How can I get the most bang for the buck....

[mover76]

Hello,
I would like to start by saying how helpful everyone in this forum is. I have read many post that are similar to my question, but with so many choices in equipment it is hard to find the help in previous post. I thought I knew a little about home theaters but after combing over opst here I realize I am a complete novice. My in-laws, however, have it in their heads that I can help them with there home theater. I can not. They want to make sure that their money is going in the right direction. Just a quick set up of what they have going on.
Room is 13x18ft with 20 ft ceilings and has been pre-wired 7.1 but they are using only 5.1.
There are 4 other rooms wired for speakers including the outside deck.
They have an Onkyo receiver (not sure of the model)
They have been quoted the following prices for equipment and installation.\
NAD C325 BEE integrated amp-$450
Leviton System Matching Module (Lev-SGAMP-000)-$265
AVAD Earthquake SubWoofer-8" 250 watts-$200
Lev SGVT-00W Leviton Struass Volume Control Qty 4 @ $85 per
Definitive Technologies Mythos Gem Book Shelf Speakers Qty 3 @ $249 per
(The installer wants to use on of the Mythos Gems as a center speaker?)
Definitive Technologies BP/A in-wall bipolar surround speakers Qty 2 @ $200
(these are the rectangular in wall speakers he is mounting in the ceiling for rears?)
Keeping in mind the house is prewired, he wants $650 to install components and speakers. ( This includes all component wires that are needed)

The total comes out to a little over $3200. My in-laws don't have the ear that everyone has here but they want to get the best for their money. Is this an okay sytem for the money? Are there areas were they could go cheaper? I apologize for my first post being one of this length but any help will be much appreciated. I will be sure to let my in-laws know it was not I who had the answers.
Thanks Again,
Neil

[Mr Peabody]

I personally like Onkyo for receivers and NAD is decent. The speakers look like he gave pretty good product for the money, I wouldn't go any cheaper. I haven't heard of that brand of sub but you aren't going to find much for $200.00. I don't know much on home automation to comment on the volume control and zone equipment. From what I see it looks like the installer gave you a good bang for the buck set up. You might be able to cut a corner with a cheaper receiver or speakers but that's not "bang for the buck" to me. To me it's getting the best performance for a price. The system shown has mostly quality, name brand gear at a decent price.

[PeruvianSkies]

Hello,
I would like to start by saying how helpful everyone in this forum is. I have read many post that are similar to my question, but with so many choices in equipment it is hard to find the help in previous post. I thought I knew a little about home theaters but after combing over opst here I realize I am a complete novice. My in-laws, however, have it in their heads that I can help them with there home theater. I can not. They want to make sure that their money is going in the right direction. Just a quick set up of what they have going on.
Room is 13x18ft with 20 ft ceilings and has been pre-wired 7.1 but they are using only 5.1.
There are 4 other rooms wired for speakers including the outside deck.
They have an Onkyo receiver (not sure of the model)
They have been quoted the following prices for equipment and installation.\
NAD C325 BEE integrated amp-$450
Leviton System Matching Module (Lev-SGAMP-000)-$265
AVAD Earthquake SubWoofer-8" 250 watts-$200
Lev SGVT-00W Leviton Struass Volume Control Qty 4 @ $85 per
Definitive Technologies Mythos Gem Book Shelf Speakers Qty 3 @ $249 per
(The installer wants to use on of the Mythos Gems as a center speaker?)
Definitive Technologies BP/A in-wall bipolar surround speakers Qty 2 @ $200
(these are the rectangular in wall speakers he is mounting in the ceiling for rears?)
Keeping in mind the house is prewired, he wants $650 to install components and speakers. ( This includes all component wires that are needed)

The total comes out to a little over $3200. My in-laws don't have the ear that everyone has here but they want to get the best for their money. Is this an okay sytem for the money? Are there areas were they could go cheaper? I apologize for my first post being one of this length but any help will be much appreciated. I will be sure to let my in-laws know it was not I who had the answers.
Thanks Again,
Neil

Buy a civil war canon?

