questions about home theater

[dsantamassino]

hi everyone,

I was looking to buy a 5.1 surround sound system in components instead of a whole package deal. In components i get to pick what i want and how i like it instead of it already in a box. It will cost more though so i will just buy a few items at a time when i save up. How many speakers do i need for 5.1?? how many sub woofers do i need for 5.1?? how many receivers?? I wanted a receiver that could hook up TV, VCR and my DVD Player. I wanted to purchase everything separate only at bestbuy. To get an idea i wanted to look online at http://www.bestbuy.com/ but i dont know which is high or which is low quality the same with the bass.. nothing to expensive and nothing to cheap. Im always poor. Thats why i have to buy items at a time. I have a small room so i need something or want something that will not blow out my room or the room mates. If you guys have any questions just ask me. Please reply back ASAP. btw please list in order what is the most important to get to the less important and show me on the bestbuy website. thanks.

[sc03979]

Before you get started what is your initial $ you want to spend, how much are you going to watch movies with the system, and do you have any speakers right now.

I wish I would have been more patient and pieced my speakers together slowly instead of getting all new speakers in a span of a month (all sony and seem to sound almost as good as the athenas which cost almost 2x as much). My advice would be to listen for what sounds good to you.

I think most of the experts here will tell you to go with a pretty good receiver and 2 good fronts to start. Then piece in the rears, center, and woofer. Of course all this depends on what your listening preferences are.

I've heard good things about athena and they seemed to sound pretty good for their price. I would also go with a yamaha receiver. If you wait you'll get better advice then from me.

[dsantamassino]

Before you get started what is your initial $ you want to spend, how much are you going to watch movies with the system, and do you have any speakers right now.

I wish I would have been more patient and pieced my speakers together slowly instead of getting all new speakers in a span of a month (all sony and seem to sound almost as good as the athenas which cost almost 2x as much). My advice would be to listen for what sounds good to you.

I think most of the experts here will tell you to go with a pretty good receiver and 2 good fronts to start. Then piece in the rears, center, and woofer. Of course all this depends on what your listening preferences are.

I've heard good things about athena and they seemed to sound pretty good for their price. I would also go with a yamaha receiver. If you wait you'll get better advice then from me.




ok.. I wanted to spend at least $2,000 total but do not want to purchase everything at once because i dont have the money.. what is a good receiver on the bestbuy website?? what is a good pair of front speakers on that website?? what is a good sub??

[Bryan]

Why Best Buy? If you have to save up money anyways consider broadening your horizon to other dealers. With $2K you have an excellent budget. However, it could be what you want is a future bedroom system. Perhaps something such as the Rocket Tyke/Kenwood VRS 7100 bundle (http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=42.1) would work well for you. That combination goes for $499 plus shipping and should work very well in your application. The good news is it will still leave you with plenty of money for upgrading later on.

[Eric Z]

Check out some of the Yamaha receivers- you can check out Best Buy, but I agree with Bryan- check out other stores for audio equipment as well. Sometimes Best Buy has decent prices on their receivers. I bought the Yamaha HTR5760 from a local retailer- it runs about $400 (give or take a little). It powers my 5.1 system very well!

[N. Abstentia]

I definitely would make Best Buy one of the last places to buy audio equipment from. Any reason why you're married to Best Buy?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I personally would stay away from HTIB because so many compromises have to be made to meet price points. When you start talking about five speakers, a sub and receiver for $699, something has to give. Usually its the speakers.

Buying is stages is good, but you have to be ready to get everything within a certain time period. A buddy of mine was putting together a system in stages. He bought the front two speakers but waited too long to get the others. By the time was ready to purchase the rest of the system, they were no longer in production. The newer speakers used a different crossover and tweeter, so they were not a timbre match to what he currently has. He ended up waiting a while longer, and picking them up second hand. He had to wait alot longer than he wanted to put this system together.

Rather than just getting a cheap, mega compromised system, I would save my money and buy the best I could afford.

[dsantamassino]

ok i understand.. I need and want opinions please on a receiver from crutchfield.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-KyNh8X4KMrp/cgi-bin/ProdGroup.asp?c=4&g=10420&s=0&cc=01&search=

What is the best receiver on that link that is NOT going or cutting close to the $1,000 mark?? As far as the five speakers. My Uncle said he would help me build them but he wants me to get the infor and what i need to do to build them. I make another topic in the speaker forum..

[markw]

Why are you so specific on the dealers you want to purchase from? That limits you greatly since you may have more options elsewhere, particularly when you don't even have a particular brand in mind.

Why not simply ask "What's a good receiver for $xxx and where can I get it?" That may be more productive.

...just tryin' to help.

[dsantamassino]

Why are you so specific on the dealers you want to purchase from? That limits you greatly since you may have more options elsewhere, particularly when you don't even have a particular brand in mind.

Why not simply ask "What's a good receiver for $xxx and where can I get it?" That may be more productive.

...just tryin' to help.


ok from that link. I mean nothing more then $500 or $600 dollars and looking for an high end receiver such as Denon?? or what are some other that would have everything that is an high end receiver??

[sc03979]

ok.. I wanted to spend at least $2,000 total but do not want to purchase everything at once because i dont have the money.. what is a good receiver on the bestbuy website?? what is a good pair of front speakers on that website?? what is a good sub??

