Haha I do the same. I have a pretty meaty home theatre but I watch TV using the TV speakers most of the time and just power up the rest for movies. After a long day at work sometimes it's just too much, I just want some poor quality mono sound.
The neoprene under the speakers is a good idea. I use insulation foam tape just to keep them from sliding, but vibrations get real annoying with big speakers on my desk.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this before, but I'd like to mention, an increase of 3db in something is actually doubling it. This is because decibels are a logarithmic scale. In amplifiers, for example, an amplifier will have a 3db point, ie. where the gain has reduced by 3db, this is usually used as the cutoff frequency for the amplifier.
Not necessarily. It depends on what quantities you're comparing - what logarithm you're using and what formula you're using it in (what factor the logarithm is multiplied by). +3 dB is double the acoustic/output power, but *not* also double the sound pressure or signal amplitude and *definitely not* double the perceived loudness/volume (more like the lowest difference at which most or all people will agree there's a loudness difference, which is why, I assume, -3 dB is the level drop-off used to bracket the speaker frequency response ranges reported to the public by manufacturers) +6 dB is double the sound pressure or signal amplitude, but still not double the perceived loudness/volume +10 dB is a sort of minimum required for listeners to report they're hearing "double" the loudness/volume (though of course it depends on a lot of things, since it's a question of subjective perception).
A good room is by far, the most important aspect to good sound. A bad room can make $1000+ speakers sound worse than $100/pair speakers. Budget accordingly for acoustic treatment. Good vid overall.
RedBeardedRabbit I have a room that's 11'8" X 17' 4" as main speakers I can get a screaming deal on Klipsch RF-7ii. Do you think that's to much for that size room,it has drywall and heavy cloth curtains.Store out of business selling at almost 3k Canadian
@@oscarjung5405 Wait wait wait wait. After that video saying how the center is the most important speaker in a home theater setup...he stopped using one.
@@TinyTitian jep!!!! Well he says if you have amazing speakers and sit in the center you don't need one. But if you have people sitting on the sides, you need a center so they can always hear...
Yes, it's very annoying how when I watch the tonight show everything that is happening live is Dolby digital, but all the tv and movie clips r in stereo so the vocals switch to my fronts. Drives me crazy! Also, a few months ago I replaced the center channel on my Polk htib to a better/larger one and it has made a huge difference!
Nice....have watched many vids on home theater for novices. This one is by far the best info on what I need to do, what's most important and why. This also looks more like the average enthusiasts room. Not some mega buck home set up by an outside vendor. Thank You.. and keep em rolling.
I believe you mistakenly said "Audacity" when you meant Audyssey. Audacity is a popular software for manipulating audio, Audyssey is the room correction software built into Denon and Marantz AVR's. I do the same all the time, since I use both pretty regularly.
So Ive got The KEF R600c center and KEF R900 towers in the front, same brand and series. Are you saying for the 4 rears I could go ELAC UB5 pairs instead of KEF R300s which packs a huge savings. My sub is a pair of SVS PB1000s, All pushed by Emotiva XMC-1/XPA GEN 3 (7 ch). Just need to complete with 4 rears.
because I love what you do and respect it.. a little bit more depth on the subject.... Ok so I zeroed in my sub crossover frequency. Got it sitting close to where it should be. Now what you want to do next, is calibrate your speaker volume to be near studio reference levels. The goal is to set amplifier at 0.db volume. That's for amps useing the - scale while volume is low. You want to set-up a decibel meter in the middle of listening position pointing straight up at your basic ear level while sitting. Leave all tone control set in middle 0 position which is neutral flat. Most consumer amplifiers are calibrated with test tone to -35 decibel level with amp at max volume 0-db. If your getting between 70-75 decibels during test? You're at consumer volume level. That's how you verify if the amp was calibrated for that. To bring it to studio reference level, you'll need to adjust each speaker volume from the speaker setup menu and obtain 85 decibels. That's why they left headroom in the amp with additional + or - volume control for each speaker. When you tune in to 85 decibels? Move to the next speaker. Done amps cycle through test tone speaker to speaker automatically. Just wait again if you miss it while adjusting the speaker volume. The goal is 85 decibels which is the Fletcher/Munson curve. All frequencies heard the same volume. Human hearing is able to distinguish that at that volume. Don't be afraid to go into negative volume when it comes to the subwoofer. Sub frequencies are much more powerful and fill the room fast and loud. That's the icing on the cake! Once you correctly calibrate your system volume? You'll enjoy watching a movie and heading everything at the correct volumes they were mixed at. You'll be blown away at how much better your system will sound at any comfortable listening volume! Perfectly balanced by you and not a computer chip embedded inside auto setup features. Don't worry of some speakers volume level on amp are not equal. If you had to boost right speaker louder than left to obtain 85 decibels? It's normal. That's speaker placement and room acoustics were robbing the speakers volume. Absorption from something in the room perhaps. But you'll compensate by turning it up. It will not interfere with stereo imaging assuming you calibrated the others correctly. A decibel meter and frequency analyzer can be downloaded from your phones app store. Enjoy!!! Finally got the subwoofer. Today I'm throwing it on the work bench. Since I figured out my crossover point for the subwoofer, I'll send a 60hertz Soundwave tone to it. Then we'll find out truth. Let's see how much bullshit the speaker manufacturer shit out while finalizing the frequency response of this thing. If it's an accurate crossover network, I should be able to play 60 hertz out of it useing a sine wave tone generator. I should get near 60 hertz from it. Nothings perfect. Even in the speaker world. Every crossover leaks unwanted frequencies along with the set point. Some more than others. Tuning and testing speakers is a time consuming task. I have to bring it into the bedroom studio to do this. My wife will kill me lmao. I tried last night, but she wasn't happy with the little one running around like a maniac in his walker lol. So next step is to find out the subs actual true frequency response and crossover point. I'll measure the output with a microphone and send that to my frequency analyzer software. When you tune it as close as possible to your crossover point? It should be a seamless transition from my main front speakers 47 hertz-60 hertz crossover point. This way the sub doesn't interfere with the front main L&R speakers bass roll off. When useing high fidelity full range front speakers, set amp to large front, and subwoofer to sub +main. This will tell the amp to send full range bass to the front speakers + the sub. The subwoofer will seamlessly transition just under the frequency response of front main, providing that you dialed in the crossover as accurate as possible. Don't rely on knobs, even with digital settings for crossover point from the amp. use a meter to test speaker response!! The amp cannot verify how accurate the subwoofer responds to that! Manual tuning is best! The low frequency effect is the heart of the sytem! This is what gives it the dynamic range! I'm the recording cinema mixing studios, they use a calibrated frequency volume. So every movie soundtrack mixed is identical in dynamics. They setup a -20db pink noise and set the console to 0= unity gain. Then they adjust each speaker volume to reach 85 decibels. This is what we call studio reference level. Ever wonder why your reciever volume starts at - and maximum is 0? That's a calibrated studio reference output. When setup up correctly? You'll watch a movie and hear everything exactly as they mixed it! Calibrated to studio standard reference volume. 85 decibels is the goal at unity volume 0db. With peaks of 105 decibels. I'll get into more next lesson after. I'll show you how to really setup speaker volume in listening position! Throw out the cheap microphone that came with your amp for auto setup. Its a frigging joke!!
I require some acoustically stacked boxes. Can you provide a diagram as to how these would be placed for the best dampening? I should add, this is very informative, thanks for this video.
Z Reviews Hahah perfect! I have read lots of your guides on r/zeos, and in fact went the DIY option and just completed the Overnight Sensation MTMs as my L/C/R and am very impressed! Was an incredible upgrade from my Logitec Z-5500 system that I bought probably 14 years ago!
