2.1 Apartment-Friendly Sound System

MegaMan001

I am looking for a nice set of speakers for my Samsung 46 inch LCD television. Over the last few weeks I've noticed that this set has absolutely terrible mid to low sounds. Anytime a lower or deeper sound occurs (like in every episode of Battlestar Galactica) my television gives me this rough buzzing rather than the actual noise and it's quite unpleasant.

I don't have any intentions of setting up a surround sound system in my apartment or using a large subwoofer - or any subwoofer for that matter. I live in a popular apartment building that I don't want to be 'that guy with the woofer on the second floor that shakes the building'. I also don't want to run wires around the living room to set up surround sound speakers.

Instead, I am looking for a solid set of two speakers that you don't need a receiver for to just give richer, deeper, more clear tones.

Is this even feasible or does it require a step up to a receiver and all of that additional equipment?

Esh

MegaMan001 wrote: »

I am looking for a nice set of speakers for my Samsung 46 inch LCD television. Over the last few weeks I've noticed that this set has absolutely terrible mid to low sounds. Anytime a lower or deeper sound occurs (like in every episode of Battlestar Galactica) my television gives me this rough buzzing rather than the actual noise and it's quite unpleasant.

I don't have any intentions of setting up a surround sound system in my apartment or using a large subwoofer - or any subwoofer for that matter. I live in a popular apartment building that I don't want to be 'that guy with the woofer on the second floor that shakes the building'. I also don't want to run wires around the living room to set up surround sound speakers.

Instead, I am looking for a solid set of two speakers that you don't need a receiver for to just give richer, deeper, more clear tones.

Is this even feasible or does it require a step up to a receiver and all of that additional equipment?

Soundbar?

strebalicious

I myself have this stereo with all sound going to the AUX jack on the front. I have a cheap push button switcher that I use for all my consoles to make it easier. Sound is decent enough for me, not a whole lot of bass but I still hear little details in songs that I don't with headphones or cheap speakers.

Esh

strebalicious wrote: »

I myself have this stereo with all sound going to the AUX jack on the front. I have a cheap push button switcher that I use for all my consoles to make it easier. Sound is decent enough for me, not a whole lot of bass but I still hear little details in songs that I don't with headphones or cheap speakers.

Kind of tacky (reminds me of college and high school dorms) looking and really obtrusive (where would that fit into any sort of TV stand?) though. If the OP is looking for any sort of aesthetic value, that's not the path to take.

strebalicious

Esh wrote: »

strebalicious wrote: »

I myself have this stereo with all sound going to the AUX jack on the front. I have a cheap push button switcher that I use for all my consoles to make it easier. Sound is decent enough for me, not a whole lot of bass but I still hear little details in songs that I don't with headphones or cheap speakers.

Kind of tacky (reminds me of college and high school dorms) looking and really obtrusive (where would that fit into any sort of TV stand?) though. If the OP is looking for any sort of aesthetic value, that's not the path to take.

Hey, it was a free gift I won at a Christmas party, so I ain't complaining. I have a pretty long credenza and have the speakers on the sides of the TV, with the unit sitting on another identical credenza nearby. Granted, I only have a 37" TV, but he could probably find a more understated system if he wanted to go that route.

solsovly

MegaMan001 wrote: »

I am looking for a nice set of speakers for my Samsung 46 inch LCD television. Over the last few weeks I've noticed that this set has absolutely terrible mid to low sounds. Anytime a lower or deeper sound occurs (like in every episode of Battlestar Galactica) my television gives me this rough buzzing rather than the actual noise and it's quite unpleasant.

I don't have any intentions of setting up a surround sound system in my apartment or using a large subwoofer - or any subwoofer for that matter. I live in a popular apartment building that I don't want to be 'that guy with the woofer on the second floor that shakes the building'. I also don't want to run wires around the living room to set up surround sound speakers.

Instead, I am looking for a solid set of two speakers that you don't need a receiver for to just give richer, deeper, more clear tones.

Is this even feasible or does it require a step up to a receiver and all of that additional equipment?

What's your budget? I'd opt to get a decent receiver and some solid speakers. The ones I have produce enough oomph to sound very good in an apartment and do not have a sub. These will require a sub. edit (not a sub, meant a receiver)

Left Right: for the left and right. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290018&cm_re=polk_monitor_60-_-82-290-018-_-Product

Center: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290023&cm_re=polk_cs2-_-82-290-023-_-Product

If your budget is ~$100, look at some of the PC speakers like: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-970118-0403-Z-2d2300-Speaker-System/dp/B0002SQ2P2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276402901&sr=1-2

I vote against the stereo boom box setup unless your apartment is really a dorm room.

Stabbity Style

solsovly wrote: »

MegaMan001 wrote: »

I am looking for a nice set of speakers for my Samsung 46 inch LCD television. Over the last few weeks I've noticed that this set has absolutely terrible mid to low sounds. Anytime a lower or deeper sound occurs (like in every episode of Battlestar Galactica) my television gives me this rough buzzing rather than the actual noise and it's quite unpleasant.