If you have $2,000 I definitely wouldn't limit myself to just Best Buy. I would cruise this great forum for what people like best. I wouldn't base your opinon on what others say but on what you try out on your own. Ultimately you should be able to get a very solid system for that kind of cash.

If it were me and the system is for my bedroom I would spend much less cash and use the big money for a bigger living room. I would look at:

Yamaha 5740 for $283 at Best Buy http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077626340122&skuId=6304741&productCategoryId=cat03031&type=product

I then would find the cheapest speakers that sounded good to me from: athena, jbl, infinity, BIC, polk audio, and maybe even axiom.

I'm kind of a cheap skate and can't fathom spending $2,000 for a bedroom audio system.

[dsantamassino]

If you have $2,000 I definitely wouldn't limit myself to just Best Buy. I would cruise this great forum for what people like best. I wouldn't base your opinon on what others say but on what you try out on your own. Ultimately you should be able to get a very solid system for that kind of cash.

If it were me and the system is for my bedroom I would spend much less cash and use the big money for a bigger living room. I would look at:

Yamaha 5740 for $283 at Best Buy http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1077626340122&skuId=6304741&productCategoryId=cat03031&type=product

I then would find the cheapest speakers that sounded good to me from: athena, jbl, infinity, BIC, polk audio, and maybe even axiom.

I'm kind of a cheap skate and can't fathom spending $2,000 for a bedroom audio system.


ok but i kinda changed a bit. I was thinking $2,000 for separate components for 5.1 but now i want a Denon receiver for no more then $600 and build my self the 5 speakers and the sub woofer. Meet me in the speaker lounge. btw on that crutchfiled site. What was the best Denon there??

[alumpkin]

ok but i kinda changed a bit. I was thinking $2,000 for separate components for 5.1 but now i want a Denon receiver for no more then $600 and build my self the 5 speakers and the sub woofer. Meet me in the speaker lounge. btw on that crutchfiled site. What was the best Denon there??

Dsantamassino, in reading your questions, I have to agree with others and question why you seem to set on specific retailers and components (such as Denon here). Denon makes very good receivers, but have you heard one? If you have and have made your Denon judgement on the sound, price, and features, then you have the right idea and are off to a great start. Almost everyone one this forum has their ideas of what the best setup is and what components sound best. You might post a "Best Receiver Around $600" thread and get 10 "best" receivers. Therefore, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Don't limit yourself in any way to retailers and/or brand names. You should first limit yourself by your budget, then go and listen and look at the components that fit it and begin limiting yourself then on the components themselves based on what you have seen and heard. Always go by your own ear and the features you want. You mentioned earlier that you want to hook up the TV, VCR, and DVD to your receiver. Therefore, that should of course be factor in what receiver you choose, but never just take someone's advice about audio components without doing your own listening tests and research. There are lots of great people on here that will work hard with you to get you on the right track, but you are the one who is going to be using the system. Get one that sounds great to you.

2. This might not pertain to your budget, but be on the lookout for speaker / receiver combinations that have been known to sound well together. For example, Rotel receivers and B&W speakers sometimes go hand in hand and they do sound great together. Me, I chose to go the Arcam and B&W route because I liked the features and the sound better than Rotel.

3. Don't forget about the hidden costs: cables, surge protector / line conditioner, etc. Some, like cables, are a must and can be expensive.

It sounds like though you are getting on the right track from your postings. So, keep at it, have some fun, and early congrats on your new system.

[Thomsoad]

I agree with pretty much everyone on this post. Crutchfield and BestBuy are usually the most expensive to buy from. However, I am assuming the reason why you chose those companies is because you are either familiar with the names OR they got good online reviews. If its reliability issues, for the record I have gotten four items from etronics.com and they have never let me down. I have posted another thread before requesting everyone to list online retailers they trust. I would check it out. Your money is valuable. Get the best deal!!

[noddin0ff]

dsantamassino- in the thread you linked to (speaker forum) you asked for help. If you are serious, do the following.

1) go to this link
http://perverted-justice.com/index.php?pg=information#2

2) Scroll down to your state

3) Call a counselor listed in your area

4) Tell them you are a pedophile

5) Talk to them for as long as it takes.

If you are not serious about seeking help, or your are just saying things for kicks, you can go to hell or prison, which ever will take you.


icq: 250133477
aim: dsantamassino11
MSN: dsantamassino@hotmail.com
Yahoo: dsantamassino
real life name: Derek Santamassino
birthday: 1982/01/28
Country: United States
occupation:
21/m/PA. Single

-noddin0ff




ok but i kinda changed a bit. I was thinking $2,000 for separate components for 5.1 but now i want a Denon receiver for no more then $600 and build my self the 5 speakers and the sub woofer. Meet me in the speaker lounge. btw on that crutchfiled site. What was the best Denon there??

[noddin0ff]

Doesn't anyone here have a problem with someone who proclaims "I like 16 year old girls" and has "Fuk U" as their signature?.

Do you all think his future stereo is his real problem???

-noddin0ff

[PAT.P]

Doesn't anyone here have a problem with someone who proclaims "I like 16 year old girls" and has "Fuk U" as their signature?.

Do you all think his future stereo is his real problem???

-noddin0ff
Yes I have a problem with this being a father and grandfather of young girls ! Pat.P