A center speaker is not everything, if you are watching alone by yourself and sit directly in the sweetspot center position, I would go with no center speaker and let the left/right front speakers create the center stage for the vocals. I have mine setup so that when I listen to stereo music I get the vocal from the lead singer right in the middle between the front speakers, therefor it sounds great as well when I put on a movie, all you have to do is make sure that the distance between the front speakers are the same as the distance from the speakers to the listening position, this is very important if you want to get the best center audio stage for the vocals. It should be like this, if you draw a line between the front speakers and 2 lines to the listening position, it should create a triangular shape, once you have that you are good to go. You might try and turn the front speakers a little inwards but not to much, just a slight turn so that they reach your ears left and right, you dont want them to cross each other, if they do you have them pointing inwards to much. For me personally I always watch movies alone by myself mostly, so I always sit in the sweetspot right in the middle, and I have no center speaker, imo. the front speakers creates a much better sounding center vocal stage than if I had a center, the problem with a center speaker is that if you have a flat screen tv you will have to place it under or above your TV, this will often result in bad center audio so that it will be to directly to hear where its comming from, without a center speaker the way I have it, I get a much better center sound, its like the vocal is floating right in the middle in front of my screen making it sound like if they were standing in my room speaking, its just so much better. Of course if you have your uncle Jimmy visiting then you would need a center speaker since both of you cant be sitting right in the middle at the same time. But try turning the center of and do like I said, just make sure to tell your surround receiver or dvd/bluray player that you dont want to use a center speaker, there should be an option to turn it off and let the front speakers take care of the center sound.
I use JBL Studio 590 for LR channel and Infinity bookshelves for LR back. Using HK3700 AVR. 65 inch Panasonic ZT Plasma. No center channel needed. It is freaking awesome.
I think you mentioned this, If going 7.1 do you want your better quality speakers on the sides or rear? Also do you have video or did you mention pro/cons 5.1 vs 7.1 ?
You can future proof your receiver if you buy a high end like my Yamaha RX-Z9 which does not have HDMI which was developed not for sound quality but for copy protection . I do convert my component video output to HDMI for the purpose of adjusting the receiver and using the mic for room sound correction . My Z9 did cost a little south of $5000 but still out performs pretty much anything other than complete separates . I did have to buy a higher end blue ray player that had 7 individual line outputs so if I do not have the proper surround sound processor software like true Dolby etc it's still available to me . The only downside to a high end Receiver is it weighs about 100lbs . However it will drive most any speaker ever made it only has 170 watts to 7channels and 50 each to the elevated dsp speakers when speakers are 8 ohm but 340 watts per channel when driving a 4 ohm load and 560 per channel into 2 ohms. Paired to my Sunfire true subwoofer I have humbled many newer high end systems but I really use my dual mono stereo system much more than my multichannel system but when I do the neighborhood comes alive luckily my neighbor's are very understanding .
"4K is not ready"? UHD BluRays are coming in december. And we already have HDMI 2.0 receivers, TVs and cables. Computers with good graphics cards can also output UHD. We have UHD content on RUclips and Netflix already. Buying regular HD gear now is very short-sighted. I work in electro-retail and here in Norway we're expecting Full HD to be pretty much dead by the time the 2016 TV models come out.
Yrjan Willy Lund You know I believe Norway will be ready way sooner than the US, but pushing 4k gaming is a feat. I have a friend that has to run SLI monsters just to get up above 40 fps in battlefield. When the 1080p stops existing we can stop buying it. You also have to really look at a resolution chart v distance to grasp 4k is useless to most people. Nobody is sitting a meter from their 50" TV. I'd say 85% of displays are used from a distance where 1080p and 4k would be indistinguishable.
Z Reviews True, 4K gaming is still a couple of years away, but computers can still output that resolution for video. Not to mention that consumer cameras (even smartphones) already shoot UHD video. We may very well be ahead in Norway as far as pushing the technology to the average consumer, but I very much disagree with you on the distance vs resolution thing. There is a clear difference to me, even at a distance. On a ~50" I can still see the difference quite clearly from 3 meters away. The effect is of course greater on bigger screens and the resolution is most beneficial at 46" and up (because of size vs average distance), but the difference in visual quality - at least to me - is quite obvious.
Z Reviews Very true, to max out games at 4K or even to run them on ultra would take at least two GTX 980's. And even then you wouldn't achieve 60FPS for newer games like The Witcher 3 and GTA 5. Which is something a die hard PC gamer like myself would strive for and take no less. So your talking about throwing down the money for two high end GPU's that are very expensive, then throwing down money on a 4K TV or monitor which is also very expensive. Just way out of people's price range for most people. But I'm interested in a 4K TV just for watching movies and tv shows, but I've never seen a 4K TV in person so I don't know if it really looks that much better than a 1080p screen. What are your thoughts?
Yrjan Willy Lund I know people in the movie business and they've been recording movies in 8K for about 2 years now. Japan has 8K TV's already available for consumer purchase. If you buy 4k, you're simply buying a stepping stone product to generate sales. Just like a curved TV is nothing more than a marketing gimmick to try to increase a slowing in sales. 4K is a waste of money from a visual standpoint. From typical viewing distances, your eyes cannot decipher the difference between 1080P and 4K on a 65" TV, which is usually the top end of someone's budget. Money is better spent on picture quality over pixel count.
Thank you sir, your theory is 100% right! I personally thought all you said before, also I bought definitive technology 9080x towers with matching center channel but it’s crazy how they made the center channel less powerful than the towers, that’s why I’m going to sell my center channel and buy I big center channel that can match the powerful towers I have.
can you please explain why heavier gauge wire should be used for the rear speakers ? electrical signals travel through wire at almost the speed of light, so why would a few feet more of wire matter ?
Hey Zeos, been watching your channel for about 2 years now since I go into audio, love your vids! In your opinion, in the almost 4 years since this video came out and the almost 5 years since the beginning of the format wars. Who do you think is currently in the lead? (Atmos/DTS:X/Auro-3D)
This is why I just bought a new Marantz integrated amp, with no home theater. Movies sound just fine on my 2.1 system. I knew people who went, and bought thousands of dollars in an AVR equipment, and then the powers to be changed some HDMI formats, etc which made their brand new AVR worthless.
Really, why do you say that? Most of the videos I've watched on YT with regards to 4K say that it's not worth the upgrade from Blu Ray. I have a 4k TV, but finding content in such Ultra HD is very difficult, not that I really care that much, 1080 is enough for me. And Dolby Atmos, I'd bet 90% of people have never even heard of it, let alone know what it is. Maybe home theater enthusiasts care about 4K, Dolby Atmos, and whatever equivalent DTS is doing these days, but they are a very small segment of the overall population. I mean there are a LOT of people who are more than happy with CDs and DVDs. Heck, a lot of people still have CRT televisions, and the vast majority of people probably just use their TV's speakers for listening. An updated video would be interesting, but not entirely necessary as adoption of the new formats is probably very low. I don't know about you, but I'm not putting 7, 8, 9, some odd speakers in my TV/living room, and certainly not in the walls or ceiling.
