Home Theater Surround Sound advice.

[LordSnailz]

Everyone is suggesting to slowly build up the system vs getting a HTIB, but with $500, what's more important the receiver the L/R speakers?

 

[whattaguy]

I never regretted purchasing my Paradigm Titans and Atoms. Awesome speakers for an affordable price. If you're lucky, you could purchase the Titans for <$200 and the Atoms for <$150. I built my system over a couple of years, and it's still going strong today (7 years later). I have not regretted being patient with the system.

Save some money and buy quality components. Remember: buy cheap, buy twice.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: whattaguy
I never regretted purchasing my Paradigm Titans and Atoms. Awesome speakers for an affordable price. If you're lucky, you could purchase the Titans for <$200 and the Atoms for <$150. I built my system over a couple of years, and it's still going strong today (7 years later). I have not regretted being patient with the system.

Save some money and buy quality components. Remember: buy cheap, buy twice.

Link to Titans?

 

[skiersteve]

For about $500, you can get a pretty solid HTIB from Onkyo...I have the 5.1 version of this and it works superbly in my small/medium family room for movies and music. I would highly reccomend it if you don't feel like spending too much money and/or time matching all your speakers as you add pieces later.

 

[whattaguy]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: whattaguy
I never regretted purchasing my Paradigm Titans and Atoms. Awesome speakers for an affordable price. If you're lucky, you could purchase the Titans for <$200 and the Atoms for <$150. I built my system over a couple of years, and it's still going strong today (7 years later). I have not regretted being patient with the system.

Save some money and buy quality components. Remember: buy cheap, buy twice.

Link to Titans?

http://www.paradigm.com/Website/SitePar...odels/Performance/PerformanceSpecs.htm

 

[lancestorm]

Originally posted by: whattaguy

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: whattaguy
I never regretted purchasing my Paradigm Titans and Atoms. Awesome speakers for an affordable price. If you're lucky, you could purchase the Titans for <$200 and the Atoms for <$150. I built my system over a couple of years, and it's still going strong today (7 years later). I have not regretted being patient with the system.

Save some money and buy quality components. Remember: buy cheap, buy twice.

Link to Titans?

http://www.paradigm.com/Website/SitePar...odels/Performance/PerformanceSpecs.htm

You are going to need a powerful amp to power those babies to any high levels...

 

[dxkj]

Budget Proposal

1) 600 receiver
2) 200 center channel speaker , imho this is the ost important one
3) 500 L and R front speaker
4) 500 Powered Sub
5) 200 L and R rear and LR side(7.1)

So would $1000 for a good/decent receiver and LR front speaker and center channel even be possible?

 

[lancestorm]

Personally...for a good L/R and receiver combo I would budget $1500.

 

[LordSnailz]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Budget Proposal

1) 600 receiver
2) 200 center channel speaker , imho this is the ost important one
3) 500 L and R front speaker
4) 500 Powered Sub
5) 200 L and R rear and LR side(7.1)

So would $1000 for a good/decent receiver and LR front speaker and center channel even be possible?

Hmm, that's true, if he bumped his limit to $1000, any links to a good receiver+LR front speakers?

 

[whattaguy]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Budget Proposal

1) 600 receiver
2) 200 center channel speaker , imho this is the ost important one
3) 500 L and R front speaker
4) 500 Powered Sub
5) 200 L and R rear and LR side(7.1)

So would $1000 for a good/decent receiver and LR front speaker and center channel even be possible?

$750 to get a decent start...these are ballpark numbers.

$500 - decent receiver
$200 - Paradigm Titans (look for a local dealer)
$50 - decent cabling

 

[lancestorm]

$1000 L/R Klipsch Reference 35 (they might be cheaper than that, that is list)
http://klipsch.com/product/product.aspx?cid=633
500 H/K or Denon receiver
20 cables (any standard copper --- I'm in the wire-is-wire camp)

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: lancestorm
$1000 L/R Klipsch Reference 35 (they might be cheaper than that, that is list)
http://klipsch.com/product/product.aspx?cid=633
500 H/K or Denon receiver
20 cables (any standard copper --- I'm in the wire-is-wire camp)

What do i need to keep in mind while looking at receivers?

1) how many channels they have. 5.1 6.1 7.1, etc
2) how many watts per channel?

anything else?

i found a yamaha 5.1 home theater receiver, 515w (103x5) virtual cinema DSP

 

[Tiamat]

http://www.hsustore.com/vt12.html

Get it with the STF-2


I dont see how you could get any better than this!!

If your budget increased to 1000$

BW602 S3 (1 pair)
Cambridge Audio Azur 540A or NAD Integrated Amp int his price range (something BEE)

 

[NTB]

Check this out:

Onkyo HT-S780 HTIB

More details on the 780. Check out Onkyo's online shop there, too; they sometimes sell refurb or previous-model-year equipment, with a warranty, at a discount.

