Home Entertainment Setup?
I finally entered the world of surround sound 5 months ago, treated myself on my birthday. Did quite a bit of research into recievers, speakers, wired / wireless etc. Asked around various audio forums before i made my purchase.
Few things to consider:
1) Wireless is never "wireless" as you have to power the speakers, so you're then still hidding thicker power cables.
2) In order to get wireless speakers which deliver exceptional sound, you need to spend a small fortune. Not worth the money you will pay, especially when you can get a set of wired speakers for 3/5x less.
Obviously not entirely sure on your budget, but i'd still say go wired.
As for accessing network storage, always better to go for a media centre for those types of things.
So things you'll need..
- AV Receiver
- Speaker Setup
- Media Centre
My recommendations are from personal preference, also by far what was recommended to me by many people (Audiophiles). Also i'm aiming this budget wise at entry-mid level.
AV Receiver:
Yamaha or Denon, as they tend to give a much warmer sound. Also very reliable and won't break the bank. These all come with HDMI which is 3D capable for future proofing, also 5.1 and rest of the gubbins. Either one will be great for what you need.
YAMAHA RXV467 - £269.95
http://www.froogle.richersounds.com/...ama-rxv467-blk
DENON AVR1311 - £269.95
http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/6937
Speakers:
Some people like floorstanders or satellites, i personally prefer bookshelf’s.
You could get a full set here:
Q ACOUSTICS 2000 5.1 HOME CINEMA - £495.00
http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/5697
The above depends entirely on your budget
You'll save more by going with the previous model and tbh the difference is almost zero between them, it will just mean piecing things together separately. Although you'll have to go in store to get these, or be prepared to pay an additional 20% if you source from elsewhere.
Q ACOUSTICS 1010i - £100 for 4.
http://www.froogle.richersounds.com/...o-1010i-cherry
Q ACOUSTICS 1000Ci - £50
http://www.froogle.richersounds.com/...aco-1000ci-blk
Q ACOUSTICS 1000Si - £99.95
http://www.froogle.richersounds.com/...aco-1000si-blk
Wiring will cost you an additional £20-30 or so, depending on the size of your room.
Also one thing to note, you dont "really" need to buy a sub straight away with these. If it's you first time into home entertainment audio, these carry enough base to blow your mind. Then when you're ready, buy the sub to add to your setup.
Media Centre:
Easy one this - Acer Revo with XBMC Live on it. Full 1080p playback, smooth as ice. Great user interfaces and really is the best media player you can make, forget everything else.
Acer Revo - £199.99
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/200537
Thread below with details on it, also videos on how well it handles 1080p:
http://forums.gamegrin.com/showthread.php?t=45775
You're looking at a spend of £750 and upwards.
I know it seems like allot, when i first looked into it i wanted to spend £150 max on some speakers for my TV, didn't think that that would be a problem. The more i looked into it, the more people i asked for advice.. There was really no getting around, you needed to spend a good amount of money to get something worth wild.
It eventually lead me to go listen to them, comparing the speaker systems which came with a DVD player and then going to Richersounds to listen to a proper setup.. The difference was so much, you look at the cheaper ones as a complete waste of your hard earn dosh. The advantage is though, when you buy this lot.. It’s something you’ll keep for donkeys years, as HD Audio is going to be the standard for a looong time.
I personally have:
Yamaha RXV-565 - Which is a 7.1 Receiver, about the same as i've recommended to you but no 3D.
6x Q Acoustic 1010i
1x 1000Ci
1x 1000Si
Acer Revo R3600 with XBMC Live
Hands down one of the best purchases i've ever made, it really is incredible when i'm sat watching Planet Earth 1080p with HD Audio and i can hear such detail all around me. Or Transformers 2 on bluray, with bullet sounds feeling like it's whizzing passed my head.
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