5.1 Sound System Help

With the purchase of some 5.1 Dolby remastered albums of The-Band-Who-We-Shall-Not-Speak-Of, I figured it was time to join the late 1990s and invest in a better sound system.

I know very little of the specs, prices, best brands, etc, so I was wondering what would be the best value for an entry level system that included the 5.1 speakers (obviously), decent receiver, DVD/CD 5 disc changer.

Any wisdom will be rewarded with a tall lager...

...at a pre-gig meetup for New Order's next North American concert

go at least 6.1 or 7.1. that way you'll be covered for any future surround sound developments. When it comes to sound I still recommend buying from a reputable manufacturer like sony, yamaha etc. Most decent shops should offer packages with receivers cd players and speakers. for good sound i also recommend getting a dedicated cd player rather than a dvd player. dvd player sound is just too flat for my liking.

You probably should spend at least $2000. then again prices over there may be a bit lower.

mines a Kenwood.

doubles as a toaster too.

J.A.K wrote: mines a Kenwood.

doubles as a toaster too.

Better than a Kendodd... Although that does come with a free tickling stick...

Snorri xxx

Sheds on a Plane wrote: With the purchase of some 5.1 Dolby remastered albums of The-Band-Who-We-Shall-Not-Speak-Of, I figured it was time to join the late 1990s and invest in a better sound system.

I know very little of the specs, prices, best brands, etc, so I was wondering what would be the best value for an entry level system that included the 5.1 speakers (obviously), decent receiver, DVD/CD 5 disc changer.

Any wisdom will be rewarded with a tall lager...

...at a pre-gig meetup for New Order's next North American concert

What is the disc? SACD or DVD-A? You'll need to get an appropriate player, or indeed one that plays both formats. That choice will moreorless dictate what player you choose. Do you really need a 5 disc CD changer? None of the better brands make one so that speaks volumes to me.

Yamaha do good receivers. Do go for 6.1 or 7.1 as that will be the norm in a few years.

You'll need to listen to speakers to see what you like the sound of. They come in all shapes and sizes so that choice is up to you.

Thanks for people's help...I've decided that I'm poor, so I went to WallyWorld (that's Wal*Mart to you), and got a Logitech 5.1 Surround Speakers with a Soundblaster Audigy 5.1 card....installed perfectly, and the 5.1 works (software test).

Here's the rub. My PowerDVD will not support 5.1 unless I cough up $30 USD for a FUCKING UPGRADE :finger: And good ole Windows Media Player, it will not let me select "5.1 (6 speakers)" from the DVD audio options when I play the said 5.1 DVD (SACD, I believe). :finger: :finger:

Now, the $100 question....do I bend over and pay the $ to upgrade to PowerDVD 7, pester the shite out of Microsoft, or are there free progs on the web that play DVDs with 5.1 Surround support?

Help please...? :\peek:

Dr?

the Doctor knows DICK about 5:1 beyond a few techie gems. I've never really let it enter my mind, it sounds like a lot of stress frankly. Oddly enough, I used to lash up all sorts of surround systems with 2 chained hi-fi's when I was a kid, mayhaps this has done the damage.

I woul suggest BTW, that you Buy 5:11 if you don't already have it, as I THINK it was a native 5:1 recording (at least based on the FUCKED stereo mix on the disc, it's feckin tragic and must be the result of ballsing up a mixdown from a 5:1 source...or NO need to employ sober mastering engineers, one or the other). And also Orbital's DVD, the name of which eludes me as it's out of my line of sight, I think it's just named the samee as the album The Altogether, as that is a complete ground up 5:1 contruction, and apparently they had lots of fun panning 4 303's around. Sadly I can only hear it in 2:fuckall ;)

PS, part of the reason I never went 5:1,is that I would suddenly start haing to run Cubase in 5:1 mode, and i'm not sure my near senile mind could handle that.

Sheds on a Plane wrote: Thanks for people's help...I've decided that I'm poor, so I went to WallyWorld (that's Wal*Mart to you), and got a Logitech 5.1 Surround Speakers with a Soundblaster Audigy 5.1 card....installed perfectly, and the 5.1 works (software test).

Here's the rub. My PowerDVD will not support 5.1 unless I cough up $30 USD for a FUCKING UPGRADE :finger: And good ole Windows Media Player, it will not let me select "5.1 (6 speakers)" from the DVD audio options when I play the said 5.1 DVD (SACD, I believe). :finger: :finger:

Now, the $100 question....do I bend over and pay the $ to upgrade to PowerDVD 7, pester the shite out of Microsoft, or are there free progs on the web that play DVDs with 5.1 Surround support?

Help please...? :\peek:

Now, I really hate to state the fucking obvious, but it's not a DVD, it's an SACD, Super Audio Compact Disc. You therefore need a player that is capable of playing it. They are dual layer, with a regular CD layer which will play on a regular CD player which is why it will play on your PC. You will not get 5.1 off of it unless you buy a dedicated (probably Sony) SACD player which are not cheap. I don't think you can buy an SACD drive to stick in your PC. Even so, if you only have the one disc, do you want to spend that much money so you can play just one disc?

That's why I asked in my post above what type of disc it was. Seriously, if you don't have any money to throw at it, I wouldn't bother, as really cheap decoders and speakers won't do it justice and if you only have the one disc, do you want to bother?

If youre gonna splurge a load of cash,get a decent DTS system then play your music cds through your dvd player.

