Building a HT for penny pinchers - Tips and Tricks

[jc480]

Building a home theatre is a very satisfying project. As a male, I found the research, planning/design, construction and results to be a stimulating and rewarding experience.

To begin, you CAN build a home theatre without draining your bank account. If you have money to burn, then this thread is probably not for you. If you are, like me, pinching every penny and want maximum value for your dollars, then you may find value in some of my experience.

You will need to arm yourself with the following habits --
- willingness to research. This forum, and a few other popular A/V forums, will provide you everything you need. It takes TIME to read, and understand, all of the various aspects of a HT. I spent, literally, months of reading. Don't be afraid to ask dumb questions on forums. I have, and continue to.
- patience. If you are patient, you will save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Your research will let you know what is a good value, and where to buy for the best value (value, not price...important!)....where you buy from is as important as the price. The electronics you purchase are only as good as the company that is selling them.
- vision. You need to be able to SEE your HT in your mind. Once you can do this, you can/will work to making it a reality.

Let's begin --
SPEAKERS. In-wall speakers are the cleanest look. Speakers mounted via brakets is second, followed by free-standing floor units/shelf units. For in-wall speakers, my recommendations are: Monoprice They have wall speakers that are disturbingly cheap. We're talking $50/pair here. For the average person, these work just fine. The sound they produce is good for a non-trained ear, it is not tinty and will not distort for normal audio levels. For someone a bit more discriminating, Polk makes good in-wall speakers. Between $2 to $4 hundred per pair, they provide excellent sound range for a good price. If you're not a handyman, you can hire a carpenter from your local classified newspaper periodical. These guys work fairly cheap and can cut the holes/mount the speakers for you. Or you can look for an electrician. The electrician can snake the speaker wires through the walls for a reasonable price....probably can cut your drywall and mount the speakers as well. For speaker wire, use 14 gauge wire with CL2 in-wall shielding. Buy this from monoprice. Make sure to determine length you measure from each speaker to where the wire would terminate (a wall jack or opening). 5 speakers at 20 feet each is 100 feet and add another 20% for safety...so 120 feet.
SUBWOOFER: Read the forums here. I like the eD A2-300. Technically, it offers about the best performance for the buck out there (at least when I bought it).
RECEIVER: I would check NewEgg and look for refurbished/returned units....these can be had for $250-$350 which offers significant savings. Read their return policies carefully. Fatwallet and Slickdeals are good sources to monitor daily for deals on these units. Brands that are good value are Pioneer and Onkyo. They are user friendly and offer alot of features. Make sure to get one that supports 7.1 channels (for future expandability).
TV: This forum and consumer sites like Slickdeals and Fatwallet are good for monitoring for deals. Generally, you can purchase online cheaper than at a B&M. Brick and Mortars (BestBuy, Sears) offer advantages...you can visit, see and choose your TV in person, take it home the same day....a place to return it if you have problems. 1080p only here. Prices are so low now it makes no sense to purchase 720p resolution.
BD Players: Read the forums...there are some personal choices you have to make here...internet connectivity, BD Live, etc.
HDMI CABLES: Buy these from Monoprice. Monoprice cables work perfect. Brand name HDMI cables use an argument that they offer extreme quality which improves your picture to justify their outrageous pricing. This has been proven to not be true. Monoprice HDMI cables are dirt cheap. Use them...make sure to get HDMI 1.3 and high-speed capable (pretty much the standard now I think). Cables longer than 30 feet should be certified. I like BlueJeansCable for long HDMI cables. This is a personal preference. If I'm snaking cable through the wall, I want to make damn sure it works so I don't have to rip it out and re-do again.
SPEAKER CABLES: Pre-made speaker cables with banana plugs on either end are available on amazon for about $10 each. Making your own speaker cables is alot of work
ACCESSORIES: Banana plugs, plates, TV mounts, etc can be purchased on Monoprice for about 90% cheaper than buying at a retail store. Seriously...Monoprice has great return policies and high quality stuff. It's a pleasure doing business with them.

[StimpsonJCat]

You can save a ton of money if you don't have to own the latest greatest. I've always bought my speakers after they are discontinued and found really great prices. I got my E-series for 29% of the original MSRP. Also, you can save a lot if you buy AVRs after the next years models come out.

I agree with the tip for using Monoprice for cables (I always use them).

