Poor Tv Sound

donkey1 · 07-04-2009, 06:04

Hi Guys
The sound on my new LCD TV is kind of on the poor side. So i was thinking if i were to buy a AV Amp like a Sony STRDG820 costs about £229 and add my 2 Mission speakers to it do you think this would improve the sound by much ? I know very little about home cinema and HiFis. I would also like to connect my PC to this Amp and play my music from the pc through the Amp. Then maybe at a later date add 3 more speakers to it. Or would i be better off just buying some thing like a all in one system like the Sony HT-DDWG800(£329) and maybe just sell off my Mission Speakers.

Thanks Guys

Nigel Goodwin · 07-04-2009, 10:01

It would improve the sound massively, still only stereo, but almost all programmes are only stereo anyway.

If you've got a spare pair of Mission speakers, don't you have a spare amp as well?, no need for a specific AV amp, any will do for that.

chrisjr · 07-04-2009, 10:50

As Nigel says you don't need an AV amp to get sound out of the telly. I have a Denon PMA250 amp which is stereo only. Works perfectly for watching TV. Unless you are heavily into watching DVDs then you don't necessarily need a surround sound system.

The vast majority of TV sound is stereo only so there is no real disadvantage to using a stereo amp/speaker system. However if your main source of viewing is DVD and you want the full cinema experience then I can see why you might need a full surround system.

And I very much doubt the sound quality of any all in one is going to get anywhere near a pair of Mission speakers.

donkey1 · 07-04-2009, 16:28

Hi Guys

Thanks for getting back to me. I have a NAD 320BEE Amp. But it has no HDMI fittings on it. Is there anyway i could use this Amp ?

gomezz · 07-04-2009, 16:45

Yes. Does the TV have sound out on red and white phono sockets? Or use the (usually) AV2 scart socket with a suitable converter lead to connect to the amp. You would only need HDMI connections on a AV amp to pass Dolby Digital sound and to allow convenient switching of video and audio together between several HD sources (eg SkyHD and a Blue-ray player).

chrisjr · 07-04-2009, 16:58

You don't need HDMI to get audio out of the TV. My amp doesn't have HDMI yet it works perfectly. Just as gomezz suggests I use the Audio Out phono sockets on the back of the TV to connect to an AUX IN on the amplifier.

On my TV these sockets are after the volume control so I don't even have to get up to make more noise if I need to

And there is a menu option to turn the TV's speakers off so they don't interfere with the sound from the HiFi.

Perhaps you could tell us what TV you have if you are uncertain whether it has the appropriate connections.

donkey1 · 07-04-2009, 17:17

Hi
Thank you for all this help guys its all such a big help to me.

The TV is a Panasonic-TX-32LXD85. I had a look on the back of it and it says component/ Audio in and next to the it says Audio out. Is that what i should be looking at ? I take it i will need some kind of cable to go from the TV to the Amp

chrisjr · 07-04-2009, 17:23

Audio OUT is exactly what you need. If it is a pair of phono sockets then a bog standard phono to phono lead will do the job. Just run it to aspare pair of IN sockets on the amp.

donkey1 · 07-04-2009, 17:31

Great

Now how far do the Speakers need to be apart. Would 4m Be ok or is that to far apart. And how far up the wall should they be. Do they need to be up near the ceiling. Another problem i have is the speaker cable that came with the speakers is very thick could you guys suggest some good speaker cable i could use that's not so thick and would do the job.

gomezz · 07-04-2009, 17:36

I would suggest 4M is far too wide to provide a believable sound stage. Much closer to the sides of the TV but not close enough to cause magnetic interference (only really a problem for a CRT TV). A bit of experimentation is your best bet.

donkey1 · 07-04-2009, 17:41

I could put them on a shelf that i have just above the TV but that's only about 1m. Would that be ok

gomezz · 07-04-2009, 17:52

Better than sticking them in the corners of the room I venture. How wide apart are the in-built speakers on the TV?

chrisjr · 08-04-2009, 09:09

As a very rough guide.

Mount the speakers so that the tweeters are about the same height above the floor as your ears are when watching the TV. (if you don't know what a tweeter is it is the smallest of the speaker units mounted on the front of the cabinet

) Certainly don't want them way higher or way lower as that will compromise the sound quality.

