After hearing a friends new system I'm interested in improving my very basic meager setup. Which hasn't been setup in years. Just running a sound bar now. My friend has the full Definative Technology setup. Impressive but I don't have 3 grand to drop on this. I have an Onkyo receiver that's about 20 years old. It has a feature I really liked called phantom mode. It took the center speaker sound to kicked it out to the left and right mains. My first thing to get is another receiver. Do the newer models have this phantom mode feature?

That is just the receiver putting the center channel audio, split evenly into the left/right mains.
Personally, with there being a lot of center channel being used for dialog in movies these days, I'd opt for a dedicated center. It doesn't need to be crazy expensive.

I was using a DefTech 5.1 package that wasn't terribly expensive. When finances permitted, I replaced the fronts with better speakers, and moved the originals to the 7.1 positions.

quote:

I don't have 3 grand to drop on this

Then don't waste your time, get a good soundbar with a remote sub, and remote surround channels. Something like this will impress most people and give an improvement over soundbar or TV speakers.

I have an inexpensive set up for my TV. Receiver - $600. Center/Left/Right $350 each. Rears $200 each. Speaker wire $100. Sub $500. Then there is the whole issue of running the wiring through the walls and who patches the holes from it.

So in a inexpensive set up I have $2,650 in equipment. I provided my own labor worth about $1,000 and it did not require cutting any holes because I have attic access, but you can tack on another grand in paint and drywall.

So for my relatively inexpensive system it would cost almost $5k, more if you hire a A/V company to source and run everything.

I have a full surround sound setup in my theater, and like yours it’s real old.

This year, I upgraded my 2 flat screens to 4K Sony’s and bought their sound bar with rear channels and let me tell you, it’s as good as my real speakers in my theater in some ways and better in others. Sound bar comes with a sub, then you buy a set of rear channels. Setup will cost you about $800-900. Go to a local Best Buy and check it out. You’ll be impressed.

While you said you don’t have 3k you did not mention your actual budget.

1700 will get you a Sonos sound bar, sub, and (2) Play One speakers for the rear.
Your sound will be stunning.

Once my reviever goes toasty this will be what I do.
My father in-law has Play 5s instead of 1s but I am not sure they are worth the extra $350 a speaker for the rears.

I'm not sure what my total budget will be. I'd like to start with a new receiver and use old speakers for the time being. I will up grade speakers at some point. I have only had the budget for book shelf speakers in the past. Some entry level floor standing speakers are well with in my future budget. I still like to sit and listen to music as well. An old fart in that regard. That is why I'm not interested in the soundbar option. I'm already running a soundbar with a sub. Its alright. Better than the tv speaker.

My thread a few days ago

I setup a nice sounding one for less than $1K (w/o TV). The center speaker will deliver dialogue that you can understand.

You guys are selling me on a center speaker. I liked the phantom mode on my old receiver because I didn't need a center speaker. With 35 plus years in the welding/fabricating business my hearing isn't what it used to be.

If you can get up to the Bose store in Castle Rock, you can pick up a Soundtouch 300, small sub, and rear speakers for $1100, or do the bar by itself for $400 to take care of the front three channels.

It has a dialogue mode that will enhance vocals in the center channel without having to turn up the main volume, too.

This is what I’m looking at for our condo for next summer:

A/V receiver: Yamaha RX- V385 $284
Front bookshelf speakers: ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 $150
Center speaker: ELAC Debut 2.0 C6.2 $140

The ELACs are rated highest of the budget bookshelf. The Yamaha 5.1 is 4K Ultra HD.
I cannot locate surround speakers in the condo and will wait to see if I just have to have a subwoofer. Have neighbors to consider, yanno.

You really do want to keep a dedicated center, especially if your hearing is going south. Don't ask me how I know.

My receiver now is a Sony and I like it a lot. Not that expensive either at right around two bills. Sitting here thinking about it, I have probably 1500 hundred in the surrounds, sub-woofer and rears. They are all JBL but my center is a Klipsch and it was about 150.

Its my family that says my hearing is going south. I say I live with a bunch of mumblers.

This topic has come up before here and I listen to the comments because I wanted a new surround system. Last month I finally got the Sonos system and it is FANTASTIC. A little speedy yes but well worth it. The Sonos Play bar acts as the receiver so I was able to get rid of one piece of equipment. Sound is great! Even the wife likes it which says a lot here. Spendy, yes, but worth every penny. No more wires or bigger bulky speakers. Simple set-up and it even calibrates the sound to the room and you can always add more speakers..just plug one in.

