Hey guys. First off I wanted to say thanks for all the help and advice that everyone here has given me for lots of subjects. Every time I have questions or advice I trust fully in the knowlege and advice of my clutchfans family. I just recieved my InFocus In72 digital projector and 76 inch screen, and now I need your help again. I am in the process of installing my first home theater system. I already have the room ready with blackout curtains and all. I wanted to know about audio which in my opinion is incredibly important. What kind of systems do you use? Brands? Costs? What recommendations do you have for the true home theater experience with the equipment I already have. Keep in mind I am only 25 and my budget is kind of tight however on something really worth it I could extend it a little. All suggestions will be taken into consideration however personal experience with a product is often valued the most. Thanks again guys. Looking forward to hearing your advice.
I would start with the Panasonic SA-XR55S Home Theater Receiver . Don't let the name fool you. The SA-XR-55 uses a 100 watt per channel Class D Amplifier which is ultra efficient and has no trouble driving most speakers. Very clean sound - it has been getting great reviews for the past couple of years. You should be able to pick one of these up for about $250. Now you have $450 for front and surround speakers. Grab 4 Insignia NS-B2111 bookshelf's for $50 a pair. These are the best 50 dollar a pair deal going right now. Check out the review So now you have $350 left for a sub and a center channel. I would go with the Velodyne VX-10 subwoofer for $150. Now you have $200 for center channel. Go for the Paradigm CC-170. Paradigm centers are always a great value. So from one Roxfan to another, this will get you some great sound for both HT and music.
So you guys recomend getting different components and putting them together rather than purchasing a "theater in a box" with all the components (reciever, speakers, sub woofer) together?
I have the Sony DAV-X1, which is a virtual surrond sound system. Depending on the room size and if you want to have back speaker wires, this is a good option. The sound cannot be as good as a true 5.1 system, but if you are looking for a slick looking system without the clutter - I think this system has better value than the Bose 3-2-1.
I'll be watching this thread. My 1080p HDTV is a monitor, with mediocre sound, and I'm dyin' to get a good surround sound system. Got to watch what I spend, though, because I have Christmas and an anniversary coming up, and don't want to break the bank. I was going to wait until I could get something awesome, like DoD has, but now I'm looking for just a good sounding surround system, with HDMI pass-through, along with a few other features. I don't have a huge living room, so it needn't be super fantastic in the power department. Be watching for good ideas. Nice thread.
"HT in a box" is for convenience; not for good sound. Your best bet with regard to convenience/good sound is to by a recommended package by some speaker manufacturer along with a decent AV receiver. I just helped a friend purchase a surround sound system (two front speakers, center, two surrounds and a sub) and it sounds great. She spent $2,000 which, as this stuff goes, is reasonable (actually cheap). - how cool is that? I've got a chick friend who wanted quality over invisibility in a speaker system? - Anyways, Paradigm is a good brand that also represents a good value. Here are some system examples: Small Room Bigger Room What my friend got (more or less) You really need to go to different stores, bring some music you're familiar with and listen to what they have in your price range. Of all the speakers my friend and I auditioned (Paradigm, Klipsch, Polk, Phase Tech) we liked the Paradigm's the best. However, you have to listen for yourself. While we were listening to the Paradigms another guy came in with some techno and couldn't stand them. It's really a personal choice based on what sounds good vs. what you can afford. BTW, these are all "value" speakers lines (not real high-end) but I think you can get some really good sounding stuff from these companies without spending tens of thousands of dollars. High end stuff will cost your LOTS more. For what it's worth I have Magnepans for music listening and some old Klipsch for home Theater. I really hate the Klipsch and are probably going to replace them with Paradigms soon. Ten Ten Biggest Mistakes of Speaker and Home Theater Shopping from Audioholics.com
I would not recommend home theater in a box setups. Mainly because you are buying the whole setup from one manufacturer. So if, for example, you bought an Onkyo HTIAB, you would be getting components that Onkyo does not specialize in (like speakers). Plus, you are likely to get over colored "boom-sizzle" sound with almost all HTIAB's. You will always get better sound by researching the best values in audio component by component, rather than looking for an all-in-one solution.
Cool! Another maggie owner here. What are you using to drive them? I use 100 watt vintage Grommes tube amps for mine.
I have the Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough. It is the cheapest out with the HDMI switching feature. Sony Receiver This system is in my bedroom, so I didn't want large speakers. I ended up getting the Infinity TSS-450 Home Theater Speaker System. Infinity TSS-450 Speaker System
I bought my Onkyo AV receiver a few years back; it was the least expensive THX box (is THX still considered tops?). They had a problem w/ the reciever but Onkyo fixed quickly and free. Excellent customer service.
Yay! Another Paradigm fan! I've got a similar setup to what your friend has, but I have Monitor 9's instead of 7's. And my rears are Mini-Monitors. I've had my Paradigm setup for about 7 years now, and I still love it. Paradigms are the best value around, IMO.
Actually, she has the mini-monitors as well for surrounds. If I end up with Paradigms they'll probably be the Monitor 9's... just so they are bigger than hers... (even though she's a chick and doesn't play that game - I'm still a slave to it....)
I have a surround sound system I'm trying to sell now since I'm a poor student. Its composed of: HSU Research STF-2 Sub (200W) Hsu Research VT-12 6.1 speakers Onkyo SR502 Reciver Hsu Research is a small company based in California that specializes in subs, its comparable to paradigm, velodyne, or polk subs. My 200 W sub fills pretty much any-size room and can really shake the walls. The VT-12 Speakers are only average honestly,but the center speaker is fantastic...thats by far the most important speaker anyways. And the receiver isn't top of the line but its more than ample for powering this system. Here are some reviews: VT-12: http://reviews.cnet.com/Hsu_Research_VT_12/4505-7868_7-30790670.html HSU: http://www.hsuresearch.com/reviews/ Hsu Research Website: http://www.hsuresearch.com/ and i recommend perusing avsforum.com for more information then you would ever want to know about home theaters I paid 199 for the speakers, 399 for the sub, and 250 for the receiver 2 years ago so I'm willing to part with them for say $650? thats 200 less than what I paid for it and everything is in great condition. Anyways offer is open to anyone. PM me if interested.
Center channel is important, but because most music is meant to be heard in stereo, you don't use it. For movies, the sub and the center channel are by far the most important. Also, that Cadance xsub I referenced will hit 25 Hz: 93 dB 28 Hz: 94.1 dB 32 Hz: 100.3 dB cleanly. I think This Dayton 12" sub is a better deal than the Velodyne VX10, but that's just a guess since I've never heard that particular model Velodyne. I've had good experiences with both Dayton and Velodyne. If aznhobo1's stuff is in good shape, and you will be watching movies/TV most of the time... I'd jump on it.
I've got the XR55 and I'm very pleased with it. Its an all digital reciever which you don't find for usually under $400. I started out with a Kenwood HTB and really liked it. I still have the sub that came with it. I like Rox's suggestions, but there is still nothing wrong with going with a HTB if you're not looking to bring the house down.
