$1500-2000 to get set-up, suggestions??

So, after 21 years of schooling I am soon getting a real job and a house and my first real purchase is going to be a kicking stereo. (Seriously, with over 100G in school debt what's another couple thousand) However, after spending a multitude of hours on the internet I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the options out there so I thought I'd ask for some help...

I don't watch a great deal of television and prefer to play music from my system - but want it to be able to double as a home theater.

Components I already have:
Sony DVP-S360 DVD player.
I'm going to sell my mini stereo and speakers that I've had for the last 12 years.

Components I'll need:
Receiver
Center Channel
Front Speakers (prefer floor standing but smaller would be okay too)
Sub woofer
Some small Surround units
Amp? (don't know if I'll need this)
Possibly Roku type networking device to pump iTunes into stereo. (not including this in budget)

Brand Names I have experience with and trust:
Kenwood
Sony
Allison Acoustics

My budget: $1500-2000

I have looked at some of the home theater in the box kits the one that appeals to me most is:
Kenwood Fineline Networked Home Theater System HTB-N815DV - I like that it is networked and otherwise seems like a decent package. I don't like that it is a home theater package.

Reciever:
I've looked at these two but am open to suggestions -
Kenwood VR-6070 Home Theater Receiver
Marantz SR7300ose

The remaining components I have no particular leanings at this point.

Space is not a huge issue but I don't want anything gigantic and I will likely be moving a couple of times so would like something is relatively versatile in space.

So, that is a pretty broad topic - I'd just like to say thanks in advance for suggestions you all can provide.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bdub77

So, after 21 years of schooling I am soon getting a real job and a house and my first real purchase is going to be a kicking stereo. (Seriously, with over 100G in school debt what's another couple thousand) However, after spending a multitude of hours on the internet I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the options out there so I thought I'd ask for some help...

I don't watch a great deal of television and prefer to play music from my system - but want it to be able to double as a home theater.

Components I already have:
Sony DVP-S360 DVD player.
I'm going to sell my mini stereo and speakers that I've had for the last 12 years.

Components I'll need:
Receiver
Center Channel
Front Speakers (prefer floor standing but smaller would be okay too)
Sub woofer
Some small Surround units
Amp? (don't know if I'll need this)
Possibly Roku type networking device to pump iTunes into stereo. (not including this in budget)

Brand Names I have experience with and trust:
Kenwood
Sony
Allison Acoustics

My budget: $1500-2000

I have looked at some of the home theater in the box kits the one that appeals to me most is:
Kenwood Fineline Networked Home Theater System HTB-N815DV - I like that it is networked and otherwise seems like a decent package. I don't like that it is a home theater package.

Reciever:
I've looked at these two but am open to suggestions -
Kenwood VR-6070 Home Theater Receiver
Marantz SR7300ose

The remaining components I have no particular leanings at this point.

Space is not a huge issue but I don't want anything gigantic and I will likely be moving a couple of times so would like something is relatively versatile in space.

So, that is a pretty broad topic - I'd just like to say thanks in advance for suggestions you all can provide.

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First off, congrats on finishing you're schooling!:cool: Over 100 grand in school loans? :eek: Where'd you go, Yale?:confused: Hope U lerned good!


Both receivers mentioned are discontinued models, I believe. You should be able to get either at a substantial discount because of this. Between the 2, I would choose the Marantz. I don't recall Kenwood being thought of very highly in recent years...

Jeff

I am not a fan of the boxed systems. They serve a purpose but if you want good sound avoid them. Most of the ones I've seen have very small drivers and even with a sub it sounds like gaps in the response. I would lean toward Marantz over Kenwood for performance. You should hear more clarity from the Marantz. I would recommend giving Onkyo a listen. You can use your current DVD player for both music and movies just use your digital output when connecting to your receiver. The Athena speakers have been getting good talk. I listened to a pair on display and for what that was worth they sounded better than bose or klipsch. I listened to the bookshelf it didn't play very low but the frequencies covered sounded very good for the money. Acoustic Energy is another good bang for the buck speaker. I recently brought in a pair of Infinity Alpha 20's to audition and found them to be terribly unbalanced, the mids and highs covered up the bass. With a sub they may not be bad as a system, very bright. In other mass market stuff some Polk isn't bad but many of their center speakers I've seen use 3" drivers. Your center is extremely important in home theater playback and I personally wouldn't recommend anything less than a 5 1/4" driver.

You said you may move around some and if you want outstanding sound, Linn makes an all-in-one unit called a Klassik. A just 2 channel version is about $1,500. and the HT version is around $2,500. This would not include speakers. These units have tuner, cd/dvd and amp in one very small unit and give true high end performance. Just a thought. A Bose all-in-one would be about that price range and wouldn't even come close in comparison on performance. Of course, Bose would provide speakers.

The best suggestion is for you to take your time and go out to listen and put your hands on some of this stuff to see what's out there and what your ear fancies. Have fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bdub77

So, after 21 years of schooling I am soon getting a real job and a house and my first real purchase is going to be a kicking stereo. (Seriously, with over 100G in school debt what's another couple thousand) However, after spending a multitude of hours on the internet I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the options out there so I thought I'd ask for some help...

I don't watch a great deal of television and prefer to play music from my system - but want it to be able to double as a home theater.

.

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Here's a suggestion. If you want excellent performance with music, consider going with a 2 channel (stereo) system. You would probably get more bang for your buck.

For example:

NAD C352 integrated amp - $600
B&W DM602 speakers - $600 (there are plenty of great speakers at this price point, it just depends on your taste and preferences.)
spend about $400 on a subwoofer
spend $100 or less on a tuner off ebay
spend about $200 on a cd/dvd player if your Sony is more than 2 to 3 years old

I started with an NAD integrated, a pair of NHT SuperOne speakers and an early Panasonic dvd player and later a Velodyne subwoofer. I added a used tuner and moved the Panasonic dvd player to my bedroom and replaced it with a Pioneer Elite model. When I put the subwoofer in the system, my obsession for surround sound disappeared. It added more to movies than I anticipated.

You can add another pair of 602s (or the smaller 601s) for surrounds, a center channel speaker and a receiver from Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, etc. later. If all that schoolin' pays off you might even be able to get a top of the line Denon or B&K receiver or even seperates.