$10,000 to spend

[komara]

If you had $10,000 to spend on a home theater set-up, what would your recommended purchases be? Monitor, receiver, speakers, cables, DVD box; anything and everything is to be considered.

[icarus]

ten grand wow... thats quite the budget. I personally would go with B&W 805s fronts, HTM4 center, and the DM600 rears. as for an amp i would go with the rotel RMB 1075, and the RC1070 pre-amp, and any Sub from REL acoustics. As for a DVD player well.. that beyond me.. I still have my old Sony DVD player.

[kexodusc]

I'd be looking at custom built speakers, quality amplification, and a good pre-pro. The DVD player is easy enough to find. 16 gauge cable is fine here. Radio shack RCA's etc.
Definitely wouldn't be getting a receiver - separates are the only way to go. I'd probably spend 70% on speakers give or take.

[basite]

dunno about monitor but, just like Kexodusc, i'd spend alot of the budget on speakers, and the amp.

my choice would go to seperates too. rotel, b&w speakers, or magnepan mg12's, it would be like 5000-6000 on speakers, and then the rest for amps and sources, i don't care about the monitor, something cheapish, not *HUGE* i would firs spend it on the sound, then i'd start saving again and i'd spend that on the monitor.

[GMichael]

What? No one has suggested a TV?

I'd start with a front projector & screen. Models depend on size of room, distance from screen, etc etc. Here's a good site for info on that. http://www.projectorcentral.com/
Prices can range from $1000 to "way too much!" The new Mitsubishi HD1000U is under $5k and is 1080p.

[elapsed]

komora, a few questions to get you started:

1. What are the dimensions of the room?
2. What is the lighting environment in the room?
3. What is your viewing distance?
4. Do you have a preference towards Projector, Rear Projection, or flat panel?
5. Is this system primarily for movies or music?
6. Would you like to build a 5.1 or 7.1 system?
7. What genres of music do you listen to?
8. Does this budget include professional installation, wiring or calibration?

$10,000 will build you a very capable home theatre

[Carl Reid]

Let me make it clear that I'm a two channel guy... so I'd only go for a pair of mains and not spend any money on additional speakers...

So:

TV: Panasonic 52LCX66 LCD Projection
Pre-Amp: Rotel RC1070 (Stereo)
AMP: Rotel RB1080 (200 Watts x 2)
Speakers: Probably B&W 804S
DVD Player: Any Cheap Panasonic one
Cables: Moster Cables all around...

So I guess pretty much the exact setup I have now, except with much better and far more expensive speakers.... lol

[elapsed]

Okay here goes:

Video: Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50" 1080p plasma: $8,000
Audio: Samsung HTIB: $1,300
DVD: Toshiba HD-A2: $500
Cabling: $200

*ducks*

[topspeed]

Need more info before I can play. Elapsed's questions are a good start. His answer OTOH...

[Carl Reid]

His answer OTOH...

I really didn't expect someone on this forum to recommend a cheap HTIB with a 10K budget and then spend 80% of the budget on a TV... But to each his own... If you love Movies (picture quality) and could care less about quality sound, then I guess that's the more logical fund allocation....

I think he's right to starting ducking with a recommendation like that

[elapsed]

I would recommend 50/50 budget between audio and video. For instance:

TV: Panasonic 50" TH50PX600 Plasma, or Panasonic PT-AX100U projector + Da-Lite screen
HD DVD: Toshiba HD-A2
Pre-pro: Rotel RSP-1068 or RSP-1098
Poweramp: Rotel RMB-1075
Universal Remote: Logitech Harmony 890
Power Conditionner: APC H10
Speakers: B&W 700 Series or Paradigm Studio Series
Subwoofer: SVS 16-46 PC-Plus

Alternatively a receiver such as a Rotel RSX-1067 or Arcam AVR350.

[GMichael]

I would recommend 50/50 budget between audio and video. For instance:

TV: Panasonic 50" TH50PX600 Plasma, or Panasonic PT-AX100U projector + Da-Lite screen
HD DVD: Toshiba HD-A2
Pre-pro: Rotel RSP-1068 or RSP-1098
Poweramp: Rotel RMB-1075
Universal Remote: Logitech Harmony 890
Power Conditionner: APC H10
Speakers: B&W 700 Series or Paradigm Studio Series
Subwoofer: SVS 16-46 PC-Plus

Alternatively a receiver such as a Rotel RSX-1067 or Arcam AVR350.

