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Best home theater system under $200

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i'd liek to save up for a Bose system, but i'll just end up spending it on something else before i get there.
 
System_Mechanic said:
i'd liek to save up for a Bose system, but i'll just end up spending it on something else before i get there.
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Something... like a better system you mean?

Bose is junk. The cheap refurb Onkyo sets I linked will sounds significantly better at a fraction of the price.
 
s44 said:
Something... like a better system you mean?

Bose is junk. The cheap refurb Onkyo sets I linked will sounds significantly better at a fraction of the price.
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+1

Bose had something good going in the 80's but nowadays they are low end. Bose also has too many proprietary connections on their AVR's as well.

Bottom line: Stay away from Bose. If it wasn't for their Wave Radio and headset division I think Bose would be struggling by now.
 
System_Mechanic said:
i like Bose sound and size
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I know its personal choice and you are very much entitled to that but I think these systems are worth a look, they are small and I bet you they will sound as good or better than a similar BOSE setup.

Boston Acoustics Soundware XS 5.1 ($396, need a receiver) http://www.amazon.com/Boston-Acousti.../dp/B002FS1NYW

Energy 5.1 Take Classic Home Theater System ($399, needs a receiver) - http://www.amazon.com/Energy-Classic...f=pd_cp_e_pw_1

Mirage Nanosat Prestige5 ($499, need receiver and Subwoofer) - http://www.amazon.com/Mirage-Nanosat...7493999&sr=1-1
 
getting sound from small speakers is an art and some makers just slap small speakers in boxes with filters and call it good.
Others like Bose go as far to include a mic to attenuate and add proper time delay..etc for a more emmersive sound.

Sound requires moving air. your not gonna do much with small speakers. your gonna lose out on a variety of frequencies and amplitudes of each freq. you have sound reflections and absorbtions, tons to take into account. Bose has a lot of research data and processing algorythms tuning over the years. their stuff sounds good for what it is.

so naturally there are plenty of china made knocks far cheaper from companies that do no research whatsoever on their own. likewise there are plenty of speaker sets that can sound as good and fine quality. But what are you gonna do..buy every single set and compare side by side?...no, thats why those links are nothing more than speculations based on...well nothing other than similar size and the cheap price is the lure.

that being said. i like Bose compared to many others i've had heard over the years. theres no magic, similar sized speakers are gonna sound similar in the same room, how you tune the sound is the difference and that starts with the enclosures themselves.
however this goes beyond the scope of the thread. back to topic please.
 
While speakers 'move air' there is actually a lot more to it than that.

The size of a speaker 'moving that air' really matters more as you move low in frequency.

Also the major factor most miss is the volume of the room to fill with that air.

That said most end up way overkill for the room size, esp in the subwoofer department.

Also if you are not listening at reference levels (and most really can't take that in smaller rooms) then a little goes a long way.

I have a pretty modest system in a modest room. At louder levels things inside the room behind to resonance and move. The sound is still clear and powerful but painful...

Most of the bigger players are actually making decent gear today....very different than things were in the 80-90's.

Too many just focus on obtainable subwoofers that were meant for mains far beyond the quality those are linking them too.
 
Lots of great advice has been given here. I admit there is much I have to learn regarding home audio, but there is one thing I have picked up on now that I have had a good discussion on the subject. I think sometimes there are good sounding, quality products out there for affordable prices, but then there are individuals who are exposed to the really high end stuff, and once that happens everything that doesn't meet that highest standard is considered by them to "be junk" or "a waste of time" when in reality the system might be very good for the price and offer great sound but their elitist attitude has them scoffing at something just because it doesn't match the quality of the most expensive systems.

A similar example is binoculars and scopes. There are two breeds of these binocular and scope enthusiasts. One group who uses the highest quality optics and scoffs and ridicules the lower priced scopes because they can't match the best stuff available. And Then there are the people who can own the highest quality optics, and still be able to go back and use and appreciate a lower priced optic and appreciate what a great value the item maybe for the price, and appreciate all it offers for the user for a price most can afford, because their judgment isn't clouded by this "elitism" I believe there are similar examples in the home theater market. FWIW
 
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I have no direct experince with Bose products, so my opinion doesn't mean much regarding the subject, however, after doing some research online about Bose and their products I was overwelmed with comments like "Overrated" and "overpriced" as well as there being systems for half the price that far exceed the quality that a Bose system will offer, along with many other very convincing arguments that leads me to believe that Bose may very well be overhyped and overpriced.
 
ebow86 said:
I have no direct experince with Bose products, so my opinion doesn't mean much regarding the subject, however, after doing some research online about Bose and their products I was overwelmed with comments like "Overrated" and "overpriced" as well as there being systems for half the price that far exceed the quality that a Bose system will offer, along with many other very convincing arguments that leads me to believe that Bose may very well be overhyped and overpriced.
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you would be right. there's only so much you can do with a <3" paper cone in a tiny plastic enclosure. they may be the best <3" paper drivers in plastic enclosures out there, but that isn't saying much.
 
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