Author Topic: Simple na HT set-up (Read 8078 times)

MAtZTER · « **Reply #30 on:** Jul 18, 2006 at 10:33 AM »

Wow, what an offer! P29k with HK130 na! DROOOL!!!

Congrats bro! Sana may sale na ganyan dito!

Kratos · « **Reply #31 on:** Jul 18, 2006 at 07:03 PM »

Kaya nga di ko na pinakawalan kasi ive read here na its around 35K dyan satin. Ngayon problem ko na lang is yung shipping pag uwi ko dyan. Ill post pics of my simple setup soon.

ericag_ph · « **Reply #32 on:** Jul 24, 2006 at 03:07 PM »

Since you're building a house:

Room Suggestions:

0. Assume this hobby/entertainment will cost more than what you have as a budget.

1. Room shape should be rectangular
2. Aircon noise level is important, a split-type 1 hp is probably the most quiet (aim for < 30db noise level)
3. Windows are a source of outside noise, so keep this in mind when choosing type/size of windows.
4. A purely concrete room will not sound nice at all, it has to be "treated". Note how the cinema's have wooden panels in an all concrete structure. Take a look at their ceiling. Carpets, sofas can also help, etc...
5. If you have neighbors, and need to keep it noise level down, you may need to build a room within a room (unrealistic).
6. You may need to plan your in-wall wiring (speakers,video) way ahead. TV at front? Projector at rear? Speakers 5.1? 6.1? 7.1? 12.2??? Also, give the room an independent electrical circuit breaker/wiring (ie. no outlets wired here connects to the kitchen appliances in the next room) to prevent electical interference (ie. from a blender in the kitchen)
7. You may want to use electrical cord (AWG 12) like I do for speaker wires, they run inside my walls, inside PVC.

Equipment:
0. Best to demo (demo without special effects/DSP on) before buying, and bring a favorite disc.
1. Try Wharfedales for speakers, they sound really good, mine cost P18K (L-R/C/2xDFS). I'm almost sure B+W/Mission speakers may sound better, but at 3x the cost, they definitely don't sound 3x better. If on a budget, and prefer small speakers, try Yamaha (5.1), only P11K.
2. For receiver, I suggest Yamaha (P11K cheapest), HK, Marantz (P9K cheapest?), Denon, Onkyo (not the consumer types like Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony, JVC). No need for THX stuff, It's almost impossible to meet all the THX standards anyway (room design, wiring, power, equipment, etc...)
3. For DVD player, must be progressive, and try to get one with a DVI/HDMI. I suggest Pioneer. On the other hand, those cheap P2000 made-in-china DVD players play just about any DVD disc no matter how badly made/scratched they are.
4. For TV, I suggest LCD, better on the eyes (no radiation daw).
5. For Projector, I suggest Panasonic (PT-AE900 = P78K), or wait for LED Projectors (10,000-20,000 hour life)

See my dedicated HT room (7 years in the making and still on going):
http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=55046.0

slowhand · « **Reply #33 on:** Jul 24, 2006 at 03:28 PM »

Quote from: ericag_ph on Jul 24, 2006 at 03:07 PM

Windows are a source of outside noise, so keep this in mind when choosing type/size of windows.

Just to share: double windows work quite well in my room. My contractor suggested them after he successfully used them to make a condo unit a lot more quiet (it was beside a main highway). Our place is very quiet, so keeping the sound out is only a minor benefit; the big benefit is keeping the sound in.

wedge · « **Reply #34 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 11:04 AM »

Bumping up this thread...

It's been awhile since I last visited this. Okay, we've already got a prospective house and we'll probably moving there on June (or whenever we manage to "close" it). I'll be putting the HT in a space we call the family room (the wifey thinks a dedicated room entirely for HT purpose too extravagant---and a waste of space). Financial-wise, the HT I had in mind is extremely simple: a TV, a receiver, a media player (dvd or blu-ray or HD, doesn't matter), and speakers. Would I still need other stuff aside from these?

