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

Quote from stickycash : Atlantic is ok...personally I like Sanus better. Speaker stands i feel you should only buy once. So get stands that will support true higher end book shelf speakers once you upgrade yours. Atlantics are about 41 bucks (supports 2 lbs) and these sexy Bell'O are 96 bucks and said to support 100lbs with wire management! http://www.amazon.com/BellO-SP-30...05&sr=8-26 Glad to see this advice thread is still going after 3 years. axiom and I hope it continues to help and serve others in their audio quest.

I have those Bell'O stands and they are pretty good. They can shake though, so you'll have to be careful about that. They are extremely solid though. I have Kef IQ30s on them, and those are pretty big on them.

I never have a audio receiver like this before.

I connect my HDMI to the receiver and the output from there to my projector?

1. What should my equalizer be set at on my computer? At zero or crank all the way up? Then what about the equalizer on the receiver? I am confused here.

2. I dont need SPDIF from my PC card to the receiver right?

Quote from chong67 : I never have a audio receiver like this before. I connect my HDMI to the receiver and the output from there to my projector? 1. What should my equalizer be set at on my computer? At zero or crank all the way up? Then what about the equalizer on the receiver? I am confused here. 2. I dont need SPDIF from my PC card to the receiver right?

Its ok...we all were receiver "virgin" before:
Yes, hdmi out from your video card into one of the hdmi inputs on the receiver. I suggest HDMI 1. Then HDMI OUT to your projector. You should measure both these hdmi runs (PC-to-AVR) (AVR-PJ) and best results with your average hdmi cable should be good for up to 25ft. 25ft-50ft hdmi runs you want a high quality hdmi cable to prevent dropout/freeze/artifacts. If this is the case just leave a comment here and I or someone will suggest a good 35 or 50ft hdmi cable.

What should my equalizer be set at on my computer? Since your receiver has some form of equalization...you should set your pc eq to zero or "flat". In most cases, you always want to bring the cleanest signal into the AVR. If you find you need eq, you cant adjust it on the AVR.

Then what about the equalizer on the receiver? The AVR will have "profiles" for different scenarios. Personally I wouldnt worry about any type of personal eq from the start. Just hook everything up and run the Audessey calibration with the mic. If you playing a Blu-ray with TrueHD or DTS-MA...then you select that and you good to go.

This HTIB is a very good system to start. Onkyo has always packed these with one of their stand-alone AVR and some (adequate for novice) speakers at an attractive price. the HT-S9400THX is a whole other beast. Chong, you have a whole lot of features to learn but thats what this thread is for. Help you get the best audio advice for your purchases. Good Luck

2. I dont need SPDIF from my PC card to the receiver right?

No, as long as your video card features "Audio over HDMI" Knowing the computer freak you are..i'm pretty sure you are ok. You can list your model in reply to double check or google the info.

I want to get the Polk Audio PSW505 but its discontinued and now they only have the PSW125 I read it doest have the watt as the 505.

What is a good 12" subwoofer for around $250?

Quote from chong67 : I want to get the Polk Audio PSW505 but its discontinued and now they only have the PSW125 I read it doest have the watt as the 505. What is a good 12" subwoofer for around $250?

I've read a lot of reviews about Bic America that have been very good. I've been eyeing this sub for a while: BIC America F12 12-Inch 475-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer [amazon.com] for $189
or for $301 Bic America VK-12 12-Inch 1000-Watt Kevlar Series Front-Firing Powered Subwoofer [amazon.com]

Quote from jagoodie : I've read a lot of reviews about Bic America that have been very good. I've been eyeing this sub for a while: BIC America F12 12-Inch 475-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer [amazon.com] for $189 or for $301 Bic America VK-12 12-Inch 1000-Watt Kevlar Series Front-Firing Powered Subwoofer [amazon.com]

Thank you so much! I will look into it.

Do you plan on using this for more music or HT? Many say these are more HT than music. Also, if you are willing to spend $301, apparently you should spend an extra $28 and get the PL-200 [amazon.com] instead..

What is a good Home Theater set up i can get for around $ 400-500.

I want a receiver, 2 towers, a center, and a sub. I would be glad to get 2 bookshelves in that budget if i could. I am kind of new to speakers and HT systems, so any tips would be awesome. Thanks in advance!!

Quote from seantejani : What is a good Home Theater set up i can get for around $ 400-500. I want a receiver, 2 towers, a center, and a sub. I would be glad to get 2 bookshelves in that budget if i could. I am kind of new to speakers and HT systems, so any tips would be awesome. Thanks in advance!!

The cheapest (yet well reviewed) towers I know of are
Sony SSF-5000 [amazon.com] pair for $92, plus
Sony SS-CN5000 [amazon.com] center for $70 and
Sony SSB-1000 [amazon.com] bookshelf pair for $42
plus a sub (at least $100) and a
receiver (at least $200)

or a bit sexier: Energy Classic Theater System [amazon.com]

plus a receiver.. Onkyo TX-NR509 [amazon.com]

I recommend this page for beginning research: Amazon Best Sellers [amazon.com]

I'd try to catch some jamos on sale. If you search, they go on sale often.

can someone recommend some earbud headphones under $20?

Quote from Logdropper : can someone recommend some earbud headphones under $20?

Man, all the good earbud deals were about a week or so ago. I got both the Sennheiser OCX 880 and the 485s last week.

Quote from chong67 : Thank you so much! I will look into it.

I *FINALLY* got the BIC-F12, and i love it so far. Gaming/Home Theater use primarily.

Quote from Logdropper : can someone recommend some earbud headphones under $20?

These absolutely rock: Creative EP-630 [amazon.com] As long as you like a little extra bass (who doesn't?)

I compare them favorably to my Klipsch Image x10s.

I just took delivery of a set of steel Sanus SF-30 stands. I have "Quakehold" for securing the bookshelf speakers on top, but wanted to add some weight to the stands themselves in case it ever gets bumped by the Rottweiler that roams the house (really only one might be exposed to her). Since I have pets, I was going to avoid lead shot (even though they should never see the outside of the stand tube). Plus lead shot seems expensive.

I read elsewhere of someone buying steel BBs at Wal-Mart and using about 3 boxes of 4000 in each (@ $5 a box), or there is sand. I also saw someone used pea gravel. Any opinions from those with experience? If I went with sand, I'd probably put it into small bags to try and manage the sand a bit for when the day comes to remove it and to mitigate the potential effects of any moisture in the sand. Febuary in Virginia isn't a good time to be drying out sand. The advantage of the BBs I guess is that there wouldn't be any moisture to worry about. I imagine the sand would be best for dampening sound from the stands, but I am more concerned with keeping the stands upright. Thanks for the thoughts.