Help choosing Viera amp & small speakers please

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Help choosing Viera amp & small speakers please

atk1

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#16771 27-Oct-2007 08:32

Hi all, was planning on going to Fiji with the family for a week but a mis understanding with work dates put that plan on hold. While cruising thru Harvey Normans I noticed my misus's dream lounge suite was under half price and waaaay below cost, so some Fiji money ended up buying it. Our CRT TV now looked out of place with the new lounge suite so I ended up buying the 42" Panasonic Plasma (TH-42PV70AZ) and the Pana 160 GB Hard Drive DVD Recorder (DMR-EH57GN-K). I have the Plasma connected to the...HDD DVD Recorder using HDMI & RCAs...Sky using RCA/Scart...PC using DVI to HDMI. I would really appreciate some advice on what amp & surround speakers please? I would prefer to have the amp Viera compatible, and I am guessing I would plug into it Optically from the HDD DVD Recorder & PC. I just need some info on suitable power output, wattage, omhs thingys for the amp & speakers. I need small speakers as I have wires ready to go from the roof. Now I dont need huge expensive sound but would like very decent sound for money. Are the surround PC Logitech type speakers OK? Any advice is much appriciated.
Cheers

atk1

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#92628 27-Oct-2007 08:44

oh and it has to be black! Panasonic have some home theatre systems on their site so Im guessing Id just have to look at buying some small speakers instead of using their big ones. So any advice on small speaker ratings for these units?

cyril7

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#92639 27-Oct-2007 10:53

Obviously Panasonic have suitable products such as this, however small speakers give small results, I suggest something like this if you are on a budget, I refer to the cheaper models at the top.

Whilst it will not have the viera interconnect which simply means a one button turn on I dont think its that big an issue.

While you are there I suggest you get a SCART to component cable like this to connect your Sky box to your new TV, ignore the fact it mentions RGB it will support componet video as well which is what the pana will accept.

Cyril

atk1

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#92696 27-Oct-2007 21:13

Thanks, will get the scart cable and will probably go with the pana home theatre. Do the satellite type speakers have good sound?

richms

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#92759 28-Oct-2007 16:21

Usually no, the small speakers have no usable output below about 250Hz, sure, they spec them lower, but thats on 1 watt and they quickly run out of travel at any usable power levels.

So you have to cross your sub over really high, which means that instead of just giving it the LFE channel from the DVD, you give it all the bass and lower mids that should come from the speakers making the sub sound like the source of the sounds. You can cross it lower so it hides, but then you are asking too much of the small satillite speakers.

Realistically, the sub/sat systems either end up sounding bad because you have a great void between 100Hz and where the sats will actually do anything. Or, they sound bad because you are asking too much of small speakers, like when you turn the volume up on a car stereo without a crossover, or you have it so its ok but you cant listen at any decent volumes so you have to have the night mode on the processor on all the time so that you can hear stuff without the loud bits distorting.

There is a reason that the bose store etc only ever play the eagles and similar dvds to show their systems off, thats simply because thats about all that will go loud and not sound like junk on that type of system.

Richard rich.ms

cyril7

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#92770 28-Oct-2007 17:56

Yeah have to agree fully with richard, whilst small satellites will sound so so to ok with movies they sound thin and distinctly lacking with music, and music driven movies sound light weight and non satisfying to boot.

In my view (and your view may vary and be very much swayed by wife acceptance factor) you need the main two front speakers to at least be capable of 45Hz and be operated as full or large speakers. Ideally all the others (ie rears and centre) should also have rated half power points (-3dB) of at least 60-70Hz when rated as small and the remaining LF for those speakers dumped to the sub and in some cases the front mains aswell.

The small systems like the Pana Viera will have a cross over around 250Hz rather than 60-80Hz, this will severly impact on the systems ability to realisticaly portray music.

Cyril

atk1

60 posts

Master Geek

#92784 28-Oct-2007 20:17

Thanks guys I really appreciate your time and knowledge. Your advice will save me time and money. I have one more question coming soon on the home theatre forum if u dont mind sorry