Now, I'm in the process of preparing a list of what-to-dos, what-to-buys, brands, quality...etc. And since I'm fairly disoriented on the nuances of HT, I'll be asking you guys on tons of advices, reactions, comments for the duration of this daunting task.

MAtZTER · « **Reply #35 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 11:15 AM »

Whats the room size & shape? high ceiling? (speaker & receiver decisions)

ambient light? (for PJ, LCD or plasma decisions)

already built? or still being built? (wiring decisions)

Budget? (decides everything

)

wedge · « **Reply #36 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 11:25 AM »

Room size: can't estimate, although nakita ko na ung place. It has a high ceiling.
Light: what if we put a lamp? kasi there's a sliding door beside it (may blinds naman). would it affect it?
Yup, it's already built. It's a resale house kasi.
The budget is currently, for a lack of a better word, in the works. But I might allot $5K for everything. Since the house is already built, how would you conceal cables and stuff?

MAtZTER · « **Reply #37 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 11:45 AM »

PVC mouldings (or baseboards, etc) are the easiest (& cheapest) way to hide your wires. Putting them under walls, floors & ceilings require renovation.

If room is big w/ (high ceilings), you may need to buy bigger speakers & expensive receivers. Alot some budget for minor acoustical treatments as the area might be "echoey"

If ambient light is abundant, go for LCD TV. unfortunately, a 40incher will eat up much of your HT budget already. Wont be much left for a good receiver.

I would not recommend PJ's at this point as its definitely not considered "simple".

wedge · « **Reply #38 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 12:00 PM »

Thanks!

I don't think the place is that big, I'd say the space itself is around 10m x 10m (this is a very rough estimate, and my calculations is probably exaggerated) and it's beside a kitchen. It's more of an informal living room (if you get what I meant by that). It is bordered by the rear porch (with a sliding door), the master's bedroom, the kitchen and a concrete divider for the formal living room. And yep, the ceiling is mighty high for a bungalow.

Okay, the q's.

1. What kind of receiver do i need?
2. What is the difference between a 5.1 and a 7.1 in terms of the dimensions of the space? What do you think is ideal given the dimensions?

Thanks ulit!

MAtZTER · « **Reply #39 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 12:19 PM »

I almost fell from my chair when I read the 10mx10m size. Thats huge, plus the high ceiling. Even if it was exagerated, margin of error will still not exceed 40%. Thats still huge.

On an enthusiast level, you would need either flagship receivers, THX Ultra2 receivers (for 3,000+ sq ft rooms), or mighty separates w/ beefy amps for a room that size, for your setup to sound its best. That alone will eat up your $5k budget or more.

My friend uses a 50k receiver on a similar (or bigger) area, integrated LR, DR, lounge. HT wise it was fair (subs nagdadala), but music wise, we really couldnt get it to sound its best (lack of borders for the speakers to interact.)

A solution for your high ceiling loc. would be to use at least a Yamaha receiver 2000 series w/ presence channels. You will have 5 speakers set up in front. 2 fronts & center at the regular location & 2 presence channels are placed high up near the ceiling.

Then get a BIIIIG sub, or 2 subs. My friend uses an Atlantic Technology THX sub and it rocks his 100+ sqm room.

You will have 9-10 speakers (not simple though

)

My advice is on my blog: try to get a smaller room.

wedge · « **Reply #40 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 12:23 PM »

Hehe. I'm not good at math, forgive me. I merely plugged in the 'meter' part coz I'm having difficulty picturing out the realistic dimensions of the space... Okay, so let's say it's only 5m (I was trying to guess if it's 10 ft x 10ft, but it's a bit bigger than that---kaya I replaced the ft with an m hehe)....

et414 · « **Reply #41 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 12:30 PM »

$5k can go a long way when you are in the states

the denon 3806 sells for as low as $800 online. i would buy most of my gears used if i were you. there are a lot of good deals on audiogon.com. kakaingit nga e

yung display na lang bilhin mo na bago

wedge · « **Reply #42 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 12:37 PM »

$5K including the display na....

