200$ Surround Sound for PS4 + PC?

orangpelupa

orangpelupa

Elite Bug Hunter
Legend
Currently i am using PS4 -> PC upmix -> 6 speakers 1 sub
but now there's a sale of speaker systems in a local mall and im looking at 200$ budget max.

Do you think 200 dollar sounds like... what?
I only ever used 20-30 dollars speakers and free speakers from 10 dollars VCD players. The current surround sound system was i simply connecting a bunch of 2ch speakers (from that vcd player, from old speakers unused, etc) into my PC's audio ports.

so... is there anything i need to consider to make sure its compatible with PS4?
and can i plug both my PS4 and PC to the sound system and both playing at the same time?*

*my current use case was playing stereo on PS4 while playing musics on WMP. Both audio source then upmixed to 6ch by PC. My PC also serve as a CCTV system for the whole house so i need to hear the alarms.


thank you.

EDIT:
i just realized that they are selling a DVD/BR Player + 5.1ch speakers (they call it as Home Theatre System). Not DAC + 5.1ch speakers.

i have no need for DVD/BR player. I have my PC and PS4... what do you call DAC + 5.1ch speakers?

EDIT:
i just read about HDMI ARC and its a mess. So even if my TV do support ARC, it maybe only able to send 2ch sound. (Edit: err nope, my tv did not support ARC http://www.samsung.com/africa_en/consumer/tv-audio-video/television/led-tv/UA32EH6030RXXA)

O_O

i guess tomorrow ill says
- i already have a PS4 and PC.
- i want to connect both of them to this speaker system without lag and output in 5.1ch. (more questions about SPDIF IN and HDMI IN i guess...)
- i dont care with the dvd player

EDIT:
oh.. it seems i can use 10 dollar USB SPDIF IN sound card to receive 5.1ch digitial audio to my PC then pass it through my analog speakers.

but i will need windows XP because the 5.1ch SPDIF IN wont work at all on any newer windows :(
 
Last edited:
Can't you just get a simple 5.1 amp and connect that through optical to the ps4, and plug your current speakers in? Seems the simplest option, unless you do want to change the speakers too. And also you wouldn't need to keep the PC on, which sounds like a lot of waster energy just to get surround from your ps4.
 
@London-boy
my PC is always on because it serve as CCTV server and file server+backup for the whole house.

About 5.1 amp, just googled it... nobody selling it with digital input :(
the only one selling 5.1ch amp (without digital input) is people at http://audiooke.com/ that make the kit themselves.
 
Can't you just use HDMI?

I think you are making things much more complicated than they have to be. You can get a half decent 5.1 onkyo set for 250 ~ 300 dollars. Just hook up all your devices to the receiver and you won't have to worry about anything.

You can still connect a 3.5mm set to your pc and use that for the alarm.
 
the problem is that stores dont sell AV receiver under 700 USD (no speakers, just the receiver). My speakers is also a set of miss-matched speakers from eons ago (i think the oldest is from when i was still in elementary school like 15-20 years ago.). For my ears they already sounds good but lacking in mid range.

What they normally sells are Home Theather System set that is BD/DVD Player + surround speakers.
But normally those things (in my budget) does not have HDMI In, they only have one SPDIF Optical In.

Some of them have HDMI ARC but my TV does not support HDMI ARC. My TV also does not support digital audio pass-through for 5.1ch sounds it received from HDMI to the DVD/Blu-ray player's SPDIF optical audio. Considering it have the same flaw as in this cnet article www.cnet.com/news/20-tvs-tested-which-sets-can-pass-surround-sound-to-a-sound-bar/

im considering the worse case scenario...

when gaming
PS4 -> optical -> home theater system

when watching movies
**unplug optical from PS4**
PC -> optical -> home theater system
PC -> analogue stereo speaker*

*i can manually set VLC as the alarm player to output to specific audio device thats not the system default
 
Last edited:
tongue_of_colicab said:
Can't you just use HDMI?

I think you are making things much more complicated than they have to be. You can get a half decent 5.1 onkyo set for 250 ~ 300 dollars. Just hook up all your devices to the receiver and you won't have to worry about anything.

You can still connect a 3.5mm set to your pc and use that for the alarm.
Click to expand...
There isn't a receiver that only cost $250-300. None. Maybe if you get it used, but brand new it's probably $400. They almost don't sell receivers here and most big electronic chains don't carry receiver. What they do sell is dvd player with AUX in and HDMI ARC. The problem with AUX in is of course you don't get surround sound (only L-R input). With ARC it's largely dependent on your TV. Some only output stereo. It's so damn annoying.
The best option of course is to buy a receiver, the problem is the 2nd best option is far from ideal. Because of this I only use stereo. Setting up a surround sound right now isn't worth the money. I rather devs push for that binaural thing.
 
Rurouni said:
There isn't a receiver that only cost $250-300. None. Maybe if you get it used, but brand new it's probably $400. They almost don't sell receivers here and most big electronic chains don't carry receiver. What they do sell is dvd player with AUX in and HDMI ARC. The problem with AUX in is of course you don't get surround sound (only L-R input). With ARC it's largely dependent on your TV. Some only output stereo. It's so damn annoying.
The best option of course is to buy a receiver, the problem is the 2nd best option is far from ideal. Because of this I only use stereo. Setting up a surround sound right now isn't worth the money. I rather devs push for that binaural thing.
Click to expand...

There's actually quite a few companies that sell receivers for under 300 USD. For example you can get a brand new Sony 7.2 channel receiver for around 250 USD. If you go last years models it should be relatively easy to find one from a reputable company for under 200 USD that isn't refurbished.

