Replacement Home theatre (stereo) system

[basshead]

I'm expecting to buy a house in the next month (I hope!) and I wanted to find out how to go about wiring it up so I can play MP3's (as an example) from the PC in one room, through the main stereo in the lounge room.

One suggestion made to me (from CAA) was to use wireless to get the signal from PC to lounge room stereo system, which I think would be the simplest and relatively cheap way to do it.

Ask me anything to do with electrical cabling, or fiber-optic cabling (well splicing, at least), but when it comes to which types of cables I need to use for low-level signal, I have no idea: I am 100% sure a standard RCA cable wont do the trick as it would be too far a distance (I've proved that by trying to use a video camera to display a concert stage on an overhead projector/screen). Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! I have come across this in my searches: http://bwcecom.belden.com/College/Techpprs...rs/rhtheatp.htm (http://bwcecom.belden.com/College/Techpprs/rhtheatp.htm)

If I'm better off not using signal cable of some sort, and just using the wireless tranmitter, tell me now :) I'd also like the ability to send the signal from a cassette player (in the lounge room) to the PC (ie: reverse direction to previous example) as one day I'll get around to copying the rest of my old cassettes onto the hard drive to convert to MP3's...

As for signal cables, I've done a similar set-up in my unit where I used a CAT-5 cable to play DVD's (from the DVD-ROM in the PC) through the stereo & TV on the other side of the lounge room. While this worked, it wasn't very good at all (noisy signal on both the video and audio, for only a 7m length of cable under the floor).


It might be worth me mentioning that I am also going to replace the existing 10-year-old "Dolby Pro Logic" lounge-room stereo with a more up-to-date 5.1 (or similar) unit. While I don't watch too many DVD's, I'd like to enjoy listening to (or is the correct term "experiencing"?) them. The problem I have here is that I want to retain the usage of my two old 12inch G&S Designs GE7012 subs powered by a Teac Reference 2x50W amp. I have considered two options: 1> buying a whole new system & speaker for the lounge room, and use the existing lounge room stereo & it's speakers for the PC (which currently has no speakers - only headphones), 2> Keep the existing lounge room speakers but use them with a new control unit, and buy some cheapo speakers for the PC. If it turned out the existing lounge room speakers are crappy (which they may well be, considering it's a 10-year-old all-in-one stereo package), then I could replace them at a later date when funds allow.

If I went with option 1, I'd probably be better off ditching the G&S subs and amp and buy another all-in-one package complete with sub.


I hope my descriptions above haven't made it too confusing to imagine what I'm trying to achieve

I'd thought I'd post my thoughts here before I get taken for a ride at my local HiFi shop. So far all I've done is popped into HomeZone in the city and picked up a Harman Kardon brochure. I was recommended a just-below-$1000 tuner/amplifier there, which is probably a significant chunk (if not all) of my budget...

edit # 3(?) - I've had a look at the back of my cheapo DVD player and it's only got RCA L & R audio outputs - NO digital (after the salesperson @ Homezone insisted that ALL DVD players have optical audio output!). For video it has S-VIDEO, plus composite (three separate RCA's?) and (two channels?) of standard VIDEO RCA output. Maybe I would be better off buying a new all-in-one stereo package as 99% of them all come with a DVD player built-in (and I'd assume the internal connections would be better than the analogue RCA connections I already have).

[Mike.L]

The mediagate mg35 that i wrote half a review (do need to complete that) can be set up as wireless and part of your home pc network. Thast one suggestion thats nice easy unobtrusive and fairly inexpensive

[basshead]

Time for a brief update:

I have decided (read: been allowed) to get a separate amplifier/tuner and use the existing speakers.

I still wont be purchasing until after we buy & move into the new house, but I've been looking at some cheaper alternatives than the Harman Kardon unit I first looked at. It looks like I'll be leaning more towards more hip-pocket friendly (and mainstream) brands such as Pioneer, Panasonic, Sony, etc. as they seem to do just as good a job (for what I'm after) for between 1/3 and 1/2 the cost of the Harman Kardon unit. A couple of weeks ago my local NAPF store had a special on Pioneer VSXD514 marked down to $349 from $469 (Am I allowed to quote store names and prices here? They're probably all sold now at those prices anyway!). This unit seems to do all I'd ever need, or I could get the next model up (VSXD714) which has additional (A+B) speaker outputs which I could use to run speakers in another room (eg: upstairs?)...


I'll then decide if the speakers I have aren't up to the task, after I've connected it all up.


I reckon the easiest thing to do as has already been mentioned, is to go wireless for audio signal...

[mttel]

See your based in Sydney.
From my surfing would suggest trying the following either online or instore

Eastwood Hifi
Sydney Hifi - Castle Hill
Cabrammatta & Bankstown Hifi

When I was looking for an AVR from Adelaide I found them quite helpful and competitive on price ( I ended up buying online from one of them). They quite often have demo/ old stock which can be picked up for reasonable $
Alternatively in the price range HN, JB, DSPH or megastore should have viable options.

Of the brands you listed IMHO the Pioneers seem to be a resoanble unit.

[Tom J]

A tip - NEVER use wireless!

The technology isn't fully consumerised yet, and it almost always leads to problems of some kind - every time you walk past the stereo it might cut out, if your house has a lot of insulation it can cause problems...wireless is a huge headache for the time being, until higher power transmitters are made at a consumer-friendly price. A maximum "100m" range is usually done in open air, line of sight tests, it never considers walls, people walking past, interference etc...and invariably ends up dropping to a fraction of the stated maximum.