If I could cut down the alloted budget to a minimum, mas maganda. Hehe.

et414 · « **Reply #43 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 01:06 PM »

buy used to maximize your money. lotsa deals on ebay and audiogon. be careful lang nga. if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is

wedge · « **Reply #44 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 01:25 PM »

thanks

anyway, let's go to the technical stuff... what do you suggest should i get first?

et414 · « **Reply #45 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 01:34 PM »

what gears do you have right now?

MAtZTER · « **Reply #46 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 02:01 PM »

Quote from: wedge on Feb 12, 2007 at 01:25 PM

thanks

anyway, let's go to the technical stuff... what do you suggest should i get first?

Best suggestion is to wait till June when you are moving in before you buy. Prices will still drop & new technologies will be coming up in the next few months. Specially by mid year, there will be changes in the AV landscape. the only thing thats stable with prices are speakers.

receivers, players, displays are subject to change with new developments. PLAN, but dont buy... yet

And yes, I agree w/ E.T. w/ 2nd hand stuff, you will get more for your money. I constantly drool at the stuff sold at Ebay, If only I was in the U.S.

Are you in the U.S. wedge?

wedge · « **Reply #47 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 02:35 PM »

Quote from: ET414 on Feb 12, 2007 at 01:34 PM

what gears do you have right now?

Honestly, none at the moment

wedge · « **Reply #48 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 02:43 PM »

Quote from: MAtZTER on Feb 12, 2007 at 02:01 PM

Best suggestion is to wait till June when you are moving in before you buy. Prices will still drop & new technologies will be coming up in the next few months. Specially by mid year, there will be changes in the AV landscape. the only thing thats stable with prices are speakers.

receivers, players, displays are subject to change with new developments. PLAN, but dont buy... yet

And yes, I agree w/ E.T. w/ 2nd hand stuff, you will get more for your money. I constantly drool at the stuff sold at Ebay, If only I was in the U.S.

Are you in the U.S. wedge?

Yes, I am.

Actually, I'm at a quandary whether to buy it earlier (since it's a few more months to go) or wait until June or May or whenever the place is available na.

I'm quite stumped on what you said na new technologies would perhaps come out by the mid-year. And since they're new stuff, they'd be beyond my reach. That would defeat the idea of a simple setup. I'm currently window-shopping on several sites that peddle HT equipment, and somehow got me thinking (some are reasonable and some are not).

et414 · « **Reply #49 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 08:03 PM »

i agree w/ matt. new receivers w/c can decode the new hidef codecs will come out soon. when they come out you can expect the current line to drop their prices and that's when you can get great deals

but if you want to buy right now your best bet would be to buy the tv first. a 50-60in rear projection 720p hdtv would set you back around $1-1.5k. i wouldn't recommend getting a 1080p set if your going to sit more than 8ft away. a decent receiver w/ hdmi v1.1 should cost less than $800 especially if you get a refurbished unit. expect to spend around 1-2k for a decent set of 5.1 speakers but this could be substantially lower if u can find a good deal. hi definition players cost $400-500 and you should allot around $200 for ic's and cables.

audioholics has a "recommended ht setup" site. click me

et414 · « **Reply #50 on:** Feb 12, 2007 at 08:07 PM »

pareho tyo matt i slobber over the stuff at ebay and audiogon too! maski na new gears malayo ang price dito

audio video gear is so much more expensive here

MAtZTER · « **Reply #51 on:** Feb 13, 2007 at 10:16 AM »

Pabili na lang tayo kay wedge.

Anyway, I would also recommend that wedge buys a HDMI receiver already. HDMI was made to "simplify" the AV hobby (specially for the white people). Only 2 HDMI cables needed (one for receiver, one for display) This way, wedge will not need to go through the hassles of connecting several analog cables to a non HDMI receiver when he goes for BR or HDDVD.

