Rear speakers only?

[Billz]

Hi Guys, I have a Sony OLED that I can play through my 2 channel HiFi if I wish. The sound from the TV is pretty good for normal day to day listening. When watching movies, I would like to have rear channels. I am looking for suggestion as to how I can add this without any change to my main HiFi. If possible, wireless rear speakers would be preferable. I can see ways to add this if I get a sound bar, but I don’t need a sound bar. A simple processor to process the rear channels and a pair of speakers is all I need but I am struggling to find such a thing. I had hoped Sony would have rear speakers compatible with the TV but, again, I can’t find anything available here in the UK.

 

[CnoEvil]

I think you will have difficulty finding exactly what you are looking for.

The best solution probably involves an AV Amp with Pre-Outs, going into your 2 Channel system (which hopefully has HT Bypass)....and then get a Centre, 2 Rears (and possibly a Sub). This allows the 2 Channel system to work as normal, while giving a HT experience.

The 2 most important speakers in a 5.1 system, are the Centre and the Sub.

IMV. If not prepared to do this, you are better without the expense/hassle.

 

[MartinC]

Sadly cheap AV processors, as distinct from AVRs with multiple amplifier channels, don't seem to exist. I'd want one if they did. This only works for Blu-ray's rather than streamed content but what I use is an OPPO Blu-ray player that has multichannel analogue outputs. Currently I use this to get the LFE (subwoofer) channel but it could also be used for rear channels, which is an idea I've considered but not tried yet. If I did I'd be using active rear channels and a wireless transmitter/receiver pair to get the audio signal to the back of the room.

Edit: I do take the view that a sub is much more important than rears though.

 

[MartinC]

It's perhaps worth highlighting that 'rear' speakers are intended to be off to the side more than actually behind:

https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/speaker-setup-guides/5.1-virtual-speakers-setup-guide/#gref

 

[Billz]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I do have, up my loft, an old Yamaha surround processor, that I used many years ago. It allows your own system to do the front L & R while it handles the centre and rears (sides). Trouble is, it’s a massive box and the speakers are wired. I had rather hoped that in these days of WiFi and Bluetooth, there would a slimmed down modern equivalent. Seems like I am hoping in vain. 

 

[MartinC]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I do have, up my loft, an old Yamaha surround processor, that I used many years ago. It allows your own system to do the front L & R while it handles the centre and rears (sides). Trouble is, it’s a massive box and the speakers are wired. I had rather hoped that in these days of WiFi and Bluetooth, there would a slimmed down modern equivalent. Seems like I am hoping in vain. 

There are slimmer AVRs but when I've looked they don't have pre-amp outputs. Here's one example:

https://intl.pioneer-audiovisual.com/products/av_receiver/vsx-s520d/

You can get pure AV pre-amps but they're still big and at higher end prices. 

If you search for older ones on eBay watch out for the fact that many won't have HDMI inputs. There's lots of apparently high end kit like this going for not much money as a result but equally they won't do what most of us want.

I'd love someone to come along and tell me I'm talking rubbish and point out products I'm not aware of by the way. I just know I've failed to find anything when I've looked in the past.

 

[MartinC]

Thinking about it, perhaps using the optical output from a TV to an older 5.1 processor may be the cheapest way to go, if there is compatability for the right signal type...

 

[Bokke]

Hi Guys, I have a Sony OLED that I can play through my 2 channel HiFi if I wish. The sound from the TV is pretty good for normal day to day listening. When watching movies, I would like to have rear channels. I am looking for suggestion as to how I can add this without any change to my main HiFi. If possible, wireless rear speakers would be preferable. I can see ways to add this if I get a sound bar, but I don’t need a sound bar. A simple processor to process the rear channels and a pair of speakers is all I need but I am struggling to find such a thing. I had hoped Sony would have rear speakers compatible with the TV but, again, I can’t find anything available here in the UK.

Hi 

It's easy if your amp has an home cinema bypass but you can also use the pre outs 

Then just add the rear to the AV amp and go 

 

[Mr.Ian]

I use an av processor to feed av signals and a pre amp to feed hifi to my front power amps.  A kramer switch box switches between the two. 

If you have a tape loop option on the preamp/integrated etc then something like an old yamaha e800 should do the trick. 

Hopefully might point you to  solution 

 

[Mr.Ian]

Legacy processors by proceed, classe and krell were pretty good as stereo pre amps and pretty compact relative to the Japanese options