Hi guys, so I finally got my dads old Hifi system its on old Onkyo AV receiver with a separate CD deck and a pair of QUAD 100W speakers. There is no HDMI input or optical in, its all AUX inputs.

I currently have a 300W Sony 5.1 Surround system which I use with my Sky box and tv, I have all four corner speakers up on the walls around my living room, the centre one in front of the TV and the sub is beside the far off sofa out of sight.

The QUAD speakers sound amazing compared to my sony system so I would really like to use these somehow. I was wondering if I should chuck the Surrounds out and just go stereo. Or is there a way to swap the 2 front surrounds out for the QUAD speakers so in essence I still have 5.1 but better front speakers.

Help me work out how to make use of this system, or advise on some other use for it, I also have a wall mounted Sony 40 inch in the bedroom I could use the speakers for but I hardly use it. Next step is hooking it all up to my computer for some really big explosions in BF3

could you run your new set off the headphone feed on the TV? You can sometimes enable it even if the sound is being handled by the sky box.

Run headphone feed mini jack to phono into your new amp, and disconnect the front speakers from your 5.1 system?

You might have audio sync issues though since the sky box will be distributing the audio slightly before the TV.

1) Do you have model numbers of all your bits of kit ?

2) I am right in assuming you're using the TV as a sound source, not just a screen (ie its not just playing output from the sky box) ?

Yes TV is sound source, SKY box>HDMI Cable>TV>Optical cable>Sony Surround

Onkyo Amplifier R-805TX, CD deck C-705TX.

QUAD Speakers 77-11L

Sony Surround System DAV-DZ830W oops seems to be a bit more than 300 watts, never ever looked up the specs as It was second hand when I got it.

Do you want the TV specs, its a modern Samsung should cope with anything from analogue to digital.

Edited 1 April, 201313 yr by abarth_1200

Be carefull not to mix up peek power and RMS. Although Onkyo are a top make that model may be a little old to serve any useful purpose as an AV unit.

I was worried it was too old, how about swapping the 2 front sony speakers for the QUADs running off the Sony amp, im worried the Sony system splits all the bass directly to the subwoofer and so the QUAD speakers wont get the full range they deserve.

The DAV-DZ830W is 143w RMS

The R-805TX is 20w RMS

The Sony will most likely run its front speakers through a high pass filter, cutting the bass frequencies.

In theory you could use the analog stero out from the TV (if present) to one on RCA input on the Onkyo, disconnect the Sony's front speakers.

In reality there'll be a latency issue - the analog signal will be faster than the optical link to sony and the two will be out of sync

What's the TV model number ?

Thought so,

Samsung LE40A457C1D

The TV is post analog surround sound, as is the Sony, in short, the two systems aren't going to run together. (TV+Sony with Onkyo)

One option you could try would be to use one or the other, simply leave turned off whichever you don't want to listen too.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if you find the Onkyo amp & Quad speakers actually sound better than the Sony system does, and ebay the Sony system

If the Sony is an all-in-one system then do not use any of those speakers with the Onkyo. All in ones typically use very low impedance speakers and these could well destroy the Onkyo amplifier which is most likely designed to work between 4-8 ohms whereas the Sony speakers could be just 2 ohms.

My Sony TV only has an optical feed for external sound - my Arcam solo does not have an optical input. I bought a digital to analogue convertors from Richer Sounds it works really well we even get quite a good effect from the TVs "surround sound" effect.

Huw

Ditich the Sony set-up and use the "proper" hifi units, until you can buy a better surround sound amp and speakers; I used my Rotel RA840B and Cambridge R40s for many, many years this way, ever since NICAM broadcasts started; in fact I STILL use the R40s as my main speakers, with Eltax rears and centre (dont need a sub, the R40s go deeeeeeeep).

Ditich the Sony set-up and use the "proper" hifi units, until you can buy a better surround sound amp and speakers; I used my Rotel RA840B and Cambridge R40s for many, many years this way, ever since NICAM broadcasts started; in fact I STILL use the R40s as my main speakers, with Eltax rears and centre (dont need a sub, the R40s go deeeeeeeep).

Not as deep as a REL, KEF or Paradigm Dedicated Subwoofer mine used to make you feel sick with the amount of air it used to push on a DTS master audio soundtrack. Also subs are omnidirectional where as the main cone one your speakers will be directional. I would give a sub a try even if you think your speakers are bassy enough you might be surprised.

My R40s go so deep I had to place concrete slabs under them to contain it; during the giant fan scene in MiB, even at "normal" volumes, you can FEEL the hairs on your legs moving to the pulse of the fan.

The R40s are a very old "semi transmission line" design, rated at only 20Watts RMS.

The biggest problem with subs is that they tend to be "one note", with little variation, and getting them to harmonise with the output of the other speakers is very difficult (if you are picky like me).

For example, a description of a downward scale through a sub :-

boom, boom, boom, BOOM (as it hits its resonance point), boom, boom.

Totally out of context to the rest of the music/sound.

Which is ok for music but for Video you need 'Slam' this effect to my knowledge can't be replicated with conventional speakers. It might not be your thing but i like it for explotions car crashes etc. A good example is Gladiator when the flaming projectiles from the trebuche's hit the trees. The slam effect makes you feel it rather than hear it. I used to think my Mission 7 floorstanders were good bass until i added a Paradigm Sub and later a REL. it really does put the icing on the cake. I had to scale down a bit im running Tannoy EFX 6.1 surround via a SONY STR820. Which is pretty good to be fare but lacks the punch and slam of the 'Specialist Sub'.

No one who has listened to my R40's, playing music or film, has ever complained about lack of "slam"; seriously, they go deep and loud, sub-sonics make the windows rattle even at medium volumes.

Not that I can use them above fairly quiet levels very often these days; my old totally deaf neighbours are long gone; I have to wait until the current old lady is out for the evening.