advice for surround / speakers

D

dilly1066

VIP Member
VIP Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2008
Messages
1,711
Reaction score
246
Location
yorkshire
hiya, im looking into getting a new surround sound setup, im not looking to spend alot of money just maybe £100 to £150 just a cheapo deal really, at the minute i have a very old sony dav-400 and i still think it sounds great, to be honest i wunt be too bothered about replacing but main reason is its all silver, everything else i have on tv stand is black, plus its got a big old dvd player as the main unit which i really dont need or want anymore, no idea what im looking for as i dont really know alot about sound set ups, but thing i did find while looking was this all in one speaker set on play.com

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/3479314/Logic3-TX101-SoundStage-5-1-Surround-Sound-Cinema-Speaker-System-Soundbar/Product.html?searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchstring=logic3+tx101&urlrefer=search&P36=WGGF6Z&affid=hotukdeals&awc=buyat&_$ja=tsid:11516|prd:hotukdeals
Click to expand...

its at the top end of what i want to spend, i seen some deals in bargain section around 80 quid and stuff like that and i think them systems for that price would do me, but i like the look of the one in the link and the fact i wont have to lay all the wires again, but how different is it compaired to a proper surround sound ? has anybody got one ? anybody point me in right direction of something else for my budget ? thanks
 
It'll sound better than the television, but nothing like surround.

The only soundbars I've heard that work are the Yamahas, for which you'd need to spend a lot more.
 
I've no experience of the brand, but this is within your budget: CURTIS 5.1 BLU RAY HOME CINEMA KIT - Tesco.Direct

The specs for the Sony speakers are 40W per speaker (6ohms at 1kHz @ THD 10%) and the sub is 100W (3ohms at 1kHz @ THD 10%). I'm not entirely sure what that all means but if you take it into Richer Sounds they should be able to tell you if you can use your old speakers on an amp.
 
Last edited:
You could just buy a cheap surround sound receiver and keep the speakers , chop the non standard ends and plug them in to something like
_http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txsr309/onky-txsr309-blk

140 pounds, then upgrade the speakers as needed, centre, fronts rears, Active sub
 
Have a look at the Logitech range of speakers PC Speakers they are quite cheap & the sound is superb. I have the z906 which is a newer model of the z5500 which i also have. I also have some of the smaller units the LS21 (£24.99) & the z523 (£80) those are smaller than the previous two but the sound from them is still very good especially for pc speakers which is what i use them for.

The previous two z906 & z5500 i have connected to the tv/dvd in the living room & bedroom. Have a look on ebay for a decent 2nd hand z5500 as i think these are the better of the two & if you could get them for around £150 you'd have yourself a superb set of speakers. Other than that if you'd prefer new i'd go for the Z506 which you can get for less than £80 Logitech UK - Surround Sound Speakers Z506

Ebuyer have those for £64 Logitech Z506 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers - 75W RMS | Ebuyer.com
 
for that money , richer sound do yamaha NSP40 which is brilliant value for money @£140 ... but if i was you for little extra you could get The TANNOY SFX 5.1 which i have , and its excellent for £199 cant grumble it is worth the bit extra dosh !
 
save your cash wait a little longer (to save) and go buy an onkyo setup......outstanding.

you'll end up buying a cheap one if not, then you'll want to upgrade further down the line for a better setup....just do it right first time round is my advice.
 
Onkyo all the way, the nr808 is awesome, a real beast

However on the budget you suggested I would agree with Chris peters, get the tannoys mate I used to have them before I upgraded to B&W... And the tannoys where superb. I am sure they won what hi fi budget range 2 years on the bounce.

Mick
 
Bang for buck? this all the way.

gadstanoob said:
You could just buy a cheap surround sound receiver and keep the speakers , chop the non standard ends and plug them in to something like
_http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txsr309/onky-txsr309-blk

140 pounds, then upgrade the speakers as needed, centre, fronts rears, Active sub
Click to expand...

Clickable
 
hiya, jesus, im proper lost now lol, ive got no idea which the best bet is, i have no eexperience with surround sound set ups at all, the sony dav-400 i have was given to me and its only one ive ever had, i think it sounds great, i really cant be going to 2 and 300 pounds, i do like the look of this one that hawkish linked to
PANASONIC SC-XH50EB-K 5.1 DVD HOME CINEMA SYSTEM 330W HDMI UPSCALER | eBay
the other one at 240 thought is abit too much, the ones alien head linked to look ok aswell,
but i think the yamaha one seems very good aswell, how does that work without a dvd player or av reciever ? at minute i just have my xtreamer ultra plugged into the sony dav via optical cable, is that the best slot to have on a surround sound or soemthing else ?
The onkyo av reciever looks great bit of kit but then it means i would have to get new speakers etc which would end up been quite expensive so i think that might be bit out of budget, thanks
 
Nah theres bargains to be had speaker wise on gumtree and ebay ect...... Just buy a good amp and add the speakers later...my onkyo does sound via hdmi so no opitical leads needed plus its 3d ready too, got all my gear hooked up to mine, xbox, ps3, xtreamer, dreambox, sky hd box, all connected to the amp and 3d tv.