That would be a kickin' system.

[SlumpBuster]

Okay here goes:

Video: Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1 50" 1080p plasma: $8,000
Audio: Samsung HTIB: $1,300
DVD: Toshiba HD-A2: $500
Cabling: $200

*ducks*

I don't know. That may actually be a pretty good answer. I think some of these "budget" questions to be a little suspect. Usually neophytes assume that there is a definitive best to which they can be pointed. A complete lack of info in the first post other than budget suggests that it may not be the most dicerning consumer. So why not a big beautiful SOTA plasma? Samsung makes some very good looking HTiB. Not necessarily a bad idea.

[L.J.]

Bose 321 system


**Puts flamesuit on**

[GMichael]

Bose 321 system


**Puts flamesuit on**

"Hope ya gotta airbag!"

[musicman1999]

I can only tell you what i have put together for just a little more than that:
speakers:jm labs cobalt 816s-$2495.00
cobalt 806s-$1395.00
cobalt cc800s-$799.00
cobalt sw800s$1495.00
reciever:cambridge audio 540r-$959.00
dvd cambridge audio 540d-$489.00
cd player-arcam cd73t-$999.00
sacd-sony xe670-$399.00
television toshiba 51hx84-$2195.00

prices are all canadian retail at time of purchase.throw in about $1000 for cables and wires and you are good to go.
been very happy with the system,good quality movie experience,along with very good music performance.
having said all that i am currently auditioning an arcam dv-137 dvd player and all i can say is wow,its very good.

bill

[Dusty Chalk]

Linn Unidisk...? It'd be nice to get a high quality universal player that also did levels and speaker management (like eliminating the center).
Gallo Reference 3 Fronts
Gallo Due rears
No center
Outlaw PrePro
Musical Fidelity amplification

[Wireworm5]

$10,000 I assume that's in American dollars so that's like $13,000 Canadian. I will go with what I'm familiar with.

Front speakers- Paradigm Studio 100's- $2500
Rear speakers- Paradigm Studio 20's- $1000
Center channel- Paradigm Studio 470- $500
Amp- Bryston 9B-sst $5000
Multi-channel pre-amp $4000
Opps, I ran out of money, the rest goes on my credit card.
Universal dvd player- Brand ?- $1000
42" Hdtv- Brand ?- $2000
Power Conditioner- $150.00
acoustic room treatment panels- $500

There I'm done, over budget mind you but I've got everything I need to be satisfied and no need for further upgrades.

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

*PSB Stratus Paramount 5.1 surround-sound system $5200
*Samsung 61" 1080p DLP Tv $2500
*Playstation3 (blu*ray player) $500
*XBox360 9HD-DVD player) $500
*Onkyo Tx-sr504 AVR $300
*radioshack cables $100

Yes the Onkyo is the cheapy oddball of the party, but since you'll want an AVR with Dolby TrueHD decoding and HDMI 1.3 switching when they hit the market next year, might as well get something cheap now.... not like you'll still be using it next christmas.

[elapsed]

$300 AVR driving $5,200 speakers? Are you out of your mind?

[GMichael]

Has anyone noticed that the OP is gone gone gone. It's like a hit and run driver. Throw in a loaded question and vanish.

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I run my PSB Platinums on a $169 Pioneer AVR. It sounds just fine, and I see no point in upgrading until I can get HDMI 1.3 switching for 4 inuts with next-generation sound format decoding.

[blackraven]

Panasonic 50" Plasma or Samsung 50" 1080P LCD $2500-3500
Outlaw 7125amp 990 preamp $1700
Samsung Bluray player $1000
Magnepan Q1.6 front speakers $1700
Magnepan center channel $900
Magnepan rears $500
Any REL: sub $2000
Cambridge audio A840C CDP $1200

TOTAL $9800 with $200 to spare!

[rpatelrr]

I spent about 10k on system, I have
Sony SXRD 60"
B&W 604S3 fronts
B&W 601 rears
B&W LCR600 center
B&W AWS 600 sub
Sony 5200ES receiver
I am still looking for the DVD player.
Still make sure you go a listen to the speakers and watch the tv before you go buy. When it comes down to it, we can sit here and tell you every combination of HT systems, but it is what you like the best. My wife is a doctor and has a alot of rich doctor friends, and they just buy stuff before they research and I have seen and heard systems that I wouldn't even put in my home if they gave them away for free.