Recommendation For A Decent Sound System.

[Spikey 0]

CO only has approved a minimalist setup i.e. soundbar. Is yamaha, in particular, the ysp-2200 the only choice?

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/aud..._g/?mode=model

Quoted at S$ 1499 at most big stores.

[RimBlock 0]

CO only has approved a minimalist setup i.e. soundbar. Is yamaha, in particular, the ysp-2200 the only choice?

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/aud..._g/?mode=model

Quoted at S$ 1499 at most big stores.

There is a quick primer here on soundbars and considerations when buying.

Here is the AVforums thread on the YST-2200 you are looking at. Take a read through to give an idea on good and bad points from owners. Another thread on soundbars from the same place giving alternatives from manufacturers like Polk, Boston Acoustics, Sony, Samsung, LG and B&W to name but a few. Post 28 on the thread also has a new users experiences with the YST-2200 he has just bought.

Have a bit of a read and let us know what you decide and how it goes when you try it out. I am sure lots of people have the same sort of constraints as you (the wife) and would find any feedback to be very helpful.

RB

[EmptyDivided 0]

Haha, ok so some things now become a bit clearer . Now I can understand better the response from the other thread . Oh and so you are the reason I still have some extra dvds on the shelf .

How about we PM and set a day .

RB

Haha. The reasons for the DVDs may not be what you think. We have decided to prioritize purchase due to our unexpected purchases. Yes, definitely we will pm to meet. Hows the sub progressing?

[EmptyDivided 0]

CO only has approved a minimalist setup i.e. soundbar. Is yamaha, in particular, the ysp-2200 the only choice?

http://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/aud..._g/?mode=model

Quoted at S$ 1499 at most big stores.

Firstly bring wife for a nice lunch at Fullerton hotel. Then say casually why not stroll for a walk to Adelphi. Go KEC and look for Allan and see what he can offer for your budget. Sit down and have a listen. I have a soundbar at home, and I fully regretted buying one.

Why you should not buy a sound bar

1. You can't upgrade any part of a sound bar.

2. Once a sound bar spoils, you lose the whole system. I have a problem opening and closing my philip sound bar dvd cover. If that breaks and the warranty is over, it will probably cost me easily $50- $100 to fix that issue. I can buy a new blu ray player with that kind of money these days.

3. How can a sound bar project surround sound more effectively then placing speakers surrounding yourself?

If your wife wants a minimalist system, look for satellites. They will sound as good or even better than a sound bar. Bookshelfs are better, floor standers are even better. But again, because we love our wives, we will compromise. Break it down to even dollars and cents, a Ht system will be cheaper to replace or resell in the market as compared to a soundbar. And soundbars ain't exactly cheap.I think they are only good for the new developments of mickey mouse, shoe box apartments in bedrooms where there are hardly any space to walk, less put in a wardrobe. This is my frank opinion.

As I have posted earlier, Audio Iconic in Adelphi has posted a B&W mt 20 (satellites) ht speakers for $1k negotiable. If they are in great condition, I think they are great value for money if you can bargain down somemore.

[Spikey 0]

Firstly bring wife for a nice lunch at Fullerton hotel. Then say casually why not stroll for a walk to Adelphi. Go KEC and look for Allan and see what he can offer for your budget. Sit down and have a listen. I have a soundbar at home, and I fully regretted buying one.

Why you should not buy a sound bar

1. You can't upgrade any part of a sound bar.

2. Once a sound bar spoils, you lose the whole system. I have a problem opening and closing my philip sound bar dvd cover. If that breaks and the warranty is over, it will probably cost me easily $50- $100 to fix that issue. I can buy a new blu ray player with that kind of money these days.

3. How can a sound bar project surround sound more effectively then placing speakers surrounding yourself?

If your wife wants a minimalist system, look for satellites. They will sound as good or even better than a sound bar. Bookshelfs are better, floor standers are even better. But again, because we love our wives, we will compromise. Break it down to even dollars and cents, a Ht system will be cheaper to replace or resell in the market as compared to a soundbar. And soundbars ain't exactly cheap.I think they are only good for the new developments of mickey mouse, shoe box apartments in bedrooms where there are hardly any space to walk, less put in a wardrobe. This is my frank opinion.

