Best Set-up for $1000?

[raginranger]

Originally Posted by repete66211

You needn't get the best receiver or the best speakers right now. I'm on my first receiver and my second set of speakers, but I am sure I will upgrade it all over the next couple of years. So while you could go balls-out and spend $4,000+ over the next couple years, there's nothing wrong with getting a mid-range setup for the time being.

As far as receivers go, the Onkyo TX-SR607 and 507 are pretty good receivers. They provide a good balance of features and cost. Yamaha, Pioneer and Denon have some great options too, but in my opinion Onkyo gives you the best value.

For speakers, check out Newegg's deals on Polk Monitors. They've been running some great deals lately. Again, they aren't on par with Paradigm or B&W, but they're a great bang for your buck. Start with the CS1 center ($80), Monitor 60 ($240/pair) fronts and Monitor 30 rears ($90/pair). You have a lot of room on the sub. I trust the recommendations of those who plug the Elemental Design 12" sub ($350), but my Polk PSW110 ($180) gets the job done.*

So $590-$760 on the audio and $500 on the 607. It's a bit over the budget, but it's a much better setup than the Onkyo HT-S9100THX or any receiver/satellite setup out there. Get your HDMI cables, sub wire, speaker wire and banana plugs at Monoprice for another $80 or so and you're good to go.

*Newegg's deals come and go, so these may not be accurate prices. Just decide what you're looking for and check the "Hot Deals" threads for some bargains. With patience you'll get what you're after.

Good luck.

Thanks, I found your post to be very informative and helpful. How difficult is it to set up the receivers and speakers for someone who has never done it before? The thought of speaker wire and banana plug sounds confusing to a noob like myself. Is this something I can do it easily by reading a manual or do I need to get a pro to install it?

[repete66211]

Originally Posted by raginranger

Thanks, I found your post to be very informative and helpful. How difficult is it to set up the receivers and speakers for someone who has never done it before? The thought of speaker wire and banana plug sounds confusing to a noob like myself. Is this something I can do it easily by reading a manual or do I need to get a pro to install it?

You do not need a pro installation. You will need to read the manuals, but only to understand how the thing works. Banana plugs aren't necessary, but they will make the setup process much easier.

The process: Get a spool of speaker wire and two pairs of banana plugs per speaker (5.1=10 pairs). Measure the length from receiver to speaker with a piece of string and then cut the speaker wire to that length with a wire cutter/stripper. Unscrew the banana plugs, strip a quarter inch off the red/black speaker wires and thread them in. This is much easier than you think. Repeat for each speaker, connect them to the appropriate speaker terminal, plug the receiver in proceed with setup. There's a learning curve involved with the receiver, but just spend a lot of time reading on this forum and you'll get progressively more comfortable with it. You'll be glad you did it this way.

P.S. Don't forget the sub cable.

[Grevlin]

Originally Posted by repete66211

You do not need a pro installation. You will need to read the manuals, but only to understand how the thing works. Banana plugs aren't necessary, but they will make the setup process much easier.

The process: Get a spool of speaker wire and two pairs of banana plugs per speaker (5.1=10 pairs). Measure the length from receiver to speaker with a piece of string and then cut the speaker wire to that length with a wire cutter/stripper. Unscrew the banana plugs, strip a quarter inch off the red/black speaker wires and thread them in. This is much easier than you think. Repeat for each speaker, connect them to the appropriate speaker terminal, plug the receiver in proceed with setup. There's a learning curve involved with the receiver, but just spend a lot of time reading on this forum and you'll get progressively more comfortable with it. You'll be glad you did it this way.

P.S. Don't forget the sub cable.

-- And use the little stickers that come with the receiver to label your cables so you know where to plug everything in. (TRUST me)