2. home-theater
  3. 1031460311

Poor Man's 2 channel HT--advice sought

I am not interested in building a home theatre system at this time. But I am wondering if can upgrade the two-channel sound from my 13-year old 27" Proton TV, especially but not exclusively for DVD playback. Can I, for example, get a pair of PSB Alphas or Paradigm Atoms and drive them from my TV? Or use the TV's audio outputs to drive an old Harman Kardon receiver I have and use that to drive the speakers? Purely two-channel, no subwoofer, no AV receiver, no new formats, just upgraded stereo sound. I'd like it to be suitable for day-to-day TV watching as well. (TV is in a different room from my stereo system.)

Is this a dumb idea? If not, can anyone offer advice about how to proceed? I want to spend next to nothing on this project, by the way.

Thanks. /dan
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avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
Cheapest fix I can think of; pick up a hifi vcr--for the tuner--then a used, older receiver. both of these could be had near 100 ea. then some speakers. The tv signal from a cable box or tv antenna goes into the vcr--then into your receiver--into the speakers. The audio from the dvd player--pcm mix-down--also goes into the receiver. I'm sure there are plenty of good older receivers to be had for100.
glen's avatar
glen
714 posts
 
If you have an old integrated amp (Harmon Kardon) Run the audio signal directly from your DVD player to the pre-amp and out to the speakers. Take the video signal from the DVD player directly to the TV assuming you have a video input on the TV? I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a dumb idea, just the first step on your way to H/T Nirvana.
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
What you want can be done easily--and cheaply. There's plenty of cheap, good used speakers around, integrated amps, isolation transformers and line conditioners.

Get a cheap, used line conditioner (like a Monster 1000, although I would recommend a Tice for video). Plug a couple small isolation transformers to it--one for DVD, one for the Proton. Use contact cleaner/ enhancer like Pro Gold, some decent speaker wire and you'll be set.
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drubin OP
3,274 posts
 
Thanks for your responses everybody.

I may not have positioned the thread quite as I intended. My mistake. Low cost is not the headline objective here. Simplicity is. I don't want HT, I just want better sound from my TV and its associated input sources. I can find the components at the prices I want, but I'm not sure how to design (architect) this system, that's what I was asking. Ezmeralda's comments were on the mark, thank you.

Keep it coming!
poloman's avatar
poloman
96 posts
 
I agree with Avguygeorge. Get a cheap HIFI vcr a cheap receiver. And try PSB Image 2B's I have 2 Pair, Use one pair in my bedroom system which is 2 channel and use it for home theatre. Get stands for the speakers. The 2B's are $250-300.
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