I use my 7.2 for audio also. I upmix stereo FLAC's etc. with MPC-HC and FFDshow mixer with 7.1 settings. Manually mirror the left and right to the surounds with corrected volumes. It's insane with music, in this case it's nicer to have matching speakers? Also with wire it should be better to get OFC wire aka Oxygen Free Copper in as high percentage as possible, they say, like the Konig budget OFC cable at least. If you start buying ALOT of cables, better buy the good ones first time, and not 3 times like me haha... not copper mixed with aluminum etc. You can feel it by the weight of the cable roll also. I myself noticed a quite big difference going from ultra cheap copper/alu cable to OFC copper, my setup was begging for it it seems, especiall the surrounds sounded fuller and such. I use 4mm OFC cables for all my speakers, but sometimes I change the fronts and center to Audioquest biwire stuff doubled up to + and - , or as bi-wire. Good video's. For some reason I keep looking hehe. Guess I like audio stuff x)
First "high-dominance" theory, then headphones for gaming, now home theater 101. Digging the new ZTutorials! (Can't wait for your turntable and cassette deck guides...)
I think the whole don't invest in L/R speakers is wrong for people looking for a surround system that can also do Hi-Fi. Maybe I made the wrong decision in your eyes, but I had slightly over 50% of my budget invested in L/R (Dali IKON 6 MK2) and the rest in the center (Dali ZENSOR VOKAL), rears (Dali ZENSOR 1) and receiver (Pioneer VSX-1123K). Also didn't bother with a sub, because I don't like too much base, they go fairly low for 6.5" drivers and I live in an apartment building and while sound insulation is excellent base can really penetrate concrete walls.
I have a friend who has a yamaha reciever from 2008.... it doesnt have hdmi even tho hdmi was out back then but it has fiber optic for audio and video and it upscales to 1080p 60hz and its perfectly fine lol
I have a question for you.When I change channels on my tv I'm getting a squealing noise,but if I have the stereo on it does not make that noise.Im using the marantz 1403,direct TV box all connection are via high end hdmi cables.This just started with a 3 week old/new Sony xbr 4k hdr tv.Is it a setting issue or ???.
What is your opinion on the Onkyo TX-NR646 A/V reveiver? I am looking for a receiver with a lot of connectivity options (we mainly use our laptops/smartphones to watch/listen to anything) that will last me for a while. As in be able to get the most out of higher-end speakers when I upgrade. I am currently still using a old 5.1 surround set from pioneer but I thought it be best to first invest in a decent receiver and use the pioneer speakers before saving up to buy better speakers.
I've got a similar situation going on as you've shown in your mock room layout on the linked Imgur picture, where I have a wall to the right of the couch (if your facing the TV and front speakers) but no wall on the left of the couch. Would you go ahead and place the rear speakers for a 4.0 setup on the backwall that's about 2/2.5ft from the hearing position on the couch and just place the speakers higher up on the wall, like about 2-3ft above ear level?
Has having the receiver to the side with different wire lengths screwed with the phasing at all?...My Onkyo has the option to input distance which I determine by wire length...I've always cut my corresponding wires to equal lengths (OCD...lol)...both fronts are same...both rears are same length (longer than fronts) etc...I also use an amplified center with adjustable volume and tone controls...having that flexibility is amazing for movies and music,especially concerts and live stuff
This will make me sound like a peasant but what are your thoughts on the Z5500 Digital from years ago? I still have my set from early 2000s and it sounds amazing. Still.
that's what I'm talking! nice job. I have a similar set up. 60 inch flat panel and 120 inch elite electric screen to cover the 60" TV when in used with ilumi smart led light behind the tv and pioneer sc91 avr along with jbl 6.1.2 speaker set up.
@z I live in Saudi Arabia where speaker selections are limited as well as online shipping. I mean I can ship anything but the shipping will double the price. So I have three choices to choose from 1)klipsch RP280 towers (3.0 set will cost $1650) 2) prime towers (5.0 set will cost $1600) 3) uni-fi ub5 bookshelves (3.0 set will cost $1800). So what do you suggest I go with for a 16 by 19 feet room. My use will be 80% movies. Also what do you suggest as an AV receiver?
The UNI-FI setup might cost the most but will sound great if you added a sub. The Prime towers are out. The Klipsch towers with the matching center would be the way to go for a big room like yours if no sub is added.
What do I do if I like stereo but wish the full range in just two full range front speakers. So ~20hz - >20.000hz with a flat range from speakers and amp?
Thanks for the great review! I was considering to buy the Philips Fidelio E6 but I realized that they don't have a central speaker. Would you not encourage me to buy them then? How about the Philips B5/12 ? Thanks!
I need your help with choosing a home theatre. (Long text incoming) At the moment, I have 2x Behringer B2030A next to my 40" TV, and a Focal Cub 150W subwoofer further back. And I want to expand from that. I am thinking of buying B2031A to the front, putting my B2030A's to back and buying a Behringer B2092A subwoofer for further sub bass and power. Well that at least was my plan at first, but after watching your video I think I'll need a middle channel (for now, movie-effects are loud AF, but can't here shit when someone is talking), and now I am thinking of buying a B2030A for that purpose. What do you think? And as my whole system is active, what kind of surround receiver should I buy? It would be nice if I could attach my XLR cables to it. So, what I need your help for? Well, I hope that you can help me choosing the right front/back/center speakers (my beloved B2030A's will not leave the system), a new sub and a surround receiver. You can search speakers from amazon or thomann. Thank you in advance if you choose to help me. BTW, as I am from Finland, I can't help but ask - have you heard anything from Finnish speaker manufactor Genelec? They make very nice speakers, I can tell as my sister has a pair. You should check them out for sure!
Husqvarna Jäbä Genelec makes really well respected powered monitors. Expensive here in the states. Being in finland I am not sure if you can get something different than we do. Normal receivers here use to have full pre-outs but now only the highest end units do. We here have the option to get some cheap-ish dedicated surround processors like this [www.outlawaudio.com/products/975.html] for a while which is probably what you should look for. (basically a receiver without amps) Some have XLR and some don't. Like I said if you can match the front three and not cheap out on the center do it. So your 2031's would work. As for the sub all subs are self powered so feel free to browse all the different brands available to you. I am not sure about what you need because I don't know room size etc.
Z Reviews Okay, thanks a ton. I'll have to search some place else for the receiver because my budget isn't quite up for a near 600 dollar receiver just yet.
trexx32 I think they are trying to be atmos and can help if you have a HUGE room. My receiver supports front height OR back channels. I should swap it out in the menu and see what happens.
+Z Reviews Awesome video. Planning to have 2.1 stereo setup at home connected to the TV and later on have a 5.1 setup for watching movies and listening to music. Confused whether to buy an active or passive speaker for the fronts. Please suggest? if active planning to get the JBL LSR305 and passive speakers my options are - MTX MONITOR5I Monitor Series 5-1/4, Sound Appeal 6.5" Premium Bookshelf Speakers, Boston acoustics - CS 26 II / A26, Wharfedales, Taga. Awaiting your reply !!!
Nice,.....I love my Klipsch speakers. I only have Klipsch Pro media 2.1 hooked up to my PC. However I am using an Sound Blaster Audigy 2zs with live drive on my PC for audio which supports 7.1. I have toslink cable hooked up from my PC to my old Yamaha 5.1 receiver and cheap Dayton bookshelf speakers as surrounds. Polk audio subwoofer 10, and 2 cheap jensen center channel speakers with dual 8's each ( I hope to upgrade to Klipsch surrounds someday, I need about $1500 ) However my system sounds pretty good for being a cheap setup. A Behringer UCA-202 USB adapter is also a good inexpensive way to connect a PC/laptop to AV receiver for true 7.1 or atmos surround sound. I use an inexpensive Nvidia GT 610 graphics with 2 HDMI connections to my 60"-TV and the other to my PC monitor display which is a 32-inch TV. works Great for 1080p.
