HOME THEATER / Electronic Geeks, HELP ME OUT please???

[radwriter0555]

Okay, I have a couple of the plasma Aquos teevees. Love em, I needed super small profiles since I hate teevees as massive furniture.

But I am somewhat hard of hearing it seems. So I want to hook up some additional audio to them. I see the home theater kits and they're ugly and nasty looking, far too massive for my tastes. I want a couple of things. First, whatever I find speaker wise has to be small and unobtrusive. Second, for ease, I'd like wireless. Thirdly, how easy is it to just hook speakers up? Do I NEEEEED a massive woofer? Do I need an additional receiver? Can't I just plug in a wireless receiver gizmo and make it go?

Can I get some PC speakers and hook them to my teevee? They're so nice and small....

Home electronics I don't GET. Now I CAN hook up a deisel generator to the Pond in Log Beach, go figure.

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. You won't get (as) good sound out of wireless speakers.

And you WANT a subwoofer...the extra low-range punch definitely enhances the viewing experience (gives greater depth and texture to the sound).

If your TV monitor has standard audio out ports, you shouldn't need a separate stereo receiver.

Size being an issue, you might want to look at this system: the Klipsch Quintet home theatre "microsystem" (7" tall satellite speakers;plus centre channel and sub). http://www.dealtime.com/xPO-Klipsch_Quintet_Microtheater

Goes for about $400 or so...their site is at www.klipsch.com

And if you want to try PC speakers instead, I'd go with the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1...about $450 or so, and there are none better.

[lemon lime]

2. OK, if there are speaker outputs on the "set" they will power small

wattage speakers. It should be written on the back of set. If you want more power ( Hurr Hurr Hurr ) you will need an amp. You can use small speakers as many are readily available anywhere. If you do have an amp in the set, yes, wireless hooks to it just the same. Be sure that you have an alternate power source near where you want wireless speakers to sit. They need their own power source. Other than that, it is simple. You could also use any marketed " home theatre" system. Some are small and come with five speakers and a sub woofer ( for big bass ). Go see what is available at some local stores. Don't be afraid of this, it really is easy.

[BuckeFushe]

3. Everything depends on room size and your budget

One of the best selections of home theater systems in all price ranges is at Best Buys. I would also recommend you look into the products available at Radio Shack (go look before you disparage them), made for them by Sanyo, from 129-299, with small speakers and nice sub-woofers. And for rear channels, wireless speakers are fine. The rear surround channels only provide ambient sound, not primary audio like the fronts do. but again, room size is everything.

I have a friend who bought the best $1000 Sony system and put it into a 10X12 room. Even at mid-volume, the room and windows vibrate so bad it has to be turned down. Now he has to carpet the room to dampen the vibration. So much for over-kill.

[supernova]

4. I just bought the basic Yamaha model

4 satellites, a mid-range and a subwoofer. It was on sale at Best Buy. It gives what I need since my viewing space is rather small. But I can turn the speakers outward if I want to listen to CDs or the radio around the house. And it's not that big. The speakers are maybe 1.5x the little Bose cubes. The Sub is the size of a small computer box. It's not wireless, but I'm more concerned with sound quality. I like it.

[rjbcar27]

5. I would look at the Bose Lifestyle systems

Ridiculously small and sound amazing, trust me, go for a demo and you'll be blown away,

[supernova]

6. I wish I had $1000

to spend on a sound system. That's what I'd get. :D