**** The Audio and Sound Advice Thread ***

EDIT:

Recommending this Wiki gets updated to info relevant in 2011, as it was last updated on 2009-11-09. Several of the links are now broken and aren't helpful. Would also like to see updates providing suggested setups based on price vs features.

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Pros/Cons Micro footprint lifestyle Satellite systems
These include vast majority of computer and htib sets. All satellite/micro footprint systems are lifestyle systems. They are created to be small and unintrusive. They are not designed with sound quality as their first goal but rather design and aesthetic requirements.

Generally, satellite systems are inferior to their bookshelf and floorstanding counterparts with the same price point and class. The small drivers and small enclosures make it difficult to drive midrange and bass to a decent volume without a large x-max (x-max is the TS parameter for maximum excursion before distorting). The larger the cone surface area, the less a driver has to travel to create lower frequencies. Since satellite systems are generally small woofers, about 3" on average, the amount of "work" they must do to rival a typical 5.25" or 6.5" bookshelf (or tower) speaker is much greater.

Higher quality satellite systems use better quality woofers, passive radiators, transmission lines and other "tricks" to assist in this deficiency. Some of the pricier ones are very decent. However, for a comparable price bookshelf, the bookshelf will always be significantly better.

Since there is a deficiency in the midrange/bass compared to larger speakers, a subwoofer has to crossover at a higher frequency A 100hz, 120hz, or more often 200hz crossover point are seen on these systems. When a subwoofer is forced to work up at these higher ranges, it starts to become directional. (sound frequencies below this are not traceable to locations, that's why subs can be placed in corner of room). Also, since these need to play well at the higher frequency ranges and consequently don't do nearly as well down low where a sub should be.

If performance is your goal, you may want to look elsewhere.

Specs of Tower vs Bookshelf vs semi micro footprint.
Polk monitor 30 bookshelves. $90/pair 55Hz - 25kHz
Polk monitor 50 tower speakers $90/each 42Hz - 25kHz
polk rti8 tower speakers $150/each 30Hz-27kHz (40hz-26khz -3db)
Sunfire CRM-2 (semi micro footprint 8.25" tall) $800/each 95hz-40khz http://www.sunfire.com/CR.htm. Possibly the best performing satellite out there, though quite large and bordering on a bookshelf size. Keep in mind, many towers systems can outperform these as you are buying for the engineering needed to make a small speaker sound big.

I just got a TV or own a TV and now want a home theater system. What should I buy?

used components
Used components, like used anything are a great way to buy something you can't afford. Both Ebay and craigslist are excellent for this. For audio gear, its hard to be audiogon for high end classifieds. On audiogon you can find anything from $200 Paradigm bookshelves to $2000 Thiels to $150,000 Wilson Audios to $250,000 Magicos. Of course, you should know what you are doing before buying used!

Luckily, speakers are relatively simple electronics and will hold up barring abuse. If they sound right, they are probably not broken. Things to look for are damaged drivers and cabinets, Torn cones. With damaged drivers, you could hear distortion, lack of sound in some range, or just general "not right" sounding. In most cases you should stay within last 10 years.

Next up are a comparison of various components you can buy at various prices. Keep in mind, if you go use you can discount yourself up to another 30-50%, sometimes even higher with older gear, off the price suggestions.

computer multimedia systems
Easily the cheapest way to go is to buy a 5.1 computer setup. They offer bad sound at low, low prices. You can pick up a set for under $100 if you monitor slickdeals for various sets from Creative, Logitech, Altec and all the usual suspects. The better featured ones offer digital input (SPDIF).
For data on their negatives, read the two links under the first section.

Home theater in a box (HTIB)
They are a full system out of the box. You can get a cheapy set for even $100 and they can go all the way up to thousands of dollars. Recommended for HTIB are sets from $150 to $600. Below that number are better computer speakers and above that are separate components (see below). These are complete sets that include a receiver, speakers, subwoofer, and sometimes a DVD player. These are the set you see in the Big Box stores like Best Buy, Walmart, or Costco. Most of the big name electronics companies make these from Panasonic to Sony. From a performance point of view, HTIB are not good.
For data on their negatives, read the two links under the first section.

Avoid the (infamous) HTIB system, the Bose Acoustimass/Lifestyle systems.
They are terrible on the price/performance curve. Other micro footprint speakers offer better sound for much less.