They should be equidistant from the TV and about 2m apart but certainly nowhere near 4.

Unless the speakers are specifically designed to mount up against the wall there should be free air all round the cabinet. If you mount them too close to the wall then the bass will be emphasised. Even more so if you mount then in the corner of the room.

gomezz · 08-04-2009, 11:50

A pair of speaker wall-mounts may be the answer to optimum positioning.

niall campbell · 08-04-2009, 12:12

1 metre will be fine and you could aim them to where you sit normally

Slipstreem · 08-04-2009, 12:55

Conventional stereo content is usually mixed to give a natural sound stage when your head and the two speaker cabinets form an equilateral triangle. This eliminates the "hole in the middle" effect that placing the cabinets too far apart almost always leads to.

As said above, ideally, they should be vertically positioned so that the tweeters are at ear height. If that's not possible then angle the cabinets so that the tweeters are pointing at the height your ears will be at when sat in your usual viewing location.

Just getting these basic points right can make an enormous difference to the apparent sound stage in terms of realism.

donkey1 · 08-04-2009, 17:53

Hi Guys
Just a Small update. I found an old AV Amp that i had in the loft its a Aiwa NSX-D55. Please don't laugh guys

Anyway i connected it up to the Aiwa Speakers And then used a cable to connect it to Audio OUT from the TV. And its like 100 times better than my TV sound. It sounds very good indeed

So i only hope that when i fit the NAD 320BEE Amp and the Mission speakers the sound should be even better

The problem for me is were the TV is in my house. Its in a alcove and there is just no were else i can put it. So the 2 speakers will have to go in there as well. I just hope the 1m space will be ok for them both. In the alcove just above the TV is a glass shelf i was thinking about standing the speakers on there. But this would be about 2 foot higher than my ears

But i do have some wall mounts that i could screw to the wall and angel them down to my ears. Do you guys think this would be ok

Thanks again Guys I'm loving all this help i am getting

07-04-2009, 06:04	#1
donkey1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 21	Poor Tv Sound Hi Guys The sound on my new LCD TV is kind of on the poor side. So i was thinking if i were to buy a AV Amp like a Sony STRDG820 costs about £229 and add my 2 Mission speakers to it do you think this would improve the sound by much ? I know very little about home cinema and HiFis. I would also like to connect my PC to this Amp and play my music from the pc through the Amp. Then maybe at a later date add 3 more speakers to it. Or would i be better off just buying some thing like a all in one system like the Sony HT-DDWG800(£329) and maybe just sell off my Mission Speakers. Thanks Guys

07-04-2009, 10:01	#2
Nigel Goodwin Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Derbyshire Posts: 41,789	It would improve the sound massively, still only stereo, but almost all programmes are only stereo anyway. If you've got a spare pair of Mission speakers, don't you have a spare amp as well?, no need for a specific AV amp, any will do for that.

07-04-2009, 10:50	#3
chrisjr Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Reading Posts: 27,916	As Nigel says you don't need an AV amp to get sound out of the telly. I have a Denon PMA250 amp which is stereo only. Works perfectly for watching TV. Unless you are heavily into watching DVDs then you don't necessarily need a surround sound system. The vast majority of TV sound is stereo only so there is no real disadvantage to using a stereo amp/speaker system. However if your main source of viewing is DVD and you want the full cinema experience then I can see why you might need a full surround system. And I very much doubt the sound quality of any all in one is going to get anywhere near a pair of Mission speakers.

07-04-2009, 16:28	#4
donkey1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 21	Hi Guys Thanks for getting back to me. I have a NAD 320BEE Amp. But it has no HDMI fittings on it. Is there anyway i could use this Amp ?

07-04-2009, 16:45	#5
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	Yes. Does the TV have sound out on red and white phono sockets? Or use the (usually) AV2 scart socket with a suitable converter lead to connect to the amp. You would only need HDMI connections on a AV amp to pass Dolby Digital sound and to allow convenient switching of video and audio together between several HD sources (eg SkyHD and a Blue-ray player).