Should I buy a monoprice monolith three channel power amp, a 7 channel one, or no power amp at all for Atmos/my 5.2.2 set up? My thought is just spend the money on a 3 channel if surrounds don't matter... I'm running a Tx RZ 900 Onkyo atm... maybe you can review the monolith amps?
Hey Z. I know this is an old vid but I appreciate it so much I've watched it multiple times. Funny how important you deem a center channel but you don't do many reviews of them. I'm gonna be doing an elac setup and would love to know how the debut center sounds for warmth and staging.
Hey mate, thanks for the awesome video, even if it did make me almost throw up from motion sickness lol. Quick question: My front L&R are used for music too and are hooked up to my stereo receiver, a Yamaha R-S500, so I can play music without going through my AV receiver, a Yamaha RX-V663. The stereo receiver doesn't have a Main In input - is it okay to hook up the preouts on the AV to a line in on the stereo? Maximum input signal is 2.2V but I can't find the maximum output signal of the preouts on the AV. Thanks, mate!
+ducksonetime It should be fine. The RCA pre-outs have a nominal voltage of 2.25v .. Best way to test is just turn everything down and then work it up slowly. You will know when it is loud enough.
what set up do you think is best. receiver : Yamaha rx-a860 , front: svs ultra bookshelf , center: micca mb42x-c or ? , dual sub: svs pb1000 or bic america 12 , back and side: micca mb42x or 6.5 premium bookshelf sound appeal.
If you are getting the ultra's for left and right.. Get the ultra center. Don't bottleneck there. The rears you can do whatever you want they matter very little. Dual subs again is a matter of the room size and your taste in bass.
You mention that bookshelves with ports at the back that shoot air out are not recommended to be near walls. Would is be ok if they were about 1ft away from a concrete wall but as rears?
Hi, Zeos. I see that the matching center for the highly recommended Fluance SX6, the AVC, is $50 from the Fluance website. Currently, the pair of the SX6 on amazon is $99. Since it's the same tweeter with twice the woofers, would the AVC's be the better buy now? 7 of them and a sub seem like they would make the best budget 7.1 system ever!
First off I Love all your videos and reviews man! Can you give me some info about the a/v racks that your using? Where I could start. Reciever/power conditioner,DVD player and Xbox is all I have now but I just love the look of the rack better than a stand alone prebuilt cabinet.
+Matt Burns This is the rack I use [amzn.to/22vYlzH] Most consumer equipment doesn't come with a rack mount so if you are going to put a receiver on there look at the dimensions and match with deep racks. A UPS / conditioner is usually the best answer but going with a "rack mount" unit seems to bring about a premium price. Everything else you organize with shelves or drawers all found on Amazon or rakuten.
Center you usually just match your left and right. So if you have JBL fronts you get a matching JBL tower. If you don't have a matching center you can go nuts. Get the best center you can find.
Is it worth getting 5.1 if you are only watching anime ? Because, i want to maybe get a 5.1 but only if its worth. So what would you guys say spend more money on a 2.0/2.1 or get a 5.1. Im watching 90% of the time alone (forever alone ;-;).
Sanel R. Most anime work fine on 2.0/2.1. Then again it depends on the anime and if surround sound encodes are available. If you are alone you get to skip the center and go 4.1 so there is a plus ;(
Z Reviews How can i tell if there are surround sound encodes available? For example shows like, Tokyo Ghoul, Nisekoi, Fate Stay Night and other stuff that is airing right now. And what about Streams, they don´t have surround sound encodes right ? So if I want good Sound qualitly I have to get the Bluray or a HD Rip from the Internet? Sry I´m a total noob in the topic sound x(
Sanel R. The file name usually tagged with the sound format. [tokyotosho.info/search.php?terms=Tokyo+Ghoul&type=0&size_min=&size_max=&username=] So AAC and FLAC are usually stereo but I have found some with flac surround sound. Any that say AC3 or DTS are definitely surround. Streams are almost always stereo.
grandparents bought a surround sound setup... pays someone to set it up... uses tv speakers 95% of the time...
Techno Niko I know the feeling. They can't be bothered to turn on that amp, and have no idea what they're missing.
Haha I do the same. I have a pretty meaty home theatre but I watch TV using the TV speakers most of the time and just power up the rest for movies. After a long day at work sometimes it's just too much, I just want some poor quality mono sound.
ha... no offence but that is retarded.
Electronics For Fun
We'll see what you're like when you're in your elder stage in life.
See that would do my head in. Wife’s the same. Got all that speaker magic going on and she’s like, it’s to loud 😒
The neoprene under the speakers is a good idea. I use insulation foam tape just to keep them from sliding, but vibrations get real annoying with big speakers on my desk.
I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but 3db is actually double the power.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this before, but I'd like to mention, an increase of 3db in something is actually doubling it. This is because decibels are a logarithmic scale. In amplifiers, for example, an amplifier will have a 3db point, ie. where the gain has reduced by 3db, this is usually used as the cutoff frequency for the amplifier.
Not necessarily. It depends on what quantities you're comparing - what logarithm you're using and what formula you're using it in (what factor the logarithm is multiplied by).
+3 dB is double the acoustic/output power, but *not* also double the sound pressure or signal amplitude and *definitely not* double the perceived loudness/volume (more like the lowest difference at which most or all people will agree there's a loudness difference, which is why, I assume, -3 dB is the level drop-off used to bracket the speaker frequency response ranges reported to the public by manufacturers)
+6 dB is double the sound pressure or signal amplitude, but still not double the perceived loudness/volume
+10 dB is a sort of minimum required for listeners to report they're hearing "double" the loudness/volume (though of course it depends on a lot of things, since it's a question of subjective perception).
If I put HM5 pads on my cat will sound improve?
There is Nothing HM5 pads can't improve.
even ath-m50s?
what if I put HM5's on HM5's??
A good room is by far, the most important aspect to good sound. A bad room can make $1000+ speakers sound worse than $100/pair speakers. Budget accordingly for acoustic treatment.
Good vid overall.
RedBeardedRabbit I have a room that's 11'8" X 17' 4" as main speakers I can get a screaming deal on Klipsch RF-7ii. Do you think that's to much for that size room,it has drywall and heavy cloth curtains.Store out of business selling at almost 3k Canadian
we may need an upgrade to this video is still very informative but 4k took over so....
he also stopped using a center....
@@oscarjung5405 Wait wait wait wait. After that video saying how the center is the most important speaker in a home theater setup...he stopped using one.
@@TinyTitian jep!!!! Well he says if you have amazing speakers and sit in the center you don't need one. But if you have people sitting on the sides, you need a center so they can always hear...
@Mr Do imagine having an argument on a youtube comment reply section for 6 months, what a loser
I can't focus on what you're saying with that Senjougahara screensaver staring at me. Instant like.
Yes, it's very annoying how when I watch the tonight show everything that is happening live is Dolby digital, but all the tv and movie clips r in stereo so the vocals switch to my fronts. Drives me crazy!
Also, a few months ago I replaced the center channel on my Polk htib to a better/larger one and it has made a huge difference!
Nice....have watched many vids on home theater for novices. This one is by far the best info on what I need to do, what's most important and why. This also looks more like the average enthusiasts room. Not some mega buck home set up by an outside vendor. Thank You.. and keep em rolling.
I believe you mistakenly said "Audacity" when you meant Audyssey. Audacity is a popular software for manipulating audio, Audyssey is the room correction software built into Denon and Marantz AVR's.
I do the same all the time, since I use both pretty regularly.
