Surround Sound without integrated DVD player?

[b830ag2]

Hi all,

I hope this is the right forum...........

Basically, last year I got a Philips 32" LCD TV and also bought with that a Philip HDD Recorder/DVD player. Both are working well and I am pleased with the picture on the TV and the function of the HDD Recorder.

However, I am not that impressed with the sound quality from the TV speakers. They are not very loud and distort/crackle when turned up to anything slightly above normal levels.

I have been looking around a few websites and shops and can only seem to find Surround Sound Systems that have an integrated DVD player. I do not want a new DVD player as I already have one.

Does anyone know if there are systems available which just act as amplifiers and takes the signal from an existing TV or DVD output? I would just like one extra box which basically adds great sound to my existing system.

It would also be great if this Amp also had a 3.5" jack connection so I could plug in my MP3 player.

Thanks,
Andy.

[Andy98765]

Budget!!!!!!!!!!

[AngelEyes]

Originally Posted by b830ag2

Hi all,

I hope this is the right forum...........

Basically, last year I got a Philips 32" LCD TV and also bought with that a Philip HDD Recorder/DVD player. Both are working well and I am pleased with the picture on the TV and the function of the HDD Recorder.

However, I am not that impressed with the sound quality from the TV speakers. They are not very loud and distort/crackle when turned up to anything slightly above normal levels.

I have been looking around a few websites and shops and can only seem to find Surround Sound Systems that have an integrated DVD player. I do not want a new DVD player as I already have one.

Does anyone know if there are systems available which just act as amplifiers and takes the signal from an existing TV or DVD output? I would just like one extra box which basically adds great sound to my existing system.

It would also be great if this Amp also had a 3.5" jack connection so I could plug in my MP3 player.

Thanks,
Andy.

Hi Andy,

It sounds like you need an 'AV Receiver' and a 'Surround Sound Speaker Package'. As you will likely be delving into the world of seperates, there are many options available to you so speaker size may well be a consideration too. Best let us know your room size etc.

And of course let us know the budget

Adam

[b830ag2]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick responses!

In answer to your questions...my room is about 5m x 4m (16ft x 13ft ish), and the way we have it arranged is that the settee-to-tv stand is across the 4m width, so distance from seat to tv is probably about 3m (32" screen).

I hadn't thought too much about budget as I don't know how much these things cost, so initially was thinking about finding out what was available....but....I would guess I could go up to about £300 (and if that sounds ridiculous, please don't laugh...I would imagine you could spend thousands on this kind of stuff if you were a Connoisseur!

Cheers,
Andy.

[AngelEyes]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the info.

I am not that familiar with systems at that price point but a quick search provided this:

Superfi's Sizzling Systems at Superfi Online - http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/category.cfm/Category/253

Having recently borrowed an Onkyo 506 whilst my 875 was being upgraded I can vouch for the quality of the unit. I was very suprised by how well it performed considering the price. I don't know anything about the speakers though in this package though.

Other quality brands to look out for would be Denon and Yamaha.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will be able to chip in and help you out a bit more.

Adam

[davepuma]

Yamaha AV63, AV63+ (see petertyson), Sony HT-SF1300 or HT-DDGW800 (see pixmania). The AV63+ and Sony systems will accept LPCM audio over HDMI so should you buy a bluray player in the future and it decodes HD Audio, you'll get this HD audio sent via LPCM to those amps. The HT-SF1300 is the least flexible in that the speakers can't be changed, the other systems are built around 'proper' AV receivers.

[b830ag2]

Thanks for the response guys, appreciate it.

This is a new field for me, so might take a bit more research on my part now. Thanks for the tips to start me off.

You've opened my eyes to the field of AV Recievers and separates, as previously I had just scoured the shelves of Comet etc looking at Surround Sound packages (which all included integral DVD players!).

I would imagine I may be back on this thread in the near future with some more queries!

Thanks,
Andy.