I don't have any intentions of setting up a surround sound system in my apartment or using a large subwoofer - or any subwoofer for that matter. I live in a popular apartment building that I don't want to be 'that guy with the woofer on the second floor that shakes the building'. I also don't want to run wires around the living room to set up surround sound speakers.

Instead, I am looking for a solid set of two speakers that you don't need a receiver for to just give richer, deeper, more clear tones.

Is this even feasible or does it require a step up to a receiver and all of that additional equipment?

If your budget is ~$100, look at some of the PC speakers like: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-970118-0403-Z-2d2300-Speaker-System/dp/B0002SQ2P2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276402901&sr=1-2

I use these and can attest that they're awesome. It depends on how far away from the TV you are, though. I don't know how great they'd be a yard and a half away on a couch.

Unknown

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Improvolone

Fyi, the .1 is bass. If you can afford it, get 3 speakers. A center channel is super important.

MegaMan001

Mmm, the soundbar idea is very intriguing. How do those usually sound? Solsovly, that set up is a bit out of my price range.

I should have pointed out I can't spend more than $200 on this. I'm in graduate school and while I could certainly float it on my student loans it's a little more responsible for me to just wait until I graduate, settle down, and then I can create some awesome man cave with my new salary.

I think the PC speakers are my best bet unless someone has a tip on a great soundbar system for around $200?

Improvolone

Honestly? You should be able to find a good enough used receiver for very cheap on Craigslist.

Ramen Noodle

Improvolone wrote: »

Honestly? You should be able to find a good enough used receiver for very cheap on Craigslist.

Yep. Buy a used reciever for cheap on Craigslist and then buy some thrift store speakers or these I've also heard great things about. This is coming from someone who did all this yesterday.

MegaMan001

Improvolone wrote: »

Honestly? You should be able to find a good enough used receiver for very cheap on Craigslist.

All right, I'll take a look around Craig's List to see what I find. What are the characteristics I should look for in a receiver?

Improvolone

Cheap, I suppose.
Are you familiar with good manufacturers to look for?

MegaMan001

Improvolone wrote: »

Cheap, I suppose.
Are you familiar with good manufacturers to look for?

Not really, no. I've heard that Yamaha is pretty good - other than that, nothing.

Improvolone

Onkyo, Dennon, Yamaha, Sony... if you've heard of it, its probably good enough for your purposes.

MegaMan001

How does HDMI fit in with this? Do I run a second HDMI cable from my receiver to the television or use component or what?

EDIT: Or is it a single HDMI from cable box to receiver and then another HDMI from receiver to television?

Esh

Do you guys really think that a sub $200 level combination of speakers and receiver (used even) is going to sound better or even be worth the hassle of tracking down than just buying a soundbar?

Don't bog yourself down if you're just planning on upgrading later. A soundbar is just fine for an apartment.

MegaMan001

Esh wrote: »

Do you guys really think that a sub $200 level combination of speakers and receiver (used even) is going to sound better or even be worth the hassle of tracking down than just buying a soundbar?

Don't bog yourself down if you're just planning on upgrading later. A soundbar is just fine for an apartment.

I am no audiophile, I'm just looking for richer sound. I have a feeling that a soundbar or a set of decent sub-$200 PC speakers will do me just fine for a few years.

I'll take a look at local used receivers if someone can kind of illustrate how HDMI fits into the whole thing.

Esh

MegaMan001 wrote: »

Esh wrote: »

Do you guys really think that a sub $200 level combination of speakers and receiver (used even) is going to sound better or even be worth the hassle of tracking down than just buying a soundbar?

Don't bog yourself down if you're just planning on upgrading later. A soundbar is just fine for an apartment.

I am no audiophile, I'm just looking for richer sound. I have a feeling that a soundbar or a set of decent sub-$200 PC speakers will do me just fine for a few years.

I'll take a look at local used receivers if someone can kind of illustrate how HDMI fits into the whole thing.

Even a mediocre used receiver with HDMI is going to hit you for most of your budget.

I'd avoid the computer speakers. They're almost guaranteed to have a subwoofer (which you don't want in an apartment) and no "center channel", faux or otherwise.

Improvolone

Soundbars are kind of neat, but a receiver will give him a bit more real flexibility. If you can find a soundbar that gets good reviews for under $200, fucking go for it. But even halfway decent ones are $$$.

Unknown

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MegaMan001

Okay, now I am even more confused of what to do.

I have HDMI cables running from my cable box, 360, and one day, PS3 to the television. Then I have a component cables from the PS2 and the Gamecube to the television.

How does the receiver end up in this debacle?

Improvolone

Does your TV have an audio out?

MegaMan001

After consulting the manual I have an "Audio Out" with a Right and Left designation and then a "Digital Audio Out" and separate audio jacks for DVI / S-Video, and A/V hookups.

