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TV Audio: "Home Cinema kit" or Amp + Speakers

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    TV Audio: "Home Cinema kit" or Amp + Speakers

    Been meaning for ages to get a better sound setup for our TV; used mainly for Netflix and casual viewing rather than films with the lights off.

    Can't decide between one of those homes cinema kits - 5.1 typically - or just getting something like Cambridge Audio TOPAZ AM5 Black | Stereo Amplifier | Richer Sounds and a pair of decent stereo speakers.

    Our main concern is being able to hear people speaking without having to turn it up so loud we worry about upsetting the neighbours anytime something loud happens, which is what we have now... strain to hear people having a low conversation and suddenly the dramatic music cuts in and it's too bloody loud!

    What setup to you lot prefer and why? As I said, we're not after some super-immersive cinema experience with thundering bass and putting a chair in the sweet spot, just decent and above all clear sound.
    Originally posted by MaryPoppins
    I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
    Originally posted by vetran
    Urine is quite nourishing

    #2
    I have a set of Logitech Z906 on my PC and Z5500 (older) on my TV in the lounge, both 5.1.

    I'm not an audiophile so they do a perfectly good job for me.
    Never has a man been heard to say on his death bed that he wishes he'd spent more time in the office.

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      #3
      Originally posted by zeitghost
      'Tis odd, isn't it.

      If you can hear & understand the dialogue, then you get blasted out of your chair by the music.

      Of course they can cure that by playing the music during the dialogue so you can't hear that at all.


      Some sort of audio compressor would be ideal.

      I wonder if anyone makes one.
      That's what they do on broadcast radio as standard, isn't it?
      Originally posted by MaryPoppins
      I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
      Originally posted by vetran
      Urine is quite nourishing

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        #4
        Originally posted by zeitghost
        'Tis odd, isn't it.

        If you can hear & understand the dialogue, then you get blasted out of your chair by the music.
        I find that's much worse when using my stereo amp, than with the TV's built in speakers. Probably because the latter aren't great for bass.
        Will work inside IR35. Or for food.

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          #5
          I have had a Sony Home Cinema "kit" for the past 12 years and it has done the job admirably.

          Were I do go down the route today, I would probably opt for a Soundbar, tbh, that has a separate Subwoofer, USB and HDMI pass-through as well as a Bluetooth connection.

          The separates route, for me, is too much of a hassle, but will satisfy the purists. Considering that 99% of what I listen to is MP3 / MP4, it is never going to be "Hi-Fi", due to the inherent compression and lossy format.
          I was an IPSE Consultative Council Member, until the BoD abolished it. I am not an IPSE Member, since they have no longer have any relevance to me, as an IT Contractor. Read my lips...I recommend QDOS for ALL your Insurance requirements (Contact me for a referral code).

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            #6
            Originally posted by d000hg View Post
            Our main concern is being able to hear people speaking without having to turn it up so loud we worry about upsetting the neighbours anytime something loud happens, which is what we have now... strain to hear people having a low conversation and suddenly the dramatic music cuts in and it's too bloody loud!

            What setup to you lot prefer and why? As I said, we're not after some super-immersive cinema experience with thundering bass and putting a chair in the sweet spot, just decent and above all clear sound.
            I had more or less the same problem a few years ago, except even when the volume was turned up the dialogue could still be hard to hear over the backing music.

            I discovered that in the sound settings for my telly, it was set to "Rock music" or "Pop music", presumably the result of mucking around in those settings when watching a concert a month or so before.

            I set it back to "None" or "Voice" and it made a real difference. I suddenly had no problems with background music drowning out the speech.
            Behold the warranty -- the bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by zeitghost
              'Tis odd, isn't it.

              If you can hear & understand the dialogue, then you get blasted out of your chair by the music.

              Of course they can cure that by playing the music during the dialogue so you can't hear that at all.


              Some sort of audio compressor would be ideal.

              I wonder if anyone makes one.
              Yes they do make such things. ITV got into trubble a few years ago for whacking up the volume during ads*

              Apparently what they do now is compress the sound so that it passes the legal measurements, but the brain still "hears" the ads as louder so takes notice.

              Or in my case gets p*ssed off

              * it's entirely their own blurry fault that I got into the habit of recording stuff and playing it back later so that I could skip past the ads
              Behold the warranty -- the bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.

              Comment


                #8
                I bought the Samsung 5.1 1000 watt kit from Currys for about 250 quid. We have a Samsung TV and samsung mobiles so went with that just to see if there was some added connectivity staying with the same manufacturer but I don't think that would have been a decider now it is in.

                Have to say it's the best 250 quid I have spent for awhile. I can't believe we have sat there for so long and used the TV sound. The surround sound is brilliant. The bass in the action movies and music is brilliant and the clarity for quiet scenes is just as good. There is a setting that auto dims if there is sudden loud sounds in a quiet scene which works well.

                I think it does exactly what we wanted and now I have it in I don't think we needed to buy anything better for a lot more dollar.

                Just one thing to watch is the smart option. Our system has the Smart TV option built in so it adds Smart option if your TV doesn't have it. I noticed there is an awful lag on Netflix on the surround sound but it's fine on the Smart TV. The reviews say the same so some almighty **** up on Samsungs part there.
                'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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                  #9
                  No option to adjust the timing somehow?
                  Originally posted by MaryPoppins
                  I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
                  Originally posted by vetran
                  Urine is quite nourishing

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
                    Just one thing to watch is the smart option. Our system has the Smart TV option built in so it adds Smart option if your TV doesn't have it. I noticed there is an awful lag on Netflix on the surround sound but it's fine on the Smart TV. The reviews say the same so some almighty **** up on Samsungs part there.
                    Modern TVs will delay the picture, so you have to use the audio output from the TV or manually set up a delay to get things back in sync. Sounds like a cock up if they haven't provided that option because it'd never work. Then again my Sony Blu-Ray has an audio delay option that appears to delay the picture too, so is bugger all use.

                    I've learned to be very quick to skip the ads; mainly to avoid being blasted by the extra volume. Usually on the channels with DOGs (which is most of them), the logo disappears just before the ad break so just enough time to reach for the remote.
                    Will work inside IR35. Or for food.

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