Begining my list of components for my Home Theater

[Hyperlite]

Well, i'm begining to put together a list of components for my Home THeater that i will be installing into my new house when i move in in 3 months or so. I'm just going to do a reciever, no HTPC. So i figure i will need: 5.1 speakers (wall-mount, sub), Reviever, and the TV. I'm not sure what i will be doing for a DVD player, i may use my Xbox.

Here is what i am thinking of so far:

Speakers: This is my hardest choice so far. I want them to be wall mounted and under $400. My choice thus far is the Kipsch Quintet system (II or III, i can't seem to find III anywhere.) Rear 2 will be wall mounted, front two and center channel will be bookshelf. I may wall mount front R and L if the space allows.

Sub: I plan on using my existing Polk Audio 10 Inch sub, not sure about model number, but it has a pretty large enclosure made of 1" MDF (20" L x 13" D x 12" H), and it has performed well for the last 8 odd years i have had it.

reciever: no idea yet. open to any suggestions here. mabye a DTS capable reciever? My knowledge of recievers is pretty limited, so anyone who has the time, please feel free to educate me. Probably a $350-$400 budget on the reciever.

Television: same situation as the reciever, i really don't know anything about them. Plasma or LCD? I saw that ASUS was releasing some LCD's pretty soon, not sure if they will be availible in time...Probably looking at around a 42" display. It definantly needs to be flat. no rear projection. I don't think i will be wall mounting it, it will probably be sitting on some shelving that will be built into the wall.

Did i miss anything?

I have requested that two circuits be put into the wiring for dedicated use to the HT setup. I will be sure they have built up surge protection, etc.

Basically, everything is up in the air. My OVERALL budget, for everying, is between $4000 and $5000. It can be split any way to get the most out of it. any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[mshan]

Why not get a DLP projector (e. g. Infocus 4805) and project a large (84 inch diagonal or larger) picture:
- http://www.projectorcentral.com
- http://www.avsforum.com

Personally, I don't view sound as being anywhere as important as picture quality, as long as the the sound doesn't draw attention away from the picture and allows me to be drawn into the movie I'm watching. That being said, timbre matching is important, so you might want to look at a budget speaker / subwoofer combo where all of the speakers were designed to work together.

Then get a budget receiver that is synergistic sonically with the speakers you've chosen.

Also, instead of spending a lot of money on a dedicated DVD player, why not build a quiet HTPC and use http://www.theatertek.com as your software DVD player. It is optimized around Nvidia's current codecs (e.g. Nvidia 6600GT).

If you don't want the hassle of an htpc, you could also just get an Optoma MovieTime DV10: http://www.projectorcentral.com/optoma_movietime_dv10.htm

CompUsa usually has a bundle including a screen and subwoofer for around $1500 (if you read the customer reviews at Projector Central, someone apparently got the whole bundle for $1100 off of one of the shopping channels on tv).

 

[Hyperlite]

I thought about a projector, and i really wish i could, i just don't have the room. My choice of a 42" display is due to size limitations of the space. The reason i am so interested in sound is because the system will be used for music alot also.

 

[mshan]

Projectors are tiny and could be ceiling mounted, if needed. The Optoma MovieTime DV10 can be placed on a coffee table, screen mounted on a wall or ceiling, and sub tucked in a corner. Voila, instant home theater ( http://www.projectorcentral.com/part_opinions_details.cfm?opinion_id=7516 )

You can often project directly on a matte white wall, though results with a screen are usually much better. And a wall mounted or ceiling mounted pull down screen will probably take up less space than any conventional 42 inch tv.

I just got a 4805 myself, and there isn't anything like watching a movie on a big screen (you can adjust screen diagnonal using zoom and distance you place the projector from the wall).

And with the money you save by not buying a plasma / LCD, you can buy a dedicated stereo system for music alone. (other than overall loudness and low bass power, movie soundtracks aren't that difficult to reproduce and mid-fi equipment would probably be quite acceptable).

 

[MustISO]

http://www.avsforum.com
http://www.hometheaterspot.com
http://www.hometheaterforum.com

If you're serious about a home theater you really should think through all your purchases. You may want to buy it a little at a time. If you go with all lower end equipment, you'll just end up being unhappy or replacing it later.