Any word on that 4K and Atmos stuff? Lol
ZEOS, have your recommendations changed re Atmos and 4k? is there an updated recommendation vid for this? =)
The audacity of you confusing Audyssey with something else. ;)
ocularis73 I'm lucky I can spell it.
+Z Reviews I'm sorry you couldn't figure out my spelling. I had a stroke on my right side.I'm try though .
+Danny Miller trying is better than not trying at all :)
technically you could use Audacity to record your room and speakers to attain results which would could be used to configure your receiver
You should totally make the DIY center channel video!
im eager to watch diy zeos speakers episode.... or Zpeakers... hope to get credit for the name....
So Ive got The KEF R600c center and KEF R900 towers in the front, same brand and series. Are you saying for the 4 rears I could go ELAC UB5 pairs instead of KEF R300s which packs a huge savings. My sub is a pair of SVS PB1000s, All pushed by Emotiva XMC-1/XPA GEN 3 (7 ch). Just need to complete with 4 rears.
4 years later he doesn't use the central speaker
because I love what you do and respect it..
a little bit more depth on the subject....
Ok so I zeroed in my sub crossover frequency. Got it sitting close to where it should be. Now what you want to do next, is calibrate your speaker volume to be near studio reference levels. The goal is to set amplifier at 0.db volume. That's for amps useing the - scale while volume is low. You want to set-up a decibel meter in the middle of listening position pointing straight up at your basic ear level while sitting. Leave all tone control set in middle 0 position which is neutral flat. Most consumer amplifiers are calibrated with test tone to -35 decibel level with amp at max volume 0-db. If your getting between 70-75 decibels during test? You're at consumer volume level. That's how you verify if the amp was calibrated for that. To bring it to studio reference level, you'll need to adjust each speaker volume from the speaker setup menu and obtain 85 decibels. That's why they left headroom in the amp with additional + or - volume control for each speaker. When you tune in to 85 decibels? Move to the next speaker. Done amps cycle through test tone speaker to speaker automatically. Just wait again if you miss it while adjusting the speaker volume. The goal is 85 decibels which is the Fletcher/Munson curve. All frequencies heard the same volume. Human hearing is able to distinguish that at that volume. Don't be afraid to go into negative volume when it comes to the subwoofer. Sub frequencies are much more powerful and fill the room fast and loud. That's the icing on the cake! Once you correctly calibrate your system volume? You'll enjoy watching a movie and heading everything at the correct volumes they were mixed at. You'll be blown away at how much better your system will sound at any comfortable listening volume! Perfectly balanced by you and not a computer chip embedded inside auto setup features. Don't worry of some speakers volume level on amp are not equal. If you had to boost right speaker louder than left to obtain 85 decibels? It's normal. That's speaker placement and room acoustics were robbing the speakers volume. Absorption from something in the room perhaps. But you'll compensate by turning it up. It will not interfere with stereo imaging assuming you calibrated the others correctly. A decibel meter and frequency analyzer can be downloaded from your phones app store. Enjoy!!!
Finally got the subwoofer. Today I'm throwing it on the work bench. Since I figured out my crossover point for the subwoofer, I'll send a 60hertz Soundwave tone to it. Then we'll find out truth. Let's see how much bullshit the speaker manufacturer shit out while finalizing the frequency response of this thing. If it's an accurate crossover network, I should be able to play 60 hertz out of it useing a sine wave tone generator. I should get near 60 hertz from it. Nothings perfect. Even in the speaker world. Every crossover leaks unwanted frequencies along with the set point. Some more than others. Tuning and testing speakers is a time consuming task. I have to bring it into the bedroom studio to do this. My wife will kill me lmao. I tried last night, but she wasn't happy with the little one running around like a maniac in his walker lol. So next step is to find out the subs actual true frequency response and crossover point. I'll measure the output with a microphone and send that to my frequency analyzer software. When you tune it as close as possible to your crossover point? It should be a seamless transition from my main front speakers 47 hertz-60 hertz crossover point. This way the sub doesn't interfere with the front main L&R speakers bass roll off. When useing high fidelity full range front speakers, set amp to large front, and subwoofer to sub +main. This will tell the amp to send full range bass to the front speakers + the sub. The subwoofer will seamlessly transition just under the frequency response of front main, providing that you dialed in the crossover as accurate as possible. Don't rely on knobs, even with digital settings for crossover point from the amp. use a meter to test speaker response!! The amp cannot verify how accurate the subwoofer responds to that! Manual tuning is best! The low frequency effect is the heart of the sytem! This is what gives it the dynamic range!
I'm the recording cinema mixing studios, they use a calibrated frequency volume. So every movie soundtrack mixed is identical in dynamics. They setup a -20db pink noise and set the console to 0= unity gain. Then they adjust each speaker volume to reach 85 decibels. This is what we call studio reference level. Ever wonder why your reciever volume starts at - and maximum is 0? That's a calibrated studio reference output. When setup up correctly? You'll watch a movie and hear everything exactly as they mixed it! Calibrated to studio standard reference volume. 85 decibels is the goal at unity volume 0db. With peaks of 105 decibels. I'll get into more next lesson after. I'll show you how to really setup speaker volume in listening position! Throw out the cheap microphone that came with your amp for auto setup. Its a frigging joke!!
Speaker gauge/length depends on how many amps you push through it, so a speaker with low impedance or sensitivity will be more sensitive to that.
I require some acoustically stacked boxes. Can you provide a diagram as to how these would be placed for the best dampening? I should add, this is very informative, thanks for this video.
scottmilne831 Sort of like this [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||] [].[_] [|||]
Z Reviews Hahah perfect!
I have read lots of your guides on r/zeos, and in fact went the DIY option and just completed the Overnight Sensation MTMs as my L/C/R and am very impressed! Was an incredible upgrade from my Logitec Z-5500 system that I bought probably 14 years ago!
From Logitech to three Overnight Sensations.. That is definitely an upgrade.
Thank you. The explanation about the center channel was priceless.
A center speaker is not everything, if you are watching alone by yourself and sit directly in the sweetspot center position, I would go with no center speaker and let the left/right front speakers create the center stage for the vocals. I have mine setup so that when I listen to stereo music I get the vocal from the lead singer right in the middle between the front speakers, therefor it sounds great as well when I put on a movie, all you have to do is make sure that the distance between the front speakers are the same as the distance from the speakers to the listening position, this is very important if you want to get the best center audio stage for the vocals. It should be like this, if you draw a line between the front speakers and 2 lines to the listening position, it should create a triangular shape, once you have that you are good to go. You might try and turn the front speakers a little inwards but not to much, just a slight turn so that they reach your ears left and right, you dont want them to cross each other, if they do you have them pointing inwards to much. For me personally I always watch movies alone by myself mostly, so I always sit in the sweetspot right in the middle, and I have no center speaker, imo. the front speakers creates a much better sounding center vocal stage than if I had a center, the problem with a center speaker is that if you have a flat screen tv you will have to place it under or above your TV, this will often result in bad center audio so that it will be to directly to hear where its comming from, without a center speaker the way I have it, I get a much better center sound, its like the vocal is floating right in the middle in front of my screen making it sound like if they were standing in my room speaking, its just so much better. Of course if you have your uncle Jimmy visiting then you would need a center speaker since both of you cant be sitting right in the middle at the same time. But try turning the center of and do like I said, just make sure to tell your surround receiver or dvd/bluray player that you dont want to use a center speaker, there should be an option to turn it off and let the front speakers take care of the center sound.
I use JBL Studio 590 for LR channel and Infinity bookshelves for LR back. Using HK3700 AVR. 65 inch Panasonic ZT Plasma. No center channel needed. It is freaking awesome.
