Advise on audio setup for my situation and budget?

[Duncan_Mon]

Hey,

Just finishing up ordering a new pc build for under £400 got a thread over in review my build just hesitating over any last changes.

So I'm thinking its time to look into an audio setup for the living room where the PC will be going. Alongside an Xbox one, Virgin box and the tv of course.

Majority of use is listening to music from the PC or Xbox. Secondly maybe Netflix on PC / Xbox. I'm an audiophile first, film second. Watch plenty films that are 5.1 but I've never actually owned a 5.1 system.

So I'm wondering how simple it is and where to go? I'm guessing first is an amp / AV receiver then decide speaker setup. Bit confused about PC - amp pass through for video to tv but audio to amp etc?

I'd like to work from a budget of say £400 again if that works? Can I get a decent 5.1 setup in there or should I compromise at just 2.1 and have better quality sound?

It doesn't need to go loud (often) got too many neighbours for that. But high definition I'm picky, got used to determining instrument positioning etc and picturing sound stage in my car from young playing with sound deadening and spending thousands on speakers....

The TV is in the corner of the room and it's not well positioned or loads of room for 5.1 either. So I think 2.1 would be more than enough. But I'm still tempted considering I've never really had chance to experience films with it.

Any advice on where to start?

Thanks

[Smudger]

An A/V amp would be a good starting point. You can pick up a pretty decent one quite cheap these days. Take a look at Richer Sounds, and if you've got one near you, pop down. For PC->TV, I would pass it all through the amp. If your graphics card has HDMI out, this will pass through sound as well. Otherwise, DVI->HDMI then optical to amp, it will help with syncing.
Most AV amps come with a little gizmo that you position where most people will be sitting, and it works out the levels for the speakers.

[DanceswithUnix]

I got my AV amp from Richer Sounds for a couple of hundred quid, and very pleased with it.

Mine is a 7.1 amp, but you don't have to connect up all the speakers so I am actually only using 4 channels. I use some old Mission 763 floor standing speakers for mains, those are big enough that it can mix subwoofer audio through those. Rear channels are a pair of old MS10 bookshelf speakers from my student days.

So connect up what you can, tell the amp what is there and what is missing, and it does what it can with DSP. Modern amps often come with a microphone so that it can measure and configure everything up itself.

[g8ina]

The Onkyo 5.1 at Richer was excellent - not doing it any more.

Get an AV amp and then a speaker package, Denon amp, Wharfedale (or Tannoy) speakers, both at Richer, looks good to me.

[Smudger]

If you join the Richer Sounds VIP mailing list, you quite often get special discount offers, keep an eye out...

[99Flake]

Just saw this thread, funnily enough I have just 'downgraded' from a 5.1 setup to a pure stereo system. I found for 99% of the time I was listening to music and AV amps just aren't as good as stereo amps (obviously there is a price crossover somewhere) but like for like pricing an integrated or pre\power setup will be better. I kind of tried to get round it by having power amps hung off of the pre-outs of the AV amp for the main speakers, so that music sounded better.

What made me change was the realisation that I had loads of kit stacked, so I could use 5.1 once in a blue moon, whilst at the same time sacrificing pure sound quality for music. So if you are an audiophile and like your music, it maybe cheaper and better to go for a decent integrated and a pair of nice speakers.

On another note (and please g8ina do correct me if I am wrong to do this) I have my old Marantz NR1403 AV amp boxed up with its setup mike etc that really needs to go if you were interested?

[g8ina]

Im happy with a mention that you have kit available, but if the OP shows any interest, make a proper classified ad, dont trade in here.

[99Flake]

Im happy with a mention that you have kit available, but if the OP shows any interest, make a proper classified ad, dont trade in here.

Of course, just wanted to double check the mention was ok. As I said however, from the OP's original post, it sounds to me like a 2.0 system would be better suited to his tastes.