Good timing. I've been looking at possibly building my own system, but wanted something simple. A good receiver and a few speakers, not necessarily surround sound. Never thought the sound bars would be worth a shit because they seemed gimmicky. I'll have to check these out as well as Sonos.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
You guys are selling me on a center speaker. I liked the phantom mode on my old receiver because I didn't need a center speaker. With 35 plus years in the welding/fabricating business my hearing isn't what it used to be.

If you're watching a lot of movies (or TV) with quality 5.1 sound - a center channel is a must. The majority of sounds you "see" on screen will come out of there, especially dialogue. If you barely watch movies with 5.1 or higher tracks you could skip the center channel

If you buy a new receiver - you won't see a "phantom mode" anymore. If you are going to run sans center channel - you just tell the receiver you don't have one and it will handle the rest. Any good receiver will also have a auto setup for EQ using a microphone that you position around your room.

Get receiver, then maybe a real subwoofer (from svsound.com or http://www.hsuresearch.com for great value subs) Then figure out the rest of the 5 speakers (or more if you're into that). All you need is 5.1, but if you want to go all out you can get up to 11.1 or get into Dolby Atmos and go nuts and have speakers on your ceiling, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
Good timing. I've been looking at possibly building my own system, but wanted something simple. A good receiver and a few speakers, not necessarily surround sound. Never thought the sound bars would be worth a shit because they seemed gimmicky. I'll have to check these out as well as Sonos.

I really have a hard time putting the Sonos in the same category as any other sound bar.
I have a Yamaha sound bar and powered sub in the home gym. It is great for that purpose mainly music pretty heavy and loud and the occasional Netflix show when the wife is on the treadmill for an extended time. Great for that but would not suggest it for a surround sound movie experience.

My father in law built a home theater in an unfisnished basement perfect time for running wires and great speaker placement since he was finishing it.
He opted for the sonos setup. I suggested against it. But it was his money. Turns out that money was well spent.
Simple to use, simple to set up, just plug the speakers in the wall and the sound bar the the HDMI on the TV. A few clicks here and there on the app.
Rivals pretty much any home theater setup I have heard. Not counting 10k plus audiophile set ups.

Black,
I just stopped by the local Best Try on my way home and messed around with the Sonos set up. Very nice. I'm no audiophile but it sounded pretty good to me.

Soundbars have a basic fault: They get their signal directly from the TV, so unless it is connected to an expensive TV with high-end sound, it gets an inferior signal. The soundbar then adds effects itself. Because of their narrow height, soundbars have small speakers. In speakers, size matters. Also, accessories such as BT player, Roku and cable box must be connected to the TV directly, so their sound is also degraded by the TV amp. For home theater, reviewers of home theater equipment (CNET, etc.) all say you are better off with a modest A/V receiver set up as 3.1 with good budget bookshelf speakers than a soundbar. If wireless speakers are added to a TV soundbar, the sound improves somewhat, but still not up to a 3.1 or 5.1 traditional setup. For music playback, reviewers say a soundbar is particularly lacking.

Soundbars and their related wireless speakers such as Sonos look sleek and new and sound nice. Wireless setup is appealing. But the quality sound just isn't there and a Sonos is more expensive. The $150 ELAC bookshelf speakers I mentioned above are rated by several reviewers as equal to speakers costing 3-4 times as much and are superior to any soundbar. For music, if the sound is pure and balanced, you can hear nuances and don't need high volume. If you watch adventure movies, a 5.1 or 7.1 traditional system will blow you away. For dialogue, most modern A/V receivers have a dialogue enhancer, but a good center speaker will deliver clarity.

I just bought my subs and speakers from advice on here..Polk audio on the SUBS and ELAC on the 2 mains, BUT i also bought a sony rcvr, and it has no MANUAL treble or bass control so the damn music sounds so flat, pissed, YMMV but buyer beware

quote:

Originally posted by golddot:
I just bought my subs and speakers from advice on here..Polk audio on the SUBS and ELAC on the 2 mains, BUT i also bought a sony rcvr, and it has no MANUAL treble or bass control so the damn music sounds so flat, pissed, YMMV but buyer beware

You can't adjust it with the remote? You are limited to Sony's predetermined sound stage? Weird.