 

[Hyperlite]

Alright, thanks for the info. i will definantly think about it. The problem with the DV10 is that, as far as i can tell, it eliminates a seperate audio setup, which is not an option for me.

Quote:
"...the DV10 is not designed to be a central display device for a multisource home theater system, it is meant to be a portable stand-alone system...."


As for the infocus, the system will be used, of course, for normal TV viewing as well, and low ambient light cannot be garunteed. I just think, for my application, i would be more comfortable with a conventional display.

 

[xanis]

Well as far as recievers go, I have a Yamaha HTR6860 7.1 Reciever. The reciever is a beast, and it has hookups for just about anything that you can think of. Not to mention that the sound quality is outstanding as well. It's a little pricey at $500, but you can't beat it. For speakers, I would go with the Yamaha NSFP4600 5.1 set, and you could always get more speakers later to go to 7.1.

 

[dispair]

reciever-onkyo, high end yamaha, or a denon(u will pay a nice premium for this). i would say Harmon Kardon, but u will pay a higher premium than an onkyo and recieve less bang for the buck

speakers-infinity or polk. i would stay away from klipsch unless you r going with a high dollar reciever. klipsh is unmatched in commercial quality, but it will exploit your reciever to the max. ie if your reciever doesn't have a good set of capacitors you will hear bad flucuations in your speakers.

sub-get a velodyne...hands down an awesome sub

wiring-no matter what system you get, if u don't get good cables/wires your system will suck. i hate to say monster is where its at, but it is. u can find some good quality speaker wire out there, but things like a sub cable, monster just puts out good stuff. plus they guarentee their stuff, so if the copper connection fades, monster will replace it.

 

[ribbon13]

Display: I highly reccomend the Westinghouse LVM-37w1, it's only 37" but has the emminently kickass native resolution of 1920x1080. To give you an idea of what else is available)

Wiring: Don't listen to anyone who says monster is where it's at. Right here buddy

edit: Best place to buy that 37" 1920x1080

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

oooh, AT is back up.... paste:

Well, AT is down right now so I'm writing this up in notepad for now

How small is the room you're talking about? I had my 4805 going in a room that was only 12x10 and it worked very well.

Projector central has screen distance calculators for a bunch of different models.
http://www.projectorcentral.com/InFocus_Home-ScreenPlay_4805.htm

If you're looking to save space in your room, front projection is right up there. If you ceiling mount the projector, you're taking up virtually no space in the room.

What's your source material? I'm sorry I don't have the thread in front of me right now, but you said DVDs, right? I'm totally happy with my 4805 for DVD viewing.
If you're going to be watching s lot of HD content then by all means spend more on the display... but if you have a dark room and DVD is your source, then the Infocus 4805 and Optoma H31 etc. are great deals.

Before you count a FP system out, go and look at some different ones. Let yourself be the judge of what's best for you. Hopefully there are a few real HT retailers in your area that will have some proper setups for you to experience.
If you're looking for a cinematic experience I think FP is the way to go.

My own HT was right around $4000 and I'm very satisfied with only spending 1/4 of that on the display.

There are some great HD projectors right around the $2000 mark too. Panasonic ae900 etc.

Just look at some before you decide it's not for you if you haven't already.

If you save some money on the display, it will come in handy for the sound. $2000 can get you a prett nice sound system going.


If you want a system that's really good for music too, spending more on your front speakers will make a big difference.

With a budget like you have for the whole system, I'd also recommend getting a new sub. If you're getting smaller speakers, a nice sub will really help them out.
SVS and HSU are quite popular, and of course DIY if you're into that.

Don't spend too much on the cables. Like ribbon13 said, cablesforless is a nice place to go. I have several component cables from them including a 50' run to my projector and they work very well.

For the speakers, again, go out and demo some before you make and decisions. Sound is a personal thing and something that sounds good to one person might not be suited to someone else.
There are a ton of great brands out there in the $1000 to $3000 range for audio depending on how much you spend on your display.