Improvolone

Use your digital audio out to get the centre channel

MegaMan001

After more research it appears you guys are correct that the receiver with enough HDMI inputs to satisfy my requirements are easily 300-500 dollars. Since that's out of my price range and I don't have an interest in doing some halfsie receiver without HDMI which would be a stopgap measure for the next few years I instead will go with some mid-range PC speakers that should satisfy my needs for the short term.

Thanks for the info, guys. This can be locked now I think?

Improvolone

Mid-range PCs won't sound as good and are just as much a stop gap measure.

MegaMan001

Improvolone wrote: »

Mid-range PCs won't sound as good and are just as much a stop gap measure.

Yes, but they are a stop gap measure that won't involve my spending more than I want to, losing my HDMI video signal, or require buying additional speakers.

I'm no audiophile - I can't tell the difference in a store between 500 dollar speakers and 50 dollar speakers.

I'm sure the PC speakers won't provide the amount of sound I could get from a receiver, but they really seem to be the solution as I can't cross the HDMI gap without spending a lot more.

EDIT: I mean, if someone can give me a description of how to run concurrent HDMI and audio signal out of my 360 (one to the TV and one to a non-HDMI receiver) that'd be great, but I don't see how that is suppose to work without losing my HDMI visual signal?

Improvolone

By using your TV's audio out.

MegaMan001

Improvolone wrote: »

By using your TV's audio out.

Can you be a little more specific? Are you saying that I run each individual piece to the television via HDMI and then run the audio out from the television to the receiver and the receiver will, what, just amplify whatever input is being displayed on the television?

Improvolone

Send all signals into the TV, audio out from the TV into the receiver, the receiver will look at the information it is being sent and decide which signal to send to which speaker.

Unknown

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MegaMan001

mcdermott wrote: »

MegaMan001 wrote: »

Improvolone wrote: »

By using your TV's audio out.

Can you be a little more specific? Are you saying that I run each individual piece to the television via HDMI and then run the audio out from the television to the receiver and the receiver will, what, just amplify whatever input is being displayed on the television?

Yes.

Alternately, buy one of these. The "official" Microsoft one comes with the HDMI cable, but you can buy knockoffs like the one listed for $5-$10. It plugs into the standard output connector and gives you both stereo analog output as well as digital optical output. Send that to your stereo (either a straight stereo receiver or a Dolby Digital capable receiver) and you're golden.

But really it's easier just to run a cable from your TV's line out (stereo) to your receiver (stereo). Then it will send the audio from whatever's on the TV to the stereo for you.

EDIT: The linked dongle is how you would get full 5.1 digital surround without an HDMI capable receiver, BTW. You can also hack open one of the component cables (which have the optical out), because for whatever reason they were designed not to fit in the output jack at the same time as an HDMI cable is plugged in. But the dongle is cheap, and preferable.

If I understand correctly, this means I just run everything via HDMI / Component into the television, then utilize the television 'audio out' option into the stereo or the receiver.

I actually have the dongle, I think it came with my Elite - though who knows where the hell that is right now.

If I have it correctly, then what's the benefit of using a receiver that has HDMI inputs?

solsovly

MegaMan001 wrote: »

If I have it correctly, then what's the benefit of using a receiver that has HDMI inputs?

Couple benefits.

* HDMI has the technical capability of having higher sound bitrate(quality)
* One cable
* Multiple HDMI inputs in a receiver. There are usually not more than one optical input in a receiver.
* You can just "Switch" to the HDMI channel on the receiver and not have to worry about any other configuration

If you can't fit a dedicated receiver/speakers (used) into the picture then I'd go with either the soundbar for 200'ish or pc speakers for 100.

I'm still against both pc speakers and soundbars though. I'd rather just get the equipment piecemeal used.

Improvolone

And you can always use the old receiver in the future to run a spare sound system somewhere (outside, garage, bedroom, etc).

hamdingers

MegaMan001 wrote: »

I don't have any intentions of setting up a surround sound system in my apartment or using a large subwoofer - or any subwoofer for that matter. I live in a popular apartment building that I don't want to be 'that guy with the woofer on the second floor that shakes the building'.

I have no advice to offer - but this statement proves you are a man among men! That you care enough to not bother other people with the bass from your TV/Music ... I can only hope the karma gods will be kind to you!

Sir Carcass

Based on your situation, my advice is to get a decent stereo and use the audio out from your TV as an auxiliary input. PC speakers would also work, as long as they have an aux input. You'll basically be running 2 RCA cables (left/right) from the TV into the stereo/pc speakers. I use both, a stereo for our TV and PC speakers for my 360 with my computer monitor, and they both sound fine. Yeah, you could get a receiver and center channels and all that, but you really don't need it.

Just be aware that this will create some audio lag. For normal use you'd just turn the TV volume down to 0 and use the device's volume without any problems, but it would affect things like Rock Band, where you'd have to adjust the audio lag setting.

Unknown

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MegaMan001

What do you guys think of this, the Pioneer VSX-D509S Receiver. I found one on Craig's List with a 5.1 speaker set up (which I won't be using) and KLH speakers for $125.

Improvolone

How many speakers?