[Amien]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Is it a good idea to use a 5.1 ch sound bar setup like the Sony HTS 20R for a desktop PC? I had a budget of around 15k for my computer audio. I have been running two 2.1 Creative Inspires from more than a decade now which have been working fine with good deep bass since its like a 4.2ch setup. Now its itching to upgrade and I came across mostly soundbar setups and no longer finding the kind of desktop speakers I would get earlier. Hence, shall I just get the HTS 20R or a JBL 2.1 channel setup? Or if there are any alternatives please suggest. The HTS 20R is being listed for 15k hence thats what is convincing me to go for this setup. What would be the drawback of using this for a PC? I have both HDMI and optical out on my computer so it will support the surround setup without issues.

Take a look at the Swans M series(music) or Logitech's Z6xx THX(movies) if you haven't already. Personally, I've found that going beyond 2 channels brings diminishing returns on the desktop.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Is it a good idea to use a 5.1 ch sound bar setup like the Sony HTS 20R for a desktop PC? I had a budget of around 15k for my computer audio. I have been running two 2.1 Creative Inspires from more than a decade now which have been working fine with good deep bass since its like a 4.2ch setup. Now its itching to upgrade and I came across mostly soundbar setups and no longer finding the kind of desktop speakers I would get earlier. Hence, shall I just get the HTS 20R or a JBL 2.1 channel setup? Or if there are any alternatives please suggest. The HTS 20R is being listed for 15k hence thats what is convincing me to go for this setup. What would be the drawback of using this for a PC? I have both HDMI and optical out on my computer so it will support the surround setup without issues.

If you are looking at desktop audio and don't need 5.1ch don't bother with these crappy 2.1ch systems with small satellites. Look no further than studio monitor 2.0 speakers.

Like you I was looking at good computer speakers. I started with Logitech Z series then slowly started looking at Bose in 30K bracket and even a soundbar option.

Then I was told by navin to try studio monitors. Even a small 4 inch studio monitor blows the 30K 2.1 bose out of the water. The studio monitors were in a different galaxy when it came to stereo imaging and clarity. While they lack thumping bass the bass from 5 inch ones are accurate and tight which I preferred more than those logitech Z623 which was having treble and boom boom bass but zero clarity.

These studio monitors don't have much in connectivity like RCA or bluetooth so you need to look at pro grade cables like TRS or XLR cables which is 1 time buy.

Take a look at few options available. 5inch and above will give you very good bass. Below that you might need a sub later on.

https://www.amazon.in/PreSonus-High-...dp/B00GACCNC0/

https://www.amazon.in/M-Audio-BX5-D3...dp/B01J66YEU0/

https://www.amazon.in/JBL-Two-Way-St...dp/B07BZ6QS6M/

https://www.amazon.in/Mackie-CR3-Cre...dp/B015U623MQ/

I finally bought the JBL 305p Mkii speaker along with a TRS to 3.5mm cable. This connects to my desktop Aux port. I sometimes connect the aux cable to my chromecast audio for wifi streaming. You can also get a good bluetooth amplifier for BT streaming for ~2K.

If you have a good sound card with a nice DAC these studio monitors will sing.

I also have a Marshall Killburn which I got before the JBL studio speakers and I can't remember the last time I used them. The JBL's are on through the day and playing music for 12-14 hours.

Edit: you can also look at this: https://www.amazon.in/M-Audio-AV32-1...ef_=ast_sto_dp

[Sebring]

If you like Studio Monitors, check these out
https://www.amazon.in/MONKEY-BANANA-.../dp/B01KK96LMG

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Even a small 4 inch studio monitor blows the 30K 2.1 bose out of the water.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

If you are looking at desktop audio and don't need 5.1ch don't bother with these crappy 2.1ch systems with small satellites. Look no further than studio monitor 2.0 speakers.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I am interested to fill my room with sound since I have my synthesizer located perpendicular to the desktop and hence I want to do some tweaks to the routing so that when I play the piano, I must be able to route the sound a little more to the rear speakers which will be the left side of the synth. Moreover, I would like an immersive experience if I decide to watch a movie or play games. For music, I agree that nothing beats a pair of monitors, but when it comes to monitors, the other issue I have is space. I wont be able to accomodate two monitors on the table and yet aim them to where I usually sit, due to lack of real estate on the table. Here is the current setup.


