Home cinema speakers

[Cracksta]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to upgrade my current setup, I have a LG NB4530 soundbar, bought it a few years ago based on the excellent reviews but maybe I just want something better? It sounds great but i don't get excited or feel its good enough.

I'm currently looking at the Bose Cinemate 15 or Sony HT-RT5.

I recall during xmas i went into a bose store, had a little fiddle with a Bose solo 15 on the shelf and was impressed with the clarity and how it sounded, i know anything in there would've been tinkered to the max to grab your attention. Now the Bose cinemate 15 is an upgrade of it but the Sony RT5 is interesting as its a 5.1 with wireless rear speakers.

What i want is clarity, able to pin point sounds and feel like its wizzing around/in front of me, the Bose did exactly this but is a sound bar, the sony I have no idea as I've not heard it yet. I just don't want loud boomy sound with no depth or clarity.

Any ideas guys or other suggestions? PS: Whats your go to movie to testing your home cinema setup? Mine is Pacific Rim but I want to try others.

[steveledzep]

If you have sufficient space, a proper 5.1 system with front, rear and centre speakers with a subwoofer will wipe the floor with the systems you are considering.  Needn't be expensive either.

By trawling eBay I found a NOS Onkyo 5.1 amplifier, a pair of Yamaha floor standing speakers, a Kef centre speaker, a Kef subwoofer and a pair of Gale rear bookshelf speakers. Amplifier was new, but speakers were used.  Total expenditure was £600ish.  I'm a bit of a hifi geek so I knew what I was doing, but just a little research will get you by.

The compact Bose and Sony systems have high WAF (wife acceptance factor), but extremely poor sound quality compared to what I've suggested.

It's little known that BOSE is an acronym for "Buy Other Sound Equipment"  

Willing to help if you wish Cracksta.

[Verbout]

I have a Bose cinema system, OK, but not gob smacking brilliant.

You have to understand the set-up in the Bose shop is professionally tuned, in a room without the normal soft furnishings that absord sound, so I don't think it will sound the same once you get it home. You have more tune-ability with separates if you have the room and the wife allows.

There are better systems out there unles you want an all-in-one, which is handy and suits a lot of people that are badge conscious.

[Cracksta]

Thanks for the replies guys. Ideally a 5.1 I would like however rear speakers with wires are a no no! I've got tv stand that my 50" panny sits on, might have room for the amp but i dont think i have room for floor speakers. Pics to follow. I'm after clarity and want the feeling like I'm in the cinema. I know bose can make normal audio sound much more engaging with their sound processors, I just don't want a system that is just loud and boomy. I'll have a look at richer sounds for some ideas but also open to suggestions and will check out the equipment you mentioned Steve!

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[steveledzep]

The equipment I mentioned isn't a recommendation of brands, just what happened to be around at the right price at the time.

It's all in the living room with Mrs ledzep, she's the film lover !  I have my man cave with my HiFi 

[Cracksta]

Brand I'm not worried about, I want quality. If the rear speakers are cabled then that's a no go for me. Our living room is the main place for entertainment. Need to weigh up my options but don't want to regret getting the wrong one.

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[Cracksta]

So I no longer want a wireless system so the bose and sony are now off my list.

Will be doing a wired version and so far I have my eyes on the Onkyo HT-S5805 Atmos(S7705 on amazon is out of stock for the same price). The subwoofer is only 80W RMS, the other systems i looked are were 150-220W RMS. 

My living room is approx 4m x 4.5m, is 80W subwoofer enough to rumbling my living room like a cinema? The 5 speakers are running 100W from the AV.

[steveledzep]

Great that you're going for a fully wired 5.1 system Cracksta.  Still an all out of one box solution though.

You should achieve realistic cinema sound in your room size and the subwoofer should be sufficient to rumble a bit.

I started off with an out of the box system from Sony and it introduced me to home cinema. HiFi separates is your next step for better sound with the clarity and lack of boom that you seek.

[Cracksta]

It's defo not those system with integrated bluray players lol. However I was looking at the yamaha rxv379 along with the monitor audio mass 5.1, should be a good system but no atmos and the sub won't fit in the front. Another speaker alternative was the tannoy hts101xp, better but no atmos. The only downfall on the onkyo is the sub is only 80w rms and the other 2 mentioned is 200 rms.

I'm going to wait and see if the big brother onkyo ht-s7705 will come back in stock at amazon for the same price. Frustrating it is with home cinema systems.

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[steveledzep]

Wouldn't worry about "atmos" personally.  Sounds a bit of a gimick to me 

You have a relatively small room, so wouldn't worry about watts too much.