Howdy, I am about to plunk down some money on a new home theater system, and need some advice. I have decided on a TV (Panasonic 37 Plasma), and need a sound system. At least I think I do, the Panasonic is supposed to have pretty good built-in audio.
Anyhow, I had a Best Buy consult in my home today. The guy was very nice and I didn't feel like he was trying to hard sell me anything (in fact he spent a lot of time telling me what the BB people would try to sell me that I DIDN'T need!). Here's the problem - the TV is going in my great room, which isn't all that big by itself, about 18 X 18. But it has a huge triple ceiling, plus it is open into the kitchen and breakfast room. While the room is square, there is no way to place the TV in the middle of a wall due to openings into other rooms, etc. The only place for it is either over the fireplace (it would be centered, but I dislike having it so high, and the seats are all only 7-10 feet away), or where the current TV is - sitting on built ins between the fireplace and the side wall.
The problem with that placement is that it is off-center. There is no way to center the TV in the room, or even with the furniture. Because of this, the BB guy said I should not get a standard surround sound 5.1 system. He said that because the FL speaker would be about 2 feet from the TV and the FR speaker would be about 8 feet, the sound would be off center from the TV and it would sound strange.
He recommended instead a 2.1 system. He likes the Bose 3-2-1, I know everyone hates Bose but there is also the Denon. My concern is that in such a big, open room, that the sound would get lost. I don't know if it would be that much better than the basic sound system that comes built-in with the TV.
So I guess it comes down to this - should I trust a 2.1 shelf system to give me enough "faux surround sound" to make me happy, or should I go ahead with a multi-speaker system? If the latter, how do I avoid the "off center" issue? I really don't want to put the TV over the mantel, even though that would center it.
Thanks for any advice you can provide! Keep it simple though, I am not really well versed in dBs and such.
I don't see how a 5.1 system versus a 2.1 system would make a difference when the speaker configuration will be the sam up front.
Will the 2.1 system be any closer and more centered than the 5.1? I think not. And I disagree that it would sound strange, you can calibrate the systems to compensate for such placements. It may not be ideal but it is not strange.
Of course he will like the Bose 3-2-1, he will probably make the most money out of it.
The best thing to do is to listen to the capability of your Panasonic. Evaluate the sound and then decide if it is adequate or not. Then decide on whether or not you want to plunk down some money on a home theater system. And the Bose 3-2-1 is not the place to start.
Thanks Berny, the config would be different - on the 2.1, such as the Bose or a Denon, the speakers would be closer to the TV. On the 5.1, the front speakers would be farther apart, toward the corners of the room. The reason he didn't recommend using a 5.1 and putting the front speakers in the same placement closer to the TV was because those speakers would only go forward, and the sound would get lost in such a big room. Whereas with the 3-2-1, each cube has two speakers in it that go to the sides and reflect off the walls better. Do you think this is wrong? Could I use a 5.1 and just keep the front speakers closer to the TV, facing out into the huge room?
He doesn't make any money off the sale. He is an independent installer, and the cost of installation and set up would be $199 whether it's just a TV, or a TV with a sound system!
$500-$1000. I saw this Yamaha YSP-1 that blew me away today. A digital sound projector they call it. One unit, 42 speakers. It sounded phenomenal. But even this guy agreed it is preferable to have some speakers behind you.
Elizabeth, first things first. Stop going to Best Buy. Look in the yellow pages for an audio/ home theatre dealer that sells, Denon, NAD, Rotel, Arcam or Marantz (and others). Go to that palce and ask if they can help you.
Thanks Dan, I think Hi-Fi Buys is the high end dealer in these parts. They have several of those brands you named, but they are the ones who are touting the YSP-1.
What is wrong with that system? I thought it sounded amazing! Of course the listening room was designed to make a boom box sound great.
If you think it sounded amazing, that should be the end of it. You will ultimately be the one listening to the system you chose. If you like it, take it home and try it on your system. If you don't like it, take it back and get a different unit.