I guess Atmos won?
1:20 yes, 3dB is twice the pressure for sources in phase (logarithm scale is fun)
Very detailed and useful information I have a better understanding of home theater set ups now thanks
What kind of from speaker stands are those and what are those black boxes they are sitting on? Subwoofers?
A quality 2.0 setup often sounds better to me than a multi-channel setup (the old amp vs av receiver argument).
I think you mentioned this, If going 7.1 do you want your better quality speakers on the sides or rear?
Also do you have video or did you mention pro/cons 5.1 vs 7.1 ?
Kewlbug sides. Rears just have to hit a volume quota really.
You can future proof your receiver if you buy a high end like my Yamaha RX-Z9 which does not have HDMI which was developed not for sound quality but for copy protection .
I do convert my component video output to HDMI for the purpose of adjusting the receiver and using the mic for room sound correction .
My Z9 did cost a little south of $5000 but still out performs pretty much anything other than complete separates .
I did have to buy a higher end blue ray player that had 7 individual line outputs so if I do not have the proper surround sound processor software like true Dolby etc it's still available to me .
The only downside to a high end Receiver is it weighs about 100lbs .
However it will drive most any speaker ever made it only has 170 watts to 7channels and 50 each to the elevated dsp speakers when speakers are 8 ohm but 340 watts per channel when driving a 4 ohm load and 560 per channel into 2 ohms.
Paired to my Sunfire true subwoofer I have humbled many newer high end systems but I really use my dual mono stereo system much more than my multichannel system but when I do the neighborhood comes alive luckily my neighbor's are very understanding .
Nice overview:) Although I do have to point out I got motion sickness after watching it for 23 minutes:S
I usually put this on while I rearrange my ht setup/do cable management
"4K is not ready"? UHD BluRays are coming in december. And we already have HDMI 2.0 receivers, TVs and cables. Computers with good graphics cards can also output UHD. We have UHD content on RUclips and Netflix already. Buying regular HD gear now is very short-sighted. I work in electro-retail and here in Norway we're expecting Full HD to be pretty much dead by the time the 2016 TV models come out.
Yrjan Willy Lund You know I believe Norway will be ready way sooner than the US, but pushing 4k gaming is a feat. I have a friend that has to run SLI monsters just to get up above 40 fps in battlefield. When the 1080p stops existing we can stop buying it. You also have to really look at a resolution chart v distance to grasp 4k is useless to most people. Nobody is sitting a meter from their 50" TV. I'd say 85% of displays are used from a distance where 1080p and 4k would be indistinguishable.
Z Reviews True, 4K gaming is still a couple of years away, but computers can still output that resolution for video. Not to mention that consumer cameras (even smartphones) already shoot UHD video.
We may very well be ahead in Norway as far as pushing the technology to the average consumer, but I very much disagree with you on the distance vs resolution thing. There is a clear difference to me, even at a distance. On a ~50" I can still see the difference quite clearly from 3 meters away. The effect is of course greater on bigger screens and the resolution is most beneficial at 46" and up (because of size vs average distance), but the difference in visual quality - at least to me - is quite obvious.
Z Reviews Very true, to max out games at 4K or even to run them on ultra would take at least two GTX 980's. And even then you wouldn't achieve 60FPS for newer games like The Witcher 3 and GTA 5. Which is something a die hard PC gamer like myself would strive for and take no less. So your talking about throwing down the money for two high end GPU's that are very expensive, then throwing down money on a 4K TV or monitor which is also very expensive. Just way out of people's price range for most people. But I'm interested in a 4K TV just for watching movies and tv shows, but I've never seen a 4K TV in person so I don't know if it really looks that much better than a 1080p screen. What are your thoughts?
Yrjan Willy Lund I know people in the movie business and they've been recording movies in 8K for about 2 years now. Japan has 8K TV's already available for consumer purchase. If you buy 4k, you're simply buying a stepping stone product to generate sales. Just like a curved TV is nothing more than a marketing gimmick to try to increase a slowing in sales. 4K is a waste of money from a visual standpoint. From typical viewing distances, your eyes cannot decipher the difference between 1080P and 4K on a 65" TV, which is usually the top end of someone's budget. Money is better spent on picture quality over pixel count.
Greg N Z Reviews I hope that's true, I'd love to save some money and get a nice 1080p TV. What do you think it the best 1080p TV?
Thank you sir, your theory is 100% right! I personally thought all you said before, also I bought definitive technology 9080x towers with matching center channel but it’s crazy how they made the center channel less powerful than the towers, that’s why I’m going to sell my center channel and buy I big center channel that can match the powerful towers I have.
I know this particular bid is almost five years old but I've viewed a lot of your vids and have learned tons! Just a thank thank you!
can you please explain why heavier gauge wire should be used for the rear speakers ? electrical signals travel through wire at almost the speed of light, so why would a few feet more of wire matter ?
Hey Zeos, been watching your channel for about 2 years now since I go into audio, love your vids! In your opinion, in the almost 4 years since this video came out and the almost 5 years since the beginning of the format wars. Who do you think is currently in the lead? (Atmos/DTS:X/Auro-3D)
This is why I just bought a new Marantz integrated amp, with no home theater. Movies sound just fine on my 2.1 system. I knew people who went, and bought thousands of dollars in an AVR equipment, and then the powers to be changed some HDMI formats, etc which made their brand new AVR worthless.
Well it's been 3 years and 4k are in almost every household and atmos has high demand. Can we get an updated video?
Really, why do you say that? Most of the videos I've watched on YT with regards to 4K say that it's not worth the upgrade from Blu Ray. I have a 4k TV, but finding content in such Ultra HD is very difficult, not that I really care that much, 1080 is enough for me. And Dolby Atmos, I'd bet 90% of people have never even heard of it, let alone know what it is.
Maybe home theater enthusiasts care about 4K, Dolby Atmos, and whatever equivalent DTS is doing these days, but they are a very small segment of the overall population. I mean there are a LOT of people who are more than happy with CDs and DVDs. Heck, a lot of people still have CRT televisions, and the vast majority of people probably just use their TV's speakers for listening.
An updated video would be interesting, but not entirely necessary as adoption of the new formats is probably very low. I don't know about you, but I'm not putting 7, 8, 9, some odd speakers in my TV/living room, and certainly not in the walls or ceiling.
Not enough Atmos content available to even consider it yet.
You should make a ''Home Theater 102 ''
Would you recommend a down firing sub or a traditional front firing sub? Please explain. Thanks for the help.
Just curious how you work it with your Ohm Walsh's? No Center or have you found something that matches well?
Did you DIY your motorized projection screen mount? I like the idea of being able to raise the screen perpendicular to the floor.
Yes. I did. Full build is somewhere on the net. ruclips.net/video/AxbLfiwBAiw/видео.html
I use my 7.2 for audio also. I upmix stereo FLAC's etc. with MPC-HC and FFDshow mixer with 7.1 settings. Manually mirror the left and right to the surounds with corrected volumes. It's insane with music, in this case it's nicer to have matching speakers?
Also with wire it should be better to get OFC wire aka Oxygen Free Copper in as high percentage as possible, they say, like the Konig budget OFC cable at least.
If you start buying ALOT of cables, better buy the good ones first time, and not 3 times like me haha... not copper mixed with aluminum etc. You can feel it by the weight of the cable roll also. I myself noticed a quite big difference going from ultra cheap copper/alu cable to OFC copper, my setup was begging for it it seems, especiall the surrounds sounded fuller and such.