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by StimpsonJCat

Also, you can save a lot if you buy AVRs after the next years models come out.

I wish the Onkyo's would follow suit and lower their prices, but they seem as high as ever for last years models and have been for quite some time.......

[JJ]

Subwoofer:

Acoustic Audio
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=85212
Sub-$200 Subs

[Grevlin]

Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category...ame=Home-Audio

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by StimpsonJCat

You can save a ton of money if you don't have to own the latest greatest. I've always bought my speakers after they are discontinued and found really great prices. I got my E-series for 29% of the original MSRP. Also, you can save a lot if you buy AVRs after the next years models come out. - I agree with the tip for using Monoprice for cables (I always use them).

Love Monoprice! Just rec'd my Banana Plugs (& extra wire to Bi-amp my Front speakers), great prices, & free shipping on most orders.

Originally Posted by forsberg21

I wish the Onkyo's would follow suit and lower their prices, but they seem as high as ever for last years models and have been for quite some time.......

Someone's still in the market for the AVR w/pre-outs...

Originally Posted by Grevlin

Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category...ame=Home-Audio

Major + 1. LOVE that site, great deals, free shipping. It doesn't get mentioned here Day after day for nothing!

[got rice]

Audiogon

Quality at discounted prices, best VALUE around.

[Grevlin]

Originally Posted by got rice

Audiogon

Quality at discounted prices, best VALUE around.

I "window shop" there all the time... the little upgradeitis voices tell me to

[got rice]

Originally Posted by Grevlin

I "window shop" there all the time... the little upgradeitis voices tell me to

With you on that...

off topic: I'm glad to see you went with the Panny...so lookin forward to the new and improved setup.

[skygreenleopard]

Just to add my 2 cents... 720p is still quite a bargain for someone who plans to watch mostly broadcast TV or is going for a screen smaller than 50". While I love and don't regret my 40" Samsung 1080p, you can still save about $250 on average by settling for 720p if you don't plan on tons of Blu-Ray or gaming, or if you plan to sit at a suboptimal viewing distance from your set. And $250 is a lot of money, put that into a subwoofer...

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by skygreenleopard

Just to add my 2 cents... 720p is still quite a bargain for someone who plans to watch mostly broadcast TV or is going for a screen smaller than 50". While I love and don't regret my 40" Samsung 1080p, you can still save about $250 on average by settling for 720p if you don't plan on tons of Blu-Ray or gaming, or if you plan to sit at a suboptimal viewing distance from your set. And $250 is a lot of money, put that into a subwoofer...

$599 for a 720p Projector,
$75 (because I went with some "Extras") for a DIY 106" Screen

Can't beat that with a stick (Notice the center channel in my gallery is on a milk-crate..... that wasn't by choice Lost my stand in the move )

[DonRSD]

Originally Posted by forsberg21

I wish the Onkyo's would follow suit and lower their prices, but they seem as high as ever for last years models and have been for quite some time.......

i KNOW youre waiting to get an 806/805

Originally Posted by Aerodude73

Love Monoprice! Just rec'd my Banana Plugs (& extra wire to Bi-amp my Front speakers), great prices, & free shipping on most orders.

Someone's still in the market for the AVR w/pre-outs...

HAHA the banana plugs.
im still laughing at your 'miscalculations' a far as how many to order

[Rob J in WNY]

What a great thread! Newcomers often don't really know where to begin, and this thread can give them a lot of help and direction.

A home theater on a budget can bring immense satisfaction, especially if you are willing to do the research and have a bit of the "do-it-yourselfer" type frame of mind.

Newegg.com always has a good deal going on something. Polk Audio speakers are a definite specialty of theirs. I got my T90E front speakers from Newegg for just under $130 each (including shipping) and I couldn't be happier.


Polk Audio T90E speaker next to an older Sony 3-way which it replaced. Significant sound improvement for considerably less than $300 from Newegg.com during one of their awesome Polk Audio promotions.

HDMI cables are one of the most controversial and misunderstood subjects of home theater. Newcomers will often be prodded to into purchasing $50, $100 or even $150+ cables from retail store salespeople. If you want to save money, going to Monoprice.com is your absolute best choice. Their cheapest cables are HDMI 1.3 compliant (meaning you don't have to worry about anything), and are just a few dollars each. If you are not comfortable with online purchasing, I've seen HDMI cables at "Big Lots" stores in my area for only $12.00 (6-foot cable) to $18.00 (12-foot cable). They will work just as good as their $150+ counterparts, rest-assured.

