Home threatre on last legs, input on new ones.

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Home threatre on last legs, input on new ones.

rugrat

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#272221 15-Jun-2020 16:11

My 20 year plus Panasonic SA-HR70 sound system is on way out. Large cracking in one of speakers, so bad at one point I was expecting speaker to burst into flames.

Have pulled out wires, cleared any dust, put back in, tried different sound source to TV, crackling still present. Only have the one TOS cable so don't know if that would cause it.

Brought a blue ray player couple years ago with speakers and back wireless speakers Panasonic SA-BTT785 and the thing was a load of crap. Didn't sound as good as the around 15 year one then, could on;y connect to TV through HDMI ARC, where to get sound had to change TV sound to internal TV speakers and then back to HDMI ARC output every time to get sound to go TV to blueray player.

With 2018 OLED TV cannot get any sound through ARC to work.

I'm interested in Sonos or Bose wireless 5.1 but scared I'll get burned if the ARC HDMI on TV won't send sound to them.

Prefer to have something easy to set up, maybe multi-purpose that sounds good.

From my own reading Sonos easier to set up, bose supports DTS where Sonos doesn't. Or maybe better going with wired as is now?

Cheers, expecting cost $3000-$4000?

Interested in peoples thoughts, cheers.

Edit TV is LG OLED.

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#2505169 15-Jun-2020 16:20

Call me old fashioned but for $4000 you could get a dedicated HT Receiver and a set of 5.1 speakers. Wired though, rather than wireless, which may not suit your situation.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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rugrat

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#2505176 15-Jun-2020 16:37

Dingbatt:

Call me old fashioned but for $4000 you could get a dedicated HT Receiver and a set of 5.1 speakers. Wired though, rather than wireless, which may not suit your situation.

Yep, I just want to know if that would sound better then convenience of wireless. I'm happy with 5.1 set ups.

Loismustdye

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#2505278 15-Jun-2020 17:28

With your $4k you could easily get a reasonable home theatre receiver and a set of speakers to run off it.

for roughly that cost earlier this year I got a nice Yamaha receiver along with a set of speakers (no sub yet) and it has room to move up if I want to in the future.

sm1ff

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#2505281 15-Jun-2020 17:34

Av reciever with speakers is absolutely the way to go!

Dunnersfella

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#2505321 15-Jun-2020 19:57

A receiver + WiFi rear speakers (Yamaha's range of network receivers offer this) would be an easy option to look at if you want WiFi rears (still plugged into power).

Sound bars are 'good enough' for most, but certainly they are a lifestyle option, not performance.

If you're not happy with setting up an amp / speakers, then there's a lot of retailers who can do this for you.

Depending on where you're located, I'm sure someone on this forum can recommend an installer for you.

scuwp

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#2505322 15-Jun-2020 20:11

Not quite the same thing but when we dropped our 5.1 system for a soundbar (best decision for us BTW) we were advised quite strongly to forget ARC and stick with optical for the sound connection. ARC was at that point anyway known to be quite fussy and flakey depending on the match-up. Optical is reportedly just as good if not better for sound quality. There have been some threads on this already on GZ.

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity - Robert J Hanlon

rugrat

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#2505346 15-Jun-2020 20:38

Thanks, from replies have a starting point, and know to avoid ARC connections only.

Dingbatt

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#2505560 16-Jun-2020 06:51

rugrat:

Thanks, from replies have a starting point, and know to avoid ARC connections only.

ARC seems to be working on my TVs (one to a soundbar, one to an Onkyo Receiver). One less cable in my view and it’s pretty easy to add a toslink cable if the ARC doesn’t cut the mustard.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

sm1ff

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#2505572 16-Jun-2020 07:54

scuwp: Not quite the same thing but when we dropped our 5.1 system for a soundbar (best decision for us BTW) we were advised quite strongly to forget ARC and stick with optical for the sound connection. ARC was at that point anyway known to be quite fussy and flakey depending on the match-up. Optical is reportedly just as good if not better for sound quality. There have been some threads on this already on GZ.

