won't be surprise that some members might suggest going separates, meaning pre-amp, processor and power amp or receiver + power amp combi.

32" for a 40 square meter room, the panel might appear a little smallish for such a room.

[streetsmart]

hmmm.... this is a fairly big room, how's the room height 8,9 or 10 feet? but from seeing other members' set up, you will be needing a fairly big receiver to be able to power the appropriate floor standing speakers. and i won't be surprise that some members might suggest going separates, meaning pre-amp, processor and power amp or receiver + power amp combi.

32" for a 40 square meter room, the panel might appear a little smallish for such a room.

Hahaha! For this size of a room, kelangan ng projector and a 100" screen minimum! 

Panasonic AE-2000 projector + screen .. maybe P140k.

Maybe an Onkyo 875 AVR or Denon 2809 + a good set of 5 speakers (marami naman maka-suggest) .. maybe P120k.

Finally an SVS sub .. another P40k - P80k.

May seem a little expensive but it will be worth it. 

[disturbed]

very big room indeed..baka pwede lagyan ng divider yan..since she said she dances on that area..so baka pwede enough room for dancing and viewing (since 32" lang ata gagamitin)

tapos kung 7.1 naman ynug receiver eh pwede nya gamitin yung zone 2 at maglagay ng dedicated na 2 speaker outside the divider para sa music nya..o kaya yung divider eh pwede i fold away

need power amp dyan to fill up the room