HT-S570 vs. HT-S770 (too large)

[Dyerin]

Okay, I'm disappointed to say the least. After spending quite a bit of time to investigate home systems in my price range, I finally decided on the HT-S770. As crazy as this sounds, I based the decision without physically seeing the unit at a store. Anyway, I've read quite a bit about the pros and cons. One of the cons mentioned was the size of the speakers and sub. I just went to CC and saw the unit(s) for the first time. WOW...... the warnings were an understatement. I honestly could not get over the size of the sub or the speakers. For MY personal set up (i.e. my wife and room size restrictions), the size of the whole S770 is just too large. This is no slight against the S770 bc I listened to it and it sounded incredible. For me though, it just won't work.

This leads me to the following question: Is the HT-S570 COMPARABLE to the S770? I like, and trust, ONKYO systems and like the look and feel of the S570. It sounded good in the store, but ...........?? I'm still concerned that it won't be nearly as good as the S770.

Can anyone COMPARE the 2 systems for me and ease, and/or strengthen, my concerns ?

Or, is there another comparably priced system where the size of the spreakers aren't so intrusive?

THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dan Forsyth]

I was wondering the same thing?

[Dyerin]

Another question, some might consider "stupid", but you don't know unless you ask. Upon purchasing my home theater system, what cables or other accessories are needed to ensure the best quality sound. Can someone please be specific so I can purchase all at once? Thank you

[JohnR_IN_LA]

1. enough 14 ga or 16ga speaker wire to wire all your speakers would help. Home Depot isa good bet, although Dollar Store speaker wire is often 16ga and fine as well.

2. The sub requires one RCA male-to-Male cable, though the Onkyo normally comes with one.

3. A power strip is usually helpful.

4. A digital audio cable for your DVD audio is necessary, either an optical one, or one of those copper ones. Look at the back of your DVD player and decide.

5. Tie wraps can be helpful

---------------
Regardless, I always end up running out to the store to get something I missed.

Dollar stores and discount stores can sometimes save you a bundle on accessories. For example, the "Big Lots" stores we have out here have good gold plated RCA cables for a couple bucks.

[JnC]

Originally posted by Dyerin
Can anyone COMPARE the 2 systems for me and ease, and/or strengthen, my concerns ?


Nah, you're old enough to master point and click by now. Go to the Onkyo's website and pull up the specs. ;)

Look at power, digital audio I/O, speaker size, and video component bandwidth for starters.

[Dan Forsyth]

whats the difference between optical cables and the copper ones?

[JnC]

Originally posted by Dan Forsyth
whats the difference between optical cables and the copper ones?

Realistically, there is no audible difference. Some folks claim they can hear a difference between one bitstream and another. Optical is often referred to as Toslink, copper as digital coax. Use search to find more info such as the thread below:

Optical vs. Coax (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=490541)

[Dan Forsyth]

Ok thanks for the link

[Dyerin]

JohnR, thanks for the very helpful information.

JnC, I did check out the specs prior to my post. I wanted to know if anyone had "real life" experience with both units as far as sound (application) goes.

Thanks again !!

[JuiceRocket]

Originally posted by Dyerin
JnC, I did check out the specs prior to my post. I wanted to know if anyone had "real life" experience with both units as far as sound (application) goes.

Thanks again !!

Ditto. My wife and I went to look at the 770 at CC this weekend, and I got a big "NEGATORY" on the WAF for the 770. The 570 was obviously much smaller, but I know that system specs don't necessarily mean all that much.

I'd love to hear what the difference in (or might be) between the two systems.

Thanks,

-JR

[babigm]

Well, from what I can tell, the reciever with the 570 doesn't have component switching, while the one with the 770 does. That would be a pretty big issue for me.

[Ragamuffin143]

Originally posted by JuiceRocket
I'd love to hear what the difference in (or might be) between the two systems.

