Starting a Home Theater What do I need?

[BDS23420]

Hey guys, I just bought my new tv, Panasonic TC-P50ST30, and I LOVE it.

So now I need a good sound system to go with it, first off I need to get a decent receiver. I am looking for a 7.1 or 7.2. I dont want to spend A LOT of money on this but I know I'm gonna have too in the long run.

If you guys could please help me out and let me know what I need that would be awesome.

Thanks,
BDS

[blujacket]

What is your budget?

[BDS23420]

im not sure haha, $1500 - $2000??

I just want a nice sounding system that is 7.1 and handles 3D

The ONKYO TX-SR508 looks nnice but not sure how nice.

but I do know I think I want all Polk Audio for all the speakers, since I seen them on here a lot and figure they are the best.

[TRASHSTAR]

I've recently upgraded my sound system with a new receiver and new speakers. I can tell you that Polk would be an excellent choice for your speakers. I went with a Denon AVR-391 for my receiver and the Polk cs1 and monitor 40s for my center and front channels. With your budget you could put together a pretty sweet system...I'd recommend a Denon receiver and Polk cs2 for center, Monitor 60s or 70s for front and monitor 40s for surrounds...Its hard for me to recommend subs because I'm still shopping for one myself.

[frogmort]

If you want an amazing deal on a great sub(or subs), check out Acoustic Audio on ebay - http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=HD-...-SUB&_osacat=0

I got the HD-SUB12 for $160 flat with free shipping. It is, in my opinion, much better than the more expensive Polk Audio subs(and I have seven Polks in my 7.2 setup).

I was wary of buying off of ebay, but it comes from a company(Deep Discount), and they are brand new, with a full warranty.

After checking out https://forum.blu-ray.com/subwoofers...rs-thread.html on this forum, and some recommendations from Big Daddy, I got one, and loved it!

You could get two of them for about $320. I used the "Make an Offer" option.

I also have the entry level Polk Audio M series speakers, and they are amazing for the price I paid! If you moved up a tier or two, I'm sure you would be happy.(I would personally rather have some Def Techs, but maybe some day.)

You can get the Onkyo TX-SR508 for $248.00 with free shipping! A friend of mine just got this receiver and loves it. - http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR508...3759171&sr=8-1

Also, I bought all of my cables and wiring from Monoprice. Very high quality stuff for silly cheap prices!

Good Luck!

[Johnny Vinyl]

I would go for a beefier AVR than the Onkyo508. Get something that is at least 125wpc as that power is an inflated number, and you're likely only to get 50wpc when running 7 of them. Also make sure that whatever AVR you buy it has PRE-OUTS for the addition (down the road) of a seperate power amplifier.

DON'T cheap out on the AVR..it's the backbone of your steup.

If you want Polks, go ahead, but get the ones higher up in the line and start with two fronts and a matching centre channel. Then get a subwoofer, but NOT POLK. Look at SVS, HSU, etc. If you do that you'll have a great start and then in a few months add the surrounds and side surrounds.

[Omegaice]

Originally Posted by BDS23420

im not sure haha, $1500 - $2000??

I just want a nice sounding system that is 7.1 and handles 3D

The ONKYO TX-SR508 looks nnice but not sure how nice.

but I do know I think I want all Polk Audio for all the speakers, since I seen them on here a lot and figure they are the best.

The SR508 is a good entry level receiver but for just a little more you can get the NR808, which my Polks love. It's a great receiver with dedicated pre-outs so you can add an amp later on. Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR808...=2YTOGP3XYR7QW

[-RONIN-]

Was it really necessary to delete my post, John?

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by -RONIN-

Was it really necessary to delete my post, John?

John didn't do it !

[callas01]

Originally Posted by BDS23420

im not sure haha, $1500 - $2000??

I just want a nice sounding system that is 7.1 and handles 3D

The ONKYO TX-SR508 looks nnice but not sure how nice.

but I do know I think I want all Polk Audio for all the speakers, since I seen them on here a lot and figure they are the best.

based on??

you see them on here cause they are so cheap. With your budget I would go a different route. You can get better speakers with your money, and that is what i would suggest.

Receiver: Marantz 5004 $350
Subwoofer: elemental Designs A2-300 $415
Mains: WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.2 $450
Surrounds: WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.1 $300
Center: WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 10 CM $450
Speaker Stands: VTI UF-29 $129.00

Total is $2095, however I would call and talk to someone at Music Direct and ask them to give you both free shipping(they might already do that) and 20% OFF, then go to www.monoprice.com and buy yourself 2 HDMI cables, Speaker wire, and banana plugs.

EDIT:: you could also look at the Wharfedale Diamond SR for surrounds, they are $229/pr and are wall mountable, that would save you $70 over the 10.1 bookshelfs.