Is it possible to hook up my PC as an AV reciever for a plasma TV? I have a Soundblaster Live Platimum soundcard, if that helps.

steveone wrote: If youre gonna splurge a load of cash,get a decent DTS system then play your music cds through your dvd player.

But it still won't play the SACD part in 5.1, just put the CD bit into pro-logic.

Looking at what he's spent is money on, I don't think he's gonna spend loadsamoney on a decen system.

Kevin Smith wrote:

steveone wrote: If youre gonna splurge a load of cash,get a decent DTS system then play your music cds through your dvd player.

But it still won't play the SACD part in 5.1, just put the CD bit into pro-logic.

Looking at what he's spent is money on, I don't think he's gonna spend loadsamoney on a decen system.

Yep, I'm a poor grad student, can't spend big bucks.

It's NOT a SACD, it's a fucking DVD (cannot play it in a CD/SACD player), that has a two 5.1 mixes of the album, DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. I'm not a student or expert at sound systems, I just thought it would be sweet to be able to try out these remasters with the proper 5.1 mix.

I just don't think $25 CD/DVD combo equals paying thousands for a system that can play it! Guess I have supported the artist and have pretty liner notes, some token consolation...

just go and buy an elcheapo no-brand dvd player. believe it or not for $50 you should be able to get a player with 5.1 output.

of course for sacd that wil be a great deal more. i don't even have one of those yet even if my receiver is set up for it.

I still say for good cd sound get a separate cd player.

Sheds on a Plane wrote:

Kevin Smith wrote:

steveone wrote: If youre gonna splurge a load of cash,get a decent DTS system then play your music cds through your dvd player.

But it still won't play the SACD part in 5.1, just put the CD bit into pro-logic.

Looking at what he's spent is money on, I don't think he's gonna spend loadsamoney on a decen system.

Yep, I'm a poor grad student, can't spend big bucks.

It's NOT a SACD, it's a fucking DVD (cannot play it in a CD/SACD player), that has a two 5.1 mixes of the album, DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. I'm not a student or expert at sound systems, I just thought it would be sweet to be able to try out these remasters with the proper 5.1 mix.

I just don't think $25 CD/DVD combo equals paying thousands for a system that can play it! Guess I have supported the artist and have pretty liner notes, some token consolation...

Earlier you wrote: Here's the rub. My PowerDVD will not support 5.1 unless I cough up $30 USD for a FUCKING UPGRADE And good ole Windows Media Player, it will not let me select "5.1 (6 speakers)" from the DVD audio options when I play the said 5.1 DVD (SACD, I believe).

Can you please make your mind up what the disc is so we can give you the appropriate advice.

Just tell me what artist and album is and I'll have a look.

Sorry about the confusion mates, I know you are all just trying to help...

Its the Depeche remasters (the CD/DVD bundle packs). I really think it's DVD though.

All i care about at this point is getting it to play w/ my new 5.1 system on my comp, I'll invest in a better home theatre when I get a better job (if that ever happens...)

Just had a look at those reissues on amazon.co.uk & cd-wow.com.

I think the first disc is cd/sacd hybrid disc. 2nd disc is some sort of DVD. Do any pictures come up on it? There are of course 2 types of DVD, DVD-video which is what we're all familiar with and DVD-audio which is a multi-channel music disc which requires a specific dedicated player to do the 5.1 on it.

SACD is usually multi-channel and is competing for popularity with DVD-A in the same way that VHS & Beta had their battle and DVD-HD & BluRay are about to have theirs'.

I'll have a look at the disc packaging next time I'm near civilisation, failing that, Peterborough I don't suppose you're near Huntingdon, Cambridge or Peterborough to try it on my kit? Just seen your location, so that's out of the question. I think DM have just overcooked these releases with too many formats in one package and that may be at the root of the problems you're having.

Doctor? wrote: the Doctor knows DICK about 5:1 beyond a few techie gems.

Thanks, Doc, I nearly lost my orange juice reading this sentence this morning....

I had to read it twice. Yup, it's still there.

I'd better add that if it's the second disc and it is a DVD video then the software option is the way to go and that's not my area of expertise.

It's defo DVD video on the 2nd disc w/ the 5.1 mixes of the album (there's a 30 minute documentary, GUI menu and it shows a still photo that stays on the screen when you play the tracks)

Thanks again for the tips Mr. Smith! I really thought that in 2006 there would be standard software support for 5.1 Dolby on PCs without having to pony up $30-35 USD... Guess it's on to this Friday's payday then!

Resolution: I ponied up the cashola for the software upgrade and couldn't be happier (sorta, paying sucks!)...better than a fancy $2,000 USD system, maybe someday though!

Cheers again for the advice, time to rawk out,

i got a 7.1 speaker system, albeit i hardly use it because we have been stuck doing the diy round the house

Yet another bump! I managed to snag a good Black Friday sale! At Best Buy, a Pioneer Receiver (can't be arsed to quote the wattage, but it is decent!) DVD player & Surround speakers, w/ 5.1 DTS/Dolby Digital Pro Logic II for $199 (reg. $280). It even has a front jack to connect me iPod Mini!!

Quick question! For my Depeche DVD's, it gives me the option of Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1 What is the better quality for DVD music?

Depends on the individual recording, nothing set in stone. For movies, I generally prefer DTS, but sometimes the DD soundtrack can be better.