Surround Sound Gaming WOW I missed the boat

[dsullo]

I picked up from my brother in law a used Kenwood (KS-203HT) surround sound system. 5 Speaker, sub woofer and receiver. Total cost = 50.00

I am not even sure if that is a good deal or not.

I never owned a surround sound system and until now, never thought it would have any effect on my DVDs or Games.


@_@ @_@ @_@ @_@ @_@ @_@ WOW

I was wrong. I can't believe I have missed the boat on Surround Sound Gaming. It add a whole new feel to playing games and watching DVDs. You can feel and hear so much more. Halo 2 - you can hear other players footsteps approaching and when you get hit with a Rocket... Man you can hear and feel it. I am blown away. DVDs are incredible too. I just can;t say enought good things about having your systems hooked up through surround sound.

[Lothars]

I definitly agree, especially if you watch tv shows on dvd i find it rocks but especially for gaming such as splinter cell or anything surround sound on xbox it rocks i even like to use it on my gamecube and playstation 2, it always is nice with surround sound

and movies especially lord of the rings and the matrix trilogy are amazing with the surround sound I would always recommend watching any dvd or playing games with surround sound only way to play, it's amazing.

anyway sorry for the rambling on.

[tylerwillis]

Welcome to the boat. Better late than never. :)

[gonzo90017]

Are you a mind reader? Man I was just looking on the internet for a cheap 5.1 system. Any recommendations?

[VACRMH]

Are you a mind reader? Man I was just looking on the internet for a cheap 5.1 system. Any recommendations?

How cheap do you want? I'm looking into one myself.

If you don't mind an offbrand... Best Buy has one for about $50, but it's only about 200 watts.

This is the one I plan on buying...

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-wgWt74en6YW/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=135050&I=257THC3

[Captain Wrong]

Well, if you missed the boat after this topic (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43277) from a while back, then I don't know what to tell ya. LOL

[Half Japanese]

A good rule of thumb with budget surround sound setups is not to get one that has a combination receiver/dvd player. Step it up and you'll get better inputs and expandability in the future rather than a junkpile in a couple of years (of course if you're hardcore, you're probably shuffling receivers every few years anyway).

[SuperNES]

now that i've got my 5.1 surround sound system everything else sounds like crap. now the only problem is getting it over to my game systems. the surround is hooked up to my PC right now, and the games are on the other side of the room. :(

[Neil Koch]

You really need surround sound for new games -- I can't imagine playing something like Doom3 pr any sports game without it.

[calthaer]

Surround sound is most important for 3D first-person games. Platformers it's a little less important...and for top-down games or side-scrollers it's not too useful at all, really...but can still be cool.

But yes - for first-person games, it is a definite MUST. That's why I have a rockin' system hooked up to my PC. I'd never go back.

[WanganRunner]

I'm just putting my first real surround system together now.

I've used multi-speaker systems for awhile, but never actual digital discrete surround (i.e. 5.1+)

I grabbed a Marantz SR7500 reciever (retail is $1000, I got it for $200 via a friend's industry connection)

I also grabbed a set of SX-HTB loudspeakers from Fluance.
www.fluance.com

I recommend these to anyone here who's trying to put together surround sound on the cheap. For like $270 you get two big towers, surrounds, and a center channel, and they're VERY nice, very well packed, not BS speakers at all.

www.axiomaudio.com also makes nice stuff, tad bit more expensive.

You might want to pair the Fluance speakers with a subwoofer though, as they can lack bass (although they'll out-bass those tiny cube-speaker based surround systems any day).

General rule of thumb: Seperate components as much as possible, so when you upgrade, you only upgrade one piece instead of the whole rig.

i.e.

Instead of a Reciever, seperate amp(s), preamp, & tuner
Instead of CD Player, CD Transport & DAC

For tiny, tiny rooms and computers though, the little "home theater in a box" systems aren't half bad, they just can't fill a big room like a real speaker system can.

[The Manimal]

I want a surround reciever.

Either a Denon AVR-4806, a Yamaha RX-V4600, or a Marantz SR-9600. None are even out yet. LOL

[The Manimal]

[quote="WanganRunner"]

Instead of CD Player, CD Transport & DAC

quote]


You could also just use your CD player AS a transport. That's what I plan on doing. I just tried to find something that had controls that made sense. Too bad the one I got doesn't do CD Text, though. :(

[WanganRunner]

Yeah, that's always an option. A lot of the older CD players are built super heavily and very precise (were high-end at the beginning of CD technology) but they've got very primitive DACs.

Early Luxman units are a favorite of mine.

You can do this with most recievers as well, use the reciever as either an amplifier or a preamplifer, and then use another component (either amp or preamp) with it.

EDIT: My Fluance SX-HTB Speakers show up tomorrow. Once they're broken in, I'll do a review for the forum. Given how inexpensive they are, I imagine they'd be pretty popular around here if they turn out to be good.

[Half Japanese]

Yeah, that's always an option. A lot of the older CD players are built super heavily and very precise (were high-end at the beginning of CD technology) but they've got very primitive DACs.

Early Luxman units are a favorite of mine.

You can do this with most recievers as well, use the reciever as either an amplifier or a preamplifer, and then use another component (either amp or preamp) with it.

EDIT: My Fluance SX-HTB Speakers show up tomorrow. Once they're broken in, I'll do a review for the forum. Given how inexpensive they are, I imagine they'd be pretty popular around here if they turn out to be good.

