# What audio technology do you use with your HDTV poll



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

I'm considering switching from my 5.1 system to a sound bar but before making such a drastic leap I would like to learn what others use. My HDTV is a Sony KDF-46E2000. Please provide comments as well.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

We use to have 5.1 audio but since moving here to Georgia, almost 4 years ago we have not hooked the system back up (I am not sure what box in the attic even has the speakers ).


----------



## Hutchinshouse (Sep 28, 2006)

2330 watt system for me. I want movie explosions to feel like explosions.


----------



## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

6.1 systems in family room and den, 5.0 in my bedroom (50 year old AR-3's as fronts!) :lol:


----------



## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

TV speakers for casual viewing, fire up the AVR for programming that would really benefit from it.

AVR - Yamaha RVX2092 with 5.0 Boston Acoustics speakers.


----------



## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

After having a decent 7.1 system for quite some time now, I could absolutely never use a pseudo surround solution like a sound bar unless it was the only way I could have sound better than the tv speakers.


----------



## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Yamaha 5.1 with a RCA powered subwoofer.


----------



## lugnutathome (Apr 13, 2009)

7.1 in the big areas, Yamaha sound projector in the master bedroom which is a mere 740 sf in size. And a Blowz 321-GS in the small living area off the main dining room. Considering a soundbar for the latter as Bose in their infinite wisdom does not process DTS except from it's built in DVD player which ain't a BluRay. Other than that in a smaller room it's not a bad sound system.

If you've the space (and budget) there is no substitute for a 7.1 system that processes the new HD codecs from BluRay.

The sound projector is impressive but it is priced where a 5.1 set in a box could also be had. Really it's what you want, can afford, or can stand

Don "more toys than common sense" Bolton


----------



## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

5.1 in the bedroom and family room. 7.1 in the theater. It only gets used in the theater regularly though. For most normal TV shows I don't see the need and just use the built in speakers.


----------



## RASCAL01 (Aug 2, 2006)

Use 5.1 all the time. Need to feel the action


----------



## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

5.1 always through receiver never use TV speakers


----------



## LI-SVT (May 18, 2006)

1953 said:


> I'm considering switching from my 5.1 system to a sound bar but before making such a drastic leap I would like to learn what others use. My HDTV is a Sony KDF-46E2000. Please provide comments as well.


We use an AVR with three speakers, left-center-right, plus a sub.


----------



## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

So far only two users using a sound bar


----------



## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

7.1 in the living room, via a Yamaha RX-V2600 AVR. Built-in TV speakers everywhere else.


----------



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Poorly constructed poll, I don't have a box to check. 

I have a compact (but not cheap) Sherwood 2.1 system with integral DVD player and kick-ass sub. My modest HT arrangement won't accommodate 5.1 or 7.1. BTW, the built-in speakers absolutely suck on my otherwise excellent _under_ $500, 42" Westinghouse LED LCD HDTV!


----------



## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

Nick said:


> Poorly constructed poll, I don't have a box to check.


I don't see how the second option, "5.1 or other AVR setup with speakers", wouldn't fit your situation since you're doing the "other" part of it.


----------



## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

7.1 in the theater
5.1 in the living room
2.0 in the Wii Room
2.0 in the game room



CCarncross said:


> After having a decent 7.1 system for quite some time now, I could absolutely never use a pseudo surround solution like a sound bar unless it was the only way I could have sound better than the tv speakers.


Agree 100%. Unless you have the perfect room for it (and always sit directly in front of the TV), soundbar's are not a good idea.


----------



## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Nick said:


> Poorly constructed poll, I don't have a box to check.





bidger said:


> I don't see how the second option, "5.1 or other AVR setup with speakers", wouldn't fit your situation since you're doing the "other" part of it.


And even if that option didn't work (for some reason), there's still an "other" option. Is that not a box to check?

Me thinks, it's the poster that was poorly constructed.


----------



## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

5.1 for everything. OEM TV speakers are in the storage room and never even made it out of their boxes.


----------



## R0am3r (Sep 20, 2008)

I have 5.1 in the living room and use the built-in TV speakers everywhere else. Of course, my 5.1 system goes to eleven. One louder.


----------



## gpg (Aug 19, 2006)

My other vote was a mistake. I use 5.1 and OEM TV speakers.


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

7.1 in my Home Theater room. A sound bar can be useful in a very small room but cannot match the wide soundfield, depth and seperation a 5.1 or better system produces.


