Total Surround Sound Noob

[WCAS]

I decided today that I would like to set up a surround sound system in my 80 square foot room (small but I like the coziness).

I would like for it to include my computer for games and music.

My sound card is an Creative Audigy SE that supports 7.1 but I plan on upgrading to a X-Fi card sometime soon.

I just don't know what I need.

Ive got a few little speakers and a sub woofer but I don't know what kind of system they went to. All I know is that they were made by Pioneer.

What kind of system do I need to set up? 5.1, 6.1, 7.1?

Do I need a receiver?

What is a tweeter and what does it do?

whats this about speaker cabinets?

Man, I'd just really appreciate some knowledge on the subject.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AtomicAudio]

I decided today that I would like to set up a surround sound system in my 80 square foot room (small but I like the coziness).

I would like for it to include my computer for games and music.

My sound card is an Creative Audigy SE that supports 7.1 but I plan on upgrading to a X-Fi card sometime soon.

I just don't know what I need.

Ive got a few little speakers and a sub woofer but I don't know what kind of system they went to. All I know is that they were made by Pioneer.

What kind of system do I need to set up? 5.1, 6.1, 7.1?

Do I need a receiver?

What is a tweeter and what does it do?

whats this about speaker cabinets?

Man, I'd just really appreciate some knowledge on the subject.

Thanks in advance.

Hello, Im not sure how large 80 sq feet is but if the room is about 17 feet long by 10 feet deep and 8 feet tall, then a 5.1 will suffice.

can you please give us the model of the Pioneer speakers?

if the Pioneer speakers are passive then yes, a receiver will be needed.

a tweeter is a high frequency transducer that is made to reproduce frequencies of about 2khz and up.

what about speaker cabinets? are you a DIYer??

please tell us what you have already!

theres also the type of connection you want for your components. you have coaxial, component, and HDMI to name some.


Here are some links for more information on surround sound.

Surround sound - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Howstuffworks "How Surround Sound Works"

--for some fun and more info

Dolby Laboratories - Audio and Video Entertainment Technology - Home Theater, Cinema, Broadcast, Movie, Game, PC, and Auto

DTS - We Bring Entertainment Alive!

 

[WCAS]

My room is 8x10x8.

can't find a model number on the speakers but they aren't loose they're in a wooden case.
They're passive.

I'm a hardcore DIYer with a lot of time on my hands.

All I have is the two speakers and the Sub woofer. I'm not sure what else I need to Scrounge up.

I'm kind of an Audiophile when it comes to music would the HDMI be the better choice? Or is the difference not a better bang for my buck.

Thanks for the help.

And Thanks for all the extra reading. Helps me to understand this better.

 

[AtomicAudio]

My room is 8x10x8.

can't find a model number on the speakers but they aren't loose they're in a wooden case.
They're passive.

I'm a hardcore DIYer with a lot of time on my hands.

All I have is the two speakers and the Sub woofer. I'm not sure what else I need to Scrounge up.

I'm kind of an Audiophile when it comes to music would the HDMI be the better choice? Or is the difference not a better bang for my buck.

Thanks for the help.

And Thanks for all the extra reading. Helps me to understand this better.

Sorry i took so long.

-A Hardcore DIYer! Excellent! if you dont already know the site, Parts Express has many different designs for Home Theater.

Ah- currently being "tuned up"

but Parts Express Home - Subwoofers, Speaker Building, Car Audio, Home Audio / Video, Pro Sound

they have an excellent forum full of wonderful, experiened individuals. a very homey feeling.

-yea, i think as of now, HDMI is the highest available to us. but im very unsure if you can tell HDMI vs... say Analog or Coax. I for one cant tell a difference between the 3.5mm plugs vs. Coax. currently im running coax only because its supposetly better and more convenient in my case.

- with unidentified speakers, its a bit difficult to suggest a receiver. And with a small room, a 5.1 will suffice unless you really want to enjoy a 6.1.
-were the Pioneers used or are you the original owner?


-is the subwoofer passive too?
-How much are you planning to spend on this whole surround sound system?
-would you rather smaller or bigger speakers?
-What equipment do you already have?

 

[WCAS]

Don't worry about taking a little while to reply. Your helping get this a whole lot.

I'll aim for HDMI if I can shop around and get it at about the same price. If not I'm not worried about it.

Thanks for the site. I had no idea they existed. The tech terms section is especially helpful.

The Pioneers I bought at a thrift store for 5 bucks and I don't even know if they work really. So in actuality, I don't really have anything but cash, my computer, and a Hitachi HDTV. Though I'm not concerned with the TV being in surround sound.

Cash wise, I'm a college student so I really want to keep the cost down as low as possible. I'm thinking not much more than 100 bucks if I can manage to get some of the equipment cheap.

I like smaller speakers but I plan on moving soon and having a bit more room.

Thanks again man.