It's easy to make a budget home theater perform better as well. Doing the little things adds to the satisfaction as well. Learning your equipment and fully investigating its capabilities inside and out can bring out every drop of performance out of entry-level components. On the subject of audio, I've heard entry-level components sound better than mis-calibrated and/or poorly set up high-end equipment.

Work a bit on getting the best sound from your speakers. Make an effort to give your front soundstage some room, left to right. Toe-in your front left and right speakers a bit, angling them toward your center listening position. Make careful adjustments to the bass and treble controls (or equalization controls if so equipped). If your subwoofer sounds weak, take the time to move it about the room. Don't be satisfied by merely plunking it down. You may get lucky and find the sweet spot right off the bat, but if not, then other areas of a room can yield incredibly better results.

If you can't afford a nice power conditioner for your setup, at least purchase a surge protecting power strip which does a little A/C elecrical noise filtering to boot. You can buy a 15-amp Philips unit from Walmart which does some A/C filtering for $11.00.

Yes, speaker cables with banana plug connectors take a little while to make, and I had fun making mine, and it was a fraction of the cost of buying pre-made ones. I used 16-gauge brown lamp cord (hides easily) and 28 individual standard "closed screw" banana plugs. You can do each one in a few minutes with a simple pair of wire strippers and a small, flat-blade screwdriver. They make connecting your speakers to your receiver/amplifier (if equipped with binding post speaker jacks) IMMENSELY more convenient.


Banana plugs add convenience, a classy look, and a solid connection for your speaker wiring.

You can get 16-gauge speaker wire just about anywhere where electronics or home improvement products are sold. I would not recommend going using any wire less thick than 16-gauge. Gold-plated banana plugs are generally sold in pairs and can be obtained from the same places, but Monoprice.com has them dirt cheap.

Another satisfying way to make a significant improvement on any home theater setup is taking the time do just a little wire management. All those cables look untidy and messy, and even if you don't mind that, you will find greater satisfaction in taking just a few minutes to bundle and hide/route the wires a little better. One recommendation here is avoid running equipment power cables alongside any analog line level wires, such as a subwoofer signal cable.

Wire "twist ties" do wonders for organizing and running speaker wires and/or all sorts of cabling. In my case, I love the black ones which come with new electronics, but if you buy lots of bread, you'll have all the twist ties you need!


A little wire management goes a LONG way to step up the appearance of even the most basic home theater.

If 7.1 channels seems too daunting, or your theater area is small, then go with a 5.1 channel speaker setup. Only a fraction of Blu-ray movies have a 7.1 (or 6.1 audio) channel soundtrack, and a 5.1 channel system will handle it by mixing the extra surround-back channels into the regular surround speakers. 5.1 means you'll save on an extra pair of speakers, the setup of those speakers, and the speaker wiring, too. Also, 5.1 channel receivers are less expensive to buy. You'll be able to upgrade later if you want, but still have a satisfying audio experience in the meantime with 5.1. Pictured below are my 7.1 channel surround-back speakers, on a budget!


Four Polk Audio R150 speakers make up my surround and surround-back speakers, completing my 7.1 channel setup. They can be had for less than $100 a pair and do a phenomenal job. Notice that I took the time to do a little wire management on them. Those are inexpensive tray tables which they are sitting on. A more permanent way will come in the future.

Even if someone is starting off with a Home Theater In A Box (HTIB), it can be set up optimally and sound/look great! And "upgrade-itis" is not a bad thing either. There's plenty of help around here for that condition as well!

Best of success to all who are looking to get started on a budget!

[ansat]

In order to penny pinch my system I just had to learn to deal with only alittle at a time. It started with my Onkyo 604 for 325 and a set of garage sale speakers (JBL Sat 2) with a total of 425 spent and a crappy sanyo tube type tele... Once I paid that off I made my next purchase of the TV I upgraded to the samsung 46a650 and utilized 18 month financing to keep the payments at 100$. Then I waited for a new 5.1 set. The def tech pro 60 set I paid 299 on black friday. then replaced the LCR with a LCR sound bar and moved the fronts from the pro 60 to the rear for 7.1 (I settled for 5.1 for 2 years, even though I had a 7.1 system) and sacrificed the center to the speker box. Then came the towers and making the LCR one massive center speaker then finally the sub

Point is... You can make a much better setup with planning and waiting without breaking the bank. Yes I do have about 5000+ invested total..... Which is not "on the cheap" But at no point have I HAD to pay more than 100 month. I made double payments every time I had the urge to upgrade bringing me that much closer paying it off.