Thanks,

-JR

Well, just looking at the specs on CircuitCity.com...

the 570 is:
5.1
100 Watt per channel
100 Watt Subwoofer
NO Component Video inputs
NO S-Video Inputs
1 x Digital Optical Audio input
1 x Digital Coaxil input
Pin Connector for speaker wire (16 gage max)

While the 770 is:
6.1 (which means there is a rear center channel, like for the LotR DVDs)
130 Watts per channel
220 Watt Subwoofer
2 x Component Video inputs
3 x S-Video Inputs
2 x Digital Opitcal Audio inputs
1 x Digital Coaxil input
5-way binding posts for speaker wire

What all this means is that the 770 is more versitile for the long term. You cannot connect any other high-quality digital components to the 570. They both do component switching, i.e., switching between your VCR, DVD player, Video game console), however, you would have to connect them all using composite video (the Yellow cord). You also couldn't use the high-defnintion pack with the xbox or PS2. I can't believe the 550 doesn't even have an S-Video input source.

With the 770, you can connect your DVD and game console using the hi-def component inputs and also connect the digital optical audio for sweet DTS or Dolby Digital surround. You can also use a thicker speaker cable with the 5-way binding posts of the 770, rather than the pin connectors of the 550.

Your current TV might not have component inputs, but it probably has S-Video inputs. And it's most likely that the next TV you buy in a few years will have component inputs, and the 770 will be able to acomodate your future purchases as your home systems grow.

[JuiceRocket]

Thanks for that feedback Ragamuffin. Good, solid points that hopefully will sway my wife. :)

I currently am in a bit of a bind with a slew of component feeds and not enough component inputs, so the 770's ability to handle component switching would come in handy.

Another big factor being that you can swap out speakers and upgrade them, which seems to be a large benefit of the 770 as noted in a slew of other posts in this forum (watching others swap out their speakers).

The big fight is going to be the size. The speakers were bad enough, but the look on my wifes face when she saw a subwoofer large enough for a small child to stow away in...was not a good look. ;)

-JR

[JnC]

Juice, what sort of budget do you have to work with?

Also if your sofa is near a wall, it's ok to place a sub in a corner behind it. It doesn't have to be up front.

[JuiceRocket]

I want to max out at $500 even, which is why the 770 seemed like a perfect fit until my wife saw how big it was!

I didn't realize (very new to audio) that you could have a sub behind you. This is pretty much how we have it currently set up, and yes, the rear speakers are sitting on the couch. :( Red squares =speakers. We just moved, and are still in the process of purchasing furniture. Can the sub be directly behind the couch, next to the console table (that peice of furniture my wife wants to buy that sits behind the couch, touching it ;) ) ?

http://www.skullface.com/layout2.jpg

The other speakers are sitting on our tv stand (2 fronts and the center). Since they are all so small, they're on the stand. We could handle larger speakers on stands next to the tv stand. :)

-JR

[JnC]

JR,

Yeah, your speaker placement could be improved. Putting the front speakers on either side of the TV will help spread out the sound. Ideally you sort of want to form an equilateral triangle between you and the front speakers. Instead of a stand, try putting them into narrow bookcases (good excuse to visit IKEA). As for the surrounds you can place them in the corners where you have the plants. Bonus points for mounting them on the wall and using the plant to hide them (that's what i did). ;) Angle the surrounds towards the couch.

The best place for a sub is in a corner. Perhaps a table could be moved near a corner, placed over the sub, with something draped over it to completely hide it? The sub won't work well if it's in the middle of the room. If you have a SPL meter you can place the sub on a box on the sofa about at ear level, play the sub test tone and move the meter around near the wall to find a strong node. That will tell where to best place the sub along the wall.

Your budget is really tight. If it was me I'd put it into a digital amp'ed receiver (JVC F10, Kenwood 7100, or Panny XR50, ~$225, most anywhere), with a Dayton sub ($100, partsexpress), with Infinity Primus 150's ($60 ea., CompUSA). That puts you about $125 over budget but sonically in a much better place.

Regards,
JnC

[JuiceRocket]

Thanks for the input JnC. Amazingly enough we're heading to Ikea on the 29th (big trip for us Bostonians). We've been looking into some bookcase solutions that would be able to house some speakers, which we could then place next to the tv stand.

Our budget is definitely tight, which is one of the reasons I figured a HTIB would be the best but for the time being. :)

Thanks again for the feedback!

-JR

[Ragamuffin143]

Originally posted by JuiceRocket
The big fight is going to be the size. The speakers were bad enough, but the look on my wifes face when she saw a subwoofer large enough for a small child to stow away in...was not a good look. ;)
-JR

We have our entertainment center in a corner, and I put the sub in the corner behind the TV. You never see it, and it sounds great. Plus, it serves as a great place to sit down when I'm messing around with the connections behind the TV!