 

[kfc469]

nevermind

 

[AtomicAudio]

Don't worry about taking a little while to reply. Your helping get this a whole lot.

I'll aim for HDMI if I can shop around and get it at about the same price. If not I'm not worried about it.

Thanks for the site. I had no idea they existed. The tech terms section is especially helpful.

The Pioneers I bought at a thrift store for 5 bucks and I don't even know if they work really. So in actuality, I don't really have anything but cash, my computer, and a Hitachi HDTV. Though I'm not concerned with the TV being in surround sound.

Cash wise, I'm a college student so I really want to keep the cost down as low as possible. I'm thinking not much more than 100 bucks if I can manage to get some of the equipment cheap.

I like smaller speakers but I plan on moving soon and having a bit more room.

Thanks again man.

-i see, i see. im heading to college this year, but not dorming but i know dorming costs and i see what you mean.

-if you seriously cant get the 100 dollars higher, i would suggest a humble Pioneer bookshelf pair hooked up to a Sonic Impact T-Amp.

-this combo wont get any party started but for the future, you've already got yourself the right/left surround channel speakers of your future 5.1 system!

-The T-amp is a truly amazing "toy" and has been held up to rival thousand dollar amps. im sure you would still choose the thousand dollar amp if you had one but for the price, its serious quality. and if interested, you can make it even better by modifying it with the many sites that offer such help.

-i own one myself and its great to get some music flowing with small hang-outs. it powers my "portable" speakers, the Bose 161. i run it with batteries because i dont have the 12 vlt adaptor... which im planning to get soon, along with a sealed acid battery pack to lengthen battery operated run-time.

-The Pioneers are a small two way bookshelf pair... i dont have experience with these speakers but i dont think Pioneer makes trashy speakers.

the total cost of the speakers, T-amp, adaptor and shipping should be a solid 100 dollars... i suggest these three things in the reason of sound quality.

-for under 100 dollars u can also get the logitech Z-4. 40 continuous watts... two wide range drivers and an 8 inch woofer.
its great value but as far as my experiences go, the lower end Logitech speakers sound like trash to me. based on friends systems and my parents 5.1 Z-640 5.1 system, i dont favor sounds of the lower end Logitech's. the Z-640 was about 70 dollars.

-But its Your ears! go for a test drive and check-out what you like. but for the logitech's take a good long listen. their bass is very unrealistic and sounds very loose and uncontrolled. unless you listen to music at 10% gain. at higher volume levels, its just a big mess of hoot coming outta that windpipe. and whichever one carries the 2 inch drivers, stay away from.

-yea... im sorta ranting now... PS. make sure that "Pressure Driver" is really a driver and not a passive radiator.

-Try and see if your Pioneers are really working or not. if they're in bad condition i'd suggest thrift them again. if they're in working condition, try and power it with the T-amp. the little thing can handle 4ohms and 8ohm speakers.

-if you dont have the room for the bookshelf speakers and room is about first on the list, then i would suppose you go with the "Computer" speakers.

You can also try Altec Lansing.

Altec Lansing Products: Stereo

i've always favored their sound rather than logitech. you dont get the volume but you get quality. A favorite of mineis the VS4121. its a pretty good value system. the bass is powerful and great for music. it can get sloppy at times but it can hit low and never has trouble keeping up with the satellites. the mid-range isnt the best sounding but is satisfying. theres a sense of cheapness that comes with the reproduction but i dont find it a major issue for the price. the highs are smooth and just have enough presence to complete the sound.


Parts Express:Sonic Impact 5066 T-Amp 30W Portable Amplifier

Search Results Page

Parts Express:Logitech Z-4 2.1 Premium Computer Speaker System Black

-i dont have experience with this system-
Altec Lansing Products: VS3251

- wow i think i sorta went off subject... but yea... the pioneers, the t-amp and the adapter for a solid 100 should satisfy you till you have enough money for a 5.1. Be sure to dream, create and calculate/design your future 5.1 to keep your anticipation. that'll help you bear with whatever you're pushing now... and the best thing you can do for yourself is research, research research!

 

[WCAS]

Thanks for all the advise and the experiance.

I think I'll go with the two speaker and amp deal for now.

I like the idea of buying it one piece at a time. That's how I'm building my new computer. Only buying parts that will work in this one and will in the new one. That way by the end I'll have just the quality I want.

Thanks for all the info, websites, and experiences. Helps a whole lot to hear some ones opinions on certain brands to.

 

[AtomicAudio]

Thanks for all the advise and the experiance.

I think I'll go with the two speaker and amp deal for now.

I like the idea of buying it one piece at a time. That's how I'm building my new computer. Only buying parts that will work in this one and will in the new one. That way by the end I'll have just the quality I want.

Thanks for all the info, websites, and experiences. Helps a whole lot to hear some ones opinions on certain brands to.

You're welcome and all thanks back for researching before your purchase. i hope this works out well for you!

Good Luck!