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  1. #1
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    [QUOTE=jocko_nc]Small point of contention: I wouldn't go shopping with a "$30K budget"...

    IMO, you may end up with the system that adds up to $30K that is what the seller wanted to sell you, that which is best for him. (puts the most margin in the seller's pocket.) Figure out what you want, then shop it. Don't give a price target, be willing to pay for the value provided. You know what you want to spend in the end, but you won't get cornered in the process.

    Imagine walking into a custom A/V shop knowing what you what to do, and your already wired to do it. The salesperson jots down your info and proceeds to show you several demo rooms; each one sounds and looks fantastic.After an hour you're really hyped up and the salesperson suggests putting together a proposal and will e-mail you that night.
    You get home, check your email and theres' his proposal for $100,000.00!!!!!
    Why the sticker shock? Its the salespersons' job to make money so they will propose the best stuff, why go low when you can start high?So now you say it's too much, redo it, he sends it back $50k less, you say redo it, back it comes $50k less, etc. etc. etc.. Actually this is a wastefull approach but without a set budget to work within can you blame the salesperson for shooting for the stars? Only you know what you're willing to pay and that info should be shared!

  2. #2
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    I disagree. I try not to buy something with a set budget, at least not one that I share with the seller. I want to see the relative costs and values. I may spend more or less than I had intended, I'll ultimately take what is the best value for the money. Show me what you got and how much it will take to make it happen. Lay out the options and then you negotiate. To do otherwise puts the seller in charge of the process. IMO, if you give someone a "budget", they will spend right up to it, creating the package that is most advantageous to them.

    Worst case example: Go into a car dealership, tell the guy you have $500.00 / month to spend on a car payment, and see what kind of deal you get.

    The necessary first step is to inform yourself on what is out there and what is possible. Don't waste your time of his. Do your homework. An uninformed shopper never gets a good deal.

    jocko

  3. #3
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    Has anyone else ever tried to sell something to a buyer who would not allow you to define the value proposition to your terms? Professional buyers usually do this, it is a pain in the butt. What suffers are the margins. As a buyer, that is the way to go.

    jocko

  4. #4
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    I guess what I am getting at is that $30K is a lot of money and ought to get you a sch-weeeet setup. Or, on the other hand, it could get you a merely nice setup. The audio will be the most subjective and difficult part. The difference is doing your homework and, possibly, how much margin the seller puts in his pocket.

    I'd LOVE to put $30K into some electronics. Fortunately / unfortunately, I have to spend almost that same amount on a boat dock and lift! Oh well, priorities. Did I mention that I am going to shop the hell out of it? Prices are all over the place.

    If I had to do it, I'd save a lot of bucks with proven DIY speakers and quality used analog equipment. Towers for mains. Similar-but-smaller center. I'd do similar-again custom built-ins for the rears. DIY subs can be outstanding, I have two of them. Again, you can do a partial built-in which saves on cabinet finishing. For power, a stack of used Adcom 545 and 535's all around. I would make up my own quality wiring as needed. Add a decent AV receiver, you are in business for not a lot on money. The result would rival a system costing 10X. I realize I am a little to the extreme in this regard...

    jocko

  5. #5
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    what if Slappi had posted without a budget, would you know where to begin? Providing a set budget saves time, protects you from purchasing more than you need and provides peace of mind in knowing that you got the best you could afford. Your right about doing your homework first however the options can be overwhelming for some and getting the parts to work together seemlessly is not as easy as it may sound; so providing a dealer with as much info as possible ( including a budget ) should be the first step.

  6. #6
    Man of the People Forums Moderator bobsticks's Avatar
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    Hey Slappi,

    Random thoughts:
    -Good advice so far; keep Flo's AVSforum in mind. That should be a good reference for a lot of the stuff on which we come up short.
    -The fact that this basically going to be a movie screening room will save you money, my man. You don't need speakers so sensitive that you can discern which side of the conductor's face snot is running down. Not necessary for your application. Brands to look at would be Klipsch, Def Tech, and maybe even Paradigm. While you don't need to go nuts, you will want some of the higher models from these brands.
    -You want a fairly decent receiver. Some brands that get a lot of recs around here are Denon, Marantz, and Yamaha. I'd check out Rotel as well. Whatever it is you'll want to make sure that it has preouts so that you can signal from the receiver to some external amps. This alone will get you a significant upgrade in sound and power.
    -You may also need to check the number of vid inputs on the receiver. It is likely that whatever projector you end up with will have a limited number of these, so add up your total number of sources-dvd,hd-dvd,satelite for the big game-you should examine the idea of using your receiver as a video hub as well as a sound processor.
    -Leave wiggle room in the budget,screens aren't cheap
    -Power amps; maybe a couple of Rotel RMB-1066s. Adcom gets great recs here, as well as Bryston and Parasound.
    -Denon's 2910 and Marantz's 8600(?) are universal players that get good press all over. They'll play whatever format you put in 'em and upscale it too.
    -I like the look of GMichael's Optoma rec, but I would personally want a projector with hdmi
    -Never buy any furniture marketed toward "Home Theater Seating". That's a great way to spend $500 extra each unit on essentially the same chair.
    -I agree whole-heartedly with jocko. Lowbid, if you must divulge $$$. Go in at a range of 12-14k for equipment, let him bilk you out of 17k, spend another 10k on paint, lighting,woodwork and custom install, and take the other 3k and go on vacation...

    Cheers, good luck, and most of all Have Fun
    So, I broke into the palace
    With a sponge and a rusty spanner
    She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
    I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

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