|   Best home theatre in a box for a beginner? | tylerbcrawford
May 6, 2003 6:17 PM | | I'm looking to get a 5.1 setup for my small apartment and would like to buy an all in one package. I was wondering what you folks would recommend for a beginner who would like the best sound quality for music and movies while keeping things as cheap as possible. Thanks! |
| re: Best home theatre in a box for a beginner? | Guardian
May 6, 2003 8:46 PM | | Check out the Kenwood HTB-505. I owned a -504 and it was a very very good system for the money (around $400 USD). It includes the receiver, 5 speakers and the sub, all in the box. You'll want to replace the sub calbe and speaker wire that comes with it though, but decent wire should only cost $20-$30 extra. |
| Can't give any decent suggest. w/o some kind of budget idea (nt) | midfiman
May 7, 2003 7:54 AM | | |
| Can't give any decent suggest. w/o some kind of budget idea (nt) | tylerbcrawford
May 7, 2003 12:25 PM | | My bad, I'd say $500 is my max. |
| Can't give any decent suggest. w/o some kind of budget idea (nt) | lothar
May 7, 2003 2:13 PM | | I was looking for a Home theater in a box about a year and a half ago. I actually ordered a pioneer unit, but it was out of stock. It was probably the best thing that could have happened because the next day i went to a "real" stereo store and heard what a stereo should sound like. My advice to you would be to skip the HTIB and save up your money to get a good set of speakers and a cheep reciever. I would much rather have a cheep stereo set up that a HTIB. |
| He's right... | midfiman
May 8, 2003 5:52 AM | | I'd go the component route:
If money is tight, take your time and build right. A great way to start is to grab a bargain like this:
http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.process?RestartFlow=t&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=946&Product_Id=2980577
You're not going to find anything better under $200, and it's a great foundation reciever to build a good system on.
As far as speakers go, you can get lots of excellent speakers for $300/pr.
Some examples:
http://www.hifi.com/store/category.cgi?category=spk_newton&item=c1m60xxxx&type=store
http://www.6ave.com/product.jsp?x=SB2
http://www.6ave.com/product.jsp?x=MINIMON
http://www.6ave.com/product.jsp?x=301IVBK
You don't need ones that give you bass down to 30hz. You're going to add your own sub later. Think of it this way. If you get somewhat decent $300 speakers now, add a sub as your next step, then your center, then, when funds allow further, you can move those fronts to rear surround duty and get even better fronts.
No one said getting a good HT system is an overnight job. The more patient you are, the better the system you're going to get for your money. It's up to you, either route will give you surround sound. But one will give you surround sound that is respectable while another will give you mediocre sounds from all directions. |
| He's right... | HTdreamer
May 8, 2003 3:42 PM | | I've got a sony DAV HTIB...and it does the job for a small room. Would it sound better if the original speakers were slowly replaced with better midfi, hifi speakers, and eventually transitioning to a component HT?
Generally, HTs are built from Receivers? not AMP, PREAMP, DECODER, ECT.? (I'm new to this and started researching for a HT) |
| Re:He's right... | tylerbcrawford
May 8, 2003 7:04 PM | | Hey thanks for the help, I can understand what you mean and I think I'm gonna go the component route.
Those links for speakers didn't work on my comp so if you could post the names of them I'd greatly appreciate it.
Also, when I'm looking for a reciever should I worry about if it has component video and hook my dvd up through it or should i just hook it up component directly to my tv? |
| re: HOW BOUT BOSE! | This Guy
May 7, 2003 2:11 PM | | haha just kidding. I would say either the Kenwood package or this one.
http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11216720&m=1&cat=1552&scat=242
You really shouldn't expect much from a system this cheap. So don't be disappointed if you end up buying one. If you could save up atleast another $750 you could get a decent system and not want to upgrade soon.
Joey |
| At $500, I would also skip the HTIB and go with a stereo setup | Woochifer
May 7, 2003 5:12 PM | | I agree with the other poster that recommended going with a stereo setup for now. The biggest weakness with HTIB systems is the speakers that typically come with those setups. Kenwood, Sony, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Yamaha all sell decent HTIB packages right around the $500 mark, but in all those cases the speakers are at a far lower level of quality than the receiver. In general, these manufacturers are not known for making high quality speakers to begin with, and at this price point, you can expect a LOT of corners getting cut with the speaker packages.
I would buy speakers from a company that specializes in making speakers. Among the home theatre packages that I've heard, the minimum 5.1 package that I would go with is the Energy Take 5, which sells for around $500 by itself.
The other suggestion is to buy two or three speakers to begin with and gradually add on. At $180 a pair, the Paradigm Titan or equivalent models from Klipsch, Polk, Boston Acoustics, or Energy, among others, will give you excellent performance for the money and plenty of flexibility for future upgrades. Depending on which receiver you opt for, that could leave you with enough budget to add the center speaker as well. Later on, you can either go with a higher model for the front and move the speakers into the back as surrounds, or simply add two identical speakers for use as surrounds. Depending on your priorities, you can then add a true subwoofer and you'll have a seriously decent system for less than $1,000.
The mistake that a lot of consumers make is that they want to buy the whole system at once. The beauty of home theatre components is that you can gradually add on, and every new component will add a new dimension to your experience. If your budget will only allow for either an inferior 5.1 system or a decent two-channel system, feel free to opt for the two channel option (with a 5.1 capable receiver, of course) and build your system from there. Plus, most receivers have virtual surround modes that let you enjoy simulated surround sound with only two, three, or four speakers. The feature's already included, why not use it? |
| As everyone said | Bryan
May 16, 2003 7:04 AM | | Build up slowly. The Yamaha HTR-5540 receiver that was recommended is an excellent starter one. For speakers, used is another excellent option. If you live around the PA area: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=2423. $250. If not, add shipping. I've got the wood 5.1s and very happy with them. Other possibilities are:
Axiom M3ti
B&W DM 303
2 pairs of the nOrh drum 3.0 (note: will not play below 75Hz but, to its credit, it does not try)
Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 (close to $336 delivered)
DIY AR.com speaker |
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