07-04-2009, 16:58	#6
chrisjr Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Reading Posts: 27,916	You don't need HDMI to get audio out of the TV. My amp doesn't have HDMI yet it works perfectly. Just as gomezz suggests I use the Audio Out phono sockets on the back of the TV to connect to an AUX IN on the amplifier. On my TV these sockets are after the volume control so I don't even have to get up to make more noise if I need to And there is a menu option to turn the TV's speakers off so they don't interfere with the sound from the HiFi. Perhaps you could tell us what TV you have if you are uncertain whether it has the appropriate connections.

07-04-2009, 17:17	#7
donkey1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 21	Hi Thank you for all this help guys its all such a big help to me. The TV is a Panasonic-TX-32LXD85. I had a look on the back of it and it says component/ Audio in and next to the it says Audio out. Is that what i should be looking at ? I take it i will need some kind of cable to go from the TV to the Amp

07-04-2009, 17:23	#8
chrisjr Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Reading Posts: 27,916	Audio OUT is exactly what you need. If it is a pair of phono sockets then a bog standard phono to phono lead will do the job. Just run it to aspare pair of IN sockets on the amp.

07-04-2009, 17:31	#9
donkey1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 21	Great Now how far do the Speakers need to be apart. Would 4m Be ok or is that to far apart. And how far up the wall should they be. Do they need to be up near the ceiling. Another problem i have is the speaker cable that came with the speakers is very thick could you guys suggest some good speaker cable i could use that's not so thick and would do the job.

07-04-2009, 17:36	#10
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	I would suggest 4M is far too wide to provide a believable sound stage. Much closer to the sides of the TV but not close enough to cause magnetic interference (only really a problem for a CRT TV). A bit of experimentation is your best bet.

07-04-2009, 17:41	#11
donkey1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 21	I could put them on a shelf that i have just above the TV but that's only about 1m. Would that be ok

07-04-2009, 17:52	#12
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	Better than sticking them in the corners of the room I venture. How wide apart are the in-built speakers on the TV?

08-04-2009, 09:09	#13
chrisjr Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Reading Posts: 27,916	As a very rough guide. Mount the speakers so that the tweeters are about the same height above the floor as your ears are when watching the TV. (if you don't know what a tweeter is it is the smallest of the speaker units mounted on the front of the cabinet ) Certainly don't want them way higher or way lower as that will compromise the sound quality. They should be equidistant from the TV and about 2m apart but certainly nowhere near 4. Unless the speakers are specifically designed to mount up against the wall there should be free air all round the cabinet. If you mount them too close to the wall then the bass will be emphasised. Even more so if you mount then in the corner of the room.

08-04-2009, 11:50	#14
gomezz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Buckingham Posts: 28,590	A pair of speaker wall-mounts may be the answer to optimum positioning.

08-04-2009, 12:12	#15
niall campbell Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Aberfeldy Posts: 7,035	1 metre will be fine and you could aim them to where you sit normally

08-04-2009, 12:55	#16
Slipstreem Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK Posts: 1,330	Conventional stereo content is usually mixed to give a natural sound stage when your head and the two speaker cabinets form an equilateral triangle. This eliminates the "hole in the middle" effect that placing the cabinets too far apart almost always leads to. As said above, ideally, they should be vertically positioned so that the tweeters are at ear height. If that's not possible then angle the cabinets so that the tweeters are pointing at the height your ears will be at when sat in your usual viewing location. Just getting these basic points right can make an enormous difference to the apparent sound stage in terms of realism.

08-04-2009, 17:53	#17
donkey1 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 21	Hi Guys Just a Small update. I found an old AV Amp that i had in the loft its a Aiwa NSX-D55. Please don't laugh guys Anyway i connected it up to the Aiwa Speakers And then used a cable to connect it to Audio OUT from the TV. And its like 100 times better than my TV sound. It sounds very good indeed So i only hope that when i fit the NAD 320BEE Amp and the Mission speakers the sound should be even better The problem for me is were the TV is in my house. Its in a alcove and there is just no were else i can put it. So the 2 speakers will have to go in there as well. I just hope the 1m space will be ok for them both. In the alcove just above the TV is a glass shelf i was thinking about standing the speakers on there. But this would be about 2 foot higher than my ears But i do have some wall mounts that i could screw to the wall and angel them down to my ears. Do you guys think this would be ok Thanks again Guys I'm loving all this help i am getting

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Poor Tv Sound