How much would i have to pay for decent 5.1 surround sound?

ManBearPig

Diamond Member
Sep 5, 2000
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I just bought a new 52" HDTV, and want a sound system. Problem is, i know nothing about sound systems or how much they cost. the room is square (maybe rectangular) and i think 5.1 would be pretty easy to put up. any ideas? I dont want to spend too much, since i already spent a ton buying the tv heh.

thanks
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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My sticky thread is half gone after the vbulletin migration, but there's some info up there.

You can get a really basic HTIB for $300 or $400 that will be better than TV speakers, but still not that great.

Depending on how picky you are, you may be perfectly fine with that kind of system.

Do you want something that's a complete set right now, or is this something where you'd potentially want to put more money into it / upgrade later? If so, you might want to start with just a 2.1 system for now and then leave yourself some upgrade options later.

What is your budget for this?
 
Mar 15, 2003
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I just bought a new 52" HDTV, and want a sound system. Problem is, i know nothing about sound systems or how much they cost. the room is square (maybe rectangular) and i think 5.1 would be pretty easy to put up. any ideas? I dont want to spend too much, since i already spent a ton buying the tv heh.

thanks

Since your starting from scratch, I've always thought Onkyo all in one systems are great bang for buck. Here's a set with a 7.1 receiver, speakers, plus sub woofer for $299

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._luc_sbs_02_03

Edit: that amazon link for $299 is without a receiver.. Opps! I'll find a better set for you in a second

Everyone here will tell you to go for separate components.. If you chose that route the speaker company (thespeakercompany.com) has a 40% off already pretty affordable prices..
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
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I"d recommend

&#163;300 for av reciever
&#163;300-350 for front : do you watch much movies? A lot of stuff that is non BR or DVD is gimped and in stereo so you may think about buying nicer fronts
&#163;250 center : 70&#37; of your sound for movie is from the center speaker
&#163;150-200 for rears
&#163;250 sub
&#163;50 speaker cables
&#163;60-70 for stands for your front and x 2 for the rears

Once you here a semi decent sound system you'll NEVER GO BACK. The tv speakers are very very average at best. I thought they were good but then I got my B&W 685 and I have my tv speaker off permanently.

Koing
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
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I"d recommend

£300 for av reciever
£300-350 for front : do you watch much movies? A lot of stuff that is non BR or DVD is gimped and in stereo so you may think about buying nicer fronts
£250 center : 70% of your sound for movie is from the center speaker
£150-200 for rears
£250 sub
£50 speaker cables
£60-70 for stands for your front and x 2 for the rears

Once you here a semi decent sound system you'll NEVER GO BACK. The tv speakers are very very average at best. I thought they were good but then I got my B&W 685 and I have my tv speaker off permanently.

Koing
 
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
106
I"d recommend

£300 for av reciever
£300-350 for front : do you watch much movies? A lot of stuff that is non BR or DVD is gimped and in stereo so you may think about buying nicer fronts
£250 center : 70% of your sound for movie is from the center speaker
£150-200 for rears
£250 sub
£50 speaker cables
£60-70 for stands for your front and x 2 for the rears

Once you here a semi decent sound system you'll NEVER GO BACK. The tv speakers are very very average at best. I thought they were good but then I got my B&W 685 and I have my tv speaker off permanently.

Koing

Woaw, that's a lot of money... Really, buy the onkyo 5.1 (with speakers and subwoofer) for $350, and upgrade the speakers (if you'd like to) slowly, when you can afford to.

I have a feeling that you'll be completely satisfied with the included speakers. Hell, a $100 h-t-in a box is better than no home theater
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
6,628
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It depends on what you want and what matters to you. Some people don't seem to care too much about the sound. For me the audio is just as important as the video. If I'm ever able to upgrade my system, I'll gladly do so. However, my system is much better than a HTIB, and I spent about $700 on the receiver, 5 speakers, and a sub. I only had $400 when I started, and I put all my money into my two mains and a receiver. Then I purchased a sub, center, and surrounds as I had more money. If you have a limited amount of money right now, then I'd recommend doing something similar. However, if all you're looking for is one step up from the TV speaker, then a HTIB might work fine for you. If you're looking for several steps up from the TV speaker, then you'll want to go with a real HT setup.

Edit: Here's my setup ($694 total):

  1. Receiver: Panasonic XR55s ($230 new)
  2. Mains: Polk R50 ($197 new)
  3. Center: Polk CSi25 ($82 new)
  4. Surrounds: Polk R15 ($75 new)
  5. Sub: Polk PSW350 ($110 used)
It's not the greatest, but it's been excellent for the price, and I'm very pleased with it. They will make for some nice computer speakers whenever I'm able to upgrade them :).
 