So you want an inwall or wall mounted solution? Bookshelf speakers wouldn't work for you?
Just an example of what's out there for the $1000 range for a 5.1 set, SVS is coming out with a 5.1 set here for $899 + shipping
http://www.svsubwoofers.com/images/SBS_01_system/5_1_grill_on_combo.jpg
a pic of their demo room
http://www.svsubwoofers.com/images/SBS_01_system/room_combo_mid_rez.jpg
Add in a $300-ish receiver and you have a pretty nice system going for HT use.

So anyway, lots of options out there.
I think I'll wait till AT's back before saying anything else in case I missed something

*waits for AT to come back*

 

[dispair]

hrmm...well lets see, do u know why monster produces better cables? in no way do i think "all" their cables r better, cuz that is so far from the truth. i also think monster at retail is way overpriced, but the product speaks for itself. go to a circuit city, get a normal sub cable and a monster and hook it up to a sub, you will hear a difference. reason being is shielding, quality connections, and lastly a huge piece of copper to carry the signal. all signals carry in different waves when it comes to sound. i'm not going to get into a typing detail here, there is many sites where u can figure these things out. the thicker the wire for a lower signal, the better. hence why a monster sub cable does so well against said generic brands. good luck, but don't listen to me, go try it yourself.

 

[Hyperlite]

wow guys, thanks for all the info. soundman, they need to be wall mounted, on brackets, and i think the space will be 3 walled, with the back end open, behind the seating, and TV will be against the wall...if that makes sence...


heh. anyway, the space will probably be about 12 feet wide, then open ended. i'd like to stay away from a projector because there will be alot of ambient light most of the time, and we will be watching alot of normal TV on it and probably most stuff in HD. do you have any reciever suggestions? that Yamaha that xanis suggested looks good, but may be out of my price range...i guess alot of it hinges on the TV. ahh...decisions, decisions....don't have to make any for the next two or three months, so i have plenty of time to think.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Looking at your post again now that I can see it:

With a $4000 to $5000 budget for a HT, I would definately be spending more on the speakers than $400 and definately be getting a new sub.

In general a display is going to get outdated a lot faster than your audio equipment. Better to do it right the first time on the audio and have that set for a long time.

Pretty much any receiver you get is going to have DTS now.
What do you want to know about receivers?
You can get quite a deal if you go with a refurb unit.
Denon, HK, Onkyo, Pioneer, Panasonic, etc are some good ones to look at.
What kind of inputs do you need on it?

EDIT: I wrote this before you wrote your post just now, so just in case you think it's a response to what you just wrote, it's not.

 

[ribbon13]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
With a $4000 to $5000 budget for a HT, I would definately be spending more on the speakers than $400 and definately be getting a new sub.

In general a display is going to get outdated a lot faster than your audio equipment. Better to do it right the first time on the audio and have that set for a long time.

This is god's honest truth.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Hyperlite
wow guys, thanks for all the info. soundman, they need to be wall mounted, on brackets, and i think the space will be 3 walled, with the back end open, behind the seating, and TV will be against the wall...if that makes sence...


heh. anyway, the space will probably be about 12 feet wide, then open ended. i'd like to stay away from a projector because there will be alot of ambient light most of the time, and we will be watching alot of normal TV on it and probably most stuff in HD. do you have any reciever suggestions? that Yamaha that xanis suggested looks good, but may be out of my price range...i guess alot of it hinges on the TV. ahh...decisions, decisions....don't have to make any for the next two or three months, so i have plenty of time to think.

Would wall mounted bookshelf speakers work for you?

Like this sort of mounting linky
With a speakers this size work? linky2

Sorry this kind of doesn't go with your $400 speaker budget, but for me on your kind of budget it seems like you don't have much allocated to sound.

What about the sub? Would you be ok with a big box or cylinder in a corner of your room or do you need something small? Cabinet volume is a big factor in sub performance.

If the room is open in back, why do you need to take up so little space in front?

How did you come to the 42" display size?

If you have a couple months, I'd suggest hanging out on AVSforum and other HT forums and reading up on a lot of stuff.