Remember that while there are probably some places where the sub will sound "best," you can probably put it anywhere in the room where it will be out of the way (just remember that running a long subwoofer cable can get expensive.

If you're hurting for component inputs, check out the Pelican System Selector Pro (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=78-104-202&depa=0). Comes in black or silver, in a nice metal casing. I have this little beauty and it's sweet. My TV has one set of component inputs, and the Onkyo has 2 inputs, but that's still not enough for me, so the Pelican lets you connect up the 8(!!) component inputs and 3 digital optical audio sources. Check out the connections:

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/78-104-202-06.JPG


Here's what I have the following hooked up to my Pelican:

DVD (component + digital optical audio)
XBOX (component + digital optical audio)
PS2 (component + digital optical audio))
GameCube (component + analog audio)
Super Nintendo (S-Video + Analog Audio)
Video Camera (s-video + Digital Coaxil)

Have you considered the Yamaha YHT-450 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001XAJDO/ref=wl_it_dp/103-4760688-1799824?%5Fencoding=UTF8&coliid=I1STIC8VFO97II&v=glance&colid=1U4NH7CWXV8XL) 700-Watt 6.1 system (link is to Amazon)? Consumer Reports just rated it #1 HTiB. I like that its sub is smaller, and its front speakers are 3-way (which means it has a mid-range speaker) with a nice 6.5" woofer.

[upNdown]

Couple of things. I own a 570 and I'm very happy with it. It is not my 'ultimate' system, but the 770 wouldn't be either, so that doesn't matter.

First, a couple of corrections to the specs given by Ragamuffin143. The sub on the 570 is 150 watts - check the specs on Onkyo.com. Second, as far as speaker wire goes, I used bigger wire on my 570. I wired all 5 speakers with 16 guage wire, with no problems. I don't know if you could go any bigger than that, but i do know I'd never need to do so.


Second point i have is just about sub placement. I also have my TV in an entertainment center in the corner. After my wife saw the sub, she asked if I'd put it behind. But when I put the sub behind the entertainment center, I had to turn it way down, because the with the entertainment center blocking off the corner, the area behind my TV seemed to become a giant amplifier for the sub. I don't know how this affects the quality of the sound, but it sounds find to me.

Maybe someday I'll build a higher quality system. But really, the 570 doesn't just fit my needs, it sounds great and I'm very pleased. The only reason I'd discourage somebody from getting one is if they're a 'gamer' and have to hook up all their video games. I don't have any of those. I hace one DVD/Tivo unit and one Dish 811 receiver so everything rund through the Onkyo nicely.

[PolkThug]

Originally posted by Dyerin
I wanted to know if anyone had "real life" experience with both units as far as sound (application) goes.

Thanks again !!

The 770 has much more headroom in the volume department. The 570 quickly becomes distorted when you try to push it to the same levels. The build of the the 500 series receiver, that comes with the 770, is better (binding posts, etc.). The 770 is 6.1, the 570 is 5.1.

Regards,
PolkThug

[upNdown]

Originally posted by PolkThug
The 770 has much more headroom in the volume department. The 570 quickly becomes distorted when you try to push it to the same levels. The build of the the 500 series receiver, that comes with the 770, is better (binding posts, etc.). The 770 is 6.1, the 570 is 5.1.

Regards,
PolkThug

I have not doubt that the comments about volume are true. It has been my experience with the 570, that I can turn the volume significantly higher than civilized levels and get any distortion. Now of course this will vary from person to person and space to space and I suppose from source to source as well. But my point is, as a 570 owner, I can tell you, I'll NEVER have that volume knob high enough to get any distortion.

[91stealthrt2]

I finally went to circuit city to check out the 770 to compair to my system(kenwood/rocket tyke bundle)

I was VERY suprised at the size!!!!!! its a huge monster! they only had it hooked up in stereo from a cd player and of course that is going to sound much more in depth and fuller than the small 2.5" rocket tykes.

But overall I don't think I could have dealt with a system that large in a small bedroom.

I haven't looked at the 570 to compare.