[bygdawg]

I've been doing some looking and am trying to find the best solution for my home audio needs. I have a pretty good system in my theater room upstairs, but I'm looking for something for my living room. I should've run speaker wires while we were building, but I didn't. Hindsight is always 20/20. lol Anyway, I'm trying to come up with a workable solution to running wires everywhere, as I have a really clean setup now. Here is what I've come up with so far:


Logitech Z-550 Compusa - This probably won't help with the wiring situation, but the reviews seem to be incredible for the $$$.


I'm leaning toward this, but I can't find any reviews:

RJ Technology Virtual Surround Soundbar from Target. RJ-8000 SB


This is the backup plan:

Sony Sound bar from Walmart.


So, what do you guys think? Any comments and/or suggestions of an informative nature will be greatly appreciated.


Note: I have a 50" flat screen LCD television with no exposed wires whatsoever in a L/R with a cathedral ceiling of about 25 feet. The room is roughly 25X25 square and opens into the kitchen. Sound seems to carry pretty good in the area. Right now, I have two bose speakers, but they have no remote. So, it's pretty much all or nothing with them, and that gets to be a bit of a pain.

 

[m_vanmeter]

have you looked into the Onkyo line of HTiB's ? A different class of equipment than what you have mentioned. True 5.1 or 7.1 surround with reasonably decent speakers and good receivers. To stay near your budget, you could look for a refurbished Onkyo HT-S6100 or S7100 system. www.shoponkyo.com and www.accessories4less.com normally have either the 6100 or 7100 systems near your budget point, but the holiday buying spree, refurbs are in short supply, so keep checking both sites.

 

[ickysmits]

It's not entirely clear what you're wanting to do. The Logitech is 5.1 individual speakers that would have lots of wires and the other is a simple soundbar. If I'm reading your post correct, it sounds like you just want something that won't clutter your living room. If so, then the Logitech probably isn't the best option. I know nothing about how well wireless systems work like the KEF, Rocketfish, or similar - but that could be an option.


What kind of components will you be using in the living room and what is your budget? The two options you listed so far are in the $200 range - do you want the BEST package system money can buy or just the best for around $200?


I think you need to narrow it down a bit more. Do you want:

-Just a soundbar like the RJ-8000 thing from Target - you plug your components into the back

-A soundbar with a sub type thing like the Sony CT-100 - you plug your components into the subwoofer module or into a soundbar that has a subwoofer

-An L/C/R type bar like THIS - you'd need to buy a receiver, subwoofer, and satellite speakers but at least the front would be relatively clean

-An all in one DVD player with 5.1 speakers

-Or, finally, an HTiB that includes a separate receiver, subwoofer, and 5 speakers

 

[bygdawg]

Well...I don't want all of the wires, and I think I would have to run wires with the Logitech or the Onkyo system. Price wise, I was looking at systems as much as $350. I was trying to stay below that pricing point but was willing to go that high or possibly a bit higher for the right system. I do not have room above my fireplace for a big receiver, and I don't need a DVD player, as I already have a PS3 up there that will play Blu-Ray and games. I could go with a soundbar and sub, as I could probably hide the sub wires fairly easy. I suppose, if I got the Logitech and put no speakers at the rear, I wouldn't be any better off. I had thought about just placing everything up front where I could hide all of the wiring. Here is sort of the layout I have, but I have added a cabinet that has a door on the front of it that sits under the television and hides the direct tv receiver and the PS3. The receiver is all the way to the left and the PS3 all the way to the right.

 

[bygdawg]

I have to have three post to link to the URL.

 

[bygdawg]

Here is the picture:
http://pics.midsouth-mr2.com/listpic...=show&ID=23384

 

[johnnynapalm]

I currently have the Logitech Z-5500s as my HT audio, and am looking to change. I wouldn't recommend them as a HTIB replacement, as you are fairly limited in your connectivity.

