If you only had $1,500 for your HT system...

[Palindrake]

... and needed to buy a receiver and 5.1 speakers, what would you buy???

Note: WAF is a serious issue and the smaller the better and also any speakers that come with color to them, whether silver or wood color would probably be better than straight-up black.

1. Receiver choices:

2. Sub Choices:

3. Surround speaker choices:

I need to help my brother-in-law with his system and he's got a definite budget so any help you all could offer is greatly appreciated.

Have a nice day

[zepman1]

Receivers:

I would check out the Yamahas and Pioneers at Worst Buy. They have 5.1's with 100w/channel for as low as $200. You can upgrade to 7.1 and some more features for around $300. Those are good brands to look at in this price range.

Subs:

One option may be the Dayton subs at Parts Express. There is a 12" 150W that could be had for $150. I have not heard these subs, but they come well recommended. Otherwise your best options would be the Velodyne VRP series at Circuit City ($300 I think) or the Athena at Best Buy ($300). I would personally stick with the 10" drivers instead of 12" if you are using it for music. If only for home theater, go with the 12".

Speakers:

This is a little tricker, and there should be about $1000 left for the front, rear and center speakers. It really comes down to personal preference, and you should be able to get something pretty good for $1000 or so. I would not go to a big box store for these, but shop around at local hifi stores and see what you like. Most brands will come in a variety of finishes.

I would personally stay away from those small satellite systems, since they have trouble with the mid-bass. A couple bookshelfs for the front are probably your best bet. Tower speakers may be out of reach in this price range if you also need center and surrounds. Brands to look at include Paradigm, Energy, Klipsch, Athena among many others.

[LMB]

Try Onkyo HT in a box

[L.J.]

Another route would be to build slowly.

AVR = $300 - $400

Center & Fronts = $1100 - $1200

Get your sub and surrounds later.

I know, I know. But in the long run, it'll pay off.

Just my little tiny .02

[L.J.]

Try Onkyo HT in a box

Ouch, that hurt!

[GMichael]

Try Onkyo HT in a box

Not your best bet.
Onkyo receiver? Sure.
Onkyo speakers? Not so much.

[zepman1]

As mentioned, Onkyo in a box is not so great. Anyhow the comment about building slowly also has some merit. That way you can get the things you really want and not have to sacrifice quality to get everything at once. $300 will get you a pretty nice receiver. The remaining $1200 would be pretty good for fronts and center speakers. Save up for a nice SVS sub $400-$600 and matching surrounds later on.

[Kam]

to add a few pennies worth of comments to LJ's response, but i would go one step slower, and just buy your reciever and two front speakers.
if you spent 3-400 on a receiver you'd have a solid reciever and then able to in the 11-1200 range for a set of main speakers. in this range, imo, you can get a solid full range speaker or, at the very least, a set of very kickbutt bookshelves. plus, in that range, can get some sweet LOOKING speakers as well, for the waf.

to help out more, is your bro-in-law's $1,500.00 budget his lifetime budget he's planning on spending on the hobby? in which case you HAVE to get your full setup in this one buy, or if not, then i would highly highly highly reccomend going the slow route and buying very high quality speakers slowly over time. rather than spend 1,000 on five mediocre speakers, buy 2 amazing ones and then, over time, add on to that. even with mid-range recievers, you'd be amazed at how well two high-quality main speakers can work in 'phantom' mode and simulate sound where there is no center. also, are you buying for a house, dedicated ht room, apartment, how big a room, etc? you may not even need a sub based on your listening preferences and room size. my mains with my room treatments and configuration pump out more than enough bass for me in my own situation.

personally, just from my own experience, i would go this route:

First purchase: reciever + 2 main speakers
Second purchase: 2 surrounds.
Third purchase: Center
Fourth: projection.

This is just what worked for me and my tastes, also because the center i bought was pretty expensive, so waited till i could get the one i wanted.

peace and good luck! welcome to the addiction!
k2

[westcott]

Another route would be to build slowly.

AVR = $300 - $400

Center & Fronts = $1100 - $1200

Get your sub and surrounds later.

I know, I know. But in the long run, it'll pay off.

Just my little tiny .02

I agree with LJ.