The older versions of this setup from the last few years have recieved some pretty good reviews. Do a google search for Onkyo HT-S760 and HT-S770. I almost bought one of these, until I decided to build my home theater a piece at a time. Don't really have anywhere to go with the surround speakers at the moment. I still ended up buying the reciever from the HTS-760: an Onkyo TX-SR501. Works beautifully.

Nate

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: NTB
Check this out:

Onkyo HT-S780 HTIB

The older versions of this setup from the last few years have recieved some pretty good reviews. Do a google search for Onkyo HT-S760 and HT-S770. I almost bought one of these, until I decided to build my home theater a piece at a time. Don't really have anywhere to go with the surround speakers at the moment. I still ended up buying the reciever from the HTS-760: an Onkyo TX-SR501. Works beautifully.

Nate

Yeah i looked at those, and thats more along the lines of what i was originally talking about, right in there at the 500$ budget

I just spent 2700 on a tv all said and done, and was looking for something that would be good, for a few years, until i save up some more money.... Im more of a bang for your buck type guy, I try to get the most for my money. The 2700 tv was on sale from 4700, and was only available at that because they ran out of the lower level model they had at the special price, and bumped me up for free

 

[NTB]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: NTB
Check this out:

Onkyo HT-S780 HTIB

The older versions of this setup from the last few years have recieved some pretty good reviews. Do a google search for Onkyo HT-S760 and HT-S770. I almost bought one of these, until I decided to build my home theater a piece at a time. Don't really have anywhere to go with the surround speakers at the moment. I still ended up buying the reciever from the HTS-760: an Onkyo TX-SR501. Works beautifully.

Nate

Yeah i looked at those, and thats more along the lines of what i was originally talking about, right in there at the 500$ budget

I just spent 2700 on a tv all said and done, and was looking for something that would be good, for a few years, until i save up some more money.... Im more of a bang for your buck type guy, I try to get the most for my money. The 2700 tv was on sale from 4700, and was only available at that because they ran out of the lower level model they had at the special price, and bumped me up for free

The reciever should be good for a long time, unless you end up with a bunch of HD components that you can't run through the reciever's video switch. Buy this for now, and get some better speakers further down the line as budget allows

Just make sure you put the reciever someplace with good ventilation, and don't set anything on top of it. My 501 gets a bit toasty after it's on for a while.

Nate

 

[CondorHero]

forget what everybody in this thread is saying, you should just get one of those setups for like $100-$200 (I think the panasonic is on sale at cc). Anyways, to compensate for any percieved poor sounding quality, just turn up the volume on your system, it'll make it sound better.

 

[gscone]

Originally posted by: CondorHero

forget what everybody in this thread is saying, you should just get one of those setups for like $100-$200 (I think the panasonic is on sale at cc). Anyways, to compensate for any percieved poor sounding quality, just turn up the volume on your system, it'll make it sound better.

Poor advice you are giving.

 

[frankie38]

Originally posted by: CondorHero
Anyways, to compensate for any percieved poor sounding quality, just turn up the volume on your system, it'll make it sound better.

Acoustically speaking you are corrct. Speakers sound better when enough power is driving them to the point of distortion.

So congrats on your insight.

But bad for throwing away money on junk.

 

[dxkj]

I just saw a Monster Onkyo setup 7.1 at Fry's


6,999$$ :Q


So right now i'm fighting between the get the 6780 and be happy for a while, or try to start building the beginning of a surround sound for 3x the cost

 

[teckmaster]

pick yourself up a JVC TC-4 OR TC-5.

It's a home theater in a box. 5 disc dvd/cd player, am/fm stereo, and rca's to hook something else up to it. Its also a 1000watt setup either one you buy. We sell them where I work, and I'm trying to get rid of my component setup so I can get one. Awesome sound and deep bass. Should be able to get one for around $350.

 

[NTB]

Originally posted by: teckmaster
pick yourself up a

a....what?

Nate

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: teckmaster
pick yourself up a JVC TC-4 OR TC-5.

It's a home theater in a box. 5 disc dvd/cd player, am/fm stereo, and rca's to hook something else up to it. Its also a 1000watt setup either one you buy. We sell them where I work, and I'm trying to get rid of my component setup so I can get one. Awesome sound and deep bass. Should be able to get one for around $350.

Where do you work? Link to one online?

 

[RayH]

For under $500, one other option is to pick up an amplified 5.1 system with decoding like the Logitech Z-5500 which can sound better than most HTIB packages and for cheaper. You can still slowly upgrade later and "downgrade" the old system to the pc. There are alot of good reviews of it on the net. I went with buying used high components for my system but had gotten the older model Logitech Z-680 for my parents and it sounds great in their setup. Can even be cranked fairly loud without distortion.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: RayH
For under $500, one other option is to pick up an amplified 5.1 system with decoding like the Logitech Z-5500 which can sound better than most HTIB packages and for cheaper. You can still slowly upgrade later and "downgrade" the old system to the pc. There are alot of good reviews of it on the net. I went with buying used high components for my system but had gotten the older model Logitech Z-680 for my parents and it sounds great in their setup. Can even be cranked fairly loud without distortion.

Hrm... maybe... more likely to go with onykookok