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[CasperDarling]

I'm nowhere near an audiophile. That being said I have always enjoyed a decent 5.1/7.1 setup without breaking the bank since they came in existence. I have bought home theaters in a box for 20 plus years and have never been disappointed. I'm planning on getting a C9/CX OLED to coincide with the Series X/ PS5 launches and I'm assuming if I want to run my console through a receiver I need a receiver that can accept HDMI 2.1 so I can take advantage of free sync/g sync/ 120 FPS and all that goodness correct? Thanks in advance to all who respond

 

[Flying Toaster]

What is your budget out of curiosity.

You will want to look at AV receivers that support HDR10+, The new Dolby format (vision something something), 4k, 8k, and the Imax enhanced standard. If you were up for it I would suggest a solid AV receiver with base 5.1 setup with better speakers that you could add more to and go with an Atmos like setup. I am old school and only do 2 channel but honestly the newer surround sound stuff is freaking bonkers with sound design.

How big of a space are you working with? Will there be upgrades in the future? Are you planning on running more than one next gen console?

 

[BlitzerRadic]

I use a Vizio 5. 1 soundbar and it works for me. HDMI out from console to TV, optical out from TV to soundbar. Done.

 

[Nikana]

You are going to run into a problem right now with passing through VRR and Atmos. Only certain TVs have this feature with eARC but also it's finky even in the high end recievers that have it.

As far as I know, there doesn't exist a reciever that fully supports HDMI 2.1. I believe some have been announced but not yet released and they are going to be expensive. Highly doubt there will be a HITB solution this year.

 

[Notorious_Roy]

I'm in the same spot. Have been rocking an optical sound system from Logitech for 15 years but with the next gen it's worthless. *sad face*

I think I'll go for a simple soundbar like JBL bar 5.1 for the first years. Then fully upgrade once HDMI 2.1 receivers are common (in two years or so).

 

[DoctaThompson]

Don't get a sound bar. Start with that. What's the budget.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Depends on the budget. Sound bars are definitely better than TV sound, but an AV receiver with separate bookshelf or tower speakers will almost always be superior and provide a more authentic surround sound experience. Problem is, it will probably be difficult to build a future-proof system for a budget price or even a fairly high price. I say at least make sure it has 4K HDR10+ passthrough, ARC or eARC, Dolby Atmos(?)and HDMI 2.0. Not sure what’s going on with HDMI 2.1 with AV Receivers though.

Get some decent speaker wire as well. Don’t cheap out on speaker wire because it can make a difference in your sound. Some 12, 14 or even 16 gauge wire is sufficient, but I heard OFC-“oxygen free copper“ wire is better, but it’s more expensive.

What you can do is start off piece by piece and just build your way up to at least 5.1. You probably will need a lot of room for 7.1 though. You can always get a 7.1 so you can go 7.1 later if you want.

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AV Receivers for under $300:

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That Yamaha in the link seems like a really good one for the price and has a lot of modern features including Dolby Atmos, 4K and HDR as well.

Speakers are more subjective I think. Polk Audio make some imho solid to decent entry level speakers. Of course there’s Klipsch which has entry level to ultra high end as well and I think even Sony speakers are decent for the price. It depends on if you want towers which are generally more full sounding or bookshelves which are good as well. A decent subwoofer can’t help also.

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If you decide to go with a sound bar, check these guys out:

The 6 Best Soundbars Under $300 - Spring 2024: Reviews

The best soundbar under $300 we've tested is the Vizio M Series M51ax-J6. It's a versatile soundbar that's great for everything from movies to music to TV shows.

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[pasterpl]

I'm nowhere near an audiophile. That being said I have always enjoyed a decent 5.1/7.1 setup without breaking the bank since they came in existence. I have bought home theaters in a box for 20 plus years and have never been disappointed. I'm planning on getting a C9/CX OLED to coincide with the Series X/ PS5 launches and I'm assuming if I want to run my console through a receiver I need a receiver that can accept HDMI 2.1 so I can take advantage of free sync/g sync/ 120 FPS and all that goodness correct? Thanks in advance to all who respond

I am looking at this myself as I am thinking about creating a proper cinema/gaming room and I am considering something in these lines;

Klipsch R-820F 7.1 Home Theatre System

Bring the cinema experience home with the incredible sound of the Klipsch R-820F 7.1 Home Theatre System. Klipsch signature controlled directivity and acoustic technology make this home theater system unlike any other.

homeavdirect.co.uk

+ this receiver;

Denon AVC-X3700H AV Receiver

Please email luke@hificorner.co.uk before ordering, stock inconsistent Immerse yourself in high-power home theatre entertainment. With 180W per channel the Denon AVC-X3700H delivers a truly immersive 3D audio experience through Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and IMAX Enhanced. The discretely built 9...