These HDMI AVR's will surely be cheaper by mid year.

wedge · « **Reply #52 on:** Feb 13, 2007 at 10:29 AM »

How do I know if a receiver is an HDMI receiver? My apologies for my ineptitude....

MAtZTER · « **Reply #53 on:** Feb 13, 2007 at 10:45 AM »

Simple. This logo is printed in front of the receiver:

like this:

or this:

or this:

wedge · « **Reply #54 on:** Mar 03, 2007 at 02:57 PM »

I'll be purchasing a display anytime (we'll be moving on May) and I was wondering what kind should i get? I'm a little lost on the resolution part of displays. A friend recommended i should get a rear-projection LCD with a resolution of 1080p or anything on that respect, but he also said that the CRTs are also ideal. Any take/s on this?

Thanks

aligonzales · « **Reply #55 on:** Mar 27, 2007 at 12:23 PM »

Quote from: wedge on Mar 03, 2007 at 02:57 PM

I'll be purchasing a display anytime (we'll be moving on May) and I was wondering what kind should i get? I'm a little lost on the resolution part of displays. A friend recommended i should get a rear-projection LCD with a resolution of 1080p or anything on that respect, but he also said that the CRTs are also ideal. Any take/s on this?

Thanks

Yes, get a 1080p display-it's future proof

. Although personally, i would prefer buying a flat panel tv rather than a rear projection tv.

I recommend the Hitachi P50H401 50-INCH HD 1080P Plasma which costs around $2,200

click here --> http://www.nextag.com/Hitachi-P50H401-50-inch-534831080/prices-html

That leaves you around $2,800 for the audio set-up.

Here are my suggestions;

For the receiver;

Harman Kardon AVR 645 - $800
http://www.nextag.com/Harman-Kardon-AVR-645-512283838/prices-html

or

Denon AVR 2307 - $700
http://www.nextag.com/Denon-AVR-2307CI-Home-517121592/prices-html

For the source:

Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray disc player $500
http://www.nextag.com/samsung-bluray/search-html

or

Toshiba HD-A2 HD-DVD player $ 400
http://www.nextag.com/Toshiba-HD-A2-HD-519701771/prices-html

for the Speakers;

http://www.axiomaudio.com/epicmidi_125specs.html

These are just examples of what you can buy if you want a complete set for $5k

Hope this helps

MAtZTER · « **Reply #56 on:** Apr 25, 2007 at 03:35 PM »

Check this out:

Emotiva separates w/ HDMI. Both pre/pro & amp for just $899!!!

7.1 pre pro w/ HDMI

6x125w amp, 6th channel can be bridged to 2x50w so it can be a 7 channel amp.
60+lb beast!!!

http://www.emotivaaudio.com

I actually tried ordering one but was rejected, freight cost to the Phils is $600. LOL. I will just wait for next year's HDMI models w/ the new sound formats.

Lucky for you guys in the U.S.

audiojunkie · « **Reply #57 on:** May 22, 2007 at 03:36 PM »

Yes! I agree .. lucky those in the US. When I purchased my cables and preamp I paid almost half the cost of the items. and I had to pay for custom duty for the preamp. :'( :'(

wedge · « **Reply #58 on:** May 24, 2007 at 08:18 AM »

Okay. So i already made a partial checklist on what I would need:

Display: Toshiba 65" 1080p DLP
Receiver: Yamaha RX-V2700
Speakers (everything included): Infinity Primus P252 (floor standing); PC350 (center channel); TSS-SAT800 (surrounds); PS28 (subwoofer).
Media player: still thinking whether an HD-DVD or a Blu-Ray...

I think I'm still within the budget...

any thoughts, violent reactions, suggestions and recommendations are highly appreciated.

Thanks!

MAtZTER · « **Reply #59 on:** May 24, 2007 at 10:38 AM »

I would recommend a Harman instead of a Yamaha... when paired w/ infinity. The 2 when combined, might be too bright (matining). Or change to another set of speakers.

Just my 2 cents.