You could run cabling through your walls from your computer to the AV setup using normal RCA leads. Obviously a media server option is there however it will cost more than running 10-20m of cables through your house.

Basshead if you want to know anything about the Pioneer VSXD514 ask me, I have one :)

I wrote about it in the reviews section of this site as well. I would recommend going for the 714 if you can get it cheap, has a few extra features (such as the A+B you mentioned) that will come in useful.

[GimmeHiFi]

I don't understand why you said running cable form the pc to the amp would not work? that doesn't make sense. Its like saying my house is to far form the powerstation to receive any volts.

(I've proved that by trying to use a video camera to display a concert stage on an overhead projector/screen). ????? confused with that comment.

However that may be due to the fact the resolution on your video camera won't let itself be enlarged with any sort of quality to a projecto screen

My suggestion is run the cable play your mp3's or buy an MP3 player and connect that to your amp thru a 3.5mm to 2 RCA jack whish is what I do. All in one systems suck and shoul be avioded if at all possible.

Sorry for being blunt but I have had 4 beers for lunch.

[Komodo]

4 beers makes you blunt ? weak :p

What he is saying is that because the signal sent down an RCA connection is low voltage (1.8volts rings a bell but it could be less (and even so that would be peak rms)) that due to the fact that undoubtly he would have to cross the path of ~240v etc and the fact that the further you travel the more voltage loss you get he would have 2/5ths of stuff all signal left and even so it would be dirty.

One thing you could try is using a DI to go from RCA to ballanced XLR then running the ballanced XLR down to the other room then converting it back to RCA. the ballanced signal will reject the AC voltage soak. another thing you qould try is RCA to cat5 I know you can definately get XLR to cat5 so surely you can get RCA to cat5 converters. I know in car audio some guys just make up RCAs using cat5 (apparently it has good noise rejecting properties) - but I dont know how it would go using it near AC voltage unless you had a ballanced output and input.
Actually thinking about that from a PC if you just mated a headphone jack to cat5 then up the other end converted the cat5 to RCA it might work... ...hrmmm cat5 cable is fairly cheap might be worth experimenting with!

[basshead]

Another update...

We've moved house (4 months ago) and now I've reached the stage where I need to get a whole lot of audio from cassettes onto the PC hard drive so I can put it onto Clare's iPod.

Now that the Sony double-cassette deck is already installed into the TV cabinet (and it would be such a pain to remove it and put it next to the PC in the adjoining room), I'm going to need to run some cables from the cassette deck to the PC - about 8-9m if I go through the doorways, and probably about the same if I go under the floor. Unfortunately all my RCA leads joined together (I have 4 straight-through connectors) is still too short to reach, so I'll have to make up some leads, and may as well run them under the floor and through the existing holes in the wall I made behind the TV cabinet and PC. Is it ok to run RCA level signal that distance (keeping in mind the previously-mentioned problem with the video camera). I reckon there shouldn't be a problem if you can buy leads pre-made that length to begin with...

I don't want to go to the trouble of balanced leads as I have no additional connections to terminate at either end (assuming balanced leads need extra connections - eg - ground/shield). Do I just use any old 2-pair shielded cable and put connectors on the ends? Obviously to make it neat I would use wall-plates with RCA jacks on them, and then use short leads from the wall-plates to the PC & cassette deck.

[Tweaky]

Originally posted by Tom J
A tip - NEVER use wireless!

The technology isn't fully consumerised yet, and it almost always leads to problems of some kind - every time you walk past the stereo it might cut out, if your house has a lot of insulation it can cause problems...wireless is a huge headache for the time being, until higher power transmitters are made at a consumer-friendly price. *A maximum \"100m\" range is usually done in open air, line of sight tests, it never considers walls, people walking past, interference etc...and invariably ends up dropping to a fraction of the stated maximum.

You could run cabling through your walls from your computer to the AV setup using normal RCA leads. *Obviously a media server option is there however it will cost more than running 10-20m of cables through your house.

Basshead if you want to know anything about the Pioneer VSXD514 ask me, I have one :)

I wrote about it in the reviews section of this site as well. *I would recommend going for the 714 if you can get it cheap, has a few extra features (such as the A+B you mentioned) that will come in useful.

Their is a very simple and workable solution to wireless.

Just run the transmitter hung upside down from one corner of a ceiling.
Unless you have a chadalier,I really could not percive any problem,run relays the same,out of the way.

It's how I've had to sort out stuff during recording sessions,Talkback,Headphone feeds etc, it works,you just have to get it right the once and it stays that way.

OT:There has come on to the market a "straight to ipod" recording interface that will convert any audio signal in "REAL TIME" straight to MP3 or WAV files.

Heres the link.
http://www.ikey-audio.com/

http://www.ikey-audio.com/videos.htm
Won't work with Firefox!


That little beasty the apple brought out has become a much larger beast.

[basshead]

I don't know if I've used the correct cable, but it seems to be working well so far (even with the cable near two computers with their case sides removed). I made sure I ran the cables away from power cables under the floor.

I have run 10m of 3-core (shielded) PROLINK brand interconnect cable (about $4.50/m from Jaycar) and soldered the ends to RCA jacks mounted on standard size wall-plates. I used 3-core as I have left, right, and a video signal cable as well.

[Hippy]

Just a thought. If you're going to run your music and movies etc through a computer then to processor etc Intels 975 chipset mobo has onboard optical out. Makes life a whole lot easier andno need for expensive aftermarket sound card.

[the tick]

If you wanted and were slightly unscrupulous you could download a torrent and then download all the music in WAV or MP3 forms and then just upload this to your ipod.