Recommended ceiling mounted speaker system?

[Savarak]

I know not to go with Bose...

What are some good high quality 5.1 speaker systems that are ceiling mountable for a HT system?

Or maybe just the speakers...? and whats a good quality amplifier that is the best bang for the buck? or a step above the best bang for the buck?

I'm starting from total scratch here!

Thanks in advance

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

How much scratch ($) are we talking about?

 

[HomeAppraiser]

Text

 

[Savarak]

Since i'm buying things for my house piecewise as i get the dough, i'm not sure how much i'll spend on this... but is 2k for all the electronic components good?(not counting the projector or plasma/lcd that i'm thinking of getting)...

so... ~2k for speakers, amp, dvd(blu-ray or hd-dvd... most likely hd-dvd.. either from a 360 or standalone) reasonable for a good quality system/setup?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

$2k will get you some pretty good stuff.

How big of a room are you working with here? (LxWxH)
Openings to other areas?

Are you set on using the in-ceiling wire?

Surrounds and rears can be mounted up high no problem, but mounting at ear level is the best way to go for the front three.

Would it work for you to run speaker wire to ear level speakers for the front three? If the receiver is placed in the middle you'd just need to run a short distance to each one.

I've had some very good experiences with internet brands for audio equipment compared to what I've tried from retail stores. Speakers aren't really a good thing to buy without knowing what you want though.

Some internet brands that would fit your budget would be
Ascend, Axiom, AV123

Something like a 2:1:1 ratio of spending for speakers:sub:receiver is a good starting point imo.

Saving a bit for a 360 HD drive and some wires, you'll maybe be working with $1750?

That would be enough for a nice 5.0 system from Ascend or Axiom with enough left over to get a sub like a SVS PB10 or HSU STF-3 and then a receiver in the $400-$500 range from Pioneer / Onkyo / Denon / HK / etc.

It would be a good idea to go out and listen to some speakers to see what kind of sound you like. You'd going to notice the biggest difference in sound from your speakers choice.

 

[Savarak]

cool thanks for the advice... not sure how my room will look if I drop the front three speakers down, but I like that idea... the room is a "great room", but I won't have the exact dimensions until I actually move in and take the measurements... but the floor layout is based off of this... http://www.richmondamerican.com/Shop+an...+Detail.htm?mr=Tucson&pl=10607&cm=1313

the in-ceiling wire is the easiest to use since its built into the house... i don't know what gauge they are or anything yet... not sure how to situate the subwoofer yet, but there is a sub rca type outlet on the wall between kitchen and den...

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You can always get some nice looking speakers with high WAF (wife acceptance factor)

Rosewood looks nice

The size of the room is going to be a big factor in how much sub you'll need to handle the room well.

"great room" sounds like trouble