So the best advice i can give is as follows

1. Ignore brand names - I love my def techs however for what I paid for everything I could of done better with a ID vendor no name.. And Yes I concider HSU, SVS, eD and all the ID only vendors to be no names as when I was shopping for speakers All I have heard of was boston, def tech, sony etc.

2. Spread your purchases out. - Even if this means keeping something in a box for 4-5 months cause you dont have the means to complete the setup

3. Monoprice is the best prices period for cables, but for those who will not order online or must have cables and wires today.. Wal mart and Radio Shack will save you alot of money compared to BB and other box stores

4. If you are buying your equiptment a peice at a time - dont waste your speakers . a 5 peice package can easily migrate to the rears and only the center channel gets lost in the mix. But thats what zone 2 is for.

5. And finally read the forums and ask questions. Dont be afraid to ask what people paid for their equipment. You would be surprised how far a commissioned sales man will drop their prices on the last day of their pay period or even how far you can take down the prices of even ID companys (for example Hsu phone reps can take 5% off the top if you just ask)

[Dase]

Originally Posted by Grevlin

I "window shop" there all the time... the little upgradeitis voices tell me to

+1

those darn voices whisper the word "paradigm..... paradigm...." over and over and over and AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!....

lol

Also another vote for newegg. 6ave has coupon codes for lots of stuff. The local classifieds can also sometimes be a treasuretrove, just be sure to do some auditioning/testing. Also good are friends or acquaintences who sometimes just get rid of stuff for cheap. I picked up my PS3 and four games this way for $300.

I think patience is the key when you are on a budget, and although it's hard, it really is worth it in the end. I had to save and make a purchase, save and make a purchase a few times. It was the way to go for me. I didn't do any financing, which was very difficult because my cards were talking to me all the time. So yeah... patience.

Save for a few months and research along the way... then I puchased my Denon. Save for a few months and research... then I bought my SVS. Save for a few months... sell old equipment... sell old DLP... then I was able to upgrade my TV and speakers.

I picked up a pair of the Polk T90e's for $260, and the CS10 and a pair of OWM3's for $240 from newegg. You can't beat that with a stick.

I got my LCD during the circuit city liquidation. I waited until the second to last day and went in and got the price on the one I wanted and took it to best buy. They matched it. So I got a ridiculous discount and I was able to get the black tie warranty. All for about $500 under what the price for just the LCD was at BB.

I bought my cables from monoprice and they sent me the thinner hdmi 1.3 cables with the ferrite cores instead of the thick inwall style. BUT.. when I sent them pics of the mixup they sent me the correct ones for free and told me to keep the wrong ones as their apology. So I got 6 hdmi 1.3 cablesfor less than $20. They have made great gifts

I am also using the black twist ties for wire management. Cheap, effective, and not bad looking.

I also fished the wires through the walls, ran them under baseboards, cut the holes, etc, all by myself. It's really not hard, and MUCH cheaper than paying someone else. Again, google is your friend. There are hundreds of DIY install articles and videos. Don't be scared, just do it.

And of course ask questions. Read forums. There is a wealth of info on forums like this one. There are many manufacturer forums. And of course AVS forum.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Two more good sites for buying used are CanuckAudioMart and Kijiji, but they are based in Canada.

Some really good information here, especially the OP's take on reading/learning/researching before buying anything. After that, and once you're ready to start taking the plunge, do some serious auditioning.

One point I would like to add and one that many, many people rarely consider, is to include visits to some local high-end audio shops. You'd be amazed at some of the deals that can be had there, and oftentimes at less than what the usual suspects (BB and the like) can offer. You'll also get some exposure to other brands and the salespeople (often the owners themselves) are much more knowledgeable to boot.

Another point to consider is not to be bowled-over by specs. Do not analyze and compare specs to death, especially watts per channel ratings. Remember, not all watts are created equal.

Have fun with your project and take your time...you'll make better decisions as a result.

John