Home Theater Help

[callas01]

music direct has a nice sale on focal speakers

focal 705V $349/pr x2 for fronts and surrounds
focal CC700v $349 for center channel
hsu research stf-2 subwoofer $329 available online at hsuresearch.com
onkyo 717 $450 for an avr at amazon.com

then you will need stands to put the speakers on top of; you might want 2 pairs since one for the fronts and one for the rears.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanus-Systems-...speaker+stands

and dont forget the blue tack to help hold the speakers to the stands
http://www.amazon.com/Country-801103...ords=blue+tack

and go to monoprice.com for some speaker wire.

[rpatt]

Originally Posted by callas01

music direct has a nice sale on focal speakers

focal 705V $349/pr x2 for fronts and surrounds
focal CC700v $349 for center channel
hsu research stf-2 subwoofer $329 available online at hsuresearch.com
onkyo 717 $450 for an avr at amazon.com

then you will need stands to put the speakers on top of; you might want 2 pairs since one for the fronts and one for the rears.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanus-Systems-...speaker+stands

and dont forget the blue tack to help hold the speakers to the stands
http://www.amazon.com/Country-801103...ords=blue+tack

and go to monoprice.com for some speaker wire.

I second the recommendation on the Sanus stands. Very solid product.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by rpatt

I second the recommendation on the Sanus stands. Very solid product.

Agreed, and the Focal suggestion isn't too shabby either! Good all around speaker from a great company.

[kratos187]

thanks for all the help guys i will let u know how it turns out..

[drmittens]

I must say I agree and disagree with some of the suggestions given, for eaches own I guess.

I believe a good receiver is the foundation of a good system. Remember a system is only as good as its weakest link whether that's the receiver, speakers or even the connections.

Do not use spaghetti thin speaker wire, 16 awg the thinnest. I myself use 12 awg. The smaller the number the thicker the wire.

I didn't see anyone mention anything on center channels. It is very important to make sure that your fronts match your center. You can use a different brand for rears or satellites but the fronts must match, I can't stress that enough.

If you are buying a reconditioned unit (receiver) try and get a factory reconditioned unit perhaps with a warranty. Accessories 4 Less is a good place to start looking or Fry's often has good deals, sometimes really good deals.
As far as brands go you can't go wrong with Pioneer Elite, Maraantz, or Onkyo. I own the latter and couldn't be happier.

When it comes to subs there is a wide assortment of options. I will recommend that you get two separate subs and place them apart from each other to achieve a balance in your viewing area if space allows. You will have to play with the placement of the subs but when you find the sweet spot you're ears will be rewarded. You will also want to use a y-splitter for your subs, that will give you a day and night difference in sound.

I hope this helps and if there is anything else I can do let me know.

[Joos519]

I have a designated theater room and was on somewhat of a budget like you. I started from scratch, so my budget had to be stretched to cover video and audio.

First off, if you want great theater sound, I wouldn't suggest a theater in a box set. They can give you a taste of surround, but not the true Hi def sound and fidelity, along with thx quality you're looking for.

Obviously, if you had a bigger budget, my suggestion, like other members on here, would be different. But since this is a limited budget, I'll try to stay within your budget and give you a full audio set up.


Sub:
I have two Jbl es250pbk (you'll only need one, trust me). My theater room is 20ft x 30ft. And I was afraid that one sub wouldn't fill the room. With both, I don't even have them a quarter of the way up. Excellent clean sound and the bass is so deep and low you can feel it.

Price is $199.00 Here: http://www.amazon.com/JBL-ES250PBK-H...=jbl+subwoofer

Receiver:

For a receiver I suggest the Onkyo 717, it's THX certified and 3d capable with all the bells and whistles. Extremely powerful and will have inputs for all your needs. I have the 818, but for your budget, this is the best bang. Price is $498.98

Here: http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR717...ords=onkyo+7.2

Center channel speaker:

For the center channel, I have a JBl ES25cbk, crisp, clean and very powerful. Price is $169.99

Here: http://www.amazon.com/JBL-ES25CBK-Ce...rds=jbl+center


Fronts:

Now for fronts you might want to take the other members suggestions, since I own two QSC k12 pro audio speakers that are priced above your budget ($900 each) and don't have any experience with other fronts.

But if you want to stay within budget and want your speakers to match, you can continue with the JBLs. These are the towers that go with the rest of the series I suggested( they have great reviews). I have no personal experience with them, but I do with the others, and the quality and fidelity are top notch for the money.

Price is $329 x 2 ($660) total
Here http://www.amazon.com/JBL-ES80BK-3-W...ords=jbl+tower

Rears:

I own 4 HDW80 from HTD.com, awesome crisp sound. They have a level two book shelf version if in wall speakers won't work for you. Price is $199 for the pair.

So, for all of the a/v equipment, your total is $1,726.97 before taxes. Leaving you enough money to buy cables. Check out monoprice.com for your cable needs. Good luck!

[kratos187]

I actually went with what callas01 offered, and I could not be happier, will have to take pictures to show.