If it were my money, I would snag the last few Klispch RB75s still available for fronts at $800 a pair and get a receiver with a phantom center capability. You could buy a third RB75 and use it for a center chanel and still stay within budget if you use LJs numbers for a receiver.

Good speakers last a long time. They could make awesome surronds some day in the future if you catch the bug the rest of us have. Quality over quanity as my father used to always say.

Good Luck

[Jim Clark]

personally, just from my own experience, i would go this route:

First purchase: reciever + 2 main speakers
Second purchase: 2 surrounds.
Third purchase: Center
Fourth: projection.

This is just what worked for me and my tastes, also because the center i bought was pretty expensive, so waited till i could get the one i wanted.

peace and good luck! welcome to the addiction!
k2

You're close to what I'd do:

1'st: Receiver + 2 sat. speakers that I know would be moved to the rear when it was all said and done.

2'nd: Main +center channel speakers, moving the other to be rear. I think this is essential in order to make sure that you are able to get a matching CC. Models change and if you don't buy together you run the risk of never getting a proper match. Plus, dealers are often willing to cut a bit deeper when you buy the matching center at the same time.

3'rd: Sub

4'th: Display, if it in fact needs upgrading.

I personally despise all of the HTIB solutions that I've seen. As bad as the speakers are, the subs are usually even worse. If an "all in one" type solution is necessary I would think that there are superior options:

http://www.hsustore.com/vt12.html

HSU VT 12 -199 (when purchased with sub) Additionally they are available in silver and are in fact quite small

HSU sub - STF-2 (399)

That leaves leaves 900 bucks for electronics. 200 for an Oppo or Panasonic DVDP gives me 700 left for a decent Yamaha/Onkyo/Marantz/Denon/Pioneer receiver (no HK's thank you very much). The more adventerous might want to plug in one of the hyped Panasonic digital receivers and have 500 bones left over. AT 250 bucks they get all kinds of raves but I have my reservations. Still, if it can be taken back to the store it might be worth a shot? I'd go this route or some variation before I'd ever buy an HITB. You may think differently.

jc

[swgiust]

Nebraska Furniture Mart has an Infinity Primus system, 7.1 with a 10" sub and
an HK reciever for $ 1000 even. I have a friend who has one and it sounds pretty
good. Iv'e seen the speakers for less on the web, too.

[GMichael]

Nebraska Furniture Mart has an Infinity Primus system, 7.1 with a 10" sub and
an HK reciever for $ 1000 even. I have a friend who has one and it sounds pretty
good. Iv'e seen the speakers for less on the web, too.

I can vouch for the Infinity Primus. I have the 360 mains, the PS12 sub, and 150 surrounds & rears. They all sound very good.

[Jim Clark]

Nebraska Furniture Mart has an Infinity Primus system, 7.1 with a 10" sub and
an HK reciever for $ 1000 even. I have a friend who has one and it sounds pretty
good. Iv'e seen the speakers for less on the web, too.

Swgiust, where are you located if you don't mind me asking?

jc

[swgiust]

I'm in central Nebraska, I see your in Kansas. Nebraska Furniture mart
just opened a big new store in KC.

[BadAssJazz]

I haven't tried any of these, but if I absolutely HAD to get a HT system together with high WAF for less than $1500, I'd go this route:


NAD T743 Receiver $699
http://www.audiovisionsf.com/?page=d...product_id=622

Home Theater Direct "Level Two" Dark Cherry Speaker Package $799
http://www.htd.com/leveltwosets.html


But my advice is to piece your HT system together over time with equipment that you have thoroughly researched. The reality is you will probably buy the system/equipment that you can afford and inevitably upgrade. That was the case with me. I am now many, many years and thousands of dollars removed from the old Sony HT receiver, Kenwood main speakers, Cambridge Audio Center and Surrounds, and Advent subwoofer. (Yes, I said Advent.) I can laugh at it now, but boy, the early years were the most painful. Good luck!

... and needed to buy a receiver and 5.1 speakers, what would you buy???

Note: WAF is a serious issue and the smaller the better and also any speakers that come with color to them, whether silver or wood color would probably be better than straight-up black.