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The-Noid

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
3,117
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Woaw, that's a lot of money... Really, buy the onkyo 5.1 (with speakers and subwoofer) for $350, and upgrade the speakers (if you'd like to) slowly, when you can afford to.

I have a feeling that you'll be completely satisfied with the included speakers. Hell, a $100 h-t-in a box is better than no home theater

This is fairly poor advice.

Sure it is better than the included speakers, but if you buy something like that you are limited in what you can upgrade because you are stuck with a horrid AVR, and a speaker system that upgrading channel by channel is going to overpower everything else.
 
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
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This is fairly poor advice.

Sure it is better than the included speakers, but if you buy something like that you are limited in what you can upgrade because you are stuck with a horrid AVR, and a speaker system that upgrading channel by channel is going to overpower everything else.

My point is a cheap HT is better than no HT. I don't recommend a $100 set, but the $350 onkyo is a great system with great components. I bought a polk 5.1 speaker set for $199 (with subwoofer!), and it served me very well for quite a while. Then, as I could afford it, I changed the front speakers to Infinitys, and plan on upgrading my subs as well. I could easily sell what I don't want on ebay, making upgrading fairly painless. Or i can just move the speakers slowly into my bedroom.

As for all in ones, most of them are absolutely dreadful. I've listened to panasonics, sonys, and samsungs.. Dreadful.. But the onkyo sets are really, really quite nice.
 

The-Noid

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
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cnet is considered a source for HT reviews, wow...cnet is interested in reviewing your best buy or walmart quality stuff. As far as walmart quality stuff is concerned I am sure the onkyo is best. Do we subscribe to purchasing from Wal-Mart now?
 
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YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Well the bottom of the barrel Onkyo HTIB sets have passive subs, which is unfortunate... but to be expected from that pricepoint.

For the next step up HTIB units from Onkyo (that are often on sale for refurbished units at ShopOnkyo), they tend to be pretty solid. The receivers that Onkyo uses for their HTIB units are usually pretty good.

As for replacing speakers overpowering the others... that's what trim levels are for, right?

For a low budget set, I think the Onkyo options (especially those with powered subs) offer good bang for the buck and a reasonably good upgrade path if you want to replace speakers / sub down the road.

Alternatively, for a $400-$500 pricepoint, you'd have very limited options for a full surround sound system if you need the whole package right away. $200 for a basic receiver that would be comparable to the kind you'd get in one of the "second tier" Onkyo HTIB sets. Then you have $200-$300 for 5.1
A basic sub is $100, leaving you $100-$200 for 5 speakers.
You can get something like the Energy set that's on Newegg right now for $130 as a reasonable choice.

What would you suggest, Yoxxy? (I'd bet that kazaam wants to spend less than $600 on this, and probably more like $300 if possible)
 

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
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The-Noid

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
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If you are looking for your first system, more than likely the best thing you can do is go used.

You can by unbelievable used speakers and a 1 year old receiver WHICH is still going to have more features than a current generation new low end receiver.

Think used onkyo 606.
The speaker company has a crazy sale right now, probably the best place to look.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
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OP, would you please provide us with a budget? Some people who "don't want to spend too much" mean a budget of $100. Others mean $600 or more. Also, do you want to buy the whole surround system now and never think about upgrading later, do you want to buy the whole surround system now but have a good upgrade path in the future, or would you consider buying part of the system now and part of the system later?
 
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
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If you are looking for your first system, more than likely the best thing you can do is go used.

You can by unbelievable used speakers and a 1 year old receiver WHICH is still going to have more features than a current generation new low end receiver.

Think used onkyo 606.
The speaker company has a crazy sale right now, probably the best place to look.

Honestly, people around the web recommend buying used, but I don't really understand it. This stuff weighs A LOT, so that $50 subwoofer you got on ebay is going to cost you $30 to ship. Extrapolate that through your purchases. Now say you get one bum subwoofer.. Or a bum receiver.. What do you do? Ship it back? Sure, spend $20 and waste a week or 2 waiting for a refund! Sure, there's craigslist but then you have to deal with meeting some strange mother fucker in his basement, in the middle of no where. Oye!

I prefer to buy things new (or refurbished), with warranties and free shipping.

For NEW, I still stand by my Onkyo 5.1 as your first system... But, in case you want to go with separate components :

1. The Speaker company - great deals right now, good stuff too! But I think people think they're getting Lexus gear at Hyundai prices... You're really getting Toyota gear at Hyundai prices. I own the stuff. It's good and a great value, but it's not like you're getting $3,000 for $150.

