Surround sound.noob.

[The Duke]

Many years ago I bought a Phillips (iirc) surround sound DVD set up. Can’t really the watts etc .the box part of it died a few months ago and I’ve gist remembered.

 

So I have all the speakers still wired in place 5:1. Can I just by the box half of it and use the speakers I have. If so any recommendations, sound and make isn’t high only list, we are no audiophiles amazon would be best. And cheap even better. I gist want the sound to not sound like empty tinny we now get on all flatscreens

Oh speed is good too as id like to order tonight for a sun morning delivery .

[JayCeeDee]

The difference between the cost of just the box and box + speakers is likely to be small.

The difference between speaker performance from many years ago and today will be large. Buy a box plus speakers and if the wiring is concealed or a difficult run, just use the old wiring with the new box and speakers. Just remember to get the “polarity” right.

[Ed P]

The answer to your question is YES, I did just that some while ago as I’m a tightwad plus the effects of working near high pressure steam leaks without ear defenders has caught up with me!

[blacklion1725]

Be careful with impedance matching – a lot of bespoke surround systems use all sorts of impedances. A lot of more modern amps and receivers will cope with anything between 4 and 8 ohms, but cheaper units may be tied (probably at 8 ohms). From memory using 8 ohnm speakers on a lower rated (e.g. 4 ohm) amp is OK (ish) but 4 ohm speakers on an 8 ohm amp is a no-no (or the other way round!).

I’d also agree that the speakers you have in place a probably quite poor, and won’t do a new amp justice. I look at replacing them. Ebay is full of real bargains. Probably get the whole lot (amp/receiver and speakers) for not too much.

[JayCeeDee]

One other thing is connections – look at what you are going to connect it to and how – phono or Tos – and make sure what you buy will connect up easily.

When my computer desk was in the old conservatory I had an old AIO home cinema 5.1 system as my computer sound system. Overkill for normal use, but I opened the doors and had a great garden hi-fi!!

[Bob Williams]

This is the latest improved version of my simple, 2:1 soundbar:

http://tinyurl.com/y9ga3db9

It is good enough for my smaller living room, quite a good sound. I expect this later version will be even better, and it can be connected to more kit for real Surround Sound, if you scroll down the page. I don’t have room or need for that, the one box gives us great sound. I connect to the Humax and Sony TV with a Toslink optical cable. I could have gone Bluetooth and wireless, but had speech/sync issues, the Toslink cured that.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Thanks, I took a gamble and bought an Onkio Jobie, off ebay but a local  pick up (first for me). Not what I wanted per say, probably over kill, but has hdmi inputs, digital and analog. So everything should hook up. all I’ll use is hdmi.

Iirc the way its been hooked up for the last 6 years or so is a “temp workaround” that become permanent. So Atleast now it will be done proper.

That’s if it works. Lol that’s tomorrow’s job now. Need to cut off the old Phillips plugs off the existing speakers, and jam the wire in their correct holes.

[blacklion1725]

Onkyo make good gear Duke – but penny to a pound you’ll want better speakers sooner rather than later though! Enjoy either way….but check the impedance of those speakers versus your new receiver.

[The Duke]

Where is the impedance kept? I’ll have to get one of the speakers down tomorrow. I just wanted a  quick in-out job

I feel like im being led towards that Smith and jones hi-fi shop routine here

The head unit isn’t that good, think its a 2009 year model. But probably cost more than the £130 ish my surround sound DVD player cost in around 2006/7.

Could the cheap speakers off the Phillips set up, not be up to the better head unit.

TX SR 307 is the make. I thought it looked ok, my 23-year-old said: “was that your dads”!

[blacklion1725]

they may be fine (quality is subjective) but on the back should show impedance in ohms. The receiver will be very good don’t worry about that bit – if the speakers are compatible (impedance) then just listen and see what you think.