[Rich-n-Texas]

Buy a civil war canon?

What does that mean?

Neil,

I just plugged Leviton System Matching Module SGAMP-000 into Smarthome's website and it came up with a price of $158.95. This is just a small example of where your in-laws could save some money by purchasing some of the equipment themselves if they're are so inclined. www.smarthomeusa.com (http://www.smarthomeusa.com) sells a lot of that type of stuff and I'm sure there are other places that might even be cheaper.

Also, Wescott had his home theatre setup displayed in Audio/Video Interiors: http://www.audiovideointeriors.com/readerqa/0307diy/ and you can see what his cost was.

Hope this helps some.

[westcott]

What does that mean?

Also, Wescott had his home theatre setup displayed in Audio/Video Interiors: http://www.audiovideointeriors.com/readerqa/0307diy/ and you can see what his cost was.

Hope this helps some.

Thanks for the plug Tex. (Check is in the mail:)
I am not one for publishing monetary figures (its not polite) but it was something AV Interiors insisted on. But, I feel that now the figures are out, I should clarify. I have broken out the different categories so a clearer picture can be painted on where the money was spent.

33% AV Equipment
25% Light Control (Ouch!)
25% Furniture
15% Floors (Floated and Acoustically Isolated-Adjoining entry and study also done)
2% Miscellaneous

If you have particular budget questions, please PM me.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Sorry Brad. I agree it's not polite to put focus on costs; it was more intended as a point of info for Neil. I think from that he'll realize that all-in-all, he's in a good ballpark from a financial standpoint with what his in-laws have to work with.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation in any way, shape or form with SmartHome.com, or Westcott Enterprises! ;) -Rich/Tex

[topspeed]

I don't think that's a bad system, although I can't imagine a $200 8" sub being close to adequate in a room that size. That's just too much cubic feet of air for a tiny-tot sub.

I'm also unclear how you have a bi-polar in-wall speaker?!? How does that even work? I know DefTech's bread and butter is bi-pole speakers, but this concept escapes me.

What's the NAD for? Say the Onkyo is a 10 channel, 3 zone model. This means it will run your main HT and two other rooms. I'm not well versed in multi-room installs, but wouldn't this mean you are still 4 channels short for the the other rooms. If the NAD is powering one (say the master suite), where are the other 2 channels coming from (unless he's wiring everything in series, which may prove taxing on the avr)?

[mover76]

Thanks for the help. I figured being a newbie to the site I would get a comment like "buy a civil war cannon" to get the most bang for the buck. Funny. Thanks for the advice Rich on www.smarthomeusa.com. The sub seems small to me as well, and I am still not sure about using the same speakers for the fronts and center speaker. Is that something that would cause problems? Thanks again for any help. If anyone as any additional information on the subject let me know.
Thanks,
Neil

[topspeed]

As long as the front speakers are true L/C/R designs, it's actually preferrable to use the same speakers across the front stage. The reason most of us don't is due to the feasibility (not to mention WAF) of three floorstanders in front of the monitor. If you had a projector, there are acoustically transparent screens you can use, but that's a different topic. Most of the challenges of using a L/R speaker as a cc is when you try to position it in a way for which it wasn't designed. For instance, you can't just take a two way monitor and flip it on its side to make a cc. You'll run into all kinds of dispersion problems. Even CC's that use a MTM arrangement aren't as good. Ideally, the tweeter should be postioned above the other transducers, although it's rare to see designs like this.

http://www.asbyon.com/images/modelle/4946_1.jpg

[AVMASTER]

which Onkyo receiver? What are the source components? are the speakers for the other rooms already in place? Not sure about that sub, if it's the Earthquake I think it is then it will not do. Use the matching Def tech center and skip the in-walls, totally wrong! Do your in-laws really want such basic control; the quoted system will work as is but there's alot of room for improvement