The reason I was looking for smaller satellites or as well as a sound bar is that I could suspend it from the top shelf or even mount it next to the monitor somehow. A monitor speaker is tricky to be placed here. I want to reduce clutter over the desk since it attracts a lot of dust and very tricky to clean. Hence, I want to move the speakers elsewhere. Currently I had almost finalized a soundbar and sub while I came across this Sony HTS 20R. I believe for the price it is being offered at, there would be some sort of compromises. But for a room of 14*11 ft, I am wondering if its going to be actually that bad. At this price range, there are very few other options if I dont consider monitors. But I want to stick to a 5.1 setup. The other idea I had got was to replicate the current 4.2 setup with a pair of decent 2.1 speakers if they fall in the same range.

Since my existing speakers have lasted so long, I am upgrading thinking in the long term perspective and also looking at the Logitech Z906. I have read reviews that its a very capable setup. If someone is using either of these two then please share your feedback. At 24k, it is a stretch from my planned budget, but it is a stretch that wont hurt my pocket in any way. So I am looking forward to both. Let me know your views. I agree that a pair of monitors would have done an excellent job, but it is not feasible at my end.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by audioholic

The reason I was looking for smaller satellites or as well as a sound bar is that I could suspend it from the top shelf or even mount it next to the monitor somehow. A monitor speaker is tricky to be placed here. I want to reduce clutter over the desk since it attracts a lot of dust and very tricky to clean. Hence, I want to move the speakers elsewhere. Currently I had almost finalized a soundbar and sub while I came across this Sony HTS 20R. I believe for the price it is being offered at, there would be some sort of compromises. But for a room of 14*11 ft, I am wondering if its going to be actually that bad. At this price range, there are very few other options if I dont consider monitors. But I want to stick to a 5.1 setup. The other idea I had got was to replicate the current 4.2 setup with a pair of decent 2.1 speakers if they fall in the same range.

Ok then looks like studio monitors are out. However I would suggest against soundbars as well and stick to the Logitech Z906 or similar.

My search like you started out with something compact. My table did not have space for 2 bookshelf speakers and an amp. So I started looking at sound bars. I bought the Polk Magni-Fi Mini.

https://www.amazon.in/Polk-MagniFi-S...dp/B01LW76AKC/

This is a very nice and compact sound bar. However when working in front of the PC you are just too near and the soundbar is meant for surround sound not near field. The sound was way better when I sat far away from the PC vs sitting right in front of PC. This soundbar then moved to my living room where my dad loves watching movies with the full surround effect as well as listening to music a good 10-12 feet away.

Then I got the Marshall Killburn. Awesome speaker with very good sound but as is the case with single box speakers, the true stereo effect with 2 discrete speakers was missing to an extent. This then went to the bedroom.

I finally came across active bookshelf speakers and the JBL was on sale and had great reviews. Picked them up and got wall mounts for freeing up space on table and they turned out the best purchase I have made in a long time.

[audioholic]

Ordered the Z906 yesterday and it was delivered today. I checked prices and on Amazon it was retailing for 24999. Then I came across on the Logitech site that Golchha computers were also an official retailer. They were offering it for 23500. I contacted them to check for delivery info since they are located in Bangalore and told me that they would deliver it the next day. Hence I ordered it and it was already delivered this morning. I need wall mount brackets which I have ordered separately. Once that comes, the setup begins. Looking forward to it!

[audioholic]

Completed the setup. This is definitely a worthy investment. I dont want to speak about the performance since my benchmark is an old set of speakers. This thing has a clear and crisp sound output and the channel separation is also fantastic though the front three speakers are located quite close to each other. What also made a nice difference was when I moved the front satellites to the suspended mount. Earlier until the mounts arrived I had placed it on the desk, but suspending them made things better. The Sub woofer is adequately powered and even at low volume levels, the bass is just right, not faint nor overpowering. Though the controller offers customized levels for different channels, I felt the levels was perfect for the setup I have. Netflix with its 5.1 surround is too good. Satisified with this buy for now!





I got these mounts off amazon. They were expensive, at 500 each, but this was the only option available which suited my needs. This mount is apparently meant for upto 3.5 kilo speakers, but it is plastic and if the extension is used, then it does not really sit so stiff and there is some amount of play in the joints. But for the current weight of these satellites which are less than a kg, they hold decently. I need to sort out the wiring yet. Need to route the cables discretely which is not the case now.