I use 4mm OFC cables for all my speakers, but sometimes I change the fronts and center to Audioquest biwire stuff doubled up to + and - , or as bi-wire.
Good video's. For some reason I keep looking hehe. Guess I like audio stuff x)
I love my bass shakers with headphones. Really fills in the missing sub feeling.
First "high-dominance" theory, then headphones for gaming, now home theater 101. Digging the new ZTutorials! (Can't wait for your turntable and cassette deck guides...)
tēletheātēs Reel to Reel sucka.
Z Reviews
Touché! That indeed was the best of times...
Thx for the info dude.
Really helped me out on stuff that I didn't know,like how important the center is or that you can run Dipoles as Sides.
I think the whole don't invest in L/R speakers is wrong for people looking for a surround system that can also do Hi-Fi. Maybe I made the wrong decision in your eyes, but I had slightly over 50% of my budget invested in L/R (Dali IKON 6 MK2) and the rest in the center (Dali ZENSOR VOKAL), rears (Dali ZENSOR 1) and receiver (Pioneer VSX-1123K). Also didn't bother with a sub, because I don't like too much base, they go fairly low for 6.5" drivers and I live in an apartment building and while sound insulation is excellent base can really penetrate concrete walls.
I never said don't invest in them just don't ignore the center for home theater duties. Equal or greater the center must be for movie centric.
How long is that HDMi cable, 10ft?
How far can it go without losing quality?
I have a friend who has a yamaha reciever from 2008.... it doesnt have hdmi even tho hdmi was out back then but it has fiber optic for audio and video and it upscales to 1080p 60hz and its perfectly fine lol
I have a question for you.When I change channels on my tv I'm getting a squealing noise,but if I have the stereo on it does not make that noise.Im using the marantz 1403,direct TV box all connection are via high end hdmi cables.This just started with a 3 week old/new Sony xbr 4k hdr tv.Is it a setting issue or ???.
Okay. You say the center channel is most important. How about a review of the Definitive Technology cs9080.
and what happened when you put subwoofer off on the amplifier??? I will get the same subwoofer on the two front speakers?? left and right??
Was trying to pay attention
but I spent half the time wondering who will be the next picture on your screensaver
What is your opinion on the Onkyo TX-NR646 A/V reveiver? I am looking for a receiver with a lot of connectivity options (we mainly use our laptops/smartphones to watch/listen to anything) that will last me for a while. As in be able to get the most out of higher-end speakers when I upgrade. I am currently still using a old 5.1 surround set from pioneer but I thought it be best to first invest in a decent receiver and use the pioneer speakers before saving up to buy better speakers.
iubero its a good unit so you should be covered for a while.
thanks Z! Love your videos, learned a lot, big fan.
I've got a similar situation going on as you've shown in your mock room layout on the linked Imgur picture, where I have a wall to the right of the couch (if your facing the TV and front speakers) but no wall on the left of the couch. Would you go ahead and place the rear speakers for a 4.0 setup on the backwall that's about 2/2.5ft from the hearing position on the couch and just place the speakers higher up on the wall, like about 2-3ft above ear level?
i meant to ask you too....are the Klipsch Synergy S-10's better than mirage nanosats for sides?
Has having the receiver to the side with different wire lengths screwed with the phasing at all?...My Onkyo has the option to input distance which I determine by wire length...I've always cut my corresponding wires to equal lengths (OCD...lol)...both fronts are same...both rears are same length (longer than fronts) etc...I also use an amplified center with adjustable volume and tone controls...having that flexibility is amazing for movies and music,especially concerts and live stuff
Why couldnt you suspend you speakers from rope to avoid vibration issues? Essentially floating speakers
This will make me sound like a peasant but what are your thoughts on the Z5500 Digital from years ago? I still have my set from early 2000s and it sounds amazing. Still.
What subwoofer/speakers should i get? .. I have an old Kenwood reciever (KR-797). I want my music to sound quality
that's what I'm talking! nice job. I have a similar set up. 60 inch flat panel and 120 inch elite electric screen to cover the 60" TV when in used with ilumi smart led light behind the tv and pioneer sc91 avr along with jbl 6.1.2 speaker set up.
@z I live in Saudi Arabia where speaker selections are limited as well as online shipping. I mean I can ship anything but the shipping will double the price. So I have three choices to choose from 1)klipsch RP280 towers (3.0 set will cost $1650) 2) prime towers (5.0 set will cost $1600) 3) uni-fi ub5 bookshelves (3.0 set will cost $1800). So what do you suggest I go with for a 16 by 19 feet room. My use will be 80% movies. Also what do you suggest as an AV receiver?
The UNI-FI setup might cost the most but will sound great if you added a sub. The Prime towers are out. The Klipsch towers with the matching center would be the way to go for a big room like yours if no sub is added.
Still don’t know why you haven’t reviewed the definitive technology brand. Just wondering???
What do I do if I like stereo but wish the full range in just two full range front speakers. So ~20hz - >20.000hz with a flat range from speakers and amp?
Great video, Zeos today they make it so complicated. Got into home theater back in 1989,now with today receiver's more than half features don't use.
what mode would you set the receiver on for a 3.1 speaker set up for movies and tv viewing?
Thanks for the great review! I was considering to buy the Philips Fidelio E6 but I realized that they don't have a central speaker. Would you not encourage me to buy them then? How about the Philips B5/12 ? Thanks!
Back when 32 minutes was a "very long" video for Zeos
Can you do 5.1 without a receiver? what if I just want optical out from the TV to an amp?
Nope. You need an AVR or separates pre and amps.
I need your help with choosing a home theatre. (Long text incoming)
At the moment, I have 2x Behringer B2030A next to my 40" TV, and a Focal Cub 150W subwoofer further back. And I want to expand from that. I am thinking of buying B2031A to the front, putting my B2030A's to back and buying a Behringer B2092A subwoofer for further sub bass and power. Well that at least was my plan at first, but after watching your video I think I'll need a middle channel (for now, movie-effects are loud AF, but can't here shit when someone is talking), and now I am thinking of buying a B2030A for that purpose. What do you think?
And as my whole system is active, what kind of surround receiver should I buy? It would be nice if I could attach my XLR cables to it.
So, what I need your help for? Well, I hope that you can help me choosing the right front/back/center speakers (my beloved B2030A's will not leave the system), a new sub and a surround receiver. You can search speakers from amazon or thomann.
Thank you in advance if you choose to help me.
BTW, as I am from Finland, I can't help but ask - have you heard anything from Finnish speaker manufactor Genelec? They make very nice speakers, I can tell as my sister has a pair. You should check them out for sure!
Husqvarna Jäbä Genelec makes really well respected powered monitors. Expensive here in the states.
Being in finland I am not sure if you can get something different than we do. Normal receivers here use to have full pre-outs but now only the highest end units do. We here have the option to get some cheap-ish dedicated surround processors like this [www.outlawaudio.com/products/975.html] for a while which is probably what you should look for. (basically a receiver without amps) Some have XLR and some don't.
Like I said if you can match the front three and not cheap out on the center do it. So your 2031's would work. As for the sub all subs are self powered so feel free to browse all the different brands available to you. I am not sure about what you need because I don't know room size etc.
Z Reviews Okay, thanks a ton.
I'll have to search some place else for the receiver because my budget isn't quite up for a near 600 dollar receiver just yet.
Great information one question what do you think of high channels and I don't mean the atmos ones.
trexx32 I think they are trying to be atmos and can help if you have a HUGE room. My receiver supports front height OR back channels. I should swap it out in the menu and see what happens.
Would you recommend a centre and 2 speakers for gaming or 5.1 personally don't think it's worth it??