Good thing is you can (if you want/need) upgrade speakers in installments. My original fronts are now my surrounds after I got a good deal on new stereo fronts. I bought a centre off ebay to replace the original too. I live quite happily without a subwoofer (so 5.0) – and most receivers let you choose to include/exclude. I’m in an end terrace an shuddered (neighbours) every time the sub “boomed”.

 

[Ed P]

If you can dig out the name you can look it up, but I’ll bet it has a 12 ohm speaker impedance.

[The Duke]

The back of the Onkyo tx sr 307, it said impedance of 6 to 16 ohms, the speakers I have in place are one 8ohms and four at 4ohms. I don’t know what the sub is.

The back of the Onkyo is way above me.  I can get all the speakers to output when I run the config from the men but for the life of me, I can’t get all 5 to work together. Either the rear two or front 3.

Also, have an issue with the sub, my sub doesn’t have a connector, it just has two wires (like most speakers do), the Onkyo expects an RCA (iirc)type connector. So I have an RCA that has two females on end and single male the other. So I quickly bastardised an old RCA wire, connected a male end to both (chocolate box style), then plugged both into the 2-1 RCA connector. didn’t work.

So I’m now at a loss but have a centre, left and right. This will be revisited after Xmas.

Probably with a £50 soundbar.

The amp looks cool, and I bet sounds ok to, that is if a none fool set it up.

[The Duke]

List been looking at subs, they seem to come in two setups, the standard speaker twin wire in pit or a single RCA connector (im hoping that’s the term), my lad has one that will fit in the RCA input, my Onkyo has. so tomorrow ill test his out.

Now my question is can a twin wire set up be converted easily to an RCA male input?

This probably makes no sense, without pictures. Why can life not be simple?

[JayCeeDee]

 

Steve – is this the two wires you mean??

[The Duke]

Thanks It’s just speaker wire, but yes something like you have drawn there, (full marks btw) should work.

I’ll have to update this in a few days.

[blacklion1725]

Main thing to be sure of with the sub is whether it is active (has a mains plug) or passive (just the speaker wires). Your Onkyo will almost certainly need an active sub. Guessing if the one you have lined up has a phono connector it is almost certainly active but worth checking.

[A lot of the bespoke 5.1 DVD systems will have been provided with a passive sub – so there are plenty of those floating around]

[JayCeeDee]

The Duke wrote:

Thanks It’s just speaker wire, but yes something like you have drawn there, (full marks btw) should work. I’ll have to update this in a few days.

 

Steve, I didn’t draw that. I googled “rca male wiring diagram” and copied in one of the images!!?

[Monkey Shoulder]

It would be good to know the model number of your original Philips rig.

As Blacklion said, if the onkyo is looking for a powered sub, there wont be a speaker level output for your sub.

I’ve just had a look at the manual     http://www.intl.onkyo.com/downloads/manuals/pdf/tx-sr307_manual_e.pdf

The TX SR307 definatley wants a powered sub.

If you are using just a speaker for a sub, you will need another, separate amp for it.

Good Luck

MS

Philosophy is the new rock and roll.

[The Duke]

At this point I dont think I have a way to find out the model number of the old set up, the “amp” part got binned at the end of the summer.

The sub that came with the Philips SS is defo not powered , it just has a normal twin speaker wire coming out of it. I’d suspect a powered sub would have a second power lead as well as the audio wire .

This is how new I am to this side of things .

[blacklion1725]

It can seem a bit of a minefield Duke, but you have made a sound choice with the Onkyo – assuming the other speakers are compatible) it will probably give you an option to set up without the sub – that’s how I went and never regretted it.

Subs I find are good for action films but not great for normal TV or music (or neighbours). That passive sub is a non runner with your Onkyo – but not necessarily a bad thing – and ebay is swimming with active subs as people upgrade if you still want one after you try without. My setup now is a Denon AV receiver, Q-Acoustics fronts, Gale centre and rears, and no sub. It all plays very nice once set up. As long as the bits and bobs are compatible there’s lots of flexibility – the Onkyo may come with a Mic you can use to autocalibrate everything, but if not it will definitely give you a lot of options to get it all set up how you want.

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