OR

Receiver: Marantz 5004 $350
Subwoofer: Hsu Research STF-2 $392
Mains: WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.2 $450
Surrounds: Axiom QS4 $440
Center: WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 10 CM $450
Speaker Stands: VTI UF-29 $129.00

$2200 approximately. But you get probably one of the best surrounds speakers out there.


Either system would have a level of detail and realism that you just don't get from speakers typically in that price range. Sweet highs, excellent mid-range detail and clarity, and good bass is what you get from Wharfedale.

[BDS23420]

Originally Posted by callas01

based on??

you see them on here cause they are so cheap. With your budget I would go a different route. You can get better speakers with your money, and that is what i would suggest.

Receiver: Marantz 5004 $350
Subwoofer: elemental Designs A2-300 $415
Mains: WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.2 $450
Surrounds: WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.1 $300
Center: WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 10 CM $450
Speaker Stands: VTI UF-29 $129.00

Total is $2095, however I would call and talk to someone at Music Direct and ask them to give you both free shipping(they might already do that) and 20% OFF, then go to www.monoprice.com and buy yourself 2 HDMI cables, Speaker wire, and banana plugs.

EDIT:: you could also look at the Wharfedale Diamond SR for surrounds, they are $229/pr and are wall mountable, that would save you $70 over the 10.1 bookshelfs.

OR

Receiver: Marantz 5004 $350
Subwoofer: Hsu Research STF-2 $392
Mains: WHARFEDALE - DIAMOND 10.2 $450
Surrounds: Axiom QS4 $440
Center: WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 10 CM $450
Speaker Stands: VTI UF-29 $129.00

$2200 approximately. But you get probably one of the best surrounds speakers out there.


Either system would have a level of detail and realism that you just don't get from speakers typically in that price range. Sweet highs, excellent mid-range detail and clarity, and good bass is what you get from Wharfedale.

Im really looking into this setup because I believe you know what youre talking about haha, But for my Mains I want floor standing speakers, IDK why I want them but I do......is there a sound difference in the quality that comes out of the bookshelf to the floor standing speakers?

[callas01]

Originally Posted by BDS23420

Im really looking into this setup because I believe you know what youre talking about haha, But for my Mains I want floor standing speakers, IDK why I want them but I do......is there a sound difference in the quality that comes out of the bookshelf to the floor standing speakers?

thank you for the vote of confidence. I have lots of experience with different speakers.

Bookshelfs can be just as good a floorstanding speakers. Here is the advantages of bookshelfs and disadvantages.

Advantages

-Easy to integrate into smaller rooms
-Fewer room acoustic problems due to size
-It's easy to add additional bookshelf speakers for multichannel audio or home theater applications
-A subwoofer can be added for deeper bass
-Better imaging

Disadvantages

-Limited diaphragm area of midbass woofer is unable to produce the same rich, full sound
of some larger floorstanding speakers.
-Distortions in midrange increase at higher volumes as midbass woofers perform longer
strokes.
-Due to smaller cabinet volumes, sound pressure levels at low frequencies (30-35Hz) is
limited by the laws of physics (but you can always add a subwoofer for punchier, deep
bass)

I used to have floorstanding speakers, but switching over to bookshelfs, I have no desire to go back to floorstanding speakers.

[Vracer111]

Originally Posted by BDS23420

Hey guys, I just bought my new tv, Panasonic TC-P50ST30, and I LOVE it.

So now I need a good sound system to go with it, first off I need to get a decent receiver. I am looking for a 7.1 or 7.2. I dont want to spend A LOT of money on this but I know I'm gonna have too in the long run.

If you guys could please help me out and let me know what I need that would be awesome.

Thanks,
BDS

Mostly has been mentioned, but a nice receiver with pre-outs is a good idea. I'd recommend going with a 5.1 speaker layout up front, then expand to 7.1+ later. Put as much money towards the speakers as possible...they are what is most important, much more important than the receiver. Receivers are much easier and less expensive to upgrade than speakers. I'd put no more than $300-$400 for your first receiver and $1700 to the speakers for a ~ $2000 budget. Polk Audio is good to buy factory refurbished from too...like brand new for a very big discount.

Going factory refurbished direct from Polk Audio, you could get into the RTi line which is where their excellent quality starts (their Monitor series are ok, but can't compare to the RTi series - If going Polk Audio, the RTi series would be the one to go with)

For $1700 you could put together the following 5.1 RTi series setup:

RTi-A5 Front pair for $560 (Cherry)/$500(Black)(RTi-A5 is the BEST of the RTi line for sound quality - The A7 and A9 sacrifice quality midrange and mid-bass for a little extra low end. A5 + good sub is much better.)
CSi A4 center for $200(Cherry)/$180(Black)
FXi-A6 side surround pair for $330(White)

So Cherry/white would be $1090 leaving $610 for a subwoofer. So you could get a HSU VTF-2 MK 3
Black/White would be $1010 leaving $690 for a subwoofer. Maybe stretch the budget some and go with an HSU VTF-3 MK3 or maybe still the HSU VTF-2 MK3 and put extra towards receiver.

