General Category > General Discussion
Best surround sound
FritzWhite:
--- Quote from: wiggy on May 24, 2018, 07:26:36 PM ---Lots of channels doesn’t necessarily equal “best”.
Best is a relative term. You gotta figure out what’s most important to you in a sound system first.
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I want to be able to clearly tell which direction footsteps are coming from in a game. I want a deep thunderous base that will peel my face off. I don't care how much it costs because I'll fuckin finance it. When I die, they can bury me with my speakers.
(Would also like to know if a good value budget option exists)
FritzWhite:
--- Quote from: TDIRunner on May 24, 2018, 10:13:55 PM ---I could have been more help several years ago, but I haven't kept up with this stuff in a long time. Like Wiggy said, it has more to do with you own preferences than total dollars and number of speakers. It also has a lot to do with the size and shape of your room as well. I've always been a Sony component and Klipsch speaker guy, but I'm not sure about either brands current stuff today.
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Interesting, I wasn't aware that some sound systems are better than others depending on the size of the room. Makes sense when you think about it. I remember hearing how the phil harmonic concert hall in LA has great acoustics.
JakeHC:
I know others have said it but it really depends how much you want to spend. Keep an eye on the Facebook Marketplace though, I managed to score a set up worth $2k for $250 a few months back. Hooked that up to my record player though. Might not be the "best" for the room dynamics but it still sounds great and for a very reasonable price.
TDIRunner:
--- Quote from: FritzWhite on May 25, 2018, 05:39:46 PM ---
I want to be able to clearly tell which direction footsteps are coming from in a game.
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Based on this alone, I recommend looking at 7.1 setups. That's what I used to use in my old home before I was married, and I was actually spooked a few times because I thought someone was behind me. Certain games take advantage of those features better than others. I specifically remember Metal Gear Solid 4 really taking advantage of the surround sound (PS3 was current gen during that time). Also, since I was single back then, I was able to spend more money on stuff like that, but I really enjoyed it. I still own all of that equipment, but due to room restrictions, I'm currently only using a 3.0 speaker setup which is disappointing.
When I used my 7.1 setup, I had the "front" and "center" channels in their normal locations, and I had my 2 "surround-back" speakers behind me, and my two "surround" speakers on either side of me. It really felt like stuff was moving around me. Sub woofer location typically doesn't matter, but I kept it in front of me to the right of my equipment because I had room there.
Tech13:
I always viewed surround sound as the visual of placing your face in water.
2.1 and below are looking at the water
5.1 is putting your face into the water to barely submerge your ears
7.1 is going fully under water.