Ive been there.....you will buy trash (you wont think it at first but down the line it'll dawn on you) then you'll want a better setup so it'll end up costing you more in the long run.
 
hiya, yeah does sound about right to be honest mate i think it happens with everything people buy, start of small then want to upgrade so it does make sense really, i suppose i could do as someone already said in this thread, go for the av reciever and then use my speakers while i save abit more for some better speakers, what about this what someone linked me to in this thread

Onkyo TXSR309 Black | AV Receiver | Richer Sounds

looks pretty good to me but like i say i have no experience what so ever, thanks

ive just seen this on richer sounds website which seems pretty good, bit more expensive than i originally want to spend but im willing to wait abit longer if its the best thing to do, this yamaha one also says it passes 3d signal which i should have really as i do watch a few 3d films,

http://www.richersounds.com/product/1-box-home-cinema-systems/yamaha/yht196/yama-yht196

what do people think ? thanks

just noticed the onkyo one does aswell i must of missed it lol, the onkyo ones a better receiever int it ? i think i be better going for that one and using my speakers until i get some more wunt i ?
 
Last edited:
I agree with thommo.

You should buy a decent surround... it will be a little over budget but you wont regret it.

Onkyo UK tuned is the best way to go in my opinion.

with the Tannoys would blow you away compared to what you was thinking of using.

I had the earlier onkyo with the same tannoys, and they sounded fantastic - amazing for my first entry into AV!!!

For less than £400 you will have something that actually sounds as good as a decent cinema better than some too lol. When I bought the same system about 5-6 years ago it was about £1500 all in.

I know you have a strict budget but if you could wait you would not be disappointed :)


THIS:
http://www.richersounds.com/product/speaker-packages/tannoy/sfx5.1/tann-sfx5.1-blk
AND THIS:
http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txsr309/onky-txsr309-blk

for £350 is an absolute steal!

Mick
 
Last edited:
the yamaha kit at £199 is very budget ,
The onkyo reciever is excellent , and is miles ahead of the yammy . imo
 
tannoy efx silver on ebay £80 collected from Surrey or £95 delivered, second hand, but still good price, but have seen these lower on AVF sicne people are always upgrading.

But would probably pick an amp up new unless someone is selling one with a warranty.
 
Hiya. God nearly bought budget surround other day and thought no il post on here first, so glad i did, top quality advice as always, thanks alot everyone for the replys, defo going to get the onkyo av reciever and going to use it with my speakers for the time been and then get some decent speakers in few months time, thats my best bet i think, i cant really afford it all in one go so il just get it in 2 parts, thanks
 
dilly1066 said:
Hiya. God nearly bought budget surround other day and thought no il post on here first, so glad i did, top quality advice as always, thanks alot everyone for the replys, defo going to get the onkyo av reciever and going to use it with my speakers for the time been and then get some decent speakers in few months time, thats my best bet i think, i cant really afford it all in one go so il just get it in 2 parts, thanks
Click to expand...

very wise decision ...good man
 
hiya , now im sorted i was talking to my brother earlier who has been after a surround sound for ages, he always gets advised to buy ones with expensive bluray players etc and he just dint fancy it as was very expensive, anyway i was telling him about the set up im going to get and how much it was going to cost and i said quality is meant to be top class, he then asked if i would ask on here what his best option is, he has a budget of around 500 pounds, so im wondering is it worth spending that extra 150 pounds from the system im going to get ? or is he better sticking with the setup im getting for 350 pounds ? any advice what his best options are ? thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

bilabonic
New TV -What do i get, 65" -Time for the 20 year Plasma to go!
2
Replies
24
Views
1K
gez
gez
Rat
Sony Surround Soundbar with Subwoofer £89.99
Replies
8
Views
2K
Rat
Rat
i-zombie
how do i tell if speakers blown or its an amp issue
Replies
3
Views
1K
zad
Z
magicalbeef
After some speakers
Replies
2
Views
1K
gritz
G
D
fast usb stick
Replies
3
Views
749
dilly1066
D
Back
Top