The rear surrounds can always be added at a later time. The step from 5.1 to 7.1 is just for more detail...like going from 80% to 100%. At least with 5.1 you'll be getting plenty of detail compared to just a front 3.1 sound stage layout.

[BDS23420]

thanks for the input guys, Im gonna have to read all of this and so some searching.

[BDS23420]

one other question, what kind of speaker wire should I get, and how do you connect them to the speakers?

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by BDS23420

one other question, what kind of speaker wire should I get, and how do you connect them to the speakers?

I would recommend that you get no less than a 14-gauge wire (the higher the gauge #, the thinner the wire), so stay away from the 18-20 gauge and up stuff.

The easiest way to connect wire to both your AVR and the speakers is via Banana plugs. This also allows for easy unplugging/replugging for those times when you need to do so.

Both can be found at Monoprice.com very inexpensively.

[OG Pooh]

A good rule of thumb is to spend half of your audio budget on the speakers. They will be the main factor in detremining the quality of the sound. They will also very likely be the components you will have the longest. As for the receiver, just make sure that it has all the inputs/outputs you will need. I wouldn't worry too much about wattage when it comes to volume though. Despite what typical sense would tell you, doubling the wattage does not translate to double the volume. You actually need a ten-fold increase in wattage to double the volume capacity. Doubling the wattage nets an increase of only 3db. You'd need to go from a 100w amp to a 200w amp to get a 3db increase (which is pretty much the smallest increase a human can detect). So the difference between 100w & 125w will be for all intents & purposes, inaudible. Also remember, an amp labled "high current" will deliver better sound. If you have the choice between a 100w "standard" supply & an 80w "high current" design, go with the 80w of high current. Just make sure your amp (receiver) & speakers are compatible as far as the ohm load is concerned. The basic rule is that the number in ohms of your receiver should be rqual to or lower than the speakers... An 8 ohm receiver can power 8 ohm speakers, but would be overworked trying to power 4 ohm speakers. To flip that example, a 4 ohm receiver would probably run cooler & smoother, powering 8 ohm speakers. To put simply...

8 ohm receiver + 8 ohm speakers = good

8 ohm receiver + 4 ohm speakers = bad

4 ohm receiver + 4 ohm speakers = good

4 ohm receiver + 8 ohm speakers = great

Also, usually the lower the ohm number, the better quality the gear is considered (a 2 ohm receiver or speakers would probably be more expensive). You can figure it from there.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Many AVR's can handle a 4-ohm load with ease and have settings to accomodate those speaker impedances.

[BDS23420]

Originally Posted by OG Pooh

A good rule of thumb is to spend half of your audio budget on the speakers. They will be the main factor in detremining the quality of the sound. They will also very likely be the components you will have the longest. As for the receiver, just make sure that it has all the inputs/outputs you will need. I wouldn't worry too much about wattage when it comes to volume though. Despite what typical sense would tell you, doubling the wattage does not translate to double the volume. You actually need a ten-fold increase in wattage to double the volume capacity. Doubling the wattage nets an increase of only 3db. You'd need to go from a 100w amp to a 200w amp to get a 3db increase (which is pretty much the smallest increase a human can detect). So the difference between 100w & 125w will be for all intents & purposes, inaudible. Also remember, an amp labled "high current" will deliver better sound. If you have the choice between a 100w "standard" supply & an 80w "high current" design, go with the 80w of high current. Just make sure your amp (receiver) & speakers are compatible as far as the ohm load is concerned. The basic rule is that the number in ohms of your receiver should be rqual to or lower than the speakers... An 8 ohm receiver can power 8 ohm speakers, but would be overworked trying to power 4 ohm speakers. To flip that example, a 4 ohm receiver would probably run cooler & smoother, powering 8 ohm speakers. To put simply...

8 ohm receiver + 8 ohm speakers = good

8 ohm receiver + 4 ohm speakers = bad

4 ohm receiver + 4 ohm speakers = good

4 ohm receiver + 8 ohm speakers = great

Also, usually the lower the ohm number, the better quality the gear is considered (a 2 ohm receiver or speakers would probably be more expensive). You can figure it from there.

so are you saying a 4 ohm receiver is the best? if so what one would you suggest?

[callas01]

Originally Posted by BDS23420

so are you saying a 4 ohm receiver is the best? if so what one would you suggest?

I wouldn't worry about that, get a receiver that has a higher current draw, and it will have good power output.

The Marantz that I linked you too will be enough for just about any speaker you are looking at. And it will be leaps and bounds above anything else in the $350 price range

There are some receivers that can push a 4 ohm load on the front mains, like Onkyo, Integra, yamaha, Marantz, but really you don't need to worry about that. All receivers can push 6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers. Since what youre looking is mostly in that range, youre open to just about any receiver you want.