How much impact did surround sound have on your home theatre enjoyment?

Yes, yes, and yes.


1)TV speakers are so pitiful compared to any kind of speaker setup that it's not even worth mentioning. The difference will be like night and day, you will be able to hear clearer dialog at any volume. Sounds will be distinctive and separate, and will have a more natural sound to them. To me tv speakers have a very bitter, shrill sound to them(no body) and turning them up to a natural level just hurts my ears figuratively speaking.


2)A surround sound package adds even more to the HDTV experience than normal tv. Most(guesstimate) HDTV programs are broadcast in 5.1. I can't think of any that are not. To truly get the HDTV experience you MUST have a surround sound package.


3) 5.1 is even more important for sports, especially HDTV sports. Again they are broadcast in 5.1 and they make excellent use of the 5.1. It's almost as if you are actually there, you can hear people around you making comments on the game. You can hear very intimate details of the game. I can hear the ice creak from the weight of the skaters in hockey for example.


The bottom line is that 5.1 and digital sound from HDTV will give you a much "fuller" sound. You will hear things you never heard before. You will feel and experience the soundtrack like never before. Sports will take on a whole new level. You will never know how much you are missing with only tv speakers. Only by trying it out will you see the difference. Once you do, you will never want to go back to just regular tv speakers.

I don't personally see what the big deal is about surround-sound. It's never really impressed me and sometimes it becomes a distraction that detracts from the scene because it seems gimmicky. I might bother with getting it someday, but it's pretty far down my priority list.


BUT, without knowing what kind of TV you have and what it's like, the odds are pretty high that the speakers it has aren't so good even for just plain stereo, and I definitely do think that getting a new sound system would be worth it, not just for where the sounds will come from, but for how good the sound will be. Even if quality surround-sound wouldn't be a big deal compared to quality stereo, quality stereo is a huge step up over the speakers built in to most TVs. (I've seen some Sanyo and Sony exceptions to this rule.)


And if you're going to get a sound system for the cause of better sound quality anyway, then maybe picking one that's surround-sound instead of stereo will make little enough difference in the cost and setup work to be worth it.

It's the biggest single thing you can do to improve your home theater experience.


When people come to my home theater the first thing they talk about is the atmosphere - how everything looks. Then they sit down and talk about the chairs. Then they talk about how big the screen is and how great the picture looks.


When they leave, all they talk about is the sound.


Terrific, clear, accurately placed sound takes viewing a movie to an entirely different level. Do everything you can, starting with the room and accoustics to provide the best sound possible.


Good luck with your project!


Randy

Thanks to all for the replies!


Seems like I've been living under a rock when it comes to sound for my system. I am glad to learn DVDs and HDTV broadcasts are making good use of 5.1 sound and it is not just relegated to concerts and such. Ooohh, I bet PBS Soundstage would be really enjoyable.


I stopped by my local A/V store and they demoed me a system using a scene from Monsters Inc. (where a monster comes through a door with a sock on his back). It sounded impressive, but I wish I had been smart enough to have them replay the scene just using the TV speakers too, for back-to-back comparison. I'll just have to go back


Anyhow, now the hard part: convincing the wife. Yikes!


So I need to figure out where to place my speakers (and pray that my wife doesn't feel like rearranging the furniture anytime soon). I am not looking forward to all the wiring. I wish there was a decent wireless option, but even the store salesman said there wasn't.


In the showrooms I notice they usually put the front left and right speakers right next to the TV. Is this how I'll want to do it in my living room too? It seems like that would not be much more stereo seperation than the TV has.


Right now I'm thinking about getting the Yamaha RX-V640, and then the best speakers I can find for the ~$1000 left over. I've got more research to do because I want a rcvr with discrete codes (the salesman just shrugged). I also want the feature where I can set a microphone in the middle of the room and have the rcvr automagically balance the system. I guess I'll visit the audio forums to get this kind of detailed information.


Thanks again,


Sooke

Quote:
I absolutely agree. Being recently and still unemployed after 28 years, I couldn't get the mid-system I wanted. So I researched and settled for the Onkyo HTB 760 direct purchase (refurbished excellent price, got free surround stands and shipping also). Calibrated with RS SPL and using cal charts to correct low end non-linearity and Video Essentials.


I don't have an HDTV but do have a Sony Wega with component and S-video inputs. So I settled for going with the surround till later when I am re-employed for HDTV.


It's amazing the difference over the built-in AND my old receivers stereo speakers (I had been running through my old 2-channel stereo before).


I've had it three weeks and hard if not impossible to go back to just stereo. Whether TV or DVD, if I walk in to the room and the HTB is off, I cringe at the sound of the TV (and immediately turn on the HTB). The biggest difference, besides overall sound quality, is the ability to actually hear the voices clearly and legibly thru the front center.


I have zero regrets and nothing but positive for a good entry level HTB for folks who can't or don't want to go deep into their pocketbooks. It makes one want more and should help push sales of higher stuff. Already, I am thinking of a better sub, knowing the limits of the one with the HTB. My wife thinks the whole thing is amazing.


Go for it.

Quote:
I felt the same way until I got a good surround sound system. Originally, I had an Aiwa bookshelf system with "surrounds" (tiny little speakers that barely put out any sound). I figured surround was all hype because I barely heard anything at all in them. The first time I watched the opening of 5th Element with my Ascends, I was amazed--I could hear the whisper of the "wind" (in outer space? whatever!) all around me and the asteroids whizzing by.


I'm not saying that's necessarily true for you. Maybe you have heard a good surround system and just don't like it. That's cool. But if you've never heard a good surround system, you ought to before you draw any conclusions.