Aight ZEOS. I wanna use a vintage amp for my front channels in my surround setup. What do?
how do you like it having that bookshelf on top of the sub,,I want to try this but im scared it might drop,
Would sure love to hear uncompressed Laserdisc audio on your Home Cinema setup!
cats are cool for sound dampening
hair everywhere perfect
+Z Reviews Awesome video. Planning to have 2.1 stereo setup at home connected to the TV and later on have a 5.1 setup for watching movies and listening to music.
Confused whether to buy an active or passive speaker for the fronts. Please suggest? if active planning to get the JBL LSR305 and passive speakers my options are - MTX MONITOR5I Monitor Series 5-1/4, Sound Appeal 6.5" Premium Bookshelf Speakers, Boston acoustics - CS 26 II / A26, Wharfedales, Taga. Awaiting your reply !!!
+Z Reviews - Planning to buy the Boston Acoustics A26 . Are they good?
Nice,.....I love my Klipsch speakers. I only have Klipsch Pro media 2.1 hooked up to my PC. However I am using an Sound Blaster Audigy 2zs with live drive on my PC for audio which supports 7.1. I have toslink cable hooked up from my PC to my old Yamaha 5.1 receiver and cheap Dayton bookshelf speakers as surrounds. Polk audio subwoofer 10, and 2 cheap jensen center channel speakers with dual 8's each ( I hope to upgrade to Klipsch surrounds someday, I need about $1500 ) However my system sounds pretty good for being a cheap setup. A Behringer UCA-202 USB adapter is also a good inexpensive way to connect a PC/laptop to AV receiver for true 7.1 or atmos surround sound. I use an inexpensive Nvidia GT 610 graphics with 2 HDMI connections to my 60"-TV and the other to my PC monitor display which is a 32-inch TV. works Great for 1080p.
Should I buy a monoprice monolith three channel power amp, a 7 channel one, or no power amp at all for Atmos/my 5.2.2 set up? My thought is just spend the money on a 3 channel if surrounds don't matter... I'm running a Tx RZ 900 Onkyo atm... maybe you can review the monolith amps?
what is the height that a centre speaker should be placed at
Hey Z. I know this is an old vid but I appreciate it so much I've watched it multiple times. Funny how important you deem a center channel but you don't do many reviews of them. I'm gonna be doing an elac setup and would love to know how the debut center sounds for warmth and staging.
Hey mate, thanks for the awesome video, even if it did make me almost throw up from motion sickness lol. Quick question: My front L&R are used for music too and are hooked up to my stereo receiver, a Yamaha R-S500, so I can play music without going through my AV receiver, a Yamaha RX-V663. The stereo receiver doesn't have a Main In input - is it okay to hook up the preouts on the AV to a line in on the stereo? Maximum input signal is 2.2V but I can't find the maximum output signal of the preouts on the AV. Thanks, mate!
+ducksonetime It should be fine. The RCA pre-outs have a nominal voltage of 2.25v .. Best way to test is just turn everything down and then work it up slowly. You will know when it is loud enough.
Awesome, man. Thanks for such a quick reply, I reckon it's about time I stop freeloading and hit up your Patreon.
Thank you so much. I've been looking for a video like this for a while.
THIS HELPS!!!
I was losing it over 4k and future ready and airplay and what not
No more 4k worrying :)
Flavian Patrao And I think I can hook up my airport express for airplay audio
what set up do you think is best. receiver : Yamaha rx-a860 , front: svs ultra bookshelf , center: micca mb42x-c or ? , dual sub: svs pb1000 or bic america 12 , back and side: micca mb42x or 6.5 premium bookshelf sound appeal.
If you are getting the ultra's for left and right.. Get the ultra center. Don't bottleneck there. The rears you can do whatever you want they matter very little. Dual subs again is a matter of the room size and your taste in bass.
Did you put speaker stands on subwoofers?
You mention that bookshelves with ports at the back that shoot air out are not recommended to be near walls. Would is be ok if they were about 1ft away from a concrete wall but as rears?
Yes that is fine.
Thanks!
Hey Zeos, when are you doing Atmos?
Centre channel sounds a little sound Bar like
Also please update this one in the basement
do you have a protector? because your TV is smaller than your front speakers. a big sound system requires a big screen for a full av immersion.
www.avsforum.com/forum/110-diy-screen-section/1982265-104-borderless-scope-mechanical-screen.html yes
What do think of the monitor audio passive soundbar range?
I never heard you moving around the room like I thought I would if the stereo mic on the tripod were in use as the primary audio for this video.
+Kelli Halliburton I was too far behind it to get that to work so I left the stock audio from the gopro.
Hi, Zeos. I see that the matching center for the highly recommended Fluance SX6, the AVC, is $50 from the Fluance website. Currently, the pair of the SX6 on amazon is $99. Since it's the same tweeter with twice the woofers, would the AVC's be the better buy now? 7 of them and a sub seem like they would make the best budget 7.1 system ever!
That is a great price for that center. I think picking one up would be a great idea.
Would the AVC's work as well as the SX6's on a desk? They'd have a smaller footprint when put on its side.
Can you do a center channel of power sound audio model MTM-210C am looking to getting theme but don’t know if I should
First off I Love all your videos and reviews man! Can you give me some info about the a/v racks that your using? Where I could start. Reciever/power conditioner,DVD player and Xbox is all I have now but I just love the look of the rack better than a stand alone prebuilt cabinet.
+Matt Burns This is the rack I use [amzn.to/22vYlzH] Most consumer equipment doesn't come with a rack mount so if you are going to put a receiver on there look at the dimensions and match with deep racks. A UPS / conditioner is usually the best answer but going with a "rack mount" unit seems to bring about a premium price. Everything else you organize with shelves or drawers all found on Amazon or rakuten.
Zeos, do you have a Center breakdown? I can't seem to find it in the Reddit.
Center you usually just match your left and right. So if you have JBL fronts you get a matching JBL tower. If you don't have a matching center you can go nuts. Get the best center you can find.
Are you nuts with the camera?
+Carl Olexa I had to pause it and lay down, almost puked
should the size of the center's woofer ideally match the left and right?
Zimba's Doom Corner doesn’t have to. As long as the voice is the same you are g2g
Is it worth getting 5.1 if you are only watching anime ? Because, i want to maybe get a 5.1 but only if its worth. So what would you guys say spend more money on a 2.0/2.1 or get a 5.1. Im watching 90% of the time alone (forever alone ;-;).
Sanel R. Most anime work fine on 2.0/2.1. Then again it depends on the anime and if surround sound encodes are available. If you are alone you get to skip the center and go 4.1 so there is a plus ;(
Z Reviews How can i tell if there are surround sound encodes available?
For example shows like, Tokyo Ghoul, Nisekoi, Fate Stay Night and other stuff that is airing right now. And what about Streams, they don´t have surround sound encodes right ? So if I want good Sound qualitly I have to get the Bluray or a HD Rip from the Internet?
Sry I´m a total noob in the topic sound x(
Sanel R. The file name usually tagged with the sound format. [tokyotosho.info/search.php?terms=Tokyo+Ghoul&type=0&size_min=&size_max=&username=] So AAC and FLAC are usually stereo but I have found some with flac surround sound. Any that say AC3 or DTS are definitely surround. Streams are almost always stereo.
Z Reviews Oh ok, and is that "fake" surround worth a 5.1 system?
Because, I think 90% of the Animes I´ll watch are not AC3 or DTs / have surround.
I use that fake surround for tons of stuff. Anything on youtube I want to use my center etc.