2. Cambridge soundworks has a great refurb/clearance section

3. Best buy's Insignia bookshelves are very well reviewed and great bang for buck (model NS-B2111). To be absolutely clear - INSIGNIA IS BLOODY AWFUL FOR THE MOST PART. This one model is sourced from reliiant, and built very well and has great sound quality, this doesn't mean that all insignia speakers are good. in fact, they're probably all crap.

4. Parts-express.com has finished Dayton subs for as low as $95. This and a polk sub ($99) are great low-budget subs.

5. Look for factory outlets on ebay. Klipsch has an ebay store, for example

6. Open box from stores. Save on shippings, and the deals are surprising sometimes. Receivers are easily found open box.

Here are some bundles that are fairly prices. This is not going to win you Home Theater Award of the Year, but you'll get an entry into the wonderful world of surround sound :)

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Synerg...9876635&amp;sr=8-5
(+100 Dayton sub plus say $200 receiver = $500)

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-Cha...9876696&amp;sr=1-1 - own it, love it (+$200 receiver = $416)




Lastly, you'll soon realize that this is much more fun as a hobby. You'll update constantly, not because you have to but because it's fun. Hell, I own a dozen or more headphones. They all sound great. But I want to hear what other headphones sound like. I upgrade constantly not because I have to, but because it's awesome fun!
 
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ManBearPig

Diamond Member
Sep 5, 2000
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Sweet jebus, it sounds like i'm going to spend a lot here. What I'm not getting is, if I dont spend at least $600 is it even worth it?

I thought $300-400 sounded reasonable, but I dont want to get something that sucks. I'm kind of working off the "ignorance is bliss" theory here...i dont want anything bad, but i dont need anything top end. At some point (especially if im not an audiophile), as i spend more and more money, wouldnt i just not hear the difference too much?

I don't want to upgrade in the future. The room I'm in is quite small (although if i move the tv, the room will be pretty large). It's just hard for me to spend $600+ which is over 1/3 of the TV itself (I got a sweet deal :p).
 
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
106
Sweet jebus, it sounds like i'm going to spend a lot here. What I'm not getting is, if I dont spend at least $600 is it even worth it?

I thought $300-400 sounded reasonable, but I dont want to get something that sucks. I'm kind of working off the "ignorance is bliss" theory here...i dont want anything bad, but i dont need anything top end. At some point (especially if im not an audiophile), as i spend more and more money, wouldnt i just not hear the difference too much?

I don't want to upgrade in the future. The room I'm in is quite small (although if i move the tv, the room will be pretty large). It's just hard for me to spend $600+ which is over 1/3 of the TV itself (I got a sweet deal :p).

Don't let these people scare you away! Get the onkyo set for $350 shipped. YoYo is right that it's a passive subwoofer, but just upgrade that if you feel the need to, when you feel the need to. Or the $219 polk set (which does not include a receiver) includes a powered subwoofer. I own this and it's outstanding for movies.

Based on you even asking this question it's obvious that you're a n00b, and that's perfectly fine. But it also means that this $350 onkyo set will knock your socks off, and once you become a snob like us, you can upgrade to your hearts content (component by component - say you think you need a beefier sub - get one for $99- you don't have to change all the speakers at once). Again, that's if you feel the need to.

edIT: also, I think everyone who *loves* the home theater exerience spends more on the sound than the video. Heck, I got my 50" plasma for $250 and my receiver, while not high end, cost more than that. Which is not to say that you can't get great sound for your budget.
 
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ManBearPig

Diamond Member
Sep 5, 2000
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Don't let these people scare you away! Get the onkyo set for $350 shipped. YoYo is right that it's a passive subwoofer, but just upgrade that if you feel the need to, when you feel the need to. Or the $219 polk set (which does not include a receiver) includes a powered subwoofer. I own this and it's outstanding for movies.

Based on you even asking this question it's obvious that you're a n00b, and that's perfectly fine. But it also means that this $350 onkyo set will knock your socks off, and once you become a snob like us, you can upgrade to your hearts content (component by component - say you think you need a beefier sub - get one for $99- you don't have to change all the speakers at once). Again, that's if you feel the need to.

edIT: also, I think everyone who *loves* the home theater exerience spends more on the sound than the video. Heck, I got my 50" plasma for $250 and my receiver, while not high end, cost more than that. Which is not to say that you can't get great sound for your budget.

thanks man. Im definitely a huge n00b. But what exactly does a receiver do? Wouldnt you not be able to, uh, change the volume via remote without one? I dont even know what a receiver does, haha...
 