1. Receiver choices:

2. Sub Choices:

3. Surround speaker choices:

I need to help my brother-in-law with his system and he's got a definite budget so any help you all could offer is greatly appreciated.

Have a nice day

[Jim Clark]

I'm in central Nebraska, I see your in Kansas. Nebraska Furniture mart
just opened a big new store in KC.

We have all the inlaws in Omaha and of course we're here in KC. Spent New Years in the Big O watching fireworks on the river front and prime rib dinner at Mr. C's. Not too bad. I was kind of hoping that your were down here a ways. It would be nice to have some more enthusiasts a bit closer.

jc

[Palindrake]

Thank you all for the wonderful and informative responses, it sure makes the process of helping my brother-in-law out a lot.

Last question, would any of you ever use Mackie HR824's in a HT setup? WAF is flaring up from his wife and now we may be stuck with just 2.0 or 2.1

[edtyct]

I know that people do. I'm not totally sure, but I think that these Mackies are near-field monitors, meaning that they were designed for listening at distances closer than four feet (the way studio engineers and musicians do when they're mixing, monitoring, etc.). They are something of an industry standard, and are touted as extremely revealing and flat up to 22khz and down to about 40hz. I'd be wary of using them at home if the distances weren't right, but you could always give them a try.

Another caveat is that they're powered, which isn't a bad thing but certainly impacts flexibility if other products appeal to you. And how would you drive them, a preamp or the preout section of a receiver?

[BadAssJazz]

WAF is flaring up from his wife and now we may be stuck with just 2.0 or 2.1

I have a friend whose wife simply didn't want anything even closely resembling a speaker box to be in "her" living room. Safe to say, 5 speaker boxes and a subwoofer were totally out of the question. So he went with small in-wall speakers without the sub and chalked it up to one of the sacrifices that you have to make when you get married.

[L.J.]

I have a friend whose wife simply didn't want anything even closely resembling a speaker box to be in "her" living room. Safe to say, 5 speaker boxes and a subwoofer were totally out of the question. So he went with small in-wall speakers without the sub and chalked it up to one of the sacrifices that you have to make when you get married.

Man I must be one lucky SOB. I got speakers and gear laying everywhere.

[EdwardGein]

Orb Audio Mod 1 System 5 Satellite Speakers & Super Eight Sub aprox $800 including shipping Denon 3801 Receiver $400 ($1200 new, I bought mine used on Ebay in excellent condition with everything)

It is near impossible to get Orbs used For the remaining $300 you can get a Denon 31 DVD player & cables or a cheaper DVD player & Harmony Remote (online not in stores) & cables

The going rate for a used Denon in excellent to very good condition 3801 on Ebay is $375-425 inc. shipping & is usually listed a few times a week

[swgiust]

I'd like to invite the wifes of the world to come spend an evening in my living room/home theater. I have a tastefully decorated 18 x 18 room. Leather theather seating, nice carpeting. Pictures and such on the walls. Nice entertainment center.

I'd like to bring them in with the lights down low and a good movie on. They would
notice how comfortable the seating was, how nice the picture is. They would enjoy their kids sitting next to them. They would think how nice it would be to have a HOME theater
like this at their house.

Then I'd turn up the lights.................

65" Mits tv = HUGE.

SVS PB12-Ultra/2 Sub = HUGER, 200lbs of subwoofer giant!

4 1/2 ft high tower speakers, giant center channel...

And hopefully.....like my wife......they wouldn't care!

[L.J.]

I'd like to invite the wifes of the world to come spend an evening in my living room/home theater. I have a tastefully decorated 18 x 18 room. Leather theather seating, nice carpeting. Pictures and such on the walls. Nice entertainment center.

I'd like to bring them in with the lights down low and.........

ALL the wifes of the world. My, what a big appetite you have...

[GMichael]

ALL the wifes of the world. My, what a big appetite you have...

Easy LJ,

I'm sure he meant just 3 or 4 per hour.

[Bigfishe]

Pioneer 1015 $380 Call J&R.

Bic Acoustech 5.1 system $700 make an offer on one of the Ebay auctions accepting offers they will take it most likely especially if you also order an extra sub and pair of surrounds for a 7.2 system
all for around $1500