[sacrust]

Can anyone help me identofy the connector type. This is a connector which is attached to a wire cinnecting a soundbar and other end is embedded inside the bar. The bar does not have any other input or output.

[ValarMorghulis]

So while trying to tinker with my Yamaha home theater I kinda blew up one speaker in my NS-P20 set (Don't ask how!).
Now I'm lost what to do with it?
1. Are standalone speakers repaired or should I go for replacement?
2. Any suggestions for new speakers (single or pair at max) that go well with YHT-299?

Setup: Sony Bravia 55X7500H LED TV, YHT-299 HT, XBOX one. This is in the living room.

[avimal]

I have onkyo 7.1 channel home theatre (ht-r580). What will be the best speaker upgrade for this system. I was looking at Polk audio signature s15 bookshelf speakers to upgrade just two front speakers. Not sure if there will be significant improvement in sound quality. Can someone please suggest? I don't want to spend too much so looking for budget speakers only.

[tomraven99]

I am planning to upgrade my current Denon 5.1 receiver to an Atmos setup.
Got a deal for a used Denon X4100W Atmos receiver for 52K. Should I go for it or buy something newer?

[Bass&Trouble]

Originally Posted by tomraven99

Got a deal for a used Denon X4100W Atmos receiver for 52K. Should I go for it or buy something newer?

No mention of HDR in that model. Looks like the very first gen of receivers with 4k60p and Atmos.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

While checking for a nice sounding basic home theatre system for parents (in a max 10k budget) - noticed this Indian brand OBAGE which seems to be getting rave reviews recently.

The company claims to be catering to audiophiles and their flagship DT-605 Dual Tower costs ~7.5k.

Has anyone used / heard this one before? Sounds good in Youtube comparos, but not sure if those can be trusted.

[Highflyer]

Hi Friends,

I am planning to set up a home theatre room. The dimensions of the room are 18’ 7 1/2” x 13”. I plan to put a 65” TV (already available) with a projector screen that can be remotely operated. The room is almost ready and false roofing would start shortly. The cabling for surround/rear speakers and projector would be routed through the false ceiling. Hence the layout of the speakers needs to be worked out immediately.
Lighting of the room would be also done to match the ambience.
There is a massive balcony door on one side covering most of the wall. There is a 8’ wide window in the rear. The glass wall wouldn’t allow me to place any speaker other than roof mounted ones on that section. Floor or wall mounted speakers can be installed only on the front wall/floor and the rear wall/ floor. I did some research and thought that 5+2+2 setup may work fine in this room. 2 of these speakers would be roof mounted. Rest all can be on floor or wall. I have enclosed the layout of the room. I need suggestions for the following:-
1. Placement of speakers and type (wall mounted, floor standing, ceiling mounted). I need this info immediately as I need to get the wiring done along with false ceiling work which is about to start.
2. Type and impedance of wires. Would a low impedance wire meet the requirement of a high impedance system. This because the final parameters of the system are yet to be decided.
3. Decent combination of AV receiver and speakers. This is something that I can decide over a couple of months.
4. Since I need to lay the wires for projector, I need to know the right (optimal) distance of the same from the AV wall. I plan to put Active HDMI cable, power cable and Ethernet cable for the projector. Is it OK?
5. Although I have mentioned 5+2+2 layout, I can go for something different if felt by noobs on this forum.
6. A full HD projector. Or a 4K one.
7. I have asked questions that appeared to me. I am sure that experts may be able to suggest on certain issues that I have not listed above.


Thanks.

[Highflyer]

Originally Posted by Rohit_Quad

Hi Guys. I am presently in the market for an AVR and a 5.1.2 atmos setup for a room whose dimensions are 16''9'x15"6'

For the AVR, I selected the Denon x1600h as I feel it has all the features I need. Are there any better options in this price range?

Coming to the speakers, the vendor suggested these 2 packages for my budget.

1. Dali Fazon Mikro 5.0 with Dali e9 subwoofer - 1.25l
2. Paradigm CT 100 5.1 package - 88k

Atmos Speakers - Revel 263 - 26k

The prices are prior to negotiations.

I have not heard neither of these, as they do bot have a demo showroom. Does any one has any experience with these. Any thoughts and suggestions welcome.

Hi Rohit,

I saw your post just now and realised that I also have a similar requirement. Although, you appear much more informed and clear about the setup.
Can you share the placement of your speakers?
Was it the budget that helped you to decide the specs or was it the specs that made you go for these components?

Thanks