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posted to Home Audio & Theater Dealers on 10/04/11 09:44 PM, Mount Kisco, NY 10549

I tried getting an answer from Best Buy on this, but no luck.  I'm looking to upgrade my home theater system.  The one I had was for DVD's.  I now play Blu-Rays on my PS3, but the DVD-based home theater system doesn't deliver on the full sound potential, of course, and the speakers on my HD tv are okay, but I prefer the home theater feeling when watching flicks.

So, I was looking at a stand alone speaker system (Sony Model SAVS310) versus a bundled system with a Blu Ray player (Sony Model BDVE280).  I don't really need another Blu Ray player, but would be okay with one since it would be less wear and tear on my PS3 (which I use for gaming of course), but my question is: which one has superior sound?

I was looking at the stand alone, which is $550, while the system WITH the Blu-Ray player is only $350.  The lower priced one claims a total 1000w of power, while the stand alone says 100w max. They are both 5.1 etc.

I'm no audio expert, but usually something much less in price is less quality, but when I called Best Buy they said they are "pretty much the same, except the stand alone is more for music and the one with the Blu Ray is more for movies."

That makes little sense to me that I'd be paying far less to also have a Blu Ray player, unless the speakers are just really not great compared to the stand alone system which is $200 more.

Any suggestions?

I'm always glad to spend less and get more, but I don't want to be disappointed in the audio quality and, if the stand alone system is really far superior in sound, I can just keep playing Blu Ray's on my PS3.  Would love some insight.

Thanks!

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Specialist Answer 1 of 1

Answered By

Media Stratego, Inc., 10/05/11 08:55 AM

Media Stratego, Inc.

Mount Kisco, NY 10549
914-864-2018
mark@mediastratego.com

View Business Info

Hi:

In my opinion, the best way to determine the quality & "fit for purpose" when choosing speakers is to study the specifications associated with the speakers. It is the best way to understand electronically, the performance characteristics, power handling, frequency response, etc. One of the key specs. I focus on when designing listening environments is speaker "sensitivity". It is the sound pressure level produced by a loudspeaker in a non-reverberant environment, often specified in dB and measured at 1 meter with an input of 1 watt (2.83 rms volts into 8 Ω), typically at one or more specified frequencies. A quality speaker will have a value of 89dB or higher. A good intro article on speaker specs can be found at: http://www.electronichouse.com/article/tech_tips_evaluating_speaker_specifications/

Kind of hard to believe the Sony claim that their speaker is capable of handling 1000W for such a low price. I'm always leery of claims that an inexpensive speaker can handle that amount of power efficiently, particularly speakers housed in plastic enclosures. The home theater in a box has its fans but you get what you pay for. When in doubt, ask to be given the chance to listen to the speakers if possible.

Keep in mind that the size of the room you set up in, along with its acoustic signature impacts the listening experience even when high quality components are used. In other words, expensive audio gear can still sound bad when installed in an "acoustically challenged" listening environment. Hope this helps ...

The elevation of the quality of life while spent at home is the sole mission of Media Stratego.

Mark Britton

President & Founder
Media Stratego, Inc.
58 Laurelton Rd. Mount Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 864-2018 | www.mediastratego.com

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