----------



## dontknow (Apr 29, 2010)

1953 said:


> Sony KDF-46E2000.


I have the KDF-55E2000 tv, did you have the optical block issue with this tv? and, how many times have you replaced the bulb on the tv?


----------



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

spartanstew said:


> And even if that option didn't work (for some reason), there's still an "other" option. Is that not a box to check?
> 
> Me thinks, it's the poster that was poorly constructed.


Well, thanks, Stew, I think. :sure: :scratch:

In the beginning, some 26,298 days ago, I was pretty well constructed but time, life and the weather over the years have taken their toll. In other words, I may no longer be as well-constructed as I used to be but, on the other hand, I'm still standing.

There's something to be said for that!


----------



## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

Recently updated to Denon AVR-1611 and Energy Take Classic 5.1 speakers. Loving it


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

klang said:


> 5.1 in the bedroom and family room. 7.1 in the theater. It only gets used in the theater regularly though. For most normal TV shows I don't see the need and just use the built in speakers.





dontknow said:


> I have the KDF-55E2000 tv, did you have the optical block issue with this tv? and, how many times have you replaced the bulb on the tv?


I've had two bulbs replaced. No optical block troubles. That's why I can't justify a newer model Sony.


----------



## Herdfan (Mar 18, 2006)

My TV does not have speakers, so an AVR is my only option for sound.

Looking to upgrade my now 5-year old Denon 3806 to a Denon 3311 or maybe on of the Sony ES's.


----------



## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

dontknow said:


> I have the KDF-55E2000 tv, did you have the optical block issue with this tv? and, how many times have you replaced the bulb on the tv?


I have the 60A3000 model, no optical block issues, on its second bulb, but it should be on its 2nd bulb based on hours of use....I took the old one out before it actually failed.....The question should be asked as such:

How many hours do you have on your tv and how many times have you replaced the bulb?...bulb replacement is very dependent on usage hours.


----------



## Colorado Guy (Dec 29, 2008)

5.1 in TV room on Plazma and Sound bar in libing room on LCD Sony.


----------



## B Newt (Aug 12, 2007)

I mostly use the tv speakers. I only use 5.1/avr for movies and concerts.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Without going into the details of all my sound systems, I recently did some research on the subject of sound bars and they should be your last choice. By chance, I noticed that Crutchfield had a Samsung HT C5500 (that means it's a sound system wrapped around a 5500 BD player). I wanted a small system for my master bedroom and wasn't allowed to buy the usual earth shaking system that I prefer.

Anyhow, I take a shot at the HT C5500 and when I get it, I find it only has three ohm speakers and a passive sub-woofer (did read the specs before I got it, but missed the part about the 3ohm speakers.) I don't like passive sub-woofers. BUT, I set the sound system up and it rocked the house! The passive sub-woofer actually works very well. And the speakers are rated at 175W. I had tried a Panny sound system in the same room and it really was poor. I'm still amazed at the quality and clarity of the sound on the Sammy. All for $300!

I've recommended this system to some folks and a couple have bought them (at a higher price) and are very happy with them.

Rich


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

Thank you yet I am somewhat confuse. In your first paragraph you advise me to avoid sound bars yet in your sec on paragraph you sing it's praises. Please help me better understand your true advice.



rich584 said:


> Without going into the details of all my sound systems, I recently did some research on the subject of sound bars and they should be your last choice. By chance, I noticed that Crutchfield had a Samsung HT C5500 (that means it's a sound system wrapped around a 5500 BD player). I wanted a small system for my master bedroom and wasn't allowed to buy the usual earth shaking system that I prefer.
> 
> Anyhow, I take a shot at the HT C5500 and when I get it, I find it only has three ohm speakers and a passive sub-woofer (did read the specs before I got it, but missed the part about the 3ohm speakers.) I don't like passive sub-woofers. BUT, I set the sound system up and it rocked the house! The passive sub-woofer actually works very well. And the speakers are rated at 175W. I had tried a Panny sound system in the same room and it really was poor. I'm still amazed at the quality and clarity of the sound on the Sammy. All for $300!
> 
> ...


