My Home Theater

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nomrah

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May 18, 2004
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Purchased my first home and now that all the moving, major furniture is done, I'm tackling our next task, putting together my first "home theater" if you can call it that. I'm not an audiophile whatsoever so please excuse my ignorance. I'm looking to purchase a 5.1 system but need some recommendations.

I currently have a Toshiba Regza 42" 720p TV.

The previous owner installed these outdoor speakers in the back deck. System will need to be able to accomodate these. I'm guessing they need to be a on seperate channel? Maybe my terminolgy is incorrect, but for example I don't want my outdoor speakers blaring when I'm inside watching a movie.

I also have an XBOX360 which I would like to incorporate using HDMI, and we plan to purchase a Blu-Ray player in the future. So the system will need to be able to handle HDMI processing.

The last constraint is purely asthetic. The GF really wants the tall skinny front speakers, like this for example.

Any suggestions on a decent but moderately priced all-in-one solution? Open to any and all suggestions, and please take it easy on this audio-noob.

Update: Looks like I'm going to settle on the Onkyo TX-SR606 for the receiver. Need suggestions on speakers/sub with a budget of $600.

Update 2: Decided on a pair of Athena WS-100s for the front speakers.

Looking for recommendations on a subwoofer.

Update 3: Went with the BIC H-100 for a sub. Looking into a center and rear speakers.

Update 4: Went ahead and purchased the ws-60 center and ws-15 rears. Putting it together tomorrow with a buddy as well as doing some cable hiding, will be sure to post pics.

A big thank you to all for the help :)

 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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I suspect just about any 7.1 receiver out there than can do audio over HDMI (which you'd want for blu-ray in the future) will be able to do a second zone for the outdoor speakers.
Do the outdoor speakers have wires running to the room you'll have the HT in?

I go over a lot of basics in the sticky thread in this subforum.

We do indeed need some more information, especially budget as erwos suggested.

Off the top of my head, one company that makes good speakers that have that tall+thin look is http://www.definitivetech.com/
They're pretty widespread, so you should be able to find a dealer near you to demo.

I'm not sure how much your GF has seen in terms of speakers, but there are a lot of options out there that aren't just black boxes. If your budget allows it, there are some pretty nice looking speakers out there that might be aesthetically pleasing to her even if they don't meet the skinny requirement.
 
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nomrah

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May 18, 2004
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Hoping to spend around $500, is this realistic at all? Willing to spend more if necessary.
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

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Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: nomrah
Hoping to spend around $500, is this realistic at all? Willing to spend more if necessary.
Click to expand...

You can get a decent set for that much. You wont be getting the new audio formats over HDMI, but you certainly have some options.

A HTIB from Onkyo like erwos mentioned (the link it's working for me right now, but it looks like it's the 908 from the link text) will get you audio over HDMI, but if that's not in your budget, there are lower Onkyo sets as well.

If you take a look at the section of my sticky thread about an upgrade path, I think that's something else you should consider.

You could potentially get a receiver that will do HDMI audio and just start out with a 2.0 system (plus the outdoor system) for now, and add to it as time goes on.
 
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nomrah

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May 18, 2004
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Did a bit of research. Looks like the Onkyo TX-SR606 would do the job. Also saw the Onkyo TX-SR705, any reason, or need rather, to go up to this model? Did a comparison on the Onkyo site, but I didn't get much out of it given my experience.

Also I read that the zone 2 feature only supports Analog Inputs. I guess that's no big deal since they're just outdoor speakers.

Any opinions on the 606?

And assuming we're good on a receiver, let's tackle a speaker system next. Any suggestions that would work well with this receiver?

Thanks for all the help so far.
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
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Well what's your budget now? A $400 receiver sure takes a big chunk out of a $500 budget ;)

$400 is a good amount to spend on a receiver though for the features you want. I don't think the 705 has anything you need that the 606 doesn't.

What sources were you going to use for the outdoor speakers? I hadn't looked into the zone 2 limitations of these receivers before.

In general I think a good starting point for balanced system spending is something like 2:1:1 on speakers:sub:receiver... but I have a feeling that's not exactly what you're looking for ;)
Are you looking to buy 5.1 or did the idea of an upgrade path appeal to you?
 
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dmw16

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Nov 12, 2000
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My suggestion is to start with a 2.0 system. That is what I did and I am very happy with the results. With that said, I spent almost your entire budget on just my receiver, but I could have done it for less.

My suggestion is to get a good receiver that will let you build in the future (enough inputs, channels, etc.) and that will probably set you back about $400.

Then for speakers, I got a great deal on the classified section of the av123.com forum. Granted I spent a good bit of money, but I still got a good deal. You may be able to do the same on speakers that are more within your budget.

Also, don't forget about about cables, which can add up.

I think that a more realistic budget for a decent foundation system is $700-$800. I know you can get a $500 HTIB, but it is basically disposable once (or if) you decide you want higher end components.

If you want more info on the system I built let me know and I will find the threads.
 
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nomrah

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May 18, 2004
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Yeah it's looking like the budget I set wasn't realistic. It was more of what I was hoping to spend. My budget is more likely a $1,000 cap, but I'd like to keep it as low as possible. I think I'm going to go with the Onkyo 606 so that's $400 right there.