What makes it the best decision to downgrade from 5.1 to a not as good soundbar? I find it if I upgrade to something I find myself unable to downgrade to something not as good! I have even seen a tv that claims dolby atmos and its horrible compared to my atmos av setup. Please reconsider your decision and go back to a av reciver setup

alasta

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#2505580 16-Jun-2020 08:28

sm1ff:
scuwp: Not quite the same thing but when we dropped our 5.1 system for a soundbar (best decision for us BTW) we were advised quite strongly to forget ARC and stick with optical for the sound connection. ARC was at that point anyway known to be quite fussy and flakey depending on the match-up. Optical is reportedly just as good if not better for sound quality. There have been some threads on this already on GZ.

What makes it the best decision to downgrade from 5.1 to a not as good soundbar? I find it if I upgrade to something I find myself unable to downgrade to something not as good! I have even seen a tv that claims dolby atmos and its horrible compared to my atmos av setup. Please reconsider your decision and go back to a av reciver setup

I am in the same position - I don't want a 'real' home theatre setup because my home environment isn't well suited to wiring and clutter, and the Sonos Playbase is good enough for my purposes.

Everyone's situation is different and there is no need to get upset if your preferred solution doesn't suit everyone.

sm1ff

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#2505585 16-Jun-2020 08:56

alasta:

I am in the same position - I don't want a 'real' home theatre setup because my home environment isn't well suited to wiring and clutter, and the Sonos Playbase is good enough for my purposes.

Everyone's situation is different and there is no need to get upset if your preferred solution doesn't suit everyone.

please explain... is it really that bad having a a wire or 2 running around a room? it can be concealed

dafman

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#2505586 16-Jun-2020 08:59

My HT started out as a 5.1 with a Yamaha receiver and Energy speakers.

About 5 years ago, I had to retire the system due to space constraints and I purchased a Sony soundbar (HT-CT80) to substitute.

A few months ago, I resurrected my HT as a 3.0 (I had to leave out my sub and rear speakers, again due to space constraints).

Having moved back to my Yamaha/Energy system is wonderful. There is no way a soundbar can even begin to compete with dedicated HT speakers, the difference is night and day. I've rediscovered the fullness of sound and found the mid-range again!

For the price of the new Sonos soundbar and sub, you could purchase a really great HT receiver and speakers. I would never consider a soundbar in future.

timbosan

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#2505598 16-Jun-2020 09:41

sm1ff:

please explain... is it really that bad having a a wire or 2 running around a room? it can be concealed

I have 2 quite thick cables for the rear speakers along with a network cable running under the rug in the lounge. Doesn't get int he way (the rug is large) and you can only see a couple of cm out of each side. Or you could conduit (the plastic stuff that snaps together, Mitre 10 sell it) up and around the top of the walls and back down, again quite easy to do, and if you have your rear speakers mounted high this can be a good option.

(Edit - spelling)

bendud

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#2505928 16-Jun-2020 16:23

Decent budget there.

A soundbar looks tidier most of the time: you might want to get clearance from any significant other.... but if tidy is needed, 3k will but you a very good soundbar.

You can pick up the original Sonos soundbar for less now it no longer support the S2 software, it is still a great soundbar but needs an optical out from your TV. Add two Sonos 1s and a sub and you are still in budget for wireless multiroom (but not Atmos).

Mrs B was happy enough with a soundbar with wireless sub (Philips HTL9000 series, so not a cheap) until I got bored and set up a reasonable AVR and speaker setup (Tannoy DC6 and DC4s and a Q Acoustics sub, Denon AVR). Some electrical conduit hidden behind a long curtain much of the time for cables... tidy setup and a happy significant other. Plus it sounds really very good indeed. She's actually impressed :-)

RRP on those would have been in the region of 8k but with judicious shopping around came in at 3k, so all good. Wildash Audio in Auckland sold me the DC6 Signature LCRs for a crazily good price ex-demo (they are about 2k each new, and the pair cost me 900 IIRC) - I see they have a number of PSB and Jamo speakers on sale currently, plus a couple of Tannoys. He was open to negotiate on price. YMMV but I found them really easy to deal with (over everyone's default trading site).

HTH

From the Antarctic Riviera

bazzer

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#2506757 17-Jun-2020 15:34

bendud: I see they have a number of PSB and Jamo speakers on sale currently, plus a couple of Tannoys. He was open to negotiate on price. YMMV but I found them really easy to deal with (over everyone's default trading site).

Hi bendud. Where did you see the stuff they have on sale? I couldn't find anything online.

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