Regards,
SB
 
orangpelupa said:
Currently i am using PS4 -> PC upmix -> 6 speakers 1 sub
but now there's a sale of speaker systems in a local mall and im looking at 200$ budget max.

Do you think 200 dollar sounds like... what?
I only ever used 20-30 dollars speakers and free speakers from 10 dollars VCD players. The current surround sound system was i simply connecting a bunch of 2ch speakers (from that vcd player, from old speakers unused, etc) into my PC's audio ports.

so... is there anything i need to consider to make sure its compatible with PS4?
and can i plug both my PS4 and PC to the sound system and both playing at the same time?*

*my current use case was playing stereo on PS4 while playing musics on WMP. Both audio source then upmixed to 6ch by PC. My PC also serve as a CCTV system for the whole house so i need to hear the alarms.
Click to expand...

Your best bet is to get a cheap A/V reciever and match it up with a cheap 5.1 channel speaker system. Use HDMI in for your PS4 and analog connectors for your PC. If you get a refurbished reciever you might get one in the 100-150 USD range. Cheap 5.1 channel speakers are around 50-70 USD.

Alternatively something like the Logitech Z906 allows up to 6 audio sources (digital and analog inputs). This is going to be around 400 USD though. For that price you also have Onkyo all in one packages like the HT-S3500 or AVX-290

Regards,
SB
 
those amazon stuff >_< i wish we have amazon here.

i was on the electronic expo and some electronic stores... the cheapest is 200 dollar samsung Home theater that have Optical IN. but it only have very small speakers... im doubting its high and med.

btw i just found my old and dusty "fake-brand" DVD Player. it have optical in and 5.1ch analogue output. i guess ill buy some cheap cables first and test with PS4 -> this dvd player.
 
So are you getting 'true' surround sound through your PC now?

If so, why do you want to buy a separate system, if your PC is staying on anyway?
 
orangpelupa said:
those amazon stuff >_< i wish we have amazon here.

i was on the electronic expo and some electronic stores... the cheapest is 200 dollar samsung Home theater that have Optical IN. but it only have very small speakers... im doubting its high and med.

btw i just found my old and dusty "fake-brand" DVD Player. it have optical in and 5.1ch analogue output. i guess ill buy some cheap cables first and test with PS4 -> this dvd player.
Click to expand...

The speakers being small shouldn't matter to much if it includes a sub-woofer that handles the lower frequencies. It won't be as good as something more expensive, obviously, but it should be a TON better than what you are used to.

And since you are in what sounds like a small room, the fact that it won't be able to be pump out really loud volumes shouldn't be an issue either.

Regards,
SB
 
London-boy said:
So are you getting 'true' surround sound through your PC now?

If so, why do you want to buy a separate system, if your PC is staying on anyway?
Click to expand...

Because he also wants 5.1 surround from his PS4 which he currently isn't getting. He's currently outputting 2 channel audio from PS4 to PC and then PC outputting that to his multiple speakers.

Regards,
SB
 
Ah! Makes sense. Personally I think that 5.1 surround is an unmissable feature for me. No one really talks about it as it's standard by now, but some games in particular, I don't even know how I'd play them without surround sound.
 
orangpelupa said:
i guess tomorrow ill says
- i already have a PS4 and PC.
- i want to connect both of them to this speaker system without lag and output in 5.1ch. (more questions about SPDIF IN and HDMI IN i guess...)
- i dont care with the dvd player

EDIT:
oh.. it seems i can use 10 dollar USB SPDIF IN sound card to receive 5.1ch digitial audio to my PC then pass it through my analog speakers.

but i will need windows XP because the 5.1ch SPDIF IN wont work at all on any newer windows :(
Click to expand...

Perhaps that's true for the driver of your sound card or your windows version.. but s/pdif in is a common feature on some sound cards and then in theory, it's just software to decode the AC-3 or whatever it is.
But hell : it's hard to find some needed hardware "glue", e.g. a receiver that doesn't include an amp, a single source pre-amp (yes I'd like that, with treble/bass or bass/middle/treble or four bands) or in this case some shnizzle that demuxes the shit and analogizes it

London-boy said:
Ah! Makes sense. Personally I think that 5.1 surround is an unmissable feature for me. No one really talks about it as it's standard by now, but some games in particular, I don't even know how I'd play them without surround sound.
Click to expand...

I believe $200 is good for a stereo system (or that at least for the speakers only) and I've kept using stereo. I have the feeling 5.1 would cost around $1000 or perhaps $800, bigger need being the room.


I wonder if with the appropriate sound card you can make your stuff work, e.g. Xonar D2/PM or Sound Blaster Zx (both not cheap), the latter says it has Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect. But that guarantees being able to play 5.1 PC games over s/pdif out. I don't know about your "reverse" use case.
 
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Blazkowicz said:
I believe $200 is good for a stereo system (or that at least for the speakers only) and I've kept using stereo. I have the feeling 5.1 would cost around $1000 or perhaps $800, bigger need being the room.
Click to expand...

Naw, I put together my 7.1 channel system for under 500 USD. That's with a Sony receiver and a 7.1 Onkyo speaker set.

Regards,
SB
 
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I think we need to focus on what do you guys think that product from the link posted by orangpelupa would sound like? Is it good enough? not good? okay? nice? He definitely couldn't buy those product that is listed on Amazon at that price. It is just not an option. If I could buy an Onkyo receiver for less than $200, I would buy it, but I can't. There is no receiver with multiple HDMI input that is sold for less than $300 brand new in my country.
 
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