----------



## dontknow (Apr 29, 2010)

CCarncross said:


> I have the 60A3000 model, no optical block issues, on its second bulb, but it should be on its 2nd bulb based on hours of use....I took the old one out before it actually failed.....The question should be asked as such:
> 
> How many hours do you have on your tv and how many times have you replaced the bulb?...bulb replacement is very dependent on usage hours.


im actually still on my first bulb and i know i need a second one already, pic doesnt look as bright as before, but i guess thats whats expected with 13,000 hours on the tv and the bulb


----------



## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

So does the replace lamp message pop up every time you turn it on or did you turn off the notification? :lol:

When I hit like 8k hours, I proactively replaced it.


----------



## 1953 (Feb 7, 2006)

How can I find out the hours on my bulb and or television? Kdf46e2000


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

1953 said:


> Thank you yet I am somewhat confuse. In your first paragraph you advise me to avoid sound bars yet in your sec on paragraph you sing it's praises. Please help me better understand your true advice.


The second paragraph is about the sound system, too. It has five speakers and a sub-woofer. The only place in the post that I was talking about sound bars was in the first paragraph, in the first sentence.

If I were looking for a relatively inexpensive sound system that is rather outrageously good, the Samsung HT C5500 is a great choice. Here's a *link* to it.

Sound bars are something we discussed rather thoroughly in a thread a little bit ago. The biggest problem with them seems to be in where they sit in a room. If I remember correctly, the sound from them had the tendency to be affected adversely by not being positioned almost dead center to where you watch TV. Even then, they can't put out real 5.1 sound. They can approximate it to some degree, but 5.1 is 5.1. I want 5.1.

The Sammy HT C5500 is on sale now at Amazon for about $350. More than I paid for it a few months ago, but not a bad price. And you get an integrated BD player that puts out a really good picture.

Rich


----------



## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I have a Sony DAVX-10 2.1 Theater in a Box set up on my main 52" LCD TV and an Onkyo 5.1 system in the man cave with my 2002 Sony 61" 4x3 HDTV.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Phil T said:


> I have a Sony DAVX-10 2.1 Theater in a Box set up on my main 52" LCD TV and an Onkyo 5.1 system in the man cave with my 2002 Sony 61" 4x3 HDTV.


My brother had one of those 4:3 monsters. He gave it to his son and they opened it up when they got it to his son's house. Full of dust and they took a leaf blower and blew out all the dust. My brother was shocked at how good the picture was and tried to take it back.

Don't know if yours is the same type, but he mentioned mirrors that were terribly dusty.

Rich


----------



## dontknow (Apr 29, 2010)

1953 said:


> How can I find out the hours on my bulb and or television? Kdf46e2000


1. TV must be in standby mode. (Power off).
2. Press the following buttons on the Remote Commander within a
second of each other:
DISPLAY Channel 5 Volume + POWER .1. Access Service Adjustment Mode and select the Service Menu that
contains the Category with the Adjustment Item you want to change.
2. To change the Category, press 2 or 5 on the Remote Commander.
Note: Pressing 2 or 5 only changes the categories within the
Service Menu displayed. To change a Category on one of the other
Service Menus, press the JUMP button until the correct Service
Menu is displayed.
3. To change the Adjustment Item, press 1 or 4 on the Remote
Commander.
4. To change the Data Value, press 3 or 6 on the Remote
Commander.
Note: To go back to the last saved Data Value, press 0 then ENT
on the Remote Commander to read the memory.
5. To save the changes, press MUTING then ENT to write into
memory.
6. To exit service mode, turn the power off by pressing POWER .
Wait 2 minutes before restarting the set to allow the fans to
completely shut down or the Service Menu will appear on the screen.

Hhe hours will be displayed as hex numbers, all you have to do is decode them

it will show something like this: LMPH: 01H LMPL: A0H which this equals to 416hrs


----------



## olguy (Jan 9, 2006)

Just got an Onkyo TX-NR609 for the family room with the Mits 82". Now I can listen to Pandora direct from the AVR. Moved the Onkyo TX-SR608 upstairs to the game room with the Mits 60". No AVR with the bedroom 50" plasma. Both Onkyos are set up as 5.1.


----------



## camo (Apr 15, 2010)

AVR-Onkyo Sr-876, 7-1 system, fronts infinity primus p362, satellites JBL-L820's, sub-woofer AV123 MFW house shaker.


----------



## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

2.0 system on the main living room TV. Cheap sony 5.1 system on the bedroom TV. 

Cant stand built in TV sound even on the better TVs, but dont use surround sound much.


----------

