HDTV audio?
 

I hung a 42" LCD on my bedroom wall recently. Eschewing complicated audio (those days are behind me), I find that the audio coming from the TV's built-in speakers pretty much sucks. Fine for Speed commentary, but not so good for movie DVDs. Music and voice are muddy, so much so that we're having a hard time understanding dialogue.

I'd like some type of mini audio setup that provides good music and center channel voice without all the mess of a subwoofer and speakers/speaker wire everywhere. Anyone know of something that might fit the bill? I'm thinking a mini amp with some type of speaker that has good bass, center and left/right channels all built in. Should be unobtrusive, small, powerful and not cost $10,000. Would be so nice to have big sound without crap everywhere!

Bose?

If there is a Bestbuy near you run by and see what they got. They have some pretty good middle of the road priced sound in a box stuff.
I have also seen one long thin speaker you set up horizontally right under the the monitor. I think it has five or more speakers in it that point in different directions to give a surround sound effect with just the one box. I don't remember who makes it but I will search around a little.

I am trying Sony's IR wireless headphones, 2 pr. They seem to work quite well

Sony MDR-DS3000 Home Cinema Cordless Headphones
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?CategoryName=&ProductSKU=MDRDS3000&TabName=c omp&var2=


online at $145.

This looks interesting:

http://www.orbaudio.com/?gclid=CJa-1uv67IcCFQm8YAod722-hw

still digging....

Anyone heard this Yamaha YSP-800? Looks pretty cool. A little pricey at $799, though.

pic:http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1160430205.jpg

You can buy one of the Home Theater In a Box setups, which include a reciever, DVD player, and 5.1 speakers. 5.1 is left, center, right in front, and left and right in therear, and a subwoofer. There's nothing that says you have to hook up the rear speakers though. You just lose the sound coming from the rear. You'll still get all the voice. The only movies where the rear channels really matter are the big special effect action movies. So depending on what you watch it may not matter at all.

I saw a Sony HTIAB setup at Costco today for $500, and there was a cheaper one for like $300. I have no idea what sound quality is like though.

I just bought a $400 Pioneer home theater reciever, and when I have the money the speakers I want for it are going to cost me about $800 more. That will be a pretty kick-a** system with great sound. No need to spend $10000.

How do you feel about JVC?

http://hometheatermag.com/hometheaterinabox/906jvc/

or how about Dennon?

http://hometheatermag.com/hometheaterinabox/206denon/

That's what I had in mind.

http://www.legacyaudiovideo.com/yaysdisoprne.html

Scott, this thing looks pretty cool. Looks like the amp is built into the box along with the drivers. From what I've read, its getting great reviews. I can pick one up on eBay for less than $600. My trigger finger is really itching...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9742509671&category=32 861

Wow, pretty amazing looking. Wonder what the wired item is. FM antenna?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1160431575.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1160431590.jpg

Found this tidbit:

Yamaha’s exclusive IntelliBeam feature ensures optimum multi-channel reproduction with accurate image localization. By monitoring the sound with the supplied microphone and analyzing it, IntelliBeam automatically sets the best beam angles and mode, and optimizes the level and frequency response of each beam. This makes initial setup both extremely simple and acoustically perfect. Manual setup is also possible.

The speaker I saw was the same concept but built by someone else. I haven't listened to any of the sound projector setups so I can't comment on them. Although I think there are more and more people like you who have a HDTV and want better sound but not the mess of wires surround sound brings so we will probably see more of this type of thing.

Yamaha builds some nice stuff and if it were me I would go for it but then I'm a nutjob... so far this month I have orders two knife's (spiderco and SOG) two fountain pens (vintage Schafer and a new Namiki) and two boxes of cigars off the Internet. :rolleyes:

I see they also make a 1000, more wattage I suppose?

That is Soooooo cool.... almost makes me wish I hadn't prewired my house for surround speakers!

I would love to know more about the technology, I wonder if they are doing a phased array type thing with all those little speakers.

I've been saving up for Bose Lifestyle setup - they're simply amazing for the price.

I believe that is the calibration mic.