Onkyo are respected for good performance/price in the micro footprint categories offering bookshelves with a decent size sub and a receiver.

Speaker sets + separate receiver
A variation of HTIB. These sets usually come with Five satellite speakers and a subwoofer. Think HTIB minus a receiver. They usually come with micro footprint speakers

Then you need the speaker set which show up on slickdeals all the time as well. Nearly all the big name speaker companies have a set like this including the hifi and up brands. Everyone from Polk, JBL, Paradigm, Kef, various only brands, have something in this category.

The problem with satellite sets are for a large room, they tend to not perform well. (see below under satellite systems) This leads to the next tier.

separate components: receiver + speakers + subwoofer
The best way to get to most performance is to buy everything separately. Once you hit about the $400 mark, this is the way to go. Thanks to slickdeals various sales on tower speakers from Polk, JBL, and some others you can purchase a complete set for about $400 and get performance orders of magnitude above the HTIB above. Of course this maybe even better a deal if you go used and used mid-fi and up speakers show up quite often used. The ratio of 70/30 still stands for a speaker and receiver but if you throw a sub into the mix, the ratio should change to about 50% speakers, 20% subwoofer, 30% receiver. This isn't a hard set ratio and you can fudge as you see fit.

Here you can pick your size as well. You can go with large efficient towers or a high quality bookshelf with stand or on AV furniture (e.g., tv stand)

Center Channel
The center channels for most of these lines are almost never on sale. For a center channel, you should ALWAYS buy from the same line as the other front speakers. So if you bought a pair of Polk Monitors, you should buy the Polk Monitor center channel. More info of importance matching here. post

Another option is to just use a 3rd tower/bookshelf as your center.
Audioholics ran thorough and comprehensive tests, the best center channel speaker is vast majority of cases a 3rd tower speaker/bookshelf. It is also usually a lot cheaper than a speaker specified as "center channel". It also has perfect pitch match. Vertically orientated center tower is best if you can (like your LR channels), however turning it horizontal is still better than "center specific" speakers.
can't find original article, but here is an offshoot discussion of it.
link [audioholics.com]

10-30% of your money to the receiver and 70-90% to the speakers. There are various receivers that show up on slickdeals all the time. Right now, a recommended component is the Onkyo 606 which has full features and a low price with sales all the time. Speakers have much better bang/buck sound quality increase.
more info here post1

HDMI capabilities in receivers
There are 2 issues with all HDMI receivers.
1) Ability to play HDMI (HD) audio. Both Dolby and DTS developed high res formats for use with hi def formats like Bluray. Dolby's is called TrueHD and I believe DTS is called HD-DTS.
2) Video upscaling. This is the ability of a receiver to turn an old school analog format (svideo, component) into a hidef format through HDMI AND "up" its resolution using a video processing engine.

However, some receivers can do Number 1 listed above. It does a SIMPLER version of upscaling called "upconverting". That is, it will pass the old school analog video format and push it through the HDMI into your TV. Higher priced receivers will net you an upscaling chip from companies like Reon or Genesis.

So, what is the difference you ask between upscaling and upconverting?

On the "upconvert" only receivers, Once that HDMI signal reaches the TV, the TV has to upscale the picture itself! In other words, if your TV already has a good upscaling chip, you really DONT NEED the abilities of the higher priced receivers video capabilities. These upscaling chips are powerful processing engines, you'll recognize their names when you shop for TVs. They'll list brands like Genesis, Farjouda, Reon, Silicon Image etc. A receiver like an Onkyo 875/6 buys you an upscaling chip by Reon for instance.

OK, you ask, how does the receiver that comes with HDMI switching like from an Onkyo HTIB come into the picture?

IT HAS THE SAME CAPABILITY AS A HDMI SWITCH YOU BUY FROM MONOPRICE. Thats it!!

Now as for the audio side, again, how big a deal is not having the ability to decode Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD? From a cable management perspective, you'll have to run coax or optical SPDIF from your source to the receiver.

Now you may ask what about the quality of the audio? Aren't those new formats higher quality?

Yes they are. However, without the right gear (speakers,receivers/pre-pro/amp), one will barely notice the difference. With entry level gear, these high resolution audio formats will basically be a waste.