Recommend me a (decent) 2.1 HiFi setup

[L00b 441]

I've now tried a soundbar solution (Yamaha), and to say these are supposedly 'best', I'm not impressed.

 

In fairness, it's probably underpowered for the room size and accoustics (big rectangular conservatory), which are -as it now turns out- all wrong for an 'all-in-one' solution (even with a sub). My bad, etc.

 

My previous setup was a KEF 5.1 system paired with a Pioneer 5.1 amp, so of course much better, but I don't want to go back to that just now, as the idea was to cut down on the wiring and we don't really need rear speakers.

 

Just good 'stero plus' sound, with decent musicality for good measure.

 

So, I'm thinking an AV amp (at least 1 HDMI), a couple of large-ish good speakers, and maybe a sub and/or a center speaker. I.e. a "2.1" or "3.1" system, with good quality components (rather than 'system in a box'), but easy(-ish) on the wallet.

 

Opines/recommendations?

[Ghozer 112]

You'll find that most amps with HDMI are surround sound (at minimum 5.1) - can't you just set up your system with only 2.1, and set it to 2.1 mode?

 

Otherwise, if you want good, top of the range stuff, an Onkyo amp (you can pick them up cheap now, as the new range has just come out) and some Q Accoustic's (they used to be Mission) is the way to go IMHO!

[L00b 441]

I'm thinking an AV amp (at least 1 HDMI)

 

Thx for the suggestions, G.

 

Any alternatives to Onkyo and/or Q Acoustics?

[Ghozer 112]

If you're wanting decent, and designed for movie and TV, then not really... lots of the "Hi-Fi" components are good, but designed for just that, Hi-Fi, which doesn't always include Movie and TV, it's home cinema you need to look into which covers that, and music...

 

Visit Richer Sounds, tell them what you want, and your budget, and they'll sort something out for you.... They are excellent like that...

[L00b 441]

Pioneer vsxs300 & Boston sound ware xs se, by the look of requirements and reviews.

[kinetic 10]

A thumbs up for the Q-acoustics from me too. I read an article ages ago in What Hifi, they were mixing different micro systems with different speakers and they gave a 5 star award to the Denon M38DAB mixed with Q-Acoustic speakers. I obviously can't remember the exact words of the review but it was something along the lines of "gives a sound performance you'd expect from a separates system which would cost you twice as much". Something along those lines anyway . Let's just say it came highly recommended!

 

A few moths later I read another edition (Christmas one probably? - I buy them all the time dreaming for the day I win the lottery and can get fill my mansion full of McIntosh gear ), they handed out the end of year awards and they awarded the Denon/Q-Acoustics combination the best set-up for under £500. So I bought the set for upstairs (computer room). It was intended to replace an ageing (80s!) NAD set-up I had paired with some fairly new Jamo speakers.

 

It sounded nice, but it I wasn't blown away by it. I just wasn't certain it was £500 nicer than my current set-up! So, I was ready to send it back (bought online, so had the 7-day distance selling cooling off period).

 

Before sending it back I thought I'd try it in the living room (as an audio system, as we already had an old Sony 5.1 set-up going on for the TV) and it sounded great! (the room is a weird shape - very long but thin. Our previous house had a large square room, so the A/V rear speakers were behind the sofa, but because of the shape of our current room in the new house they were to the side of us and it didn't really work).

 

I originally decided to keep it as an audio system, but was one day mucking about (as you do!) and tried it with the TV and this time was completely blown away! It made the Sony system (admittedly old and fairly inexpensive) sound like a set of tin cans hooked up to car stereo! It's been driving my TV/HTPC ever since (as well as being used as an audio system)!

 

I think it just didn't work upstairs because it's quite an echoey room (having wooden flooring and wooden desks and what not) and there's also a lot of constant background noise from computers/servers running in that room. Plus it was competing with a NAD 3020e, which despite being ancient, is still a classic amp (!!!) and some fairly nice Jamo speakers, compared with the crappy Sony thing with plastic speakers which we'd had downstairs! I think I'd also grown used to listening to the upstairs set-up everyday and although the Denon/Q-Acoustics pairing sounded good, it just sounded "different", rather than "better". Hard for me to describe!

