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I am buying a new HDTV for my living room and am not sure how to get everything I want when I set it up. I am looking to have surround sound, as well as be able to play music, possibly with wireless speakers on my deck which is right off of the living room. I am not sure if I should get a receiver, or if I can just get a speaker system and then something separate to play music? I saw the Sonos speakers in Best Buy, but am not sure if they are for what I am looking to do. I should mention that my wife would like as few wires as possible running through the room. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I have no idea when it comes to wireless speakers. Have you thought about just going with three front speakers and a subwoofer; 3.1 system and limit the wires to just behind the TV? May be you can go with a sound bar but they aren't the best options.
But I would need rear speakers for the surround sound right?
Yes you would. If you have a crawl space, the rear speakers wires can generally be hidden, as can the outdoor speaker wires. For the most part, wireless speakers are very limited in performance. I'm a fan of the Sonos, but even their wireless speakers are limited compared to an actual pair of outdoor speakers, driven by a modest amp (or the 6/7 channels of a surround receiver). Keep in mind that those Sonos offers a lot of options for what you can listen to, so it's not just a wireless speaker. And yes, a surround receiver is what you should start with for your TV system. Some can also operate secondary speakers, such as outdoor speakers in your situation.
I suggest you find a local specialty AV retailer. I've sent several clients in to Best Buy to buy items for systems I'm designing for them, and BB continually sells the wrong pieces. They know a couple facts about the gear, but very little in how customize a setup for an individual. A specialist can look at the big picture and figure out the best way to get what you want. They can usually provide better options for installation that will keep your wife happy. BB doesn't train their people to think outside of the box.
If I were you and wanted a full system, I would look for the following to start:
- TV - a nice HDTV that is appropriate for the size of your room.
- Receiver - this is the heart of your system, it should be powerful enough to fill the room with sound, and in your case, have zones you can use to have music in the room and/or outside on your deck. If you are going to have a surround sound system, don't cheap out on the receiver or it will never sound good enough.
- Speakers - 5.1, 7.1, etc. Get a true speaker system with a powered subwoofer for incredible sound, provided your receiver puts out enough power. Consider the size of them based on your room and placement ideas. Also, if you get a 7.1 system and only use 5.1 in your house, you can possibly use the other two speakers outside...
- Sound bar - if you don't want t spend on a receiver and speakers, you can go with a sound bar, but its never going to be as good as true surround speakers.
- A Blu-ray player - for watching discs or streaming content.
- Monoprice cables and wires. No need to buy the overpriced cables.
If you have access to a crawl space, running wires is pretty easy for both the rear surround speakers and for running wires out to your deck. You'll just need some water proof speakers or enclosures for them.
It really depends on what you have in mind for the money you want to spend, but depending on the size of the tv you want, the rest of the components shouldn't cost too much if you go with decent quality items. Keep in mind though, as you start to research, you might find yourself going down the rabbit hole of upgrades!
There are a few sites that are good for doing research and talking with AV people, but I don't think C-D policy allows us to share them on the forums. Some basic internet research should get you there though.
You will need one pair per speaker. The speaker must be a powered (with its own amplifier) speaker or you will need an amplifier for each speaker. The unit above needs line level signals so the receiver must have line level outputs (many do not).
Your receiver should have the capability of two zones. Zone 1 is your primary surround system. Zone 2 is usually just two channel stereo for another room - which could be a patio.
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