Home theater systems

Aron

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Sep 1, 2005
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The other day I was wandering around Wal Mart while getting tires put on my car. My DVD player is about to take a crap, so I was looking around and noticed that there's some lower-end but big name brand home theater systems that come with a player, receiver, speakers and a sub.A couple of them around the $150-200 price range caught my interest as they are wireless bluetooth, making it easy to place the speakers.

Anybody know if these are any good? I'm not expecting window shattering bass and super clear sound here, just a basic system that sounds better than the speakers built into the tv.
 

Dasfinc

Ready for the EVlution
Sep 28, 2007
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If youre not looking for anything "good", HITB setups will suit your needs just fine. Honestly, I would find a nice soundbar + sub combo.

X2 on the soundbar+Sub combo, I've heard and helped setup a few. I'd opt for a nicer soundbar/sub combo over a cheap surround sound system to be honest.

Granted, a set of 'real' speakers with a receiver and sub can be had for not that much money either to be honest.
 

RICH17

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Nov 14, 2008
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I have a nice 500 dollar 5 speaker and sub unit from Samsung. I love it cause I can use it with my portable hard drive. Sounds great. But after two years of owning it the wifi card is taking a crap. Pain in the ass for youtube and streaming to it from my phone.


Sound bars are much easier and sound great as well
 

Aron

TCG Elite Member
Sep 1, 2005
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I don't watch tv at all, and maybe a movie or two a week. Used to watch a movie almost every night before working 2 jobs. So yeah, don't really need anything special. Honestly I'm ok with just the speaker in the tv, but saw the systems at Wal mart and got curious. I couldn't even find just a dvd player to replace mine.
 

Dasfinc

Ready for the EVlution
Sep 28, 2007
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My dad and i are pretty big audiophiles. After hearing a real good 5.1 setup, or even a 7.2 you will never want to go back to anything else. But just like anything, its big money.

My setup is 3.1 right now (Front left, Front right, Front center, Sub), and its extremely clear/clean. I don't have a surround system at the moment because I don't want to do a wireless setup in fear of issues others have already described with wireless audio.
 

radioguy6

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Speaker bar + sub is a great start to replace TV speakers.

I'm dropping a 7.1, maybe a .2 system (idk if I need another sub) for my HT. I'm spending some coin, but nothing crazy. I'm far from an audiophile, but I like to think my ears have matured, I mean I used to think an MP3 sounded good :rofl:
 

lilmarauder

Member
Feb 20, 2013
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Speaker bar + sub is a great start to replace TV speakers.

I'm dropping a 7.1, maybe a .2 system (idk if I need another sub) for my HT. I'm spending some coin, but nothing crazy. I'm far from an audiophile, but I like to think my ears have matured, I mean I used to think an MP3 sounded good :rofl:
There are some awesome sound bars out there. Anything besides just the tv is a good place to start. I'm 75% music, so I'm mainly in 2.1 mode
 

cacicgtp7

Some Military Dude
Nov 9, 2008
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I dropped from a giant 5.1 custom pieced together system (with towers and the whole deal) to a soundbar because of space and simplicity. Is it even close to as good? No. But I actually love the soundbar + sub combo that we got and it does the job.

When space/wires is a premium, soundbars are the tits.

Picked this up when it was on sale for $350:

SurroundBar 9500 BT - Polk Audio
 

cacicgtp7

Some Military Dude
Nov 9, 2008
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I have a home theater in a box System. For movies it does the job, just by the highest wattage you can.

Lol, wattage (power) doesn't equate to "the best sound." A lot depends on the speakers in the system (driver size, frequency response, material they are made out of) and also the resistance of those speakers vs. the wattage (some speakers in HTIB are 6 ohms, some are like 8 or 10). So the wattage, while cool as a spec, isn't the determiner on the system sounding great or like garbage. Also depends on if they are showing specs based on RMS or peak power.

Another thing people never look at is the frequency response of the speakers they are buying. You can buy a 500 watt system, but if it comes with a 6.5" sub that only plays down to 60 hz... you're going to miss the best parts of explosions in your chest. Lots of variables imo.
 

cacicgtp7

Some Military Dude
Nov 9, 2008
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O yea... I get that, I have
a Phillips I think. I got the 3d setup which was like 600
Watts but returned it because it was way too quiet. Ended up with the Blu-ray 1000 watt system. Remember we are talking Walmart stuff lol

Haha, I gotcha.

What I was trying to get at was that if you have system A.) Has 600 watts and system B.) 350 watts... that system B will sound louder and could actually put out a higher SPL (the sound pressure level of decibels your ear hears) than the 600 watt system if the resistance in the speakers is more efficient.
 
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