As I have posted earlier, Audio Iconic in Adelphi has posted a B&W mt 20 (satellites) ht speakers for $1k negotiable. If they are in great condition, I think they are great value for money if you can bargain down somemore.

Appreciate the advice. Will try to take a look at a satellite setup. How many items are there in a satellite setup?

BTW, I actually have quite a healthy budget - if there was something minimalist in the $5 to 7k range, I would go for it.

[demonyi 0]

Appreciate the advice. Will try to take a look at a satellite setup. How many items are there in a satellite setup?

BTW, I actually have quite a healthy budget - if there was something minimalist in the $5 to 7k range, I would go for it.

Bro the range can be from $1399 to a lot more depending what u like more for music or movies? talk to ur wife bring her down and let her feel the diff.

[Drexter 0]

I had decided the orientation of my HTS room. Should I order cables from Amazon so that I can lay the surround wires in the false ceiling first? Or just use the cables the shop provided upon purchase of their equipments? As I would most probably need them to install and calibrate the system for me.

[Defelio 0]

Hi guys, need some advice. Brought my OC down to KEC to check out the micropod SE "promo" from scandyna (She approves of this and the podspeaker but getting from USA so troublesome and she doesn't like the look of Boston Acoustic soundware XS 5.1).

We were listening to the micropod SE at the 4th lvl showroom with a wharfadale sub and it sounds good to us with some decent OHMP / base.

Then, we requested to listen to the scandyna minibase as listed in the promo and also listen to the suggested velodyne cht-8q but we had to go down stairs to his level 1 show room. We heard both subs and find it "lacking"(minibase) and "slighly lacking"(velodyne in OHMP, well i thought could it be because the space at level 1 was bigger than at level 4 OR is the wharfadale(Sorry i dunno what model was this looks like same size as velodyne but in wood colour housing) was really so much better.

The guy serving mentioned that velodyne was famous in producing only sub-woofers and has a auto-calibrating function with a remote to adjust the base level depending on music/moive/etc.

1. I'm lost to decide which sub. Which do you find better, wharfadale or velodyne?

2. He will "provide" (paid $80 for wire and installation) me with a grey sleeve with internal white sleeve and black sleeve wire for the surround speakers. Is this decent enough? Read about the myth and calculation that longer need smaller number gauge wire and most ppl said rear get cheapo wires can liao. The front he providing forgot what brand, it has white sleeves and has a "middle drain" along the cable. Ok mah??

3. Would it improve the sound if i were to get 2 x micropod SE for the centre channel? Connect in Series or Parallel? To cheem to understand this simi resistance or power... =S

Receiver i will be using is Onkyo SR508

4. He recommend to place the speakers high up at the near ceiling level on both sides of the sofa tilted downwards. I read that it was recommend to place the rear surround near/slightly above the sitting ear level. How do you place your rear speakers if on that level? On stands or on small shelves or mount on the wall at that level? Or just go ahead with the near ceiling method?

Sorry for asking "some" questions =)

[RimBlock 0]

Haha. The reasons for the DVDs may not be what you think. We have decided to prioritize purchase due to our unexpected purchases. Yes, definitely we will pm to meet. Hows the sub progressing?

Well I can only go by what you good lady wife stated . I have the same issue with space and a large collection which is one of the reasons I am selling.

Firstly bring wife for a nice lunch at Fullerton hotel. Then say casually why not stroll for a walk to Adelphi. Go KEC and look for Allan and see what he can offer for your budget. Sit down and have a listen. I have a soundbar at home, and I fully regretted buying one.

Haha, love it. A lovely dinner with a nice river stroll straight in to a HiFi shop .

Why you should not buy a sound bar

1. You can't upgrade any part of a sound bar.

2. Once a sound bar spoils, you lose the whole system. I have a problem opening and closing my philip sound bar dvd cover. If that breaks and the warranty is over, it will probably cost me easily $50- $100 to fix that issue. I can buy a new blu ray player with that kind of money these days.

3. How can a sound bar project surround sound more effectively then placing speakers surrounding yourself?

All very good points. Soundbars are very unlikely to provide the same sort of sound a 5.1 setup can but it is there for people who really do not want speakers all over the place. My wife hated our surround speakers (small bookshelf) and so I got the white Wharfedale dfs speakers which blend in much better, sound great and were pretty cheap second hand.