Mar 15, 2003
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thanks man. Im definitely a huge n00b. But what exactly does a receiver do? Wouldnt you not be able to, uh, change the volume via remote without one? I dont even know what a receiver does, haha...

I wrote a really long reply but then closed the window by mistake - doh!

Basically, a receiver is the heart of the system. Your sources (bluray player, xbox, etc.) plug into the receiver, the receiver processes/amplifies the signal and pumps it out to your speakers. You can't have surround sound without a receiver (unless it's say a dvd player with a receiver built in, but those suck).

The components you need to buy (alone or in a bundle)
- Receiver
- 2xfront speakers (bookshelf speakers or tower speakers are great)
- center channel speaker
-subwoofer
-2xrear speakers (satellites)
-speaker wire. Always get twice as much as you think you'llk need, unless you're an expert. I alway under estimate by 10-25 feet!

The onkyo bundle I linked to includes EVERYTHING. Cheaper bundles (such as cheaper sonys or panasonic home theaters in a box) often blow because they include crippled/proprietary components... The Onkyo set includes a real, hearty receiver - you can grow with it. The speakers included aren't the best, but they'll be awesome for movies. Music is where you MAY need more critical speakers...
 

unfalliblekrutch

Golden Member
May 2, 2005
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thanks man. Im definitely a huge n00b. But what exactly does a receiver do? Wouldnt you not be able to, uh, change the volume via remote without one? I dont even know what a receiver does, haha...

A receiver includes a pre-amp and a power amp, and usually a tuner. Without one, your speakers can't make sound because you need plenty of power to move the drivers on speakers.
 

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
if you want to limit yourself to 3-400, just get 2 decent fronts and a receiver for now, and add more speakers as your finances permit.
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
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Woaw, that's a lot of money... Really, buy the onkyo 5.1 (with speakers and subwoofer) for $350, and upgrade the speakers (if you'd like to) slowly, when you can afford to.

I have a feeling that you'll be completely satisfied with the included speakers. Hell, a $100 h-t-in a box is better than no home theater

It's a modestly decent system :p but the OP didn't mention anything about his price range...it's one of those things you appreciate when you have it but don't quite get it when you don't have it.

I never really heard a decent 5.1 system when growing up. My mate had a pretty decent system put together but with a weak center and surround but decent fronts and sub. It sounded really good to me! But as all things it's relative and 'what' your use to.

Koing
 

Muadib

Lifer
May 30, 2000
18,060
889
126
Sweet jebus, it sounds like i'm going to spend a lot here. What I'm not getting is, if I dont spend at least $600 is it even worth it?

I thought $300-400 sounded reasonable, but I dont want to get something that sucks. I'm kind of working off the "ignorance is bliss" theory here...i dont want anything bad, but i dont need anything top end. At some point (especially if im not an audiophile), as i spend more and more money, wouldnt i just not hear the difference too much?

I don't want to upgrade in the future. The room I'm in is quite small (although if i move the tv, the room will be pretty large). It's just hard for me to spend $600+ which is over 1/3 of the TV itself (I got a sweet deal :p).

I'll break down what I'd do in your shoes, and why. Your "ignorance is bliss" theory has quite a bit of merit. You say you're not an audiophile, but judging from this thread it sounds like you have little, to no experience with audio. There is nothing wrong with that, we all were in the same boat at one time. I think you need to do a bit of research before buying, and hopefully this thread will point you in the right direction.

Your statement about reaching a point where you wouldn't hear much of a difference, is also dead on. However, unless you have a hearing problem of some sort, you are thousands of dollars away from reaching that point, IMO.

While I think you could be happy with the HTIB that freedomsbeat212 mentioned, I think getting a receiver would better serve you. That HTIB doesn't do sound over HDMI, and since I know you have a PS3, that would be a deal breaker for me. Also, the speakers that come with it are nothing to write home about.

Amazon has this receiver at a good price, $317:http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-RC160-7-2-Channel-Surround-Receiver/dp/B0028AD7BE/ref=sr_1_1?tag=slickdeals&ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1259860523&sr=1-1 It can take both video & audio over HDMI, which makes it a much better fit for your PS3. If cash is an issue, then do what YOyoYOhowsDAjello sugested, and go 2.1 for now, or just get 2 speakers, like vshah said. However, if you can spare it, these ain't bad:http://www.amazon.com/Paradigm-Cinema-110-System-Silver/dp/B002911V9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1259926763&sr=8-1