Yeah, once I'm in better financial shape I'd like to at least replace my 3 rear channels (probably buying what are intended to be front channels to replace them with, or getting new fronts and shifting my current ones to the rear). Good thing is, I work at Circuit City, and while I make crappy wages and don't get much of a discount in-store, I get insanely good deals from some of our partners, like Harmon Kardon/Infinity, Polk, Monster, etc.

[Jasoco]

I'm curious, what exactly does the Wattage mean?

[goatdan]

Here is a very quick overview of tips that I have found with building mine:

- If you are buying a combo set up, those can be okay but often times they aren't actually surround sound, but instead stereo sound that comes out of five speakers. That sounds pretty nice, but it isn't true "surround" sound.

- The subwoofer is the most important piece of the entire set up, followed by the center speaker. If you are going to upgrade any parts, those are the two to do. If you buy a really cheap surround sound set up, the subwoofer will suck.

- Wires aren't that important. Monster will try to make you feel otherwise, but the amount of sound loss between Monster cables and cheap Radio Shack cables is barely measurable in lab settings. Don't bother greatly upgrading your cables unless you have great speakers first.

- If possible, hear it before you buy it. That sounds simple, but it's very true. Know what you want going in, and find something that can accomplish it.

[Kid Ice]

- Wires aren't that important. Monster will try to make you feel otherwise, but the amount of sound loss between Monster cables and cheap Radio Shack cables is barely measurable in lab settings. Don't bother greatly upgrading your cables unless you have great speakers first.


I am in agreement with you here, although I know others will argue differently. I went out of my way to find 12-guage speaker wire, which is super thick, for my surround set up. It made no difference whatsoever.

[98PaceCar]

The only thing that Monster makes that will make a real difference is their power centers (the good ones, not the power strips). I hooked my entire theater up through one and it was noticeably cleaner and overall much better. Plus, if my house takes a lightning hit, I know I'm covered!

[goatdan]

- Wires aren't that important. Monster will try to make you feel otherwise, but the amount of sound loss between Monster cables and cheap Radio Shack cables is barely measurable in lab settings. Don't bother greatly upgrading your cables unless you have great speakers first.


I am in agreement with you here, although I know others will argue differently. I went out of my way to find 12-guage speaker wire, which is super thick, for my surround set up. It made no difference whatsoever.

I know that people will argue, but I did a lot of searching when I bought my subwoofer about the topic because I really wanted some great sound from it. After a TON of searching, I found a few studies that looked at things like sound loss and stuff like that, and the difference between cheap wires and $100+ Monster cables was less than 0.1% of the sound.

Monster Cables are made better and will last a lot longer, but if you're going for cheap, you need not bother. I would suggest a heavier guage wire, but just about anything will do.

[NE146]

well.. 1. you need a bunch of speakers and 2. It aint good if you move stuff around a lot.

I figure once I settle down somewhere (i.e. a house) and have a somewhat permanent place I can set things up I'll bling it out.

As is now though.. stereo is about as surround as I'm gonna get. :)

[Ed Oscuro]

Does anybody have an opinion on Surround Sound in SNES games? Super Turrican 2 has it, and while it SEEMS improved under headphones, I can't say for sure...

[The Manimal]

I will say that my CD Changer (which I plan on using as a transport) broke within a month of usage, and had to have the optical pickup replaced. :lol It was an Integra brand (which is like Onkyo's "Elite" or "ES" line). The controls are logical and that's why I bought it (I read the online PDF manual before purchasing). It seems alright I guess as far as build quality but I gotta question it after dying in a month. LOL

[Six Switch]

what is a good price for a nice five speaker system?

[Jasoco]

I just need a cheap reciever. Something with 5 speakers, no DVD, no CD, no Tape, no anything, just something that receives the audio from the TV and makes it surround. My TV has RCA audio outputs on the back. I assume that's what they're for. To output to a receiver.

I'd also like one that preferably turns off automatically so I don't need another remote. I already have my TiVo controlling the TV's volume and input. It's too much.

[SoulBlazer]

I'm sure people can do better on prices, but I picked up a Toshiba reciever with 5.1 and PL II for $400 and a 5.1 speaker system (with subwoofer) made by Altec Lansing for $400. Both were bought at Best Buy in the summer of 2003.

[The Manimal]

I just need a cheap reciever. Something with 5 speakers, no DVD, no CD, no Tape, no anything, just something that receives the audio from the TV and makes it surround. My TV has RCA audio outputs on the back. I assume that's what they're for. To output to a receiver.



But you aren't going to get surround sound from this...


Perhaps "Pro Logic" (I think that's what it's called), which is like fake surround made from a stereo source?

[Half Japanese]

I just need a cheap reciever. Something with 5 speakers, no DVD, no CD, no Tape, no anything, just something that receives the audio from the TV and makes it surround. My TV has RCA audio outputs on the back. I assume that's what they're for. To output to a receiver.



But you aren't going to get surround sound from this...


Perhaps "Pro Logic" (I think that's what it's called), which is like fake surround made from a stereo source?

Yeah, Pro Logic (and II, IIx) are the best you can do with RCA outputs. You'll need optical or digital coax outputs for surround sound (no TV I've ever seen has these, there's not much point, as almost every tv show is recorded in stereo anyway). The only game system to really take advantage of surround sound anyway is the Xbox, with 5.1 for almost every game released. The Gamecube can only do Pro Logic (think stereo with its' chest puffed out to appear better than it is). The ps2, from what I understand, can do surround sound on movies, but it's very rare if not nonexistent to have it in-game (Most developers are even reluctant to do Pro Logic II, with most of the PL2 games being from Sony themselves).

Also, for most systems to be on the verge of even "decent" you're looking at about $400 minimum.