And YOyoYOhowsDAjello the upgrade path you detailed does make sense. But a part of me also just wants to by everything at once. Neither my gf or I are audiophiles so getting every piece perfect isn't too big of a concern.

That being said, any suggestions on a 5.1 system? Keeping in mind the tall floor standing front speaker look that we want.
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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I know there are a lot of HTIB sets with that look from Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic, etc. but I don't really know what your best options would be for buying speakers on their own.

Many of the "speaker company" retail brands have a lineup that fits this sort of sleek look in addition to their more traditional lines, but I'm not sure if there are any that would have a 5.1 set to fit into a $600 budget. (B&W, Klipsch, Definitive Technology, Energy, Mirage, etc.)

Anybody else have any ideas?
 
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dmw16

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Nov 12, 2000
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I am really happy with my 2.1 setup and you could probably do something similar (with more budget oriented speakers) for $800 or so. Check ebay for receivers and speakers (and a sub if you want). I am not an audiophile either, but I have had 3 HTIB's and they have all sounded like crap compared to my current setup. Sure I don't have a 5.1 or 7.1, but I can shake the paint off the walls and it sounds amazing. 2 good speakers are better than 5 cheap ones.
 
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nomrah

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May 18, 2004
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Thanks for all the help so far everyone. I think I'm going to go with the Onkyo SR606.

Now onto speakers/sub.

I thinking about these for the 2 front speakers: Polk R50s

Any thoughts?
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Originally posted by: nomrah
Thanks for all the help so far everyone. I think I'm going to go with the Onkyo SR606.

Now onto speakers/sub.

I thinking about these for the 2 front speakers: Polk R50s

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

So you're giving up on the tall skinny front speakers?

If you're getting them at one of the one sale fry's / outpost deals, they're hard to beat for a floorstanding option.
 
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imported_grinder

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Jun 17, 2008
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I know this is much more than you asked to spend but still a good deal.
You can Pre-order a Denon AVR_1909 for $499 from JR audio this is a lot cheaper than Best Buy.
Contact Jacque at 1-800-221-8180 get this price if he can still offer it.

Note there is await for the receiver too I was told maybe 2 weeks before they had any to ship but I can wait that long and can find a way to afford it.
 
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nomrah

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May 18, 2004
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Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Originally posted by: nomrah
Thanks for all the help so far everyone. I think I'm going to go with the Onkyo SR606.

Now onto speakers/sub.

I thinking about these for the 2 front speakers: Polk R50s

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

So you're giving up on the tall skinny front speakers?

If you're getting them at one of the one sale fry's / outpost deals, they're hard to beat for a floorstanding option.
Click to expand...

Yeah these are "skinny" enough haha, was showing my gf a bunch last night. She's still concerned that these aren't tall enough though, we'll do some more measurements tonight and see.

Any other suggestions now that the super skinny constraint is lifted?
 
YOyoYOhowsDAjello

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Maybe you two should go out an look / listen to some options to see what they're really like in person. I know there have been many cases where something is bought and once it gets home, it gets the veto from the SO.

The height to width ratio of the R50s is pretty close to standard, so if those are ok, most options are probably going to be ok too.

For height, you're usually shooting for the tweeter to be at about ear height. Try sitting down in the listening area and measuring how high up your ears are to give an idea of what height would be ideal (keeping in mind that the tweeter might be several inches below the actual top of the speaker.

There are a lot of floorstanders out there that aren't really tall enough to meet these requirements. There are short risers / stands out there to help with that, but I don't know if that would be better or worse aesthetically for the WAF (or GAF).

I was thinking about you the other day when AV123 had an intro sale on 5.0 ELTs (since the towers are kind of slim) + Denon 1909 for $1699 shipped, but I figured that was really blowing your budget ;)
http://tinyurl.com/5fnqe7

Did any of the suggestions in the sticky thread appeal to you?
 
cKGunslinger

cKGunslinger

Lifer
Nov 29, 1999
16,408
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Originally posted by: nomrah
Thanks for all the help so far everyone. I think I'm going to go with the Onkyo SR606.

Now onto speakers/sub.

I thinking about these for the 2 front speakers: Polk R50s

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I'll just mentioned that I waiting around long enough that my local Fry's had the R-300s on sale for $39/each. They are now back to being listed as $199/each.

Text


Watch for deals and you can save some $$.


 
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nomrah

Member
May 18, 2004
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The receiver just arrived, it's a lot bigger than I was picturing.

Anyways, I went back on the hunt for a pair of "skinny" tall speakers. Came across these Athena WS-100s. The look is exactly what we want. Reviews I've read have been positive. Any first hand experience with these? Little pricier than what we'd like to spend, but hoping to find a deal.
 
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dmw16

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2000
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I bought a Acoustech H100 off of Ebay for $249 shipped. If you went that way it would leave you $350 for speakers.

What I did was buy 2 good front speakers and decided to wait on the rest of the speakers for a 5.1. I figured I'd rather invest in quality speakers and then build on them rather than make my budget try to stretch beyond what it could handle.

For that reason, I would suggest AV123 X-LS or AV123 Rocket RS250. The 250's are a little beyond your budget, but you might be able to find a good deal on a used set from av123's forum.
 
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