HTiB for PS3 System

The Sony HT-SF2000 and SS2000 fit the bill there for "at least 3 HDMI inputs" but generally the receivers you get in HTiBs are low-end units.

I'd suggest piecing together your own - check the audio forums here for more help!

the HT-SP908 is too much for a room that fits a 73 inch DLP? anyways, audio is one-half the home theatre / gaming experience so i suggest investing the amount of money equivalent to your DLP in audio components.

What type of budget are you looking at?

A HTIB is a decent starting point, but by no means will it encompass higher end components. Sounds as if your limited in terms of space as well....are you thinking satellites then?

With a 1K limit your DEFINITELY gonna want to stay away from a HTIB....you could do much better on your own.

Well you've come to the right spot, people around here are very knowledgeable on this front. Are you partial to specific brands?

Technically, this is the right spot:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=88

in which case a 5.1 system is sufficient. Pioneer and Onkyo are good brands.


perhaps your previous experience with multi-channel audio wasn't ideal. given a suitably calibrated system, audio stands equal to the visuals. it's too bad about the 1000 dollar limit. although you can probably get a reasonable ROI with a HTiB system i just find that budget constraint to be a mismatch for a DLP of that size.

I just picked up an onkyo 705, 7.1 system, I only use it as a 5.1 right now but so far I am loving this AVR, you can purchase your apeakers seperatly.

I am not an audiophile either but I was able to run all new speaker wires and set it up in about 4 hrs...have at it

I just upgraded for the first time out of HTiB. I got a Yamaha RX-V661, Klipsch Quintet III speakers and an Infinity PS28 sub. I am sure you can find all of that for under 1k.

I am by no means an audiophile, but having "real" equipment may turn me into one. Speaking as someone who seems to be in the same boat as you (no real audio equipment and no real experience with components), I can tell you that the difference between the audio of an entry level system like mine and the audio from your tv speakers is going to be like the difference between shooting a bullet and throwing it.

It really is much more enjoyable. I never realized what others were talking about, but the uncompressed audio and just better sounding equipment in general has made gaming/blu-ray/sd dvd/etc more enjoyable. I did not think I would notice a big difference, but I do.

Kestin

exactly.

audio is half the home theatre experience. usually people who are accustomed to stereo don't (yet) realise the importance of audio. when they immerse themselves in a decent 5.1 sound field the balance between video and audio becomes clear

the difference will be noticeable. as a start, a HTiB under 1000 dollars is a good start. enjoy your purchase when it's made.

Not to speak for emacs, but I don't think he was saying you "need" a ultra high end system.

My point was that even an entry level component based system is light years ahead of your tv speakers (obviously just my opinion). My peronal opinion is that you will hear a dramatic difference in the $1k price range. Then, if you so decide, you can upgrade individual components when it is feasible for you and your situation. That was my thought process. The Klipsch speakers which I purchased are not ideal for front speakers, but they suffice for me. I can upgrade to bigger/better/more expensive front and center channels at a later date and use the current fronts for additional surrounds and go to a 7.1 system instead of 5.1 which I am using currently.

edited to add: maybe I shouldn't have spoken at all for emacs :-)

Kestin

I have a $500 htib(onkyo 805) in an area for my projector. The sound field is about 19x14. I have been happy with the results so far. Accesories for less.com has them and others on their sight. If you ahve a small area this might be worth looking into.
good luck on your search.

If it were me, (and it has been before) I would buy the least expensive name brand receiver I could find that has the inputs and features I was looking for. I've personally used a JVC that was under $400 for my main unit before and been happy. Now spend the remaining cash on good speakers and sub. The speakers will make or break a system, the receiver's differences are more subtle.

^^^ As TornadoTJ mentioned, it's definitely a good rule of thumb to spend 1/2 to 2/3 of your budget on speakers and a sub. Components are like computers, their contently evolving, albeit not as fast. Rockets, Mirage, KEF, BG, Axiom, Athena, SVS, HSU....etc...listen to as many different brands as you can, demo with your own music and let your own ears will be the judge.

I found myself in the same boat when I bought my HDTV. I decided to go the HTiB route myself because it allowed me to step righ into a 5.1 system without having to research each individual aspect of the system (which would have also led to me trying to get the best deal on each piece drawing the process out even futher). Now I am free to upgrade the individual pieces as I have the time and resources to do so. My advice to you would be to find a HTiB in your price range with an AVR the best suits your need. After that you can improve your system at your leisure.

You can get a decent setup (for a smallish room) for under a thousand, but don't look for everything to come in one box. Take it from me, a recent convert, satellites suck, even just compared to cheap bookshelf speakers. I went from a few hundred dollar Sony 5.1 HTiB system to a system you could put together for $700 or less, if you were more patient than I.

This probably isn't the best setup for the money, but it's decent enough, although if I had it to do over, I'd probably pick a different center, the voice is too bright, IMO:

1 Onkyo 605 $350-$430, depending on whether you require instant gratification
4 JBL Venue Monitor bookshelf speakers $100-200, again depending on patience
1 JBL Venue Voice center channel speaker $75-$130
1 $150-$200 subwoofer from the HTiB alternatives thread

Done.

P.S. Said system still sounds great, even with the chintzy subwoofer left over from the HTiB. I'm going to replace it as soon as the budget allows, though. The sony is sloppy.

I don't own one, so I can't speak from personal experience, but I'd think that any receiver should have a "dumb" mode where it just merrily passes the video signal on and does absolutely nothing to it, apart from adding maybe a millisecond of latency.

I believe (not 100% mind you) the 605 has a "bypass" mode or uses a "bypass" approach for video transmitted via HDMI - basically that means that the signal from the source is not enhanced (with Faroudja processing or such)/altered and is sent "out" as-is.

So to answer your question yes, you do need to worry about the receivers ability to handle the video signal from the HDMI source, however it seems that if you go with the 605 that it's a mute point because the video is output as-is.

check out the 605 owners thread in the audio forums. (the answer is yes though)

Onkyo 605 for the receiver is a no-brainer.

Lots of acceptable choices in terms of speakers.

I'm very partial to Athenas in terms of value, but there's almost an endless array of possibilities that would fit in your budget.

I have a Sony STR-DG910 receiver with Polk RM6750 5.1 speaker set. I'm in an apartment (small room) and I like it. It has 3 HDMI inputs and I've never had an HDMI handshake problem with my Motorola cable box, PS3 or HTPC.

I'm quite happy with my setup and it would certainly fall within your budget.