 

But downstairs, watching films (and even normal TV) on it, I was well impressed! Really nice clarity and tons of bass, even with just the 2 speakers and a micro audio all-in-one system driving it (instead of a dedicated home-cinema set up; even without the .1. In fact, I think if I added the .1 I'd drive my neighbours bonkers (terraced house)! It's bad enough with just the 2 speakers!). Again, this is probably down to the room dimensions (where the TV and sofa are placed along the long walls, due to the window covering the end of the thin wall at one end and the other end being knocked through into the kitchen); its not ideal as there's not a great deal of space between the TV and seating arrangement. But on the plus side plenty of room either side of the TV for the speakers (on stands) to face inwards towards the centre of the rear wall where we sit. It just works really nicely!

 

Looking at the whathifi best buys section now, the same speakers and mini system are still listed as the award winners in their respective categories (with the caveat that you pair the Denon with different speakers!), and it's maybe 2 or 3 years since I got mine! You'll notice the same speakers are also listed as best 5.1 cinema system speakers for <£700 (obviously the full 5.1 set, rather than the pair!). I couldn't be happier with them!

 

I have to say I don't even miss surround-sound too much (although it's weird going to the cinema now because I sometimes turn around when something particularly audible comes from the rear!), but if/when I move house again, if it has a large square room and I have some spare cash I'd definitely upgrade to a decent home cinema amp' and just add some more Q-Acoustics for the surround experience.

Edited October 1, 2012 by kinetic

[steroc 10]

I had a 5 speaker set in my house that sounded fine. I then moved it into the conservatory and it sounded terrible, really tinny. I didn't have a subwoofer at the time so bought a decent secondhand active sub off eBay for £60 and made a massive difference to the sound quality. So would definitely suggest using a sub in your set up if it's in a conservatory.

[kinetic 10]

I had a 5 speaker set in my house that sounded fine. I then moved it into the conservatory and it sounded terrible, really tinny. I didn't have a subwoofer at the time so bought a decent secondhand active sub off eBay for £60 and made a massive difference to the sound quality. So would definitely suggest using a sub in your set up if it's in a conservatory.

 

Yeah, I think that's one of the most unappreciated things about buying audio kit. It's okay to read reviews and get advice on the net and from knowledgeable people in shops, etc, but one of the defining factors (if not, the most important factor!) is how it will sound in the environment of your room. Everything from speaker placement, furniture, the size and shape of your room, background noise, ceiling height, what type of flooring you have, etc can all make a huge difference from how it sounds in a demonstration room to how it will sound in your room.

[L00b 441]

Thanks for the extensive input, guys, really appreciated.

 

The room is a large rectangle (about 6m x 5m) but 'bare' (mostly wall on north & east sides, mostly glass on south and west sides), with wood floor and little in the way of furniture (2 low-ish 2-seaters, glass coffee table, low table/draws with AV stuff in 1 corner and one giant china rose/hibiscus in the opposed corner; TV is wall-mounted). And a high ceiling obviously, as it's a conservatory.

 

So accoustics pretty much 'suck' where echo/reverb is concerned, as lots of flat surfaces to bounce soundwaves (whereby I thought a Yam soundbar with these 'directional' sound beams would work quite well...), but lots of volume to fill for a "decent" sound level (not deafening or neighbour-annoying, but loud enough to hear every bit 'fully formed').

 

There was never a problem with the KEFs though (KHT eggs, all stand-mounted, with sub in far corner), and sound was very clear/undistorted (not echo-y at all), even when using only 2 (front) of them as stereo.

 

The sub I have with the soudbar does its job well enough, it's the soundbar that is the problem (sound really is tinny/'canned').