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I am not an expert in sound, so I am basing these recommendations on online reviews.

 

[Kagey K]

It has to have eArc support to last you next gen. Period.

If it doesn’t have eArc don’t buy it now.

 

[Rikkori]

For now receivers aren't quite ready, they will start releasing some later this year but the more affordable options won't be with us until the next.

Denon announces first HDMI 2.1 receivers for 8K60, 4K120 pass-through

For next-generation game consoles and media players

www.flatpanelshd.com

 

[PropellerEar]

You shouldn't really need to have full HDMI 2.1 support.
Like Kagey K already said, you need eARC for next gen.

With eARC you can connect your console to TV , and use eARC to "route" the audio to your AVR from the TV:

 

[Soodanim]

I'm in the same spot. Have been rocking an optical sound system from Logitech for 15 years but with the next gen it's worthless. *sad face*

I think I'll go for a simple soundbar like JBL bar 5.1 for the first years. Then fully upgrade once HDMI 2.1 receivers are common (in two years or so).

What's worthless about your optical setup?

 

[Stray Parts]

eARC solves the problem of receivers not supporting the latest display features. eARC can transmit PCM 7.1 audio which is the preferred form of audio for game consoles (this also includes Dolby MAT which is PCM + Atmos).

Plugging directly into a receiver is really only needed if your having audio sync problems but eARC unlike ARC has mandatory audio sync tech and PCM is the lowest latency audio format so you shouldn't be running into PCM audio delays problems with eARC.

If you have an existing (& expensive) audio system there is an eARC converter called the SHARC available (often sold out due to demand) this allows you to use the eARC port on latest TV's with older sound systems, I own one and it's highly recommended.

There is a useful discussion thread on eARC with LG 9/X series OLED's on avsforums, LG have finally enabled eARC PCM 7.1 in latest firmware updates and it lists some known working eARC receivers, some early models don't work.

If your still set on a getting a HDMI 2.1 receiver Yamaha is working on models which will also have HDMI-VRR support, I'd expect them to cost and arm and a leg.

 

[CasperDarling]

It has to have eArc support to last you next gen. Period.

If it doesn’t have eArc don’t buy it now.

My current receiver does...I think? Yamaha RX V383. I use it to pass through 4K on my Sony 900E and it works like a charm in that regard for current gen. If I pair that with with an LG OLED and a next gen console will that give me everything I need for next gen or do I need another upgrade? I don't think that receiver is HDMI 2.1

 

[playtillyadrop]

Denon is the only right now with 2.1 hdmi and next gen game features. What you may want to do is actually run your console to the tv directly and use EARC port on the TV feed whatever sound system you use. Sound bars are actually pretty good right now. Sonos new ARC sound bar got good reviews, and vizio is about to release a new one as well. If you are looking for any new sound system make sure you go Dolby ATMOS.

 

[Notorious_Roy]

What's worthless about your optical setup?

SeX and PS5 wont have an optical out.

 

[Mass Shift]

I'm in the same spot. Have been rocking an optical sound system from Logitech for 15 years but with the next gen it's worthless. *sad face*

I think I'll go for a simple soundbar like JBL bar 5.1 for the first years. Then fully upgrade once HDMI 2.1 receivers are common (in two years or so).

You can still rock your optical. Just get an optical audio extractor/adapter. Just make sure it's 4K and supports HDMI 2.0b and you should be good.

 

[Soodanim]

SeX and PS5 wont have an optical out.

Ah. I don't have a HT system but I do use optical - from my TV. I don't know what difference that makes, but it allows me to use a pair of active/powered speakers with more than one device.

 

[Notorious_Roy]

Hmm, interesting replies. Thanks. Might look into those options (although I kinda already set my mind on a new soundbar )

 

[Soodanim]

Hmm, interesting replies. Thanks. Might look into those options (although I kinda already set my mind on a new soundbar )

At the very least you won't have to ditch your current sound system!