BTW, I actually have quite a healthy budget - if there was something minimalist in the $5 to 7k range, I would go for it.

You could have a lot of fun with that budget. Did you listen to the B&W set ED recommended ?. You could also try the B&W MT-30 (S$3,400 - S$4k), Tannoy Arena Highline 500 (around S$5k-S$6k), Monitor Audio Apex (S$5k-S$6k), KEF KHT3005SE-K2

5 (around S$2k), KEF T105 (around S$2.4k). Prices are pure estimates, you will need to check locally.

You will then need to add an amp to power them with whatever cash you have left. You could go for a pre/power combo like I have using something like the Yamaha 667 (around S$700), or other amp with preouts, and add a power amp like the Emotiva XPA-5 (around S$1.5k imported). You could just go for a better quality AV amp like the Yamaha RX-V1067 (around S$1.8k) or the Onkyo TX-NR808 (around S$2k). The main advantage of the pre/power combo is that the power amp can be kept if you need to upgrade the preamp part due to new sound formats or features you would like.

Remember to factor in for any stands or wall brackets, speaker cable and interconnects but don't go for super expensive stuff unless you have auditioned it first and feel there is a difference in quality justifiable in the extra costs.

I had decided the orientation of my HTS room. Should I order cables from Amazon so that I can lay the surround wires in the false ceiling first? Or just use the cables the shop provided upon purchase of their equipments? As I would most probably need them to install and calibrate the system for me.

Get the cables now so they can be installed for you with the electrical work. Unless you have money to burn, I would go for the S$2/mtr for the rears. You can get some from KEC and probably most other shops but they will get more profit from higher priced cables so may try to steer you in that direction. They are a business after all. If they claim that more expensive cables do make a significant difference then ask them to demo for you. Ignore what they tell you that you should be able to hear and just listen with your own ears rather than with their words. If they are hesitant to let you demo then ask yourself why... Also make sure the amp settings are not changed between listenings and that the rooms doors are closed. People have been known to leave a door open and thus change the acoustics of the room or change amp settings in order to create differences.

RB

[Drexter 0]

Get the cables now so they can be installed for you with the electrical work. Unless you have money to burn, I would go for the S$2/mtr for the rears. You can get some from KEC and probably most other shops but they will get more profit from higher priced cables so may try to steer you in that direction. They are a business after all. If they claim that more expensive cables do make a significant difference then ask them to demo for you. Ignore what they tell you that you should be able to hear and just listen with your own ears rather than with their words. If they are hesitant to let you demo then ask yourself why... Also make sure the amp settings are not changed between listenings and that the rooms doors are closed. People have been known to leave a door open and thus change the acoustics of the room or change amp settings in order to create differences.

RB

So I just go KEC and tell them I want the $2/mtr cable? Then show them the floor plan of my room and let them decide how long I should get? (I will also ask them what cables they are using for their $80 installation)

[RimBlock 0]

Hi guys, need some advice. Brought my OC down to KEC to check out the micropod SE "promo" from scandyna (She approves of this and the podspeaker but getting from USA so troublesome and she doesn't like the look of Boston Acoustic soundware XS 5.1).

Hi Defelio,

OCs can be demanding. Finding a decent system that will match with the loving wifes specifications can be difficult if they are also to sound good. Style usually comes at the price of sound quality. Did you try the KEF KHT2005.3 (eggs) setup ?. Without a budget, it is difficult to recommend.

We were listening to the micropod SE at the 4th lvl showroom with a wharfadale sub and it sounds good to us with some decent OHMP / base.

Then, we requested to listen to the scandyna minibase as listed in the promo and also listen to the suggested velodyne cht-8q but we had to go down stairs to his level 1 show room. We heard both subs and find it "lacking"(minibase) and "slighly lacking"(velodyne in OHMP, well i thought could it be because the space at level 1 was bigger than at level 4 OR is the wharfadale(Sorry i dunno what model was this looks like same size as velodyne but in wood colour housing) was really so much better.

Room acoustics do play a big part in demoing equipment. The Wharfedale sub range is here. A better idea of the sub you demoed will help.

