Got lots of home cinema components - don't know how to set them up !!

J

jonvhs

Guest
Hello guys ... I've gotten myself into a bit of a pickle where I bought lots of bits and pieces for a home cinema setup , but have absolutely no knowledge in connecting them and/or maximising their performance.. I really hope someone can help me here , as my bedroom looks like a hifi repair shop at the moment and my girlfriend looks like she's going to throw the lot out the window!!
Here's what I've bought :
Mission m73i floorstanders
Cheap Acoustic solutions Sub and rear surrounds
Panasonic tx28pm1 TV
Denon avr1905 receiver
panasonic dvd-s47 dvd player
Eltax centre speaker (cost a tenner from Richer sounds a few months back)
Optical cable from dvd to amp.
standard cheap phono interconnects.

What I need to know whether it is worth using the surround/sub/centre speakers , or just stick with the Missions at the front as they sound lovely...
Which setting on the amp do I use for DVD's ( stereo 5.1 , prologic IIX or Neo 6) - I assumed it would detect which one automatically , but just seems to default to 'Direct' regardless of the DVD standard..

I know there's a lot of questions here , but any advice would be gratefully received and possibly save my relationship !!

Cheers

Jon
 
Ok, to answer your questions as painlessly as possible:

You have a surround amp and surround components. You may as well use them!

Connect the DVD to the amp via its digital output. That will give you auto switching between sound formats.

Try to be patient and read through your handbooks. If you are presented with 2 solutions then ask here which is best. Experiment, it pays off in the end. Good luck!
 
jonvhs said:
What I need to know whether it is worth using the surround/sub/centre speakers , or just stick with the Missions at the front as they sound lovely...

Set them up, thats what the Amps for, 6 channels will sound even better, and its how DVD's are supposed to be heard. You're missing out on a lot there.

I don't know exactly how your amp works, but if its through optical then I would have thought that it should automatically recognise a Dolby Digital signal coming through and if all speakers are connected it would default to what the dvd player is sending Dolby Digital/DTS.

However, as you have only 2 speakers connected, and if you have set the amp up in this way it will be giving you the best option for your set up which would be Direct - through 2 channels.

Someone may have more idea on the Denon.

However, I would wire them all up!
 
Thanks for all your swift replies .... have now fiddled about and got all the speakers working.
A couple more question if I may ...
When connecting the TV , do I just use two phono leads from the rear to the Amp and leave the TV volume at zero ?
The sub has it's own amplifier - do I set this to the absolute minimum and let the Denon do the work ?
Many thanks for making me feel welcome here - I promise to read the manual , but it's dauntingly thick and technical so I just need a little advice to get me going!
 
jonvhs said:
When connecting the TV , do I just use two phono leads from the rear to the Amp and leave the TV volume at zero ?
Yep.
jonvhs said:
The sub has it's own amplifier - do I set this to the absolute minimum and let the Denon do the work ?
There's a setup sticky on the subwoofer forum.
jonvhs said:
Many thanks for making me feel welcome here - I promise to read the manual , but it's dauntingly thick and technical so I just need a little advice to get me going!
Yep, but most of that is other languages. Take it one step at time and don't panic. Take the time to read the manuals. It'll be worth it when it's all singing.
 
jonvhs said:
When connecting the TV , do I just use two phono leads from the rear to the Amp and leave the TV volume at zero ?

Yes exactly the correct way.

jonvhs said:
The sub has it's own amplifier - do I set this to the absolute minimum and let the Denon do the work ?

No. IMHO the best way is to set it to about 1 oclock and then use the amps internal test tones and take the volume down with the amp. If it has a phase switch leave it at 0 degrees and see what it sounds like then flick it to 180 degrees and see if it sound better and pick the best. If it has a cross over (also refered to as X over) set it to the max and use the amp to set it to 80 . Again this is something you can play with to see what you prefere but 80 is a good start :)dd: recommended )

If the 1905 has an auto setup use that if not use the manual setup and a tapre measure and see if you can beg or buy a Sound leve meter to set the speakers and sub up properly. Ears are good but a SPL is best :)
:lesson:
 
Thanks a lot for all your replies ... I'm almost there now!!Everything sounds great
, except for the subwoofer. The only controls on it are subwoofer volume and master volume . It was designed to power an entire 5.1 surround system , and I assume that it's pretty rubbish anyway. Should I just head out and get a new one? I don't want to spend very much (<100) , can anybody recommend a decent-ish one for me? or should I persevere and experiment with the controls until it sounds more acceptable??
Again , thanks to everyone helping me out here , very much appreciated

Cheers
Jon
 
I would really ignore anything in that price range as they will only add boom and distortion and not clean bass. You need to double the budget to get anything like a sub.
Look at www.bkelec.com. The vita 50 for £149 + postage would be a good start.
 
Great .... I'll start saving up a little more !! This is getting quite addictive and expensive , but my Mum always said I should get myself a hobby.
Thanks for all the advice , and maybe I'll be able to contribute some in the distant future.
 
jonvhs said:
Great .... I'll start saving up a little more !! This is getting quite addictive and expensive
Believe it!
your going to end up pennyless but u will have a smile the size of the thames on yer face!
:D
 

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