I'm a complete noob at home theater/audio but ever since I bought my Samsung UN55D6300 a few months ago I've wanted to get a good surround sound system because the TV's speakers are horrible. I've learned a while ago that you should 'do it once and do it right' so I'd definitely like to get something decent but would like to keep it under $600, of course cheaper would be better.
My Den/TV room is long and narrow at 11'x20' and because of the layout of the room, the seating and couch are on the length of the room. The seating area is on the 20' wall and the TV is directly across on a 6' wall with a fireplace on it's left side (in the corner) and a big 10' opening to the kitchen on it's right side. It's a little bit of an awkward layout for a home theater as the 2 rear speakers would be next to you (on end tables) and a 7.1 system is definitely out of the question. I have a Sony BD player (could switch to my PS3) and Verizon Fios/Motorola HD box hooked up to the TV. I also use the TV to regularly stream internet radio.
I was looking at a few systems at my local Best Buy and PC Richards and realized that (as lame as it sounds) I'd also like a system that is aesthetically pleasing besides of course the best sounding. I originally thought that I liked the Sony HT-SS380 but it honestly looked like a cheesy cheap pos. I liked the look of the Samsung soundbars and home theater systems but I'm not sure if a soundbar is good enough as I figure if I have such a good TV and will be watching BD that I should be using a comparable audio system. It also seems that the Samsung home theater systems aren't the best bang for the buck...Am I wrong on that or should I look into one of their systems?
After researching on here I'm finding that I should lean towards a system with a dedicated receiver vs one that has a BD player/receiver...Which brings me to the Denon DHT-1312ba, Onkyo HTS7409 & S3400, and Yamaha YHT395BL, 595 & 695...These are all available at PC Richards where I can get a VERY good deal as I'm friendly with the manager
Out of these systems I'd obviously want the best, but I also want something that is going to be user friendly (ie I'm a noob). I know some of these come with auto calibrating mics/programming and such and some do not, does that make a big difference for a noob like myself?
Would I get a better system for the same $$$ if I purchased a receiver and speaker package separately? If so, can you guys make some recommendations?
FWIW, On the main page on the Onkyo website, they show a system with the speaker grills removed (HERE). Can that be done on all of the Onkyo systems?
My Den/TV room is long and narrow at 11'x20' and because of the layout of the room, the seating and couch are on the length of the room. The seating area is on the 20' wall and the TV is directly across on a 6' wall with a fireplace on it's left side (in the corner) and a big 10' opening to the kitchen on it's right side. It's a little bit of an awkward layout for a home theater as the 2 rear speakers would be next to you (on end tables) and a 7.1 system is definitely out of the question. I have a Sony BD player (could switch to my PS3) and Verizon Fios/Motorola HD box hooked up to the TV. I also use the TV to regularly stream internet radio.
I was looking at a few systems at my local Best Buy and PC Richards and realized that (as lame as it sounds) I'd also like a system that is aesthetically pleasing besides of course the best sounding. I originally thought that I liked the Sony HT-SS380 but it honestly looked like a cheesy cheap pos. I liked the look of the Samsung soundbars and home theater systems but I'm not sure if a soundbar is good enough as I figure if I have such a good TV and will be watching BD that I should be using a comparable audio system. It also seems that the Samsung home theater systems aren't the best bang for the buck...Am I wrong on that or should I look into one of their systems?
After researching on here I'm finding that I should lean towards a system with a dedicated receiver vs one that has a BD player/receiver...Which brings me to the Denon DHT-1312ba, Onkyo HTS7409 & S3400, and Yamaha YHT395BL, 595 & 695...These are all available at PC Richards where I can get a VERY good deal as I'm friendly with the manager
Out of these systems I'd obviously want the best, but I also want something that is going to be user friendly (ie I'm a noob). I know some of these come with auto calibrating mics/programming and such and some do not, does that make a big difference for a noob like myself?
Would I get a better system for the same $$$ if I purchased a receiver and speaker package separately? If so, can you guys make some recommendations?
FWIW, On the main page on the Onkyo website, they show a system with the speaker grills removed (HERE). Can that be done on all of the Onkyo systems?