The guy serving mentioned that velodyne was famous in producing only sub-woofers and has a auto-calibrating function with a remote to adjust the base level depending on music/moive/etc.

1. I'm lost to decide which sub. Which do you find better, wharfadale or velodyne?

SVS . Myself and a few other members here have SVS subwoofers which are great. Again, it depends on your budget but you may want to take a look at the PC-13 (around S$1.4k) and the SB-13 NSD (around S$1.3k). They also pop up on the Xtremeplace 'for sale' boards so it may be worth taking a browse there.

2. He will "provide" (paid $80 for wire and installation) me with a grey sleeve with internal white sleeve and black sleeve wire for the surround speakers. Is this decent enough? Read about the myth and calculation that longer need smaller number gauge wire and most ppl said rear get cheapo wires can liao. The front he providing forgot what brand, it has white sleeves and has a "middle drain" along the cable. Ok mah??

Quite hard to tell from the description but I would guess the rears wire is the same S$2/mtr I am using. It is fine, especially at this level. The fronts cable I do not know by your description but I use Chord Classic which is around S$7/mtr and have no problems at all.

3. Would it improve the sound if i were to get 2 x micropod SE for the centre channel? Connect in Series or Parallel? To cheem to understand this simi resistance or power... =S

Receiver i will be using is Onkyo SR508

No. From what I recall, you will get issues with phase and reflections. Get a decent center speaker as this will handle around 70% of the sound in movies. Centers with the drives not all on the same plane (i.e. not all in a strait line) will be better but a decent center speaker will make a world of difference to a entry level setup.

4. He recommend to place the speakers high up at the near ceiling level on both sides of the sofa tilted downwards. I read that it was recommend to place the rear surround near/slightly above the sitting ear level. How do you place your rear speakers if on that level? On stands or on small shelves or mount on the wall at that level? Or just go ahead with the near ceiling method?

This depends on your and more importantly, your OCs tolerance. Ideally they should be mounted at seated listening level by wall brackets, stands or shelves. I do not have any side walls to my living room and so have mounted on the beams either side of the listening area. My speakers are around 7ft up and sound great. Ceiling mounting also helps hide the wires. You may get some difference by mounting at ear level but I would suggest it is not as big a difference as to have to suffer more cables running down the walls.

Sorry for asking "some" questions =)

It is good to ask. If you have though and asked then there is bound to be may others who have thought about the same things and haven't asked.

RB

[RimBlock 0]

So I just go KEC and tell them I want the $2/mtr cable? Then show them the floor plan of my room and let them decide how long I should get? (I will also ask them what cables they are using for their $80 installation)

Find out what cables they are offering for the S$80 plan first and then if they are using expensive cables you can see about down grading. Again, I would advise something a bit better quality for the fronts as that is where the majority of sound will be coming from but just don't go silly .

RB

[Drexter 0]

Get the cables now so they can be installed for you with the electrical work. Unless you have money to burn, I would go for the S$2/mtr for the rears. You can get some from KEC and probably most other shops but they will get more profit from higher priced cables so may try to steer you in that direction. They are a business after all. If they claim that more expensive cables do make a significant difference then ask them to demo for you. Ignore what they tell you that you should be able to hear and just listen with your own ears rather than with their words. If they are hesitant to let you demo then ask yourself why... Also make sure the amp settings are not changed between listenings and that the rooms doors are closed. People have been known to leave a door open and thus change the acoustics of the room or change amp settings in order to create differences.

RB

So I just go KEC and tell them I want the $2/mtr cable? Then show them the floor plan of my room and let them decide how long I should get? (I will also ask them what cables they are using for their $80 installation)

[Drexter 0]

Find out what cables they are offering for the S$80 plan first and then if they are using expensive cables you can see about down grading. Again, I would advise something a bit better quality for the fronts as that is where the majority of sound will be coming from but just don't go silly .

RB

Hee... Thanks... Have not decided on my system. Saw many good deals in xtremeplace but dare not commit, no place to put yet. Renovation only starts after 30 May.

[RimBlock 0]

Hee... Thanks... Have not decided on my system. Saw many good deals in xtremeplace but dare not commit, no place to put yet. Renovation only starts after 30 May.

Plenty of time for you not to decide yet then .

RB