complete system for 500??

[madmax1]

Hello, i have a freind that wants home theater.But only has $500 to spend. What combo system could he get that is good? He needs a receiver and speakers. he already has the tv and dvd player.hopefully you guys can help him out? Thanks for any help!!

[Woochifer]

At that price, you'll need to choose which area to significantly compromise, the speakers or the front end electronics. Given a choice, I would start with an entry level HT receiver and add only the first two speakers. The biggest mistake with home theatre is assuming that you have to buy the whole system at once. And when you buy the system at once in an all-in-one box system, the problem is almost always in the sound quality of the speakers. Almost all HT receivers have some kind of virtual surround mode for systems with two, three, or four speakers. Look for a good pair of bookshelf speakers and gradually add on as funds open up.

The minimum level for good sound quality on a 5.1 speaker package is probably the Energy Take 5, and that speaker package costs $500 by itself.

[Norm Strong]

Hello, i have a freind that wants home theater.But only has $500 to spend. What combo system could he get that is good? He needs a receiver and speakers. he already has the tv and dvd player.hopefully you guys can help him out? Thanks for any help!!

Hand him a copy of the November issue of Consumer Reports. There are several recommendations. There may be better choices, but he won't go far wrong with one recommended by CR. (Also, you're covered if he doesn't like it. CR gets the blame.)