im going to get a powered sub and some new speakers, not sure which ones yet. i didnt want to go with a reciever since i am on a tight budget, but i heard a reciever will make the speakers sound a lot better than if i were to plug the speakers straight into the sub. SO, in a music/theater system is the reciever's job just to power the speakers? what brands are the best for being cheaper and how many watts per channel should i be looking for? thanks
A receiver includes a processor, a pre-amp and an amp. All these can be purchased seperately, but it is only the amp that powers the speakers.
The system needs all these pieces to work and the receiver is the cheapest way to go since seperates are aimed more at the higher end system.
Since you obviously don't have a lot to spend I would look at the new digital path receivers. They provide more power while being cheaper than the time tested analog receivers. Edster, one of the users here is purchasing a Panasonic model, you may want to stay tuned for his review.
As for the # of watts, I would just ignore that spec, either it's a good unit or it's a Kenwood j/k Andy.
I have an LG DVD recevier and I wanna know how to use the speakers (5.1) to play TV. I have connected all the inputs (red,yellow,white) from the system to the TV just dont know how to play TV sound through speakers. Can any one HELP! cheers