 

[Kenaf]



Quote:
Originally Posted by m_vanmeter /forum/post/15534853


have you looked into the Onkyo line of HTiB's ? A different class of equipment than what you have mentioned. True 5.1 or 7.1 surround with reasonably decent speakers and good receivers. To stay near your budget, you could look for a refurbished Onkyo HT-S6100 or S7100 system. www.shoponkyo.com and www.accessories4less.com normally have either the 6100 or 7100 systems near your budget point, but the holiday buying spree, refurbs are in short supply, so keep checking both sites.

Nice post, thanks for this. I have been keeping an eye on shoponkyo.com for a refurbished model, but now I'm signed up to receive an alert from accessories4less if they become available. Does anyone know if one or the other is cheaper? Also, on shoponkyo it says refurbs don't include cables. Is this true at accessories4less as well? I know I could always pick up cabling at monoprice.com, but just curious..

 

[m_vanmeter]

with refurbs, cables are hit or miss, but far too cheap from Monoprice to be an issue. I'd rather save the big bucks on the system and just buy the cables I need.

 

[scupking]

Sounds like a soundbar will be the perfect option for you. I went from a true 5.1 setup that I had for 6 years to the Sony CT-100 soundbar and won't ever go back to a true 5.1-7.1 system.

 

[ickysmits]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bygdawg /forum/post/15541207


Well...I don't want all of the wires, and I think I would have to run wires with the Logitech or the Onkyo system. Price wise, I was looking at systems as much as $350. I was trying to stay below that pricing point but was willing to go that high or possibly a bit higher for the right system. I do not have room above my fireplace for a big receiver, and I don't need a DVD player, as I already have a PS3 up there that will play Blu-Ray and games. I could go with a soundbar and sub, as I could probably hide the sub wires fairly easy. I suppose, if I got the Logitech and put no speakers at the rear, I wouldn't be any better off. I had thought about just placing everything up front where I could hide all of the wiring. Here is sort of the layout I have, but I have added a cabinet that has a door on the front of it that sits under the television and hides the direct tv receiver and the PS3. The receiver is all the way to the left and the PS3 all the way to the right.

It seems like a soundbar is your best option. Unless you're willing to run wires, I wouldn't get a multi-speaker system like the Onkyo or Logitech. Placing all of those speakers up front and just hiding the wires wouldn't look good either. If you go with a soundbar, make sure the ones you look at don't require a separate receiver: http://reviews.cnet.com/best-virtual...ux;topProducts


The only problem is that you have such a big space to fill with sound...

 

[jdubau55]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenaf /forum/post/15542177


Also, on shoponkyo it says refurbs don't include cables. Is this true at accessories4less as well? I know I could always pick up cabling at monoprice.com, but just curious..

My refurb 7100 system came like a BNIB unit. Had all speaker cables. Had the sub cable (which is a joke BTW). Had the speaker label stickers and batteries for the remote. It might as well have been a new system.

 

[zengel442]



Quote:
IMHO I personally would go Klipsch.

j.. you got some splainin to do boy....

How's come you buy a 7100 n tell me that the Klipsch is better???

 

[m_vanmeter]

guys, I can't imagine a soundbar sounding like anything but piss is a bucket in a 25x25 room with 25' cathedral ceilings ????? Wiring is only an issue for the surrounds....if it is a problem, then run the wiring under the toe moulding, then up the wall to a surface mount connection box/plate or mount a connection box on the wall base moulding. Mount your surround speakers on stands so they can be moved out out the way when not in use and use bananna plugs at the connection plates to make a fast connection/disconnection of the speaker cables as needed.


A room this size deserves a "real" sound system.

 

[bygdawg]

Thanks for all the information fellas, and the review link was really good. Too bad they didn't review the RJ technology unit from above. I really wonder if it is as good or better than the Sony. As far as running the wires under the base boards, note the left side of the television area. There are no base boards running across the open hallway to the left of the room. The wire would have to cross there somewhere, and I can't think of clean way to do it. Of course, if I had carpet instead of hard wood, I could run wires easily under it, but that is a moot point, as I have hard wood floors. Thanks again for all of the information fellas.

 

[m_vanmeter]

"bygdawg" is there a threshold piece on the floor under the open portal ? Is there any face moulding on the portal ? I could not tell by the picture. If you have either, it's a good sneaky way to get wiring past a door or portal.